You Loved Me Not

Jessica quickly locked her apartment and rushed, as fast as she could in high-heels, down the stairs and out. She was late again for the third time this week. The first time she got off because she was new to the job and had gotten lost. The second time she was one minute late and barely slid by. This time Jessica wasn’t sure she would make it, but no one could ever tell when working for a “dragon lady” she thought. 1

Jessica’s boss, Ms. Mika, was a very unpredictable woman. One minute she is soft spoken and then in an instant Jessica could swear she could breathe fire. It was very hard to please Ms. Mika even if Jessica could push herself to make the deadlines. She was an excellent writer. Everyone wanted a piece of the writer’s work. Jessica became more popular than the company she worked for.2

“Sorry, I’m late,” she said windblown.3

“Late again, Jessica,” Ms. Mika was waiting at the door of her office and beckoned Jessica to come in.4

Once the door was closed Ms. Mika started slowly, “Jessica this is the third time this week. You and the rest of the workers know I won’t accept lateness.”5

“I know,” Jessica started but Ms. Mika cut her off.6

“If you know, then show it.”7

“I’m trying,” Jessica pleaded.8

“Well try no farther…You’re fired.”9

Jessica stared at her boss, stupidly, “Excuse me?”10

“You’re fired, Jessica,” repeated Ms. Mika.11

“But how? I’m your top writer,” Jessica panicked. “Where are you to get another writer like me?”12

“Jessica, I can’t rely on you to be here on time. What makes you think…”13

“I can work from home,” Jessica stated, “just give me a second chance.”14

“I have given you many chances,” Ms. Mika burst from her peaceful state, “I am not going to rely on you any longer.” She went back to work, “Now excuse yourself I have other work to do.”15

Jessica slowly walked away from Ms. Mika’s office. She cleaned out her work space and headed for home. When her apartment was in view, Jessica noticed that someone had stacked her belongings outside the door.16

Oh no! Jessica thought hurrying as fast as she could, this cannot be happening to me!17

“Please!” Jessica begged the landlord. He was a short, middle aged man with dark brown hair on the sides and he was balding on top. His eyes were of a faded yellow gem that Jessica could not place. “I know I remembered paying rent this month.”18

“My records say you didn’t,” the landlord stated calmly.19

Jessica’s heart dropped in her chest. “Please, you must have remembered.”20

“You of all people know,” the man argued, “that at my age I can’t even remember what I did this morning. That is why I have to keep a record,” he waved his clipboard in front of Jessica’s face.21

Of all the days, she thought, it had to happen today and to her. Where was she to go? She was jobless and homeless. No one would want to hire her.22

“Excuse me,” Jessica turned and came face to face with a young man in his twenties like herself. He was tall and lean for his age. She guessed that he was about 6’3” with short bushy, light brown hair and light brown eyes.23

He caught her looking at him and lightly coughed. She looked away. “I couldn’t help but overhear about your apartment.”24

She shook her head, “It’s fine.”25

“Are you sure?” he gave her a confused look, “because I have a second bedroom in my apartment you could stay for a little bit…”26

She shook her head again, “No, I don’t want to trouble you…”27

“No, it’s no trouble at all.”28

Jessica gave in and smiled, “Thank you.”29

“By the way,” he said holding out his hand, “I’m Kyle.”30

“Jessica,” she replied and they shook.31

32

A month had gone by as she continued to live with Kyle. He helped her find a new apartment and a job that made enough money for her to stand on her own for a while, but they still enjoyed each other’s company. Soon their friendship turned into a real relationship as they started to date frequently.33

One day Jessica was ready to go on another date with Kyle. She waited inside her apartment before he arrived.34

“Hey sweetheart,” he greeted her with a kiss, “sorry I’m late. I’ll make it up to you later, but right now can I use your phone?”35

“Couldn’t you have used yours before you left?” Jessica asked.36

“I was running out the door.”37

“All right,” she pointed in the bedroom, “it’s in there.”38

He left in a haste to get to the phone and shut the door behind him. Jessica waited a few minutes before she decided to wait for him downstairs.39

“Dean!” Kyle’s voice whispered into the phone, “Keep your voice down. She’s in the next room!”40

Jessica pressed an ear against the wooden door to listen better.41

“No,” Kyle whispered again into the mouth piece, “I won’t do it!”42

There was silence for a little bit before Kyle started talking again, “I know what my mission is.”43

Mission? What was he talking about?44

Kyle continued to talk, “Fine, but it won’t be easy…All right I will see you back at headquarters, bye.” Jessica backed away from the door before he hung up the phone.45

Their date went smoothly as if nothing had happened, but Jessica couldn’t help but to think about the conversation she had just over heard. Kyle had been keeping secrets from her and she wanted to know more. Jessica knew that every weekend Kyle had to take a trip somewhere because of his job as a salesman. So Jessica made plans the next weekend to go through his apartment. He had given her his spare a key.46

The weekend had come. When Kyle took a taxi to the airport, Jessica took her cue. In his apartment were files and files of papers stored to the max! How can he live like this? She complained to herself, it’s a pigsty!47

She ran her fingers through files looking at different papers until she came to a file with her name on it. She opened it to find that a copy of her birth certificate was in the file along with a few pictures and a description page. She fingered the papers lightly as she stared, shocked. The door knob clicked and in walked Kyle. They both stared at each other wondering what the other was doing there.48

“Kyle,” she gasped, “what are you doing here?”49

“I forgot my passport,” he replied, “what are you doing here?”50

She opened her mouth and forgot how to work her mouth. He didn’t need an explanation as his eyes wandered to the file in her hand.51

“Oh no,” he said shaking his head. “You went through my files?”52

Jessica narrowed her eyes and changed the subject, “why do you have a file about me?”53

There was silence for a few minutes before he started to stutter, “I…I…Jessica….you…you have to…”54

“Kyle, what is going on?” she said raising her voice, “and I want the truth.”55

He sighed, “Jessica… I’m a secret agent. The week before we met I was given the assignment to...” he hesitated then took a deep breath before going on, “I was assigned to kill you.”56

She gasped.57

“As an agent,” he continued, “I follow orders without any questions asked. For the last month I have been trying to lure you into a false setting of security so I wouldn’t get too attached to you, and I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with you.”58

She snorted, “I don’t believe it.”59

“Well you have to,” he replied.60

Silence swallowed the room again. Kyle waited a little bit longer before breaking the silence, “Jessica I love you! If I wanted…”61

“Loved me!” she said raising her voice again, “if you loved me, you would have quit or abort your ‘mission’.”62

“I would have,” he pleaded, “if I could I would quit being an agent, just for you, but they…”63

“They?” she asked suspiciously, “who is ‘they’?”64

“My crew, the agency,” he replied then added, “It would look suspicious if I quit now.”65

Jessica looked around the room for some sort of a weapon. She still didn’t trust him…well not anymore. A little ways away she could see a small gun. Kyle saw it too and frowned. A few seconds later Jessica and Kyle both raced for the gun, but Jessica reached it first. Just as she reached for it, she tripped and fell forward landing on the gun. Kyle remembered that he forgot to turn the safety off. In Kyle’s eyes everything seem to have been moving in slow motion as the gun went off and a pool of blood stained the floor.66

Kyle fell to his knees by his love’s side and drowned himself in his tears.