Hello, and welcome to the fifth edition of my story about James and Isabel.
Please read the first four parts before you read this one. It won't make much sense otherwise. I have returned this to the original category of Novels and Novellas.
As the first four parts, all sexually active characters are over eighteen.
******
We manage to drag ourselves out of bed, and I grab a quick shower before we head downstairs. Isabel wants to get home herself, so she can get ready for her day out with her mother Heather. I walk her out the back door, and we exchange the tenderest of kisses. Certainly the best we've had to date.
My Mother is sat at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. She looks at me as I walk back in with that look that only mothers can do. I instantly go red and have guilt written all over my face.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing James." She says with that tone that says so much.
Shit, she called me James, and in that way that tells me she knows. I walk over and grab my cup to make coffee. Anything to not have to look at my mother at that moment. I feel like it is tattooed on my face.
My mother gets up, "Cereal today?"
"Ummm yes please." I am still a little cautious not to let anything slip, but I still get the feeling she knows already.
Luckily Sarah shouts from her room. She asks my mum to help her get ready because Zac is coming over. So I eat my cereal quicker than normal, grab my coffee, and scoot back upstairs to get out of the dragon's layer. I have a little time so I decide to video call Sam.
"Hey Munchkin."
"Hi Jay, I'm on Facebook, can you call me there?"
"Yeah, give me five."
"No Probs."
I start the computer and wait for it to boot up. It only takes a minute, and as soon as I sign in to Facebook Sam calls.
"What's up, Jay?"
"Nothing much Sam, I've got an hour or so before my meeting with Mr. Jenkins."
"Oh okay, where's Isabel?" She says sounding a little second best.
"She's getting ready to go out shopping with her mum."
"Oh yeah, she did say something about a guilt trip shopping expedition."
I laugh. "Yeah, something like that."
"So what you up to today?"
"Not a lot, I have work later. Might go out with Hannah after work."
Sam looks at me. "So how's you, and Isabel doing?"
I glance up from my coffee and before I open my mouth, "OH my god Jay."
"What?"
"You've done it with Isabel."
In an instant, I freeze and go red. How the hell has she come to that conclusion.
"You have, when? I want details."
"Sam you perv. Anyway, how did you..."
"Come on Jay, I've always been able to read you. Soooooo?"
"For god's sake Sam, can't I have anything secret to myself?"
"Ummmmm no, now spill."
"Bloody hell Sam, at least Mum had the decency not to say anything."
"What your Mum knows?"
"Well, I get that impression."
"Ahhhh, fine, but I'm messaging Isabel as soon as you go out."
"You're still a perv."
"Yeah Yeah Yeah stud."
"Talking about me being a stud."
Sam looks at me for a second, then the penny drops. She goes a little red. "Jay, I was just sounding you out."
"I know, but it did get me thinking. I never really thought about having children."
"Well, I didn't until mum started balling." She breathes a sigh, "I had a good chat with Isabel about it."
"Did it stop you from wanting to have sex with me?" I tried to say this with a straight face but failed miserably.
"I don't know Jay, it's just...I want my baby to be born from someone I love."
"Oh Sam, I understand that. It was just a shock. I think my only problem is you want to conceive naturally. I can't do that to Isabel."
"I know Jay, but this conversation isn't over. Just postponed until I am ready."
"The answer won't be any different. So how are you, and Hannah getting on?"
"Now who's the perv?"
"Really, that good?"
"Oh look, is that the time already?" With that Sam cuts the connection. Typical though anything about me is fair game anything about her she's gone.
******
Thursday afternoon, and I'm sat in a small cafe called The Worx in Braunton. I am waiting for a Teacher, and friend Collin Jenkins. Isabel was going to come with me but opted for a shopping trip with her mother instead. Would you believe she gave up this for a shopping trip with her mother? I smirk to myself as I sit there with my coffee.
I hear my name being called, glancing up to I see Mr. Jenkins walking through the door. I stand as he makes his way between tables, and we shake hands as he arrives at my table.
"Hello James, it's good to see you. Thanks for coming."
"Hi Collin, I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"Ah yes, sorry. My phone call was a little cryptic." He takes a seat, and signals to the waitress. "First of all, I have an apology to make." He takes a breath. The waitress arrives at our table with a notepad. Mr. Jenkins orders a pot of tea and a toasted sandwich.
I am just sitting there with a confused look on my face, while this is going on. As the waitress walks away I ask, "Why do you need to apologies?"
Mr. Jenkins's focus comes back to me. His expression changes, and again takes a deep breath." I worked for a firm of architects down in Exeter before I became a teacher. I was having dinner with my friend and company director some time ago. The subject of new recruits came up. Now their problem is that the recruits they get from universities are okay but too generic. They are in need and are looking for someone different."
"What do you mean by different?"
"Well, how do I explain this?" Collin takes a deep breath. "Without putting our wonderful educational institutes down. The people that come out of University are trained a certain way, and it's very hard to get them to change their ways." I must admit, I am a little taken aback by what Collin was saying.
"So they have come up with the plan to employ someone from either school or college and mold someone more to their requirements."
"Sorry, who are they?"
"Oh didn't," I say. Edward Harris, and Andrew Sampson. They run a company called Sampson Harris. Have you heard of them?"
"Yes I have somewhere, but I don't know any of their work. Collin, just out of interest, why do you need to apologize?" as I finish the question the waitress turns up with Mr. Jenkins's toasted sandwich and tea. Mr. Jenkins busies himself arranging the table because the tray won't fit.
"Right James, you always like getting to the point. Okay, where was I? Oh yes, the apology. I'm afraid I wasn't totally truthful with some of the extra curriculum studies and projects that we did."
"I did wonder about the extra work I was doing compared to everyone else, but I enjoyed doing it."
"Well, that's good then James. It doesn't make me feel so bad. When you first started at the college. I saw that you had great talent and a natural eye for design. I put your name forward to Andrew Sampson, and he was also impressed. To give them a clear idea of what you are capable of, they set a couple of tasks. These run alongside some tests they were doing with their own employees."
"What the Public toilet, and the train station?"
"Well, that's two of them, but also your skyscraper. They showed your plan of the skyscraper to a possible customer, and they loved the concept."
I am stunned into silence. Mr. Jenkins tucked into his sandwich, so I took the opportunity to google Sampson Harris. "Holy shit," I said out a little too loud for younger ears. I glanced up to see Mr. Jenkins looking at me. "Sorry Collin, I just googled Sampson Harris." A grin spread across Mr. Jenkins's face.
"So what do you think James?"
"I'm not sure what to say. I don't really know what I'm being offered."
"You'll have to ask when you go down to their head office."
"What?"
"Sorry, didn't I make myself clear? Andrew and Edward would like you to go down to Exeter for an interview. I'm sure they will explain everything there, well a lot better than I have."
"Oh right, and when is the interview?"
"That is the whole reason for this meeting, both partners are rarely around. Andrew is in Dubai for a couple more weeks, and Edward is away on his annual leave. They have asked me to approach you, and sound you out. They will need to organize the University place, and contracts once they have chosen a candidate."