by Lark, Jane
I smiled again, too. “And again, thanks. Now where’s the beer you offered me. I’m gonna thrash you on your Xbox––and, women’s prerogative, I get to pick the game.”
He laughed.
I found him so easy to get along with.
Think like you’re his sister. Sister… Sister… Sister…
I sat down on the beanbag before the TV and leaned forward to turn it on.
The beanbag was the only piece of furniture he had beyond the mattress in his bedroom. I doubted anyone else had been in his apartment but me. It was hardly set up for entertaining.
He really did need something beyond an Xbox in his life.
I switched the game on and then picked up the controllers.
He came to sit next to me, handed me a beer and then sipped from his bottle before slouching sideward and resting his elbow on the beanbag next to me.
Fuck!
Think like you’re his sister, Rachel…
Chapter Five
Rachel rushed out of the back door of the restaurant, waving her pay packet. “Got it! Are you ready for our big night out?”
I laughed at her over-exuberance. It was just a pay packet. But she was bursting with pride, or perhaps her excitement was over our planned night out.
She’d suggested it. It had been Thanksgiving yesterday but she’d had to work and she’d known I was going to be sitting about the apartment on my own, so to celebrate Thanksgiving, albeit late, and her first pay packet, she’d said we should let our hair down, and go a bit wild––all her words. She’d insisted I went to a club with her. She wanted to get me out of the slow lane, as she called my life, and get me to take a bite out of the Big Apple.
She did make me laugh, and for the last week and half she’d carried me on the tide of her high spirits. It was great having her around, and it had become normal. We were good friends. I felt like I’d known her all my life. Although I still knew very little of her past, and I knew nothing about why and how she’d ended up standing on Manhattan Bridge, wishing herself in the water below.
But that really didn’t seem to matter anymore, because this Rachel was a different person than the one I’d met that first night. This Rachel was constantly smiling, and vibrant, and happy.
I’d eaten at the restaurant during her shifts twice more and both times I saw her laughing and chatting easily with customers, and flirting with men for bigger tips. But it was like she drew energy off people. Like she consumed other people’s smiles into herself and fueled herself with them.
“So, you up for this?”
“Course. I’m not running away now, you’d call me boring again.”
“Well, you are boring.”
“I’m not going to be tonight, I’m up for anything tonight. Call my bluff and I’ll prove it to you.”
Her smile broadened and it shone in the jet heart of her eyes too.
She wasn’t just an incredibly good-looking woman; she was an incredibly sexy woman when she had her vibe on like this.
She winked at me then, and pursed her lips as she started down the street. “Mmm… Now let me think how might I call your bluff…?” She turned and walked backwards a couple of steps, her pay packet still bobbing up and down in the loose grip of her thumb and forefinger, with the rhythm of her backwards steps. “I’m gonna have to think of something really reckless … ”
I laughed again, at her teasing. She was always teasing me. I loved it. I loved the way she lightened my mood whenever she was around. I’d begun really looking forward to picking her up after her shift. New York no longer seemed like this fog of stuff I couldn’t get on with, because I always had her to look forward to.
I’d come back from work and run; always thinking of meeting Rachel later on. Then I’d get home, shower, and call Lindy, like I’d always done before walking down to collect Rachel.
My calls with Lindy would be their usual dull strained discussions all about life and people back home, what Lindy had done, who Lindy had seen, what my parents were doing, what my friends were doing. Then at the end of the call Lindy often threw in a jab at Rachel. ‘Is she still there? Hasn’t she got the message yet? Surely she’s…’ Sometimes I left my cell on the counter and went to get a drink or something when she started on about Rachel. I never listened anyway, nor replied, just let Lindy get her rant out.
When I came to pick up Rachel she’d breeze out all smiles and questions about what I’d been up to all day at work, and how my run went. Lindy never asked those questions.
I talked constantly with Rach. I couldn’t remember ever talking this easily with Lindy.
Rach and I liked the same TV shows and video games, we had some discussions on music choices, but disagreements made us laugh because she only teased, she didn’t argue. We had the same sense of humor, too.
“Come on you lazy boy,” Rach urged me, before turning to face front again. “I wanna get back and change, I’m not going on our big night out like this.”
I wanted to run with her, she said she’d never run and she wasn’t into it, but I thought she would be if I got her started; she had so much energy, I knew she’d get the buzz. Lindy had never got it. She’d hated me running when I was back at home. She’d begged me to give it up, once.
But I liked running; I’d feel like I’d missed out on something if I didn’t run.
Rachel said she didn’t get running, but she did get what it meant to me. I knew she did, because she always asked where I’d run and how far, and if I’d enjoyed it.
She’d finished two hours early tonight so we had plenty of time to go out, and I knew she’d bought new clothes with money from tips––money from the men she’d flashed her cleavage at as she’d served. But I only knew because she’d asked permission to spend the money on herself before paying me back. I’d told her go ahead, treat yourself, you deserve it.
She’d kissed my cheek, when she’d said thank you, which was the only physical contact we’d had since I’d last fixed up her hand.
She wasn’t wearing the bandage any more, she’d taken it off. The wound was healing okay though, I’d made her hold her palm out and show me.
“Hurry up!” she called from in front of me.
My hands were in the pockets of my leather jacket and my lips twisted to a half smile as I walked. Of course, I could break out into a run and see if she could keep up, her heels weren’t that high.
My hands slipped out of my pockets and I started slowly, jogging past her and glancing back at her over my shoulder. I’d worn my running shoes with my jeans to come fetch her.
She started running too, hitching up her tight pencil skirt with one hand.
I ran a little faster, it didn’t even make me breathless but it was so easy to leave her behind.
“Wait! Hey wait! Not that fast! Wait!”
I upped my pace again, although it was nowhere near the pace I usually ran at.
“Jason Macinlay! I said wait! I can’t keep up with you!”
I stopped dead and turned around laughing. There were others in the street looking at us oddly, I didn’t give a damn.
Rach had her shoes in one hand and her other gripped her skirt, holding it hitched up to the top of her long slender thighs, as she ran the last few paces in stocking covered feet over the cold ground.
She had a good stride. I was sure she’d be good to run with.
When she reached me though, she doubled over panting and pressing her palm to her side. “Dammit. I got a stitch. What did you have to do that for?”
I laughed at her. Well, she could run if she got used to a little exercise. “You need to work out, girl.”
She stood upright, her fingers still pressing against her side as she dropped her shoes onto the sidewalk, and then, when she slipped her feet into them one at a time, putting them back on, she met my gaze. “What I need is a night out, not a work-out.”
She was smiling at me like she was having the best time of her life. But I’d got the impression from Rachel that ever
y day was the best day of her life. God knows what had made her contemplate ending it all? Probably some guy who’d let her down. She was so openhearted she wouldn’t have seen it coming.
But then any man who’d let her down was a fool. It was his loss, not hers.
Her blonde hair was in a ponytail but there was a loose strand brushing her neck. My fingers itched to tuck it behind her ear as we walked.
When we got back to my apartment she disappeared into the bathroom while I quickly changed into a shirt and a black pair of skinny cut pants. I also swapped my running shoes for the one pair of decent shoes I owned and used for work. All the time I was changing, I heard the shower running.
I’d never gone to a club. I’d only ever gone to bars with Lindy and my friends. I was sure I was in for a wild night with Rachel. I was looking forward to it. My heart beat rapidly as I walked from the bedroom back into the living room to get a beer. Rach hadn’t told me where we were going.
To calm the energy still buzzing in my veins from my run, and to control the cocktail of anxious excitement within me, I sat on the floor and started up a game on the Xbox.
I heard the shower turn off and then Rach singing in the bedroom.
“Man. Why don’t you have a hairdryer?” Her voice reverberated through the closed door.
“I keep my hair short so I don’t need one!” I shouted back laughing.
“That’s just selfish…” There was laughter in her voice, too.
“Want me to come and blow on it!”
“Ha, ha. No thanks, I’ll manage.”
She went silent then but I could hear her moving about, getting stuff out of bags.
She started singing to herself again and then shouted, “I won’t be much longer… I hope you’re ready?”
“I’m ready. I’m waiting on you!” As I shouted my thumbs carried on working the controls.
Rach was getting good at my games. Her scores were starting to beat some of mine. She’d play in the morning, before she started a lunch shift and I’d play after my run, before I met her from work. It had become a competition between us to play the same game the other one had played and beat their last score.
She was becoming like one of my best friends. In fact in some ways she was more fun than them.
“Hey.”
I glanced round. I hadn’t heard the door open, and… Fuck…
None of my friends were hot like her.
I’d dropped the controller without even thinking, letting the car just crash, and now I stood, unraveling from my crossed legged position on the floor.
“Fuck, Rach…” That wasn’t the thing to say obviously, but she looked amazing. She was wearing stiletto heeled black leather knee length boots which hugged her slim calves and a scarlet red jersey dress. I’m sure most women couldn’t have pulled the dress off, but she could.
Fuck.
I was lost for words, and then finally the right words came out. “You look amazing… Beautiful.”
Her hair was a bit messy. Obviously she’d turned upside down and shaken it to dry it a bit. But even so, its ruffled look only made me think of how she looked when she was asleep, when I got up in the morning, and I always thought that was a good look.
Shit.
She was wearing make-up too, and I’d never seen her in make-up. Her lipstick matched the color of her dress and the mascara on her eyes seemed to highlight the unusual light green even more.
“You look fabulous, Rach,” I said more calmly.
“You scrub up pretty good, too.”
Her gaze swept down over my clothes. I knew they were really nothing special, Lindy always moaned I didn’t have a gift with style.
To stop feeling awkward I finished off my beer, then turned and put the empty bottle down on the counter, saying, “Ready,” as I turned back.
She’d taken her little black leather purse off her shoulder, and was pulling some dollar notes out of it.
“Here.” She held them out to me. “You’d better take this before I get drunk and spend it.”
“You don’t have to, Rach.”
“No, I do. I’m not gonna keep owing you forever. Take it. And we’re Dutch tonight, right, no manly I’m buying all the drinks bullshit. We’re half and half.”
I smiled. “Okay, it’s a deal.” I took the money off her. I couldn’t refuse. It would be cruel to refuse. She was busy turning her life around. I wasn’t going to stop her.
After I’d put the money in my wallet, I reached her coat down from the peg and held it up for her.
“Why, thank you kind sir, it’s amazing what a figure-hugging red dress can do.”
“Very funny…” I was smiling at her, even though my words were dry. But she was right, the dress was figure-hugging, it clung to every curve and left nothing to my imagination. Not that I needed imagination, I could still see the image of her on that first night in my mind as she’d lain naked in the bath. Shit, tonight was not the night to be thinking about that.
I reached for my coat, then put it on.
“We’re going on the subway,” she said, hooking her little purse bag over her arm again. “So don’t take your hat and scarf, you’ll only lose them in the club––”
“And freeze on the way home either way…”
“You won’t notice the weather on the way back you’ll be too drunk.” She grinned at me, her devilish come-on-live-a-bit-wild grin.
I grinned back, a sucker for a beautiful woman in a hot dress. “I wish all my friends looked as good as you,” I whispered to her as we went out the door.
She glanced back, flashing me another bright smile. Then she said, “Likewise.”
When we got on the subway train we sat on opposite sides of the carriage, grinning at each other, like a couple of kids. But then my cell buzzed in my pocket as it pulled away.
I took it out.
It was Lindy.
“Yeah.”
“What, not hi, darling, or, great to hear from you.”
“I’m on the subway, Lindy. I told you I was going out.”
“Right. I just wanted to check you’re okay.”
“I’m, okay.”
“You always call me, I just wanted to surprise you and call you for a change.”
“On the one night I’ve gone out for a drink since I’ve been here, cheers, Lindy, thanks for thinking of me.”
I didn’t look at Rachel. It was embarrassing to have Lindy check up on me. She was jealous of Rachel. Lindy had always held other women at a distance from me, it was just part of what she did, and the way she was. I knew it was because she was insecure, but I was a little sick of her insecurity lately.
“Lindy, just give it a rest. Be the one to call me tomorrow if you like, it’s a Saturday, surprise me then…”
She hung up.
She’d be pissed off and angry now.
My good mood deflated like someone let helium out of my balloon. I made a sorry face at Rach and stood up, then moved further along the carriage, and with one arm looped about the bar to hold me steady, I called Lindy back. The subway was coming off the far end of the bridge. I’d lose my signal soon.
“Hi,” she answered, sounding annoyed.
“Sorry.”
“Yeah, right…”
“I’m trying my best to make this work, Lindy. You know I haven’t been out, or really made friends here. Rachel just offered to get me out of the apartment and help me get to know the city a bit, to cheer me up, alright… It’s nothing.”
“It isn’t nothing, Jason. She’s living with you in a one bedroom apartment. She’s after what she can get. She’s taking advantage, and…”
And of course in Lindy’s opinion that could only be about money, nothing to do with the fact Rach might actually like me.
“Think whatever you want to think, Lindy.” I kept my head down so my voice didn’t carry. “I know why she’s staying, and it isn’t to get money out of me. I like her, alright? She’s good company. I’m sorry you’re jealous,
but I’m not making her homeless just ‘cause you’re jealous. This has to stop, understand. You can’t keep running her down every night.”
Lindy stayed silent for a minute. Then she said, “You know, Jason, if you were really trying at this, you wouldn’t even be in New York, you’d be here, where you belong, with me and your mom and dad. Bye.”
She hung up again.
I didn’t call back.
I slipped the cell into my inside pocket where my wallet was and went to sit back down opposite Rach again.
“How’s Lindy?” She gave me a sweet smile. I looked for sarcasm in her expression and found none. She understood. I could see it in her eyes. She knew I felt like trash because I could do nothing right for Lindy.
I smiled back as her smile turned sympathetic. “Fine.”
“It’s alright, tonight’s gonna cheer you up and put a smile back on your face, Jason Macinlay.”
I got up and shifted to the seat next to her and then started asking her about the club she was taking me to. I wanted to lighten the mood again. I’d felt good when we’d left the apartment, now I was feeling all small-town-guy-in-a-big-city.
She had me laughing by the time we got off the subway, although it wasn’t a belly laugh. I still felt a bit down over my argument with Lindy. I wasn’t sure Lindy and I would ever work out now, and yet we’d been together forever, and I’d thought it would just go on like that. I couldn’t see my future anymore. It was ridiculous, I’d been so sure of everything until I’d come to New York. Or perhaps Lindy had just been sure of everything and I’d fallen in line…
“Do you wanna go to a bar first?”
“You’re the party planner…” Lindy’s call was seriously flattening this for me.
“Then we’ll go to a bar, and I’m buying the first round, and you’re having a shot, not just beer.”
I smiled at her, my hands in my pockets again.
“Come on, cheer up,” she said. “A girlfriend who wants to take over the world won’t end your life.”
“Just limit it…” My gaze caught hers, and for the first time in days she gripped my arm.
“Come on, I’m on a mission now, I’m cheering you up whether you like it or not.”