Jack insisted on becoming my personal chauffeur. I knew what his agenda was. He enjoys acting all bodyguard-ish. He said he missed me too much, that is. It’s not purely lies, but it’s also not the primary reason. Jake had him on body guard duty and I just have to live with that.
Girls at school were practically drooling over Jack. Who can blame them? The West brothers were oozing with confidence and hotness.
The fact that they were aware of their effect on the women population doesn’t help the situation. Jack was supposed to drop me off but here he is, walking me to class, waving here and there like a Hollywood celebrity. He’s one of the best basketball players in the history of mankind - as he modestly put it in words - just like Jake is a legend in football.
“Hey, Bobbie!” I know that voice, Maggie from Dance club. Me and her, we don’t see eye to eye on things. I hate that she’s acting all highly. The last time I saw her, she was making a freshman shine her shoes and to think that it was a damn sneaker irked me more.
I plastered on a smile. “Maggie, what is it?”
Jack’s brows furrowed. Maybe I wasn’t great at acting at all. But it’s hard to believe when I got an A on English lit. I played Juliet once and Jake was Romeo, maybe that’s the reason I got an A.
Maggie neared us, faking a sympathetic gaze in my direction. Well, at least I’m better at acting than her.
“Oh my God, I’m so glad to see you, Bobbie. How have you been?” She was batting her eyelids fifty times per second. I guess she had too much caffeine in her system already.
“Uh... we practically saw each other, like yesterday in class…” I stated as a matter of fact.
“I mean catch up, silly,” she feigned, slapping my shoulder before looking up to the ever so confused Jack. Reaching for the tip of her midnight black hair tied in a high ponytail, she twirled the end with her pink polka dot manicured fingernails. I can see drool spilling out from her parted pink tinted lips. “Did you and Jake break up? Why are you with someone else?”
She got her blue eyes fixed on Jake at the same time she learned to spell ‘I’. Her aim is to sink in her claws on my man. The amount of mascara weighing her eyelids down is hindering her from seeing Jake and Jack’s resemblance.
“Yeah, like I’m ever confiding in you about my life.”
She didn’t hear my response because she was shouting ‘get me a cappuccino’ to some poor freshmen under her leash. “Great, aren’t you going to introduce me?”
“This is Jack, Jake’s-”
She cut me off. “Nice meeting you, Jack. Are you a transfer student?” her arms were now snaking on Jack’s bicep.
Poor Jack is looking like a puppy for adoption. I waved him goodbye and mouthed ‘call me’ before turning on my heels. He’s a big boy and I bet he can handle girls like Maggie.
The day went on like usual, cold and blunt. After class, I found Jack inside my Land Rover wearing sunglasses. He unlocked the car, and I hopped on the passenger side.
“You good?” I asked teasingly.
He huffed. “You owe me pizza for that, Bobbie.” Making a reverse, and soon we are leisurely on the road to Chris’s car shop. “She tasted like prunes.” I giggled, and that only made Jack groan in irritation. “She can’t stop talking while we’re making out. I haven’t met a girl so talkative as her, damn.”
“You made out with her?” my laugh ringing inside the confines of my car.
“She pulled me to the janitor’s closet, and I practically had to take a shower after that. Glad that Coach Mack is still with the basketball team.”
I laughed even harder and soon Jack was laughing with me, but continued to shake his head. We arrived at the car shop fifteen minutes before my shift. I told Jack to stay in my car or drive somewhere, find a girl or do what boys do.
Tina gave me a tour of their humble car shop. We are the only girl employees, so we practically own the girl’s locker. Tina was a breath of fresh air and I bet that Mel and Candice will love her no bullshit attitude too.
She was telling me about her ex-boyfriend who used to work for her father, but she caught him cheating on her. The guy was ‘castrated by her brothers’, her words, and it practically sealed our friendship. It’s nice that she wasn’t a pushover for love.
I wiped my teary eyes before following Tina out to the counter. She introduced me to his younger brother Ben and the other mechanic Lee. Ben and I go to the same school. Getting along with him will not be a problem.
Lee is a totally different story. After the introduction, he showed his disliking towards me without a filter. He turned his back on me after announcing, ‘why did the boss hire a Princess.’ Lee did not intend it as a question. He had a label for me even before he got to know me.
People like Lee do exist in this world. Lucky for him, I learned to ignore people not worthy of my time.
I was wearing my worn-out sneakers, black jeans, and the car shop’s uniform. I asked Chris and Tina to keep my last name between us for this matter. Imagine the disgust Lee would feel if he knew I was a St. Clair, that I was indeed a true Princess in a sense.
There were many cars in the lineup, and Tina assigned Ben to supervise my work. They gave me the easiest task of changing tires for my first day, and I’m glad that Ben was impressed.
“I didn’t know you had it in you, Bobbie,” Ben patted my back. It was indeed not a simple task, I was sweating all over the place yet somehow, I felt alive. Looking at the cars we just fixed did magic in my chest. I got no words for it, but hmm, I feel content that I get to help fix something. Cars in this case.
“It’s amazing, working with cars.” I slumped myself down on the couch inside the employee’s lounge, wiping sweat off of my face with a clean white towel. “Grandad taught me all about them.”
Ben handed me a can of Sprite and a plate of his Mom’s lasagna. “You’re holding up okay from where I stand. They will be proud of you, Bobbie.”
I gave him a sheepish smile. “I hope so.”
“They are so,” Ben rubbed a fluffy towel against his brown hair that is gently reaching the nape of his neck. Slumping himself on the single couch, he filled his plate with a healthy amount of pasta and mumbled, “I met them once. The mayor was cool for his age and your Grandma is such a sweet lady.”
“They are indeed both amazing people,” I blinked back the tears that’s threatening to spill out of my tear ducts.
The door to the employee’s lounge swung open, revealing Lee. He has that menacing grin plastered on his face.
“Crying already, Princess? You should quit before you break a toenail,” he sat across from me, reaching for a can of coke, opening it and taking a huge gulp of the cold drink.
With his height barely reaching 5’9 and his curly dark hair escaping his baseball cap, Lee’s narrow shaped eyes compliments his pointy nose. His pale white skin is decorated with artistic ink. If he could remove that taunting smirk he has directed at me, he’d be cool just like his Eminem shirt.
“Lee, stop acting like a dick,” Ben scolded him, but I held his arms.
“It’s okay,” Lee didn’t know that I wasn’t crying about the hard work but other things. Personal stuff. “I should probably help Tina on... something,” I trailed off. Taking my plate and drinking with me, I walked out of the lounge to the counter. Choosing my battles was something Grandad taught me, and I know Lee’s attitude is not worth it.
To my surprise, Tina was talking to a ‘customer’ named Jack West. I sighed and placed my food on Tina’s table.
“How was your first day at work, Bobbie?” Jack’s playful tone gave me the happy pill that I needed after Lee.
“Tires,” I joked and was glad that he got it and rumbled laughing. “Want some? Tina’s Mom cooked this,” I twisted a mouthful of the pasta and placed it in Jack’s wide-open mouth.
“Your Mom is a superb cook, Tin,” he said. He already has a nickname for her.
Tina blushed, “I was the one that made the pasta.”
Jack’s mouth turned into a forced ‘O’ while he was swallowing the food in his mouth. He was flirting, and she was flirting back. I feel out of place, so I just checked my phone for Jake’s messages, zoning out from their conversation. He left two voicemails and five messages. Connecting my phone to my headset, I listened to his voice.
“Bee, I miss you.”
“And, I love you.”
His messages had the same content, and the others were instructions to eat a proper meal. I sent him a message that I was working and my coworkers were treating me well.
I don’t intend on making Jake worry about me. He already worries too much, and I know he needs to focus on boot camp. We can talk about Lee when he comes back. That way, I can explain things in detail as well.
My shift ended, and I had to practically drag Jack out of the car shop, away from ‘Tin-tin’. He was pouting like a four-year-old while driving to town for the pizza ‘I owe’ him.
In Jack’s book, there’s nothing a good food can’t fix. In my book, there’s nothing a dose of Jake’s sweetness can’t fix. Before I went to sleep in his bed, we spent hours talking about our day and I slept with a smile on my lips once more.
~~
I’m glad that Jack found a new person to focus his attention to. I enjoy having him around, but if Jake is over protective, Jack is worse. There was one time on the school grounds where he threatened a schoolmate of mine because the kid accidentally spilled coffee on my shirt.Jack looked genuinely interested in Tina. He was ecstatic when Tina agreed to go out with him. On the other hand, Tina seems to be interested in him too because every time I walk into their shop, her first sentence is always ‘is Jack with you?’Lee’s attitude towards me got worse within the span of a week. One day, when Ben was out because of his Mom, Lee assigned me to change oil of three cars… all on my own. If his goal is to become an ass, he is practically in the lead and on his way to ranking first. However, I’m my mother’s daughter. I am as
I promised Jake that I will take the day off on Sunday, which I did.I went home.Allowing myself to reminisce every memory I have of my Grandparents the moment I set foot in Nonna’s garden.Thick and lush foliage Marigold is a huge contrast to the little sunflower softness of her daisies. Variety of orchids clung to the driftwoods that she specifically ordered from Italy. Two-lipped ray florets of gerberas in bountiful colors nestled under the beauty of greens. As I reached the double doors, the mingled scents of jasmine and roses did it for me.I am home.I sighed deeply, unlocking the door. Soon I was engulfed by the fresh roses and jasmine that our house cleaner handpicked from the garden. Nonna loves having the fre
When I pulled away from him, he kissed the top of my head and guided me downstairs. Matt’s cool cologne is accentuated with faint smoldered jet fuel flames and coffee. He must’ve taken a commercial flight instead of using the family plane. The two huge luggage with airport’s stamps nestled in the middle of the living room was proof.“Are you staying for a while?” I asked once I trusted my voice to come out properly and poured him a glass of water.“Yeah, Mom asked me to stay with you for a while. Dad will be taking care of everything in Italy while I check some possible business investment here... until your graduation.”This is good. I need to have my mind working on other things than dwelling with the wound in my chest. Mission of the hour, a decent meal for Matt. I was ru
I willed myself to focus on study and work. Just to get my life moving forward. Just to stop myself from drowning in sorrow.Chris even gave me an early bonus. I don’t know what bonus he was talking about, but he said that the clients were pleased with my work and dropped fat tips on the tip box. That’s how it works in their shop, together and as a family. What one has, the others should have as well. Everything is divided equally, be it work or tips.I sent messages to my best friends using my new phone, and I told them I was okay. That I have the Stanleys, Lee, and Matt with me.“Do you want me to put rat poison in his drink?” Mellissa rolled her cool blue eyes, bitching on the other line of facetime.“Poison is too tame, Mel, I’ll c
Anton, Ben, and Matt found someone to dance with. Wide grins displayed on each girl’s features, enjoying their time in my cousin and friend’s arms.Lee announced his presence behind me by tapping my sweaty shoulder. When I turned around, he scratched the back of his neck. “Can I?” a sheepish smile splayed on his lips, a hand offered for me to grab.Returning Lee’s smile, I wound my arms around his neck and swayed my body to the remix tune of Lady Gaga’s ‘Just Dance’.With my arms around Lee’s shoulder, I felt the heavy sigh he let out. Who knew Lee was a shy guy. Leaning my forehead on his shoulders, he loosened up a bit and moved in the same beat that hazed my body. We laughed, danced, screamed and laughed some more, enjoying this night with my friends.
Is it too soon to entertain someone? Is there a time frame before I allow myself to go out with someone else? It’s just a date that Cole is asking. It’s not as if he asked me to be his girlfriend.“Hm, I just got out of something,” I replied, my chest expanding in a mixture of excitement and fear. “I don’t think I’m ready for something serious at the moment, Cole.”A sigh left Cole’s lips. His thumb kept rubbing soothing circles over my skin. “We can take things slow. Get to know each other.”Meeting a stranger in a club who was willing to get to know me and not hit on the first chance he sees is refreshing. I’ve been to high school parties and mostly, the party crashers would want to make out as soon as they laid their eyes on a girl in a tight
I dressed Jake’s bruised knuckles and let him sleep on my bed. He kept murmuring the same things, but I just can’t get myself to believe him. Jake fell asleep quickly, and I took a warm shower before walking downstairs. Matt is making hot chocolate by the kitchen for the two of us. Clothes already changed as well.“Jack went to sleep in the guest room,” he informed me while I took a sip of the warm drink. “I know I have no right to say anything about your relationship with Jake, but I think you should give him a chance to explain himself, Bobbie.”I nodded my head and rubbed my temple. “Maybe,” it has been a long night.I slept in my grandparent’s room and cried myself to sleep. It was the first time I entered their room since the accident and their mixed scent w
The three of us, Mel, Candice and I were shopping at the mall on Sunday. Well, they’re shopping and I’m just here for moral support and my expert opinion, note the sarcasm please.After having lunch, we walked around the mall again, hunting for the perfect waterproof mascara. The competition which is due next Friday is making my best friends a bit edgy. Must be the nerves. This is the first time they’ll be cheering without me, somehow responsible for giving them more pressure at my absence in the team.My foot is aching even though I was wearing my comfy Chuck Taylor. We ate a lot, strolled around the mall three times and ate some more.Ready to head home, we stopped by the restroom to freshen up a bit. We head inside the cubicle and glad that the restroom was empty even on a Sunday.