That Last Little Spark

“There you are!” Erica smiled as Jess sat down at the table inside Bocca Restaurant, the perfect lunch spot off of 7th Avenue to eat at, with everything the group of girls liked to eat.

“I’m not late, am I?” Jess asked before noticing a flatbread sandwich on the plate in front of her.

“Hope you don’t mind, but they were rushing us a little, and since we knew what you like here, we already got it.” she smiled.

“Thanks.” Jess smiled gratefully. She was exhausted, to tell the truth. After meeting with the police chief and a lawyer about getting a restraining order, she had run home to change her clothes.

“Nervous yet?” she asked Erica, noticing that the other girls also turned to the bride-to-be with smiles on their faces.

“Not yet. But I’m itching for that spa treatment we’re all getting.” she laughed, but they all noticed her twisting her engagement ring around her finger.

“Well...the faster we eat, the faster we’ll get there.” Chloe grinned.

“Unless you have the power to make time go faster, we’ll still have to wait for the reservation time no matter how fast or slow we eat.” Ashleigh teased her as the girls finished seating themselves around the table.

“Alright,” Erica clinked a spoon against her glass of iced tea. “I want to make a toast. To you girls for helping me with everything from dress choices to those annoying little favors. I couldn’t ask for better friends.” she smiled and wiped her eyes.

“We love you, too!” Chloe clinked her glass with Erica’s.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Kelsey whispered to Jess when the conversation had turned to plans for the evening. Jess took one look at Kelsey’s worried expression and nodded, allowing herself to be pulled up from her chair.

“We’ll be right back.” Jess said before Kelsey pulled her toward the bathroom.

“What’s up?” Jess leaned against the marble counter, watching as Kelsey paced back and forth. She didn’t say anything, just stared at the floor as she paced.

“Kelsey?” she tried again.

“I told Bam you were talking to the police today.” Kelsey suddenly exclaimed, the noise echoing in the large bathroom. Jess fell back against the counter in surprise from the sudden outburst.

“You what?” she asked in disbelief when she had steadied herself.

“I’m sorry! He wanted to know how the dress fitting was going and I forgot you told me he wasn’t supposed to know and-and then when I told him that I had your dress in front of me, he asked where you were, and by then it was too late to go back on what I had said! And I couldn’t lie to him, Jess, you know that! But I told him not to be-” she was speaking faster and faster with every sentence. Jess crossed the floor in two steps and calmly put her hand over Kelsey’s mouth to silence her.

“First of all, stop putting so much sugar in your iced tea. Second, can you repeat that in a speed I can actually keep up with?” she took her hand away from her mouth.

“Bam called me and asked how your dress fitting was going. I forgot you said he wasn’t supposed to know, so I told him that you didn’t have a fitting, because I had your dress in front of me. When he asked where you were, I remembered what you had told me, but I knew it was too late to take back what I said...I-I couldn’t lie to him, Jess. But I told him not to be mad at you, and that you would tell him when you were ready.” she said, looking down at the floor.

“And now, for some reason you’re thinking I’m mad at you?” Jess asked, amusement flitting across her face.

“Are you?” Kelsey looked up, stunned.

“Of course not!” Jess exclaimed. “Kelsey, you were right about that last part. I was actually planning on telling him the night after the wedding, or tonight, just to get it out of the way. And now that I think about it, I should’ve told Bam the truth this morning. I’m the one who should be sorry for putting you on the spot like that.” she smiled a little.

“So you’re not mad?” Kelsey asked.

“No!” Jess threw her arms around her best friend. Kelsey took a deep breath and let it out, hugging Jess in return.

“So how did it go, then?” she asked when the two pulled apart.

“I told the officer everything and he said he would get in touch with me when a restraining order could be drawn up. They still have to process the evidence. In the meantime, Chase is being held without bail until we can go to trial, and they’re estimating that will be sometime in October.” Jess told Kelsey everything she could remember.

“That long for a trial?” Kelsey asked.

“It’s because Chase is legally a resident of Pennsylvania. He has to go through the Westchester County Court first before he can be tried here in New York. Because he broke his parole by crossing the state lines, and committing assault in another state. First they have to get him on breaking his parole before they can charge him with the assault.” Jess explained.

“At least you know you won’t have to worry about him.” Kelsey said.

“Yeah...unless he bails out or he’s found not guilty.” Jess bit her lip.

“You know he has a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening. And even if he does, you still have the restraining order. He wouldn’t be able to come near you.” Kelsey reasoned.

“But he still knows where I live. I was actually thinking this morning...maybe I should move.” Jess voiced the thought that had been in the back of her mind all day.

“Move?! Where? Out of the city?” Kelsey’s eyes widened in surprise.

“No! I don’t know if I could ever move away from the city. I love it too much. I would probably get another apartment in the area. God knows there’s a lot to choose from.” Jess shook her head.

“But what about you and Bam?” Kelsey asked.

“What about me and Bam?” Jess replied.

“Your relationship. Can you two handle the long distance thing? You just said yourself you don’t think you could leave the city. And Bam may be willing to move here, but there's the media you have to worry about...following you around, eventually finding out where you live...can you two handle that?” Kelsey asked as Jess stared at the ground in thought.

“I didn’t think about that.” she eventually said. “I guess if Bam ever asks me, I’ll move to West Chester with him...it’s just...” she trailed off.

“What?” Kelsey asked.

“Kelsey, we’ve lived practically next door to each other for as long as I can remember...and Erica, and Chloe, and Ashleigh, and everyone else at the club...” she began.

“That’s what you’re worried about? Us? Oh hell, Jess! Don’t worry about us! Yes, we’ll miss you like crazy. And it’s true that this would be the first time in forever where I can’t just climb in a cab or walk down the street to see you. But it’s only an hour or so away! We can come down and visit you whenever!” Kelsey exclaimed. Both girls fell into silence.

“Look,” Kelsey began. “Don’t think about all of this now. You’ve got time, trust me. Just...think about the facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, and the amazing day we’re all going to have tomorrow.” she said with a nod.

“You’re right.” Jess smiled as she turned to the mirror.

“I always am.” Kelsey grinned.