Shallow Love (12 page)

She wasn’t feeling nauseous anymore and she would be returning to work soon. She needed to get out of misery zone and back to the world of
Glamour
, the world that she loved, her job meant everything to her and she was ready to be running the magazine again. Her work load was a lot less now, that she was an expected mum and she had employed Samantha, to be her right hand. She would take on all the stressful roles of the publication and Jackie was going to supervise.

She went back
to work the following week and the staff had noticed her appearance had changed. She looked heavier than usual and the fashion conscious Jackie had bailed. She wore a long, pastel pink maternity dress and her high heels had been replaced with comfortable moccasins. She had minimal makeup on, a sprinkle of nude face powder, soft eyeliner and a matte shade of taupe lipstick.

“Wow, you look different?” Samantha said curious.

“Well a lot has happened since I’ve been away.” Jackie said with an anguished look on her face.

“Yes we are really sorry about your sister and her fiancé,” Samantha said sympathetically.

“Thank you for your support,” Jackie half smiled. “It means a lot. But I do have some good news, amidst a tragedy.”

Samantha’s faced beamed, “really?’’

“Yes, I am expecting a baby.” Jackie announced with a joyous smile and hiccupped as she sobbed.

“Wow, are you serious?’’ Samantha said astonished.

Jackie dashed the tears from her eyes, “sure am, it was an unplanned pregnancy, but I always wanted to be a mother.”

“Hey do you want to have lunch together today?” Sam suggested, “the two casuals are coming in at twelve?”

“Sounds like a fabulous idea, I really miss those lunches with Carrie.” Jackie shed a few tears, wiping her eyes, thinking about her sister’s absence and it tore her heart to pieces.

“Well I am here for you,’’ Samantha gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, as she said it. “Anytime, you need a friend, I’ll be there.”

“Thankyou, I really need all the support I can get,” Jackie held back tears, trying to remain strong.

She had cried a river since the death of her sister and she wasn’t one to shed tears, she always thought crying was for the weak and she had always tried to remain strong. But the tragic death of Carrie, had devastated her and she had let all her defences down. Though, she had become aware, that she had to stop stressing and crying, for the sake of her unborn child, as she needed to look after herself.

When midday arrived
and the two casuals walked through the door, Samantha and Jackie left the office for an extended lunch break. When they got to Café Belissimo, Jackie had a sudden craving for chicken schnitzel with Diane sauce.

“You must be starving girl,” Samantha asked sounding concerned.

“I am and I had a weird craving for chicken, what are you ordering?”

“Well you know me, I am constantly watching my figure, which often does nothing for my taste buds,” laughed Samantha.

“Let me guess, you are having the warm chicken salad, right?”

“You remembered,” Samantha nodded. “And it never feels me up, that is the price I have to pay to look skinny.”

“I don’t know how you can do it girl,” Jackie looked puzzled. “I couldn’t do that life long, I would never enjoy myself.”

“I know I have never enjoyed eating,” Samantha said, playing with her salad.

Jackie unlike Samantha, was never interested in being rake thin, it wasn’t her, she had looked after her figure all her life, but she was never manic about her weight. She had been petite in her youth, but had never starved herself to look skinny. As she became a woman, her curves had blossomed in the right places and she loved the look of her body. She had never had a weight problem, until the shocking death of her sister, had turned her life upside down and her weight had spiralled out of control. Though since her pregnancy revelation, she had cut out on all junk food and ate healthy.

“What are we going to order for drinks?’ asked Samantha.

“I’ll just have a glass of orange juice, what are you having?”

“Can you guess?” smirked Samantha.

Jackie had almost forgot, then she remembered, Sam didn’t enjoy food as much as alcohol.

“I think you are going to have a glass of Chardonnay right?” Jackie was almost certain, that was her favourite drink.

“Yes, you remembered.’’ Samantha looked relieved, “but I know I shouldn’t, as I have to get back to work.”

“Well why don’t we order some hot beverages after lunch, we have a few hours until we get back to the office?” Jackie wasn’t going anywhere near alcohol, she had to be a responsible mother in waiting.

“True,” Samantha laughed. “I’ll order an extra strong coffee to wash down the alcohol.”

“And I’ll order a creamy hot cocoa,’’ Jackie pronounced, that will calm my nerves.’’

Jackie really enjoyed Samantha’s company, she really needed a friend to fill the void of her sister’s absence. She knew in her heart of hearts, no one could ever replace her sister, but there was no way she could continue to live her life in isolation. It wasn’t good for her health and she needed the support of her friends. Her other employees were lovely to be around too, but Samantha was the only one, she had felt a connection.

“So tell me?” asked Samantha. “How are things going with you and David, is he the one?”

“Absolutely no way in hell!” Jackie said worried and Samantha shook her head.

“Why what happened between the two of you, I thought you guys were doing great and that you were in love with him?”

“I was in love with him at the beginning,’’ Jackie’s words trailed into a choked sob. “But as we continued to date, he turned from Angel to Devil!”

“What are you saying, did he cheat on you?”

“Not to my knowledge, but it is quite possible, knowing what I know.”

“Why what did he do or say to you?”

“He was really cruel, he called me fat and he bad mouthed me to his mates.”

“Well that’s because you’re pregnant, it’s normal to gain a few pounds along the way?”

“No, it wasn’t only the pregnancy, I had gained a lot of weight, since my sister died and I am the first to admit, that I had let myself go.”

“Well even if you had gained weight, if he loved you he wouldn’t be worried about that, you have a lovely personality, that’s what he fell in love with right?”

“I really wish he knew what love was, at first I thought he was in love with me, but when I gained all this weight to cope with the stress of losing my sister, he turned into a beast, berating me about being fat.”

“That sounds like shallow love girl?”

“Honestly, I never expected him to be so shallow, I mean his ex-girlfriends, even bad mouthed me on the internet.”

“You are kidding me right?”

“No, they couldn’t believe how he could date someone fat, when they knew he despised big women.”

“Look you are not that fat Jackie, stop thinking that? You may have gained a bit of weight, but that doesn’t mean you are any less attractive, than you were before?”

“I appreciate your kindness, but David’s love was shallow all along and unfortunately, it took my sister’s tragic death for me to realise that.”

“So you mean if you had never gained the extra weight, he would have been playing you all along?”

“Absolutely, he would have just used me for sex, because he likes skinny chicks, but he is not that nice of a person.”

“I know what you mean girl, you want someone with a heart and soul, someone who will love you on your bad hair days, your fat days and your make-up free days.”

“That’s exactly right! It is what is on the inside that counts, I don’t want to be someone’s accessory, no matter how much I love working in fashion.”

She had no need for elegance and frills anymore, that was the last thing on her mind.

“Well you did the right thing in dumping him, he doesn’t deserve you?”

“I haven’t dumped him yet!” She was depressed and angry all day, the whole conversation saddened her.

“Why not, he doesn’t sound like a good catch you know, he doesn’t really care about you?” Samantha said in a way like she knew something more about David, than she was letting up?”

“I know I really want to dump him and completely tell him to go to hell, but …”

“But what? You have to do the right thing, you can’t have someone in your life like him, he is too shallow for you Jackie?” Samantha pressured her even more now and something was telling her, that Samantha knew more than she was letting up.

“I still love him damn it! I know he doesn’t deserve me, but how do I get over him, I’ve lost significant people in my life, through death or abandonment, I don’t know if I can really dump David.”

“Listen to me Jackie, he doesn’t deserve you, I know that for sure, you don’t want to be around someone like him, not someone that cheats on you.”

And there it was, Samantha had just let something slip, she had knowledge on David and it didn’t sound good.

“What are you talking about, is that true? You only met David a few times, are you sure about this?”

“I’m so sorry, you are not going to like this, but as your best friend, I felt the need to take a secret snap of him last night.”

“Last night, what do you mean?”

“I was out at a club last night with my friend Kathy and at first I had to second guess who I saw, so I took a pic of him, with my mobile.”

“Let me see that, can I see that?” Jackie insisted.

“Yes, but please don’t let it upset you, it’s not good for you or the baby?”

As Samantha loaded up several photos from her phone, Jackie snatched it out of her hands.

“Let me see this, I have got to see this?”

“Just take a deep breath first, you are not going to like it.”

“Oh my God! How could he do this to me? I can’t believe he is all over some blond chick and they are holding hands, he looks drunk off his face?

“Yes he was last night and I snapped that pic just when they were leaving the dance floor, I hid under one of the tables at the bar, so he wouldn’t see me.”

“I can’t believe this,” Jackie said through crying eyes. I knew he was shallow, but a cheater too? I am so pissed off at him, he is really going to hear it tonight?”

“What about the baby? Don’t tell him, he doesn’t deserve to be in your child’s life.”

“No way, I mean I did have second thoughts about telling him, but not after this cheating revelation, I mean, if you didn’t witness this at that club last night, I would have probably stayed with him, just for the baby.”

“Oh I hope I didn’t ruin things for you?” Samantha’s face looked ridden with guilt, “letting it slip that he was cheating on you?”

“Don’t ever think that you know, I am glad you told me,’’ Jackie felt relieved, but anxious too. “I don’t want to be with someone who cheats on me, he will not make a good father for my child.”

“So you are going to dump him then?”

“Yes and I will do it tonight, can you lock up the office, after the casuals go home, I will have to finish work an hour earlier and go to David’s place.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Samantha offered, “I can meet you there, if you need the support?”

“That would be great you know,’’ Jackie felt a sense of comfort, having her as a backup to her plan. “But don’t let David see you, I would rather you have a go at him, after I let him have it first?”

“Sure, sounds like a grand plan,’’ she beamed. “I’ll meet you at David’s place at around eight, does that sound okay?”

“Perfect, I’ll text you his address,” Jackie said clearly agitated, her heart doing a backflip, just thinking about her heartless boyfriend. “I can’t wait to dump his sexy ass for good!”

Samantha grinned and gave her a supporting hug, as they both left the cafe and walked back to the office.

Jackie couldn’t believe what kind of a foolish creep, she had been dating all along, to even think she had second thoughts, about taking him back. That was definitely out of the question now and she couldn’t wait to blast him when she saw him. It was going to be over for good, he didn’t deserve her and she needed to tell him straight, gob and smack in his face!

Chapter Ten

J
ackie was not looking forward to confronting David by any means, her mind racing, as she got home from work. She hurried into her bedroom and collected her things together. As far as she was concerned, just seeing him again, would be enough to make her puke! But she knew she had to remain strong, she needed to dump his ass for good, she needed to get him out of her head and her life too. She got dressed in a hurry, put on a pair of comfortable track pants and shoes, applied her signature red lipstick and swiftly brushed her hair. She didn’t need to dress up for David, she didn’t care about what he thought anymore, he didn’t even matter to her now.

As she was about to walk out the front door, she heard her phone beep, to her surprise it was a text message from David. She took a long, deep breath before reading it.