Forgiving Patience

by Jennifer Simpkins

  This wasn’t going to be good.

  Em pushed by Anna and walked into the apartment. She was dressed in a form-fitting red dress that stopped a little above her knee. Her hair was straightened, like she usually wore it, so it reached the middle of her back. Open-toed pumps and big hoop earrings rounded out her friend’s look for hitting the town. Not good. She thought it was about ten o’clock at night—Anna still wasn’t sure about the time—her only question was why Em would want to leave her soon-to-be husband to go out to some party or club. And why was she banging down Anna’s door looking like she was out to get revenge on an ex-lover?

  “What’s going on, Em?”

  Em plopped down on the couch. Ignoring the dent-free coffee table, she threw her feet in their high heels up on it, burying her head into her hands. Her falling blond hair covered both sides of her face, making it impossible to see what she was feeling. “Em, you can tell me. You know that, don’t you?”

  After a sniffle, she lifted up her head. “It’s Tommy. We got into some kind of fight over nothing important.”

  “If it was nothing, then why do you have tears filling your eyes?”

  “See, after the game he told me he wanted to go out tonight with Bradley, and I wanted him to stay home with me. I was going to try to cook some kind of chicken casserole his mama always makes for him and beg until he agreed to watch Twilight with me again. And he…”

  Big, whopping tears fell from her heavily mascaraed eyes. If Tommy did anything to hurt her friend, he was going to have to deal with her. Men were getting on her last nerve this past week. She had sympathy for none of them.

  “Men are just jackasses sometimes, Em.”

  “And we love them anyway, don’t we?”

  Anna didn’t know if she would go that far. She didn’t know any man she loved—jackass or not. She figured this was Em’s time. It was best to just humor her. “Yeah, sometimes I guess women do.”

  “What did Tommy do, Em?” If the mood had been lighter, she might have added or what did you do to Tommy? but she knew Em wouldn’t care for the comment, even if it might have been true.

  With brimming eyes, her hurt friend choked out, “He walked out. Left. He’s never done that before. We always talk things through and then he figures out that my way was actually better. I don’t know what happened tonight. Do you know what he said to me? Let me just tell you…he said I was being crazy and that he was leaving no matter what I said.”

  What could Anna say? The poor guy had to agree with Em all the time. How he did it, she would never know. What was the best way to handle this? Did she break the best friend rule and side with the guy, tell her she was being selfish, or did she just say he’s an asshole, just give it some time. He will figure out what he’s lost. She figured she needed to do what was right. They were not in high school anymore.

  “Em, I’m going to tell you this as honestly as I can. I know I’m not an expert on men, but what I do know is that sometimes they have to go out and hang with the guys. Just like we have girl time…guys need to be around other guys so they can pick their noses and tell lies about how many girls they’ve bedded. It’s all innocent. You’ve got to let him make some of the decisions. He is a man and he is prideful just like the rest of them.”

  “I know you’re right. I just hate the fact that they all go down to Ollie’s. You can’t even imagine the type of women that hang out there.”

  “Em, listen to me. Tommy loves you. Only you. He’s not going to this Ollie’s place to find women. He is there to drink a few with the guys—that’s all. Now if he makes a liar out of me, we will get my ball-buster and beat him with it.”

  “I don’t know what a ball-buster is, but I already know I like it.”

  “We’ll have to get you one. All women need a ball-buster.”

  “Will you do me a monster favor?” A smile formed on her friend’s face, softening her dark eyes, bringing them slowly to their natural state.

  She was afraid to ask. “What?”

  “Will you pleasssse go to Ollie’s with me?”

  “Won’t that be like checking up on him? I don’t think guys appreciate that too much.”

  “Not if you go with me. We can play it like you wanted a girls’ night out. Please, please…”

  “I love you, Em, but I can’t. Look at me.”

  “Don’t be silly. If you don’t go I will have to go down there and make a complete ass of myself. I need you. Please.”

  She might have a backbone now, but she couldn’t use it on her best friend. Maybe it was due to guilt because she had missed out on so much of Em’s life over the past decade, but she could feel her defenses wearing down. She could feel herself giving in to Em’s pleas.

  “Fine.”

  “We’re going to have so much fun. Now, go get dressed, you look a mess,” Em demanded, oblivious to the fact that she wasn’t making Anna feel any better about the upcoming events.

  * * * *

  “Minny, can we get a couple more beers over here?” Jake wanted something stronger than just beer. He wanted Jack Daniels with a splash of Coke—something that burned going down, coating his belly. Not that long ago he had let the amber liquid cloud his mind every night, making all the decisions for his disgusting way of life. His mornings had mainly consisted of strong coffee and sweating through the haze from the night before. But he had decided that was no longer an option. He worked damned hard to not get caught up in his self-destructive ways again. Beer had to be good enough.

  “Sure thing, Jake.” The pink-haired bartender hollered out above the Thursday night crowd. Minny was a cute little strange-dressing girl in her fishnet tights, black leather mini skirt, and hot pink T-shirt that was the same shade as her hair. She never hit on him, and they got along pretty well. He liked that she didn’t take shit from any drunk trying to catch a feel. She was a tough one, but on nights like tonight, when most men were drinking a little too much and talking about the softball games that had just taken place, he always kept a concerned eye on her. She was, after all, only five-three and maybe a hundred pounds. In his opinion, she needed a bouncer around to keep a watchful eye out for her. Drunks could be assholes. He should know, because he was one for almost a year.

  The spunky bartender set down three uncapped bottles—one for him, one for Tommy, and one for the woman who continued to hang on his arm, proving that he could have a willing woman if he wanted one.

  It had taken ten minutes of driving around before he realized there wasn’t much to do except go nurse a beer and head back home. He was letting the jukebox, laughter, and smell of fried food distract him from whatever was making his blood boil because he had gotten what he wanted. He couldn’t believe she’d agreed, but he wasn’t going to try to change her mind. It took everything he had to keep his emotions in check.

  There weren’t any lights on in Garrett’s apartment when he did a drive by. He was disappointed and had even thought about moving up their date to tonight. But it was only because he wanted to see her.

  Maybe that was what caused his foul mood, because ever since leaving the park, his mood had fallen from bad to leave me the fuck alone. Why he had come out, he really didn’t know. He just couldn’t sit in his house thinking about—no, take that back, it was Anna’s house. He couldn’t sit in her house and brood about everything he’d lost in the past couple years.

  Minny had made it known Bradley had already left with a brunette about an hour ago. At least Jake didn’t have to listen to his speech about using the Lawrence charm and good looks to get a woman. He didn’t want a woman, especially not the woman clinging to his arm. Why women were so clingy, he didn’t know.

  The day he limped his butt back into town he’d met Carly at Ollie’s. It was the middle of the day, and he’d thought it unfit to see a pretty woman ruining her pretty face, crying over a light-beer. He took the barstool next to her and laid on some of that family charm Bradley talked so much about—only to be turned down on his ass. Apparently, a wo
man like her didn’t associate with a drunk, out-of-work nobody. It stung, but it was exactly what he expected. No woman wanted a washed up ball-player. Except…Carly hadn’t known that was what he was. She’d thought he was just another unemployed Joe who hadn’t amounted to much after high school. Every day since, she’d bent over backward to try to apologize, make him feel all better, and had done whatever other crap she thought might work herself into his bed. He knew all about women like her, and while he had bought her a beer when she insisted, that was as far as he was willing to let things go with her. He knew what Carly was sniffing for, and he wasn’t going to be the man to give it to her. After finishing his beer, he would send her over to the table of men who made it annoyingly clear what they had their eye on—and it wasn’t the muted game being played on the television suspended from the wall above his head.

  “Jake, why don’t ya tell Carly here how good she looks tonight?” Tommy demanded with a silly smirk plastered to his face. There must have been a conversation going on, but he was having trouble concentrating.

  Feeling Tommy’s pointed stare, he drew his gaze away from his beer bottle, upward to the woman. “Um…yeah.”

  She freed his arm, taking a step back, showing him the body he guessed he’d failed to look at the first time she flaunted it. “Is that all you have to say, Jake?”

  Tommy added, “Yeah, Jake, is that all you can say?”

  “You look exceptionally good tonight, Carly,” Jake answered.

  Tommy was desperately trying to hold back the laugh that was bound to leak out any second. Jake jabbed his elbow into his best friend’s gut. “Get her off of me.”

  Failing to whisper because of the alcohol he’d been consuming for the last hour, Tommy replied, “Hey, I’m an engaged man. Do you really want Em on your bad side?”

  “Fine.”

  She was running her fingers up and down his arm. “What’s got you ignoring me tonight?”

  He had something entirely different he wanted to say, but his mama taught him to treat a lady with respect. Even a woman like Carly Sanders deserved a little respect; after all, deep down, she was just lonely. Much like the rest of the people in the world, he guessed. Tommy must have seen the wheels going around in Jake’s head because he spoke up first. “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s just had a bad day. I can give you best bud privileged information that Jake is never capable of ignoring you.”

  “Is that so? Rough game? I think I can change the rest of the day for ya,” she confidently said.

  So, is this the way Tommy wants to play it? “No,” he started, while giving his buddy a stern look before turning back to the woman at his side, “it’s nothing this beer right here can’t fix. Why don’t you tell Tommy here how to put a catheter in to assist someone on going to the bathroom? He was just telling me the other day how he finds the nursing field fascinating, weren’t you, Tommy?” Jake could almost hear the groan Tommy wanted to let out. “Don’t forget to be really detailed when describing it.” As Jake was informing Carly, he gave a wink and smile in Tommy’s direction.

  “For a male or female,” she asked eagerly, glad they were taking interest in her for a change.

  “Male,” Jake answered with a full-faced grin.

  Tommy was going to hate him tomorrow, but then again he might not even remember it.

  “Okay, first you have to put on protective gloves, then clean the urethral opening with Betadine, an antiseptic…” she started.

  Not too long after Jake had entered the bar, Tommy had sauntered in as well, ordering and downing his first shot of whiskey, before even acknowledging that Jake was seated beside him. One thought had entered his mind—Em. The easygoing guy had troubles on the brain, and Jake was staying out of that boat unless his buddy strapped a life jacket on him and forced him in. Em was a strong-willed woman, and Tommy was just learning what he was going to be up against ‘til death do us part. Jake loved Em, looked at her like a sister. She was demanding and meddling, but she would go to the ends of the earth for the people she loved. Most people found her irresistible, but they didn’t have to live with her.

  Tommy had been expecting to hang out with Bradley, but since Bradley had already left for the night, it was him who Tommy was having drinks with. And it was also now Jake’s job to take care of his friend.

  After several shots, Jake had Minny switch Tommy over to beer. He knew the guy would have a major hangover in the morning, but he looked like he needed a night out, and Jake, for once, was looking out for his buddy. Bradley and Tommy had dragged him out of this hole at least a couple times a week for the past year. He was happy to return the favor. And it looked like Tommy was having a good time, even through Carly’s whole spiel about catheters. Jake tried to block that shit out as much as possible. Since Carly had taken up residence near them, Jake had decided that if he had to give up his right to eat peanuts and drink a beer at the same time, then Tommy was going to be forced to make conversation with her.

  Leaning over his beer, Jake was desperately regretting bringing up hospital talk. He forgot that even though he had been trying to throw Tommy under the bus, he was also still stuck there to listen to her spiel. At that moment the door opened and he absently looked up. And in walked Tommy’s bride-to-be and Anna. Both ladies were forced to walk right past them, leaving a refreshing, new scent of perfume lingering in the smoke-filled room. It took a few minutes for his stupid friend to come up for air from his long and drawn out conversation to see Em sitting at a table in the back along with Anna. Em was the one Tommy should be scared of, but Jake was slowly discovering he might be a little scared himself…just not of the same woman.

  * * * *

  “I told you. Look at him over there,” Em reminded her while a loud booming laugh was coming from Tommy’s direction.

  “I think he’s a little drunk, Em.” Anna was trying to calm her wound-up tight friend.

  During the drive over, Em had used every man-bashing name she could think of—everything from Anna’s favorite, jackass, to doo-doo head.

  “Don’t make excuses for that bastard. If Carly is who he wants, then fine. He just better not come crawling to me when he gets herpes. He can let that slutty nurse take care of him.”

  Anna didn’t condone what Tommy was doing—what that actually was, she didn’t know. The guy stared with a goofy grin, nodding at the blonde, who kept a tight grip on Jake’s arm. Anna now knew the woman was Carly, and by Em’s standards, the town slut. Em had a right to be beside herself with anger, but Tommy couldn’t be a caged lion who resided only in Em’s world. He was a man. A man who had thoughts, opinions, and most importantly—pride. All Anna knew was, if Em wanted to keep the man she loved, she was going to have to lighten up on the guy a little.

  Carly was latched onto Jake’s arm, letting every interested woman in the place know he was off-limits. A man like Jake probably was used to women staking their claim on him. At least Em could take a breather, because it looked like Carly wasn’t interested in more than just flirting with Tommy.

  “I think she wants Jake. I really wouldn’t be concerned about Tommy.” Except she was concerned, which didn’t make sense. Why should she care that an attractive woman was glued to her blue-eyed date’s side? He was free to have any woman he wanted, and Carly was making it clear she was going to be that woman. Did it matter that they had just agreed to have dinner together the next night? She was a fool for ever agreeing.

  Her body was remembering their encounters. She could still feel his gentle touch burning through her skin. The thought warmed her in places she had no business being warm.

  They had made eye contact for a brief moment when she and Em entered the bar. As soon as she saw him, she tried pulling her gaze away, but couldn’t. He had changed from his tight, butt-hugging uniform pants and ripped T-shirt to clean jeans, a buttoned-down western style shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his cleats had been replaced with work boots. A baseball cap was pulled down low, once again shadin
g his eyes. His features remained unreadable as he had glanced from his beer bottle to her standing in the doorway. She hated not being able to know what he was thinking.

  “Hello, earth to Anna. Where are you in that head of yours? Are you listening to me?” Em asked while snapping her impatient fingers in front of Anna’s face.

  “I’m sorry. I’m here. What were you saying?”

  “I said…I don’t care who she plans to go home with. My man is over there hanging on her every word.”

  “What can I get you two ladies?” a petite, spunky girl asked.

  Because of the meds she’d taken earlier that night, Anna knew alcohol was out of the question for her. “Only a Coke for me.” The girl turned to Em, who had both eyes glued on her soon-to-be deceased future husband. “Just bring her a beer. If she doesn’t like it, oh well.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Anna wished she could have something other than Coke to drink. Her nerves were borderline shaky. She didn’t want to be forced to be in the bar, having to stare at Jake and the woman she was beginning to strongly dislike. Trying to make conversation with Em, she said, “I wanted to thank you for making me go to the softball game tonight. It was actually a lot of fun.” The distraction seemed to work for her and Em both.

  “Wow, you liked something about Patience? We need to call the Patience Gazette and put out an announcement.”

  “Ha. Ha.”

  “Now, back to my big problem. How can I marry someone who’s so easily interested in another woman?”

  Anna took her Coke from the bartender and sat it in front of her while Em did the same, apparently satisfied with the beer. “Don’t be silly, there will be a wedding. Whatever is going on over there is nothing.” Anna didn’t know if that was entirely true, but Em had nothing to worry about. “In a few minutes, Tommy will walk over here, give you that smile that makes you melt, and you will both go home and make up.”

  As if on cue, the man in question left his barstool and wandered over to their table. He only staggered a bit, seeming to catch himself easily. “Now, what brings my beau-beautiful bride out?”