Jill frowned at her iPad. Her glasses slid down her nose and the screen went blurry. She was as blind as a bat without them, contacts irritated her eyes so she was stuck with them. Tony called it her librarian look. He thought she looked adorable. Tonight was their sixth month anniversary. She was preparing his special dessert, chocolate mousse. She had come home early from work especially to make it for him. It was Friday night, so they would have a leisurely day tomorrow.
Although he had said they were negotiating a big contract today, he was sure he would be home in plenty of time to enjoy it with her.
Now, as she peered at the screen where she had googled the recipe, she just needed to check that she had all the ingredients. It didn’t help that her glasses insisted on sliding down her sweaty nose. Yes, she had everything she needed. Now to put it all together. She was no great shakes as a cook, but enjoyed cooking for Tony. He was always so appreciative of her efforts.
Finally, it was all done, in fact she made a double quantity, enough for the weekend. She went to the bathroom to freshen up, then poured herself a small glass of wine and settled in her favourite chair to wait. It wouldn’t be long before he was home.
Her phone chirped. It was a message from Tony. He was running a bit late. They had secured the contract and he had to tie up some loose ends, but he would be home soon. She sipped her wine and relaxed back in her chair. She must have dozed off because a noise outside woke her. She looked at the time on her phone. It was a lot later than she thought and Tony hadn’t come home yet.
She went to the window. There was a car drawn up outside the gate. She recognised it. It was Mandy, Tony’s personal assistant. She must have given him a lift home as Jill had dropped him off at the station that morning. The street light shone on the car. She froze, her heart thudding in her chest. Tony and Mandy were locked in a passionate embrace. She could clearly see his hand down the front of her dress. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe, then she was consumed with fury. They were doing this in front of the house, obviously unaware that they were clearly visible in the street light. She stood motionless, then saw Tony disentangle himself and get out of the car. He staggered slightly as he weaved his way around the front of the car, opened the gate and gave Mandy a drunken wave. She straightened herself then drove away.
Jill made a decision. She heard Tony fumbling at the front door, finally letting himself in and lurching down the hallway. When he saw her, he came towards her and called out, “I’m so sorry, Darling, celebrated a bit much, didn’t mean to come home so late. Sorry, sorry.”
He attempted to kiss her but she evaded him, and said, “That’s ok, let’s get you to bed.”
He looked at her gratefully.
“Sweet little Jilly, you’re so understanding.”
She led him to the bedroom, stripped him of his clothes, helped him into his sleep shorts and top, and tipped him into the bed. He was asleep in minutes, snoring loudly.
She regarded him thoughtfully. She was remarkably calm for someone whose world had just come crashing down around her ears, but she realised that she was probably in shock. She couldn’t stay. She would go to her mother’s. Her wonderfully understanding mother who would welcome her no matter what time she arrived, and above all, ask no questions. Her mother, who, ever so tactfully, had suggested she might want to wait a little before moving in with Tony. But what did she know. Obviously, a lot more than Jill realised.
She gathered a few things together in a carryall bag, looked down at sleeping, snoring Tony, and quietly left the room, turning off the light as she went. She picked up her keys from the hall stand and let herself out. As she got into her car, she wondered drearily what tomorrow would bring, but couldn’t think beyond tonight. As she drove off, she thought of the time she had spent making Tony’s favourite dessert, even making a double amount. Well, she hoped he enjoyed it. After all, he was spending the night sleeping in it.
©️Cesmo.