The Holiday | Connections
Thank you @jules-fraser for this moodboard!
Chapter 1: Home Exchange | Chapter 2: Unexpected
Chapter 3: Connections
JENNY FRASER
I had lost all sense of time while I slept in Claire’s comfy bed, surrounded by fluffy white pillows and cozy quilts. Why the bloody hell would I ever leave this bed?
Looking over at the clock on the nightstand told me it was now 9:37am… the next day. I had slept for almost 16 hours after the flight from Scotland. And my stomach was making enough noise to tell me how I had neglected it during my slumber.
Venturing downstairs, I found some bread and jam and settled on a quick, easy breakfast before I would go into town and stock up on groceries. Never good to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.
An hour later, I step out of Claire’s incredible shower with one of those rainfall shower heads and dress in my warmest layers as I look out the window at the snow.
“Potatoes, veggies, some fruit,” I make a list of what I need at the store, “Wine, eggnog, whisky, more wine and then maybe some vodka.” I laugh and write down the last bit and tuck the list into my purse. Just as I reach the door, a knock comes, making me jump back.
“Christ!” I shriek and compose myself and open the door.
“What bloody good timing you have,” I say to the man standing on the front step, “I was just goin’ out the door when I heard the knock, nearly scared me half to death.”
The man smiles and then I shake my head, “Oh yes. I’m Jenny Fraser,” I offer my hand in introduction, “And you are?”
He shakes my hand firmly, “Ian Murray, nice to meet ye,” he says with a thick Scottish accent.
“Och, so ye’re from Scotland then? Or are ye just makin’ fun of my accent.” I crack a smile and then invite him in to the house from the cold.
As I shut the door I turn and notice just how handsome he is. “Aye, lived in Scotland all my life until a few years ago when I got the job offer to teach at Harvard,” He smiled, “How could I say no to that?”
“Is Claire here?” He asks. Oh right. Of course, he’s not here to see you Jenny.
“I’m afraid she’s no’, she’s in Scotland actually.” I say and put both hands on my hips, “Can I help you wi’ somethin’ though?”
Ian shook his head, “Oh, I was just comin’ to get some of Frank’s things. He’s a colleague of mine at Harvard.”
“Right! Claire told me someone was comin’ by to pick up something. Stay there, I’ll go get the box.” I held up a finger for him to wait and went to Claire’s office where she told me she put a box of her ex’s things.
“Here ye are, Ian,” handing him the box, our fingers brush. “Would ye like to stay a bit? I can fix ye a cup of tea or maybe coffee?” I turn towards the kitchen.
“That sounds lovely but my girlfriend Hannah is sittin’ in the car waitin’ for me, so best not keep her waitin’.” He smiles and I open the door for him and then spot his girlfriend in the passenger seat of her car, I wave but she doesn’t seem to see me.
Pausing on the last step, Ian turns back to me, “I might take ye up on that cup of tea another day though, Jenny, if ye dinna mind.”
Blushing, I gather my thoughts, “Och, yes! I dinna mind. Drop by anytime Ian, it was nice to meet ye.” I watch him leave and sigh. Of course he would have a girlfriend. I bet she’s some American trollop too.
Distracted from Ian’s arrival, I suddenly remember that I was going to get groceries. “Stop thinkin’ about him, Jenny.” I say to myself and leave out the front door.
CLAIRE BEAUCHAMP
He said he would leave before I woke up so why am I so hurt that he actually did leave? Is it because when he said that we hadn’t slept together yet? We hadn’t kissed and laid all night in each other’s arms…
“You’ll never see him again, Beauchamp, it’s for the best.” I mutter to myself and slide on my pyjamas to go downstairs and grab a cup of coffee before I need to head to the airport.
“Good mornin’, Sassenach,” I hear a deep voice say as I enter the kitchen. Jamie. He stayed.
I realize that I’m standing in the kitchen with my mouth slightly ajar when Jamie repeats himself, “Good mornin’, Sassenach — ye sleep well then?” He smiles smugly and takes a sip of coffee.
I can just tell that my cheeks are bright red from the attempted wink he gives me. Going to stand next to him near the coffee machine, I reach out my hand to the cup he offers me, “Yes. Quite well actually.” And I take a sip of my coffee, giving him back a smug smile.
“Ye dinna have to worry about a thing, Sassenach. With us,” Jamie puts his hand down on the counter, his fingers dangerously close to mine, “I know ye’re leavin’ today but for the record… yer ex is extremely mistaken.”
I bite my bottom lip like a flirty teenager and move my fingers to touch his, “You were very drunk,” I laugh, “You couldn’t remember if I was any good or not.” I whisper and look down at our hands.
“I remember,” his voice causes me to look up, “I canna forget ye. I willna forget ye.” I think he’s going to kiss me again but he pulls back and crosses the room to reach for something in his jacket.
Jamie pulls out a pair of wire rimmed glasses and sets them on the bridge of his nose. God, if he wasn’t already attractive, now he has to pull out those.
“I couldna see ye properly. Lost my contacts last night — somehow.” This time he blushes and walks back over to stand in front of me, his hand reaching to cup my cheek.
A phone rings and it breaks the spell. Picking up the phone I get a glance at the contact name, “Faith,” I say and hand him his phone, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to read it.”
“It’s alright. I’ll call back.” He sighs and then moves to put his coat on. “I guess ye’ll be going to the airport today?”
I nod and wrap my arms around my chest, wishing that it was his arms that were wrapping around me instead.
“Well,” He says, wrapping his scarf back around his neck, “I know you’re not interested in gettin’ involved but you should know that things in my life are a wee bit… complicated.”
“It’s okay, Jamie. I’m leaving so…” I say and regret it instantly when I see the hurt look in his eyes.
“I just want to assure ye is all, that ye’re better off,” he turns to leave but then pauses at the open door, “I just want to be sure ye’re okay, Claire. I tend to hurt the people I’m with simply by bein’ myself.”
I move to stand closer to him, “I’m not going to fall in love with you Jamie Fraser, I promise.” I smile and he nods in return.
“Nicely put, Sassenach,” Jamie still doesn’t move, “What if I wanted to call ye? If ye change ye’re mind and stay…” He moves his hands to settle at my waist and I shiver, from the cold coming from the open door or from his touch, “Meet me at the pub down the road. Tonight.”
“I’m lea—“ I start to say again.
“Ye’re leaving. Aye… I know,” he runs his hands through his curly red hair and adjusts the glasses on his nose, “Then if this is goodbye, ye’re lovely, Claire.” He leans down and gives me a kiss on the cheek and I shock myself and him when I grab his face and move my lips to his, savouring the taste of his mouth.
“Please stay,” he whispers when the kiss breaks.
“Goodbye, Jamie,” I force myself to say and he turns and leaves. I stand in the kitchen for way too long, just staring out the window in the direction he went.
“Time to leave, I guess.” Sighing I head upstairs to finish packing.
JENNY FRASER
On my way back from the store, I noticed a man standing on the door step. What is it with Claire’s house attracting men to her door?
As I got closer, I noticed it wasn’t Ian but an older gentlemen. “Hello, can I help ye?” I asked as I climbed the steps.
“Hello,” he said in a straight Boston accent, “I’m Joe Abernathy.” He shook my hand, “And you must be the woman staying in Lady J’s house this Christmas?”
I nodded and unlocked the door, “Yes, I’m Jenny Fraser. Lady J is Claire, I take it?” He followed after me and I set the bag of groceries on the front table near the door.
“The only and only,” he smiled warmly and immediately picked up the bag I had just sat down and proceeded to take it to the kitchen, he knew where he was going apparently.
“I bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here, Jenny?” He laughed and I nodded, turning to the kettle to fill it with water.
“I live next door to LJ and I can’t seem to find my keys. She has a spare key to my house,” He said.
“Do ye know where it is? I dinna know if I can help ye find it if ye don’t,” I shrugged and set the kettle to boil.
“Yes,” he smiled, “She told me she keeps it in the drawer in her study, would you mind getting it darling? My knees are real weak and I’m afraid by the time I climb up and down those stairs it will be Easter.” He laughed and I gave his arm a light squeeze.
“Of course, Joe. I’ll be back in a second,” I said and went find the spare key.
“Here ye are,” I handed him the key. “Would ye like a cup of tea?” I ask as the kettle whistles and I pour myself a cup and when he says yes, I pour him one too.
“I love a good cup of tea,” he lets out a deep breath and takes a sip, “Tell me something, Jenny.”
“What do ye want to know,” I said, coming to sit beside him at the kitchen island.
“Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?” I shook my head no, “Then would you want to go to dinner with me?” He asked, “I know I’m an old man but it would be my honor.”
I didn’t have any plans for this holiday at all. There would be no risk in falling in love with him as he was a bit too old for me so what was the harm in making new friends?
“I’d love to Joe, ye’ve got yerself a date!” I smiled and squeezed his hand that wasn’t holding the cup.
“A date? I haven’t had a date since my precious wife Gayle passed. It’ll be one you never forget.” He winked and I couldn’t help but smile. Joe Abernathy must have been the real charmer back in his day.
After the cup of tea, Joe went back to his house and I said I would swing back around in a few hours to go to dinner.
“What I don’t understand Jenny is why a beautiful young woman like yourself would spend a Saturday night with an old almost retired chief of surgery like me?” Joe said once the waiter finished pouring the wine.
“Because you asked me,” I joked, “I just needed to get away from all the people I knew. Obviously I’m no’ from here as ye can tell by my accent,” I smiled and took a sip of wine, “It’s one guy actually that I needed to get away from.” I felt myself getting emotional, “An ex boyfriend who just got engaged for forgot to tell me.” I sniffed and finished the glass of wine.
“He’s a damn shmuck.” Joe said flatly.
“Well yes, how did ye know?” I laughed and wiped a finger under my watery eye.
“He let you go.” Joe smiled, “No real man would let someone like you get away from them.”
“Ye must be the kindest man I’ve ever met Joe, if only ye were forty years younger!” Laughing we continued the conversation about our lives. I told him how I worked in a book publishing company and that was how I knew Oliver.
I learned that Joe was a colleague of Claire’s, her Chief of Surgery in fact. I didn’t know much about the medical field but I knew that was important.
“Ye’ve worked in that hospital for more than fifty years?” I gasped, spinning pasta on my fork and taking a bite.
“Indeed, I went in as a fresh faced medical student and worked my way up. Never had any other kind of job. That’s where I met Lady J,” he took a bite of his steak, “Well, I first met her when she moved in next door but then at work. A fine Doctor, that girl is.”
I saw Joe up to his house and made sure he was good before I walked the few steps next door. Unexpectedly, my “date” with Joe had been one of the best nights I’d had in a long time. Maybe it was because I wasn’t worried what he thought about me.
My phone rang just as I settled into bed. “Oliver Bloom” the screen read and I bit my lip, deciding whether or not to answer it. My heart gave in and I put the phone to my ear, “Hello?”
“Jenny? Ah, good to hear ye’re voice,” he said on the line, “Darling, I know ye’re away but I’ve just got stuck on this one part of my book, ye know, the one ye helped me write —“ I made a yes sound, “Well I was just wondering if I could email you what I’ve got and you could help me out a bit?”
This damn fool, calling about work. Of course he wouldn’t even mention that fact that he’s now engaged and only gone and ripped my heart out.
“Sure,” I answered before I had time to think, “You know my email, Oliver. Goodbye.” I threw the phone to the end of the bed and closed my eyes, not caring what time it was, I needed sleep and I needed it now.
