Chapter 229 - Talk to JoAnna (2)

Jeff stood up and walked after Sarah. His mind was racing with all possibilities he could think of, what will JoAnna say, what will he say... how his voice will sound. He needs to sound cool. But not over the top... charming... but not too charming, he does not want her to think that he is a player. Smile a bit. Yes. Smile will be good… He wished that he practiced smile in the mirror earlier…

Jeff stood in front of the table in the dining room and looked at Sarah wondering where is her phone. If he will talk with JoAnna, Sarah should make a phone call, right?

"412?" He heard the familiar voice coming from his left. When he turned toward the source of the voice and saw JoAnna curiously gazing at him from the laptop screen, he froze.

Jeff plopped on the chair in front of the laptop and stared at JoAnna with his mouth slightly open.

"Hi Jeffrey... you still don't look well.", Sophia said.

Jeff got startled out of his daze hearing Sophia. "Oh, hi." He didn't even see Sophia until she spoke.

JoAnna was curiously looking at Jeff for some time before she shyly scratched her nose and smiled. "I didn't know you are brother-in-law's brother..."

Sarah pulled a chair next to Jeff, pushing him a bit to the side so that she fits into the camera view. "You didn't? Anna, when you visited my place last time for the surgery in Spokane, he was also here. You didn't meet then?"

JoAnna thought about it and remembered that when she was leaving for Spokane, she crossed paths with Aiden at the elevator. She remembers that she called him brother-in-law and Sarah was upset. 'Was Aiden alone? No, someone was with him...' JoAnna shook her head lightly. "We didn't meet, we just crossed paths at the elevator. I didn't paid attention then."

"Oh, and for the Christmas party at HQ. Both of you were present." Sophia remembered. "You didn't meet there?"

JoAnna shook her head. "No. There was a lot of people… and most of the night I spent trying to figure out who is Sarah's dance partner!" She was amused hearing this and giggled while talking to Jeff. "We nearly met few times, and what a coincidence that you ended up at Franciscan Medical Center last week... right?"

"Last week?" Sophia asked. "Are you the one who collapsed in front of my HQ?"

Jeff nodded absentmindedly.

Sophia laughed. "What a coincidence, indeed. You were in my office, Anna's hospital, and now you are in Sarah's apartment... unless it was intentional, it must be a destiny that you met all three of us, separately, in one week."

"Well, seeing you and me was intentional." Sarah responded to Sophia. "His meeting with JoAnna might be destiny."

The atmosphere was light, and they all started laughing. Sarah noticed that Jeff is more stiff than usual, but he was strange for a while now. 'He is just tired, stressed maybe...', She thought and brushed it off.

"Why is there a video call without me?" Aiden sounded offended, but he smiled. It was obvious that he is joking.

Sarah pulled him to sit on her chair and she sat in his lap while explaining, "It's not the usual. Jeff wanted to talk with Anna, and we all ended up online due to misunderstanding… but no harm was done."

Aiden turned to look at Jeff while thinking, 'Wanted to talk to JoAnna?' Aiden was suspicious. "So, what did they talk about?"

"Well, nothing yet... but he does not look good. Anna, what do you think?" Sarah remembered that Jeff looks ill and became concerned again.

"Indeed..." JoAnna observed Jeff's face that could be seen in her screen. "412 ended up at my hospital because he neglected himself. It does not seem that he is doing any better."

"Why are you calling Jeffrey 412?", Sophia asked.

Sarah got excited and exclaimed. "Wait, wait... let me guess... room number?"

JoAnna smiled and her eyes flashed confirming Sarah's guess as correct.

The sisters had fun chatting. No one noticed that Jeff didn't say anything... he just stared at JoAnna. Well, almost no one noticed... Aiden didn't miss that Jeff was in a daze.

After about half an hour, they ended the chat since JoAnna needs to get ready for work.

After disconnecting from the video conference, Sarah looked at Jeff and realized. "Sorry, we got carried away. You didn't get to talk to her."

Jeff was in a daze during the whole duration of video chat, just staring at JoAnna. He didn't hear anyone else other than JoAnna. Her laughter and giggles entered his ears and filled up his heart. Her melodious voice intoxicated him… he felt like he was floating last half an hour. Seeing JoAnna on the screen made him feel happiness he never felt before.

He heard Sarah's voice now directed at him and to him it seemed like it's coming from the distance. He looked at her and responded. "Oh, it's not a problem." Jeff stood up and went back to the bedroom.

"Well, that was strange... he really needs to rest." Sarah's eyebrows scrunched.

Aiden looked at Sarah and sighed. "For someone so intelligent, how can you fail to see things that are right in front of you?"

"Huh?" Sarah didn't understand his comment.

"Never mind... " Aiden moved Sarah from his lap to the chair where Jeff was sitting a minute ago and stood up. "I need to talk to him."

...

In the bedroom, Jeff was leaning on the closed door with his eyes unfocused. JoAnna's image was imprinted in his mind. The feeling to see her surged within him and he decided... he will go to Seattle to see her. Now. He knows that she will be in the hospital until 6 AM. So, he will head there. Now.

Jeff opened the door and rushed out, only to bump into Aiden.

"What's the rush?", Aiden pushed him inside bedroom and closed the door behind him. "So... JoAnna?"

It was a question, but Jeff knew that it was a statement. There was no doubt in Aiden's voice.