CHAPTER SIXTEEN #2
“What are you taking notes for?” Jessie asked, craning her neck to see what he wrote.
Javi nudged her away carefully with his elbow. “Jessie, please. This is research.”
Jessie was incredulous. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Javi, but couldn’t you write this stuff? I’ve never known you to have trouble with the ladies.”
Falling back in his chair, Javi tucked his phone in his jeans pocket. “I’m losing my mojo.” He sighed, and Jessie would have made fun of him if he didn’t look so damn sad.
“I’m sorry?” she asked, leaning closer to hear over the din of the dining room. Buster had a full house tonight, a combination of locals and tourists passing through Pinegrove.
Javi drained the last of his wine, slamming the glass on the tabletop with more force than was necessary. “I think I’m in love,” he said, exhaling so forcefully his napkin blew to the floor.
Jessie scrunched her nose, certain she’d misheard him. “You’re what?”
“You heard me,” he said on a sigh, expression sullen. “Her name is Lola, and she’s gorgeous and smart and so perfect.” He waved his hands around the table as the other ladies finished their conversation. “She’s the reason we’re all here now. I invited her to book club.”
“So what’s the problem?” Jessie asked, stealing a forgotten chip from Javi’s plate.
“I don’t know what’s happening, but I completely fumbled around her.
It was wild,” he observed, blinking rapidly as he spoke.
“It’s like I wasn’t Javi. I was some tongue-tied goober.
As soon as she walked into the station for the presentation, I was braindead.
” He took a breath, quickly slugging back a third of his wine.
“She’s new to town and wants to meet people.
She only agreed to go out with me since I’m bringing Smithy.
Then Maxwell invited herself to tag along. ”
“She’s into Malcolm?” Her voice sounded foreign to her own ears; her brain was unwilling to allow Malcolm a future that didn’t involve her by his side. But that wasn’t fair, and she knew it. The hell of it was, she was wild with jealousy nonetheless.
And how could he have found a woman in less than a day? Jessie had been at his place, taking care of him ... kissing him for Pete’s sake! He went to work once and already had a crush. Meanwhile, Jessie had spent her time at home eating her weight in sugar and catching up on cable television.
Javi lifted a shoulder, his attention back on his plate. He trailed his fork through a puddle of salsa. “I dunno, but she definitely wasn’t that into me.” Usually the life of the party, it was jarring to see the man down on his luck.
After wiping his hands on his lap, Javi gave up on eating. He pushed his plate away, frowning at the remains of his dinner like they broke his heart.
Suddenly this book club planning meeting was the last place she wanted to be.
In less than five minutes, everyone agreed that Maxwell, Malcolm, and this Lola woman could attend if they wanted.
That decided, her mother and Whitney started discussing their own happily ever after, which ordinarily would make Jessie beam with pride.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that this time with Malcolm was different—this time he might be ready to move on for good.
“Do you think you could take me home?” Jessie asked, already pulling out her wallet to pay. She had no desire to extend the evening another moment. She wanted to go home, hide under a pile of blankets, and figure out her next move ... or at least cuddle with Gussy.
Javi snorted. “Jessie, no offense, but I’m not interested.” He balled his fists and carefully banged on his temples. “I can’t get Lola out of my head!” He lowered his voice and added, “Plus, you know Trev would gladly kick my ass if I ever touched you.”
That brought Jessie out of her funk long enough to throw a coaster at Javi’s face. It was damp from her glass and landed like a wobbly frisbee on his cheek before fluttering to the table. “You idiot,” she spat, “I meant take me back home since I didn’t drive here. Gross.”
Javi barked out a laugh, looking more like himself for a moment. “Oh, sure.”
The pair bid farewell to the group, Javi holding the door open for her as they stepped into the muggy air.
Jessie threw her head back, looking up at the night sky, a cluster of fireflies flitting around them.
Nights like this were why she loved Pinegrove so much.
It was peaceful, quaint, and felt like living in a dream.
Javi dropped Jessie off in the driveway, the house still quiet and dark. Gus barked, alerting Jessie that her dawdling could result in a mess to clean up.
“You need anything?” Javi asked, sticking his head out the driver’s side window. It could have been his Southern charm or her anxious posture, but he didn’t seem ready to leave her alone.
Jessie pursed her lips in what she hoped looked like a smile and not her swallowing her own tongue. “Nope. I’ll take care of Gus and call it a night.”
Javi shot her a thumbs-up, waiting until she unlocked before reversing toward home.
No sooner had she opened the door did Gus push past her to mark his territory on the nearest shrub.
She trusted the hound dog wouldn’t run off, but she knew she had to stay close.
Jessie stared up at the night sky, gaze unfocused as she blinked up at the stars.
Her ring finger remained bare, her promise ring from Malcolm still tucked safely in her wallet.
It was a habit she’d started during their off times as a way to keep him close.
That ring was sometimes all she had of Malcolm, regardless of the promises they’d broken over the years.
Much like the ring, she couldn’t stargaze and not think of him.
Was he looking at the stars tonight? Was he missing her as much as she missed him?
Gus finished his business and lumbered back into the house. From the kitchen, the clanging of his water dish echoed outside. Jessie chuckled, appreciating the distraction from her spiraling thoughts. “I’m coming, Gussy,” she shouted, stepping away and closing the door on the stars.
She could only hope that, much like cycles of the moon, she and Malcolm could get in sync.