Heaven is Here, chapter 3

Jess sat at the computer in her office at True, thinking of what her next article would be about. She had gotten home from California two days ago, but today was her first day back at work.

The document on her computer was still blank.

"Hey, Jess," Jen walked into her office and shut the door behind her. "How was your vacation?"

Jess got up from her desk and took off her reading glasses, setting them by the keyboard. "Jen, it was great. I got some great pictures, and it was beautiful out there. It snowed the entire time."

Jen sat in one of the chairs. "Is that all you did? Take pictures?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. She took off her glasses and chewed on the end, waiting for an answer.

"No. I spent some time with a guy and his kid." Jess blushed at how well her friend knew her. "But it wasn't really anything."

"No?"

"No. Jen, you know I don't do relationships. Too demanding," Even as she said it, she was thinking of Billie Joe. What was he doing now?

Jen grinned and pulled out a red rose from behind her back. "See, I know when you're lying, hon. Because this rose came in for you this morning."

Jess took the rose and read the card attached to it.

Why is it that I can't stop thinking of you? -Billie Joe

She smiled to herself, then realized that Jen was still grinning at her. "Ok, so maybe it was something. But it doesn't matter. He lives in California. I live in Boston. He has a son, Jen."

"So do I."

"Yeah, but your son is my age. Billie Joe's son is five. He's just a little kid."

Jen smoothed back a graying lock of hair. "Dinner's at my place tonight, hon," She said, then left the office with a wink.

Jess picked up the rose, rereading Billie's note. Why was it that she couldn't stop thinking of him either? She took a deep breath into the rose, breathing in its scent, then dropped it into her purse on the floor. This was the fifth thing Billie had sent in the past few days. Turning back to her computer, she titled the article The Fastest Way to a Woman's Heart.

The Fastest Way to a Woman's Heart
By Jess Jones

These days, more and more women are choosing the single life over relationships. Why? It's because men have lost their touch. Gone are the days where the man would come home bearing a simple gift to say I love you. Ladies, now is the time to tell him to prove it. Tell your man to either make it known or get lost.

Today, men just don't know how to say it. They stumble, they stutter, they avoid you like the plague. If you have ever been in a relationship, you know what I mean. So ladies, remind your fellas every once in a while just how to tell you. Give them a break. Tell them exactly what you want. Tell them exactly what you need. Believe me, this is what your men want to hear. You may think he knows you, but he doesn't.

But men, the truth is, it's really not that hard. All we women want is something simple that lets us know you care. Immediately, you will go to fancy things. Don't. The fastest way to a woman's heart is pure and simple. A single red rose. Roses stand for passion. Simplicity, yet elegance. Send your sweetheart a red rose with a message telling her exactly how you feel. It's easy for you, and a gesture like this is enough to make a woman go crazy.
* * *
Jess was still unsure of her article by the time she left the office later that night. She entered the parking garage, twirling the rose between her fingers. It was 6:30. She had to be at Jen's for dinner at 8:00. That left enough time to get home, shower, and change.

Just as she was driving out of the parking garage, her cell phone rang. Jess dug around her purse with one hand, her eyes still trained on the road. She grabbed it and pressed it to her ear, guiding the car with free hand.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jess." illie's smooth voice floated through to her ear. Just hearing it brought back memories of the night before she had left. His voice had dominated her head then too. I'm not leaving until you kiss me. And she had. Over and over and over.

"Um, hi?" Her voice squeaked, making it come out as a question. She blushed, trying to run the visions of her and Billie in bed out of her mind.

Billie laughed. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, um, sorry. So how are you? How's Jake?"

"I'm good. Jake's been having nightmares that past couple of days, so I haven't gotten much sleep. What about you?" He stifled a yawn, and she could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

Jess turned on a street, twisting her head to see out her rear window. Had she just gone through a red light? It was snowing here as it had been in California, and it was hard to see the roads. "Um, I'm good too. Actually, I was just heading home so I could get ready to go to dinner with Jen." In the background, Jess could hear the television blasting some sort of cartoon. She heard a rustling sound, and then it was quiet except for Billie's breathing.

"Sorry. I just moved into my room, so it's a bit quieter," Billie said.

"Thanks for the rose, Billie Joe. It's beautiful."

"I thought you would like it."

She swung into her apartment parking lot and parked in her usual spot. Grabbing her purse and the rose, she climbed out of the car and headed inside. "Well, I have to go. I've got to shower and get ready for this thing." She switched ears as she began climbing the stairs to her apartment.

"Ok. I'll call you," Billie said, a faint hint of disappointment in his voice.

Jess shut the door to her apartment behind her. "Bye, Billie."

"Bye, Jess."

She pressed the end button on her cell and dropped it back into her purse. Then, heading into her bedroom, she began shedding her clothes. The rose tumbled from her jacket pocket and fell to the floor by her bed. Jess picked it up and smelled it. She went into the kitchen, filled up a tall glass, and put the rose in. Carrying it back into her room, she set the glass on her bedside table, then continued to get undressed.

Jen's son, Cooper, was the one to open the door when Jess rung the doorbell. "Hey, Jessica," he said, looking her down from head to toe. Cooper was twenty-five, the same age as she was, and he was the only one who ever called her Jessica. He liked to think of himself as sophisticated, and always dressed straight from the J. Crew catalog.

"Hi, Cooper," She let him take her coat.

"Jess, is that you? Come back into the kitchen," Jen's voice echoed through the hallway. Jess excused herself from Cooper and slipped into the kitchen. Jen was hovering over a stove, poking around at some noodles in a pan. "You must try this," she said, holding out a spoonful.

Jess stepped up and took a taste. "It's delicious."

"Good. Now, come with me to the living room, you have to tell me about your trip."

Jen grabbed Jess's hand and pulled her into the living room. Her husband, Matt, was almost asleep in an old brown recliner, a football game on mute in front of him. The girls sat on the couch. "Ok, so tell me about California. How was it?"

"Well, as I said, it was great. It snowed, but that was fine. I spent a lot of time taking pictures," Jess said. She knew she was being vague, and Jen rushed her along. "I got some great ones of a cemetery."

"Uh huh, but what about the man."

Jess had to laugh at her friend practically begging for information. "His name is Billie Joe. He owns and runs a record store. He has a son named Jakob." Suddenly, she was surprised at how little she knew about him.

"Oh, is he married?" Jen's blue eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open.

"He was, but his wife died. I don't know much more than that."

"Mom, dinner's ready!" Cooper called from the kitchen.

Jess stood up, but Jen stopped her from moving into the kitchen. "One more thing," she said. Jess waited. "Are you going to see him again?" Jen asked.

Billie's message flashed through her mind. Why is it that I can't stop thinking of you? Jess shrugged. "I'd like to."
* * *
Billie Joe sat on the counter at his record store, staring out the window. It was snowing really hard. It reminded him of Jess. He had called her last night, but she didn't pick up her cell. No big deal though. He barely knew her.

He watched his one customer look at a Bangles disk. The man had been staring at it for nearly ten minutes. Billie suddenly wondered if Jess liked the Bangles.

The door to the shop blew open, and a dark-haired woman stepped in. Billie's heart immediately began to race as he thought, Jess. The woman pulled back her snow-covered hood, and he saw her face. It wasn't Jess, of course it wasn't Jess. She had gone back to Boston.

The woman smiled at him and went towards the back of the store. He sighed and hopped off the counter. "Jakob, you ok back there?" He called into the storage room where Jake was watching television.

"Yeah," Jake hardly looked away from the screen.

The man with the Bangles disk came up to the counter. "I'll take this," he said. He paid the price and left the store without saying any more.

Billie's cell phone began to ring. He slipped it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Jess.

"Hey."

"Hi, Billie."

"So, where are you?"

"I'm on my lunch break at True. Sorry I didn't catch your call last night. I was working late at the office," Jess sounded tired.

"Did you sleep?"

"Not nearly enough."

"I can see why Jen worries about you. You work too much, Jess," Billie said, bagging the Iron Maiden CD the dark-haired woman was buying.

"Hey, I don't need another person telling me that. I'm fine," He could hear the annoyance in her voice.

"Ok. I guess I'm just trying to get you to take another vacation here," He laughed a bit, so not to annoy her again.

"I'm sorry for snapping, Billie. I'm just a little tired," She yawned.

"I know the feeling."

"Jake still having nightmares?"

Billie glanced at his son in the storage room. "Yeah, he, um, he dreams about his mom. I don't really know how to stop it," He really didn't want to get on the subject of Adie.

"Poor kid," Jess said.

He changed the subject. "Jess, I was serious about trying to get you to take another vacation. What do you think about coming back for another few days sometime soon?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Jess, are you still there?"

"Billie, I don't know. I'm really busy here at True. I've gotta write three more articles by this month, and I'm not even sure when I'm gonna get those done."

He could barely hide his disappointment. "Well, just think about it and let me know. I wanna see you."

On Jess's side, she was sitting at a table in the lunch room, picking at a turkey sandwich she had bought from the café across the street. She sighed. I should really tell him no. I'm not looking for a relationship.

Jen came in and pointed to the phone. "Is it him?" She mouthed. When Jess nodded, she rushed over.

"Hold on, Billie," Jess said and put her hand over the receiver.

"What's he saying?" Jen asked.

"He wants me to come out to California again."

"And?"

"And what? Jen, you know I can't. I've got to do those three articles, and I've just got so much work," Jess began to put the phone to her ear again to tell him no, but Jen grabbed the phone.

"Jessica, tell him you will," she said firmly.

"What? What about the articles?"

"You can write one while you're there. As for the others, we'll rerun some of your older articles. No one will notice."

"Jen, really, I shouldn't," Jess protested.

"Yes, hon, you should. As much as you argue, you know you'd like to go."

Jen handed back the phone and left the lunch room.

"Jess?" Billie said.

"I'll think about it, ok?" She sighed.

"I don't want to rush you, Jess. Call me when you've made up your mind."

"Ok. Bye, Billie."

She hung up and tossed her unfinished lunch in the trashcan. Jen really shouldn't have interfered. A relationship was the last thing she needed, the last thing she wanted, right now. Hopefully, going out there again would be the right choice. She really couldn't handle another heartbreak.