Ch. 17

Jack didn't sleep well. All night he tossed around in bed and thought of the pictures that have now been published. Immediately after reading the letter he should have called Mia and made it sound like an insane success. Then that would certainly not have been a problem. But what is he doing now? Is he just hiding it?

Before he can think about anything else, the doorbell rings at his storm door. Unsuspecting, he gets out of bed and throws a shirt on. "I'm coming. Every now and then half-long. ”, His head is booming a bit from sleep deprivation. The bell doesn't exactly make it any better. He opens with a swing and discovers a Finn dressed in sweatpants and a wide shirt. Confused, he stares at his friend.

"What are you doing here? Why don't you wear jeans? ”, Some people thought it was cool to run around in such clothes, but Finn was never one of them. “A wonderful good morning to you too. And now let me in at last, otherwise someone else will see me here in this elevator. ", His friend pushes past him into the apartment. "You haven't answered my question yet!" Finn makes himself comfortable on his couch. "Feel at home.", His buddy gives him an amused look.

"This is my second home and you know that too." Jack closes the door again, but does not sit down next to him. "All right then! I'm here because I have to get away from Sophia for a day. "

He raises his eyebrows questioningly. "Zoff in paradise?", He adds to his gaze. “For God's sake, no! It's only if I'm in the company of a woman any longer I'll soon become one. It's almost creepy. Lately I even sat on the toilet without Sophia warning me not to pee standing up. It's humiliating, I'll tell you. Next I'm worried about my fingernails and it won't take long because I'll probably have highlights set for myself. ", Finn's look makes it clear that he is feeling pretty unmanly himself at the moment and there is nothing worse than that." I need a man's day . To scratch someone with beer, swear words, spilled chips and something conspicuous on the sack. ”The distress in his eyes makes the day clear.

"Deal! Today is exclusively men's day. Let's start with a real men's breakfast. ”In the kitchen, Jack fetches the eggs and starts to whip them in the mixer. His friend's face wrinkles in disgust. "What's that supposed to be?"

Jack tries to keep his face straight. “A protein shake. You can only become a balanced, fit guy with an iron will. That's why you start every morning with one of these shakes. We can also make one with celery and spinach if you prefer. Or don't you drink it every morning, like a real man? “, Finn's eyes roll almost into his eye socket at his suggestion, so much he disgusts the thought of having to put this drink in his mouth.

The poker face crumbles from second to second until a full-grown grin adorns his face. His friend tries several times before he can get a word out. "You ... you screwed me up in the worst possible way. Man, that was absolutely not funny. ", Shaking his head he looks Jack in the eye. "You won't let me forget that anytime soon, am I right?" Jack can only nod. If he opened his mouth now, he would just laugh. He takes a pan out of the cupboard and empties the eggs on it after the stove is warm. The supposed shake turns into scrambled eggs with toast. There is also fresh orange juice and black unsweetened coffee. How real men drink it!

"Before we spend a manly day, however, I have to give you a call."

#

Mia answers her ringing phone. "Huh?" Everyone knows that calling her in the morning on weekends is a bad idea. Getting up early doesn't mean being equally awake for everyone. She is one of those who are awake though. but can only be approached towards noon. “Hey, this is Jack. "Sorry that I don't give you a few more hours of rest, but ... I have to confess something urgently." Jack takes a deep breath and Mia suspects what he is about to reveal to her.

But another ring interrupts her further thoughts. "So, on the dates ..." "Wait a moment, please. There's someone standing in front of my door. ”, She stops him just in time.

"Mia? I know that you are there. Don't play the 'I ain't awake' card here now. We both know that is not true. "

Amazed, she opens her friend. "Sophia? What are you doing here? “, A snort in her ear reminds her of the receiver in her hand. “Come in and make yourself comfortable. I will soon be there."

With that she goes into the bedroom. "Jack knocked on me half an hour ago." His quiet, attractive laugh can be heard. She wished she could see it. “He needs a man's day because Sophia probably brings a feminine touch into the apartment. It can't be long before they take the next step and give up their apartment. ", Silent. “That's why I didn't call you. I have to tell you that a guy took pictures of one of the dates to be able to submit them to a competition. ”We get closer to the matter. “It's cool to be selected as a motif. Have you already found out how it turned out. ”You can hear the rush of a breath. Did he actually hold his breath and fear her reaction? After all, he came straight to her. She only discovered the book yesterday and, she checked it out, has not been available in stores for long. “We took third place. Mia, Lola and I can be seen in the photo. ”He presses a little. “Well, it's just not a picture of us laughing at a joke or strolling comfortably through the city. It's more that we stare at each other and look totally in love, as if I'm about to attack her at any moment. But that was all before ... "

He left her for Summer, they became friends again, Summer got pregnant and the baby wasn't his, broke up with her and they want to give each other a second chance and take it slow.

Before all that. “Exactly. That's why I can't be mad at you either. I have forgiven you a lot and have come back to you. This photo won't put me on the run now. ”, The line remains silent. Mia is waiting for an answer, but she doesn't seem to come. "Jack, are you still there?", Sophia sticks her head into the bedroom and raises her eyebrows. She shrugs her shoulders and forms a 'no idea' with her lips, then shooes them out again.

Just when she realizes that Sophia must have been listening because she reacted to Jack's silence, the other end crackles. "Yes.", He clears his throat. “Yes, I'm still there. I think it's very commendable of you that you talk about it like that. If I'm honest I ... "" Was expecting a bitchy, completely unfounded outburst? You should know me better by now. I am not what you expect or many others are. "

"I would really like to be with you now!" His voice dropped. Suppressed longing makes him sound rough and vulnerable. “Better spend your day with your best friend. You haven't exchanged a word with him in the last few days, or am I wrong? "

“No, no you are right. I should pull myself together and act like a man. Actually you should be the one who can't stand a second without me, right? Aren't women always the most attached in the relationship? ”Mia laughs.

“What century are you talking about again? I must not have noticed something. You can also hear more and more men not leaving their wives aside. “, Jack gasps in protest.

“They only do that because they don't want other guys to think they are free and try their luck with her. So everyone in the room knows what the woman is like. "

“You're just incredibly jealous of anything that has two legs and a tail. When a busty blonde crosses your path, you don't immediately look away and look at her even if a handsome guy has an arm around her. This is nature. You can't change that with your incredibly stubborn heads. "

"You think I'm good-looking?", It was clear that he heard that. “I have spoken in general. I'm not a blonde either. "

"So I'm not a handsome guy?" "Fishing for compliments!" She replies in a chant. “We should finally take care of our guests. Let the pig out today so that you don't mutate into a pig with me. ", Mia grins into the empty room and wants to take the receiver from her ear to interpret it when Jack speaks again. “Hey, I wanted to ask you something else. Are you already doing something tomorrow evening? ”She shakes her head. "No, I have nothing to do with tomorrow evening as far as I know."

"Well, I'll take you out tomorrow on our first date outside of the cameras. I'll pick you up at seven. ”He hangs up and prevents her from being able to cancel.

She walks back into the living room with the phone in hand. "What? What are you going to do tomorrow night? What is he up to? “, Sophia jumps around her like an excited girl. "Have you never learned from your mother that it is rude to listen to other conversations?" Sophia shakes her head wildly. “Not remotely. She always said: Child, when the opportunity comes, grab it and use the information you get wisely. ”She laughs in disbelief. "She didn't say that!"

"No she did not. Now tell me why did Jack ask if you were already on the road tomorrow evening? "

This game can also be played by two. "Why did you show up here and Finn has taken up residence with Jack?", Her happy expression collapses. Now Mia is sorry that she pointed out this topic so harshly. Perhaps she should have waited until Sophia was ready to tell about it herself. "I'll tell you if you tell me," she almost whispers.

Mia sits down on the sofa and shows Sophia to do the same. "Jack asked me ... no, he decided that tomorrow we would have our first date outside of the hustle and bustle. I have no clue where it's going and whether he even has a plan. ”Her friend nods.

“You look at me like you're expecting the worst. It's actually not that tragic. Probably I'm just too worried, but I ... I love Finn. ”, Astonished, changed her sad features. "I love him. We haven't known each other that long. It should all happen much more slowly. Something is wrong there, you can't lose your heart to someone so quickly. That can't be good ... “, Mia interrupts the troubled friend. "Hey, hey! Listen to me, some couples do it a little faster than others. Because of that, it's no less right or wrong. For me it went so quickly with Jack too. It was just a blink of an eye and I was lost. Only he didn't return my love straight away. And I'm sure Finn will find out soon too. After all, you can tell for a while how much he adores you. ”, The light in her gray eyes dims.

“He needs distance, he said. He can't do it like that. I would narrow it down and leave it no room to breathe. But when I go home after work so as not to spend the night in his arms, as he told me, he calls me upset and asks where I am he is worried and wants me to come to him. "

Mia smiles happily. Is that cute. “Finn was a player before you. This whole relationship box is new territory for him. He doesn't know how to behave and tends to resume his old habits. With you it is very different than with the women before you. He didn't feel anything for them. At least not like for you. He only seems to notice that when you're gone. ", Sophia snorts. "Great. He pushes me away and then brings me back to himself. How long do you think it will be before he realizes that he won't have a girlfriend for long with this number? "

“The best thing to do is tell him immediately when you meet again. Make it clear to him that it cannot go on like this. I think he has already noticed that you are influencing him. After all, Jack just told me that Finn needs a man's day because you seem to get under his skin. It will be allright. I just can't imagine you guys ever parting again. You are a dream couple. “, Sophia nods and even has a small smile on her face again.

“First of all I want a cocoa. How about you?"

“You know you can chase me with that stuff. A decent coffee is the only thing I can take at this time of day. "

#

Finn lets you drive. No inconspicuous 'the air has to get out again' fart but one of the kind that makes it easier to get earplugs.

Jack grimaces in disgust. “What's the matter with you, buddy? It's disgusting even among men and you know it too. Do that again and you'll fly. ”, Finn's mood just hasn't gotten any better all morning. He put his legs on the table, drank the beer from the bottle, he probably left it in the water and did everything else that he didn't do with Sophia. He should like that. Actually, his mood should be jubilant.

“Spit it out! What's going on with you and your girlfriend? “, Finn throws him a more than grim look. "Nothing. It's all right. “, Jack has opened his mouth again to ask his friend again.

“Except that I can't seem to be able to do without her anymore. I can't sleep if she's not next to me. I can't breathe if I don't know that she's okay. As I work, my thoughts drift to her more and more often. My chest hurts when she is in a bad mood. I want her to never have to shed a tear again and whoever is responsible will get to know my fist better. I could hug her all day long and wouldn't forget anything. ", He takes a breath and fixes Jack's eyes. “I'm becoming a pussy, buddy. I'm under her slipper. I'm addicted and that shouldn't be. ”Steep lines adorn his face. Jack thinks about Mia for a moment and that at this moment Sophia is sitting with her on the couch to pour out her heart to her. He doesn't want to know exactly what is being discussed.

“You are not a pussy because you are worried about your girl. It is perfectly normal. I would worry if it wasn't like that. ", Finn doesn't answer him.

"What did you do with Sophia that she is now with Mia? Do you think she has reason to cry Would you be to blame for it then? "

Since when does he sound so sensible and mature? That’s a completely new feature of him. Maybe Mia is already influencing him. He grins at the thought. He has absolutely no problem with that.

“I didn't do anything wrong. I only did what anyone else would have done in my situation. ”He suspects terrible things. "What exactly did you do?"

"Well ... I didn't want her to be with me all the time, you understand? So I said that we also need some time to ourselves so that we don't stick to each other every minute. ”Jack grimaces at the choice of words. But his friend isn't finished yet. He even looks a bit guilty. "It's just that I couldn't." His dark eyes plead with him. “I couldn't leave her alone in her apartment. What if someone breaks into her? Besides, my bed is so big and empty when she's not there. "

"And?"

“I called her at home and asked why she wasn't with me. You ... I missed her. ", Jack has to hold back a sigh. That certainly made a great impression.

"What do you want to do now? Just let it go like this? ", Finn's face changes from his standard moody expression to one that says he just had an insight.

"Age! It's even worse for you than it is for me. You've only been a couple for less than 72 hours. You don't even notice how she hits you, buddy. ”He grins. "I'm not the only complete idiot who's under his wife's slipper." He seems to be very happy.

"I know. It does not bother me. Probably I'll rub it off the same way as the other way around. ", Finn's mouth stays open. “You can't be serious. You lose your manhood. "

Ah, so that's what this is all about. He can handle that. Hopefully he can solve the problem too. Because he can't resist spending the day with a macho every weekend.

#

Kim. That is the solution. Mia has to call Kim and hope that she can tear herself away from Lukas long enough to listen to her and come over.

Sophia is in a better mood again, but as soon as she leaves the apartment everything will start to beat her again and that has to be prevented.

"I'll be right back.", She nods absently. At the moment she is absorbed in a film with Jennifer Lopez that is just coming on television. Manhattan Love Story or something.

She sneaks into the kitchen. It rings three times, then someone answers four times. "Hello, Kim Müller on the line." "You take his name?", Mia can't believe how different her friend sounds. "Logical. Everything is better than resentment. ”But she is right about that. "How are you?" Kim snorts. "What do you want? Get straight to the point and don't waste our time with small talk. "

"What betrayed me.", Her friend laughs. "Come on, we've known each other for a while and there are different ways you ask about my well-being. There's this' sweetie, I'm sorry I didn't get in touch, but I had so much on my mind that I couldn't find the time. So go ahead. I want a full set of reports. This is my favorite version by the way. It means you really feel guilty and put your news on the back burner. Then there are a few others. You have some for cases in which you want me to accompany you wherever, that you screwed up and the last one is just the one you just used. It means you urgently need my help with something. "

Is it really that transparent? That's scary. "Okay, okay. You can't deny anything. I have Sophia sitting here on my couch and she's afraid that Finn doesn't mean it. "

"Woman, if he is not serious about her, then Lukas and I will break our engagement again. The guy is just jittery. After all, he landed a big fish with Sophia. ”Mia wanted to hear that. “Help me make that clear to her too. Come over, please !! ”, a sigh reached her ear. “I'll be there in ten minutes. By the way, I want a full report. "

"You'll get that when I hear yours too, in all the dirty details."

Relieved, Mia returns to the living room and makes herself comfortable next to the brunette beauty. “Do you happen to have ice cream there? I'm really looking forward to it! ”, I hope Kim will come soon. “I hope you are not against chocolate. I don't have anything else on offer at the moment. ”“ That sounds perfect. ”Her eyes glued to the screen. "Do you see that? That could never happen in real life. The guy would have left her freezing after he found out she was just a housekeeper. The two would never have found each other. Some love movies are really unrealistic, but so pretty to watch. Do you think that Finn and I are fine? "

"Do you remember what I tried to furnish you with a few hours ago? Finn worships you. The man would wrap you in cotton if he could. Unfortunately, he hasn't figured out how to properly show it. Give him another week and if nothing has changed by then, then we can talk about the possibility of how we can take revenge. "

Mia gets the ice cream and two spoons when the doorbell rings. Sophia raises her eyebrows questioningly. "I called Kim." She cannot clearly identify the look that she now gets to feel.

It still takes some time to persuade Sophia well before she believes in a happy ending again. The next time Mia runs into Finn, he'll be chafed for this action. He really deserves it.

The rest of the evening will be fun after all. They've put in a chick-flick and are drinking a sparkling wine that Mia has left from her birthday.