Chapter 3

The evening went by slowly for Jessie. She curled up on the sofa with the latest romance novel in her lap. Minutes passed without her opening it as she thought back to her first meeting with Chad. It amazed her how easy he was to talk to. Of course talking was what he did all day.

As the book slid out of her hands, she fell into a light sleep, dreaming of Chad. The ringing of the telephone woke her just as her dream had Chad proposing to her. She blushed at the memory as she picked up the receiver and heard his voice.

"Jessie? I'm so glad I caught you this time. The meeting went on forever and I was afraid you would be asleep," Chad told her.

"I was relaxing and, ah, reading."

"Reading anything good?" he asked.

"It's probably not anything you would find interesting," she hedged.

"Let me guess, it's one of those love stories most women enjoy," Chad chuckled.

"Okay, yes, it is, but..."

"I already knew you were a romantic, Jessie."

"How did you know that, Chad? I didn't tell you."

"You didn't have to," he replied.

"What was it then?"

"It was raining the first time we met, but you were smiling and enjoying it," Chad explained.

"Rain is so peaceful and beautiful," Jessie responded.

"The forecast calls for sunshine Saturday and I'm hoping you don't have any plans then."

"Well, you know what Saturday is?" Jessie joked.

"I believe it's the day after Friday," Chad guessed.

"Saturday is always kept open for handsome men that catch me from falling," she laughed.

"That's what I like to hear. How does a trip to the zoo sound?"

"It would be perfect, Chad. I love going to the zoo."

"I'll call you when I get back into town and set up final plans," Chad said.

"Okay, Chad, I'll wait for your call. I hope the rest of your trip goes well," Jessie replied.

"The meetings are boring, Jessie, but I'll be back before you know it."

After Jessie hung up, she lounged on the sofa, with the radio playing in the background. When the Vogues began to sing their hit "You're The One," Jessie smiled and sang the words with them.

Jessie sensed that Chad was going to be an important part of her life. As she got ready for bed, she thought ahead to the zoo trip, and wondered if he liked animals as much as she did. The last image in her mind as she fell asleep was Chad.

The next morning Jessie had the radio on as she readied herself for work. The afternoon DJ was covering for Chad while he was gone. Though he was good, it wasn't the same without Chad's voice coming from her speakers. It didn't take her long to arrive at work since she lived only a few miles away. Her days were ordinary, but Jessie's co-workers liked her, so the day went quickly.

When she got home, the first thing Jessie did was check her answering machine. The lack of any messages at all was a bit disappointing. She had hoped Chad found time to call during a break from his meetings. However, she went on with fixing a light dinner and tidying up afterwards. As the evening went on and the telephone remained silent, Jessie admitted that Chad wouldn't be calling anymore. With a touch of sadness, she went to bed.

Friday went on the same as any other day for Jessie. Her boss had a special project he requested just before she left for the weekend that took extra time to finish. Chad was due home today and she really didn't want to miss his call. By the time she had the work done, it was over an hour later than she normally left for the day. Jessie closed up her desk and walked to her car with a smile as she anticipated hearing from him.

The only message on her machine was from her mother. Jessie returned the call but planned to keep it short so she wasn't on the phone if Chad called.

"Hello mom."

"It's about time you returned my call, Jessie," her mother admonished.

"I had to work late, mom. My boss had a project for me that needed to be done."

"Did you hear from that man again?"

"His name is Chad and he'll call, I know he will," Jessie responded with a smile.

"Are you coming over this weekend?" her mom asked.

"Chad asked me about going to the zoo tomorrow, but maybe Sunday. I'll let you know after I hear back from him, okay?"

They talked a few minutes more until Jessie said she needed to get some dinner. Not being very hungry, she made a salad, grabbed her novel, and sat down to eat. Several minutes later, the ringing of the telephone startled her. She closed her book and picked the receiver up as it rang a third time.

"Hello," Jessie answered.

"Jessie! It's so good to hear your voice. As soon as the last meeting was over I headed home so I could call you," Chad admitted.

"Hi Chad. I'm glad you called. Was the trip a success?"

"I have some new ideas for the show from them, so yes, it was good," Chad told her.

"That's great. It will be fun to hear you implement them."

"So, do you still want to go to the zoo tomorrow?"

Chad asked. "It's going to be a beautiful day for it."

"I'm looking forward to it, Chad. What time are we going?" Jessie inquired.

"How about if I pick you up at ten in the morning and we make a day of it, Jessie?"

"I'll be ready."