Betting Jessica

by Deanne Wilsted

  It had been exactly right to take a day for herself, she decided. Her confidence in the project was renewed. With a little distance she could see that it was time to get others involved in her efforts. She looked at the page in front of her but didn’t see a word. Her mind was busy organizing again how she would accomplish her goal.

  She would start tonight with the guys from the coffee place. Then she would use Becky and Peter to cover more ground. She knew she couldn’t trust Erik to help, and Blaise thought the whole thing was stupid; so she couldn’t see asking him either. She wasn’t very good, in general, at asking for help. It was at the root of many of the holes she dug herself into.

  Even when she was young, while others had been seeking hints from magazines and friends on how to wear clothes and makeup, she had always just jumped in and tried to do it herself. Honestly, she had no idea how she thought she was supposed to know how to do everything without asking others for help. In fact, she felt like so far, the best thing the project had taught her was that it wasn’t about knowing the right answer all the time, but about how to find the right resources to help figure it out.

  True, with Becky she’d never really had to ask. But she had asked for Katie’s help with the clothes and her gym trainer’s help with staying on track with her workouts. That was a first for her. She realized suddenly that finding and meeting Ian was going to take a whole lot more of asking for help… and this time from strangers like Slam. And even though she had already been pretty humiliated letting people know about her search, really the worst that could happen is that they would say no and she would be no farther along than she was right now.

  Tired of the spinning in her head Jessica tried to calm her mind and forced herself to focus on her book.

  Her top priority was to at least find his house before the others arrived, she thought and laughed, finally reaching the conclusion that trying to read was useless. Instead she put down the book, closed her eyes and thought about the best way to ask Slam and his friends for help later that night.

  As far as she could see though, there was no way to explain why she was in Tahoe without sounding ridiculous. She was sure Slam and his friends were going to think she was crazy. They might be a little more sympathetic however if she told them it was part of a bet. Guys seemed to make bets all the time.

  Jessica’s evening plans took on all new importance. Minimally, if she could convince him to help her she was pretty sure Slam could show her exactly where Ian lived. Jessica finished her sandwich and crumpled up her lunch bag. Once again she grabbed her discarded book and forced herself to read. Tonight she would get back to her hunt. But for now, she reminded herself, she was still on vacation.

  Chapter Forty

  Clothes lay scattered around the room that night as Jessica stood in front of her temporary closet and contemplated what she should wear to meet Slam. She shifted from one foot to the other, staring into the wardrobe as if it held the answer to all of life’s problems. No longer afraid of monsters in her closet, Jessica none-the-less approached it with caution whenever she had an important date.

  For a change, however, it wasn’t that she had nothing to wear… more that she had too many possibilities. Okay, she thought to herself, definitely something casual. And, knowing how sloppy she could be, maybe she better not wear any of the special outfits she was saving for Ian.

  She pulled a pair of capris with a little embroidered hem off the bed once again. Holding it in front of the open closet, she scanned what was left inside and reached in to grab a slightly cropped mock turtleneck. Satisfied for the moment, she turned around and headed off to take a shower.

  She heard the phone ringing as she was stepping out so she was still dripping wet when she answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey Jess.”

  “Beck!!! Yay, it’s you.”

  Jessica’s enthusiasm clearly amused Becky.

  “It’s nice to be loved.” She laughed. “So, are you all ready for us? How’s your research going? Did you find Ian yet?”

  Jessica wrapped the towel around her hair and tied her bathrobe closed then sunk down into a chair in the living room.

  “Actually, you called at a perfect time; I was just debating what to wear out tonight.” Jessica couldn’t help but revel a little in her imminent date.

  “Huh?” Becky said, confused. “You’re kidding. Did you already get the date with Ian? How’d it happen? Where are you going? Darn! I really wanted to be there when you did it.”

  “No, no. Wait!” Jessica laughed again. “You definitely don’t have to worry about me going out with Ian before you get here. In fact, I’m really counting on you to help me with that as soon as you arrive since I’ve barely made any progress.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Becky said, sincerely disappointed for her.

  “But anyway,” Jessica continued, “I don’t want to think about that right now. I gave myself the day off and part of that turned out to be an invitation to meet up with some guys I met.”

  Immediately Becky was suspicious and nervous. “Do you know these guys? Are you sure they’re ok? Maybe you should wait till I get there to go with you.”

  “Yeah,” Jessica laughed, “you just wish. Anyway, thanks for worrying, but they’re totally fine. In any case, I’m meeting them at a pizza place, so I can choose when to leave if things get too crazy or anything.”

  Jessica didn’t mention that she would be getting there and back by bicycle; she’d already planned to take a taxi home if it got to be too late.

  “Anyway, this pizza place is supposed to be really great. I thought I’d check it out and if it’s really that amazing you, Peter, Blaise and I can go when you get here.”

  “And Erik, also, right?” Becky added softly. “I mean, it would be sort of rude to leave him out.”

  “Rude! Ha! He’s the one that invited himself along on this vacation.” Jessica took a breath to get ahold of her temper.

  “So I guess that means he’s still tagging along then, huh?”

  “Afraid so,” Becky answered.

  “Well, whatever. I wouldn’t worry too much about Erik anyway; it obviously didn’t matter to him that he wasn’t on the invite list. I’m sure he’ll feel just as comfortable including himself in stuff when he gets here. But even with him along on the trip I’m looking forward to seeing you guys. Are you getting excited?”

  Becky’s long pause was almost answer enough.

  “Well,” she finally said cautiously, “kind of, I guess.”

  “Wait. What’s wrong?” Jessica asked concerned.

  “It’s not you! Of course I’m excited to see you,” she said. “And hanging out with you, Peter and Erik sounds like a lot of fun.”

  “But…?” Jessica asked, sensing her hesitation.

  “Well, lately Blaise has sort of been getting on my nerves a little.”

  “What?” Jessica was confused. “But I thought you really liked him.”

  “I did. I mean, I do!” Becky sighed. “Only sometimes he can be so bossy and a little pretentious. I don’t know, I can’t really explain it.”

  “Becky, I don’t know what to say. Do you want to ask him not to come? We can figure out the money part, don’t worry.” But Jessica couldn’t keep her concern from showing.

  “Definitely not!” Becky said emphatically. “I’m sure the vacation will do us both good. He’s probably just stressed about work and stuff. Maybe spending some relaxed time together will help.”

  “We can do that!” Jessica reassured her while trying to keep the relief out of her voice. “In fact, I’ve found a really nice beach which should work perfectly.”

  “Okay,” Becky said, though she really didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

  “Although… don’t think you’re going to get away with sunbathing all the time,” Jessica tried to joke. “I am here for a purpose after all! And as my best friend it’s your duty to help.”

  Becky finally laughed also. “I know, I know. And I’ll
be right there with you. Only, could you give me at least a day to decompress first?”

  “Absolutely!” Jessica said. The thought of hanging out with Beck made her smile. “To be honest, I haven’t had nearly enough time to relax yet either.”

  “Well,” Becky said, “don’t make up for that in one night, okay?”

  “Don’t worry Mom I won’t. But, since I’m already late, I’d better go.”

  Jessica made a big hugging noise over the phone. “There’s a hug. Don’t you dare miss that plane tomorrow Beck, I can’t wait to see you.”

  Jess hung up the phone thinking about what it would mean to see everyone the following day. On the one hand, it would be fun to have them all around. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had definitely been lonely without them. On the other hand though, she was barely any closer to getting the date with Ian, and Erik was sure to be a jerk pointing that out.

  She shook off the negative thoughts and finished getting ready for her evening. At least I’ve had fun today, she thought as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

  Chapter Forty-one

  It didn’t take long for Jessica to ride her bike down the hill to Lakehouse Pizza. She locked it up outside and pushed her way through the throng of people standing in the doorway waiting for a seat. It was only eight o’clock and it was already packed inside. Hopefully the guys had beat her here and found a table. She couldn’t imagine having to stand around and wait for a seat, let alone a beer.

  Rubbing her hands on her pants she tried to calm down. This was no big deal. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t met new people before. She had to do it all the time for work. Even so, she was near panic mode when she spotted Slam at a table by the window. The group of guys with him was markedly bigger than the handful she had seen who worked at the coffee house. But although the table was crowded, it seemed like they had held a spot for her next to him. At least she hoped it was for her. It would be really humiliating if it was for someone else.

  Jessica was pushing her way through the crowd when Slam turned around, saw her, and waved. She almost lost her balance as the crowd of people standing near the table forcefully spit her out.

  “Hi,” she said, and then it seemed like everyone started talking at once.

  “Hey, glad you came.”

  She barely heard Slam over the noise as everyone else introduced themselves. She was a bit suspicious of some of the names, Scooter and Chutes seemed to be particularly strange. But then she had been invited by a guy named Slam so what did she expect? Anyway, everyone seemed nice, and clearly they all knew who she was, since they cleared a way for her to join them.

  The noise escalated again and since it was unlikely that she would get a word in, let alone the chance to ask about Ian Drake, Jessica sat back and took it all in. A huge beer appeared in front of her, along with three different slices of pizza.

  “The best things here,” Slam yelled into her ear, “are the homemade chips. You’ve got to try some.” He dragged the basket nearer, digging his own hand in to grab a handful.

  Jessica reached out to take one, and saw Slam, his mouth now full, watching her as she stuck it in her mouth. The edges were crunchy, and at the center it was soft from the grease of the deep fryer. But even though the napkin in the basket was wet from the grease, the chips still tasted light, not heavy. The sea salt clung to the creases, and without thinking Jessica stole her own big handful of the chips.

  “Oh wow! These are amazing,” she said.

  Slam smiled and grabbed his beer. Jessica didn’t know how it was possible, but the place seemed to become even louder as the evening wore on. It wasn’t long before she had relaxed enough to start shouting her own questions and answers across the table.

  What a life, she thought. Most of the guys seemed to be really intelligent, but instead of working at corporate jobs they were taking time off during or after school to ski and snowboard. And not just the guys, either. It turned out she wasn’t the only girl to show up since a couple of others had joined them and sat across from her not long after she got there. The more she got a chance to study everyone, the more she saw what a diverse group it was.

  There was a guy who must have been in his 40’s and a kid Jessica swore wasn’t old enough to drive, let alone drink. Most of the group, though, were in their mid-twenties and seemed like the happiest set of people she had ever met. It briefly crossed Jessica’s mind to consider what her life could be like if she finally gave up on the corporate thing. It was hard to imagine; after all most of her life thus far had been spent in pursuit of the next great job.

  No matter how intrigued she was by their lifestyle she couldn’t see herself hanging out during the summer and waiting to ski in the winter. Of course that could have been because skiing wasn’t her thing. Not that she would dare say that to this group.

  “So, what’s your story?”

  Jessica heard the question echo across the table from one of the girls and realized she was starting to get a bit drunk. In her inebriated state it was even more difficult to make sense of the reasons why she had come to Tahoe.

  “Well, I’m only sort of here on vacation,” she started. “I’m from Boston.”

  Jessica noted Slam’s raised eyebrows as if waiting for her to get to the good part and with a breath launched herself into the long and convoluted story about how she came to be looking for Ian Drake.

  “Ian Drake?” The quieter blond girl named Sandy said. Her face was suddenly alight, like she had just won American Idol or something. “I know how you can meet him.”

  Shouting in excitement the girl nodded her head and grabbed her friend, Mandy by the arm. Jessica had tried really hard not to laugh when the two girls had introduced themselves as Sandy and Mandy. With that much beer in her, though, she hadn’t been able to hold back. Fortunately they hadn’t seemed to hold it against her. Mandy was now looking at Sandy as if she knew exactly what her friend was thinking. She looked over at Jessica.

  “Sandy and I work at this gourmet catering company down the street,” Mandy explained. “Sometimes we get celebrities who have us cater parties or even just deliver them dinner.”

  She looked at Jessica expectantly, as if Jessica should know exactly where she was going with this. But unless Ian Drake was one of those celebrities…. Even with a good buzz going, Jessica’s head suddenly cleared.

  “Are you…” Jessica cleared her throat. “You’re not trying to tell me that Ian Drake is one of your clients, are you?”

  Jessica saw their two heads bobbing in unison and realized she wasn’t seeing double. They were actually providing a possible answer to her prayers. Jessica looked up to heaven, oh thank you God.

  “So,” Jessica said, smiling at how strange fate could be, “have I told you yet about how I earned the money to take this trip?”

  At some point Slam gave up on trying to participate in their conversation. The next time he looked over the three of them were still deep in conversation working out the elaborate details of Jessica’s new plan.

  Chapter Forty-two

  Jessica yawned and sipped her coffee, trying to wake up before Becky and the boys arrived. The thought that she should probably take a shower kept running through her head, but then it would be pushed aside by her reverie of the night before; she chuckled thinking about it.

  At one point the whole group had walked, or more like stumbled, arm in arm down the street to the beach singing some rap song that Jessica didn’t even know the words to. The whole night had been such fun and everyone had been so welcoming that Jessica couldn’t believe she had only just met them.

  After playing tag on the beach and then finding a late night burrito place Jessica had waved goodbye and finally made her way back to her bike, weaving her way home on the deserted roads.

  Stretching, she decided to forego the shower and instead make another pot of coffee. Maybe sitting on the deck with a stronger jolt of caffeine would wake her up. And, in any case, she needed to write down all of
the really good ideas for beefing up her résumé that Mandy and Sandy had come up with. Even though they had assured her the owner of the catering company needed more summer help, Jessica didn’t want to blow it before she even got in the door.

  Sipping her coffee she pulled out the napkin on which the three of them had scribbled their notes. She turned it one direction and then the other, attempting to make sense out of the words on the 3 x 3 piece of tissue. Since it was mostly indecipherable, Jessica figured she’d have to recreate it. Anything she came up with, though, was sure to be a whole lot less imaginative than what they had brainstormed together the night before.

  Jessica tried not to get her hopes up about the job. After all, there was always the possibility that Ian wouldn't even want catering this summer. Or, if he did, it might be at a time when she wasn’t working.

  Now that she thought about it though, Jessica seemed to remember some sort of plan the girls had made for that event. Either way she knew she couldn’t afford to put all her eggs in one basket. She had to keep moving forward with most of her other plans as well.

  Jessica glanced down at her watch and noticed it was getting late. Where were they, anyway? She was almost ready to finally give up and take her shower when she heard a car pull up outside. Rushing through the living room to the front door, she threw it open with a huge smile.

  “Yay, you’re finally here!” she yelled…and slammed right into Erik’s grinning face.

  “Wow,” he laughed. “I think that’s about the happiest you’ve ever been to see me.”

  Erik watched Jessica’s smile fade to a sneer.

  “Oh, it’s you,” she answered, poking her head around him to look for Becky.

  “Don’t worry,” he told her wryly, “the others came too. They’re getting their stuff out of the car.”