Chapter 2 – Jesse
I didn’t see him for a time. He was almost up to the front of the line when I saw him with flowers, and I was so busy that I hardly had time to say hello. Melissa was gone for the day, something that I’d insisted on, and I was struggling to get through the line by myself. I wasn’t going to be able to close on time if I didn’t, though.
“You look busy.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Where’s your help?”
“On a date.”
He raised an eyebrow and then smiled at me so sweetly that my heart melted in my chest.
“You could always grab an apron and make some coffees.”
“Okay.”
I was just joking. The thought of him doing menial labor was hard to fathom, and I never thought he would go along with my suggestion. He was, after all, worth billions. I was sure that the last thing Scott wanted to do was take money and pour coffee.
When he got behind the counter, it took me a couple of minutes to figure out how to use him. I finally stuck him at the register. The man knew money, not food. The line went down a little faster than before, and it was only about twenty minutes after closing time that I was able to shut the doors.
“That was intense.”
“Yeah, I haven’t worked like that since I was a fry cook twenty years ago.”
I giggled and told him that he wasn’t old enough for that.
“Unfortunately, I am.”
“Well, you don’t look it.”
“Good. What do you want me to do next?”
I looked around the messy front of the shop and thought of a million things he could do, but he’d already done enough and I would have felt bad to add any more to it. I already felt guilty that I’d let him help me as much as he had. I didn’t want to push it. Scott had done so much for me already.
“Nothing, Scott. Thank you for your help. I think I got it from here.”
“I want to help. You shouldn’t have to do all of this yourself.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I started to pick up the coffee cups and dishes on the counter closest to me. Why did he have to be so damn perfect? It was already hard to be around him, but when he was so nice like this, I had to wonder if he was just perfect on purpose. Did he know how I felt about him and the kiss that we shared the night before? It took everything in me not to touch his lips then and remember what they felt like brushed against mine.
“It’s fine, Scott. I’ve kept you long enough. I’m sure you have important things to do.”
Scott told me that he didn’t and insisted again that he help me. It was becoming clear that he wasn’t going to drop it, so instead of arguing, I asked him to help sweep and pick up the front with me. To my surprise, Scott was quick to help and it didn’t take much time at all to get the place cleaned up. He was right about two pairs of hands being better than one.
***
“So come have dinner with me. You kind of owe me.”
I rolled my eyes and smiled up at the handsome man. “How did I know that it was going to turn into that?”
“What? I’m just trying to be nice, that’s all.”
“You’ve been nice enough. After all of the help you’ve given me, don’t let me ruin anymore of your day.”
“You’ve made my day, so please don’t let me eat alone.”
“You really have no shame, do you?”
He acted like he was thinking about it for a moment and then he shook his head that he in fact didn’t have any shame. Not when it came to me and what he wanted, apparently. I don’t know how I felt about him wanting me in such a way, and there really wasn’t anything I could say. He had a point about how he’d helped me clean up. I guess I didn’t have a choice but to do what he asked of me. It was just a date, right, just another date?
“Yeah, I guess I can go.”
“Where to? What are you in the mood for?”
“Anywhere is fine. Just anything that isn’t coffee and breakfast. I think I’ve seen enough of it today. I’m feeling completely burned out.”
“Well then I know just the place.”
I expected a fancy restaurant that he was going to use to try and impress me and show off all of his wealth. When he pulled up to a residential place that I knew wasn’t where he lived, I was confused again.
“Where are we?”
“We’re where we’re going to have dinner.”
“Here? Do you know these people?”
It seemed like a legitimate question, even though we were right out front of the house. It didn’t seem like the sort of neighborhood that Scott would find himself in by accident. He was always so full of surprises.
“I don’t really know them that well. I try to find them and come out here a couple of times a month, but I have to say that it has been quite some time since I was last here. It’s one of those pop-up restaurants that you hear about. This one is pretty good. I got a text last night with the new location. They’ll be here for about another couple of days and then they’ll be gone by Friday. I don’t know why I like it so much, but the cook is phenomenal and it’s a good place to go to impress a woman.”
“Ahh, I bet you’ve used this many times before, then.”
Scott stopped and turned me towards him. “I misspoke. I’m not sure why I said that, but I’m not trying to impress any woman but you, Jesse. I haven’t wanted anyone but you since I met you.”
I got out of the car, not really sure what I was supposed to say to his declaration. I had feelings for him, ones that I wished more than anything weren’t there, but there was something about imagining him with other women that had bothered me. The problem was that it shouldn’t bother me. I knew what kind of man he was. Although he was taking an interest in me now, I had to remind myself that the feeling would be fleeting at best. I knew that, so the last thing I needed to do was make it worse by believing him.
“I thank you for the invitation anyway, Scott. I’ve needed to get out for a while, and I’m always ready for a new experience.”
His blue eyes twinkled, and I knew that he was thinking of other new experiences that I might like to try. The way he smiled at me melted my heart and left me speechless. I had no more questions after that, and instead took the arm that he offered. I was going to say something about how I was dressed, but he could see it for himself. If he’d been worried about it, Scott could have asked me to change before we came out.
I was still in uniform, and although it didn’t seem that Scott minded what I was wearing at all, I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb. I was the only one that wasn’t dressed in formal wear. I didn’t even want to say anything then, or be seen by the judgmental eyes that looked on.
I pulled tighter to Scott. It was one of the first and only times that I felt strange to be in a place. I never felt like anyone was better than me, my father had ground that in young, but I didn’t feel like I belonged here. Being on Scott’s arm with him looking so handsome in his suit, I felt like an imposter and feared that at any moment someone was going to say exactly that and make me leave. There was too much money around for me to be comfortable. I don’t think I would ever be able to get used to it.
Scott noticed nothing, and he treated me like I was gold, holding the chair out for me and always being so polite, so perfect.