Beth had to deal with the over protectiveness of her father more than she would like, especially since she was an only child. Lucy had an older sister as a role model, therefore allowing her the freedom to do so much. Beth's dad never left the new fatherhood phase and wanted to shield her from the world. "It's called dating, Dad. I don't do a ton of it." Even if she had guys falling at her feet, he would make dating on a regular basis near impossible. He managed to warm up to Ryan a little bit before they broke up. She didn't think he'd cozy up to another boyfriend of hers again for quite awhile.
He stood up from the table. "Exactly. You've got no idea what guys are like." He walked over to Beth and put his arm around her. "They aren't all nice like your dad." He pulled her into a hug. Why did dads always think guys only wanted sex? Did he? Is that how he and her mom got together? The thought almost made her throw up.
"I know, Dad." But maybe he was right? No. Harvey seemed different. "We're going to Denny's. I'll call you if we decide to go to a motel."
He grabbed her shoulders and faced her to him. "Hey! Don't even make jokes about that."
Okay, possibly she took it a little too far, but she had to call him out on his ridiculousness. "Dad, I'm joking! I'll be okay. It's a breakfast date." She wasn't going to bang him in the bathroom at the restaurant.
He moved his hands to her jawline and squeezed her cheeks together. "Fine. Have fun." .
"Why don't you invite Harvey over for dinner?" Her mom asked.
Too serious of a step. Meeting the parents? Dinner with a significant other's family was something reserved for a boyfriend. They had only been on a few dates, and that was if the night at The Blue Rooster counted in that number, otherwise just one. She wasn't positive if he even was her boyfriend. Did she flat out ask him? Being straightforward could turn him off, something she didn't want. "He probably has to work."
"At least he has a job," her dad said. "If you do have a boyfriend, I don't want him to be on a track to nowhere."
She didn't clarify at this point in time, Harvey was not her boyfriend. Or she had no idea what kind of path he was on. He didn't seem excited to talk about his life. Everyone had goals, though, something to strive for. His reluctance about the past thrilled her, but it was time she learned what his future held.
Chapter Ten
On the way to Denny's, only a short drive from Beth's house, she realized she and Harvey could've at least driven together. He did live just a few houses down from her. However, her dad would've insisted he come inside and properly introduce himself. In their discussion, Beth omitted Harvey's age, aware the small gap may piss him off.
The entire drive she tapped her foot so fast she could've powered the Flinstones car. She finally exhaled when she arrived. The pet fair allowed room to breathe and not concentrate on the right thing to say or do. While they spent the day together talking and having fun, throughout the event, they conversed with multiple people, not forcing interaction. This qualified an official date. They would be sitting right across from each other, by themselves, a waitress bothering them a few times. What if they ran out of things to say? Staring at him for an hour sure wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but if only silence existed between them, could anything else? She imagined the whole date as nothing but obnoxious chewing. She'd stare down at her plate the entire time, sliding eggs from side to side, her mouth gaped open as she tried to force words out.
She couldn't do this. Who was she kidding? The last "real" boyfriend she had, Ryan, didn't work out. This would be a failure, too. She knew her life - school, graduate with honors, find a teaching job and live in a tiny apartment with two cats. Her long hair would be thrown into a bun daily, her face defining every wrinkle as she grew older each year. She wasn't Lucy or Heather. A long term relationship, or a fling every other month, didn't fulfill her. She was just Beth. Plain Jane Beth.
The best way to break things off would be a text. She couldn't stand in front of his gorgeous face and admit her cowardice. She needed an excuse. She drove to the diner, she intended to go on a date with him. How did she explain she spent the time to get ready and come, only to turn around and go home?
The sparse lot showed no sign of him, so she still could cancel. She slid the lock screen off her phone and pressed to send a new text message. She began to type. Sorry. I can't make it.
A text from Harvey popped up, interrupting her as she typed. You coming in?
Did he know she was waiting outside? She pressed the phone into her lap and twisted her head from side to side. His car wasn't in view. Where are you? Are you here? She sent back.
Look into the window next to the entrance.
She turned around. Harvey sat at a booth, waving at her. Shoot. Sorry. I'll be right in. Just checking in with my mom.
Now she had to go through with the date and hope not to make a fool of herself. She cracked her window a bit so the air could cool the car. It was only seven and already seventy degrees out. A quick check of her minimal makeup, and she headed for the door.
She entered the restaurant and walked up to the "Please Wait To Be Seated" sign. "Hey." Harvey spooked her as he approached her from the side.
Wow. She crossed her arms and pinched her skin. Nope. Not a dream. The smoking hot guy standing in front of her, with his off-white cargo shorts and turquoise shirt clinging to his fit body, was her date. Her date. Harvey's hotness landed on a scale she thought only Heather measured up to. What in the world did he see in her? Heather was probably a better match for him.
"Um, hi, Harvey. You didn't have to come up here."
He took her hand. "Yes, I did. Let's sit down. I wasn't sure if you drank coffee, so I got you an orange juice instead. Is that okay?"
"Yes, thank you." She sat down at the booth and noticed a steaming mug at his setting. "Even if I did drink coffee, I don't think I'd be able to on such a hot day."
He shrugged. "I don't mind. The heat's never bothered me. I'd prefer ninety degrees over nineteen."
"Point taken." Winter wasn't her favorite season. However, she did love a good sledding hill. She and Lucy often went to a steep slope by the elementary school and sled down it. Sledders spent ten minutes hiking up the hill, and sped down in mere seconds. They'd spin in circles until the fence finally brought them to a screeching halt.
"Are you okay?" Harvey let go of his coffee and reached his hand out to Beth.
"Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking of my friend Lucy. You remember her?"
He squinted an eye and puffed out his cheek. "The feisty one?"
Beth shook her head. "That's Heather. Lucy is the one from The Blue Rooster. She's my best friend. We've been friends for years, and she's headed off to school in Boston in the fall. When you mentioned the cold weather, some fun memories came back."
His eyelashes, long and thin, deepened his sparkling eyes. His gaze encompassed her body, drawing her into a trance. Disappointment overcame her when he broke his stare and handed her a menu.
"Any idea what you want?"
She laid the menu on the table, her finger scrolling down the page. Every breakfast platter looked far larger than she could eat. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't eat all this on their first "official" date. How would she look if she wolfed down three pancakes, eggs, and bacon? The bacon sizzling from the kitchen right to her nose made it difficult to bypass.
"Good morning!" The waitress arrived at their table quicker than Beth anticipated. "I'm Jenny. Decide what you'd like or did you need more time?"
Beth glanced at the brunette who was clearly talking only to Harvey. "I'll take the toast and scrambled eggs."
Jenny scribbled on her notepad, peeking over once to glance at Beth, and back to Harvey. "Did you see the steak and egg platters ... if you need something with a little more..." she pointed down the menu and continued, "muscle."
Was the waitress hitting on Harvey in front of her? "I'll have the two dollar pancake deal," she jumped in before Harvey responded.
Jenny clicked her p
en and noted Beth's order, while Beth noted the attitude. "I'll put your order right in." Her eyes lingered on Beth's for a moment before she turned back to Harvey. "Just call me if you need me." She took the menus from them.
"She's spitting in my food, isn't she?" Beth teased when she left earshot.
Harvey shook his head. "Nah. I don't think she'd even think to do that. You may get cold pancakes, though."
Beth squinted her eyes as the sun poured through the blinds. She reached over to close them, Harvey's hand meeting on hers.
"Let me."
She dropped her hand to the table, wishing the heaviness would remain forever. "Thank you." He didn't respond, only acknowledged her with a smile.
"So, continue telling me your story about Lucy moving away. That'll be different for you."
It would be. She and Lucy hadn't spent much time apart much over the past twelve years, but their argument on graduation night kept them from talking for an entire month. The longest they'd been separated prior to that was when Lucy's family took a week-long vacation to Disney World. Growing up meant cutting the strings, Beth knew this. She couldn't rely on Lucy her entire life. "I'll get used to it. Besides, I'll be living with Heather." Okay, maybe not all the strings.
An elderly couple passed the table, a woman with gray curly hair in a button up shirt and polyester pants, holding the arm of a bald man using the other to secure his cane to the ground. That was how she imagined her parents years down the road. Maybe Lucy and Jackson. She and Harvey .... No. She shouldn't get ahead of herself. They'd been out a measly three times and already she pictured growing old with him? He'd think she was psychotic if she shared her thoughts with him. Only crazy, boy obsessed girls thought that way. Not Beth. All it took, though, was the one person. Once the right person walked into your life, you did everything possible to make sure they didn't walk right back out. She wanted Harvey to stay. At least for awhile.
"They were cute." Harvey smirked.
"I bet they have tons of grandkids, or even great grandkids." They watched the man pull out a chair for the woman and she sat down. "What about you?"
Harvey laughed. "No. I don't have any grandkids." He took a drink of his coffee. "Or great grandkids."
She pressed her lips together and shooed him. "Come on, Harvey. I don't mean the grandkids. Grandparents. My dad's parents passed already. My grandpa died well before I would have remembered him, and my grandma died about three years ago. My mom's parents live up north. They're retired and live on a lake."
Jenny came to the table and set Harvey's plate down with kindness, and plopped Beth's on the table. "Need anything else?"
Harvey shook his head and ignored her so she would walk away. "Where up north?"
Her pancakes appeared okay on the outside. Peeling open a butter packet, she answered, "Meadow Hills. What about your grandma and grandpa?"
"Meadow Hills." He scooped up a pile of eggs. "Must be a pretty small town. Never heard of it."
Beth lumped butter onto the pancake and spread it with the knife. She didn't like the thickness of syrup, so sprinkled a sugar packet on. "It's tiny, and peaceful. So, your grandparents?" She cut into the side of the pancakes, making sure to slice through both at the same time.
Turning his head to the window, he said, "Let's not talk about grandparents." He pinched a blind between his fingers and opened it slightly, and closed it again. Was he looking for someone? "Karaoke is the craziest you've gotten, huh? You never stole a piece of candy from the drug store or tried a cigarette?" He smirked. "I bet you haven't even driven over the speed limit."
The sugar was grainy against her tongue. She took a drink of the orange juice, the acidity adding a bitter aftertaste. "Come on, Harvey. I think everyone has gone over the speed limit." Great. Now add prude to the list of terms to describe her.
Harvey shoved his plate out of the way and reached across the table for her hand. They locked their fingers together. "I used to go fast all the time," he said. He casted his eyes on hers, the twinkle in his hazel eyes grabbing a hold of her. "Now I like to take things slowly." His thumb massaged the side of her hand.
"What's this from?" She rubbed her finger on a small, raised line on his hand.
"Nothing." He pulled back, unlocking their fingers. "Just a scar."
"From what? I have a scar on my knee from when I fell while ice skating. I think I was about nine." She hadn't ice skated since, or roller skated. If it involved a blade or wheels balancing her, she wasn't going to do it.
He quickly gathered eggs on his fork and shoved them in his mouth. He chewed rapidly, stiffening his back against the booth. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing." His eyes floated away to the other patrons in the restaurant.
The scar was small, approximately an inch long, and not unlike one from a deep cut. Wasn't he going to share anything with her? "I told you about mine. I want to know about yours."
"It was an accident. Drop it, okay?" He scolded her.
But it wasn't. If it were just an accident, he wouldn't make such a big deal and share the story with her. The jagged line interrupting his smooth skin only scratched the surface of this puzzling man, and Beth hoped he would let her put the pieces together.
Chapter Eleven
An evening at work distracted Harvey from their date. The laughing and stories they shared were just what Maggie ordered. "Focus on yourself and make some new friends," she had told him. His best friend was Ricky, or the bottle, before he went to Pine Falls. The only thing worse than Harvey drinking with Ricky and his crew, was Harvey drinking alone.
Harvey worked on the issue of feeding destructive behavior with more destructive behavior while in rehab. Maggie helped him come to the realization too much of his life had been spent in anger. When he acted like he did, he made things worse. She assisted in finding ways to defeat the rage and be happier. It didn't solve anything by knocking out Ricky's cousin after losing a hundred bucks in a poker game. A bloody, sore hand and another enemy were the only prize. His broken rib came after slashing the tires on his father's truck because of a stupid television show. And driving drunk pushed him into rehab, along with community service and a hefty fine.
He had to admit, though, rehab proved to be a good thing. Maggie changed his life. The thought of alcohol sickened him now. He didn't want to go back. He couldn't. He needed answers because the one lone photo of his mom didn't give him any information. It wasn't fair his father refused to answer questions or even acknowledge she existed. He had every right to know where he came from. He was so much more than a recovering alcoholic. The smiling boy in the photo - that was Harvey. Where did he go? When did it all change?
"Harvey? Can I see you in my office, please?" Nelson dismissed Harvey from the counter, leaving the only other employee currently working, an elderly gentleman named James, to man the store.
Nelson closed the door behind them. "Please, take a seat." Harvey sat in the plastic chair, placing his hands in his lap. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday." Nelson's chair scraped against the floor as he pulled it out from under his desk. He cleared his throat as he sat down.
"I thought we already did. It won't happen again, Nelson." He'd be fucked if he lost his job, and not in the way he liked. "I don't know why that guy singled me out." He couldn't associate himself with Ricky, and doing so wouldn't help his argument to stay employed at the auto store.
Nelson steadied his chair on two legs, and crossed his arms behind his head. Harvey got a view of the gray hairs trying to run from his nose. His nostrils found the hair his head lost. "I'm aware we discussed this already. I just need you to understand I can't have this kind of activity in the store. I'm trying to run a business here." He released his hands from behind and folded them across his chest. "Whatever activities you ran with Ricky Hicks before you cleaned yourself up needs to stay in the past."
He managed to find enough saliva in his mouth to swallow. "I understand." Son of a bitch. Nelson wasn't dumb, and was well aware of Ha
rvey's connection with him. The clocked ticked in the background, each second drawing out the tension.
The legs of the chair met the floor, an echo of doubt forming in the air. "Do you? I'm doing quite a favor for my cousin. Maggie swore up and down you were a good guy and you wouldn't cause any trouble." He pointed his finger at Harvey. "I've got every right to fire your ass."
He couldn't let Maggie down. She pulled a lot of strings and broke the rules to get him this job, and believed in his ability to start a sober life on his own. The anticipation of leaving the facility had panicked him up until the moment he was about to walk out the door. She had reassured him everything would be okay. He believed her. There was no reason not to.
"I'm sorry about Ricky. I don't hang with him anymore. I swear. It won't happen again." He forced a swallow, fully aware he made a promise he had no control over.
Nelson furrowed his graying brow. "I'm sure you've said those words a lot in your life."
Harvey pressed against the chair, Maggie's voice in his head guiding him. Eight months ago, this is when he would dive over the desk and hit Nelson as hard as he could, and race home and polish off whatever his dad had in the house. Then him and his father would have another altercation over drinking his alcohol. He thought of Beth. Not only would he be letting Maggie down, but Beth as well. He'd have a ton of explaining to do. He locked his past away, and he intended to keep it there, or at least make the effort to do so.
"Sir, your cousin helped me through quite a bit. I've changed. Yes, I have said that in the past. I truly mean it now. I don't want that part of my life anymore. I'm ready to be a dedicated employee. I doubt Ricky will come back in here. I won't disappoint you." He needed to believe his own words. Now more than ever.
A torturous minute followed as he waited for Nelson to respond. Begging wasn't going to happen. He'd find something else before he pleaded. It may have been easier starting over with Maggie's help and connection to her cousin's store, but maybe filling the gap in his resume with some stupid lie would've been simpler than dealing with Nelson's doubts.
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