Finding Focus

by Jiffy Kate

  She’s not jealous, is she?

  The possibility that Valerie pissing on my leg evokes that kind of emotion from Dani excites me. I want her to want me, because I sure as hell want her.

  Wait. What?

  “I take it you two have met,” I say, already knowing the answer but hoping to get rid of her before things get too awkward.

  “Of course. She’s staying at the motel,” Valerie chirps, throwing her arms around my mid-section. She’s clingier than an octopus. “Dani, did you know Micah is my boyfriend?” Valerie asks in her syrupy-sweet voice, cutting her eyes up at me. She knows she’s treading on thin ice. We’ve had this discussion a million times.

  She ain’t my damn girlfriend.

  I give her the look, which she knows well because she gets it often.

  “Valerie, we’re not—”

  “Semantics, Micah!”

  How she manages to pull a word like “semantics” out of her ass, I’ll never know. I’m sure it’s something she’s picked up off one of those reality TV shows she’s always watching.

  She brushes past Dani without another look and heads straight for the kitchen. Dani is just standing there, looking puzzled as she glances up at me.

  I run my hand through my hair and motion toward the kitchen. I don’t trust Valerie to be left alone in the house.

  I swear she’s going to be the death of me . . . both of them . . . for entirely different reasons.

  We walk into the kitchen, and Valerie is helping herself to stuff in the fridge as if she owns the damn place.

  “Val, we’ve really got to get busy. I’m supposed to be showing Dani around the house today.” I wink at Dani, who’s watching the two of us from the doorway.

  “Fine.” Valerie huffs, not liking the dismissal. She hates when she doesn’t get what she wants. “Call me later! I imagine you’re just dyin’ to have your itch scratched,” she says, pulling at the front of my shirt as she walks by. “I know you don’t like takin’ matters into your own hands, so I’m sure you’re just about ready to explode.”

  She begins to walk out of the kitchen but stops and turns on a dime. Touching her finger to her own lips, she presses it to mine, then gives Dani a wave before leaving the room.

  What she doesn’t know is I took care of that shit in the shower this morning . . . all thanks to Dani and her luscious tits. I keep my focus on the floor so Dani can’t see the smug grin on my face or the blush on my cheeks.

  “You know the way out, Valerie,” I call out after her. “Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!”

  “Hey, uh, I’m going to get to work,” Dani says from where she’s been watching the one-sided pissing contest.

  “Did you still want me to show you around?”

  “No.” She shakes her head and fiddles with her camera bag. “I know you have more important things you could be doing around here.” She huffs as she finishes collecting her things, and I can’t help but sense some hidden innuendo. “Besides, I made some notes from our walk yesterday and I have a few places I want to revisit. That should keep me busy for a while.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

  “Okay, well, have a good day,” I concede, noting the difference in her mood. I’m not sure whether it’s the message she was leaving earlier or the surprise visit bothering her, but whatever it is, I don’t like it.

  “You too. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

  “Yeah, I hope so.”

  She smiles again, nodding her head as she gathers her things and heads out the door. I watch as she leaves, stopping briefly to speak to my mama, who’s working in her garden. The way Dani walks slowly, her head up, swiveling from side to side as she looks for the perfect object to zoom in on with her camera, is mesmerizing. When she disappears around the corner of the house, I slip out the French doors off the kitchen and walk quietly to the garden.

  “I was wondering if you were gonna watch from the window for the rest of the day.”

  “I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “Since when has that ever stopped you?” Mama asks as she looks up and cocks her eyebrow at me.

  “Never,” I admit. When Deacon and I were younger, we’d often get right in the middle of her alone time. She was always getting on to us for not being able to be quiet . . .”for even a split second!”

  “You looked deep in thought.”

  “Oh, nothin’ that would keep me from wantin’ your company,” she says as she presses down on the soil around a newly potted plant. Looking up, she gives me that magical smile of hers—one I can’t help but return.

  “Somethin’ on your mind?” she asks, knowing me too well.

  I exhale deeply. There’s no hiding stuff from her. “I was just thinkin’ about a phone call I overheard this mornin’, but it’s none of my business, really.”

  “Uh huh. So you were eavesdroppin’?” she asks, giving me a pointed look. “Tell me more.”

  “Well, it wasn’t actually a phone call, more like a message Dani was leaving for someone this morning. I tried not to listen, but she sounded so upset, almost mad . . . and then she got so sad. She was cryin’, and you know how I have a weakness for girls cryin’.”

  My mama’s eyebrows furrow as she draws her lips together in a concerned expression.

  “What was the message about exactly?” she asks, taking off her gloves.

  “Well, I think she was talkin’ to her boyfriend, maybe?” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “She sounded upset that he hadn’t called her or told her where he was going. Sounds like he’s not much of a boyfriend to me.”

  “Hmm. Well, Dani seems like such a sweet girl. I really hope whatever is going on is resolved quickly. She definitely doesn’t deserve that kind of heartache.”

  “Yeah.” Scratching the back of my head, I look around to see if Dani is anywhere near, but I see no hide nor hair of her. “She’s too good of a person for someone to treat her like that. I mean, if he’s cheatin’ or whatever.”

  “Well, it’s not really our business, Micah. I suggest you keep your nose out of things.”

  “Of course,” I tell her, but I can’t help the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know it’s none of my business. And I know my mama’s right—she’s always right—but I still feel the need to make things better for her.

  “Maybe I can talk to her,” she says, looking up at me with a knowing smile. “She may just need someone to hear her out or possibly give her a little advice.”

  “You’re good at that.”

  “Damn right. I’ve had years of practice,” she says, laughing.

  I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing Dani is in good hands with my mama.

  She stands up, wraps me into a hug, and pats me on the back. “Micah Paul Landry,” she whispers, “you wouldn’t happen to have feelings for Ms. Sheridan Reed now, would you?”

  “What? No!” I exclaim, trying to deny what I’m feeling. “I mean . . . maybe.” I sigh, stepping back to look at her. She twists her lips into a knowing smile as I rake my hands through my hair. “I don’t really know,” I admit, because whatever I’m feeling is new and different, and I haven’t really had time to work out the details. “All I know is I like it when she’s smilin’, and I hate it when she’s cryin’.”

  She pats me on the back and laughs as she walks away, leaving me standing in the garden. “You’ll figure it out,” she says, turning back around to look at me before heading into the house.

  I think about going to find Dani, but I don’t want to bother her. Instead, I walk around to the front, hop in my truck, and take off for Pockets. I have some paperwork that’s been put on the back burner for a while, and I could really use a quiet morning in the office.

  When I pull into the parking lot, I see Deacon’s jeep and Joe’s truck already parked in the back. Joe is our cook, and he’s more dedicated to Pockets than anyone I know. Shit, some days, he’s more dedicated than Deacon and me. He’s an older guy who’s worked in restaurants al
l his life and probably never been further from home than Baton Rouge. He’s a little rough around the edges, but on the inside, he’s soft. Seriously, one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

  I use my key on the back door and let myself in. Deacon and Joe are in the kitchen, so I pop my head in to say hello.

  “Shit, dude. I thought you’d be attached at the hip to Ms. Reed.” Deacon winks back over his shoulder. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows as he preps ingredients. “I figured we wouldn’t see you until she’s gone back to New York.”

  “No, man.” I shake my head, fighting a smile. “Besides, it’s not like that. I really did just show her around the property yesterday.”

  “Uh huh. Whatever you say.”

  “So, will I get to meet this Ms. Reed I’ve heard so much about?” Joe asks.

  “Yeah, I’m sure she’ll be by here again before she leaves.” I hope she will, anyway. If Valerie didn’t scare her off. “Actually, she mentioned doing a side piece on the restaurant. She wants to do an entire article dedicated to roadside places like Pockets.” I nod, thinking how cool it would be to have Pockets mentioned in a big magazine. Then, I start thinking about Dani.

  “Dude!” Deacon practically yells.

  “What?”

  “I asked if you’d hand me that bowl beside you.”

  “Oh, sorry.” I reach for the bowl and hand it over, my mind still on Dani.

  “Man, maybe you should go find something to do in the office. You stick around here and you’ll be missin’ a finger or somethin’.”

  I chuckle, knowing he’s probably right. “Yeah, I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on anyway.”

  When I get to the office, I try to put thoughts of the beautiful redhead out of my mind and focus on the numbers in front of me.

  I can’t say I fully succeed, but I manage to get some work done. The soreness in my neck tells me I’ve been sitting with my head down in these books for a while now, and the sounds filtering in from the front of the restaurant tell me business is starting to pick up for the day. I decide to close the books and go make myself useful. Besides, kitchen work is my favorite part of the business. I love cooking up some good food. I guess I’m a lot like my mama in that way. I enjoy feeding people and watching them leave full as a tick and happy as a lark.

  As I’m plating up an order, my phone buzzes in my pocket. “Hello.” I squeeze the phone between my ear and shoulder so I can continue working.

  “Hey, baby, I need you and Deacon out here by six for dinner.”

  “Mama, we’re workin’.”

  “Yeah, well, you’ve been at that place all day. I think you can appease your mama and let me feed you.”

  “Can you do dinner tonight at the house?” I ask, looking up at Deacon.

  “I was planning to have dinner with Camille. I haven’t seen her since Friday.”

  “Maw, Deke’s going to have dinner with Camille.”

  “Well, of course she’s invited, too. I want everyone together. We haven’t had a meal out here since early last week. It’s been too long. Don’t be late.” And with that, she hangs up, leaving no room for debate. We will be there.

  When I walk into the house from the back door, there is laughter coming from the kitchen, and I notice there are a lot of female voices chiming in. With one look around the corner, I see exactly why my mama insisted on us being here for dinner. Camille is sitting at the bar, but right beside her is the long, dark red hair I’ve been thinking about all damn day.

  “Hey, Micah,” Camille says, turning around to give me a nod.

  “Hey, Cam. Where’s Carter?” I ask, missing the little dude.

  “He’s with Deke in the living room. They’re watching some baseball game.”

  “Cool.” I nod, walking over to kiss my mama’s cheek. “You’re evil,” I whisper against her skin, and I’m rewarded with the most mischievous laugh.

  “What?” she asks, looking like the cat that ate the fucking canary. “I just wanted all my kids here for dinner. Can you blame me?” She smirks, raising an eyebrow. I have to laugh and kiss her cheek again. Damn it if she isn’t sly when she needs and wants to be. And she can say whatever she wants about me and Deacon getting our orneriness from my dad, but we all know it’s her. “Besides, Dani is only going to be here for a few more days, and I really think she should see what a good southern family dinner looks like here at the plantation. Don’t you?”

  I nod again, giving her a knowing smile.

  Sheridan

  LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WITH THE Landrys, dinner is fun, easy, and very entertaining. In fact, I’m having so much fun, I’m able to briefly put aside my irritation with Micah and his friend, Valerie.

  Whenever I speak with Val at the motel, she’s always polite with a splash of skanky thrown in, but this morning, she was trying to mark her territory with Micah, and it made me see red. I’m not ready to acknowledge why her behavior bothered me so much or why Micah only seeming marginally embarrassed by her made me want to vomit.

  “I never thought we’d have a damn Yankee sittin’ at our dinner table,” Deacon says, earning himself some slaps on the back of his head from his mom and Camille. He also gets a glare from Micah, I might add, as well as a nice, hearty laugh from me. I love Deacon. I love how he just says everything he’s thinking and never offers any apologies for it.

  “Well, Deacon, I haven’t always been a damn Yankee,” I tell him, still laughing.

  “Where are you originally from, Dani?” Annie asks.

  “Well, uh, I’m from Mississippi, actually.” I hesitate for a moment. Any time I start talking about where I’m from, I’m forced to face what I no longer have. It’s depressing and usually earns me pity and sympathy from those asking. I hate all of it.

  “And your parents?” she asks. “They still live there?”

  “Uh, no. My mom died in a car accident when I was younger. I never had any contact with my dad, but he also died. Cancer. It was a few years ago.”

  There it is. That look. The one people give me when they realize I’m basically an orphan. When I meet Annie’s eyes across the table, there’s something else there. I can’t describe exactly what it is, but mixed with the sadness and sympathy is something resembling resolve.

  “So, who did you live with growing up after your mother passed away?” Sam asks, briefly exchanging glances with his wife.

  “My granny. She was wonderful.” I wipe my mouth on my napkin and lean back in my chair, wishing I had some sort of teleportation device to zap myself from the table. I hate awkward situations. Not only that, I’m so full, I feel like I could slip into a food coma at any moment. The fried shrimp and grits Annie prepared was delicious, and it made me reminiscent of something my granny would’ve made.

  “Was?”

  I look up to see Micah staring at me, his blue eyes darker than usual, his brows drawn together.

  “Yeah, she died the summer before I graduated college.”

  The entire table grows quiet, and I feel everyone staring at me—exactly what I didn’t want to happen.

  “Uh, thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight. And for allowing me to take pictures before everyone dug in.” I laugh, trying to break the heaviness in the room.

  “Of course,” Annie says, reaching across to take my hand. “You’re welcome out here any time, Dani. And that goes for after the article is finished, too. If you ever find yourself in our neck of the woods, our door is always open.”

  “Thank you. I need a few nighttime shots of the exterior. Would you mind . . .”

  “I-I could go with you . . . if you want,” Micah offers.

  “Sure. Yeah. Just let me grab my camera.”

  “I think Carter and I are going to take off. It’s getting close to his bedtime.” Camille ruffles his adorable blond curly hair. I love kids, but haven’t had much of a chance to be around them. I enjoyed listening to his and Deacon’s banter. If I didn’t know better, I would think he was Deacon’s.

&nb
sp; “It was really nice meeting you, Camille,” I tell her.

  “You, too, Dani. Don’t be a stranger.” She stands up and pulls me into a hug. “Maybe I’ll see you around before you leave.”

  “Yeah, that’d be great.” I squeeze her back and turn to Carter. “Hey, buddy. You take care of your mom, okay? And try to keep this big guy in line,” I tell him, pointing to Deacon.

  “Okay, Ms. Dani.”

  Man, he’s a cute kid.

  “You ready?” Micah asks, standing at the back door with my camera in his hand.

  “Uh, you break that, you buy it.” I smile at him to let him know I’m just joking.

  “Oh, really?” He raises an eyebrow and holds the camera out from his body, acting like he’s going to drop it. “Like this?” The camera slips, but he immediately catches it.

  “Hey.” I reach out and take it from him. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  “You know, Micah,” Deacon says from where he’s standing by Camille as she gets Carter’s stuff together, “I wouldn’t mess with her if I were you. I think she can take you.”

  Micah laughs and opens the back door for me. “I think you’re probably right. She’s probably got mad street skills from livin’ in the big city.” His blue eyes sparkle when he looks down at me, causing me to forget what I was doing or saying.

  Focus, Dani.

  “After you.” Micah stands to the side and sweeps his hand out, signaling for me to lead the way.

  “Thanks.”

  We walk for a few minutes in comfortable silence. Occasionally, I glance back at the house, looking for the perfect perspective for the photo I have in mind.

  “I like watching you work. It’s very methodical.”

  Micah’s confession makes me blush, and I’m thankful for the darkness.

  “So, do you think you’ll be able to stick around for my birthday party?”

  “I’d like to. My flight back to New York is booked for Saturday afternoon.”

  “Well, as long as you don’t get too wasted, you should be fine.”

  “Hey, I can’t help being a lightweight.”

  Micah laughs. “I kinda like that you’re a lightweight. Drunk Dani is pretty fun.” He stays quiet while I take a few shots of the house, working to get the right setting on my camera so the warm glow from the windows comes out the way I want it to. “Sober Dani is fun, too.”