Rating: M for language and some sexual content
Pairing: Jimmy Darmody/OFC
Other Characters: Richard Harrow, Angela Darmody, Gillian Darmody, Tommy Darmody, Mickey Doyle
Disclaimer: I own nothing Boardwalk Empire. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: Title inspired the song by Rascal Flatts. Set in autumn, 1922. AU in which Jimmy is spared and left to pick up the pieces. Chapters told in alternating POV. I originally posted some of this to live journal, but experienced difficulty with formatting. Comments/reviews welcome, I'd love to hear from you. A work in progress/ additional chapters to be added periodically.
It was a crisp November morning, too cold to have the top down but Reese Forrester didn't care. She didn't know how fast she was going, but she didn't care about that either.
She sped along, her left thumb furiously channel surfing the radio control on her steering wheel. She just wanted to escape; to go as far away as she could, as fast as she could get there. Given the choice, she would have been on a plane to Hawaii but no…the New Jersey State Bar Association had decided to hold their annual meeting in Atlantic City. As much as she wanted to skip it entirely, they'd asked her to give a keynote address regarding her involvement in the recent Stacey Edwards defense case. The cruel irony being that, although she was starting to hate what she did for a living, her career was the only thing she had left and she couldn't say no.
And then there was Bryce. "Fucking Bryce," she cursed under her breathe, "I'm not going to think about him. I'm NOT going to think about him," her mantra repeating on a loop inside her head.
She was becoming increasingly frustrated with the radio. It was nothing but commercial after commercial. She'd forgotten her car adapter and couldn't connect her iPhone, nor was she in the mood for any of the CD's that were loaded. The stations that she did find played nothing to her liking.
They tell me your life's been way off line,
You're falling to pieces every time,
And I don't need no carrying on…
You had a bad day-
"You got that right, Daniel Powter. And it's not even 10 am," she mused aloud, continuing her search.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
Well it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year…
"That is an understatement…" she rolled her hazel eyes. Flip.
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hands
But you played it…
"God damn you, Bryce," she snapped; hot, angry tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she thought about the divorce papers in her briefcase. Next.
Does she speak eloquently?
And would she have your baby?
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother…
"Perfect," she smiled to herself. Reese turned the volume up as high as it would go and pressed her foot down on the accelerator. Her Jaguar responded accordingly, whizzing down the Garden State Parkway. A silver XKR-S. It was hers. Bought with her own money, not with his. One of the first items she treated herself to after becoming a partner complete with vanity license plates: "MSPURRFCT".
Reese loved that car but she hated where it was taking her. Atlantic City…what a dump. Had been for years. With Vegas and the new casinos that were springing up in neighboring Pennsylvania it just couldn't compete. And November? What was the NJSBA thinking holding the conference there in the off-season? Probably the result of the recession, she surmised. Her only consolation was that she was staying at the new Revel Resort and that all expenses were being charged to the firm.
She checked in and went straight to the spa. She was going to get the works: manicure, pedicure, facial, massage. Why not? She certainly deserved it after everything she'd been through. The services did not disappoint. A few hours later and she almost felt like a new person. Buffed and shiny and new...almost. It was late afternoon. Relaxed from her massage, she decided to head back to her suite for a nap. She'd have room service for dinner and work on her speech for the following morning.
The surf-n-turf was delicious. Though it was chilly, Reese had her meal out on the balcony overlooking the ocean. She dipped her lobster into the drawn butter and savored every bite. Full as she was afterwards, she still felt empty inside. She wondered if she would always feel this way as her hand subconsciously grazed over her abdomen. Needing to distract herself, she went back inside to get her laptop and practice her address. As she opened her briefcase, the divorce papers came tumbling out.
Eight years. Eight years they'd been together. They dated for three and were married for five. They were perfect together. Everything was perfect, just perfect until…it wasn't anymore. Reese felt like such a fool. This time she couldn't fight it and the flood gates opened. She sank to the floor and buried her head in her knees, heaving one sob after another until she couldn't breathe.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with him. Given her history, she wasn't supposed to fall in love with anyone. They met as first year law students at Villanova. Bryce Forrester was as rich a blue blood as they come. He was handsome, with jet-black hair and dark blue eyes. He'd flirt with everyone on campus and most girls adored him. But Reese McManus was not most girls. She was working two jobs just to pay for school, in addition to taking out student loans, while he didn't have a care in the world. She found his playboy behavior nauseating. Still, she couldn't say no to Sarah Murphy when she asked if he could be a part of the group they were putting together to do the outlines for their Criminal Law class. She knew Sarah liked him, and was anxious to get to know him better. Sarah was her roommate and a good friend from undergrad. Reese just hoped she would proceed cautiously.
It was clear early on the Bryce did not return Sarah's affections. It was also clear that he had no intentions of doing his fair share of the outlines. Frustrated after another study session turned out to be a complete waste of her time, Reese decided to give him a piece of her mind. Her mother was a drunk and she'd been poor her whole life. This was her only shot and she wasn't about to let him ruin it.
T
he group walked out of the library, Bryce ahead of everyone else as usual. He was in his own world, scrolling away on his Blackberry. His black BMW was parked a few spaces before her jalopy and he was fishing around his pocket for the keys when she caught up with him.
"Hey, Bryce?"
"Hmm?" He looked up at her nonchalantly, thinking she was hitting on him.
"Don't bother coming to the next meeting."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, 'don't bother coming to the next meeting.' You're not contributing anything." She looked at him archly and narrowed her green eyes.
"Is that so…"
He was so snarky and arrogant she couldn't stand it. She was angry, although it wasn't so much at him anymore. The world was full of haves and have-nots. Reese was tired of belonging to the latter group, her pride welling up inside her.
"Yes, you pompous jerk. Not everyone has a job at their family's law firm waiting for them after graduation. Some of us will actually have to work for a living."
"Are you finished counselor?" he mocked with a grin. "How 'bout you let me make it up to you? Dinner? Drinks maybe?"
She glared at him. Who did he think he was? She put her hands on her hips trying to appear more confident than she actually was.
"Reese," he said seriously now, "why do you hate me so much?"
He was making a face that reminded her of a lost puppy. Don't fall for it Reese, you're smarter than that. She sighed in spite of herself. She didn't hate him. In fact, she liked him a lot more than she was willing to admit. There was no denying he was attractive and it wasn't really his fault that he was rich.
"I don't even know you that well," she muttered.
"So get to know me."
"But what about Sarah? She's one of my best friends and you're leading her on."
"Sarah? Reese…I know she's your friend…why do you think I started talking to her in the first place? Did you think it's a coincidence that I asked her if I could join the study group?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," she said pensively. He cocked his head to side as if to say "C'mon now," and Reese gulped. She didn't like where this was going, but she didn't want to leave yet either. She was standing at the rear of his car and Bryce walked closer to her. Tingles were running down her spine.
"Yes you do," he whispered as he pushed her against the trunk and kissed her. At first she pulled away. Then, as he ran his fingers through her chestnut hair, she realized that it was what she wanted all along.
"Reese?" said a small voice. She hadn't realized that Sarah was not with them when they left the library. She'd stopped to use the ladies room on her way out.
"Sarah!" she called out, but her roommate was already running away.
Was it really love or just a long, drawn out lie? Reese didn't know anymore. Her suite was enormous, but all at once it felt like the walls were closing in on her. She picked herself up off the floor, grabbed her handbag and jacket, and headed out the door.
"I just need to get some fresh air," she told herself as she hurried out of the Revel's lobby and out onto the Boardwalk. "I just need some air, and then everything will be fine."
Reese was surprised by how many shops were still open even though it was autumn. One in particular caught her attention the most- the Palmist. She was never one to believe in fortune tellers yet she found herself being almost pulled towards it. Everything was spiraling out of control so she didn't see the harm in taking a peek into her future even if it was just for fun. Surely things would eventually get better.
"Hello?" she said as she entered the store. The air smelled of incense and Reese crinkled her nose. The walls were painted light lavender. A large round table was in the center of the small room, the tablecloth a deep merlot. She could hear a flute in the background.
"Reese McManus Forrester, I've been expecting you."
Reese looked up to see a short, plump woman approaching from the back of the store, shuffling Tarot cards. Her skin was a bronze glow and she wore dark red lipstick. Her hair was done up in a turban, large gold hoops adorning her lobes.
"How did you know my name?"
"I am Madame Celeste. I know all," she replied with a mysterious smile. "Sit."
Reese didn't buy it. Maybe someone from the conference saw her leave the hotel and this was a practical joke. Still, she did as she was told.
"The key to your future lies in the past," Celeste said solemnly as she handed Reese a business card.
"Joe's Coffee," she read aloud, "…not your average cup o'Joe? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Reese was about to ask for a refund when she recalled that she hadn't paid for Celeste's services yet.
"You look like you could use some coffee," the other woman winked. "Go to the address listed. The password to get in is Lilith."
"A password? For coffee? That's ridiculous! Thank you, but I think I'll be leaving now." Reese looked around her as she stood, expecting to see a colleague or old friend from law school laughing with her.
Celeste grabbed her wrist, her eyes narrow. "I wouldn't leave if I were you. She'll be disappointed."
"Who will?" Reese questioned, jerking her arm away.
"Trust Celeste. I know, child. I know about the baby and your mother."
Reese felt a chill go through her veins. "What did Bryce tell you?" she hissed.
"Not Mr. Forrester."
"Well, I know by obstetrician wouldn't violate patient/doctor privilege so that leaves Maggie. Where is she? What did she tell you?" Reese was really starting to get upset again, everything she'd tried so hard to bury over the last few months coming rushing back at once.
"Not your mother either. There, there, child…trust. I know it's difficult," she went on, getting something out of her pocket. It was a Pandora bracelet with a series of pink rhinestones, spaced between charms with letters on them spelling the name "Charlotte."
It was beautiful, and Reese was overcome as Celeste clasped it on her right wrist. "How? How do you know?" She croaked, gingerly running her left index finger over the name.
Celeste gave her a tissue. "A friend."
"Who?" Reese asked again, desperate now.
"All in due time. For now, go to Joe's," she commanded. "We will meet again," Celeste added, pushing a distraught Reese back onto the Boardwalk and locking the door to her shop.
"Wait!" Reese called after her, pounded her hand against the glass window front. "Please wait!" But the room went dark and Madame Celeste was gone just as suddenly as she'd appeared.
