I looked around at the sage green walls and white linen bedclothes. They were supposed to be soothing colors, even though I could barely take it in with my books piled over every available surface.
I was anything but soothed. I was extremely uncomfortable, both with my shallow, lustful reaction to Jack, and the fact that Jack, a relative stranger, was in my house at all, especially while I had been in the shower naked. I knew I had been raised better than this, I just couldn’t for the life of me figure out how I was supposed to deal with this bizarre situation.
I pulled on jean shorts and a t-shirt, my staple wardrobe. I combed and pulled my wet hair up in a bun, shoved my feet back into my Keds, and headed back down toward my new bizarre reality.
*
The Piggly Wiggly grocery store was blessedly quiet. Schools had started back up and the summer crowds had gone home. Most back to Ohio. For some reason people from Ohio loved this part of the country. One would think the drive would be a little much, but apparently someone from Ohio must have had an amazing vacation down here once many years ago and bought some billboards or something when he got home.
I consulted the list Jack had scrawled out for me. His handwriting was atrocious.
Milk
Capn Crunch
Bananas
Cheese sticks
Sandwich bread
Peanut Butter
Jelly
O.J.
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Eggs
Bottled water
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. It was like shopping for a toddler. Without thinking, I fished out my phone and pulled up where he had saved his number under the name of Late Night Visitor. That wouldn’t arouse curiosity if Jazz ever saw my phone. I made a quick mental note to change it, and then tapped out a text.
Me: Cheese sticks? What r u? Like 5?
I moved on down the aisles collecting his and my purchases. A few minutes later my phone chirped back.
Late Night Visitor: You were rushing me, I couldn’t think. You don’t like cheese sticks?
Me: I love cheese sticks. In my lunch box. You eat any vegetables?
Late Night Visitor: I’ll have you know my body is my temple ;-) I’m on vacation from California crunchy. Yes, I eat vegetables. Grab some carrots, too.
I huffed just as my phone chirped again.
Late Night Visitor: Please.
I grinned and ignored the slow fizz in my belly that jumped every time my phone dinged with his response.
Me: Baby carrots and ranch dippies. Got it.
He just begged to be given a hard time.
Suddenly, my heart started going a mile a minute and I was breathing hard. Jack Eversea was in my house! I willed myself to calm down and catch my breath. He was just a person. A human being. Right? I bent down for a moment and stuck my head between my knees, hoping my blood would circulate normally again. Standing up a few moments later, I pulled myself together, looked around, and straightened my shirt.
I got what Jack needed, then added organic salad leaves, balsamic dressing, fresh salmon, wine, granola, yoghurt, and artisan bread to his pile in my cart. He’d given me enough money after all. At least he could eat a little better.
“Hey, Keri Ann!” I looked up to see my friend Liz from high school waving to me from the check out as I approached. That was the thing about a small town, you pretty much knew someone everywhere you went. No wonder Jack Eversea was nervous about going out. I sincerely hoped my idiotic little display over in produce hadn’t been witnessed.
“Hey, Lizzie, how are you?”
“I’m good, glad the rush is over. How’ve you been and how’s Joey?”
My brother had been most girls’ crush at some point, I was sure. After our parents died, he added tortured soul to his list of assets.
“Good. He’s good. Just a year more before he starts his residency, so he’s pretty busy.”
Liz nodded. “Good, well he was always so smart. Destined to do great things,” she added with a smile.
She was a kind-hearted girl. Unfortunately, her kind heart and trusting nature had gotten her into early single parenthood and a job at the grocery store rather than the career she had planned on. She never spoke about who the father was, although the town had been rife with gossip touching on most of the senior class that year. Liz had stayed tight-lipped, even when urged to confess for the sake of child support from the father. As she scanned my items, we chatted about some online college classes in education Liz was taking, and how her son Brady was doing. I was glad she was getting her life back on track.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack’s face peering at me from the check out tabloids. One had the headline, “Hit the road, Jack!” Another read, “Where in the World is Jack?” I had to physically restrain myself from reaching for them.