One and Done (Two Outta Three #2) (12 page)

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to give you some advice about Rocky.” Noticing the suspicious look on my face, he added, “You and Steph talk kind of loud. Bro code, dude. I won’t tell my cousin anything.”

Relenting, I slumped forward and rubbed my temples. “Okay, fine. Whatcha got?”

“If you want to get back on her good side, you just need an opportunity to remind her that you’re company worth keeping.” He picked up a huge box and heaved it onto his shoulder, eyeing me warily. “From what I’ve heard, you really haven’t done much to prove yourself to her.”

“Prove myself…in what way?”

“Just don’t be a jerk. Don’t hurt her again.” Without warning, he chucked the box across the room as if it weighed nothing. There really wasn’t a reason for him to do so, so I assumed it was a brotherly warning for me to watch my back. Throwing me a side glance, he repeated, “You just need one opportunity.”

***

Well, that opportunity presented itself in the form of three sick employees and a longer than usual line out front. I mean, you could almost hear the desperation in Rocky’s tone as she practically begged for help over the store intercom system. Though I knew I had more than enough experience from my years working at Tyler’s Tavern to help her out, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I didn’t want to risk pissing Mr. Rossi off and ruining what little progress I’d made so far. So, imagine my surprise when he approached me.

“Um, Jesse?” Mr. Rossi shifted uncomfortably, as if the very act of asking me a favor hurt him deeply.

“Yes, sir?” I asked cautiously.

“Has Rocky taught you how to handle the registers, yet?”

When would she have had the time, given that I’m always back here?

I shook my head. “No, sir.”

“Rats—”

“But I’ve handled it before in my old job at Charleston,” I explained quickly.

Mr. Rossi tried hard to hide his surprise, but he failed miserably. His upper lip twitched as he fought back a smile. “Oh? So you can handle the old computer we have in front?”

“Pretty sure,” I agreed.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go!”

At his urging, I practically ran to the front. However, had I known what a piece of meat I’d feel like, I would have stalled a bit longer. Seriously, it felt as if I was walking the catwalk—or at the very least a live action version of those dating/rating apps you’d find for your phones.

Swipe left.

I gulped and hurried toward the register, reddening as I felt females undressing me with their eyes. To my disappointment, Rocky wasn’t one of the oglers. Her eyes were dipped low, making her appear as if she were glaring at the computer screen.

Barely looking up at me, she snapped, “Um, you’re not trained to handle the register.”

I rolled his eyes and stepped up beside her. “Trust me; I’ve handled plenty of registers before. It doesn’t take a genius to swipe barcodes over a scanner.”

“There isn’t anybody else back there?”

God, did she hate me that much?

Fighting through the pangs of hurt, I managed to say, “They all called in sick. I’m your last hope. C’mon, do you really think your dad would have sent me out here if there was anybody else who can help you out?”

“Fine,” she shot back through gritted teeth. “Just keep up. This line is long enough as it is.”

“Whose fault was that?” I blurted out, and immediately felt a sharp pain in my shin. She actually kicked me. Holding back an amused laugh, I remarked, “Still a little spitfire, huh? Well, why don’t you try your best to keep up with me?”

To my surprise, her lips curled up. Seeing her smile again caused the rush of electricity that I’ve missed so much, instantly waking parts of me in a jolt.

“Fine. Bring it on.” Her tone came out breathy, causing my dick to twitch more. She really wasn’t fighting fair.

But neither was I.

I’m not arrogant, to say the least. I mean, what would I have to show off? My laundry list of bad choices and have nots? Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but flaunt my registering prowess no matter how pathetic it might have been. I mean, at least the customers seemed to have a lot of fun with me.

“That’ll be twenty-four fifty, Miss.” I flashed a grin at a woman who had to be eighty years old. Her bluish tinted hair was piled into a particularly stiff and heavy looking beehive on top of her neck. I was surprised she could keep her head upright.

“Miss? Oh, I haven’t been a miss in years!” She fanned herself slightly and blushed. “Thanks for making an old lady feel young again.”

Fluffing someone’s feathers was the best way to gain a repeat customer. Besides, it felt great making someone’s day.

“You’re not old. Just experienced.”

Okay, maybe that response was a bit much.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Rocky muttered, obviously perturbed by my two customer lead on her.

Unfortunately, the old woman lingered, slowing down my pace. Just when I was ready to kindly shoo her off, she leaned over and asked, “Do you have a tip jar?”

“No tip jar, Ma’am,” Rocky answered before I could even open my mouth.

“I was talking to him,” she snapped back.

My gaze was still on Rocky when I felt skinny fingers go under the collar of my shirt. I took an involuntary step back and gasped.

She didn’t just…

I reached into my shirt and pulled out a five dollar bill.

Oh, my gosh, she did!

“Um, we don’t take tips.” I cleared my throat and winced a bit.

“Trust me, sonny. You deserve it!” With a huge grin on her face, she grabbed her stuff and scuffled toward the door, bouncing youthfully the whole way out of the store.

Still in shock, I hardly heard Rocky comment, “You were always good with the ladies.”

“Ha! You wish.” My eyebrows furrowed. I wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not. Did she really think I was that much of a male slut? I had a ton of shit to fix, and it was nobody’s fault but mine.

An hour flew by, and before I knew it the line had finally trickled down. Feeling ecstatic that I was finally going to have some alone time with Rocky, I turned toward her only to be immediately shot down.

“Hey, beautiful.” The douche Ethan was back, and it took everything in my power not to punch the smug look off his face. Of course, the joy I felt from seeing Rocky’s less than stellar greeting was enough to placate me—for the time being at least.

“Ethan! What are you doing here?”

Possibly aware of Mr. Rossi’s ‘no untrained people behind the cash wrap’ rule, he leaned over, reaching out for Rocky. Struggling to hug her, he soon gave up and coughed, “I couldn’t speak with your dad without seeing you.”

“Why were you speaking to my dad?” she asked almost suspiciously.

My head snapped to the side. Why did Rocky seem so scared of him? Immediately my protective instinct came over me, but I knew I was probably overreacting. To calm myself down, I busied myself by dusting off the keyboard and picking at some lint wedged between the counter’s crevices.

“We were discussing marketing plans for first quarter.”

“Oh,” she sighed with relief.

As if just noticing me, the douchebag glanced over in surprise. “Hey there, my man. Looks like they got you trained on that thing.”

“Looks like it,” I shot back a bit more forcefully than I had intended.

Ethan’s annoying smile faltered a bit. “Well, I better get back to the office. I’ll see you later?”

“Uh, yeah sure.” Rocky ran her slim fingers through her beautiful mane of dark brown hair and leaned back slightly.

Knowing that a goodbye kiss was inevitable, I desperately looked around for an escape route. Unfortunately, the only way to get out of the enclosed cash wrap was by walking through the little door that Ethan was now draped over. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me run away from him, so though it would be hard to stomach, I gritted my teeth and prepared myself for a game of tonsil hockey. To my surprise—and relief—there was no kiss in sight and Ethan left without a fight.

I looked after him and shook my head. “Douche.”

“What was that?” Rocky’s head snapped in my direction.

“You heard me.” I grinned sheepishly.

“You don’t even know him. How can you judge him?” Rocky sneered.

“Since when do you go for pretty boys like that? You never were into that type.” Please don’t tell me she grew up into one of those prissy girls I despise so much.

“I never had a type in high school! Besides, what would you know about me? If memory serves me correctly, which it does, you haven’t spoken to me since college. What do you even know about me anymore?”

I winced. She was right of course, but I couldn’t let her stay mad at me. Figuring a joke might placate the situation, I shot back, “I know you grew about two cup sizes since I last saw you.”

“Stop being such a jerk. You know what I mean!”

Okay, maybe that was the wrong route. Then again, I couldn’t help myself! Standing face to face, it was really hard not to eye her rack at least once. Though Rocky was still pretty petite, she had curves in all the right places. Gawking was definitely the only option that I had.

My eyes lifted, catching the unamused twist of Rocky’s lips. A slight dimple shone in her left cheek, but I knew it wasn’t from smiling. Recalling Stephanie’s visit, I knew I had to face the music and sighed. “I know things were left a bit odd between us. I also know you won’t believe me, but I have a perfectly good excuse why.”

“Try me.”

“Jesse to the stockroom. Jesse to the stockroom.”

I bit back a groan. Of course Mr. Rossi would choose that moment to call me back to The Dungeon. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hidden camera or some listening device and was busy eavesdropping on us this whole time.

Pouting slightly at my dumb luck, I said quietly, “I really did miss you. I know you don’t believe me, but I really do want to make it up to you.”

“How?” The look of doubt on her face broke my heart, and for once I thought I was a bigger douche than Ethan was.

Prove yourself.

“Do you want to get something to eat tonight? Around eight?” Shit. I felt like an awkward thirteen-year-old all over again.

She’s gonna say no.

“Sure,” she replied without skipping a beat.

I turned away before she could see the smile on my face, ignoring those pesky red flags flashing before my eyes.

Chapter 17

The smoke circled the ceiling of Harpoon’s, looking like an ominous monster from a cheesy ’80s horror movie. My lungs felt heavy and my mouth dry. I grabbed onto my throat and coughed, still in disbelief that not only had I grown up in a similar environment, but that I’d also shelled out a lot of money buying my own cancer sticks.

“Crap, I better text Rocky and tell her to meet me somewhere else.” I reached for my phone only to remember I didn’t have her number—I take that back—I did have one, but it was from five years ago. Deciding not to embarrass myself by texting a wrong number, I positioned myself by the door in hopes of intercepting her as soon as she walked in.

I felt her presence the moment she entered the bar. It was as if the room grew brighter, more ethereal, making the scuffed floors, stained walls, and ripped seats look like a palace. She wore red—ironically the last color I’d seen her in before I moved away. I couldn’t help but wonder whether it was an omen of some sort. Truthfully, I was too nervous to question whether it was a good one or a bad one.

Taking a moment to quiet my mind, I inhaled slowly, exhaling in one loud puff. Wiping my moist hands against my jeans, I called out, “Rocky! Over here!”

Rocky’s eyes lit up the moment she found me. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she sauntered over to me. “Hey! Interesting place you chose here.”

I frowned, eyeing a drunk biker type stumble over his feet. “Yeah, didn’t think this through so much. Didn’t know this place still allowed smoking.”

“We can go somewhere else if you want.” A nearby jukebox drowned out her words. This really wasn’t going to work in more ways than one.

I nodded eagerly. “Yeah, let’s go. I’ll drive.”

I escorted Rocky out of the crowded bar only to be met by a brutal blast of cold air. North Carolina winters were killer, and definitely nothing I missed. I glanced down at Rocky and noticed that her nose had turned bright red and her eyes were on the verge of tears. Given that I hadn’t said or done anything that could have insulted her—yet—I figured it was the weather bringing her down. My arm instinctively reached out to bring her closer to me, but catching myself, I stopped midway.

Now’s not the time.

Diverting my arm, I gestured toward the end of street. “I scored a spot by the curb around the corner. The walk shouldn’t be too bad.”

“O-o-ok-ay,” she stammered. “L-l-let’s go.”

Cold breeze after cold breeze blew through, making me feel as if we were under attack by some frost magician. Desperately wishing I was in South Carolina’s warmth, I bared my teeth and spat out in disgust. “Forgot how cold it gets here.”

“It doesn’t get cold in Charleston?” Rocky asked as we climbed into my even colder car. She kept her head down and chin tucked into her wool jacket.

“We have our winters, but we’re further south. Nothing like it is here.” My mind began to wander toward images of Rocky in tank tops or bikinis. Her olive-toned limbs bare and slick with sweat. My body instantly heated up, but I knew it wasn’t from my car’s heater.

Almost as if she could read my mind, Rocky looked away and blushed. “Oh.”

Awkward silence is one of the most excruciating things that exists in this world. It was right ahead of slow claps and right behind people who pick their noses at stoplights. Rocky and I leaned into our heated seats and stared straight ahead, watching the windows fog. It was so silent that we could easily hear the blast of warm air escaping the vents.

After a few moments, Rocky huffed in irritation and blurted out, “So why cut me out of your life? Why cease all convo with me?”

My eyes widened and I didn’t know whether to laugh or squirm. “Wow! You’re going straight for the punch.”

She scowled. “Jesse, I’m serious. I thought we were better than that.”

Well, this is why I invited her out anyway, right? To clear the air. It was finally time. “Fine. I guess I owe you an explanation.”

“Yeah, you do.” Rocky paused, waiting for me to speak. When I didn’t, she just about growled. “Jesse, seriously?”

Just because my brain knew it was time didn’t mean every other part of my body did. Heart pounding, muscles tensed, I admitted, “I’m not ready to tell you everything, okay? Just take what I give you and roll with it.”

“It’s not like you’re giving me anything at all,” she pointed out.

“I was just getting to that part,” I replied with a chuckle.

And so started my litany about my fucked up life. Sure, none of my revelations came as a surprise, but I guess speaking the words out loud was an entirely different experience than witnessing it firsthand.

Soon I felt myself surrender to my memories. It’s funny, but it was oddly therapeutic revisiting certain instances with a clear mind. In fact, I was finally able to fully understand my father’s motives in abandoning my family without feeling the pangs of anger that I had usually associated with him leaving me alone with Mom.

Unfortunately, Rocky wasn’t as apt to forgive. “If your dad felt that way, why did he leave you with her? Surely, he wouldn’t want his son to grow up in such an environment.”

“I guess he thought leaving me would sort of give my mom the kick she needed to get her life together.” I paused, feeling a veil lift from my eyes. “I honestly think my dad always planned on coming back.”

Her eyes darkened. “What changed?”

“Life,” I replied simply. “When he moved to Charleston everything just fell into place for him. New job, new home, new wife.”

“New wife?” She gaped.

I frowned slightly. How could she have forgotten the main catalyst to my nervous breakdown? After all, she was there when the shit hit the fan.

Guess she didn’t care about you as much as you thought.

If she reacted to Teresa like this, there was no way I’d tell her about Jason. My temper spiked thinking of my lovely older ‘brother.’

I cleared my throat and shook off my unease. “Like I said, life happens.”

“Wow.” She exhaled slowly, allowing her lips to pucker. “Is that why you never came back? Because you liked your dad’s new life better?”

My eye twitched. I was still feeling a bit perturbed at her sudden ‘forgetfulness,’ though I knew I didn’t deserve any real estate in her mind. Still, seeing the slight hint of pain on her face twisted my gut like a knife.

“To a degree,” I agreed, finding it hard to mask my own pain. “I didn’t come back because I realized how much this place dragged me down. How much my mom dragged me down. There wasn’t anything in this town left for me, and moving in with my dad showed me that. He also showed me what a lack of opportunity this place had, and how moving away can help you reinvent yourself for the better. Sometimes old habits die hard and it was up to me to change that.”

“Is that why you stopped talking to me? Because you wanted to forget everything about a town that had nothing for you?” Her face remained stone cold, but I knew her strength was a facade. One more prick and she’d be a water balloon waiting to explode.

Still feeling a bit put off by her lack of memory, I shrugged nonchalantly. “Like I said, I’ll only tell you everything I’m comfortable with. That’s about as comfortable as I can get right now.”

She rolled her eyes, but surprisingly relented. “Fine. So why come back? You obviously didn’t care enough about your mom to visit her before. Why come back now when she’s sick?”

I knew she was right, and though I felt slightly offended, I couldn’t be mad at an observation that was true. “She’s my mom, Rocky. Regardless of everything she did. Regardless of what a shithole this place is—”

“Hey! I still live here, dipshit.” She snapped her fingers in annoyance. “My family and I grew a very successful business here—one you work in, might I add. Careful what you say!”

I stifled a strained laugh. “Fine, let me rephrase that. This town only provides opportunity for certain people.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she growled.

“You, Stephanie, that Ethan guy.” Ugh, even saying his name made me feel as if I were chewing live locusts in my mouth. “You all obviously had the potential and backing to make something of yourselves here. Not me. Not the kid who was struggling to find money to buy something to eat only to find out his mom blew it all on cigarettes.”

She blinked in surprise. “If you needed help, why didn’t you just ask? You know my family and I would have helped you.”

“I know, and that’s precisely why I didn’t want to ask you.”

“I don’t understand.”

I knew she wouldn’t. How could I explain something that seemed so obvious to me?

“Can you imagine what my mom would have done if she found out? She would have found a way to move into your house and drain you for every penny you had! My leaving was necessary for me and my mom. Did you know she finally held a job for longer than three months after I left?”

“Three years,” she replied matter-of-factly.

I looked up in surprise. I didn’t know she lasted that long.

Probably noticing the doubt on my face, she added, “I used to go to Gold Diner whenever I visited my family on the weekends during college. I’d see her in the back cooking.”

“Yeah, guess it runs in the family,” I mumbled.

“What does?”

I opened my mouth, but abruptly shut it. I wanted to tell her about Tyler’s Tavern, I really did. I wanted to shout it out loud: Rocky, I’m a changed man! But somehow I knew telling her about my other life in Charleston would just cause the rift between us to widen. She didn’t know how long I was staying in town, and for the time being that was the best case scenario. She’d probably think I was running away again.

“Never mind.” I sighed and hesitantly reached out to place my fingers on top of her wool jacket, finding myself wishing that we were skin to skin.

What the fuck are you doing, Jesse? You’re being ridiculous.

Pulling back quickly, I smirked. “I don’t expect you to understand my choices, Rocky. I really don’t. But I’m here now to take care of my sick mother because she has no one left to do so. If you knew anything about me, you’d know that underneath that dumb teenage facade I used to hold I was always a good guy. I’m even better now.”

“I know.”

I gazed into her eyes and frowned. How could she? Neither of us knew one thing about each other anymore. Apparently, nothing from senior year either. Still, it felt good to think she saw the best in me. Remembering Maurice’s words, I knew there was nothing I could do but to prove it to her.

Swallowing, I nodded my head. “Good.”