It had been a really long while she last was this happy if she does not include the times she spent with Tristan which to her was also happy. Jake and his mother did miss her a great deal with the way the woman was swooning over her. They made lunch together and then watched movies. At some point, the older woman had grown tired a great deal and excused herself leaving the two to have their time with the movies. Alright, I do know what you have in mind which I must say is very same as mine. Jake’s mother was a woman on a mission after all and she had become quite taken into Claire. To her, there was no greater gift she might ask before her time on earth elapses than for the duo to get more than acquainted with each other. She saw chemistry between them, so much that she wanted it for her son. The couple of days when Claire had been away from Jake, she had seen this dark side of him she really wished had gone away. His temper tantrums was slowly resurfacing and she could tell how hard he was trying to fight it.
They say love acts in it’s best mysterious ways. Well, she could recall how it was the same with Jake’s father. She had been the coolness to his heat and had helped him a great deal. Everything about her son forced her to remember his father with whom, she had started off her days of youth with. It was the usual with them, from high school friends to best friends and then lovers. It did take a while for him to propose though and then they had Jake. The source of their joy before her husband had passed to the great beyond. As she entered her room, she fished out the photo album and sat on her bed looking through the pictures and savouring each moment. There also was the laughter from the duo she had just left to compliment the atmosphere. And then, there was absolute silence; a clearing of throat and more silence. She smiled to herself as she had just one thought in her head. The bonding process was beginning to establish and she could bet herself that they were kissing. She sighed and then happened upon this picture of her husband that had been taken up close. He looked so handsome with his piercing grey eyes. She laid down on her bed as she hugged the photo to herself. She missed him so much that she wanted to be with him over yonder. However, she was going to tally until she had made certain her son was with the one he should be with and that was Claire. The young woman was everything a man wanted and who cares about education when there was plenty of love to go around. She would be Jake’s before the year runs out and perhaps the next, they would be one.
Claire and Jake were in the sitting room as his mother had left watching television at first and trying hard to concentrate. It was not easy between them both as both forced interest on the big screen and would loudly make comments on things they see just to get their minds off whatever it was it must be trying to get into. Claire was pretty much tensed up as they stayed there together. But even more then her was Tristan fighting hard at keeping his emotions in check. The woman he admired was right there beside him and he did not want to do anything to jeopardize the moment nor did he want to upset her. All this while she had been away had him feeling worried and scared he was loosing her to some big shot celebrity that would only toy with her feelings and then hurt her when he turns his back on her. He wanted badly to warn her after his research on Tristan Jenkins but then she never mentioned anything about Tristan wanting her or asking her out yet. Which means things were still intact until that morning when he had woken up and was browsing through his phone.
It was the article spreading online about Claire and Tristan which he had seen that got him worried. He could not understand or explain why Tristan would hold her that way or why he would drag her away from the beach as he had if he was not trying to play games with her. Jake had never felt more frustrated than he had that morning when he was watching his phone. He continued zooming the picture not knowing exactly what it was he was zooming for and then he screenshoted it moments before it was all taken down. He could tell within his guts that Tristan was seriously playing games bigger and he would need to think really fast and up his game before he let’s her get hurt by the self absorbed chef. He had made a couple of calls early that morning to friends he knew that could assist him with finding a good job with a higher pay that would not be overly stressful for Claire so he could convince her to leave the current one. He recalled she stated she was working in some other place and not the restaurant which she had promised she would tell him about when next she comes but seeing Tristan with her again made him have a gut feeling that she still was working under him and if that was not the case, the a lot of water had gone under the bridge which in his sluggishness, he had missed. He sincerely hoped the latter was not the case actually and that Claire was still his to win over alone.
The persons he had called after he described the kind of person he wanted the job for had said it would be really tough as she would have to be able to read and write at least even if not a degrees holder. They advised that whoever it was get acquainted with reading and writing. Jake had taken note of their words to him and decided he would work on that himself if need be. Certainly, her dyslexia could not be all that bad and even if it were the case, he would find a way around of it. They all promised to be on the lookout for any openings but he still was advised to try teaching the person the basics which he had decided he would do himself. For a bigger part of his morning, he had been reading about dyslexia and all it entails on his phone while laying on his bed. He was on it still and then she called him which elated his spirits. Claire had said she was coming and instantly he got off his bed thinking about what to do. It came to him suddenly that he could look sexy. He was not sure she would take notice but he wanted her smitten with him that he got into his shorts, took his shirt off and went outside to wash his truck. While he was washing, he kept taking quick glances at the way she comes through and had been the first to see her when she eventually came before pretending to be really busy. He also reckoned the couple of moments she stood there before actually walking towards him. If Claire could react that way then definitely he had his chances at winning her heart. She looked really beautiful even though there were hints of her stressing a lot underneath her eyes. Claire had gone inside but Jake could bet his last quarter she could feel the heat and tension he was feeling as well.
Now, his mother had gone inside the room to rest using the last hospital trip as an excuse. She was assisting him with the game but right now, he felt choked up. Claire was right there beside him and he did not know what to say to her at the moment. They sat down there together for a while and then suddenly, neither of them could keep up the act and allowed silence envelope them. Jake was the first to clear his throat and then she looked at him blinking her beautiful eyes. He reminded her that she had promised to tell him where she was working and she nodded slowly. Claire cleared her throat and began those shocking words that had him by the guts. She had said it was pretty much her old job but just a little more to which he did not understand. She then went on to explain how Tristan had given her a job at his house which would be more convenient and had increased her pay a little. Jake’s eyes had widened with shock. He knew it that the self absorbed chef really had upped his game. He was getting close to loosing her and turned away to stare at the television.
“Jake… is everything alright?” she asked
“Hmmm?” he responded as he had not heard her
“Your eyes were… nevermind. Are you okay?” she asked
“Certainly but I got a question?” he asked her
“Sure.” she responded in a confused yet suspicious tone with how she looked at him
“What do you say I teach you myself to read and write?” he asked.
Claire could not believe he had offered but then she recalled the text from Tristan which she could not read and other possible ones to come. Besides, Jake was her friend and would not make fun of her ever. There was no wrong in trying again now. She decided her response right there at the instant as she was not taking any chances anymore. But first, she needed to be sure he was serious about it.
“Are you serious?” she asked him
“Absolutely.” he said
“You really would do that yourself?” she asked
“I’m totally sure of it. I would take you on myself.” Jake said and in his mind added how he would take her away from Tristan.
“Yes.” she replied softly and shyly.