“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I don’t know whether to be offended or turned on right now. I’ve never met anyone like her. I never know what she’s going to say or how she’s going to say it. I’m hanging on every word and I simultaneously love and despise the feeling.
“It means you don’t say what you mean. Everything you say sounds like a riddle.”
“It isn’t. I haven’t said anything that wasn’t true.”
“But you haven’t said anything that is true either,” she shoots back. I stare at her for a second and her sharp hazel eyes sparkle for a moment. She drains the rest of her glass and stands up. “Thanks for the drink.”
She places the tumbler next to me on the desk and I catch a whiff of her perfume again. I nod and watch her as she turns around and walks out the office. The door shuts with a soft click and I’m alone again.
For the second time tonight I blow all the air out of my lungs. I need to see her again.
6
Jess
The washroom is the next door down, and I duck in quickly. The relative quiet of the toilets seems strange after the noise of the bar. I head to the sink and splash some water on my face.
My heart is racing and I feel flushed. I don’t remember someone ever having that effect on me. I pat my face dry and take a deep breath.
He’s so incredibly sexy. I could hardly breathe when he was that close to me. The way he was looking at me was making my whole centre throb. I had to get out before I did something I’d regret.
I jump as the washroom door swings open. Mary Hanson steps through with a smirk on her face and I stifle a groan.
“Hi, Mary.”
“Well aren’t you getting familiar with the new stranger in town.”
“What?” I guess it doesn’t take long for rumors to start around here. Mary just laughs.
“Don’t pretend. I saw you going into the office together. You don’t waste any time, do you. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Oh fuck right off, Mary!”
The anger explodes inside me and I brush past her, punching the door open and storming out. The tears are prickling against my eyelids and my vision has gone blurry as I stumble across the dance floor towards the exit. Her words replay in my head as I bump into one person after another trying to get to the exit.
Finally, the fresh air fills my lungs and I jog down the three porch steps towards the street. I stomp down Main Street towards Gram’s house without looking back.
How many people saw me go into his office? How many people saw me come out of the bathroom practically crying?
Mary’s snarling face is burned into my mind and I shake my head to try and dispel it. My feet carry me back to Gram’s house and I tiptoe up the stairs before collapsing in bed.
I should have left with Sam. Now the talk of the town won’t be Owen buying up the Lex, it’ll be me sneaking off into the office with him at the grand opening. Mary’s probably told half the town by now.
Tears start welling up in my eyes again as I remember the months before I left for the first time. I remember the torture of walking around knowing there were eyes on my back wherever I went. I remember hearing a new rumor about me every day, and how everything I did was twisted and distorted until I felt like I was driving myself crazy.
I thought I was passed that. I thought I’d moved on, moved to the big city, and left Mary Hanson and her wagging tongue behind me, but here I am. I’m walking down the same streets with the same tears rolling down my cheeks about something that someone said to so-and-so and then someone else said this.
Why do I care! So I had a conversation with a man who was new in town! So he happens to be incredibly attractive and every time his eyes met mine it sent a thrill down my spine. So what! Let Mary Hanson say whatever she likes, I’ll talk to whoever I want.
I brush the tears away from my eyes when I hear footsteps creaking on the old wooden floorboards towards my room. Gram’s voice calls out softly through the door.
“You okay, dear? How was the Lex?”
I sit up in bed and wipe my eyes again. “It was fine, Gram.” I get up and open the door. She’s wearing her housecoat and looks exhausted. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t wake me, honey. I couldn’t sleep.”
A grin spreads on my face. “Grammy, were you waiting up for me to get home?”
“No, no. Of course not. It’s just these old bones not wanting to sleep tonight.” She glances up at me and I see her lips curl upwards.
“Gram, you know that I’m almost 29 years old, right? And I’ve lived on my own for over a decade? I think I’ll be okay in this town for a night.” I laugh. “You should have slept.”
She waves her hand and shakes her head from side to side. “Shh. Old habits, Jessica. I’m glad you’re back safe. Give me a kiss.”
I kiss her cheeks and she wraps her frail arms around me. “See you in the morning.”
“See you in the morning, Gram. Have a sleep-in tomorrow, okay?”
“Mmm,” she responds. I watch her go back to her room and close the door. She seems to move a bit slower these days, and her wrinkles are a bit deeper. She’s still the same, just a bit older. I know she’ll be up with the sun like she is every day. I shake my head and close my bedroom door.
At least tomorrow will be dinner with Sam’s family. If I’m lucky I won’t run into Mary Hanson or anyone else who lives on half-truths and rumors.
7
Owen
I wake up with the sun streaming through the window directly into my eyes. I groan and turn around before dragging myself up out of bed. I really need to buy blinds for this room. I glance out the window onto Main Street and see the empty beer bottles and cigarette butts all along the hotel porch below me. We didn’t have time to clean everything before passing out last night.
I sigh. Living in the hotel is great, except for the fact that I’m always at work. I walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower until it’s scalding and then step in. I smell like stale beer and cigarette smoke, and I want to scrub myself clean.
As the water hits my body, I think of Jess as she sat in the chair in my office. I wonder what she’s doing right now and how long she’ll be in town. She could be gone for all I know. I scrub my body and start washing my hair and my thoughts drift back to her long legs and the way her eyes glimmered when she spoke. My cock throbs and I try to ignore it.
That spark inside her makes me want to know more. I want to see her again and talk to her again. I want to ask her what happened to her before she left here, and why she left, and why she’s back. I want to ask her about New York and her life there.
I have so many questions and I still know nothing about her.
Once I’m clean, I turn the shower off and grab a towel. I sigh, wiping the condensation off the mirror to drag a comb through my hair.
Jess pops into my mind again and I wonder if I’ll see her today. I sigh, shaking my head to stop thinking about her. I have things to do, I can’t keep obsessing over some chick that’s visiting her grandmother. I finish in the bathroom and throw some clothes on before heading down the creaky old steps to the main floor. The lobby is newly renovated with fresh paint and a new carpet, and to the left is the bar. I push the door open and sigh. The place is a disaster.
“Morning, Joe,” I call out to the bartender. He’s restocking his shelves an I start gathering empty bottles off the tables. “Got pretty crazy in here last night.”
“Mm-hmm,” is the only response I get. I move from table to table until everything is picked up and then move on to the floor.
It feels good to get my hands dirty. This project has been different to all my other investments. Usually I’m just the managing the money, and I oversee the renovations or work and then sell for a profit, but not this place. Mrs Carter warned me about it when I bought the hotel off her. She said I’d need to be involved or else the townspeople wouldn’t trust me. I’m only just starting to
realize how true that is.
I don’t mind though, it stops me thinking about New York. When I left, my father’s business was under investigation and I’d just narrowly avoided prosecution. The trial of the decade, they’ve been calling it. At least in Lexington my name and face aren’t plastered over every newspaper and TV channel, and I don’t have cameras stuck in my face all the time.
Here, my notoriety has nothing to do with my father or his finances. I get talked about because I decided to change the color of the carpet in the lobby, or because I put up new lights outside the hotel. I can deal with that kind of notoriety. No one knows my father, and no one cares about big city politics.
I grab a broom and start sweeping up the floor. Joe gets the mop and follows behind me until the whole place is clean again. Joe leans against the mop and turns towards me.
“You did good last night,” he says. “Folks will be happy about the way you opened this place back up.”
“Thanks Joe. I tried to keep the original charm of the hotel, and I hope they could see that.”
“Mm-hmm,” he says again, lifting the mop back into the bucket. “Whatever they say about you, you’re alright.”
I chuckle. “Thanks.”
He just nods and wheels the mop away. Somehow that small compliment seems like it means a lot more. It’s like a seal of approval. I brush my hands together and sweep my eyes around the room, sighing in satisfaction.
I might be able to make this place work after all. I don’t need my father’s money, or my father’s business to back me. I can do this on my own!
I grab a big garbage bag and head to the front door to clean up the porch. I swing them open, putting a door stopper in front of one of them.
“Morning, Mr. McAllister!”
I turn my head to see Mary Hanson heading out of the corner store across the road.
“Morning, Mary. Hope you enjoyed yourself last night.”
“Oh it was a great night. And I see you enjoyed yourself as well,” she replies, crossing the road and standing with her hand on her hip. Somehow it seems like there’s a double meaning to her words. I frown.
“I did, yeah. It was great to see everyone come out and support the re-opening.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she says slowly. “But it was great to see everyone.”
“And what did you mean?”
She laughs and looks at me through slitted eyes. “I meant when you disappeared into your office with Jessica Lee. You be careful with her. Have a good day now!”
She wiggles her fingers in goodbye and I frown as she turns back towards her car. My heart starts thumping in my chest and I turn slowly towards the mess on the porch. One by one, I drop the empty bottles and ashtray contents into the garbage bags as I turn her words over in my head.
Be careful with Jess? Does she think we slept together? I mean, obviously she does, or at least she wants me to think she does. I hadn’t even realized that anyone had seen us in there together, but at this rate it’ll be the talk of the town by midday. I shake my head and take a deep breath.
Living in this town is like walking through a minefield. It’s enough to drive a man insane. No wonder Jess left, I think as I shake my head. Mary’s words ring in my ears and all I can do is think about asking Jess what she meant. Instead of warning me off her, she’s only made me want her more.
8
Jess
“Are you sure you’re okay to walk over, Gram?”
“Of course, honey. I need to get these old legs moving.”
“Alright. Here, hold my arm.”
My grandmother and I step down the porch steps slowly and she leans against me. She hooks her arm through mine and we set off towards Sam’s house. Gram points out some flowers that are in bloom and I ask her the name of plants.
“The tulips are just starting to come up now, they should be out any day,” she says, looking over at another perfectly manicured lawn.
“Mm,” I respond, looking at the street that’s all too familiar. I feel like I know every crack in the pavement, ever shingle on every roof. I’ve walked or ran or biked between my grandmother’s house and Sam’s thousands of times over the years. This time, we walk at a leisurely pace, with Gram leaning against me when she needs it.
The air is clear and warm as we make our way towards Main Street. Sam lives just on the edge of town, a few blocks down from the square where the Lex and the grocer are. Gram pats my arm as we turn the corner and swing the gate up to Sam’s house.
Once again, the screen door opens before we get a chance to knock.
“Grandma Lee!” Sam says as she comes out to greet us. “You’re looking radiant tonight. Come on in.” Sam smiles and takes Gram’s other arm to help her in the house. I can’t help but notice how much more wheezing and panting that Gram is doing compared to last time I saw her. Her movements seem so much more labored than before, when she was just one big ball of energy. She used to be able to chase me around the house and still have energy to do everything else.
Mrs. Cooke comes out of the kitchen and opens her arms. “Jessie!” She says as she wraps me in a hug. “My second daughter!”
“Hi, Mrs. Cooke. It’s good to see you.”
The smile on my lips spreads to my heart as she wraps me in another hug. Between her and Gram, I had a childhood full of love once I moved here. I might have lost my own parents, but I found a second family. The two of them coaxed me out of my shell and showed me that even without a mother around, I was still loved.
Mr. Cooke appears and the greetings continue. My cheeks hurt already from smiling and we haven’t even made it through the door yet. There’s laughter and talking and remembering as everyone goes inside and sits down in the living room. Mrs Cooke’s food smells amazing, and I look around the old house and smile.
There’s something about this town. Even for all its faults and all the gossip, even though I had to leave and get away from it all, even though I’ve lived in New York for almost ten years, there’s still something about it. A glass of wine appears in my hand and there’s more laughter, and talking, and eating.
Before I know it, the stars are twinkling in the black sky and Gram and I are saying our goodbyes. My heart feels light as I give Sam another hug.
“You want to meet for lunch tomorrow?” She asks. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
“What is it?” I laugh. “You’re not going to leave me hanging all night, are you?”
Sam grins. “I’m going to have to. Meet around noon? Come here and I’ll tell you the big news.”
“The big news, eh,” I say with a raised eyebrow. “So big it needs its own special lunch to announce it?”
Sam laughs. “It does, yeah. Just come over at noon, Jess, stop giving me a hard time.”
“Fine,” I reply with a laugh. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She shoots me that dazzling smile and I say one last thank you before turning to my grandmother. Her eyes are drooping and the lines in her face seem a mile deep. She’s bone tired.
“Gram, do you want to wait here and I’ll go get the car? We can drive back together then.”
“No, no, no. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m fine to walk, I’m not that old. These legs have some life in them yet.”
“Okay,” I say, and cringe as she stumbles on the pavement. I grab her arm and help her gain her balance again. “Are you sure? I won’t be long, I’ll be over and back in no time and drive you back.”
“Let’s go, honey, I’m fine.”
We start the walk back to the house. What would take me a quick ten minutes looks like it’ll be a long half hour walk for the two of us. Gram is quiet now, just focused on putting one step in front of the other. I look over at her and hold her arm a little bit tighter.
We walk in silence for a few blocks, until we get to the turn towards her house. It’s taken us ten minutes or more to get this far, and Gram looks exhausted. I should have insisted we drive, but there’s no arguing with her wh
en she has her mind set on something.
We turn the corner and before I know it, her foot catches on the sidewalk and she stumbles. I cry out and immediately know I wont’ be able to catch her this time. She’s falling away from me, and I can’t get my arm around her body.
“Gram!” I yell. She stumbles again and I watch in horror as she falls towards the hard pavement.
Before she hits the ground, an arm appears and catches her. She’s lifted clean off the ground and placed gently back on her feet before I know what’s happening.
“You okay, Mrs. Lee?”
It’s him. It’s Owen. He looks from me to my grandmother with concern written all over his face. His tee-shirt is clinging to his chest and his muscles are outlined perfectly. He drags his fingers through his hair and takes a big sigh.
“My car is just around the corner. Let me drive you home.” His eyes flick to me and he seems to plead with me. I nod.
“Come on, Gram.”
“Yes, thank you, Mr. McAllister. That sounds lovely,” she wheezes. She pats her fingers against her cheeks and then her hair and I put my arm around her shoulders.
He laughs. “For the thousandth time, call me Owen.”
Gram just nods and I smile.
Thank you, I mouth to Owen. He nods once, quickly, and then jogs around the corner. Within a couple seconds I hear an engine roar to life and a pickup truck comes around the corner.
“It’s just a two-door, so we’ll have to squeeze in here.”
“I can walk,” I say just as I imagine being squeezed up against Owen’s muscular body. My heart starts beating a little bit faster
Gram snorts. “For someone who insisted on driving you sure do sound like you want to walk.”
She shoots me a grin and I laugh and shake my head.
“Alright.”
Owen helps my grandmother into the passenger’s seat and closes the door. He walks around to the driver’s side towards me. I can’t stop looking at his chest, and the way his tee-shirt is stretched over his arms. I had no idea he was this fit.
Knocked Up- The Complete Box Set Page 34