Portia and Ryan had been on multiple day dates and on some good amount of night ones over the few weeks that had passed by.

Their relationship was a goal setter. So ideal I could almost write about it in my stories. Too bad, Portia was never the main character here.

And Jessica was occupied with business, which was not something she complained about. Ryan dating Portia still made her upset, so she would rather not let her mind go into the spiral of thoughts which would do no good. It was better to be the bigger person and let it all go, especially the things belonged to the past.

Just on one such weekend, when she was finally free, she thought it would be nice to ask Mary out and hang out with her. It had been long since they last caught up(although the first few times they hung out together their chatter was all from Mary who would depict pictorially (with a pinch of salt to spice things up?) her sexual encounters with Ryan. It did feel awkward when Jessica's visual mind would translate all her words to floating images in her mind. Post that, things had mostly been fine, both of them learned how to spend time together, giving each other equal chances of spitting the banter, speaking the facts and just being friends. Strangely and unexpectedly, they got along truly well.

So, when Mary decided to decline Jessica's invitation for a small dinner, she was curious about what the reason was. Of course, she could be genuinely busy, but she said somebody had already invited her over. With a hint of disappointment on her face, Jessica assured Mary it was fine and that she was not compelled to not hang out with others over the weekend. It was her choice.

She had been in China for so long, surely she did know a lot of people?

Astonishingly, Ryan decided to call instead.

"What's up lady love?" 

"Shut up Ryan!" Jessica muttered in her sleep.

"Wanna come over for dinner?"

"Hah! To third wheel? No thanks."

"Nah, just you and me."

"Really? "

"Yeah."

"Can't believe Portia actually let her fish off the hook." Jessica laughed and laughed till her stomach hurt. 

"What's so funny?"

"You don't know it do you?"

"Don't know what?"

"Nothing."

"DON'T KNOW WHAT, JESSICA?"

"I'll come. It's nothing I promise."

"Cool. I'll pick you up."

And thus, they were finally meeting without someone else intruding on them, although Ryan would hardly agree about the same. It was a different restaurant too, this time, thankfully.

It was a nice, family friendly one with modern Chinese decoration, and they had their seats reserved in a busy area. That had never happened before, and so it was not a coincidence this time. It felt... bitter.

"So, tell me." Jessica chugged the water down her throat. "Why is your 'date' not out with you? Spill it, how did you escape?" 

Ryan grinned sheepishly. He locked and unlocked his phone, displaying for a flash second his latest wallpaper- of him and Portia kissing. It was unintentional, but it touched a sour spot. Jessica's face turned bitter and she lowered her eyes. Refusing to look anywhere but the neutral table.

All of it was going wrong.

"What do you mean?" Ryan glanced softly at Jessica. "I can't come see my friends anymore?"

"I mean it might be the case... after all." Jessica raised her eyes, tired. "You are in your honeymoon phase. You guys just started dating, remember how Liam and I used to stick together twenty-four seven all the sixty seconds of a minute?"

"Portia wanted to hang out with Mary."

Jessica's face dropped.

"What?" She whispered, confusion all over the place. And she knew she should have dealt with it all like a mature, independent woman that she was, or thought of herself as. But she could do nothing about the first feeling, immature, that crept inside her heart. She stole Mary away from me. Even her.

Quickly shoving her intrusive thoughts up her clogged ass, Jessica continued to chug some more water. She chugged more and more till food was served, and more and more while Ryan paid for the meal and they drove back to her place. Tonight, she did not expect to be something of a wonder, but neither did she expect such a news to blast in her ears either. She heard all Ryan had to talk about, even replied and engaged in the conversation, but in the back of her head, all she could hear was Portia instigating Mary, against her. Like she did back in school.

Some scars never heal.

She sought comfort, more from her leisure time than from work. Work was far simpler for someone like her, who called the shots. Office drama still happened, but most of it happened for the employees, not Jessica. It was a peaceful haven in her world. Who knew somebody who never wanted to work would actually start to enjoy it? Of course, she facetimed Liam, the comfort she has always had.

***

"You can't be serious!" Mary exclaimed pushing Portia's hand away from her. She was giving her a head massage. 

"I am. Although I wish I was not. But that is how it is."

"But... but I have met Jessica, she is not that kind of person. She is sweet and kind and... and.." Mary turned around to face Portia. "She just deserves a chance. She is able. All she needs is a chance and a bit of pushing to get her going. I'm sorry but I cannot believe it."

"Of course, she might be that kind of person, Mary." Oh, how her name slipped down the tongue of a chameleon. "It was all a long time back. I just know her from that time, but people change. She might definitely be what you say, people change all the time."

"Yeah." Strange, why was Mary not so convinced anymore?

"Wanna have some apple pie?" Portia grinned.

"Absolutely!! You are reaaally sweet." Mary winked. 

"I know." She winked.

All this while, and after this, when Mary devoured the apple pie, drove back home, as each moment passed, some deep distrust took root in her thoughts. Quite against Jessica.