Chapter 6
Beck
Ah, Tuesdays, a.k.a. the day Jensen and I go on a run together. Or, well, we usually run together.
For the past several weeks I’ve gotten used to finding Jensen stalling with stretches until I get there. She claims she’s not waiting on me, but she doesn’t seem to stretch for much longer after I arrive.
But today there was no Jensen stretching. No Dottie to bark in excitement when I get there. Whether she wants to blame it on exhaustion or not, I could tell something was off with her last night…
Maybe she started without me? It wouldn’t be the first time, I guess, even though it hasn’t been our normal lately.
By my third mile, I’m starting to think she outright ditched me. I push harder for one more mile and still no Jensen. Fuck.
Cooling down, I call Callie.
“Hey, Beck, what’s up?” she answers with an exasperated breath.
Dear god. “You know you don’t have to answer the phone when you and Anderson are going at, right? Or is he that boring in bed?”
“We’re done, actually.” Callie laughs while Will yells a threat I can barely make out in the background. “And don’t mess with me, Beck, you know I have zero filter. I’ll recount it in heavy detail.”
My laugh comes next. “I’ll pass. I have a different favor to ask you.”
Will’s voice comes through the line next. “Answer it and hang up, baby, or your phone is going in the shower with you.”
“You heard the man, whatcha need?”
“Think you can track Jensen down for me? She bailed on our run this morning.”
“Okay?” Callie pauses for a second. “Is Jensen bailing on you really that surprising, though?”
Normally I’d hate to say no it’s not, but something isn’t sitting right. Between the look on her face last night and the fact that we’ve done this every Tuesday I can make for months now…
“I just want to make sure she’s okay, and if she’s not meeting me here then I doubt she’ll answer any call or text.”
“Well, she hasn’t replied to our group chat at all this morning, which isn’t crazy unusual, but I did check her location. Looks like she’s at Winedown.”
“Winedown?” I parrot back. “She doesn’t work Tuesday mornings and it’s barely ten a.m.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, that’s what her location says. Hey, I thought you were leaving for your parents’ house today anyway?”
“I am—not till later, though. Might’ve planned a later flight because of this little standing running date we’ve got going.”
“You’re hopeless.” Callie chuckles softly. “Let the group chat know when you land safely in Virginia, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I will. Thanks for checking on Jensen for me.”
Will replies this time. “Okay, time’s up, she’s hanging up now.” Just as soon as the words leave his mouth the call ends.
Asshole. Not that I entirely blame him, but still—asshole.
I click on my watch and start a map to Winedown. Another three miles and I get to see Jensen? Sold.
I take the first open seat I see at the bar, despite the fact that it’s November and fucking freezing—after seven miles I’ve worked up a bit of a sweat.
“Oh, well, good morning, Beck.” The bartender that Jensen always pushes me off on, comes up in front of me. “You look like you need a drink.”
I check her name tag again, because despite the many interactions I can never seem to remember it. “Hey, Mia, is Jensen here?”
I feel like a huge dick for asking her after my clear “no” to her offering her phone number last time I was here, but it needed to happen. I don’t want a relationship, and while I can’t tell what has me so hung up on Jensen…it’s never going to be Mia and she deserved to know it’s not on the table.
Mia doesn’t seem to take my words to heart though, she actually…smiles? “Yeah, she’s here. There was a bridal brunch that rented out the upstairs bar. Jensen’s working it.”
“Any way I could sneak up there?”
Mia laughs. “They’re two mimosa towers and at least two rounds of shots deep—they’d change your career from baseball player to stripper so fast.”
Yeah, can’t say Olsson would love that news. “Right, well, I just wanted to check on her, we usually run together on Tuesdays. It’s no big—”
“Ugh, stop talking. You’re too good looking to be caring and thoughtful.”
Uh… “I’m sorry?”
“You should be.” Mia walks to the side then rounds the bar. She points to a waiter walking in. “You, perfect, watch the bar. I have to go cover for Jensen for a sec.” She points to me next. “You, follow me.”
The waiter and I make eye contact, but neither of us dare to question her. I catch up to Mia as she heads up the stairs. “I thought me going up here was a bad idea?”
“Oh, it is. You’re going to wait here.” Mia points at the ground, and I fall in line. Damn, when did she get so bossy? “I’ll send Jensen out here and cover for her for a few minutes.”
“Yeah, well, don’t tell her it’s me or she won’t trade with you.”
A scoffed laugh comes from Mia. “She won’t have a choice.”
I look at her and I can’t say my face is doing a very good job of hiding my emotions right now. “You’re scaring me.”
Mia scrunches her nose. “Oh, we definitely wouldn’t have been a good match up.”
“Nope, don’t believe so.” I lean against the wall with a shrug. “I prefer Jensen’s snarky hard-to-get attitude.”
Mia sends her braid to her back with a shrug. “Hey, I respect the honesty—plus, Jensen’s the best employee I have. I’m not afraid to shoot my shot, but I’m a girl’s girl first. Consider all my interest gone.” She scrunches her nose. “I swear I didn’t mean that snobbish…I’ll send her out.”
As Mia disappears through the door, I pull out my phone to check the confirmation on my flight to my parents’ place later today. I’ll be gone for two weeks, and I hate that when I get back it will most likely be too cold for these runs together.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Beckham.”
Ah, yes, that’s the tone I like. I slide my phone back in my pocket to give Jensen all my attention.
“You’re such a stalker! Making Mia come cover for a few minutes, have you lost your mind?!”
Well, it does make me feel better that she seems to have the energy to be feisty today.
“Okay, first, what the hell is up with her? Have I really paid her so little attention that I didn’t realize how bossy she is?”
Jensen fights her smile so fast I nearly miss it.
Her lips fold into a thin line and her eyes widen just a smidge before she goes back to her mad face.
“She’s bossy because she’s about to be the boss.
Her parents own Winedown, and they want to sell it, but Mia wants to take it over.
She’s been learning every working position here for the past several months. ”
Alright, respect back to her.
“Ah, so that’s why you came out here. I was sure you’d put up a fight on leaving your post. Hey, since I have an in with your boss now, think I can get her to never schedule you for Tuesday mornings so you don’t ditch running with me?”
Jensen tilts her head up to the ceiling and mumbles words in Spanish too quickly for me to try to understand. “Beck, you came here and interrupted my workday because I didn’t meet you to exercise?”
I give her a pointed glare, because I mean, come on, what kind of question is that?
“Right, I should have known better.” She sighs. “Listen, if you’ve microchipped me, just tell me.”
I push off the wall with a laugh. “No, just a breach in girl-code. Callie ratted you out.”
Jensen mumbles several more words, and just a hint of that stress she was wearing last night shows again.
“Jen, is everything okay? You never work on Tuesdays, and with how you were last night…I just wanted to check on you.”
Jensen meets my eyes. It doesn’t happen often, but in an instant her face softens. “Thanks for checking. I’m fine, really. Someone needed to cover, and I was available. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I wasn’t going to meet you today.”
Holy shit, did Jensen just apologize? I feel her forehead and she swats at my hand.
“Beck!”
“Hold on, you must be sick—I’m checking for a fever.”
There’s a pain in my chest because then Jensen starts to laugh. “God, you must need to go to the hospital—I didn’t know you could laugh.”
“Beckham!” Jensen continues to hit my hands away. “You’re pissing me off again.”
“There’s my Jenni-cakes.” I step back, satisfied at the bite back in her tone. “Since you brought it up, here is my official heads up that I won’t be able to go running for the next two weeks.”
Jensen holds up a hand. “Don’t touch me when I ask this—but why not?”
Oh, I’m smiling so hard right now. “I’m visiting my folks in Virginia. Don’t worry, I’ll miss you too.”
The clench in Jensen’s jaw has to hurt. “I will knee you in the balls again.”
I hold my hands up, letting her have free reign. “If that’s how you need to express your love, then so be it.”
Jensen’s knee doesn’t raise but she does give my chest a shove. “You came and checked on me. Please leave now.”
“Alright, I’m going, but…hey, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” Jensen huffs with a sharp tone.
I hold out my pinky with a smile to really piss her off. “Pinky promise?”
Jensen’s eye twitches. “You’re pushing it. I appreciate the check in, but I don’t have to pinky promise you anything. I said I’m good, so take my word.”
“Fair.” I retract my hand, and honestly I’m happy with her answer.
Whatever chemistry we have aside, there’s a level of friendship at its core—I needed to see her bad attitude and go-to-hell look.
The softness and laugh she gave me will probably haunt my dreams in the best way possible, but leaving tonight without seeing this bite from her felt wrong.
I take a step back. “See you in two weeks, Jenni-cakes?”
“Something tells me that won’t be too long of a separation, Stalker.”
I pause at the top of the stairs going down, she’s yet to move, and I swear she’s biting her cheek. “Just call me if you’re having a lazy day and find the energy to be around me.”
“Bye, Beck.” Sarcasm laces her tone, but there’s the slightest hint of a smile on her face.