Amazingly Broken

by Jordin Williams

  “Sure, what’s the big deal.”

  “That sounds like a date. Was it a date?” he asked.

  “Kinda. Well, mostly. Yeah, it was a date.”

  My heart raced.

  It was a date.

  He grabbed Tiffany’s arm, “We’ve got to go. Hurry! There’s no time to waste.”

  She was laughing at him.

  “What’s he doing?” I asked.

  “Why Elana, the end is near! This is the first sign of the apocalypse.” In a fake news announcer voice, he declared, “Jaxon cooked for a girl. The end is coming.”

  “Come on, guys. He’s been out with plenty of girls. I saw him on a date when I went out with Cole.”

  “Revenge dates don’t count, do they, dear?” Tiffany asked Lance.

  “Hmmm, according to the rulebook, revenge dates do not count.”

  “He must have gone out with girls in the past.”

  “True, he has. But he never took the time to cook for them,” Lance said. “And here’s the million dollar question: did he sleep with you after dinner?”

  “I bet he didn’t,” Tiffany said, smiling.

  “No, he did not. Didn’t even try.”

  “Oh my god! That’s it. We’re doomed,” Lance said in mock horror.

  “You two are ridiculous. It’s nothing. We’re roommates and we both had to eat.”

  Tiffany looked at me with skepticism and said, “Even you don’t believe that. You even said it was a date.”

  “I don’t know, Tiff. We’ll see. I can’t spend all my time reading into it.”

  “When’s the wedding? Should I prepare my best man speech?”

  “Cut it out, you two. It was awesome, really. But there are still some things. We know each other better, but we’ve each got an airport full of baggage between us.”

  “Without baggage, we’d all be naked.”

  “That, ladies and gentlemen, is wisdom.” Tiffany laughed and kissed Lance.

  “I won’t say that I’m not interested. I am,” I said.

  “But?” Tiffany prodded.

  “But we need to get to know each other better. It’s a proceed-with-caution kind of thing. There’s school and work and life.”

  Tiffany finished my thought, “And the fighting?”

  “Yeah, there’s that.”

  Lance looked at me, biting his lower lip. “You mean with Bobby?”

  “Yeah, with Bobby and the one after the race,” I said.

  “The one after the race was mostly self-defense. That guy was coming after him first. I know his reaction was a little fierce, but the adrenaline pumping through you after a race is intense. I’d have a tough time keeping myself in check too.”

  “And Bobby?”

  “I’m a vault, Elana. If you need more explanations, you’ll have to go to the source. I’ll only say that his actions are understandable if you know the context.”

  Tiffany put her arm around him and kissed his cheek. “He’s the sexiest vault I’ve ever seen.”

  “You two are sickening, you know that, right?”

  I wanted what they had.

  We spent the rest of lunch talking about classes, movies, and assorted nonsense. Lance also complimented my karaoke performance. It reminded me that I needed to go back and see Tom about the job ASAP.

  I needed it.

  Chapter 25

  I made my way to O’Reilly’s, hoping Tom would be around. Since it was between lunch and dinner, the place was empty except for one old guy at the bar. Looking around, I spotted Tom near the stage fiddling with some speakers.

  “Well, Miss Elana, I wondered when you’d be back.”

  He stepped off the stage and shook my hand. “I would’ve come back yesterday, but it was a hectic day.”

  “The important thing is that you’re here now. So, let’s talk. Follow me.”

  We went to the other side of the restaurant and up a staircase. We were in a dark hallway with two doors, one at each end. Tom took out a set of keys and opened the nearest door to a room that was part office, part arcade and part living room. The walls were covered with overflowing bookshelves. In front of the window, he had a desk hidden under a mountain of papers. The far side of the room was occupied by a pool table and an old pinball machine.

  “I own the building. These used to be apartments, but I needed more space for my office. Well, as you can guess, it’s half office and half whatever suits me. The other one’s still an apartment, but I save that for visiting relatives.” He chuckled at the thought. “Better than having ‘em at my house.”

  “I’m sure.”

  There was something so welcoming about Tom. If he let his relatives stay in his house, I bet they’d never leave.

  “You want anything? I’ve got tea.”

  “Uh, sure. Tea would be great.”

  There was a kitchen across from the pool table. With so many other things in the apartment, I hardly noticed it.

  “So, Miss Elana, what d’ya think about taking a job with me?”

  “Well, what’s the job?”

  “Like I said, I want someone to host the karaoke nights. Maybe sing a song or two if the crowd is shy. Keep things moving along. The pay’s fifteen an hour, plus tips. We do karaoke on Wednesday and Thursday nights.”

  “That sounds amazing. What do I need to do?”

  “It’s yours if you want it.”

  “I’ll take it.” I was nervous about the idea of getting on a stage every week, even a small stage, but I needed a job. Plus, I promised my mother I’d try new things. This was certainly new to me.

  “There’s more,” he said, handing me my tea.

  “I’ve got this band with some friends. It’s no big deal. We mostly do covers. Occasionally, we play here or some other bar out at the beaches, and we play weddings when we feel like it. Our singer moved to Chicago, and so we sure could use your voice until we find someone new.”

  “Are you serious? You want me?”

  “It’s clear you know some older songs. I’m betting you know plenty of newer songs too. I’ve already heard you sing. So, what d’ya say?”

  “I’d love to, but I haven’t really done anything like that before.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ll have you out to practice and we’ll do a couple of performances here before we go anywhere. They’re cover songs, so it isn’t all that difficult. It’ll give us some time to find a good fulltime replacement.”

  “Tom, it’s like your Santa Claus.”

  “Finally, an excuse for this white hair,” he laughed. “Can you come in tomorrow night for a practice session with the band? The place is always dead on Tuesdays, so we can get away with it. We’ll plan to start your new karaoke gig next Thursday. That’ll give you some time to plan for the new schedule.”

  “Tom, I don’t know you that well, but I already think you’re the greatest.”

  “Thanks Elana.”

  When I left, I wanted to call Tiffany, but something stopped me. It almost felt too good to be true. If I called her, maybe I’d find myself waking up from a dream. Or maybe if I heard myself say it out loud, it would sound crazy. For the first time since my mom died, I was doing something totally spontaneous and I needed some time to adjust to the idea.

  Chapter 26

  I headed home, hoping Jaxon would be back. I couldn’t get him out of my mind and the soft night breeze wasn’t helping. It made me think of his breath on my neck. I almost fell off the curb, thinking of him instead of paying attention to where I was going.

  The way his body looked.

  What his scent smelled like.

  His bad boy tattoos.

  His wild brown hair.

  His sense of humor.

  His sexy car.

  His lips on mine.

  When I opened the door to the apartment, I heard the shower running. I hurried into my room to check my makeup and clothes. I was reapplying lip gloss when the shower turned off. Grabbing a book, I collapsed on the bed trying to look
nonchalant.

  A few minutes later, Jaxon stuck his head in the door. “Hey, Toots.”

  “Hi, when did you get back?”

  “Only about fifteen minutes ago. It’s been a long day. I’m glad to be home.” He came closer and looked at my book. “Chemistry?”

  “Yeah, not my favorite.”

  “You have a lot to do tonight?”

  “Not too much, why?”

  “I need to get out of here and blow off some steam. I already called Lance and Tiffany and they’re coming. You in?”

  “I don’t know Jax. I think I might just stay in tonight and read,” I said, shaking my book in the air.

  “There’s plenty of time for that later and I’ll bring you home if you’re not having fun. I swear.”

  “Fine,” I sighed, getting up from the bed, “Let me find something to wear.”

  I went through my clothes. I wanted to look good but not obvious. I found a yellow sundress that fit my body just right. My breasts weren’t large—especially when I was standing next to Tiffany—but the sweetheart neckline on the dress made them look fuller.

  I pulled my hair into a low ponytail and brushed some powder on my face. On more than one occasion, Jaxon said he liked how I looked without lots of makeup and fussing. That worked for me since I hated makeup and fussing. I smoothed the dress with my hands, grabbed a pair of sandals and headed to the living room.

  Jaxon looked up when he heard me and said, “Wow, Toots. It took you no time and you look like a million bucks.”

  I laughed under my breath.

  He got up and put his arms around me. The feel of his hands on the bare skin of my shoulders made me want to take his clothes off and have him on the floor. It was a good thing that we were going out, because I’d have trouble taking things slowly if we stayed home.

  “Are you sure you should be going out again? You missed all your classes today. We can stay in and study. I’m fine with that.” I offered.

  He walked over and opened his bottom desk drawer. He rustled through papers until he found what he was looking for. “Three point seven,” he announced, showing me the paper.

  “How? When?” I stammered.

  “I have fun, but I get my work done. When I miss class, I let the professor know. I’m wild not stupid.”

  I smiled and stared at the paper shocked. My assumptions continued to be wrong. “Let’s go then,” I said, looking up from the paper.

  “One more thing,” he said, leaning down and taking me in his arms. He gave me a deep, long kiss. I relaxed into his embrace and felt the energy pulsing through every muscle of his body. “Now we can go.”

  “You’re assuming I still want to,” I smiled.

  “We can stay in if you want.”

  “No, let’s go. You already called Tiffany and Lance. We should be good.”

  “I’m always good,” he smirked.

  “Okay, okay. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” I grabbed my cell phone and purse. “Are we eating?”

  “Yeah, we’ll eat and then head to the club. We shouldn’t drink without eating.”

  “I shouldn’t drink at all. Have you noticed I’m underage?”

  “Have you noticed that I know everyone in there? If you want a drink, you’ll have one.”

  “So you’re trying to get me drunk?” I said, turning off the lights.

  “I was just joking. If I'm going to get you, it's going to be the right way,” he said placing a hand on my back and opening the door to the apartment to let me out first.

  That would only make me more nervous.

  However, real.

  Chapter 27

  We had a quick bite to eat at Mario’s before meeting Tiffany and Lance at the club. I was a little nervous when he suggested we walk. I wasn’t interested in being too drunk to drive, or drunk at all. But I was trying to let myself have some regular college fun for a change.

  The club was crowded for a Monday night. I couldn’t see through the thicket of people surrounding the dance floor, so I had no idea if Tiffany and Lance were there or somewhere else.

  “How’re you doing, man?” the bartender asked, clasping Jaxon’s shoulder.

  “Doing pretty good, Dave,” Jaxon shouted. “I’ll take my usual and whatever the lady wants.”

  Jaxon pointed at me and I said, “Oh, I'll just have a margarita.”

  I hardly ever had anything to drink. I’d have some wine if it was offered, but I typically avoided liquor. I assumed the margarita would be sweet enough to mask the taste.

  “Just give me a second, guys,” the bartender said.

  He walked away and started pouring Jaxon’s drink then started on my margarita. I looked behind me and watched the dance floor, hoping to see Tiffany. People were bumping and grinding with each other, making it impossible to see clearly.

  Jaxon tapped me on the shoulder and handed me my drink. Within seconds, he downed his whiskey and was ready for another. If he went through drinks that fast, this night would be over very quickly.

  “How about you slow down tonight?” I said, holding his forearm. I looked into his eyes and I could tell that he was processing what I said.

  “Want another, Jaxon?” the bartender asked him.

  He looked at me. “Nah, I'm good Dave. I think I'm only going to have one or two tonight.”

  “Really? You feeling okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m just trying to stay in peak operating condition.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “What was that all about?” I asked.

  “Sorry, Toots, you wouldn’t want a guy to ruin his reputation, would you?”

  “No, but don’t ruin mine to protect yours,” I said.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. I was just kidding.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You better be.”

  “I am,” he said kissing my forehead.

  I looked over at the bartender who looked surprised by the kiss. Obviously Jaxon didn’t normally do this. Bringing a girl to the bar was probably shocking for him to see since Jaxon usually didn’t come with girls just left. I couldn’t see him kissing a girl on the forehead either normally.

  When I finished my margarita, Jaxon took my arm and pulled me onto the dance floor. My sundress opened up when I spun slightly and I could see his eyes widen. I had his attention and I was enjoying it.

  He wrapped his arm around me, placing his hand on my lower back. He pulled me towards him squeezing our bodies together. I could feel him tighten in his pants as he ground against me. His hand moved down, stopping on my butt. He playfully grabbed my ass.

  His face moved to my neck, and I could feel his warm cheek resting against it. His head turned and his lips were on me. I wasn’t a fan of public displays of affection, but everyone else ceased to exist for me. I wrapped my arms around him as we continued to grind and he kissed down my neck and shoulders. I felt small shocks go through me as his hands moved over my body.

  I pushed myself against him even more. I felt his hardness pressing into the thin fabric of my dress. I pushed into him and he pushed back. He combed his fingers through my hair and moved it to the left side exposing one side of my neck. His kisses went from the middle of my neck, down to my right shoulder, and then stopped at the top of my right shoulder blade. He brought his hands down to my hips and caressed my ass. I didn't want to let go of him and I didn't want his hands to leave my body. He began to nibble on my ear and I felt myself moan.

  “You're the sexiest woman ever,” he whispered slowly in my ear.

  The throbbing of the music and the pulse of his body almost brought me to a climax on the dance floor.

  Really.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard Tiffany say, “Look who’s come out of her shell.”

  Reluctantly, Jaxon and I let each other go.

  She eyed Jaxon up and down and said, “Are you corrupting my baby sister?”

  He smiled and replied, “I thought you two were the same age.”

  “Age doesn’t matter,” she sa
id with a smile. “Behave. I’m watching you.”

  “You got it, momma bear. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

  It was nice to hear. Lance seemed surprised by it, too. We all made our way to a table, and Jaxon and Lance went to get drinks.

  “All good?”

  “All is good, Tiff.”

  “I was beginning to think you guys would never get here.”

  “We stopped to eat at —”

  Shouting from the bar interrupted our conversation. There was some kind of scuffle and a guy was on the ground. My face went blank as I heard Jax’s name being shouted and the world stop. We instantly ran over to check out the scene and found Jaxon looming over Bobby. Two bouncers rushed in and took Bobby out the side door and Jaxon out the front. Tiffany, Lance and I followed.

  “Dude, you know I didn’t start that shit. That little fucker is always causing trouble,” Jaxon ranted to the bouncer. He was pacing in a tight circle, flexing his hands into fists. “That asshole!”

  Tiffany and Lance walked over to talk to him, but I headed down a side street. It was too much to handle. Less than ten minutes before, we were all over each other on the dance floor. He was whispering in my ear. Now he was throwing some guy on the ground and screaming. I had to get out of there.

  He wasn’t going to change.

  I ran back home, ignoring my ringing cell phone. I should have gone somewhere else, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. I ran all the way home and into the bedroom. I closed the door, sliding onto the floor in front of it.

  Shit.

  What was that?

  “Elana, Elana, are you here?”

  Jaxon came rushing into the apartment, but I didn’t respond. He made his way to the bedroom door and knocked. “Elana, please, I can explain.”

  “I don’t know if I can listen,” I shouted. “How could you do that?”

  “I had my reasons.”

  “Really, did you find them at the bottom of a glass?”

  “No, that’s not it. You don’t understand.” He said, exasperated, “Seriously!”

  I heard his footsteps retreat down the hall and the creak of the couch as he sat down. Pulling my knees into my chest, I tried to replay the night’s events. It didn’t add up. I needed to understand how he went from romance to violence so quickly. I owed it to him and myself.