Chapter 2 #3
Janice sucked her teeth in disapproval and threw a disgusted glare his way when she heard it echoed by him over whatever it was they were talking about. Then he was steering her friend away with a hand at her lower back as he griped at her in hushed whispers.
Janice had never wished she had her brother’s hearing ability so much until that moment.
She wanted to march up to them and break them apart.
To tell him that Sascha was fine and that he could let the door hit him on the way out, but Addie kept her hands on her arm, keeping Janice out of both hit and bum rush distance.
The older woman was like a frickin’ leash.
Once at the register, Addie kept Janice at a good distance to prevent her from interrupting the obvious argument going on between the two.
After a couple extremely long minutes, Addie chirped, considering. “He’s very tall, isn’t he?”
Janice set her jaw, staring daggers into the back of the man’s black curly pony-tailed head. “No taller than my brother.” She estimated, and I can take him, too.
Feeling Addie’s gaze skip over to her for a moment, Janice tried to soften her expression a bit. She was more than certain the woman was in her head and knew what she was thinking.
“Do you think they’re dating?” Addie asked conversationally.
Janice scoffed harshly, “I sure hope not.” The words were out before she could think better of them, but Addie took her uncharacteristic snideness in stride.
“Cousins, then?” The older woman guessed. “They don’t look much alike.”
This time, Janice took her time to respond, trying to keep a level head while talking to her manager. The last thing she wanted was to give off a spiteful or hateful impression where a coworker and her best friend were involved. “Eye of the beholder…” she muttered more to herself than Addie.
She took a deep breath and decided she would need fresh eyes if she was going to make it through this lunch.
So she looked at them. Again. Trying to see what she first saw.
The kind, jovial man who appeared to love her best friend with all his heart.
Before their weird handshake could taint her mind.
She had to give it to the man. He was definitely tall.
Probably scraping at six feet like he brother.
But this man also appeared on the long side, just not lankily so.
He had good muscle tone and nice broad shoulders.
He obviously made decent money, if that watch she’d glimpsed earlier were any indication.
And the fact that he wore a white lab coat, over dress slacks, a polo shirt, and a nice pair of square toe leather shoes.
He wasn’t a bad looking man. Interestingly, he was the most attractive man she’d seen in the ten years she’d been here. He was just her type…
Unbidden, memories of her past life surfaced. Of an unhappy teen bride, familial complications, and an unconsummated wedding.
It would have been better if her betrothed had looked like him. The thought whispered across her mind.
Closing her eyes, she grabbed tightly at the thought, watching it go up in flames and burn to ashes in her hands.
When she opened her eyes again to look at the man’s head, her hands tingled lightly.
She’d better not touch anything for a while.
The last thing she needed was for something to spontaneously combust under her touch.
It didn’t matter if he was or wasn’t her type. She thought consciously, burying her memories deep down. He wanted nothing to do with her.
And she felt the same.
Now she looked back at her friend. The petite woman wasn’t as thin as she’d been before.
Nowadays, it looked like she was carrying a little more weight around the midsection, but she’d never been a large girl.
She was probably the definition of what they meant when they said “big boned”.
And it wasn’t a bad thing either. She stood heavier than others because front to back, her skeletal structure appeared sturdier than everyone else’s.
Like she had been made to fight and protect…
like a tiny Amazon, she thought for not the first time.
Her hair fell in big untamed curls and the creamy mocha color of the woman’s soft skin was as inviting a temptation as the perfumes she would sometimes use.
Honestly, Janice was jealous. She could only wish she looked half as strong and capable as she actually was.
Most people thought she was completely useless when it came to physical stuff because of her small, compact stature and big mustard colored eyes.
And for some reason or another she was always getting in trouble with men, despite the fact that she wanted nothing to do with them.
Sascha had said it’s because of the womanly set of her face and that her cleverness showed in her smile. Janice wasn’t so sure.
But she supposed, together, her friend and this Ansell-asshole did make a handsome couple. She’d never tell him to his face though.
The pair in front of them finally finished with their order and walked back to the table area past them and Janice was able to catch a snippet of their conversation. “-if you need money, just tell me. You have to stop being so reckless with your health-”
Janice wanted to snatch him by the arm and tell him to buzz off, but Addie dragged her forward to place her order.
She got a Ruben sandwich with soup and a cinnamon roll for dessert before paying and waiting for Addie to order some dessert for herself.
Then they waited for their deserts and took their cups to fill them at the soda fountain.
“So are you saying you don’t think he’s attractive or you don’t think he’s good enough?” Addie asked finally as they collected their deserts.
“If I were to actually answer that question, would it endanger my job or my friendship with Sascha?” She asked the older woman, trying to derail the conversation. She didn’t want to talk about Sascha’s new. . . guy? It was bad enough they’d be sharing a table.
“Oh, come now.” Addie nudged her gently with her arm. “He is certainly the most attractive young man I’ve seen in this area. . .” Addie paused as though shivering with delight at a memory. “I certainly wouldn’t mind giving his car seat a ride.”
Janice frowned. She stopped walking to address the other woman, waiting until the other stopped to speak. “Wait. . . Addie. . . what ‘car seat’?”
Janice had a feeling she’d regret asking.
“Oh.” Addie looked on at her plainly. “Why, his face, of course.”
Janice closed her eyes tightly as she mentally filed that information the bin most appropriate. . . 13. . . That was definitely not the kind of idea Janice needed in her life.
Sighing softly, she began toward the table Sascha and double-A had chosen.
She gave her head a slight shake, breathing a laugh.
“You know. . . The moment I asked, I realized I probably didn’t want to know.
” Addie chuckled, catching her pace as Janice continued.
“You’ll be surprised to know, I was right. ”
“Oh, don’t bother yourself about it too much.” Addie said, but her voice sounded a bit distant.
Janice looked over to see the woman mouthing and motioning to her husband at her old table that she’d be sitting with Sascha and Janice. The woman blew him a kiss and the older man mimed being shot through the heart.
Janice rolled her eyes.
Addie’s smile as she glanced to her feet was that of a shy school girl in front of her crush. “You just need to find the right man. I’m sure your thoughts will change on it then.”
“I doubt it, but I’ll try not to think about it too much.” Janice muttered and Addie chuckled.
They were almost at the table and Janice could see that the man had at least been true to his word and supplied her friend with half a sandwich, which she was currently mauling as the two of them spoke.
She couldn’t see him from straight on, only the corner side of his mouth as he spoke quickly.
From what she could see of his expression, body language, and the tension in the set of Sascha’s shoulders as she hunched over her procured sandwich, Janice could tell it was a serious conversation.
The only reason she didn’t march over and dump her drink on the guy’s head for stressing her friend out, was because she thought it would be rude to just abandon Addie.
Instead, she strained her ears to hear what they were talking about, but they were talking so quietly and the bakery was so noisy that she didn’t hear anything until she was practically on top of them.
“I really wish you wouldn’t be like this.” Double-A was saying, obviously frustrated at Sascha’s apparent refusal to do whatever it was he wanted. “There are programs for this very reason and you know that I’ll get you anything you need.”
Janice frowned at this. It didn’t sound like the kind of conversation she’d expect to hear between two people in a relationship. It sounded more like the conversation of a daughter in trouble and a father who wanted, but wasn’t sure how, to help…
Was this man actually Sascha’s father? The thought crossed her mind, but she nixed it.
He was too young, maybe around her and Sascha’s age.
But she supposed, if he took care of himself, he could age half as gracefully as Sascha’s mother.
The older woman was in her fifties, but looked good enough to be in her thirties.
But that possibility only bred confusion and concern.
“It’s your first time. Let us help you.” He pleaded. “Move-”
Janice cut him off, “You’re ‘first time’ doing what?” Now, she was really getting worried. If something really was wrong with her friend, why had she waited so long to tell her?
Did Sascha not see her as a friend?
Sascha choked in response, apparently surprised by how Janice had come up from behind her. It only added to her concern. Sascha was not an easy spook. She was always, at least, one step ahead when it came to hearing someone approach her from behind. Never caught unawares.