Jack in sight. He must have gone out in search of food, Jessie concluded as she began opening shopping bags and surveying her purchases in the living room. She’d done well. She’d been to a pharmacy and picked up enough toiletries to keep her going until her own things decided to make a reappearance, and she’d also picked up a couple of light summer dresses, some shorts, a couple of t-shirts, and some flip-flops. She was loath to fork out again for any work gear, as she’d only just bought some new things back in England, but she had scoped out a couple of options which she could go and get if her bags didn’t turn up before she started work. And yes, she’d bought plenty of underwear.
She collapsed on the sofa and watched two old reruns of Friends on the TV before realising there was still no sign of Jack. She checked her phone. Nothing.
‘Where the bloody hell is he?’ she asked aloud as she began typing him a text of words to that effect, only more polite. She was just about to press send when she heard muffled noises from the bedroom. ‘He can’t still be in bed, can he?’ Jessie asked, getting irritated at the thought of his laziness, whilst she’d been up and about for ages.
‘Jack, is that you?’ she asked, tentatively. In case it wasn’t Jack, she made sure she had a clear exit to the door.
‘Who else would it be?’ Jack said as he opened the door and scratched his head. He was dressed only in his boxers, and his hair was sticking up in all directions, as was its usual tendency.
‘How’re you feeling?’ Jessie asked, relaxing back into the sofa.
‘Rubbish,’ Jack replied as he stomped to the kitchenette and began rummaging around the cupboards in search of sustenance.
‘What do you fancy doing?’ Jessie asked hopefully.
‘Not much. Jessie, I’m sorry, but I feel downright awful. Do you mind if we have a quiet one today?’
‘Of course not,’ Jessie replied brightly, although having a quiet one was the last thing she really wanted to do. She desperately wanted to explore, and the thought of being cooped up for the rest of the day in their serviced apartment held very little appeal. ‘There’s a supermarket just down the road. I might pop over there and get some supplies in.’
‘That’d be great, if you don’t mind,’ Jack replied. He was realising there was absolutely nothing in the kitchen for him to consume. ‘We can watch movies for the rest of the day and then get a takeaway for dinner. McDonald’s even deliver in Hong Kong.’
‘Sure. I won’t be long,’ Jessie said, grabbing her bag. She knew Jack was joking, but there was no way she was eating McDonald’s on her second night in Hong Kong. What would be the point in that when she could very well do that back at home?
As Jessie toddled off to the supermarket, she felt a sense of relief that she was doing something practical and productive, rather than just sitting on her bum back at the flat. In the run-up to moving, things had been incredibly hectic, and there was constantly something to do or someone to see. Now, things were at the opposite extreme: not much for her to do and no one aside from Jack to go and see. Jessie hated being idle, and she especially hated wasting her days off like this. But she still had plenty of time off before she officially started work, she reassured herself. One day of minimal activity was hardly going to kill her.
Upon her return, she noticed Jack had progressed to the sofa and had managed to find a t-shirt to wear. He was flicking aimlessly through television channels as seemed to be the habit of most men. Jessie settled herself next to him for a low-key afternoon of hangover recovery, all the while trying to look on the bright side of life. Vegging out on the sofa may not have been her first choice of activity, but she was doing it with Jack, who, she had to admit, did look rather cute and vulnerable in his fuzzy state.
Chapter 12
Sensing that Jessie had been slightly down
She collapsed on the sofa and watched two old reruns of Friends on the TV before realising there was still no sign of Jack. She checked her phone. Nothing.
‘Where the bloody hell is he?’ she asked aloud as she began typing him a text of words to that effect, only more polite. She was just about to press send when she heard muffled noises from the bedroom. ‘He can’t still be in bed, can he?’ Jessie asked, getting irritated at the thought of his laziness, whilst she’d been up and about for ages.
‘Jack, is that you?’ she asked, tentatively. In case it wasn’t Jack, she made sure she had a clear exit to the door.
‘Who else would it be?’ Jack said as he opened the door and scratched his head. He was dressed only in his boxers, and his hair was sticking up in all directions, as was its usual tendency.
‘How’re you feeling?’ Jessie asked, relaxing back into the sofa.
‘Rubbish,’ Jack replied as he stomped to the kitchenette and began rummaging around the cupboards in search of sustenance.
‘What do you fancy doing?’ Jessie asked hopefully.
‘Not much. Jessie, I’m sorry, but I feel downright awful. Do you mind if we have a quiet one today?’
‘Of course not,’ Jessie replied brightly, although having a quiet one was the last thing she really wanted to do. She desperately wanted to explore, and the thought of being cooped up for the rest of the day in their serviced apartment held very little appeal. ‘There’s a supermarket just down the road. I might pop over there and get some supplies in.’
‘That’d be great, if you don’t mind,’ Jack replied. He was realising there was absolutely nothing in the kitchen for him to consume. ‘We can watch movies for the rest of the day and then get a takeaway for dinner. McDonald’s even deliver in Hong Kong.’
‘Sure. I won’t be long,’ Jessie said, grabbing her bag. She knew Jack was joking, but there was no way she was eating McDonald’s on her second night in Hong Kong. What would be the point in that when she could very well do that back at home?
As Jessie toddled off to the supermarket, she felt a sense of relief that she was doing something practical and productive, rather than just sitting on her bum back at the flat. In the run-up to moving, things had been incredibly hectic, and there was constantly something to do or someone to see. Now, things were at the opposite extreme: not much for her to do and no one aside from Jack to go and see. Jessie hated being idle, and she especially hated wasting her days off like this. But she still had plenty of time off before she officially started work, she reassured herself. One day of minimal activity was hardly going to kill her.
Upon her return, she noticed Jack had progressed to the sofa and had managed to find a t-shirt to wear. He was flicking aimlessly through television channels as seemed to be the habit of most men. Jessie settled herself next to him for a low-key afternoon of hangover recovery, all the while trying to look on the bright side of life. Vegging out on the sofa may not have been her first choice of activity, but she was doing it with Jack, who, she had to admit, did look rather cute and vulnerable in his fuzzy state.
Chapter 12
Sensing that Jessie had been slightly down
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