Back at her desk, Jessica forced herself to get some work done. She managed somehow to focus, so much so that hours had passed when the sound of someone clearing his throat nearby startled her. "Earth to Jessica."
Jessica looked at her watch. Almost one! "Worth! I'm so sorry. It will only take me a second to get ready to leave—"
Worth's face clouded. "I'm not going to Boston after all. I got snagged into something else. I'll call you later, okay?"
Jessica kept her face expressionless for the sake of anyone listening or watching. Worth still advised keeping their relationship out of the office. Thus far, they had yet to raise the first eyebrow. Even Donna suspected nothing, apparently, or she surely would have said something.
She waited until Worth started to walk away to allow her lips to turn into a pout, just as he turned back around. "May I have a rain check, though?"
Jessica smiled in response, feeling her cheeks flush, hoping no one was watching.
She went about the rest of her day as best she could. At least he asked for a rain check, so that's good, right? But how long was she going to have to wait this time? She felt like she was on a roller coaster with this relationship, if that was even what it was. Or maybe it was a Merry-Go-Round, where she went around and around in circles, getting dizzier and dizzier but never getting off. Either way, the tension was getting to her.
It turned out that they had a lovely talk later, as promised.
Christmas didn't work out with him, but she spent a wonderful holiday with her mother and Chet Henderson. His kids were grown too, of course, and hadn't been able to travel home for the holidays from their respective states.
It was such a relief to see them together, obviously happy. Chet told hilarious stories about her father, things she'd never heard from their time together with the department.
Worth sent her flowers at home on New Year's, after which they enjoyed a particularly sweet phone call. They were able to have lunch at the Red Oak on Valentine's Day, but between the magazine, articles and columns, family obligations and meetings, it was suddenly March. Soon Worth's mother would finally visit. The air had that delicious scent of blooming flowers and newly mown grass. Spring had always been Jessica's favorite time of year, and she had high hopes for this one.
One Thursday late in the month, Worth surprised her with an earlier than usual phone call. He sounded excited. "Hey, I-I'm flying to Boston tomorrow. Could I cash in my rain check?"
Oh, baby you bet you can, Jessica thought as her voice simply agreed. Up until now, they'd laughed and flirted on the phone and at the office. They'd shared passionate embraces and bared their souls, it seemed, in their conversations. She had deliberately been an open book; his had many more gaps, but maybe none of that mattered. Is this really going to happen?
Just as she'd done the time before, she slept poorly that night, giddy with anticipation. Donna had commented on her lack of focus again, too, and once more chided the boss behind his back for expecting a columnist to drive him. She had also begun noticing how her friend responded to the boss's every smile and greeting.
Today, was no exception. "Hi, Worth," Donna called as he passed, loudly enough for Jessica to hear.
"Is it time already?" Jessica was a little flustered, hearing his approach. Where are my keys?
Worth smiled. "You're fine. I'm all set. Take your time; I'll meet you at the car." She noticed that his carry-on was barely small enough to pass muster with an airline. This wasn't just a weekend trip, then. Maybe there was a divorcee after all. Vor-cee. Vvvvv. Vince. Audrey Scott said the boy's name was Vincent Alexander. Could he be the friend Worth hadn't wanted to talk about that time? That was months ago, though. Do I want to get into all that today, of all days? Absolutely not.
Jessica watched him walk away before grabbing her purse, phone and a notebook. Maybe she'd need everything before she got back to work—a reporter just never knew. Or maybe she'd go shopping after Worth left for his flight. She was suddenly aware of how little sexy lingerie she owned. Not that it would matter today, scrambling through their respective layers of clothing in the backseat, but she was definitely due for some underthings with the wow factor. She was all caught up at the office and everyone would assume she was at an interview. While the cat's away…
Jessica stopped at Donna's desk to tell her goodbye. "Changing into my driver's cap now, but I'll be gone the rest of the day."
Donna nodded in approval. "Good for you. I still say it's out of line for him to ask you to drive him. You deserve an afternoon off! Have a great weekend—"
Jessica waved backwards as she headed out. He is waiting for me right at this moment. He's actually waiting for me at my car and we're going to drive together, park together, and finally…
The times they'd been able to kiss discreetly had been wonderful. They'd come close to taking it further a few times, but mostly, they had emailed, talked on the phone, or sat in the office. They'd had very little alone time. She felt like she knew him better in a just few months than she'd known Eric after several years, but still, his childhood—he always changed the subject.
She just hoped she could keep her emotions in line on the way. Thoughts of anything else could wait. This is going to be amazing.
Worth was leaning against her car, staring into his phone. He glanced up with a smile as she approached, holding up his phone before quickly putting it in his jacket pocket. "No delays. It should be a smooth flight." When she pressed the clicker on
