“Your uncle just called me.” Jessie’s dad said in a tone he hadn’t heard since he was fourteen and took his dad’s car out for a spin.
“Hello to you too Dad, no hello before you jump right down my throat?” The knowledge that now he was going to get a lecture on top of dealing with all of the emotion that was going on in his head wasn’t great.
“Not when I get a call from John saying that he bumped into Kevin last night after work. Who told him about his nephew getting in a fender bender with a pregnant woman.”
“Literally Dad it was no big deal.”
“It wasn’t? Jessie, I heard you were texting and driving.”
“Are you asking as my father or as my lawyer huh?” Jessie’s patience was gone; he didn’t have the energy or the desire to handle this. He wanted a beer and a pizza and to just watch television.
“Both.”
His stern voice was crawling up Jessie’s spine; he wasn’t that fourteen year old anymore and felt like he didn’t need to answer to his dad as such. “Dad I was hanging up a call and slammed on my breaks and barely tapped the guy. Kevin gave me a ticket but that was it. Now I have had a crappy day and I just want a drink, can we argue some more tomorrow, or better yet not at all?”
“Okay son, you win. But just remember I am doing you a favor where Merewyn is concerned so you could show some respect.”
“I respect you a lot dad that’s why I called you. Look, sorry I just really can’t do this okay?” Jessie walked across his apartment towards the kitchen where he opened the fridge and got out two beers. “Will you join me in a drink?”
His dad stood up from the chair and shook his head, “No I am going to head home. Got to prepare for your girlfriends case.”
“She isn’t my girlfriend.”
“I know son, but she will be. I love you Jessie, get some rest. You look like hell.”
“Love you too Dad, goodnight.”
Once his dad left, and he was able to settle in, he found an old black and white movie on TCM and relaxed into the nothingness of entertainment. His worries fell to the wayside and he started to enjoy his evening. He was starting to doze off when his cell phone began ringing.
“Hello?” He didn’t even look at the caller ID he just answered out of habit.
“Hi there.”
The voice on the other end made him wake up instantly, and his back went ridged. “Hey, are you okay?”
“I am thanks. I really owe you an apology Jessie.”
“Merewyn, no, you don’t. It’s been hell for you and I know that. Don’t even bother yourself with anything you understand?”
“I can’t help it Jessie I was so rude and crazy and just so many things that you don’t deserve. I know that you have feelings for me, hell I have feelings for you. But, I just don’t know what to do with them right now. You’re so great and I am such a mess and Jessie, I just don’t know what to do.”
He started shaking his head while she was talking and he stopped listening. He just cut in while she was talking mid-sentence, “Merewyn just stop okay. Look the truth is I am still half in love with you and I will be probably for my whole life. You were the only girl that really made me feel anything. So if I can be there for you during this time then I will be. But you don’t need to even feel remotely obligated to say any of the things you were saying to me just now.” He could hear tears in her voice and he hated it. Hated that she was so sad.
“Jessie thank you for everything.
“Look if I tell you that you’re a big ole pain in my ass will you stop apologizing and just move on?”
That got a laugh out of her and it sounded so good, “Yeah, that would actually help.”
“Okay then, Merewyn you are the biggest pain in my ass. You come with a baggage full of drama and you are super high maintenance but I want to be your friend anyway. There how was that?”
“Well,” she said with a bit of hesitation, “I don’t know if I should be flattered that you think so much of me or offended that you think so many bad things of me.”
“Both, I only said the bad to get you to shut up and flattered because I do think about you, a lot.”
“Here we go again walking on that slippery slope of dialog that I just don’t know what to do with.”
“The beauty of this slope M is that you don’t have to know what to do with it. You just have to accept that for the moment it is a part of you.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“Then I have no choice right?”
Jessie took this moment to laugh and he felt the biggest smile form on his face, “When this is all over I am going to date you like a normal man Merewyn you need to be ready for that.”
“We’ll see about that Jessie James. Goodnight.”
Jessie closed his eyes and smiled, he could picture the smile on her face that she got every time she called him Jessie James, “Goodnight M. Sleep well.”
The two of them hung up and suddenly Jessie wasn’t tired anymore. He needed to get out and do something, or just stay up and be super productive. So he settled for productive. He went into his spare bedroom and started to unpack boxes. Boxes from his life before he moved home. Boxes that held the secrets he had been hiding from everyone, even his father.
The secrets that he didn’t know what to do with anymore. When he pulled out a pocket knife from the drawer and opened the first box the flood of memories came back. This was the box that contained his office supplies and books from the last job. The last job he loved. It had started his career when no one would give him a chance. His mentor, Dr. Rosenberg, had taken him under his wing and helped him flourish.
It had been the greatest opportunity that anyone right out of school could be given and he blew it. Not intentionally. But it still happened. Now he was back home with his tail between his legs looking to start over again. His dad knew that something happened to send him home. But Jessie wasn’t ready to discuss it. His best friend back in Lake Charles knew too. But since he was involved in it they had sworn themselves to secrecy to limit people’s involvement. He hated running from his past but he didn’t see any way around it.
He pulled out his degree from Texas A & M, he had worked harder than anyone else in his inner circle of friends to graduate top in his class. A proud moment for him and his father. Jessie walking across the stage with the honor cords draped around his shoulders. His mother had just died the week prior but he knew she was looking down on him. The whole experience was hard because he couldn’t think about it without remembering the weeks leading up to his final test. How he spent those weekends in the Houston Medical Center with his mom and dad.
She had died of a brain tumor. Something that still bothered him to this day. A few years had passed since he had to tell her goodbye for the last time but it still brought tears to his eyes. What would his mom say to him if she was here and watching him with Merewyn, or what happened with Dr. Rosenberg? Would she tell him to grow up and move on, or would she tell him to admit what happened and face the consequences?
Randy, his best friend in Lake Charles, was a lawyer and swore that with what had happened Jessie was innocent but that didn’t bring him any comfort when he closed his eyes. He had the nightmare weekly, remembering each moment of what happened.
Jessie knew one thing for sure; he would never go hunting again. What had started as a man’s getaway adventure turned into a man’s worst nightmare. He would never repeat that experience for anyone again.
The second box was easier to clean out. It only contained his text books that he kept and his diploma. He had intended on hanging that up in his new office and bringing these books with him. Instead of adding them to the pile of items to sort in his spare room, he picked them up and walked into the kitchen area and placed him on his counter. He would bring them to work in the morning. This would start the healing process. Allowing him to begin to move on. It was a good sign he thought. While he didn’t have his psychology degree he did had a type of medical degree so he knew a thing or two of healthy steps. Or at least that’s what he told himself.
Jessie needed a beer if he was going to continue this tonight. He walked into his kitchen and opened his refrigerator then pulled out a Guinness. He loved the dark beers. There was nothing better than a stack of chili cheese fries and a Guinness, in his mind. The two things his body loved more than anything. Which of course, he was now craving. He had a decision to make, finish the task at hand or leave it for another day. At this rate he realized he would never completely unpack, but he thought he was okay with that for now. Instead of opening the beer he just pulled out, he placed it back into the refrigerator and started walking towards his front door. He grabbed his wallet and keys off the side table and decided it was time to go to the pub.
Somewhere between the walk to his car and driving to the bar his mood had brightened. Maybe it was the possibility of chili cheese fries, or maybe it was the fact that he was ignoring what was ailing him, but life felt better all the sudden. His spirits were lifted and when he walked into the pub he saw a barstool open, that gave him a smile. His own personal Cheers he thought, wouldn’t it be nice. He would make friends here and learn the town people. It would not just be good for business, but good for socializing too. Exactly what his mother would approve of. She was always for the most efficient and useful path and maybe he was doing some self-justification but that is what he was calling this midnight stroll in the bar.
“Hey hun, what can I get you?” The bartender asked. She was a cute blonde with long hair pulled back in a ponytail. His mind instantly thought about something else, he felt like he had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Guinness please, and an order of chili fries.”
“Ouch, someone is looking for some major heart burn in the morning.” She said to him.
Jessie laughed and smiled, “Yeah but it is worth it, have you ever tried them together?”
“Hun, I think that is one combo that not even a pregnant woman would consider touching. But your order will be right up. My name is Jean; let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks Jean, I’m Jessie and I will.” He smiled at her and then turned around looking at the atmosphere. This was where he found Merewyn the other day, so he wondered how often she frequented this establishment. He hoped not too much because he would hate to run into her constantly if things didn’t work out. Because he was going to try and make it work that was certain.
“Order up hun.”
Jessie spun his head around and saw Jean placing his Guinness and chili cheese fries down in front of his spot. They looked perfect.
“Thank you ma’am, that looks great.”
“Your heart burn wishes, but yeah the fries look good.”
“I promise, I will be okay.”
“You better be. You know the TABC law, if something happens to you because of my service that comes back on me. I am sure that includes chili cheese fries, since they are in the same order as the beer.” She gave me a cute smirk of a smile, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I was pretty sure she was flirting with me.
“Promise, I’ll be fine.” Jessie smiled back at her and took a drink of the beer. It went down smooth, wetting his pallet and settling in his stomach.
The first bite on the chili cheese fries is always the best. It is that unexpected sensation of will it be spicy or not that got Jessie’s heart racing. The delight of something so simple was enough to take him away from his day of troubles and that was all he needed.
Ten minutes passed and the fries were gone as was his beer. He felt better, more relaxed and refreshed. Somehow he knew things were going to work out, that gave him a sense of accomplishment.
“You’re the new vet I hear.” Said a lady from behind him.
Here it went again, people hitting on him. Wasn’t that older woman the other day enough, but he remembered the small town life. With a gulp and a deep sigh he turned around and smiled, “Yep that’s me. What kind of dog or cat do you own?” Really that was the best line he could come up with? What a loser he sounded like.
“I don’t have a pet; I just heard from a friend that the new vet was hot. Thought I would get a closer look for myself. Hi, my name is Rachel.”
“Hi Rachel, you can call me Jessie.”
“Oh, not doctor?” She looked like she batted her eye lashes at him and that made his stomach start to warm a little.
“Well since you don’t have a pet you won’t need to see me in that capacity, so yeah, you can just call me Jessie.”
“Well just Jessie, it is a pleasure to meet you in this fine establishment of Kemah. You been here long?”
Jessie looked to his right and saw the empty barstool and waved his hand in that direction, “Care to join me for a drink?”
“Sure what are you having?”
“I’m a Guinness man, you?”
“Vodka tonic for me; and would you look at that,” she paused and took a gulp of her drink, “I’m out.”
Jessie smiled and turned around, “Oh Jean, how about another vodka tonic for my friend here and another beer for me.”
“Comin right up.” Jean smiled at Jessie then turned away.
He could get used to all this attention. He knew eventually it would go to his head. But at this moment that didn’t matter. “So what was your question you asked me?”
“How long have you been here?”
“You want the short answer or the long answer?”
“Both,” she said.
“Couple weeks and my whole life.”
“Now that sounds like a story.”
Jean dropped off the drinks and smiled at the two of them then walked to the other side of the bar. Jessie grabbed his cup and lifted it in the air, “To new friends.” He toasted her drink and took a sip. “It isn’t much of a story. Grew up here from birth, then went off to college and then got a job out in Lake Charles. I moved back a couple weeks ago and here I am. See pretty simple.”
Rachel took a few moments to look him up and down. She took a couple sips of her drink before responding. “I’ll let this little story slide for now but something tells me there is more.”
Jessie shook his head back and forth and took another drink, “I am a pretty simple kind of guy. Don’t like games or chases so what you see is what you get.”
“Is that so?” Rachel smiled at him over the rim of her cup. “I prefer the chase myself.”
That made Jessie laugh as he took another drink. “Some exceptions are needed every now and then I suppose.”
“I have a toast,” she said raising her glass, “To discovery and the chase.”
“To the chase.” Jessie repeated.
The two of them talked for the next couple hours and he realized that the time flew past him without even a thought of anything else. It wasn’t until Jean slid his tab over to him in the black covered container that he realized it was a work night and he had to be awake in five hours ready to see patients.
“I had a really nice time tonight Jessie, could I give you my number?” Rachel said to him.
Jessie opened up the tab and felt a little sticker shock when he read the hundred and fifteen dollar tab. Had they really drank enough to rack up that kind of money? It looked like the food and alcohol combination wasn’t the best choice for his pocketbook with a friend accompanying him.
“Here let me split that with you,” Rachel said as she went for her wallet in her purse.
“No no, sorry it’s okay I just didn’t realize that small towns charge the same as downtown. Shocked me is all.”
Rachel laughed, “That and you didn’t exactly plan on bringing a friend to the bar and sharing a tab, did you?”
“Honestly no, but that’s okay.” Jessie took a final drink of his beer and set it down and then pulled out his wallet and debit card. “I have to be honest, I am not really looking for a new girlfriend right now, and I am kinda somewhat with another person. But I am looking for a new friend and I really enjoyed tonight.”
“Kinda somewhat with another person, that sounds,” Rachel paused, “mysterious. But I am always looking for a friend too.” She pulled out a card from her wallet and handed it to him.
Jessie smiled when he read her name, “Rachel McDuff, attorney at law, huh?”
“You never asked what I did just if I had pets.” She smirked.
“Touché, well Rachel McDuff, you know where I can be found and now I know where you can be found. Guess it is the start of a good friendship.” Jessie smiled.
“Or at least a new drinking buddy.” Rachel laughed, “The next dinner date is on me, deal?” She reached her right hand out for a shake and Jessie smiled.
“Deal.” He took her hand in a firm shake, not a hard grip, but just right. “I look forward to it.”
“How about I call you in the appropriate two to three days and we will set something up.” Rachel stood from her chair waiting for an answer.
“I’ll tell you what, call me in twenty four hours and we will set something up. Let’s break all the rules and prove to the world men and women can be friends.”
After they said their goodbyes and Jessie went on his way back to his apartment he finally let his mind wander back to Merewyn, he had been so focused on getting her to come around to dating him that he hadn’t even considered there was more possibilities out there for him.
Maybe it was time to remember, this is a new start, all around.