LOVE & POPPIES - PART 3 OF 4
It had been only two days since Belle had been away, but Peter felt alone and isolated without her. They shared so much of their lives together, and it was only during her absence that he realised how much he had come to depend on her. Peter carried on with his life, balancing regular visits to the hospital to see his mum and spending time with his family. One of his sisters was pregnant and needed some help around the house. Her partner was not the most practical or attentive person, spending most of his time on the computer engrossed in his work.
-----
That night at the local pub, Belle and Jack looked over statements from community members that they had met with earlier in the day. Belle focussed on the allegations made about illegal land clearing of an agricultural plot that backed on to a national park, while Jack was more interested in investigating a possible drug syndicate that was linked to the poppy farm. This was their first trip away as business partners, and Belle was thoroughly enjoying spending some time alone with Jack. She was fascinated with his investigative drive in this case, and his broader interest in the small town they were in. They didn’t have much free time between community meetings and consultations with the local police, but somehow Jack found ways to help Belle detach from the stress of their work and her stresses back home with Peter.
Belle could confide in Jack — she felt so distant from Peter and worried that she couldn’t support him during his time of need. Jack knew them both so well that he could respond in a way that defused her worries, and reassured her that she was a strong, supportive woman and had always been there for Peter. Belle was flattered, and after a few beers she felt herself gushing at the words coming out of Jack’s mouth. She caught herself with a cheeky grin on her face and had to stop her thoughts; she was fantasising about joining Jack in his hotel room! And as quickly as she had that thought she realised it was so wrong — how could she do that to her beloved Peter? In a fluster, Belle slammed her diary closed, claimed to have a meeting booked for the early morning, and left Jack sitting in the booth. She was sure Jack believed her excuse despite her sudden abruptness after giggling at him for the last hour.
The next morning, Jack knocked on Belle’s hotel room door. He had come to check on her as he knew she didn’t really have an early morning meeting. After all, they were working as a team and surely she would have told him earlier. Belle answered the door; shocked to see him, she said that she delayed her morning meeting because she was feeling sick. Jack accepted her explanation but knew something was not quite right. Belle threw herself into her work that day; she knew that she could always rely on her work to fully grasp her attention. Meanwhile, Jack visited a local man who had contacted him directly with a tip off. Jack was intrigued to find out as much as he could, as he fully suspected foul play at this poppy farm.
There had been recent arrests associated with trespassing and attempted theft of poppies from the farm. But it was suspected that they were petty criminals and not linked to the drug syndicate. Jack was shocked to learn from his source that there was a black-market trade of illegal opiates in the small country town. He took down the man’s statement but was suspicious as he had not yet spoken to the police. On the other side of town, Belle was meeting with her clients and compiling the evidence she needed to pin this company for illegal vegetation clearing. But her mind was elsewhere — she was torn between her passion for Peter and her newfound lust for Jack. Was it just a fleeting curiosity? All these years, she had not thought of Jack in that way — why now? Had she been so loved up in her romance with Peter that she hadn’t had eyes for anyone else? She needed to reconnect with Peter before she lost control and gave in to her desires. She only had to last one more day on this work trip and she’d be back home.
It was a quiet drive back home for Belle and Jack, some seven hours of travel with almost all the conversation about the poppy farm case. It was only then that Belle realised that she admired Jack for his business capabilities and that outside of their work together, they were completely different people. Since knowing Jack, Belle had never seen him commit to just one thing, and this business together was a huge risk for her because of that. She didn’t know if he was ready to focus on one venture. It didn’t matter so much if that’s how he acted in his personal relationships, but she had a stake in this business. Belle was glad that her feelings settled, and she could go back to maintaining a working friendship with Jack.
Peter had missed Belle so much — he really thrived in her company and felt instant warmth as soon as he wrapped his arms around her. Belle was reminded that she still loved Peter with all her heart, but she also knew she had insecurities to address in their relationship. It wasn’t a good time to open up about her fleeting lust for Jack, so Belle kept those thoughts to herself. She did however, feel it would be better to be honest with Peter about her recent lack of attention to his issues. Belle explained to him that she had created a distance between the two of them in this critical period because she felt that she couldn’t adequately support him. She also found herself struggling to balance her personal life and her new legal firm. She found herself in a cycle of trying to be supportive for Peter and trying to be a successful business woman. It had only led to more strain on their relationship.
Since returning home, Jack had worked long days on the poppy farm case, but couldn’t get any new leads on the drug syndicate. There was no evidence to pin an inside operation supplying illegal opiates. Jack couldn’t even get back in contact with his source who had provided the controversial statement. Jack discussed this with Belle and they decided to stop following the possible internal drug trade. Belle had gathered enough evidence now — it was going to be a long court case…
Amanda is a fledgling writer. She enjoys pots of tea and choclutz. Her most recent passion project is ice skating, an unlikely but enjoyably cool endeavour in the tropics.
