ROANNE.
I hate Autumn. Why? You ask. Well, because Autumn is a very confusing season. It's dry
and it's cold, then it's hot, then it's warm, then it's cold again. It just- it doesn't have a
pattern. I like patterns. I like to know the beginning and the middle and the end. I've
never liked guessing, never liked surprises either. I just like to know. People will say it's
to be in control, but meh. Maybe. I don't know.
But wanna know what I hate more than Autumn? Lies. Deceit. Mostly unnecessary ones.
But maybe Autumn and Scott are the same – Oh sorry, it's Grayson, not Scott. I met
Grayson during Autumn season last year, fell in love with him the same year, and lost
him next Autumn.
"Hello. Sis? Are you still there?" My sister's voice pours out of the phone and I blink.
Tearing my eyes from the tv when I realise that the newscaster has moved on to the next
hot topic.
"Yeah, Joanne, I'm here"
I have 2 sisters. Joanne who's 22 and Anne who's 18. My mum gave us matching names
and I used to hate it, but now it doesn't bother me anymore.
"So? Is that him? Your boyfriend?" Her words are slurred.
"Are you drunk? Jo, I'm not saying you can't take alcohol, but the Bible-"
"-I know, okay? I didn't mean to get drunk, I'm just a bit tipsy. I promise. I'm just- I'm
going through a lot here, sis. Just let me have a moment, okay?"
I sigh, a little grateful that she's drunk. No way I'm having this conversation with her.
"Call me when you're sober"
"I am! Wha-" I hang up, cutting her words short.
I release the call with Cassie.
"Well" She says
"I don't know, Cassie. I mean it was clearly him. I just- Do you think this is why he left?
His grandfather died and they told him to come over for the will reading?"
"No one really gathers for will readings anymore these days. And even if that was the
case, it doesn't change the fact that he lied to you, babe"
"Well technically he didn't lie, he just-"
"-He just what? Failed to mention that he was the heir apparent to one of the biggest
conglomerates? Sixty percent, Roanne. You may not know that company, but I do. I've
worked with their steel company. The company I work in was contracted to build their
new branch in Seattle. You know, the big job I told you about. The name is JJ Steel, so the
name didn't click at the time, but everyone in the UK who doesn't live under a rock
knows the Reed family."
"So what?"
"Come one, Roanne. You can't tell me he didn't at least suspect that he was going to get
that much. Do you know that old man's net worth? Not just that, grapevine says their
Law and Steel firms are the biggest in all the companies the old man owned."
"If you think you're helping me feel better right now, Cassie, I can one hundred percent
assure you that are not."
"I'm not trying to make you feel better, I'm trying to make you see that he deceived you!"
"You think I haven't gotten that already?! I know!"
"Don't yell at me! I mean it, Roanne. I know you're mad and overwhelmed and confused,
but I'm really trying to be your pillar right now so don't yell at me"
I sigh.
"I'm sorry. Really. Thank you. Sorry."
"Apology accepted. Now, get your ass back to Seattle ASAP."
I go silent, biting my lower lip in thought. My silence must tell Cassie something,
because she groans.
"What? Why are you silent? You're coming back to Seattle, right? Roanne"
"I-"
"-No. No. Whatever you want to say, no. You said you were going there for answers"
"I am!"
"Well, you've found the answers! Baby boy is the heir to billions and probably already
has an arranged marriage ahead of him. That's enough of an answer, Roanne"
"Arranged marriage" I whisper. Somehow that hadn't clicked yet.
I didn't lose Scott. I never even had him.
"So what was I? The wealthy world got stressful and he came to the US to blow off some
steam and I literally just fell into his hands, Cassie". MY mind goes back to the night we
met.
I never learned to drive. I've always feared the road, so I saw myself getting panic attacks
whilst driving, so I decided that I never will. I make enough money to pay the bus fare, and
commuting -whilst stressful- was never much of a problem. But sometimes I regret not
getting a driver's license and a car.
Times like now. I went to see a client and got back really late. I know the streets aren't safe
at night, especially for women and I didn't learn martial arts like girls in movies, so all I
really have is pepper spray and a small pocket knife.
What if he has a gun?
My heart beats fast as I walk as fast as I can. Then I feel it. Someone behind me. Blowing
out cold air, I put my hands in my pocket, hands caressing my pepper spray and walk as
fast as I can. I notice his footsteps increase in speed, so I do the same and I'm about to run
when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey!" I yell as someone takes my hand, pulling me to him in one swift move. I shut my eyes,
preparing for the blow, but nothing comes.
"Hi" My attacker says, hands on mine. His grip, firm. British accent, thick.
I keep my eyes shut tight and do what I watched in movies.
"My name is Roanne Anika Jacobs and I have 2 sisters. My father died when I was 11 and
my mother is 44. I am 24 and I am a financial consultant. I love puppies, but hate dogs. My
favourite food is anything potato and my favourite colour is purple. I hate driving, and love
hiking. I use the bus everyday to get to work and back. I miss my dad sometimes, but I like
to not think of him so much. I am a person. I am a person" I blurt out, my chest heaving as I
take short, deep breaths. I peel my eyes open and look up into the lightest green eyes I've
ever seen. If I wasn't scared out of my life, I probably would have swooned.
"Oh" He drops his hands and steps back like my skin burnt him. "I- I'm so sorry. You were
about to fall into that" Our eyes land on the hole in front of me. Oh. "I didn't realise you'd
think- I'm not a serial killer or anything, I promise. I'm just a guy. I'm so sorry to scare you
like that."
"Oh" I let out a harsh breath in relief, bending to place my hands on my knees. "Oh, it's fine."
I breathe out the lie. That was the biggest scare of my life.
"I'm so sorry." He watches me for a second. "If you're this scared of the night though, why
are walking alone here?"
"I got off work late"
"Right. Um. Great technique earlier. The whole saying things about yourself. Stunned me
for a moment."
"Oh. I learned in a movie that if you do that it sort of reminds the attacker that you're a
human being and not an object. Doesn't always work obviously, but I wanted to give it a
try. Anyways, why did you cover my mouth if you weren't planning to hurt me?" I turn now.
Full 180. Giving him a once over. He's in a blue hoodie and jeans. Nothing interesting, but
then I look at his face.
I've seen my fair share of attractive men. But he. He tops this list now. His dirty blonde hair
is due for a hair cut, but it still looks perfect. His eyes are light green in colour and I'm sure
if I lean in, I'll see flecks of gold. His cheeks are red, probably from the night's cold. The
wind is particularly strong tonight too.
But he's handsome. Very attractive.
"You're staring" He says and I blink.
"Oh. I'm uh. There's something on your face." I stutter and his hands go to his face.
"Where?"
"Uh. It's under here" I put my fingers on a part of my cheek, and he does too. But there's
clearly nothing there, so I just lean over and grab the air on his cheek. "There. All gone" I
flick my fingers and his lips twitch. He probably knows I'm lying. "I should get going. Have
a good night" I say, and turn around to walk away.
I feel him behind me, but I ignore it. We're probably going to the same direction.
It's not until I enter my house, lock the doors and windows, and watch him through a
window, staring at my house before walking away that I realise that he followed me to
make sure I got home safe.
"Hello. Earth to Roanne. Babe" Cassie's voice pours out of the phone and I sigh.
"I said not to call me that for a while."
"What?"
"Babe"
"Oh. Oh, sorry. Anyways. Book a flight once we hang up, okay?"
"Yeah, okay" I say, absentmindedly. My mind spinning, thinking of what to do next.
When we hang up, I actually open my laptop to book a flight, but then my phone rings
again.
"Boss"
"Miss Jacobs. I got your email and that's fine, but I wanted to ask for a favour."
"Depends"
Honestly. It doesn't. I'm not going to do it.
"Well. I know it's a big favour to ask, but the Company's CEO was invited to a huge event in
London, but she is pre occupied at the moment and she asked me to go, but I'm also pre
occupied-"
"-Um. I would have loved to go, but-"
"-Let me land, Miss Jacobs. Please"
"Right. Sorry"
"Thank you. Um. I'm preoccupied, but it's the first time our company has been invited for
such an event. It will be very wrong to not go. It's also a good chance to get some new
clients. I know you're very social, and right now, you're the only one I can trust to act
accordingly. Do you think you can book a flight to the UK right now?"
I muse. I don't exactly have much to do, and maybe a social event will help me stop
thinking about this whole mess, at least for a while. Also, she's right. I'm the best at
networking.
"I'm actually in London right now."
"Oh God. That's great news. The event is by 7pm tomorrow. I'm not sure what the time is
there. But the event is 7pm. I'll mail you the invite. You can print it out or just show them
on your phone at the entrance."
"Okay."
"The dress code is Black and silver. Think you can work with that?"
"Sure. I'll fix something up."
"You're a darling. Thank you so much."
"It's no problem. Have a great day."
"You too"
When she hangs up, I go to the room and get settled for bed. After scrolling on tiktok for
a while, I fall asleep.
...
My alarm wakes me up the next morning and I sigh as I stare at the screen. '6am alarm
for Saturday run with my baby'
Scott set that alarm himself. I remember that day clearly.
'What are you doing?" I asked, when he took my phone and ran out. I ran after him. I didn't
sleep over at our apartment that morning. I don't sleep there all the time. I have an
apartment I share with my sisters. They're both in School right now though, so I was home
alone.
That and Scott and I had an argument last night.
"Scott. It's really too early for this"
It's Saturday and I usually wake up at 12pm earliest. This is 7am. Too too early to be
running outside and too early for Scott to be here. The drive from our apartment to here is
about an hour. Which means he got up early.
"It's never too early for a run!" He yelled back as I panted after him.
When my knees got weak, I stop and sit on a side block. He didn't realise I'd stopped until
he gets to the gate. He turns around and even though he's far away, I could see the smirk
on his stupid face.
"You're so annoying!" I yelled, but there was a smile on my face. He ran back to me and sat
beside me, yelping when he fell back immediately. I laughed so hard, I snorted.
"Her royal highness" He teased and I rolled my eyes as he came up and regained his
balance. He bumped his shoulder with mine and I shifted away.
"You're sweaty" I said, but he didn't say anything. He just tapped away at my phone. I
forgot he had that with him!
"Open it please" He handed the phone to me.
"Why?" I asked, but I was already punching in the password. When it opened, I gave it to
him.
"Well, that was easy. Considering you chased me for miles just to get the phone back."
"Shh" I hushed and he just smiled. Tapping away. I shifted closer to see what he was doing
and watched him set the alarm. "By the way, I'm sorry about yesterday. I should have
calmed down and just listened to you" He stops to stare at me when he says that. His eyes
telling me just how sincere that was.
"I'm sorry too." I watched him set the alarm. "You're kidding. There's no way I'm waking up
5am on a Saturday morning"
"Let's make it 6am then. That's the best I can do" He said in a stern voice, and even though
his lips were twitching, it slowly became our thing.
6am alarm for Saturday run with my baby.
Oh God
I need to stop having these flashbacks. They only make me more miserable. I know going
back to sleep won't be possible, so I just get up, brush my teeth and take a quick shower,
then bring out my laptop to search for nice boutiques.
Feeling a bit extravagant, I book a session at what seems like a high-end boutique for
9am and when that is done, I lay back on the bed and stare at the ceiling.
I feel so...empty.
If someone had told me a few months ago that this would happen, I would have laughed
in their face, but I also would have sworn that I'd be rolling on the floor, crying endlessly.
I definitely wouldn't have guessed that I'd be here, in London.
Anyways. I want to cry, but my eyes are all dried up. It's somehow like maybe I haven't
fully registered that he's gone.
Hope.
That's what it is. And it's crazy, because I shouldn't be hoping to get him back. I should
be praying to God to help me forgive him and hoping that I somehow manage to forget
him.
Which sounds so funny. How exactly do you forget someone like Scott Weston?
I get to the Boutique at 8:52am and they tell me to wait in their lounge till it's 9. Which I
do. But they don't come to call me in. I check the time and its 9:20. So I decide to walk
myself in.
"Hi. I-"
"-Oh my God. You shouldn't be in here, miss"
"Um. My booked time is 9am and it's 9:20" I say calmly to the clerk whose eyes keep
darting around like she's scared of something.
"I said be careful, it's hurting me!" A shout comes from further inside.
"Ma'am. We also have the dress in size 10, I could-" A softer voice follows.
"-I'm a size 8! This dress should be perfect on me"
"Miss. You can't be here. Please just wait an extra 30 minutes"
The girl is full one shaking now. Ah, i see. She's afraid of the lady inside.
"Is that your boss in there?"
"No."
The lady cringes at the thought.
"I'm assuming her appointment should have ended by 9, since mine begins then?"
Her silence tells me what I need to know, so I stalk in, ignoring her calls. The scene I
meet almost makes me laugh. There are clothes strewn everywhere and the clerk is
trying so hard to fit the lady who's clearly not a size 8 into a dress. The zip won't budge.
The lady looks away from the mirror to me and it shocks me a bit. She looks like she's in
her late thirties or early forties, but she still has a glow. I'd call her beautiful if she isn't
so clearly a snub.
"Who is this? New staff?" She asks and the struggling clerk turns to the clerk behind me,
giving her a look I know means that she should have stopped me.
Well.
"I'm a customer" I know that shocks her a bit, because her eyes drop to my t shirt and
jeans. "And I booked a session for 9am. It's currently..." I check the time on my watch
"...9:27am. You're eating into my time"
She laughs. Like, I'm being ridiculous. Me!
"Kate. You should really enlighten your customers" The woman says before going back
to sucking a breath to fit into the dress.
"Whatever. I'd like to get a dress now." I turn to the clerk behind me, and her eyes dart to
the other clerk, whom I'm starting to assume is like the manager.
"Um. Come forward, miss" She leads me down to another part of the shop "
"Why didn't you just bring me here?" I ask, staring at the room.
"Mrs. Ford doesn't like anyone in here when she is. Apologies for taking your time. What
would you like?"
"A black dress with a silver outline or something. The theme we're working with is black
and silver. I want something elegant and modest. Like when you think of champagne and
black cars." I muse, but she seems to understand me.
"What size?"
"I'm a US size 10, because of my lower body, but I don't know what that is in UK size"
"That's a size 14 here. I'll be right back"
She leaves and comes back not long after with a bunch of dresses on her arm.
I find the perfect dress on the third try. Even the clerk stares. I pick my phone and call
Cassie on video call. She takes an unusual long time to pick up.
"Hey" Her voice is sleepy and she yawns.
"You're still in bed?"
"Of course I am. Girl" She yawns again. "You've forgotten we're in different time zones
right? It's like past 1am here." She yawns again.
"Oh my God. I totally forgot. I'm so sorry."
"It's fine. Why did you call?"
"Don't-"
"-Don't even think about it. Talk to me"
I hear her tap running and she drops the phone to face the ceiling. She's probably
washing her face. When I see her face again, it's wet. She picks a face towel and wipes it.
"What is it?"
"I'm trying out a dress"
"Um. That isn't what we discussed, Jacobs"
"I know. Something came up. Anyway. What do you think of this dress?" I drop my phone
somewhere so she can see the full dress. She gives a dramatic gasp.
"Babes. You look..." She trails off.
"I know" I whisper, smiling at myself in the camera.
"Where are you going?"
"My boss told me to attend an event in her stead. Wouldn't hurt to do so. I'm already in
London anyways.
"If you look this good without makeup. It'll be 10× better when you actually get dressed up
with make up and all. Take pictures okay?" She says, no sigh of sleepiness in her voice
again.
"So, I should get it?"
"Yess. If they have in a bigger size, you can even get for me! Oh wait. How much is it?" She
asks and I check for the price tag and show it to her. "Um. Alright. I can definitely do
without the dress. Forget about me" She says and I smile. "Someone's really splurging all
her money" She teases and I roll my eyes.
The dress is worth what I make in about 3 months, but it's okay really.
"Just this once. I've never owned any dress this nice" I run my hands down the gorgeous
dress.
"Do you sell jewellery?" I ask the clerk and she nods.
"Just a few"
"I need a silver pendant. Something with a diamond" I say and she leaves.
"I'll hang up now. Thank you. Go back to sleep, okay?"
"I hope your flight is after this event." She yawns and hangs up. She'd lose it if she finds out
that I haven't booked the flight.
"Do you take cash?"
...
I got the email from my boss long ago, but I didn't open it till it was about 40 minutes
into the event. I have a habit of being fashionably late. I booked a car and the driver
called to say he's here. So, as I walked out into the hallway and into the elevator, I finally
opened the email. It took a while to download, but it did just as I entered the car. My
eyes fall to the address immediately and I read it out for the driver to punches it into his
GPS.
When the car starts, my eyes go to the name and my heart stops with my eyes. What are
the odds...
I bring out my phone to text Cassie.
What are the odds that Scott is going to be at the event I'm attending? He even might be
the main character.'
I send that text and my eyes shift back to the name on the invitation.
JJ Reed Group invites you to their annual Rendezvous. Wine and dine, network and
gain allies. All in remembrance of the late Jason Jones Reed.
Venue: Alan Reed Multipurpose hall, Harrogate estate, Richmond city , London,
UK.
Time: 7:00 p.m. sharp.
Special guest(s): The Reed family.
Still in the mourning period, the dress code is a Black and silver affair. Kindly
adhere strictly to this.
RSVP ([email protected])
Kindly attend with the invite; printed or soft copy, as access will not be granted
without it. It covers the addressee and their significant other or a
representative.
Oh God