by Emery Jacobs
“Look, man, I’m sorry I’ve been acting like such a dick. The other day at Overtime was unacceptable, and today, well, today I just said more than I should. Talking about Piper kinda does this to me. Once I get started, I fall back to that night and let the guilt take over. Then you mention dating and something real, and I get fucking pissed. But it’s not you or your fault. So we’re good, right?”
“Always, man, plus I usually just ignore your babbling ass anyway.” He throws his head back and laughs. Apologizing to Fish is easy. Now apologizing to Jovie is gonna be a little more difficult, but it has to be done.
“Thanks, man. I really appreciate what you’re doing. And also, the fact that you’re okay with me even though I’m mostly an ass.”
“It’s cool. Oh, and Jack…”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe you meeting Jovie is a good thing. It’s possible she is just what you need. Piper is gone, and she’s never coming back. And I haven’t seen you really let a chick get to you since her. And Jovie, she’s getting to you. Even if her eyes resemble Piper’s, let it go. It’s nothing but your mind playing tricks on your heart.”
“I get it, man. It’s just hard to let go. To free my heart and give it permission to love. Or even to live a so-called normal life, but… I’ll think about it.”
“And there’s one more thing. I was debating whether to tell you, but I think you need to know. In case…”
“In case…what?” I ask.
“In case you run into him somewhere or… look, Caleb’s back in town.”
“How do you know?” Fucking unbelievable.
“Dane from over at The Hard Ink told me last week.”
“Is that where he’s working?”
“Yeah. He’s been there about a month.”
“Thanks for the warning, but it’s all good,” I say.
All good, my ass. What the hell is he doing back? Seven fucking years and that son-of-a-bitch is back in Houston—after what he did and the lives he destroyed. He has a lot of fucking nerve. I roll up my window, and I back out of my parking space.
Fish shakes his head as he walks back toward the porch. When he turns away, I stop the Jeep in front of the gallery. I slam my fists against the steering wheel until my knuckles ache. Caleb. I can say I actually hate that motherfucker. Why’d Fish even tell me? Can’t I have just one day when everything goes right?
I refuse to focus on Caleb. He is a part of my past life. He’ll never be anything more. So, I’m going to pretend that Fish didn’t just drop a load of shit in my lap on this beautiful sunny fall day. My plan is to apologize to Jovie so I can have some kind of closure with this random chick who I barely know. I’ll forget her and then focus on my art, my career, and my future—because those are the things I need in my life. A truck moves in behind me with its horn blaring, telling me to move my Jeep. I let off the brake and move forward, leaving all thoughts of Caleb behind me.
Chapter 12
Seven years and seven months earlier
Jack
I grab the antiseptic spray and give the handle a couple of pumps above Caleb’s back. The mist settles on the new fire-breathing dragon, and I quickly wipe it clean. Perfection. I fucking love what I do. Even if it’s only part time while I’m in school, it gives me the grounding I need to function in everyday life.
“Get the mirror, man. Take a look at your finished piece. It’s fucking great.” Caleb picks up the mirror from my workstation and turns so his back is facing the full-length mirror. He studies his now finished product. His eyes draw into a squint as he twists and turns so he can see the entire design that takes up over half of his back. It’s taken us months to get this piece finished, but looking at it now, it was worth the wait.
“You fuckin killed it, man.”
I can’t help but feel a sense of pride when a client is happy with my work. Even if this particular client is my co-worker and friend. Caleb and I met here at Southern Stain the beginning of last year. It was our first year of college. We were young, but both had some experience with ink and art. I was lucky enough to shadow some great artists back home in Dallas and Caleb did the same in Little Rock. We did a short apprenticeship after we arrived in Houston, and over the last year, our friendship has grown substantially.
“Thanks, but you designed it. I just reproduced it.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, my modest friend. Look, I’m gonna head out. I’ve got some shit to take care of before tonight.”
“What’s going on tonight?” I ask.
“Not much. Gonna hang out next door at Jake’s. Maybe fuck the new waitress. Scarlett, I think is her name. Why don’t you meet me there around ten? I’m pretty sure Tara’s working. Maybe you guys can rekindle that thing you had going on last summer. ”
“Can’t do it.”
“Why, what’s up? You’re not working. What could possibly be more important than hanging out with me at your favorite bar? Or should I ask who could possibly be more important?
“I have plans with Piper. I think she wants to see some movie.”
“I can’t believe you’re still dating her. How long has it been? Seven or eight months?”
“No, five months. And why can’t you believe we’re still together?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just never known you to actually date somebody.”
“She’s different, man. I mean, I don’t know where this is headed, but I’m definitely enjoying the ride.”
“I just hate to see you tie yourself down, but if Piper makes you happy, then by all means, keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.” He laughs.
“You should try it. You know, settling down. It’s better than spending every night searching for the next hook-up.”
“Maybe for you, but for me—searching is not a problem.” He grabs his t-shirt and throws it over his shoulder before heading toward the door.
“If you change your mind, man, you know where to find me. And bring Piper along. I’m sure she’d enjoy hanging out with the guys.”
“Maybe next time. See you around,” I say as he walks out the door.
“You know Caleb?” Piper asks as she walks into my station just as Caleb is leaving.
“Yeah, why?”
“He’s one of your clients?”
“Kinda, but he works here too. How do you know him?” I ask.
“I had a couple of classes with him last semester. But I don’t really know him.”
“He just invited us to hang out with him and some guys from work tonight, next door at Jakes,” I say.
“That sounds like fun.” She walks over to the bench and sits next to me.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll invite Maddie, if that’s okay.”
I really don’t want to spend my night hanging out with the one person who grates on my nerves more than any other human being does, but if it makes Piper happy, then I guess a few hours with Maddie will be worth it.
“Sure. Invite Maddie.”
She pulls her phone out of her bag and walks over to the window. I continue to clean my station. When she’s done, she moves toward the door with her phone in hand.
“Maddie’s gonna ride with me. We’ll meet you there at...”
“Ten,” I answer.
“Sounds good. See ya then.” She waves and heads out the door.
Tonight will be the first night of many that give me the direct insight of my future. But, unfortunately, I’m too damn blind to see it.
Chapter 13
Present Day
Jovie
The restaurant is empty except for the blond guy in the back corner, but he looks to be finishing up. Lucky for me, it doesn’t matter because he belongs to Naomi. Thank God I’ve got the early shift tonight. I’m exhausted. Too many drunks with wandering hands.
I walk into the break room to get my stuff so I can get the hell out of here. I grab my phone and notice I have three missed calls from my mom. She’s dying to talk about Dr. Birch and her clinical evaluat
ion of me. But what dear ole mom doesn’t want to hear is the truth. The fact that she and my dad aided in the suppression of my feelings after my sister died. And that’s why I’m so fucked up now. She’ll hate hearing that anything is her fault. I’m sure she will spend the remainder of the week looking for me a new therapist. One that will tell me what she wants me to hear. At this point, I really don’t care what she thinks. I’m better, and mom will just have to deal with the truth. But not tonight. I’m in no mood for her or her shit. She’ll have to wait until tomorrow.
As I walk toward the front door, I begin the search for my keys in my never-ending bag. I really need to get something smaller. The second I wrap my hands around them, I’m stopped in my tracks by the glass door. My face makes contact first. I’m such a klutz. Great, I’ll be sporting a nice purple bruise on my forehead by morning.
“You okay?” Shit. Shit. Shit. Somebody saw me. And not just somebody. A guy. The really cute blond from the back booth.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was looking for my keys and totally forgot about the door.” I glance up at his dark gray eyes.
“Here, let me get the door for you.” He pushes it open and stands back so I have plenty of room. Guess he’s worried I’ll take him down on my way out.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He smiles and I notice a small dimple in his left cheek. He’s cute, but there’s no comparison to the tattooed asshole who has taken up residence in my mind. The guy who wishes I were someone else and treats me like…well, nothing… He doesn’t actually treat me like anything. One day he notices me, and the next day he doesn’t speak. And then he has the nerve to—why the fuck do I care? The blond turns and walks toward his car, and I head out in the other direction.
“Jovie.” I look to my left and see Jack leaning against his Jeep watching me. What the hell is he doing here? And why does he have to be so damn beautiful? Black t-shirt—just tight enough across his chest to make me want to run my hands over it and take it off. Faded jeans that fit perfectly and dark colored boots that add just enough bad boy to the outfit to make me want him more. If that’s even possible. Oh, God, he’s perfect. I only wish things weren’t so strange between us. But he’s here, obviously waiting for me. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe.
“Jack, why are you here?”
“To see you. Is that okay?
“Yes, I guess. What do you want?”
“Come over here. I need to tell you something.” He doesn’t move an inch. Still leaning against his Jeep, he gives me his lop-sided grin, which makes me want to do terribly bad things to him.
“I’m in a hurry.”
“What could you possibly have to do at this time of night that can’t wait ten minutes?”
“Maybe I have a date or am meeting someone to study, or maybe I just have plans. Is that impossible to believe?” Why do I feel the need to assume that he thinks I’m some kind of loser with no life? Because unfortunately, I am.
Instead of airing all my insecurities, I need to channel my confidence, walk over to him, and hear what he has to say. Then turn around and walk away. And hopefully, I will never have to lay eyes on all of his arrogant beauty again. Yeah, that’s exactly what I need to do, but what I want to do is throw him down and rip all of his clothes off. Yes. Right here in this parking lot.
He continues to stare holding his signature grin in place. He winks and says, “Of course, anything’s possible. I don’t doubt that you have something important to do, Jovie. I only want to take a few minutes of your time. And then you can go do whatever it is you have planned.”
I don’t have any real plans, and I assume he knows it. Unless I count spending two hours with my World Civilization book.
Why do I even care? In reality, I barely know him. We’ve only had a couple of conversations. He did see me at my worst the first night I met him, but he has been kind enough not to mention it. Really, what am I worried about? I’m ridiculous. Making more out of a situation than is necessary. I take a deep breath and tread a little closer. He pushes off the Jeep, and I stop in front of him. Not too close, but close enough that I can smell him. And he smells amazing. Like a fresh shower and aftershave… clean.
There is just enough light for me to see his deep brown eyes. I smile and take another step closer before I say, “You haven’t been drinking, have you?”
He turns away for a brief moment before his eyes return to mine. Heat rushes to my cheeks as he moves in closer. He chuckles and says, “No. Not tonight. But that’s part of the reason I’m here.”
“You want to drink? We’ve already closed the bar.”
“I’m not here to drink, Jovie. I’m here to apologize for being drunk and making an ass of myself the other night at Jakes.”
“Oh.” He’s apologizing. I guess that’s a good thing. I take a step away from him, but my eyes never leave his. I push a strand of curls behind my ear and take in a deep breath.
“You don’t have to apologize, Jack. I deal with drunk guys all the time.” Shit—that came out wrong. “I mean at work. I’m used to being around a lot of intoxicated people that say and do things they don’t mean. So, no worries. It’s fine. Actually, it’s already forgotten.”
“Wow. I’m unforgettable.” He closes the gap between us until there’s no room to move without feeling his body against mine. The bare skin of my stomach is making this nearness a little more uncomfortable than I would like. Damn these uniforms.
“No, I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I just—”
“You just what?” he mumbles.
“Apology accepted. I have plans, remember? Can I leave now?”
“You can leave whenever you want. I’m not keeping you here.”
Well, then move away from me and take your incredible smell with you. He’s saying one thing, but his actions are showing something completely different. I feel his body touching mine with each breath I take. He’s that damn close. Too close.
“See you around, Jack.” I turn toward my car, but before I move away, he grabs my wrist spinning me around until I’m facing him.
“I know I said you could leave, but before you do, there’s one more thing…”
He places his lips on my cheek. One soft kiss, and then another one, and then he is moving his soft kisses down my neck until he stops at my shoulder.
A shiver races up my spine and need takes over every emotion I own. The ability to control my body is slowly fading. Jack shifts his firm chest forward and releases my wrist. He wraps his arms around my waist lifting me off the ground. I grab his shoulders to keep from falling. And six steps later, I’m sitting on the hood of my car with my legs wrapped around his waist and my hands pressing against his chest. I seem to have lost all thoughts of why I shouldn’t be participating in this little charade with him. At this point, I don’t care if he’s doing this because I remind him of someone else.
Tonight, I’m not going to worry about him or his reasons. I’m only here for me. Besides, Dr. Birch said I needed to get out and meet people. Make new friends. So here I am, on the hood of my car in an empty parking lot making a new friend.
He tilts his head near my ear and whispers, “One more thing…” His breath is heavy as he pauses a beat before continuing. “A kiss, just one kiss before I go.”
It’s not a question, but a statement. So I don’t answer. I can’t. I’m lost in this moment of warm skin underneath my touch, the sound of his soft breath on my ear, and the need to take care of the growing ache between my legs.
His lips move slow and steady on my skin until his mouth is on mine. The kiss is soft and light. The clarity of what’s happening is lost somewhere within my thoughts. I close my eyes and wrap my legs tighter around his waist, pulling him in until our bodies are connected.
The warmth of his breath and the soft licks of his tongue only intensify the growing tension between us. A soft moan escapes my lips as he pulls his mouth from mine. My eyes open and he’s watching—staring into my eyes. The power this one lo
ok has is terrifying. And what he sees I’ll probably never know. At least not tonight because he releases his hold on me before looking away. I free my legs from around his waist and scoot myself toward the center of my car to regain my balance. He moves away from me, never losing eye contact. His lips move as if he’s trying to mumble something, but there’s no sound.
“What, Jack?” Completely ignoring my question, he turns and walks to his vehicle.
“You’re leaving?”
“Looks that way.” Three fucking words, and then he climbs into his Jeep and drives away.
Chapter 14
Jovie
Ryker. My date for tonight’s big event. An art show downtown that’s supposed to be some kind of tradition. At least, that’s what Layla says. The date—her idea, too. She told me I need to do things other than going to school and work. I want to tell her I do get out and do other things. I meet with Dr. Birch every week to discuss why I’m a fucking wreck, but I don’t because she would harass me for details after every appointment. And rehashing my counseling sessions is not something I want to do.
“Ryker is so groovy. You’re gonna love him. I just know it.” Who the hell says groovy? Oh yeah. My best friend does. She’s changing. Since she started dating Sebastian—the guy who plays in the band—she has been talking like she’s some kind of hippie. And Sebastian, he clearly doesn’t look like any hippie I’ve ever seen. He has short brown hair with longer bangs that swoop in the front and his face. Let’s just say he looks like an all-American pretty boy, not some hippie guitar playing freak in the band they call Nocturnal Revolution.
“I’m sure he’s great. I’m just kind of nervous. You know this is my first real date.”