Chapter 12

It was a week before Christmas and somehow Jacob had talked Connie into going to the staff party tonight. "Remind me why the hell I'm going to this-" "Because, socialising with staff isn't all that bad." She rolled her eyes before turning back to the mirror.

Jacob was wearing a pair of darkened jeans with a black t-shirt which stretched across the muscles in his chest. He walked towards the bathroom while Connie changed into the dress she had chosen for tonight. Before she had the chance to put the dress on Jacob came back out of the bathroom and smiled at her as he stepped closer.

She stood up upon feeling his hands move across her bare back. "Wish I could look at you like this all night-" "Well you're the one who wants me out with you tonight." She leant up on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly before moving backwards as he watched her.

Connie pulled the figure hugging black dress up her slim body. The long sleeves kept her arms warm as the nights were getting cooler. It came half way down her thighs and showed all her curves. Jacob had left the room to get himself a drink before leaving whilst Connie finished getting ready.

She left her hair in perfect wavy curls before pinning up small pieces from either side so that it was away from her face. Slipping her feet into the pair of black louboutin's she finished reapplying the red lipstick before leaving the bedroom.

Jacob turned around to see Connie walk into the kitchen and couldn't pull his eyes from her. "Wow, Connie you look… You look beautiful sweet cheeks." She looked up from where she was flicking her hair over her shoulder and smiled. "Thank you, are you sure I can't change your mind about staying home?" He stepped closer to her as she wrapped her arms around him looking up to him. Even with her heels on she was still visibly shorter than him. "Mmm, nice try baby but not gonna happen."

Connie phoned for a taxi and Jacob put his jacket on before picking something up from the side. "Before we go I wanted to give you something." She stood up from the sofa where she'd been sitting and wandered through to the kitchen slowly. "Oh yeah-" she stopped noticing he was holding out a long, velvety black box. "Jacob-" "I was your secret Santa but I know we also had a limit on things so I thought you should have this one now."

She raised her eyes to look up at him before lifting the lid from the jewellery box. The light shone from the figure eight made up of several small ruby's. The silver chain glittered as she moved the box. "Jacob it's beautiful-" "Merry Christmas sweet cheeks…" Connie took the bracelet from the box and put it around her wrist before Jacob reached out and did it up. She wore it on top of the left sleeve of her dress showing it off quite proudly.

They waited about for another 10 minutes before getting into the taxi and heading back towards the hospital. "You know this can only go one way tonight-" "As long as it involves me leaving with you." She smirked across at him in the dark of the taxi before they stopped outside.

Zoe had arrived and was sitting with Alicia and Dylan while Rita, Iain and Dixie sat at the table beside them. "So come on then, when are you two going to start being open about this?" Iain shrugged sitting back while Rita looked across at him wishing he'd actually say something for a change.

Max, Robyn and Lofty were at the bar ordering some drinks as Jacob walked inside followed by Connie. "Come on" he took her hand before leading her through the crowds of people towards the bar. "Hey Jacob I hope you remembered that drink you promised us all-" "Of course. Do you want something to drink sweet cheeks?" He turned to a slightly blushing Connie who closed her eyes briefly before nodding. "Can I get those and a glass of red wine please."

Noel and Big Mac walked into the bar followed by Jack to join the small crowd that was gathered there. Connie was stood beside Jacob as he spoke with Max before he turned back to her. "I'm just going to find Charlie-" "Okay." He nodded bending forward and placing a kiss on her cheek before smiling as she wandered away.

"Hey I didn't expect to see you here this evening." He hugged Connie before they sat down at a table beside the window looking into the room of colleagues. "Well some people just don't take no for an answer." She had a drink causing Charlie to noticed the bracelet around her wrist. "That's nice, an early present?" She smiled and nodded moving her eyes from the bracelet to Jacob across the room. "…And?" "And it's good, I really think this could be it Charlie."

Everyone was several drinks in and people were moving to sit around tables that had been pushed together. Jacob had moved away from the bar and was scouring the room for Connie. As soon as his eyes fell on her he couldn't drag them away. She turned and noticed him looking at her and just smiled as he walked over to her.

"Hey you-" Connie smiled as she spoke to him before he wrapped an arm around her waist smiling. "See, it's not that bad is it?" "Have you been in the same room as me for the past hour? I suppose it hasn't been hideous no." Their attention was drawn by a loud Robyn who began discussing the secret Santa they had all participated in.

Jacob pulled out a seat and Connie sat down while he stood beside her. She leant into him as he rested a hand on her shoulder. People began swapping gifts around the tables before Jacob moved to hand a gift to Zoe. A gift was passed across the table in Connie's direction with a tag on it from Alicia. She looked up to Jacob with a small look of confusion on her face "I thought you said-" "I might have lied just to get you to open it." He smiled down at her as a small smile appeared across her face too.

People slowly began leaving, Zoe was the first to disappear with Max shortly behind her. Nobody had noticed him slip away other than Connie who was watching from the bar before Jacob approached her. "You ready to go?" "Are you sure, you don't have to leave just because of me." Jacob put his glass on the side before leaning closer to her "Because I'm about to turn down a night with you aren't I-" "Jacob we spent the last three nights together-" "I know and I can't stop thinking about it." A small laugh escaped her lips as she stood up while Jacob disappeared to say goodbye.

Connie stepped into the cold, hand in hand with Jacob leaning into his side. "Thank you for tonight, it was nice." Jacob smiled silently as they walked through the cold night. He offered up his jacket to a reluctant Connie who eventually took it and wrapped it around herself as they finished the journey home. No matter how much she tried denying it Jacob treated her like she was the most precious thing in the world, like no mane ever had.