Shatter Me (The Jaded Series, #1)

by Alex Grayson

  “Jack, don't ask the girl that, it's none your business,” he scolds his friend. He can't have been more opposite in looks than the first old man named Jack. Where Jack is a bag of bones, his friend has maybe 50 pounds too many. He has thinning hair and it’s solid gray. He has on a pair of old coveralls with a deep blue button up on underneath.

  Jack turns and looks at his friend. “What? I just don't understand why a pretty girl like her would want to cover up that face. She should pull her hair back so we can all enjoy her beauty.” He turns back towards me with his eyebrows puckered in concentration.

  “Jack! Don't talk to her like that! Can't you see you’re scaring the poor thing?” Says the unknown friend. Bringing his eyes back to me he continues, “Don't mind him, he's very simple minded and if he comes across something he doesn't understand he lets others know. He's never learned how to curb his tongue.”

  “Hey, I take offense to that, you old goat. There's nothin’ wrong with tryin’ to bring the girl out of her shell. It's obvious she's a shy little thing and just needs a little push to get moving.”

  Jack's friend looks to the ceiling and rolls his eyes. When he looks back at me he says, “I'm Jake and this here nosy body is Jack.”

  I bite my lip, trying not to smile. I really have no inclination to get to know anybody here in this town. I won’t be here long enough to form any type of friendships before I have to move on to another no name place. But these two old men are hard to resist. It’s plain to see that they have been friends for a long time, probably more years than I'd been alive. They both compliment each other. Where Jack is gruff, grouchy, and way too outspoken, the other is kind, considerate, and keeps his manners.

  A little smile forms on my lips and I introduce myself. “Hello, I'm Bailey.”

  “Very nice to meet you, little lady,” replies Jake.

  “Yeah, good to meet ya.” This from Jack, which he follows up with, “What brings you to our little town?”

  I’m saved from answering his, once again, nosy question when Anna comes back with my water.

  She places my water down on the table in front of me, props her hands on her hips, and turns towards Jack and Jake's table. “Alright Jack, I won't be having you harassing my customers again. Leave this nice lady alone and get back to your dinner.”

  Jake winks at me while Jack turns back to his table while grumbling, “I was just trying to make conversation. Can't a body inquire about a new person in town?”

  Anna turns back towards me and says, “I apologize about that. He may be a bit overbearing at times but he's completely harmless.”

  “That's okay.”

  “I could tell by the look on your face that he was making you uncomfortable. Next time, just tell him to put a sock in it.”

  Jack grunts.

  My lips twitch.

  Anna smiles and tells me my food will be out soon and then she walks up to Nick, gives him another quick kiss, and slips back behind the counter.

  I grab my purse and pull out the cheap disposable cell phone I bought at the beginning of my trip. I know until Chris hears from me, she will be on pins and needles. I promised her I would call or text her daily just to let her know I was okay and where I was. She’s been my lifeline through this whole mess. I don't know where I would be if it weren’t for her. Hell, I don't even know if I would still be alive if it weren’t for her. We've been friends since third grade and she has saved me more times than I can count. If it weren't for her I would still be stuck with Steven living in my daily dose of hell. She was the one who helped me escape. She is the one that gave me the courage to make a stand and metaphorically say no to Steven. I say metaphorically because there is no way I could ever say no to his face.

  I shudder at the thought of the repercussions I would receive from Steven if I ever worked up the courage to stand up to him.

  My text to Chris is short, just letting her know I was in Jaded Hollow, Ohio and that I would be staying here for a while. She knows my cash is running low. Between the two of us, we were able to scrounge up a whopping $5,534 for me to travel on. That may sound like a lot to some, but when you’re constantly on the go it disappears fast. Most of the money came from her, which I refused in the beginning because she is a struggling full-time waitress. Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, she had to put off going to college for a few years. Her waitressing gig is what’s paying her way through college. She kept insisting and I finally realized that I had no choice. It was either take her money and run or end up dead. And I knew one of the times Steven lost it, he would end up killing me.

  So, while Steven was at one of his “meetings” I checked myself out of the hospital early. Chris took me to get a cheap car and I loaded it up with as much of my stuff as I could. Just outside of town my first stop was a cell phone store in a strip mall to purchase a cheap non-traceable phone. My next stop was a gas station to fill the gas tank in my car and I vamoosed. I was gone, hoping and praying, into thin air. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Steven caught up with me two weeks after I left.

  My thoughts are interrupted when my cell pings with an incoming text. I know it was from Chris, she was the only one that has my number.

  Chris: Please be careful and keep a close look out. Keep me posted daily. Love you.

  Me: I will, I promise. Love you too.

  I slip my phone back into my purse just as Anna walks up to the table carrying my food. “Here ya go, sweetie.” She says when she sets my burger and fries in front of me. My stomach rumbles at the sight of it.

  I blush and peek up at Anna, who is still standing at the table watching me. When I do, my hair falls away from my face and exposes a small portion of my scar. Although she recovers quickly and tries to conceal it, I hear Anna gasp. This is a typical reaction, so I ignore it.

  I lower my head, so my hair falls back into place and slowly raise it back up to glance at her. I decide I might as well start my job search.

  Tentatively, I ask, “Do you know of any places around here that are hiring? The only experience I really have is bartending and housekeeping.”

  Her expression is troubled. She’s biting her bottom lip while she considers my question. After several seconds her eyes light with excitement and she nearly shouts, “Yes! I know just the place!”

  Although I know I need a job I am a little leery at her excitement. I mean, seriously? How can someone become so excited about the prospect of referring someone to a possible job opportunity? Something else is going on here and it makes me nervous and cautious. I decide right then to watch myself around Anna. She’s sweet and seems like a nice girl and I already like her, but she also seems mischievous.

  Once she is done bouncing on her heels in her excitement she looks at me with her eyes dancing merrily and says, “Jaxon's Pub needs a bartender. Do you know where it is?”

  Yes, I know where it is. I remember driving right past it on my way into town. It was the bar with the motorcycles out front. My previous experience in bartending was back home at an upscale restaurant called ‘The Bryler.’ There was a bar in the restaurant. It’s independently owned by a local family. I worked there while I was in college to help pay for my education. It was there that I met Steven. He was there for a meeting with a client and I had the misfortune of being the bartender on duty. Working in a high-class restaurant was a lot different than working in a rugged bar. I’m not picky though. I know I need a job and am willing to give just about anything a try.

  “Yes, thank you, I know where it is.” I tell her and give a little smile.

  She returns my smile with a big one of her own and says, “Just tell Jax I sent you over. And don't let him scare you off. He can be, let's just say, intimidating at times. Underneath it all he's a good guy, though.”

  Her words make me nervous. There is no telling what I could be getting myself into working for this Jax character. I've had enough drama in my life to last a lifetime. I definitely do not need or want more; especially now, with my life i
n shambles.

  With a few more words, where she informs me that Jaxon should be on shift soon, she walks off to take care of her other customers. I look at my food and, with a desperation that’s pathetic, dive right in. It is the best burger and fries I’ve ever eaten.

  Once I’m finished, which took all of five minutes, I gather my purse and slide out from the booth. As I make my way to the counter to pay for my meal, I notice Anna standing next to Nick. They are whispering and glancing my way. They quickly avert their eyes when they catch me looking.

  Behind the counter is the elderly woman that was with Anna when I first walked in. She came to the register that sat behind the counter. Her name tag shows that Maggie's Diner is her restaurant. She has white, gray hair that she wears in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her eyes are a dark chocolate brown. Upon closer inspection, she appears to be nearing her seventies, rather than the fifties or sixties that I had originally thought. She’s wearing a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, a pair of tan slacks, and completing her outfit is a pair of black nursing shoes. Over her outfit she has the same colored apron as Anna.

  “Hi, did you enjoy your meal?” She smiles and asks in a warm and friendly voice.

  “Yes, ma'am, I did, thank you.” I return.

  I pull out my wallet, grab some money, and hand it to her. After ringing up my total and putting the money in the register she hands me my change.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Come back and see us again soon.” She calls as I start walking away.

  I slowly turn back to her and hesitantly tip up my lips a little and say, “Okay.”

  I make my way to the door and push through it to go back out into the nippy air. The temperature has dropped a few more degrees since I had been inside so I slid my hands into the front of my hoodie and approach my car. After unlocking it, I climb inside, more exhausted than I was before I ate. I relax against the headrest, preparing myself for the task ahead- talking this Jaxon person into hiring me.

  Chapter Two

  As I approach the place that is to hopefully be my salvation for the next indeterminable amount of weeks, I notice it is even busier than it was when I first drove by. It looks like Jaxon's Pub is the place to be on a Wednesday night here in Jaded Hollow. The parking lot is full so I pull behind a gray Voltswagon Beetle that is parked on the side of the road in front of the building. On the back of the Beetle there is a pink sticker that reads “ROCK CHICK.” I notice there are several other cars parked on the side of the road as well.

  I debate with myself on whether or not to wait until tomorrow to talk to this Jax guy about the job. The place is so busy I’m not sure he will have time to talk. I decide since I’m already here to go inside and have a look around and get a feel for the place. If it looks like they’re too busy I’ll just come back and talk to someone tomorrow during the day.

  I hop out of my car and make my way towards the door when suddenly I hear a loud screech come from my right. I glance over, and what I see has my heart racing. Right there in the middle of the parking lot is a couple in an intimate embrace.

  At first glance it looks like the girl may be struggling against the guy. After a better look I can see the girl isn’t fighting to get away from the man, but fighting to get him closer. The guy has her pinned against the side of a car. He has one hand wrapped around her thigh, holding it over his hip. He’s grinding himself good and hard against her. His other hand is wrapped in her hair, pulling her head back so his lips have access to her neck. The girl has both of her arms wrapped around his neck. With her head thrown back and her mouth open, anyone can see that she’s enjoying herself.

  I can’t really tell because of the darkness, but it actually looks like the guys pants are sagging, which means his pants are undone, and if his pants are undone, that means they are...

  “Oh yeah, baby, right there, don't stop!” The girl cries to the dark sky.

  Oh my God!! Are they actually having sex in the parking lot of a bar? Do people really do that? I quickly look away, embarrassed, and start walking faster towards the entrance before they notice me.

  The front of the building has a huge porch. There’s a porch swing and two wooden rocking chairs with a table sitting between them. A few potted plants hang from the railing. It all feels very homey and if it weren't for the neon signs, I would never have pegged this for a place that sold alcohol.

  I push open the door and immediately I am met with a wave of music and smoke. I pause just inside the door to take everything in. The place is packed with people. There are several tall tables with stools, most of which are occupied. I also notice a sliding glass door. From what I can see it looks like there is another covered porch with more tables and chairs. To my left there are several pool tables.

  Directly in front of me is a long scarred wooden bar that has about ten stools in front of it. All of them are taken except for the one at the end and I decide that is to be my spot. I feel several people staring at me while I make my way to the bar. With this being such a small town I'm sure seeing new people is a commodity to them.

  Behind the bar is the usual mirrored wall. Attached to the glass are pictures. One picture stands out because it is an exact replica of the one that hung on the wall of the diner. It’s the black and white photo of a man and woman standing in front of the diner. Another picture hangs beside it. This photo is of a young girl of about ten or eleven with light blonde hair. Standing next to her is a teenage boy. He’s tall and has spiky jet black hair. On the other side of the boy is another girl. She looks to be in her mid-teens and has the same color hair as the boy. Both of the girls have their arms wrapped around the boy’s waist while his are wrapped around their shoulders. All three have huge grins on their faces. You can see by their expressions that they just got done laughing. They look happy and carefree.

  In front of the mirrored wall is what looks to be hundreds of every different kind of alcohol imaginable. At one end of the mirrored wall is an old fashion cash register. At the other end are two sinks. Beside the sinks are glasses sitting in a drying rack. Right behind the bar, directly in front of me, are four different beer taps. Looking to the right, I notice more taps further down the bar.

  A girl that looks too young to be working in a bar approaches my section. She has red and black hair cut into a pixie style. When I say red I don't mean the red you typically see on a female. You know, the red that's actually an orange. No, this girl has red hair. A bright candy apple red. A red you would see on a sports car. Although her hair is loud, it’s also cute and fits her. Black kohl is artfully done around her eyes. Not too much, but just enough to give her seductive eyes. Both of her ears are lined with earrings, ranging from tiny drops of metal to ones the size of a sweet pea. She also has a small diamond nose ring. She sports a pair of jean overalls with a black tank top underneath. She is absolutely beautiful. Through the dim light of the bar I can see tattoos on her arms.

  Walking up to me, she asks in a deceptively innocent voice. “Can I get you something?”

  Still overcome with her beauty it takes me a minute to register what she said.

  “Oh, um, water, please.”

  Grabbing a glass and using one of the taps to fill it, she places it in front of me and turns to walk off.

  “Hey! Anna down at Maggie’s Diner said y’all might be hiring. She told me to ask for Jax about a job,” I semi-yell over the loud music in the smoky bar. I don’t want to yell too loud and risk everyone staring at me, so I yell loud enough for just the pixie to hear me.

  She raises her eyebrows and looks me over. I know I’m no knockout compared to her. I’m of average height, about 5'6”. My hair and eyes are just a plain brown. I’m not thin, but I’m not chunky either. I believe my weight is proportionate with my height. My boobs are on the small side, but are perky. My two redeeming qualities, which are curses in my opinion, are my neck and legs. People said I had a slender and graceful neck and mile long legs. At one of Steven’s and
my “outings” one guy said I had supermodel legs. It always made me feel creepy when one of his colleagues complimented me.

  After her perusal of me the girl glances to the right and hollers, “Jaxon!” Across the bar.

  “What?” A deep, rich voice responds. I glance over in the direction of the voice and notice a man leaning on his forearms on the bar talking to a woman. I can’t see his face because of the other occupants at the bar. From what I can see, he’s wearing a pair of well-worn form fitting jeans.

  Pixie girl hollers back, “We got a potential here.”

  Jeans guy straightens up and starts walking towards us. My breath catches at my first real sight of him. He is the guy in the picture plastered to the mirror behind the bar. It’s him, but an older him. He still has the thick, spiky, jet black hair. It looks like he just ran his hands through it. An irrational thought pops into my head of me running my fingers through his hair.

  I shake my head. Whoa! What? Where in the world did that thought come from? No. No way could I ever want that, no matter how hot a guy looks.

  He is tall. If I had to guess, I would say about 6’3”. He’s built, but not a bulky built. I can see muscles bulging from his shirt sleeves and his stomach is flat, and hard I would guess.

  As he starts walking closer I notice that, although he still favors the teenage boy in the picture, he has quite a few artistic features added to his person. He has two silver rings in one brow and a gauge in each ear. He has on a black short sleeve t-shirt and his arms are covered in tattoos. From the neck of his shirt, I can see another tattoo peeking out from underneath it. He wears a black and silver woven necklace that lies close to his neck. On his left wrist is a wide leather wristband. He is, hands down, the most gorgeous man I had ever seen before.

  “What's up, Mia?” He asks once he reaches us. It is so hard not to just stare at him. He has still yet to look my way. I don’t know why, but I really want him to.