Page 9 of Life After

“Why?”

“She died,” Jen said, wearing that emotionless mask she found worked best in these situations. “Five years ago. My best friend, not her mum.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Suzanne offered Jen a supportive squeeze of the hand. “That must have been hard to deal with.”

“Mmhmm.” Jen looked away briefly, keeping herself in check. “So, yeah. I haven’t spoken to her mum in a few years now.”

“That’s a shame that you drifted apart. Perhaps you should reach out to her one day. She could be waiting for you to do exactly that.”

“I did. Several times.” Jen smiled weakly as she stared down at her lap. “As I said, life has been challenging recently. I guess maybe people just need space, you know?”

Suzanne nodded, those soft eyes comforting Jen. “Mm. I know what you mean.”

“But this is lovely. Being here with you.” Jen relaxed into the evening, ready and waiting for whatever came of this with Suzanne. She lifted her bottle and tipped it towards her date. “To new beginnings.”

Suzanne lifted her glass and clinked it with Jen’s bottle. The smile she wore had the hairs on the back of Jen’s neck standing to attention, her dark eyes pulling Jen into a world she wasn’t sure she deserved. “To new beginnings.”

Suzanne broughtanother round of drinks to the table, thoroughly enjoying her evening so far with Jen. She hadn’t known what to expect, but their conversation so far had only shown Suzanne that she had done the right thing in being bold. They’d both found themselves dealing with grief and as she sat back down at the table, Suzanne felt far less alone than she had since John’s death.

Jen looked up at Suzanne and smiled. “I’ve had a great evening with you. I’d love to do it again.”

“I’d like that, too.” Suzanne wasn’t very good at judging people, but Jen was so easy to be around. Their conversation flowed freely, and Suzanne didn’t get the impression that Jen would shy away from anything she may bring up in discussion. “I’d invite you back to mine for a nightcap, but I don’t have anything alcohol-free in.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I can only drink so many of these beers before they taste like shit.” Jen looked to Suzanne, those handsome features alluring. “I’d be happy with a glass of water at this point.”

“Can I ask why you don’t drink? Is it just a preference?” Suzanne didn’t often question people’s reasons for being sober, but Jen was young, so she wanted to ask. If Jen had specific reasons, Suzanne didn’t want to do anything to compromise her sobriety.

Jen picked at the label on her bottle, smiling weakly. “I’m just not ready to go down the path of casual drinking yet. When Ruby died, I kinda came to rely on it too much, you know? I’d like to think that down the line, I could enjoy one or two at the weekend, but I’m not ready for that yet. This stuff does the job.”

“That’s a good decision to make if you were reliant on it during the grieving process. I think a lot of people do that, but it’s recognising when it becomes a problem that makes a huge difference.”

“I can’t say I did recognise when it became a problem, but I certainly feel better for stopping alcohol completely.” Jen wrinkled her nose as she opened her mouth to speak again. “Would that bother you if we went on another date? That I don’t drink?”

“Not at all.” Suzanne wasn’t a heavy drinker. The only reason she had suggested this was because it was generally what people did on a first date. “I’d be happy to avoid bars next time.”

“Oh, we don’t have to do that. I’m sure you enjoy a few at the end of the week.”

Suzanne pushed her empty glass away. “I can take or leave alcohol. I prefer a long walk with endless conversation.” John had always liked a drink, often not knowing when to stop. In the end, it was basically what had killed him. “Would you…like to come back to mine for coffee?”

Jen nodded, her eyes bright and appreciative of the company this evening. “You know what, I’d love to.”

“Perfect. I’ll just use the bathroom, and then we’ll head off, okay?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Suzanne left the table, taking her clutch bag with her. She pushed through the bathroom door and focused on herself through the mirror. She didn’t know where the rest of this night would lead, but she was absolutely hoping she would get the chance to taste Jen’s lips. God, she’d struggled to take her eyes off them all night.

She quickly took her phone from her bag and opened her messages with Tracy.

Headed home from the bar with my date. She’s great. I think you’ll like her.

Suzanne chose not to wait for a reply and shoved her phone back into her bag. Jen was outside, and Suzanne had no reason to hide in the bathroom talking to her best friend. No, she would rather get back to her place so she could learn more about courier Jen. After all, it was barely nine o’clock. Surely they could give one another a few more hours before they went their separate ways.

With a spring in her step, courtesy of a wonderful night with Jen so far, Suzanne left the bathroom and made a beeline for their table. Jen sat there, watching people as they passed by, a beautiful smile resting on her lips. Suzanne could tell a lot by a woman’s smile. And Jen’s was striking.

“Ready?”

Jen shot to her feet and took her wallet and phone from the table. “Sure. I’m ready if you are.”

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