Third Time Lucky

"Are you excited about our plans and your new position?"

Vincenzo reached across the table and took hold of my hand as we sat down.

"About that....." I started to reply.

"It is alright innamorata, once things are settled we can be together again now."

Interrupting my response, he made it very clear what he was expecting before he surprised me and leant across the table to kiss me.

His mouth met mine in a way I was familiar with and, taken aback, I didn't stop him. My lips automatically parting to allow his tongue to dart into between them.

For those few seconds I kissed him back before, realising what I was doing, I pulled away.

Sitting back Vincenzo grinned at me, "You see bambino, everything is fine now."

Shell shocked at the way I had behaved I simply stared at him, unable to answer him.

"Prediletta.... What is wrong?"

"Everything.... I can't do this.... I.... I don't want to...." Finally finding my voice I managed to stammer out a response.

"You are not wanting the new job, or maybe is it me?"

Pausing for a moment I gathered my thoughts, "I would love the job, it sounds amazing, but I can't take it, I'm sorry."

"And us?"

I shook my head, "We had fun Vincenzo but that's all it was. There was never really an us was there?"

He smiled and leant back again, "It is maybe the young man you were in love with?"

"You mean Connor. Yes, it's him." Blushing I looked across the table at him and smiled, "I've got him back and.... and I'm not going to lose him again."

"Ah, bella Chloe.... I am understanding. It is amore, yes?"

Giggling I blushed again, my cheeks turning scarlet, "Yes, yes it is. I love him very much."

"Then you must do what your heart says to you."

"You're not angry, you're not going to fire me?"

He laughed, "No, I am not going to.... how you say.... fire you."

Finishing our drinks, we stood up to leave and couldn't help but notice the two women were still sitting at the bar, only now they were smirking at me as we went out.

I still couldn't think where I knew them from and as we walked I tried to work it out. Their behaviour bothered me but I eventually pushed it out of my mind when Vincenzo and I reached the restaurant and sat down to enjoy our meal, as friends.

The following morning, I arrived at the office in a much happier frame of mind. Settling in behind my desk the first thing I did was to text Connor saying I'd see him later, before starting work.

Catching up on the things I hadn't done the previous day kept me very busy and it was lunchtime before I realised I hadn't had any response to my message.

A little puzzled as to why he hadn't texted me back I was about to phone him when Claire appeared in my office.

"I heard about the new project. You must be really excited?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"What? How? It's supposed to be top secret."

"You're joking aren't you? It's all over the office. Everyone is talking about it."

"Well, you can tell everyone I'm not going." I declared resolutely.

"What!" You're turning it down?"

"Yep. I lost Connor once when I went to Rome. I'm not going to do that again."

She grinned gleefully at me, "So you and he, you're properly back together now?"

"Mmhhmm." I couldn't stop myself smiling, "He's practically moved in, most of his stuff is at mine now."

I hadn't really kept anyone informed of how Connor and I were getting along, wanting to keep things confidential for a while, but I couldn't resist telling my best friend about us.

The simple fact of telling someone gave me a warm feeling and my tummy tightened at the thought of him.

Just then my office phone rang disturbing us and, ushering Claire out of the door, I forgot about making my phone call as I answered it.

Work took over again and I found myself completely absorbed by what I was doing, then before I realised it the clock was telling me it was past five and almost time to finish for the day.

'Bugger. I meant to call Connor.'

The thought struck me as I tidied my desk and I thought about ringing him before deciding it was too late now and I would see him back at home.

'Home.'

That provoked yet another warm feeling in me as I thought of the apartment being our home again and I left the office smiling to myself.

Traffic seemed worse than ever and, despite my eagerness to get back to the flat, my journey took ages so it was a good forty-five minutes before I put my key in the lock and opened the front door.

"I'm back." I called out to Connor.

There was no reply and as soon as I stepped inside I could sense that something wasn't quite right. Everything was in its place, just as it should be, but the feeling in my gut persisted.

It took me a minute or two before I realised what it was.

All of Connor's things that had been in the living room that morning were no longer there; his games console, a small pile of books, his coat that had been on the back of a chair.

Panicking I rushed into the bedroom to find the space I had given him in the wardrobe for storing his clothes was empty.

It was the same story in the bathroom where all his personal effects, toothbrush, shaving kit and such like, were gone.

Distraught I went to find my phone which was when I saw the sheet of paper on the table, a small black box resting on top of it.

With my heart thumping in my chest, I picked them up and started to read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chloe,

I know all about last night and your dinner with your lover. I never imagined you as a cheating slut but I guess that's what 2 years in Italy did for you.

You broke my heart when you left but at least you had the decency to break-up with me before you went.

Keep what's in the box. I wanted to give it to you when you told me you were leaving for Rome. Then I thought I would try again this weekend.

More fool me for thinking about doing it twice.

If I never see you again it will be too soon.

Connor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Staring at the note I read it three times, feeling the tears welling up in my eyes.

'How did he know?'

'It hadn't even been twenty-four hours.'

I had just wanted some time to sort things out before telling him all about Vincenzo and everything that had happened the day before

Picking up the small black box I turned it over in my hand, a despairing sinking feeling filling me as I opened it.

Inside was a solitaire white gold engagement ring.

Any final threads of happiness I had vanished in a second and I felt my stomach lurch as I slumped to the floor sobbing hysterically.

I don't know how long I sat there before, somewhere in the distance, I heard my phone pinging informing me that I had a message.

'It could be Connor, saying he had made a mistake!'

Desperately hoping it was him I scrambled to my feet and grabbed the device only to sigh with disappointment when I saw the text was from an unknown number.

Without really thinking I opened the message.

'Revenge is a bitch!'

The four words leapt off the screen at me but it was the three pictures beneath them that took my breath away.

They were all from the previous evening and showed me in the bar with Vincenzo; one of us going to our table, one of him holding my hand and the final one was of us kissing.

It was then, as I stared at the images on the screen, that I recalled the two girls watching me from the bar and I remembered where I knew one of them from.

Her name was Melissa Vance, she had been a good friend of Olivia Pendleton's when we were at school and, if my guess that she had taken them was correct, clearly still was.

Everything made complete sense to me and I knew that I had to speak to Connor and tell him the truth.

My heart was pounding and I was struggling to breathe as I typed in his number, but instead of ringing all I got was the unavailable tone.

He had blocked me.

Desperate to find him I grabbed my coat and rushed around to his apartment. Just a few minutes later I found myself standing outside his flat, banging on the door, my tears streaming down my face when I got no answer.

"He went out earlier and I haven't heard him come back."

I turned to find the old lady from the property next door had come out to see what all the noise was about.

"Would.... Would you tell him Chloe called by and could he phone me."

"Of course." She smiled sweetly, looking at me with concern, "Are you alright my dear?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied, wiping my eyes and hurrying away, my world collapsing into ruins around me.

I barely slept that night and the Saturday was little better as I sat and despondently waited in vain for my phone to ring.

Exhausted and miserable I cried myself to sleep once again, although I did eventually manage a few hours, before I woke with the dawn.

Sitting in my kitchen, I made myself a cup of coffee and stared morosely out of the window wondering what I was going to do about Connor, when suddenly I had an idea.

Leaving my drink on the table to get cold I jumped up and made for the shower.

Almost an hour later, after finishing in the bathroom, I sat down, blow drying and brushing out my hair before putting on a small amount of make-up; a little mascara, some eyeliner and lip gloss, just enough to look glamorous on a Sunday morning.

That done I turned my attention to what I should wear. Settling on a pair of skin tight jeans, an emerald green shirt and my ankle boots with the 2" heel, I was as ready as I was going to be.

Checking my appearance one last time I sighed, deciding I wasn't going to look any better in the time I had.

Time!

I looked over at the clock and realised it was time for me to go.

My heart was already thumping frantically against my ribs and my stomach felt like I had swallowed a brick when I gathered up my jacket and bag, before pulling the door closed behind me as I left my flat.

A brisk twenty-minute walk later found me nervously approaching Maggie's coffee shop at just after half-past ten.

'Would he be here?'

'Would he even speak to me?'

I felt sick as I pushed open the door and glanced around the café.

A sense of relief mixed with fear ran through me when I saw Connor sitting in the corner staring unhappily into his cup.

"Connor."

My voice was barely a whisper as I stood next to him.

If I live to be a hundred I will never forget the look of hurt and loathing that filled his eyes when he looked up at me.

"Chloe, what the fuck.... I told you..."

"Please Connor, let me explain. Nothing happened."

As much as I didn't want to cry the tears were already trickling down my cheeks as I interrupted him.

"Fuck you Chloe. Livvy told me...."

"Her friend took the pictures in the wine bar and Livvy sent them to you to get her revenge on me for splitting you up."

Showing him the message on my phone I held my breath.

"So, what does that prove?"

"I never sent you those photos of Olivia, I told you that. It was Claire that did it." I babbled desperately, "Please Connor just give me a minute to explain and if you still don't want to be with me afterwards then I promise you'll never see me again."

The conflict on his face was obvious and I thought he was going to simply tell me to go.

"Ok, five minutes and you buy the coffees." He sat back staring at me stoically, his face remaining impassive.

My heart skipped a beat at the fact he was giving me a chance and I was back a couple of minutes later with two cappuccinos.

"Those two minutes don't count." I tried to lighten the mood and got a feeble grin from him in return, "I still have five."

"Why did you do it Chloe? I thought...."

"Let me explain.... Please." I interrupted him.

He went quiet and took a sip from his cup.

"I didn't know anything about Vincenzo being here when I went to work Thursday morning. Dennis called me into his office and I was totally stunned to see him there."

"A nice surprise I bet. Seeing your lover again."

"Please Connor." I frowned at his intrusion,

"Sorry."

"Yes, I was his mistress but I broke it off when I came home. It was never anything special between us. I admired him but it was really only just sex."

Pausing for a moment to collect my thoughts I picked up my drink and took a mouthful before continuing.

"The company are starting up a new line and he's over here to look at setting up a factory in Newcastle."

"And to get you back in his bed?" I couldn't miss the sarcasm in his comment.

"I only found that out later, when we went for dinner."

"You must have wanted it to, to go and have a meal with him and then lie to me about it."

"It wasn't exactly a lie, I was working. Vincenzo wanted me to head up the design and operation of the new project and I was supposed to be discussing it with him."

Connor snorted, "So when are you leaving."

"I'm not. I told him I didn't want the position and I wasn't going to sleep with him again either."

"But you kissed him."

I shook my head making my long hair bounce around my shoulders.

"No, he kissed me. He took me by surprise and I didn't have time to react. You have to believe me Connor, it's the truth. I love you."

For a while he said nothing and just sat there studying me while my stomach churned as I dreaded what he might say.

It was a couple of minutes before he finally spoke.

"I want to believe you Chloe. I love you to and I can't bear the thought of losing you again but...."

"You haven't and you won't. I promise you nothing happened. Nothing. I don't want his stupid job and I don't want him. I love you."

As I said it I took the ring box out of my pocket and placed it on the table between us.

"And then there's this."

"I don't want it Chloe." He told me sadly, staring at it, "I've tried to ask you twice and both times it's brought me nothing but bad luck."

"Maybe it's third time lucky."

I hadn't planned it but as I said it I got off my chair and knelt down in front of him.

"Connor McCarthy you are the only man I will ever love. Will you marry me?"

Around me I could hear the buzz of conversation stop and a deafening silence settle over the whole coffee shop

The few seconds that passed between me asking and the grin that slowly spread across his face will always be the longest of my life.

"Yeah, I will. I'd like that a lot."

Tears of sheer joy flooded down my face as the café erupted with cheers and applause when Connor said yes and pulled me into his arms, kissing me passionately, before slipping the ring onto the third finger of my left hand.

I knew then that I was home for good.