9. Jessica
Jessica
Chase watched intently as Jessica removed a few eyeglass cases from the top drawer of her and Claire’s nightstand and put them in a box. Correction: the nightstand that formerly belonged to both her and Claire. Now it was just Jessica holding some of the remaining bits of their life together.
She shifted the small box so that the glasses all fit inside, along with a few half-used tubes of lip balm she’d found around the house. She should probably just throw those away, but why should she be the one to have to decide what to toss and what to keep? It wasn’t her stuff.
With Chase close behind, Jessica carried the box to the living room. She put it on the sofa, right next to a box of scented candles Jessica had always hated.
Naomi appeared from the hallway after a bathroom break, her hair smoothed back in a low ponytail. Everything looked perfectly placed on her. She made sweatpants look put together. Jessica needed all the put-together vibes she could get around her that Sunday morning.
“What’s next?” Naomi asked, standing beside Jessica and looking down at the boxes with her.
There were only books to go through out there, but Jessica was pretty sure she didn’t need the extra moral support to tackle those. No emotional attachment to the shelves of domestic thrillers that made her skin crawl.
Other than that, it was just decorative items Claire had purchased.
None of that was anything Jessica had picked out.
And she couldn’t blame Claire for that. Ever since they were together, Jessica had morphed into whatever she thought Claire wanted or needed.
They decorated the way Claire wanted. They watched what Claire wanted.
They rarely hung out with Naomi and Tim.
Somewhere along the way, she’d lost herself in their relationship.
“Her sewing stuff?”
“Sounds good to me. Lead the way.”
Jessica led her to the bedroom and pointed at a corner where a little desk, a small bookshelf, and a rolling cart with drawers sat.
The large room had been a bonus for the apartment when she and Claire had gone looking for one together.
They didn’t need a second bedroom, but extra space to house Claire’s hobby was a needed feature.
Now, like their marriage, the corner sat cold and abandoned.
Claire used to sew all kinds of things, but she loved making bags the best. She had quite the collection of sling bags and crossbody bags of all sizes and colors, and she’d even made a quite impressive messenger bag once.
She’d made it for Jessica to keep her music in when she went back and forth to lessons and gigs, and it was one of Jessica’s prized possessions.
The most thoughtful thing Claire had ever done for her.
Since they split, however, it was tucked away in the back of the closet. It was the one thing she lamented not being able to stomach using anymore. It really was a great bag.
Chase curled up on his bed across the room, still within viewing distance.
He was perfectly fine by the time he settled in with Jessica.
It was only when she first got him back and just before he left that he’d get really antsy, fueling her suspicion that something was going on with him when he was with Claire.
Naomi let out a low whistle.
“How much fabric does one woman need?”
Jessica shrugged. “It was her thing. She has plenty of flaws, but having a lot of this stuff isn’t one of them.”
She didn’t know why she was defending Claire. She probably wouldn’t do the same for Jessica. In fact, she’d complained multiple times about how Jessica’s keyboard took up too much space in the living room.
Still, Jessica couldn’t help but point out that Claire had every right to her own corner of the place. While she’d been there, at least. Now that they were moving along with the divorce, it was time to pack the last of Claire’s things so they could both move on with their lives.
“Fair enough.” Naomi grabbed two empty boxes from the bed and brought them over to the corner. “How about I pack up the scissors and whatever the hell else is in those smaller drawers while you box up the fabric?”
She planned to give the drawers to Claire as well, but the items needed to be removed so they’d be able to put the cart on its side in the back of Claire’s little hatchback.
Jessica sat on the floor and pulled out all the fabric from one of the larger drawers in the cart.
It was packed in there, and Jessica could barely slip a hand between the folded material to pull out a stack.
She placed the crisp folds of fabric into a box, marveling at the colors and patterns of the cotton pieces.
There was no rhyme or reason to the organizational system in the drawers, but the fabric on the bookshelf was arranged in rainbow order.
It gave the cluttered space a sense of beauty.
Something Jessica couldn’t manage with anything in the apartment.
Claire had been the one to handle all the decorating and organizing.
It had been yet another way Jessica didn’t measure up.
Jessica couldn’t help but wonder what Claire’s new apartment looked like. Was her new girlfriend more organized than Jessica? Did she have a better eye for color? Have better taste?
They worked at clearing the corner until all that was left were the empty shelves, the desk, and the cart. And the sewing machine itself. Claire was set to pick up all of it later during the week, and Jessica felt sick about it.
Seeing Claire was bad enough. But emptying out the carcass of their lives together was hitting her harder than she’d imagined. Especially since she had already accepted that the marriage itself was over.
“I can’t imagine doing all of this,” she said, “going through the things of someone you still love. Someone you lost unexpectedly and aren’t ready to let go of.”
Naomi stretched out her long, slender legs across the floor. “You’re thinking about that P.I., aren’t you?”
“I just can’t help thinking how much harder it must be for her to go through all of her aunt’s things.”
“Don’t discount your own pain,” Naomi said. “This is hard, too.”
“Yeah, I know. You’re right. This is hard, too.” She looked around at the boxes. “We should put these with the others.”
They carried the boxes of sewing items into the living room and piled everything along a wall by the front door.
It was a lot of stuff. And she hadn’t even done the books yet.
How much had all of this cost? How much money had been spent on abandoned things?
She’d always been short on cash, and spending on nonessentials had been another point of friction between them.
The thought of money brought to mind something else that had been bothering her.
“I’m just going to send her a quick text.”
Naomi’s brows cinched together. “Not the P.I., Jessica. No. You’re not in a supportive-texts-from-a-friend kind of relationship.”
“This is business,” she said. “Promise.”
Hey. It’s Jessica Venable. I was wondering if I could pay you for the work you’ve done so far? So I don’t have to come up with all of it at the end of the… job?
She stared at her phone, waiting for a response. Not that she expected Renee to reply right away. Of course, she was probably busy. But Jessica’s nerves wouldn’t let her put the phone down just yet.
Nerves?
Why was she nervous about paying this woman?
She had to admit she was more nervous about seeing her again.
Naomi was right. This was a strictly professional relationship.
She shouldn’t feel any kind of way about seeing Renee again.
She probably shouldn’t even be calling her Renee.
What was her last name again? She couldn’t even remember.
All she could remember were those gorgeous red curls and her striking green eyes.
And those arms. Gosh, she’d wanted to reach out and touch those arms, see if they felt as toned as they looked.
No.
Professional.
Her phone dinged, saving her from her thoughts.
Sure. I can write up an invoice and send it to you.
Can I drop off a check some time this week?
The sooner the better. While she had the money. Not that she had much of it. But dipping into her savings was worth it. Chase was worth it.
She instinctively turned to look at him lying on the couch. He was always a step behind her. Always with her. Except now he was with Claire half the time.
Not this week, though. Claire was working long days for some reason Jessica didn’t understand. But that meant she got more time that week with Chase.
Yeah. I’m working from the house, so just let me know later when you plan to swing by with it.
“Done,” she said.
“I don’t like that smile on your face,” Naomi said, crossing her arms. “I mean, I like seeing you smile, but in this case, it makes me very nervous for you.”
“Don’t be nervous for me. I’m fine.”
“You have the hots for your dog spy. That is not a fine situation.”
“I don’t have the hots for her.” When Naomi frowned, she amended her statement. “Okay, fine. I have a little bit of… the warms for her. But it isn’t affecting anything. This is all still business. Just business.”
“Uh huh.” Naomi sighed and looked at the stack of boxes. “Well, how about a reward for all of this? Some non-business cheese fries?”
Jessica smiled. “Non-business cheese fries sounds perfect.”