Now
CHAPTER
FIVE
Jackson
One last swipe of my hands over the sides of my pants, and I knock on the flimsy door of the trailer. Inside, I hear Evie’s mom shout her name, then some commotion, and the door opens.
When I find Ms. G instead of my date, I lower the corsage I bought, which matches the flowers I pinned to the lapel of my suit.
Per usual, Evie’s mom is wearing cheap leggings, a wide T-shirt that has a few holes, and her blonde hair looks unkempt.
I’ll never understand genetics, because how is that her mom?
Evie is always proper, always put together, even if her clothes aren’t the most pristine.
One day, I’ll buy her an entire closet full of designer clothes and expensive accessories. She will have everything she’s ever dreamed of. And I can’t wait to give her all that.
“Good evening, Ms. G. Is Evangeline ready?”
She removes the cigarette from her chapped lips and replies, “Not yet. She’s been at it for hours. Evie!” she shouts toward the narrow hallway that leads to the small bedrooms.
“I’m coming!” her daughter frustratedly replies.
“So, what’s the plan, kid?” Ms. G asks, looking me up and down.
“We’re going to the homecoming dance, then I’m taking Evie to the restaurant, if that’s alright with you, Ms. G.”
“She needs to be home by midnight, or I’m turning you into a pumpkin. Hear me?”
“Of course, Ms. G. I’ll bring her back on time.”
She’s about to ask me something else when Evie appears behind her. She’s wearing a white dress that falls just below her knees with off-the-shoulder sleeves. Her hair is up in a high bun, with butterfly pins everywhere. When she sees me in my suit, she smiles as broadly as I do.
Ms. G moves aside, allowing her to join me down the two steps. “Here, I—I got you this,” I say, extending the corsage in its clear box. She told me she’d be wearing white, so I bought matching flowers.
“Thank you, Jax. Can you put it on me?” she asks, bringing her slim hand toward me.
I immediately comply, securing the flowers on her wrist, then give the back of her hand a kiss.
“What a gentleman,” her mother says, almost mockingly. “Let me take a picture of you two.”
After a moment of shuffling inside, she returns with an old Polaroid camera. We pose together with my hand around Evie’s waist while she rests one of hers on my chest. Ms. G snaps the shot, and when the photograph slides out, she picks it up and flaps it in the air.
It’s still developing when she then asks, “Do you have condoms?”
“Mom!” Evie shouts, mortified.
“What? I know what happens at these dances. I have some, if you—”
“That won’t be necessary, Ms. G,” I quickly say. “We’re not … there yet.”
She doesn’t seem to believe me, looking down at me with a dubious expression. “Listen, I was young too, not so long ago. I had Evie’s sister at seventeen, and I’m not trying to become a grandma at thirty-nine, that’s all.”
“Mom,” Evie whimpers again.
“I promise you, we aren’t doing anything like that, Ms. G. And whenever we get there, we’ll be careful.”
This seems to work a little better, but she still says, “If my daughter gets pregnant before her twenties, I’ll keep your balls in a jar. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Now, scoot. Go to your dance.”
Evie eagerly tugs at my arm, ripping us away from more potential embarrassment. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbles, mortified.
“It’s okay, princess. I know your mom is a little special.”
“She’s a basket case, that’s what she is.”
During our walk to my car, I say, “You look amazing, by the way.”
“Thank you. The dress belongs to my sister, and it doesn’t fit very well at the chest.”
I haven’t met Evie’s older sister yet, but from the dress, I’d guess she has smaller boobs because hers look like they’re about to spill out.
Her heart locket sits right at the crease between them, and it’s the only jewelry she’s wearing.
It might be all she owns, since I’ve never seen her with anything else.
I make a mental note to add all sorts of expensive jewelry to the wardrobe I’ll get her. She’ll be covered in it.
“I like your dress the way it is,” I say after a quick look down. She catches my appreciative smile and gives my arm a weak slap.
Once we’re at my car, I open the door for her and, on her way past me, she rises on her tiptoes to give me a small kiss. I let her choose the music as I drive us to the school, and once we’re parked, I force her to stay seated so I can open the door for her again.
The homecoming dance is nice, we hang out with friends, dance a lot, have fun …
I’m more excited about the date afterward, though.
I haven’t gotten to spoil Evangeline like she deserves, and it’s finally time for it.
I’ve been working with my brother at the garage, changing oil and air filters, cleaning up cars, polishing them …
I’ve saved up enough for a fancy dinner, and I booked us a table at the best restaurant in Canon City, the nearby town.
Tonight, she’s a queen, not a princess.
When we pull up in front of the restaurant after the dance, she frowns at it. “Jax, it’s—that place is too expensive.”
“Nothing’s too expensive for you, Evie,” I say with assurance. I step out of the car and almost run to the other side so I can open her door before the valet does. She takes my arm when I offer it, and I hand the key to the valet, as well as a twenty-dollar bill.
“You’re crazy,” she whispers as we enter the fancy place.
“Crazy about you.”
She’s still giggling when we arrive at the hostess. “Name?” she asks, looking at us like we don’t belong.
“Reyes, for two.”
After a quick look at her iPad, she says, “Of course. If you’ll follow me.”
She leads us into the restaurant, all the way to a small table between a fern and a column. I help Evie into her chair, then take my own seat. The guys at the garage have been helping me all week, teaching me proper date etiquette, and I’m trying not to mess it up.
“Here are your menus,” the hostess says, handing us leather-bound booklets. This is definitely a step up from the diner. “Tonight’s specials are the honey-glazed suckling pig in fall spices, and veal stew with wild mushrooms.”
Evie scrunches her nose at that, and when the hostess is gone, I ask, “What’s wrong with the specials?”
“I don’t like the idea of eating baby animals.”
“That’s fair,” I agree with a nod.
“Wait, mine doesn’t have prices on it,” she protests after opening her menu.
“It’s okay. You can get anything you want,” I tell her.
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s my turn to spend my money however I wish.”
She grins and refocuses on her menu. After a moment of studying it, she puts it down and says, “I’ll have the escargots. I’ve always wanted to try. Then the surf and turf, and for dessert, chocolate cake.”
I nod, looking at my menu to find the prices. Shit, this place is more expensive than I thought. I already gave twenty to the valet, so I don’t have to pay him again, right? And if I take the Caesar salad, I’ll have enough to give a proper tip.
It’s like my bow tie is suddenly too tight, so I slip a finger behind it and tug to give myself some air. I really thought three hundred dollars would be more than enough for this, but I was wrong. I can’t ask her to pay for anything. I’d pass for a moron.
Evie seems to notice that something’s wrong with me, because she leans forward, pushes my menu down, and asks, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I—I’m not very hungry, so I’ll just have the Caesar salad.”
My attempt doesn’t fool her. “Jax, you’re always hungry.”
“Not tonight. I think all the dancing made me lose my appetite.”
She frowns. “We can go eat elsewhere. As long as we’re together, I don’t mind.”
“No, I want to do this for you, princess. You’ll have your surf and turf. And your snails. And the biggest slice of chocolate cake they have.”
“And you’ll have the Caesar salad?” she dubiously questions.
“I’m fine with that. Fiber and lean chicken. Best meal ever.”
Again, she doesn’t buy it. Not even a little. Instead of complying, she removes the cloth napkin from her lap and returns it to the table before standing up.
“What are you doing?” I ask when she extends her hand toward me.
“You’re taking me to the diner, and we’re ordering all the desserts they have. I’ve always wanted to try that,” she explains with genuine excitement.
“Are you sure?” I insist.
“Yeah. It sounds a lot more fun than staying here with these old farts, doesn’t it?”
She has a point. It does sound like a lot of fun. And she’s always wanted to try it.
When she makes a motion with her hand, encouraging me to take it, I stop resisting. I grab it and, as if we’re dining and dashing, we run out of the fancy restaurant. I grab my key from the valet’s stand, and we keep running toward Winifred, which we can see parked half a block away.
She’s right. Fuck these old farts. We can be happy anywhere. All we need is each other.
Icheck my watch, then return my focus to the entrance of the restaurant. They’re five minutes late. Hoping I’m not being stood up, I adjust myself in the chair.
Evie and her fiancé, Nathan, are on their way here, and I’ll finally get my answers.
I can’t think of a single person good enough for her. Hell, I was never good enough for her. Not even a little. So I’m beyond curious to see who was perfect enough to win her heart, as well as her hand in marriage. Who’s the lucky guy she plans on spending the rest of her life with.
When the uncontrollable heat of jealous anger rises in me, I distract myself by looking around at the place.
I booked this restaurant because being around high-end people means I’ll have a quiet dinner, without too many interruptions.
Most of these people know how to act and aren’t as fazed by someone of my level of fame.
And while it wasn’t the goal, being here will allow me to show her what I can afford now. She already knows, but giving her visual confirmation will heal something that broke in me a long time ago.