Fun In The Sun by repgreece (read people like a book TXT) 📕

"Where the hell are you?" he asked.

"Babe, I've been waiting for you," she answered, as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "But I got bored, so I just popped downstairs to the meeting room to prepare for my meetings tomorrow."

My God, could she never just give up on work!

He hung up on her in anger then. This was one of the many reasons why they could never have a happy relationship: she put work above everything else in her life.

Storming down stairs to the reception, he spoke to Maria and booked another bedroom, before heading straight for the meeting room.

He wasn't entirely surprised to find when he got there, that the fact he'd hung up on her still hadn't stopped Jen from working. She was sitting at the desk, filling envelopes with welcome pamphlets when he found her. Well, here was as good a place as any to do this, and at least they wouldn't be disturbed at that time of night.

"Hey babe. I'm just coming now," she said, as he walked into the room.

"Listen Jen, we need to talk," he replied, approaching the desk and pulling up a chair to sit opposite her.

Her busy hands froze then and she watched him suspiciously. He sat in silence for a moment, just staring at her.

"What?" she said, with a touch of annoyance.

Here goes nothing. "It's not working between us Jen."

He held his breath and waited for the onslaught.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, let's face it, neither of us are happy together," he replied.

"Why, what's wrong?" she answered, before changing her tact. "Okay, is this because I've been so busy since I've been back?" She didn't give him a chance to reply. "It's just because I've been sorting out work for the summer babe… for us," she added, placing her hand over his.

He turned his over and took hold of her hand. "Jen, you need to be free to find someone to love, who will make you happy and fulfilled."

"Who says I'm not happy with you?" she said, her voice rising in pitch.

Oh hell, he didn't like the sound of that. She was working herself up to the anticipated explosion.

"We don't want the same things. We never do anything together. We don't even have the same friends," he pointed out. Right, now was time to lay it on the line. "I think it's time we split up."

She pulled her hand abruptly away. "What? But I've only just got back! And what about last night? Did that mean nothing to you? Because I thought it was fantastic, Nick," she appealed, in a softer voice.

He sighed. "It was Jen, but that still doesn't change the facts. I'll move into another room. I'm sorry," he said, standing up and praying that he'd got off lightly.

Not a chance.

She stood suddenly and the chair made a loud grating sound on the floor as she grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him from walking away. "Hold on a minute, is that it? After all we've been through, and all the promises you made."

"I'm sorry Jen," he repeated.

"Sorry!" she shouted angrily, before checking herself. "But why Nick? Why are you doing this to us? I'll cut down on work," she said with desperation. "We can do more things together. You should have said before; I didn't realize."

"But that's the point," he said, "you should have wanted to be with me more, not relied on me to tell you."

She searched his face in silence for a moment then, attempting to come up with answers.

"I'm just trying to make ends meet," she replied with tears forming in her eyes. "You know I have to send money home, and I want us to have enough money too. That's why I have to work so much."

"That's not just it," he countered. "Jen don't pretend, you thrive off work. You need it, for some reason. But I'm not like that. I need more in life than just work."

"Well what's wrong with being ambitious? And I'm bloody good at what I do. People respect me for it, and that makes me feel good. But if it's making you unhappy, then I promise that I'll cut down the hours," she said, "because I want us to be together. I need you."

"You can't change who you are," he replied. "You'll find someone who is right for you. And that's not me, Jen. And by the way, it's definitely not Adam."

"What's Adam got to do with this?" she came back swiftly.

"Look, I know you have a thing for him, but he's never going to leave Fay. And besides, you two have no relationship together, you never have."

"Adam and I are history, I know that. I just want you," she said, tightening her grip on his arm.

"Jen, come on, don't do this," he replied. "I'll still be here for you as a friend, but as a couple, we just don't work."

The tears began spilling then and streaming down her face. "We could make it work; just wait and see. I can do anything I put my mind to, you know that. I'll make things better."

He shook his head. "You can't Jen. I'm so sorry." He had to leave then before he got dragged back into the relationship just because he felt sorry for her. "Look, I'm going to bed. I've booked another room. I'm sorry," he said again, untangling himself from her and walking away.

"Wait," he heard her shout behind him. He had to keep walking. "Nick, stop for a minute. You have to stop… Nick, please…" she begged.

Tears were now streaming down his face too, but he couldn't let her see that.

He'd just made it to the door however, when she dropped the bomb on him.

"Nick, you can't leave me. I think I'm pregnant!"

 "What? But…but… How? How can you be?" Nick stuttered in shock.
"I stopped taking The Pill," Jen replied sheepishly.
"You what? What the hell… why? What…what were you thinking of?"
"Don't be angry with me Nick," she said, taking a few steps towards him in appeal. "It didn't agree with me. It was making me tired all the time and…"
"Oh right, we can't have that, can we?" he said, bitterly. "Because then you can't stay up all hours of the night, working." He paced the room, incensed and in disbelief. "Who cares about that anyway; why didn't you tell me?" he shouted at her. "Okay, come off the pill, but tell me for God sake!"
"I was going to tell you, but… last night, everything happened so fast. You didn't give me time to think," she replied defensively.
"Last night. Wait, when did you stop taking the pill?" he asked.
"Only last week. So you see, I haven't had a chance to tell you."
"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me, Jen? I didn't know; you should have stopped me! Hold on, but it was only last night then? That was the only time that we did it.... unprotected?" he asked.
"Yes."
He exhaled, feeling a little of the pressure lifting then. "Well, okay, so you may not be pregnant then. It only happened once," he reminded her.
"I know, but I can't help thinking that I might be," she replied, placing her hands over her stomach.
His eyes shot to her hands in wide eyed horror. "But you don't know that!" he answered in panic.
"No, I don't know for sure, but there's a chance I might be. We weren't protected."
He growled and began pacing again, his hands holding his head. "Okay, so how long do these things take…to know for sure?" He couldn't believe he was asking that. This couldn't be happening to him. Not with Jen. Please not with Jen. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
"I'm not sure," she answered.
"Well about how long? Round about," he pressed.
"At least a month I suppose," she said.
A month. A month of not knowing. But he needed to know now!
"What are we going to do?" Jen asked. "If I am pregnant, you aren't going to leave us are you…me and the baby?"
He swung his head to her then with an angry glare. "What do you take me for? Do you think I'm going to desert my own baby… especially after what happened in my own childhood!" he shouted.
"No, I'm sorry babe. I know you wouldn't do that," she replied shakily.
Nick had actually never seen Jen so unsure of herself and nervous, and it made him feel guilty for reacting in the way he was. But the only reason he could think of for why she would fail to tell him about The Pill, was because she wanted to trap him in that relationship. Why else? God this woman was so psychologically disturbed to even think of doing such a thing.
"I'm going to bed, and Jen, I'm using the other hotel room. I need time alone. We will wait a month, or until you know for sure if that's sooner, and then I'll think of what to do. For now, I just don't know," he said, turning to leave, feeling utterly drained.
Then a thought hit him and he swung back to her as he reached the door.
"Oh and Jen, if there is a baby, I'll be there for it, and I'll also stick by you for now; for now we act as if nothing has changed. But you tell no one about this until we know for sure. You hear me," he stressed, pointing a finger at her. "And even when we know for sure, you leave me to tell my friends. I'm not kidding Jen, you go behind my back on this and I'll never forgive you." And with that, he stormed out.
If she wasn't pregnant, then no one need know that they thought she was, and nothing will have changed. But if she was…
Nick practically ran upstairs to their original room to collect all his belongings before Jen got back there. Luckily he beat her to it, and then went in search of the other room he had booked that night.
The room brought him a little relief, with its clean smell and lack of presence of anyone in it. No memories, no hint of Jen's perfume, the layout and decoration was even different. He threw his suitcase down on one of the single beds, and himself down on the other.
"Oh Sal," he said in a half whisper, covering his face with a hand as he wept, "I'm so sorry; I've messed everything up. You deserve better than this, so much better. You're better off without someone like me."
Once alone with his thoughts, the idea that Jen really might be pregnant began to torment him. He began to believe the worst, mostly because it would be his punishment for sleeping with Jen last night when he knew it felt wrong. He knew that there was no love between them, but he'd gone ahead anyway. And now he'd lost any chance of happiness with Sal. He felt so heavy with grief and regret as his body shook with great sobs. He'd always known all along though, that him and Sal were too good to be true. People like him never got to be with people like her, but it had been so wonderful for the time he'd had hope. All of last summer, and particularly their time