Forty Seconds, Tops
Five minutes was all she’d give him, Jenny thought, glancing at her wristwatch on the steering wheel. She was driving her beloved jeep wrangler, stomping on the clutch and using all her strength on the well-worn gear shift as a flock of pink and grey galahs swooped close to her windscreen with the roar of the jeep approaching them. Amy had been a great friend to her in the past, but what had she done for her lately? Jenny cringed, changing gears, the old engine cranking, thinking of her recent Facebook posts, her dear ‘friend’ Amy hadn’t responded to. Jenny knew she’d more than likely seen them and read them. But for some reason … what was it? Spite? Sheer rudeness? She’d chosen to ignore them, as if she didn’t exist. And now, on another stinking hot day in the jeep with no air con, the driver’s zipped plastic window folded next to her sweaty knees, Amy expected a favour from her. As far as Jenny was concerned, If Amy expected their ‘friendship’ to continue, she should be the one doing her a favour.
She pulled her jeep up in front of the address of Amy’s new boyfriend’s house, glancing again at her watch, deciding it would take her less than a minute to give the man the details of her upcoming barbeque. Forty seconds, tops. After that, she’d be off as quick as a bride’s nightie. She had about a million things to organise back home in preparation for the event.
“Sup?”
Except, he opened the door, and Jenny was speechless looking into the blue wells of his eyes. They reminded her of the blue ocean she imagined immersing herself into on this hot sweaty day. Eyes set into a tanned face of surrounding stubble, and the bare muscles on his body slick with sweat. Why is he looking at me? Had he spoken? Jenny couldn’t remember. But his eyebrows were raised above those turquoise eyes like he expected something from her.
“I… er..” Jenny coughed at the sound of her own voice. Where had it gone? And why was she standing on this stud of a man’s doorstep?
“Oh… right.” The man shook his head, his bare body above his shorts slackening. Jenny thought the barefooted long-haired stud of a man smiling at her through white teeth was probably never agitated. “You must be the woman holding the barbeque, right?” Amy told me to expect you.” The man stood back, opening his door wide enough for her to pass through, and Jenny glanced back at her jeep, thinking of all the things she needed to organise back home.
Ah, to hell with it!!
She walked past him into his house; a palpable fission of electricity she was sure she hadn’t imagined passing between the two of them. Her heart beating faster than it had in about a million years and something hotter than the sticky day stirring within her.
For a moment, she thought of her friend, Amy. But that was before the man walked towards her with his blue eyes and all she could see, all she could think about, was him!
“Take a seat.” He said, offering her a place on his leather couch.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Jenny said, almost sliding into him as she slumped herself down onto the thing.
He turned to her then, so they were close, so close Jenny was scared to breathe.
“I think I’m in love…” He said, his voice sounding like a combination of something deep and velvety to Jenny’s ears.
In love? With me? Already?
“With Amy.”
Her throat was dry, but Jenny couldn’t swallow. Because if she swallowed, she might wretch. And that meant she might vomit all over him.
“Listen, forget about the barbeque…” The man’s blue eyes pierced into hers on the couch. “Let’s talk about Amy. I want to know everything. I want to know everything there is to know about Amy.”
…