Maybe I was being slightly defensive, the guilty always are, but Sam’s jealousy had been way out of control lately and for no good reason. We’d had one conversation where I’d told him I didn’t plan on staying in this tiny town after graduation, and he’d been going bonkers since. At this point, Sam had become more like a bad habit I found hard to break than a boyfriend.
I slowed my pace and relaxed the muscles in my face, attempting to look friendlier before I reached Dream Guy’s table.
“Hey. I’m Tessa. I’ll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you something to drink?” I asked with a smile, sliding the laminated menu across the tabletop.
His amber eyes met mine as he returned my smile with a pearly white one of his own. “Hi, sure. I’ll take a sweet tea, please,” he answered, his voice sultry and hypnotic sounding.
“Sweet tea,” I repeated unnecessarily as I walked away.
What was wrong with me? I didn’t normally act so stupefied and giddy because of a guy.
“Seriously girl, you’d better watch that pep in your step from Mr. Cutie. Sam’s gonna start growling and go all territorial on your ass,” Rachel insisted.
I pursed my lips together while I poured a sweet tea. “He’s being a complete jerk tonight. I could be smiling at eighty-year-old Mr. Garret and he’d pick a fight with me about it.”
“Well, Kyle and I are still wanting to go camping with you guys tomorrow night, but if the two of you are going to be at each other’s throats, then we’ll take a rain check,” she said.
“Hello, it’s your birthday. I’m not about to let mine and Sam’s problems ruin our camping trip on your birthday.” I assured her.
“Good, because I’d hate to have to kick your ass.”
“Funny,” I sarcastically said as I pushed past her.
Sam caught my wrist as I walked past his table. “Can you tone down your smile a bit; I can’t stand seeing you flirting with someone in front of me.”
“Are you freaking serious? It’s called being polite. Waitresses who want a tip generally are polite,” I said, jerking my wrist free.
What the hell was everyone’s problem? It wasn’t like I was drooling over the guy.
“Here’s your tea. Are you ready to order?” I asked without looking at him. I didn’t need any more crap from anyone tonight.
“Yeah, actually I am,” he started, but then paused. “Look, I don’t mean to speak out of my place here but… is that guy bothering you?”
I raised my eyes to his. “What guy?”
A crooked grin sprang on his face. “The one who’s looking over here like he’s going to tear into me any minute.”
“I’m so sorry.” I sighed. “That’s actually my boyfriend, and I’m not real sure what his deal is tonight.”
“Some guys just don’t know how to handle having a beautiful girlfriend.” He smiled, his eyes never wavering from mine.
Was he for real? Because I was far from beautiful compared to a lot of girls in this town. I was flat-chested with the body of a twelve-year-old. I had dirty-blond hair and mud-brown eyes. Seriously, beautiful didn’t even come close to what I was; he should try average.
Nonetheless, my cheeks blushed all school-girl like at his words. I tore my eyes away from his and focused back on my pad and pen in hand.
“Thanks,” I replied. “So, what can I get you?”
“Right, sorry. I’ll take a bacon cheeseburger with double bacon and fries, please.”
“Okay.” I scribbled his order down as fast as I could. “It’ll be out shortly.”
“Thanks, Tessa.”
The sound of my name coming from his mouth stalled my heart for a split second and sent a jolt of warmth through me. Not because of the sheer fact he’d remembered my name—I knew I’d only given it to him five minutes ago—but because of the way my name had rolled off his tongue... like he was caressing each syllable with his mouth. It was enough to make me blush a shade darker.
I ripped out his order and placed it in the basket before making my refill rounds. When I came to Sam’s table, he was fuming.
“Are you hanging out with me tonight after your shift or your new boyfriend?”
“You’re being a real jerk, you know?” I snapped before stalking away to finish my rounds.
“You can do better,” Dream Guy said once I’d reached his table again.
My lips formed into a small smile at his words. “He’s not usually like this,” I lied.
“I’m sure.”
I chuckled unintentionally. “Well, most of the time anyway.”
“Life’s too short to waste on someone who’s not a complete jerk most of the time,” he insisted. “I’m Jace, by the way. Jace Fowler.”
“Nice to meet you, Jace,” I said, enjoying saying his name maybe a little too much. With a smile on my face, I moved to the next table of mine and continued with my refills.
After learning Jace’s name, I found it extremely hard to concentrate on much of anything besides him. My eyes seemed to always find their way to him and each time our gaze locked, my lips curved into a tiny smile.
“Tessa Morganton, am I witnessing you flirting with your eyes?” Rachel asked, startling me so badly I dropped the tray I’d been wiping clean.
“Flirting with my eyes? Is that even possible?” I countered, bending to pick up the tray.
“Sure is. It’s a skill I happen to have mastered,” she said and then shot me a look that made me think she wanted to eat me up like a piece of strawberry cheesecake.
“Yep, you’ve got that one mastered all right.” I chuckled.
I could have been mean and told her she needed to practice more, but the truth was she didn’t. Rachel was practically a teenage goddess. If she looked at any guy the way she’d just looked at me, he’d more than likely be fine with it. At 5’6 with chin-length, dark-brown hair, big hazel eyes, a slender frame, and a full set of pouty lips, Rachel could get away with a lot of looks I couldn’t.
“Order up!” Dewey shouted from the kitchen window. My heart beat a little faster when I realized it was Jace’s food.
I made my way to his table trying not to seem eager, especially while passing Sam.
“Here you go,” I said, setting the burger basket down in front of him. “Do you need anything else?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” He smiled.
My eyes traveled over his face looking for any imperfection, but found none. There was no acne or freckles, only a tiny scar above his right brow, but even that seemed perfect. I crammed my hands into my apron pocket and walked away before I began salivating at the mouth.
Ten minutes later I noticed Jace waiting in line to pay and couldn’t help but feel disappointed he was leaving already. I was cleaning off his table when he came up behind me and gently tapped me on the shoulder.
“Here, I’m not cheap. I swear,” he said, handing me a ten.
“I didn’t—thanks,” I cut off my fumbled words and took the ten.
Our fingertips made the briefest of contact then, and flickers of warmth sparked under my skin from it. Startled, I jerked away and met his gaze. A wild sense of awe and suspicion mixed within his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered softly. “What did you say your last name was?”
“I didn’t... but it’s Morganton,” I answered carefully, thrown off by his odd question and the strange way he stared at me.
“Tessa Morganton,” he whispered like he knew me, but couldn’t place me.
Curiosity ignited the amber color of his eyes, and I felt my cheeks blush under his intense stare.
“Tessa, could I get a refill?” Sam shouted from four tables over.
“I’d, uh, better go,” I said with a nervous smile as I walked away.
By the time I’d reached the counter for a pitcher of tea and turned, Jace had already left the diner.
TWO
I crammed my brightly colored polka-dot sleeping bag into the back of Rachel’s Jeep Cherokee.
“Are you sure you and S
am are all better now?” Rachel asked me for the third time. “That was an awfully quick rebound from a pretty intense argument.”
“God, how many times do I have to tell you we’re fine?”
“Real fine or fake fine? Because I don’t want it to be all awkward between the two of you the entire night.”
“Real fine. No one’s going to act awkward about it unless you do,” I said. “Now hush up about it before my parents hear you.”
“They can’t hear me.” She waved her hand.
“You’d be surprised,” I muttered as we stepped in through the front door. “Mom—Dad? We’re leaving.”
“In the kitchen,” Mom answered.
“You two have everything you need?” Dad asked as soon as we walked into the kitchen. “Flashlights, cell phones, toilet paper?”
“It does have bathrooms; we’re not completely roughing it.”
“Oh, here, I almost forgot.” Mom smiled. “Happy Birthday, Rachel.”
Mom handed Rachel a purple envelope and a small vase of red tulips, her favorite flower.
“Thanks, Mrs. Morganton. They’re beautiful!”
“You’re welcome,” Mom said, plucking a stray strand of silky blond hair from in her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. “You can leave them here until you girls get back tomorrow.”
“All right, Mom, thanks, but we’ve really got to go,” I demanded, grabbing Rachel’s wrist and hurrying out of the kitchen.
“Be careful!” Dad yelled after us.
“Love you! We will!” I shouted, just before slamming the front door closed behind me.
WE DROVE from my house to the ABC liquor store, which was about twenty minutes away and also right beside Bi-lo, the grocery store everyone my parents knew shopped at.
“What are you planning on getting here?” I asked, hunkering down in the passenger seat like it was written all over the side of the vehicle we were here for alcohol and underage.
“Tequila, of course!”
“And how exactly are you planning on accomplishing that task? You’re turning eighteen not twenty-one.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Debbie Downer,” she said while scoping out the parking lot for someone to manipulate with her shocking good looks. “Actually, I’m going to grab the stuff we need from Bi-lo and you’re going to get the tequila.” She smirked and handed me a twenty.
“What? No way!”
“Yes way. Now’s your chance,” she said, pointing over my shoulder.
I shifted to follow her finger. Jace stood in a parking space near the front of the building, balancing a helmet on the handle bars of a glossy black crotch-rocket. Realizing he drove a motorcycle made him ten times hotter, something I hadn’t thought to be possible.
I shook my head. “No way. I’m not asking him.”
“Oh come on, he’s going in there anyway.” She grinned. “Besides, he liked you. All you’ll have to do is flirt with him a teensy little bit.”
“No.”
“Tessa, it’s my birthday... please.” She pouted.
I rolled my eyes and took the twenty from her. “Fine. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
I climbed out and started in Jace’s direction, hearing Rachel squeal with delight behind me. He’d almost reached the front door already when I spotted him.
“Jace!” I shouted after him and then bit my bottom lip. I couldn’t believe I’d let Rachel sucker me in to doing this.
Jace stopped and pivoted in my direction. His eyes didn’t search but for a split second before they met mine, and a slow smile crept across his face. I smiled in return and waved at him awkwardly, then shoved my hands into my back pockets.
“Hey, Tessa.”
“Hey.” My heart flip-flopped when he stopped in front of me.
“How are you?”
“Good. Um, can I ask you to do me a favor?” I asked point blank. I’d never been the type of girl who flirted to get what she wanted, and I wasn’t about to start now.
“And what might that be? Buy you some alcohol?”
I shifted on my feet. “Yeah... please.”
“You know that’s illegal, right?” His eyes remained focused directly on mine as he spoke, and my heart began to pound. “I just met you last night, and you’re already asking me to break the law for you?”
“Listen, if you don’t want to that’s fine. I get it. It’s just Rachel’s birthday, and she wanted me to ask,” I said, hoping I sounded indifferent and not like the basket case I felt like.
“I never said I wouldn’t.” He smirked. “I only said it was illegal. What do you want?”
“Tequila,” I answered, relieved, and dug in my pocket for the twenty Rachel had given me.
“I don’t need your money.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll be over here,” I muttered, pointing to Rachel’s red Jeep.
JACE CAME BACK before Rachel did with a fifth of the cheapest tequila in the store.
“Here, but you owe me,” he said, handing the brown paper bag to me through the window nonchalantly.
I glanced around, feeling paranoid, before taking it from him and stuffing it underneath my seat. “Thanks, how much do I owe you? I’ve only got a twenty, so you might have to wait for Rachel if you need change.”
“I already said I don’t need your money. Keep it. When I say you owe me, I mean you owe me a date.”
My jaw slacked. “What?”
Jace smiled, but the pink tint to his cheeks gave away his sudden lack of confidence. “I just broke the law for you; it’s the least you could do.”
“But, I have a boyfriend and you’ve seen how he can be,” I said, baffled.
“So. Let me show you how you should be treated.” His eyes glimmered then, daring me to say, “yes.”
“Fine,” I said, surprising even myself. There was something about him that I couldn’t resist.
“I’ll pick you up at six tomorrow night, sound good?”
“On that?” I asked, pointing to his bike. “I don’t think so.”
“Yeah, why not? You afraid or something?” He wasn’t teasing but generally concerned.
“Hardly, but my parents would have a freaking heart attack. Especially my dad. There’s no way he’d let me on the back of one of those. I’ll have to meet you at your place.”
“Wow.” He chuckled. “You ask me to do something illegal for you the day after I meet you, and your parents already have points stacked against me before even meeting me for riding a bike. I should take this as a sign and run the other way.”
“So why aren’t you?” I asked, having no idea where my sudden burst of boldness came from.
He shrugged and a cute little grin formed on his face. “I don’t know… there’s something about you.” I seconded that but didn’t say it out loud. “Do you know where the Larkin property is?”
It rang a bell, but took me a minute to figure out why. “The place with the creepy, old farm house?”
Jace laughed and hearing it brought the biggest smile to my face. “It’s not creepy.”
“I beg to differ,” I said. “It’s the creepiest house in town. Every kid for the past thirty years or more has had their own ghost story to tell about it.”
“Seriously? I think it’s kinda nice. Private. Peaceful.”
“Creepy,” I added.
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. That’s where I’m staying; meet me there at six tomorrow night.”
“Fine, but if I even think I see a ghost, I’m leaving.”
“Deal.” Jace smiled, just as Rachel slid into the driver’s seat. “Well, have fun, ladies, and be safe.”
“Thanks,” I said as he walked away.
“Go, Tessa!” Rachel cheered in a hushed whisper.
AVAILABLE NOW!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina where she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Pos
t-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.
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