Chapter 16 #2
Derrick Kennerly, a local who had recently moved back to Arbor Bay, came to the bar with Dewey Royce in tow. Jack was friendly with Dewey but hadn't seen Derrick in a while. He greeted both with a nod as they took over the barstools across from him.
“Well, if it isn't our very own Casanova in the flesh,” Dewey exclaimed, throwing his hands wide.
Most would think he was making fun of Jack, but Dewey was always some kind of hyper at every moment of his life.
He no more meant to mock someone than Jack meant to kiss Benny on the front fucking porch.
“You know I was at the grocery store today and ended up hearing the cashier and Mrs. Buckley talking about you and Benny,” he continued.
“Then I looked at your Facebook and saw you changed your status to ‘In a Relationship’ with him.
I guess I was living under a rock, because I didn't even realize y'all knew each other!”
Jack didn't have to ask Dewey what he drank. He went ahead and started pouring a light ale from the tap.
“Now don't you come in here looking for gossip, Dewey,” Jack chided. “You know the only thing I like serving is alcohol.”
Dewey laughed at that. He took his drink with a hand up in defense.
“I'm just happy for you, is all. I know Benny is a good one. And that prickly attitude of yours? Probably could use some of that good too.” Again, Dewey didn't ever mean anything he said to offend, so Jack took the comment with a smile.
Derrick, on the other hand, was a little too aggressive with his tone.
“You know, we were friends in high school, Benny and me. I thought I knew him pretty well until I read some of that blog. I don't get why he felt the need to post everything that was in his head. I’d be embarrassed if it was me.”
Jack realized he had never liked Derrick all that much.
He had a way about him that annoyed. A wet blanket wrapped in a wet blanket as a person.
Jack pulled his customer service smile out and grit his teeth on the inside.
He couldn’t be an ass to Derrick Kennerly, but he could respond in his best impression of Carol Robertson. He dug deep and pulled a story Dixon had told him a few months ago out.
Twas gossip.
Which made him an immediate hypocrite.
Twasn’t going to stop him.
“It’s kind of like how I don't get why these guys send dick pics out like that’s all they need to do to get laid and then somehow blame the ladies when they don’t.
” Jack shrugged. “But, I guess everyone has their reasons for how they act online. Some people are idiots and think their naked schlongs can make them less boring. I’d take a blog post over that any day, if you ask me. ”
Dewey had been wide-eyed already. His quick look to Dewey confirmed that the gossip he’d overheard had, in fact, been true.
Dick Pic Derrick was nowhere near amused.
He tried to play it off with a nod of agreement and a quick order of a Pilsner.
“Why don’t we enjoy the patio tonight?” he asked once served.
The night air was as sticky and hot as a fresh glazed donut, but Dewey was an accommodating guy. He followed Derrick through the bar to the side door. Not before catching Jack's attention and grinning wide.
Santana emerged from the kitchen with her phone in one hand and a fry in the other.
“I didn't know those two were friends,” she said with a glance. “Last I heard Derrick’s only friend was his right hand.”
Normally, Jack would have sniggered at that one.
Now he just felt annoyed.
“Why does everyone in Arbor Bay think they should know everyone's business?” Jack griped back. “Like, I get gossip, but who cares who's friends with who? They do know TV exists, right? I heard there’s a lot of good stuff on there now.”
Santana wasn’t one to acknowledge the annoyances of men. She skirted by the misplaced grumpiness and laughed.
“We live in Arbor Bay—its own little anthill in the middle of a parking lot. There’re very few unknowns we get to enjoy, so we eat it up when there’s a question mark.
Speaking of—” She stuck the fry in her mouth and handed him her phone.
“You hung out with the Robertson twins, Ruby, Benny, and your ex. Today. On a boat. Chest out and wet.”
The picture on the screen was one of the several group shots that had been taken at Carol’s insistence.
Marcus and Felicity were holding hands, Ruby was at Carol’s side trying their best to look like teacups, and Benny—with his definitely sunburned legs—was leaning against Jack’s side. His smile was small, awkward. Cute.
Jack caught himself smiling at the image.
It didn’t last long.
Jack found himself in the picture.
He didn’t remember why—or even that he had—but there was no way around it.
Picture Jack was smiling too.
But not at Benny.
Santana sighed.
“And I'm guessing by the look on your face right now that you didn't mean to stare lovingly at your ex while when this picture was taken, huh?”
He hadn’t.
But damn if there wasn’t proof that he had.
“Felicity did a passive aggressive complaint about Carol’s damn sunhat. I thought it was funny because Benny and I’d already talked about the thing earlier. I didn’t realize I’d laughed. To be fair, Carol took about fifty pictures and half we had to readjust because the hat was in the way.”
Santana tapped the username at the top of the screen.
“Well, this is the only one Carol posted from the day just now, and—” She moved her finger to the text beneath the picture. “It already has six hundred likes.”
Jack swore. Not under his breath.
“I swear that woman tries to stir more pots than a cook.”
Santana nodded, sympathetic.
“She sure knows how to hit all the right spots to make you go oomph.” She patted Jack's shoulder. “You better give Benny a heads up before other people start yapping about you still being in love with Felicity.”
“I’m not still in love with Felicity,” he pointed out.
Santana took her phone back and sighed.
“You may say that here, now, but the next time Carol sees Benny? I guarantee that’s all she’s going to talk about.”
She was right.
Jack put his bar rag down.
“Can you cover the bar for a second?” he asked her.
Santana waved him off.
“If it’s to help Benny get ahead of the Queen Bee’s sting, then take all the time you need.”
Jack hurried back to the office, already scrolling through his phone to Benny’s name.
Guilty.
He felt guilty.
Like he'd just cheated on Benny, even though, A) he absolutely hadn't meant to look lovingly at anyone and B) he and Benny weren't actually dating.
It was ridiculous.
It was dramatic.
It was dumb—
Jack started to pace as the phone started to ring.
And rang.
And rang.
After he hung up before the automated voicemail could record a message, he cussed again.
Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Santana was too.
It was just a picture, taken by Carol of all people. Their shared enemy.
Maybe Benny wouldn't care.
Maybe it wasn’t a big—or small—deal at all.
Maybe—
Jack's phone dinged as a new text message came in.
It was from Benny:
Sorry, we're in the middle of the movie, but good timing, I was about to text you. I hate to do this, but I forgot I had plans with Ethan tomorrow night already. I'll brainstorm with him about the party and the pageant. Don’t worry. I'll call you if I need you.
Jack reread the message twice.
He only cussed once more.
“Well, shit.”