When Does Love End? Ch. 03

"This just gets better and better."

Michelle grinned, "It does, you couldn't make it up if you tried."

Claire leaned closer "So what did he say to you?"

"I was wondering what he was going to tell me when he looked me in the eyes and told me he was in love with me and that he had been since he collided with me in the corridor."

"Oh my god, you mean it was love at first sight for both of you?"

Debbie nodded, "I was left totally speechless for a moment and didn't know what to say and I guess Jackson thought he'd overstepped the mark again and he started to apologise to me."

"But you did tell him how you felt didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did." She grinned, "I sort of flung myself at him and told him I loved him as well. Then later, when he walked me home, he still felt he had to ask me if I'd be his girlfriend. Obviously, I said yes and I was just floating on air when I went indoors."

Claire looked puzzled, "So why aren't you together now. What happened to you?"

"We were together for three years. I'd was still a virgin until I met Jackson but it wasn't very long before I slept with him. We were just completely in love and we remained that way all through college until that slimy bastard Peter Wheeler happened."

"You cheated on him?"

"Nothing quite so straightforward I'm afraid." Debbie shook her head, "Peter was quite a bit older than the two of us. He was the son of one of my dad's old friends and was in the area for his work. His dad referred him to my dad and that was how I met him."

"Ok." Claire was now very confused, "Now I don't understand."

"Peter was all by himself up here and my dad asked me to show him around town so I did. He was very charismatic and took me out to dinner and things and perhaps I did spend a bit too much time with him but nothing happened. He never tried it on with me although he did say a couple of times it was a pity that I had a boyfriend."

Claire was still puzzled, "It sounds like was all pretty innocent."

"Yes, it was pretty much, although I knew Jackson wasn't happy about the amount of time I was spending with Peter. But then, out of the blue, he offered me a job with him in London. It sounded absolutely amazing, exactly the sort of thing I wanted to do."

"So?"

"So, Jackson wanted us to go travelling and take a year out before we looked for jobs. I think he was a little bit jealous of Peter as well, although he had no reason to be. I wasn't interested in him in that way. Anyhow we ended up arguing a lot about the job and about the time I was spending with Peter."

"Ok so what happened then?"

"Things all blew up one night and we had an almighty row and I said some things I later regretted. Jackson told me that if I felt that way maybe I should just go. That's when I took off for London in a real huff, determined to show him I was my own person."

"Wow, so you did cheat on him with this Peter?"

Debbie shook her head, "No. As soon as we got to London, I found out that Peter's only interest in me was about getting me into his bed and that there never was a job. At least not as he'd described. He tried the big seduction routine and once I had refused to sleep with him he wanted nothing more to do with me."

Claire still seemed bemused, "You came back here then?"

"No, not at first. I found myself work as a receptionist and stayed down in the capital for three months. I was still angry with Jackson and I felt embarrassed and utterly humiliated so it was some time before I finally gave in and came home."

"And Jackson?"

"I hadn't spoken to him in the three months I was away but I was still surprised that he wasn't here when I got back. No one knew where he'd gone and his mother had moved away as well. I tried desperately to find him, to say I was sorry and try to get him back, but it was impossible. That was when I realised just how much I'd hurt him and eventually it sank in that he wasn't ever going to return."

She finished her story and took a long swallow of her wine.

"Wow, and now...." Claire looked at her friend quizzically.

"And now I guess it's time to move on and..." Debbie started to say with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry," Claire gazed over her shoulder and interrupted her, "I'll be right back, I can't resist a man in uniform."

Michelle and Debbie turned around to look as Claire headed out of the bar towards the reception desk and the vaguely familiar dark-haired figure of a soldier in his camouflage fatigues with his back to them.

"She's absolutely incorrigible. You wouldn't believe how many boyfriends she gets through." Turning back to her college friend Debbie sighed, "Anyway I need to go to, it's time I went to meet my date."

"We must do this again soon Deb. I want to know all about this hot date you're going on?" Michelle informed her.

"Yeah right." Debbie replied unhappily, "We will, just let me know when you're free?"

"Don't worry I will." Her friend grinned.

After a brief hug Debbie wandered across to say goodbye to Claire before her unwelcome assignation with Franco.

Walking across the foyer Debbie felt a sense of dread about what she was intending to do. The idea of having sex with Franco nauseated her but she had made her decision and she would go through with it, regardless.

She could see Claire was talking to the soldier and she wondered what he was doing here. A member of the armed services wasn't something you normally saw around the town. Suddenly, for no reason, Claire's story of the local lad who had won some sort of medal sprang into her mind and she wondered if this was him.

As she got closer to them, she felt that there was something familiar about the figure with his back to her but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I'm off Claire...." Debbie started to say, stopping half-way through her sentence as the soldier turned around and she saw him for the first time.

"Jackson!"

"Debbie!"

The pair looked at each other in complete disbelief as Claire glanced between them suddenly realising the connection, "Oh my god... you two.... It's him, isn't it?"