Volume II

Chapter 1

Who Is Gullivette?

The sunlight seeped through the thin curtains of the bedroom. Everything was still and peaceful, the morning approaching gently as it often does. Over the course of the sunrise, the position of the light continued to shift, until finally passing over the eyes of Blaire as she slept comfortably atop her sheets.

Her eyes began to flicker, disturbed by the morning sunshine, before they began to open as she awakened from her groggy slumber. With a quick yawn, she began to stretch her arms. Tossing her sheets to the side, she kicked her feet over the edge of the bed and planted her bare soles firmly into the carpet below. Scrunching them between the carpet fibers, she enjoyed the feeling of the rough carpet as she stood to her feet and stretched again.

It had been a few days since Jacob had informed her that his job duties were in effect. While he had not been around as often, in those few days he still made time as they went out on dates and enjoyed each other's company whenever Jacob wasn’t busy with his new job. It was starting to make Blaire feel anxious more and more, in a good way. They had finally reached the stage of calling their outings ‘dates’, which technically meant they were dating, or so Blaire thought.

Not wanting to impose any restrictions in Jacob’s eyes, Blaire had decided not to declare anything until mentioning it to him. His charm was never ending, his handsome nature appealing no matter the apparel he wore. Always bringing her flowers, and paying the bill on every occasion despite her adamant protest. But Jacob would insist, and Blaire loved him for it. She liked how he took charge, and owned the responsibility of everything.

While Blaire wanted to feel independent, there were other ways she could do so. Always cooking dinner when Jacob came over, and washing his clothes in the morning as he had now begun to stay the night with her. Opting to sleep on the couch, though Blaire hoped her hints would soon lead to him in her bed. While she had conflicting thoughts as to whether it would be rushing their relationship or not, Blaire couldn’t deny her lust for him anymore. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met, the most caring and considerate man that had ever shown an interest in her.

Smiling to herself as thoughts of Jacob crossed her mind, she grabbed her cellphone and checked her notifications while heading towards the kitchen. Immediately she saw a missed call from Jacob, followed by a voicemail. It seemed he called her late last night, though she was asleep already. Not wasting any time, she opened the voicemail and lifted the phone to her ear.

‘Hey Blaire, was just calling to say I’ll have to cancel our date in the morning. They want me on the premises for some emergency, and apparently there is a meeting first thing in the morning to discuss some kind of issue. Terribly sorry! Let’s do lunch instead, same place.’

Blaire’s smile grew wider. Jacob had called it a date, and it gave her butterflies. She deleted the voicemail and opened her text messages. Typing up a quick text to Jacob, she made it brief and sent it immediately.

‘I got your voicemail! No worries, maybe I’ll sleep in after a cup of coffee. Come pick me up after you get off? XOXO.’

After the message was sent, Blaire grew nervous. She wondered if the ‘XOXO’ at the end of her message was too direct, or perhaps a bit cliché or girly. Entering the kitchen and starting up the coffee pot, she hoped that Jacob wouldn’t mind it, or perhaps even react positively to it. As she added coffee grounds to the filter, she got a text notification. It was from Jacob, and she quickly paused with the coffee and took a look.

‘Good morning! I can totally come pick you up, I’d prefer it actually ;) I like driving you around, makes me feel like an important chauffeur. See you around noon