Page 16 of The Facilitator, Part 2

I had a planned speech. I had all intentions to tell him how she’s likely manipulating him, probably for financial gain.

I wanted him to know she wasn’t the person she’d present herself to be.

That was until I saw the utter honesty in his face, something Jerry rarely showed.

I saw the uncertainty and how unsure of himself Jerry really was.

I couldn’t bring myself to burst his bubble.

“Is it? Do you really think that or are you shitting me?”

“Jerry, if you are truly in love, and she is as honestly in love with you…is she?”

He hadn’t actually mentioned how she felt.

“She hasn’t said the words yet, but yes, I think she is,” he replied. Doubt started to creep into his words. I had my opening, but I still was going to tread very carefully.

“Have you told her how you feel?”

“Of course, you know me, heart on my sleeve and all that.”

“Then ask her if she feels the same. Or maybe ask her if she could feel the same, if you think it’s still early days.” I smiled at him; inside my heart was beating rapidly.

“I will. What do you think I should say? Wait, you’re being unusually calm about this,” he said.

“I think you should tell her you love her, and ask if she could feel the same, simple as that. And what do you mean, calm?”

“Addy said you’d explode, that you and Mackenzie, especially Mackenzie would tell me all sorts of things to warn me off her.”

“Why would we? She was married to him, it didn’t work out for various reasons I’m sure she’ll tell you, like he has told me, obviously.

We’re not likely to share a table for dinner, Jerry, that would be too weird, but as for warning you off?

I wonder what she means?” I was good, if I could have reached, I would have fucking patted myself on the back.

Our dishes were placed in front of us and it wasn’t long before I felt like a conniving shitbag.

Jerry was most certainly in love. It was Addy this, and Addy that .

How she laughed, how she smiled, how she touched his arm all the time, how she asked him for his opinion on abso-fucking-lutely everything.

I inwardly sighed, and felt even shittier.

I don’t think I spoke a word the whole time we ate. I learned something though; Addison Miller was a fantastic actress. If I hadn’t believed Mackenzie, Gabriella as well, if I hadn’t trusted his words, I would have fallen in love with her myself, she was so perfect!

“Jerry, you’ve really fallen for her, haven’t you? Can I ask you one thing? Please be careful. She lives abroad and you’ve got your mum here. I don’t want you to have a broken heart when she goes back home,” I said.

It actually wasn’t an intentional blow to bring his mum into the conversation; it was a genuine concern.

From how he’d spoken, he could up sticks at any moment so blinded by Addy as he was.

She could be the bitch from hell, or she could be an angel.

Jerry seemed unable to see around, over, behind, or under her…

at all. That concerned me. Be in love, whatever it was, but he also needed to see the wood for the trees.

“Babe, she said you’d try and put me off and I won’t be. I didn’t make any mention about Mackenzie using you, lying to you, or anything, did I?”

“I’m not trying to put you off. I’m asking you to think about what happens when she has to go home. She can’t stay here for any real length of time.”

I made a point, as hard as it was, not to respond to the rest of Jerry’s sentence. In fact, I gritted my teeth after I’d spoken to ensure my silence.

He didn’t seem to know where to go with that. I knew he was waiting for whatever Addy had programmed him he was going to get, and I wasn’t playing that game. I also reminded myself, it wasn’t for me to say or do anything. He was a grown man, I repeated to myself.

I reached across and took his hand. Kill with kindness.

“I’m thrilled you’re in love, but I can be just a little concerned for my best friend, can’t I? You do what is right for you, always. Love isn’t on every corner, we both know that, and if she is the one, then you go for it.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Of course, I’m not sitting here wasting words, Jerry.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair. “Telling you was one of the hardest things I’ve done. I can’t tell you how relieved I am you’re okay with this. She honestly thought you’d be livid, you’d try to talk me out of our relationship, she cried, Lauren, with worry.”

I bet she fucking did, I thought.

“Well, she was so wrong, wasn’t she? I really don’t know why she’d think or say those things to you. Anyway, I have got to get back. When can we do this again?”

“I promise, I’ll call in a few days. I’ve got a couple of business ventures I’d like to check out.”

“Oh, those sound exciting, maybe I’ll invest as well. I could do with using the money I get when I sell the flat in something that will give me a good return.”

“Surely Mackenzie will advise you on that,” he said, as he paid the bill.

“Of course he can, but you’re the one with the foresight to start your own business and sell it for millions!” I flattered him with my words, back to feeling like a manipulative shitbag again.

“I’ll let you know what I find out. It might be fun, we could invest together.”

“Remember, I don’t have anywhere near the same level of money you have, and I’m yet to sell the flat.”

We talked about property as we walked back to my office building. He didn’t walk me to my floor, but kissed my cheeks and gave me a tight hug at the entrance.

“Thank you, Lauren, you really are my bestie,” he said. I could only smile and nod in return.

A sense of dread settled over me. I knew he was going to get hurt, it was to what level I was unsure of.

I placed my handbag under my desk and told Carolyn I would be heading upstairs. I took the stairs; a little exercise was needed to gather my thoughts. Mackenzie’s office windows were frosted. I wondered if he had company.

“You all right, dear?” Mary called over.

“No. Is he busy?”

“He’s got that…” she mouthed the word dick, “…from the government in with him.”

I rushed over so she didn’t have to shout as loud. I had no doubt anyone who visited Mackenzie would be used to her, but I didn’t want to encourage her abuse of the current ruling party.

“Shall I make you a cup of tea?” she asked. She was up and striding to the kitchen area before I could answer.

When Mary asked a question it wasn’t really a question, it was notification of what you, and she, were about to do.

At least she knew how to make a cup of tea.

She was soon back with two mugs, one sporting the Queen’s face, the other had one word in red that kept those who were remotely interested knowing, she fully supported the Labour party.

I had no idea of her political persuasion, other than to know that was for the benefit of the dick from the government in Mackenzie’s office. I suppressed my laughter.

“I only share these mugs with my special people,” she said, as she took her seat again.

“Then I’m honoured and I’ll take great care,” I replied, completely aware it was a threat not to smash it.

“What has you not all right?” she asked.

“My friend, you know Jerry. He’s taken up with Addison Miller,” I said.

“Well, is he not right in the head?” she asked, twirling her finger around her temple.

“Totally all right.” She would have genuinely wanted to know if Jerry was medically sound of mind, such was her dislike of Addison. She would never accept anyone of sound mind would date such a creature!

“Why the fuck has he taken up with her? Is it to get back at you?”

“No, I don’t think so. No. I know it isn’t. Mary, he’s genuinely in love with her, and I’m worried about him.”

“There’s not much you can do, my dear. You see—men are strange ones.

I used to say to my ‘Arry all the time. They think with their dicks not their brains. He’ll have a bit of how’s ya father with her and then come to his senses.

Sometimes, Lauren, these men, they need to have the sex, get it all out of their system before their brain can work properly. ”

I coloured as I realised Mackenzie and his member of government were standing by his open office door.

“If they don’t get the sex, they end up in parliament, of course,” she said, and then cackled like an old witch. I curled up and wished death.

Thankfully, Mr. Member of Government, whose name I’d completely forgotten, was amused.

“Mary, my dear woman, you are absolutely right. However, so I’m told, there is plenty of how’s ya father going on over in the Palace of Westminster, as well,” he winked at her as he left.

“Please tell me that is a lie?” I shouted.

He laughed and shrugged his shoulders as he called for the lift with Mackenzie beside him.

“I’m sorry, I knew you were busy, I shouldn’t have encouraged her,” I said, as Mackenzie walked back, I glared at Mary who laughed some more.

“Don’t apologise, there isn’t a person who visits me that isn’t in love with old Mary!” he emphasised the old.

“Stop, you’ll have me pissing my knickers and I got me grandkids to look after straight from here. In fact, I’m running late. I’ll be back in the morning.”

She grabbed her handbag, the one that contained a brick in case she needed a weapon, so she told me, and gulped down the nuclear hot tea.

“What about the letter I needed?” Mackenzie asked.

“Lauren, do you do shorthand?” she asked. I shook my head.

“Then it’s lucky it’s in your Inbox thingy, isn’t it? Go look.”

Off she strode, jabbing at the call button for the lift impatiently. Mackenzie and I stood in silence until she was gone.

“She has to go,” he said.

“Good luck with that,” I replied with a laugh. He joined me.

“What brings you up here? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, of course,” he asked.

“I met with Jerry, it’s not looking good.”

I recounted what I was told, and how I had responded to the comments Jerry had made. I told him I just couldn’t bring myself to spoil his day.

“I think you played it just right. Addison would have wanted you to respond the way she’d said.

To do the opposite, he’ll just question whether she is right, hopefully.

The more I think about it, the more I really don’t think you should get involved.

He’s told you his news, you can support him in whatever way you need to, but I’m going to suggest, and it’s not a request—for your own sake—you do that from a distance. ”

“I agree. But you were also worried. A few days ago, remember?”

“I do but that’s not about her and him. It’s more about her father making moves to get back into business.”

“Jerry said he was looking at investing in property and a couple of business ventures. She could be priming him for her father’s deals.”

“Maybe. But what can we do about it? I’m just concentrating on Frank for now. He’s more of a threat to us.”

It was the first time he had used Addison’s father’s name I believed.

“How much of a threat?”

“Threat is the wrong word, I guess. I thought about what you’d said before. I don’t believe, now, he can hurt my association with the drug rehabilitation centres; if anything, he incriminates himself. I was just a kid. But he can cause ripples, and ripples spread wide.”

I smiled at him; glad he had reconciled himself with that, and praying I was correct, of course.

“Do you want to play hooky?” he asked.

“It means I’ll have to work a little while this evening,” I said.

“So? Come on, let’s get out of here.”

He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and took my hand.

We walked down to my floor where I picked up my bag, laptop, and some papers.

Carolyn was on the phone, and I waved my mobile to let her know how she could contact me.

She smiled. I hadn’t connected with her as well as Alex had, not that she, or I, had been rude.

There just wasn’t the friendliness I would have hoped for.

But then, I had been used to Jenny, who was way too informal at times; in fact, she reminded me of a younger Mary.

I chuckled as we descended to the ground floor.

Mackenzie took my hand as we walked out into the busy streets of Canary Wharf.

“I was thinking, Jenny could be related to Mary.”

“Jenny?”

“From my old office. They are both so inappropriate.”

“Ah, yes, Jenny. Mother and daughter, or grandmother and granddaughter. Thank fuck she didn’t come over here, I doubt I could manage two characters.”

A silver car pulled to the kerb and we climbed into the back. Mackenzie instructed the driver to take us home. If we were to play hooky, then home was exactly where I wanted to play it.