“Did anyone see me? I said to Parrish as I hurriedly hopped into his car after I made him park a few blocks away from his company because I didn’t want anyone to see me leaving work with him.“I doubt,” he said, “Because suddenly everyone is interested in seeing who you get off work with.”I smacked him playfully, “A lot of busybodies you have as employees sir.”“I don’t care about that.” he said.“Well you should and I don’t want anybody to find out that we’re, well you know – fucking.”Parrish chuckled as we got down from the car together and he walked over to take my hand in his as we walked into yet another fancy restaurant with bright golden chandeliers, waking those damn butterflies that I wanted to stay dormant but I stepped dead in my tracks just at the door of the restaurant and looked up at him.“What’s the matter?” he asked in that husky voice of his.“I mean I don’t want to sit down at another fancy restaurant and just – eat. That’s boring.” in all honesty, I found zero ex
Apart from the innate curiosity that occupied my brain to know what Parrish had been up to all these years, I couldn’t emphasize enough on the warmth that enveloped me when my eyes met his as I stepped out dressed in this wedding dress. He walked over to me, gently caressing the lace that adorned my shoulder. The touch sent a shiver down my spine and ignited a simmering passion within me and in that moment the world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us – lost in a intoxicating haze.“I can’t seem to pull my eyes off you Jessica.” Parrish’s touch lingered in every pose, his hand finding its way to the small of my back or fingertips lightly grazing my cheek, I could feel the chemistry crackling between us, my heart bursting, and my stomach fluttering. We giggled like children and held unto each other a little bit excessively.“Now look at her, like she’s the only person you’ll rather look at.” the photographer said and without hesitation Parrish turned to me, and I looked up
Jessica’s POVSome drunken years agoIt was Parrish’s birthday dinner and Parrish had invited me alongside his father and his estranged mother and after that he was throwing a party at some fancy hotel. At this time Parrish and I had been going out for exactly three months and somehow I could feel it in my guts that the honeymoon phase was slowly fading out, but yet I chose to ignore, to push it to the back of my head and not talk about it with Parrish.I was seated at the restaurant dressed in a red fancy dress that I had picked off a boutique even though it was slightly above my budget, Parrish was seated beside me but dressed casually in a black t shirt and some cargo pants with his eyes fixed on his phone, then there was his Mr. Holmes seated opposite us with an empty seat beside him because we were all still waiting for Parrish’s mother. As usual, Mr. Holmes always looked sharp, crisp suit with a bald shining head but seemed to even add more to his mysterious allure.“Nice to mee
Jessica’s POVThe car ride to the party venue was painfully quiet and Parrish had his jaw fixed the whole time and his eyes set on the road as he drove. I fiddled with my fingernails, my brain racking for something – anything at all to say to ease the tension that was already brewing within us and from my point of view, Parrish wasn’t making any effort at all.“Are you going to say something?” I managed to voice out but I was only met with silence, until some moments later and he said.“Not right now Jessica.”“Fine.” I agreed and soon enough we arrived at the location for his party which was already jam packed with people. There were people jumping in and out of the pool, staggering in and out of the house drunk and confused. I could already spot some couples way too freaky to be in public.The moment Parrish and I got down from the car, he had the largest smile plastered on his face like he wasn’t just upset and brooding. Immediately, everyone rallied around us wishing him happy bir
“Parrish, what the hell?!” I said walking behind Parrish as he tried to walk away from me, but there was no response from him, he kept walking away and I didn’t think I wanted to let him out of my sight one more time.“Parrish fucking talk me and don’t walk away.” I went after him desperately and immediately he stopped, turning around to face my crumbling self, my eyes bloodshot because of the alcohol alongside with the pool of tears forming at the corner of my eyes.“Talk to you about what?” he half yelled, “About how my family is a mess, and my mother hates me?”“Parrish– ”“About how my mother resents because I knew my father was cheating and I never told her” then he paused and ran his hands through his hair in frustration before looking back at me.“Or how I actually knew it was wrong but I didn’t tell my mother because for some fucked up reason I wanted to be on my father’s good side, I wanted him to respect me, I wanted him to like me - ”“You can talk to me about all those.” I
The hurt lingered, like a dull pain that refused to dissipate alongside with my refusal to believe that Parrish ignoring me was intentional. I stood on that podium trying with everything in me to avoid the blankness in Parrish’s eyes as I delivered my pitch. He looked at me, our eyes jammed countless of times but there was no emotion there and most times he would lean over to Celeste who was seated beside him, whispering in her ears and she’ll giggle with her hands over her mouth. My face heated up with rage and jealousy as I watched them and at the same time tried to stayed focused, and even when I rounded up my pitch, he hadn’t noticed, he was looking at her when he was supposed to be looking at me.I wrapped up the presentation followed by the applause of my colleagues and that was when Celeste looked up at me, indifference in her eyes and she smiled.“Lovely, just lovely – Jessica Peters is it?” she said, her Russian accent flowing smoothly on her tongue and smiling at me like she
I accepted my fate and in no time, I was packing my bags ready to leave for the Florida. I stared at my phone to find series of text messages trooping in from Parrish asking to talk, but that was the last thing I wanted to do – to talk, because it was never just talking with Parrish. I know that at some point my panties are going to be strewn across the room.The moment I stepped out of my house, I came face to face with Nathan standing just outside the door like he had been waiting for me. I stared at him in surprise, my eyebrows lifted in question “Nathan” I called and he kept my stare“Can we talk?” he asked and I looked at my watch, I had just less than an hour to get to the airport.“Now’s a little tight” I told him and he stared at the luggage I held in my hands and he looked back at me.“Are you travelling somewhere?”“Yes, to Florida. I bagged the deal so I have to go sign the contract”“Just you?"Yes just me, why?”Nathan shook his head and I saw a slight relief flash acros
PARRISH’S POV“You know, I really wish I could permanently move to California instead – ” Celeste was saying to me while we were seated having lunch together but I was barely listening even though I was staring intently at her. I was looking at her, but my thoughts were filled with Jessica. She must’ve left for Florida already, and I couldn’t help but think about her last words to me*I can’t do this with you**Maybe I do need this time away from you.I couldn’t think of anything else, I couldn’t do anything else because everywhere I turned something reminded me of her, and somehow I was sick of it – sick of missing her when in reality, I knew I should be staying away from her. My father’s words rang in my head, I hated that man but somehow he always seemed to slap reality back into me. I have a dark past that I had been trying to escape, to run away from, one that involved Jessica and part of the reason why we can never work out, and Jessica can never find out*How do you think she’