#jamieandclairefluff

[scarletwritingwolf]

The Art of Healing

Chapter 5: Chance Meeting

Claire sat alone for dinner, as it was usual for her to do, but tonight she felt impatient.

The hubbub of the restaurant wasn’t even enough to pull her out of her thoughts. Despite the two screaming children, and the couple in the corner having a heated argument in what had likely begun in hushed tones, but was now just full blown yelling.

She checked her watch, the old Minnie Mouse face was as it had always been, but the glittering silver bands were a new upgrade. She’d been having a fit of nostalgia, the anniversary of her parents death was coming up, and she felt the need to honour them by extracting the few trinkets she’d kept from her childhood, and wearing them, or fixing them, or simply leaving them about for easy reminiscing.

The watch read 20:10. Why hadn’t Joe called yet? He was supposed to have called at 8, to let her know that he and Gail had made it safely to their hotel in Nice.

Claire had been edgy since the morning before, knowing that Joe was going on holiday and leaving her with the office made her uncomfortable and unsure of herself. Granted she only had her patients to worry about, but not having a lunch buddy, or someone to unwind with at the end of the working day, was somewhat depressing.

Just as she was considering making a call to Joe; something forced her to look up, she’d felt it before she looked; a pull of energy unlike anything she had ever felt before, like something that had the ability to alter gravitational pull.

A man was standing behind the empty chair, watching her, she recognised him instantly as the one she had seen in the waiting room on her very first day at the office. She cringed as she thought briefly of Louise; whom was still her patient, and was surely thankful that Claire’s attention had been better focused in their subsequent sessions.

“Hello, I wanted te introduce myself. I’m no’ sure if ye remember, but I attended yer practice with Dr Abernathy, for a session to be discharged from the army.”

He was rambling, and continued to do so.

“Anyway, this will sound strange, but I wanted te meet ye. Perhaps ye’ll also ken some of the people I refer to ye from my veteran support group. I’m Jamie, Jamie Fraser.”

He held out his hand, and she shook it. His hand was unusually warm for such a chilly evening, and his grip suggested a powerful strength.

“I’ve seen you after that day” she said slowly. “You and I seem to shop at, eat at and frequent the same places.” She had noticed him, and wasn’t entirely sure who wouldn’t notice him, he was taller than most men, with that halo of red hair that had first captivated her.

“Yes, we do.” He said simply. “I’ve been trying to work out how to approach ye for a little while. Honestly after I saw ye the first time, I felt a strange familiarity about ye, but I’ve since decided that I couldna possibly know ye; because surely I’d remember having met or ken someone as beautiful as ye.”

She felt herself blushing so furiously that she was certain that the redness had even reached the tips of her toes. Realising then that she hadn’t even introduced herself, and it forced a new wave of embarrassment. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to compose.

“Well that’s quite the compliment Mr Fraser, and it’s something I’m not quite used to. You’ll forgive my rudeness; I’ve just realised that I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Claire Beauchamp, why don’t you sit down?”

His whole body shifted, she felt sure he was allowing himself to relax. He took the empty seat.

“Thank ye, Claire. I dinna want to interrupt yer dinner.”

“Not at all, this gives me a chance to thank you for all of the great work that you are doing with the veterans who are attending your group sessions. I’m guessing from what you said before that you’ve spent quite some time in the army?”

As he spoke of his army years, Claire had time to notice his very blue eyes, and their slanted almond shape. His lips were full, and as he spoke, they hinted at traces of good humour. His whole demeanour was enrapturing.

They spoke for so long, that time had eluded them completely, it was quarter to eleven, and the waiters in the restaurant were quite clearly restless at their lingering presence. So the beautiful young duo got up, Jamie settled their bill, they opened the door to the street, and left a squabble of relieved waiters in their wake.

. . . . . .

He couldn’t quite believe his luck as they stepped out of the restaurant together.

He thanked the stars for Murtagh, it had been just two days previous during their return from Lallybroch that Murtagh had convinced him to pursue her properly, no more sidelines bullshit. Jamie knew he was right, and the next time he spotted her he made his mind up to just approach her and let fate decide their story.

And here he was. It had been so simple.

They were doing the dance that most people do after a good first date dinner.

Do we hug?

Do we kiss?

Do I walk her home?

Do I give him my number?

Overcome with curiosity, Jamie decided that the only logical course of action was to walk her home, just to see where she lived, and to spend a wee bit more time with her of course.

. . . . . .

“May I walk ye home Claire? I dinna really like the thought of ye walkin’ home yourself.” The words tumbled out of my mouth easily, as I realised that I quite meant them. I didn’t like to think what could happen to such a beautiful creature walking the streets alone at night.

Claire threw her head back and laughed.

“Your gentlemanly behaviour is very old worldly Jamie. I walk home by myself every night, I’m quite used to it by now. Unless there is a chance you could conjure up a carriage, I’d be happy to walk home with you, although I warn you it will be slow, I feel far to full from the dinner, wine and dessert to walk at a pace any faster than a sloth.”

“Ahhh my lady, I digress, I have no carriage to offer, as I too walked from home. Will a piggy back suffice?” I said with a grin.

I had an overwhelming desire to try to conjure a carriage right then and there, horses and all, no matter what it took. It seemed that along with giving me jelly legs, this beautiful woman was attempting to bewitch my mind as well.

“It’s a no to the piggy back ride, come on let’s start walking, it’s bloody freezing out here, I don’t live far away at all.”

Her thin jacket didn’t look overly warm, meanwhile I had on a sweater and a jacket. As we began to walk I draped my jacket over her shoulders, and without protest she wiggled into it.

“So you’ve told me about the army, and you’ve told me about the group meetings you hold, and I know I’ve already told you, but I am very thankful that those men have you to turn to....”

I watched as she continued to talk, she was fiddling with her necklace, and I had time to admire her delicate, milky white neck, and her long fingers. I began to imagine those long fingers cupping my face.

.....”Sorry, I’m droning on, perhaps I’m a little too passionate. Will you tell me about your work?” She looked up at me again, her heart shaped face had taken my breath away each time she had done this.

“There isn’t much te tell honestly, I own a construction company with my family, and we have a few restaurants, mostly I just spend a lot o’ time not doing much.”

I said this to her, knowing that in truth I spent very little time doing ‘not much’.

“A construction company huh? That actually isn’t too hard to imagine.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. And what about ye Claire, tell me something about ye; anything, I’ve been so busy monopolising our conversations this evening, I think it’s yer turn.”

“Anything?” She said with a salacious smile.

“Anything.”

“Well I might not be fit for Psychology.”

“And what, pray tell, would make you say such a thing?”

“Because for the life of me I can’t understand what it is about you that makes me want to spill my guts. To tell you my deepest darkest secrets.”

I was a little taken aback by her admission. Her candidness had been unexpected, mainly because, thus far, she had remained a closed book, giving few details about herself, and finding ways to deflect. I turned to her, instinct told me to touch her somehow, I realised that she had already come to a stop. I turned to her and cupped her chin.

“I couldn’t tell ye, Claire. But I can tell you that I feel the same way with ye. It’s like I’ve known ye most of my life.”

She averted my gaze, and fumbled a little with her purse.

“Well this is me, I live right up there. I must thank you, this is the first night I’ve been kept out so long that I haven’t been allowed to stare out of my window at the jogger who runs every night, well almost every night anyway. The poor soul has a life story he is completely unaware of thanks to me.”

“Is that so?” I’d had time to pull eyes away from her, to realise that we were in fact right across from my building, and that she had, in fact, been talking about me.

“Yes, he is a tortured soul; his parents are no longer living, and he hasn’t a family of his own, so he runs to keep himself from being lonely at the end of the work day.”

“I’ll be sure te tell him.” Jamie hadn’t the heart to tell her how close she actually was to the truth.

“T-tell him? You know him?”

“I am him.” He smiled.

“You didn’t run this weekend.” She breathed.

The electricity between them could have shocked even a passer by.

“I ken, I was at my sisters house visiting with her bairns and the rest of my family.”

“I see, well I feel like a right idiot. I’m sorry.” She did look contrite as she apologised.

“I find it flattering that ye’ve been keeping an eye on me, Claire. Take it from someone who knows, evenings can be lonely, I wouldna begrudge someone their right te look out their own window.”

Without being able to see it, Jamie knew she was blushing, he could feel the heat radiating from her.

She shrugged off his jacket and placed it in his hands.

“Thank you Jamie for a wonderful evening. It was a most unexpected and pleasant twist in events.”

“Thank ye, Claire. That it was.”

She made to turn and walk towards the door to her apartment building, but I couldn’t let her. I gently took her hand, and pulled her back towards me.

Her eyes were fixed upon mine.

I tucked a stray tendril behind her ear.

Her hand reached for my face, and she gently stroked my cheek.

I put my hand into the crook of her neck, my fingers felt like they had hit satin sheets, her skin was so soft, eventually I allowed them to intertwine with her curly, raven locks.

I sensed her body giving me permission to kiss her, and I didn’t stop to question it.

I bent down and let my lips brush hers. It took my breath away, I quite literally stopped breathing. She gently parted her lips, and we explored each other; she tasted like the sweetest honey.

After what I’m sure was a lifetime, we came apart.

Claire smiled a shy smile.

“Thank you again Jamie, that was, well, you know, amazing.”

“Can I see ye again Claire?”

“I had rather hoped so. Can I give you my business card?”

“I’d like that verra much.”

She started writing on the card.

“And this is my home number.” She said, pointing to what she had written.

I took one of my business cards out of my shirt pocket, and put it in her hand, and left my other hand come to a rest over it.

“Ye’ll call won’t ye?”

She nodded, I let her hand go, and she walked towards the door of her apartment building. She threw me a backwards glance, and gave a small awkward wave.

. . . . . .

I entered my apartment, switched on the light, and walked straight to the window. I half expected him to still be standing in the street. But he had gone.

I continued to watch, and a few moments later the light came on in his apartment.

An irrational part of me wanted to stay in the clothes I was wearing forever, because I could smell Jamie on them. But I needed comfortable pyjamas, tea, and a date with my thoughts; so that I could re-live the evening over and over again.

I caught myself grinning like a Cheshire Cat as I made myself a cup of tea. As I was adding a lump of sugar, I was startled by the sound of my telephone.

I expected it was Joe, finally letting me know he had arrived safely.

What I did not expect was Jamie’s Scottish burr.

“I tried te wait, but I wanted te call and wish ye goodnight Claire.”

“Goodnight Jamie.” I whispered hoarsely down the line.

He hung up, and I continued to cradle the phone in my hand for at least a minute afterwards. I neglected my tea, and opted to jump straight into bed. I hugged the unused pillow on the other side of the bed, I closed my eyes and imagined his lips on mine again.

At some stage, not too long after, I drifted off to sleep feeling more content than I had in years. Joe’s text sometime in the night didn’t even wake my slumber, for I was encased in my pillow haven, dreaming of my Scot.

Just me again ☺️ Apparently I’m full of inspiration this week.