This is the sequel to How To Find Love In Odd Places...this one is about Jason and Piper...there is only a couple mentions of a cheating Reyna so please don't complain about it...I hope you guys like it! Let me know! RawR :D
There was something relaxing about the beach….everything about it helped to comfort Piper. She smiled and hugged her knees to her chest like she had been for awhile. She looked out over the blue waters, the sky was slightly gray and overcast, there was a breeze…well really there was wind. She loved the feeling of the cool sand between her toes when she took off her flip-flops.
That's when she met him…he was walking the beach alone. His shoulders were broad, he was easily over six feet tall, his hair was blonde and perfectly cropped, and those eyes…his eyes were sky blue. Piper tried to avert her eyes but she couldn't seem to find the strength to do so. She pulled out her phone and checked the time, she did have to work but her bossed were so laid back that they usually didn't care if Piper was late. Soon enough he began to slowly continue on down the shore and Piper decided that she should probably start heading to work.
Piper arrived at the auto-shop/restaurant where she worked and her best friend was already waiting for her with her apron and what not in hand, "Where were you?"
"Sorry Leo, it doesn't seem too busy though." Piper apologized.
"Were you down at the beach again?" he asked knowing exactly where she had been.
"Where's Calypso?" Piper asked.
"She's in the kitchen." Leo said jerking his thumb toward the back, "Now if you excuse me I have to get back to the shop."
Piper loved working for her best friend. He had decided to open an auto-shop/restaurant with his fiancée Calypso. Calypso managed the restaurant and Leo managed the garage. Piper worked for them helping out where she was needed and that usually meant waitressing. She only accepted tips and didn't take what Leo and Calypso tried to pay her. She didn't need the money since she had money from her father that she only used for rent, food, and things like that. She worked for everything else.
"Piper!" Calypso called.
Piper quickly tied her apron and went back into the kitchen to see what Calypso wanted, "What?"
"Can you go wait on the young man who is about to walk in?" Calypso asked she always knew when someone was going to walk in.
Piper went out and almost gasped, the guy from the beach was standing there. Piper grabbed a menu from under the counter and her pad of paper. She walked over to him and smiled, "Can I help you?"
"Just a table for one." He smiled.
"Table or counter?" she asked.
"I'm indifferent." He shrugged as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"Ok, follow me." Piper said as she walked toward the counter.
She set the menu down and allowed him to look at the menu for a moment in private.
Jason looked around the small diner/auto-shop and smiled. He loved small towns and his girlfriend Reyna cheating on him was the final straw. He had to get away from the city for awhile. The small town he decided to stay in for awhile was where his sister ended up living with her husband Luke. Jason hadn't seen his sister in ages and decided that maybe it was time to pay her a little visit.
He watched as the waitress began tiding things up around the counters, wiping down the napkin dispensers, refilling ketchup and mustard bottles. Finally she turned around and made her way over to him, "Ok can I start you off with anything to drink?"
"A Coke would be fine." He smiled.
"Coming right up." She said as she pulled out a glass, scooped some ice into it, and finally filled it with Coke from the soda fountain.
She set the glass in front of him, "Are you ready to order or do you need a couple minutes? Our specials are on the board."
"Actually I'm ready to order." He said.
"Ok what can I get you?" she asked.
"I'll take a cheeseburger and fries, a chocolate milkshake, and a slice of your homemade…what kind of pie do you recommend?" he asked her.
The waitress smiled, "Ok…well personally I think the blueberry is the best but the cherry is really good as well."
"Well then I'll go with the blueberry." Jason said.
"Whipped cream or ice cream?" she asked.
"Ice cream." He replied.
She nodded, "Ok I'll get that back to Calypso and your food should be ready in no time."
Jason watched her disappear into the kitchen and smiled. Everyone in a small town like this was always so nice. The East Coast to him was much prettier than the West Coast where he came from. He came from a city that no one ever really had the pleasures of knowing. His sister had been begging him for years to come visit her but his girlfriend didn't want to travel.
The waitress reappeared when the bell above the door ran, "You can go ahead and seat yourselves I'll be right with you in a moment."
She grabbed a couple menus and disappeared back into the kitchen only to reappear seconds later with rolls of silverware. Jason turned and looked at whoever just walked in and smiled, it was his sister and her husband, "Thalia!"
His sister turned and grinned, "Jason you made it!"
Jason stood from where he was seated at the counter and smiled, "Of course I did, I told you I would be here."
Jason hadn't seen Thalia since she had gotten married. She was still shorter than him, her hair pretty much stayed the same length at the same color of raven, her eyes were still sparkly and electric blue, she had however lost her freckles, and she was now sporting a baby bump. Her husband Luke was pretty cool. Jason didn't know him as well as he should have but he seemed nice enough and he treated Thalia with respect and care so Jason was almost positive that they'd get along just fine.
"Luke you remember my brother Jason." Thalia smiled.
Her husband nodded, "I do, nice to see you again Jason."
Jason nodded, "Same to you Luke."
Thalia smiled, "I'm so happy that you could finally make it out here for awhile."
The waitress reappeared and smiled at Thalia, "Oh hi Thalia, hi Luke."
"Oh Piper this is my brother Jason, Jason this is Piper, the town sweetheart." Thalia introduced them.
Piper smiled, "I never knew you had a brother."
"Well she does." Jason shrugged.
"Well its nice to meet you Jason are you staying around for awhile?" Piper asked.
Jason nodded, "For the summer."
"Well I hope you like it." Piper smiled, "Oh and Calypso already has your food cooking." She added to Thalia and Luke.
Jason moved his things so he could sit next to his sister and catch up, "So how are things in small town life?"
Thalia smiled, "They're good and how's the city?"
"I needed to get away from it." Jason admitted.
"So how are you doing after you know?" Thalia asked.
"It was her choice it was ending anyway." Jason shrugged, "How are you feeling?"
Thalia smiled, "I'm fine just morning sickness."
"Do you know anything about the baby?" Jason asked.
"Not yet." Thalia shook her head.
"So Jason what do you do out on the West Coast?" Luke asked.
"I'm a lawyer." Jason said.
Luke nodded, "Sounds like a reasonable career."
Jason nodded, "My partner is running the firm while I get away, Frank said he understood that I needed to get away."
"That's the cool thing about running your own business." Luke nodded, "I own the sports bar downtown."
"A sports bar?" Jason asked.
Thalia nodded, "Luke used to play baseball until he threw out his shoulder so he now owns a sports bar. Let's just say that I sent him out for milk one day and he came home with a building."
Jason recognized Luke, "You were the Yankees star pitcher."
Luke nodded, "I was."
"How did you meet my sister?" Jason asked jokingly.
"I met your sister actually while she was waiting tables at a diner." Luke smiled.
"That's how you met her?" Jason asked.
Luke nodded, "She disappeared on me for a year."
"She did?" Jason asked.
Thalia nodded, "Unintentionally."
Before Jason could respond Piper came bearing a tray of food. She set Jason's burger in front of him as well as his milkshake and pie, Thalia received basically the same thing but her milkshake was strawberry, and Luke had a steak.
"Enjoy your meal." Piper smiled.
"You're still coming over later tonight aren't you?" Thalia asked.
Piper nodded, "Of course I am, that is if you still want me."
Luke smiled, "Of course we do, the more the merrier."
Piper smiled, "Enjoy."
Later that night Jason walked up the stone path that led to his sister's gigantic house. He was in awe, he had a penthouse apartment back on the West Coast, but Thalia's house was like seven of his apartments. Jason had his suitcases and he wheeled them in. Thalia and Luke were in the kitchen pulling out humus, crackers, cheese, sausage, anything that looked like you might serve it at a party.
"So where do you want me to put this?" Jason asked.
"The last room on the right upstairs," Thalia smiled, "it's got the best view in the house."
Jason nodded and followed his sister's instructions. He was used to her acting motherly toward him since she practically raised him. He found his room and opened the door. The whole house was obviously decorated by his sister because everything was to her taste, everything was different. Jason's room happened to be one that had a balcony, a nice double bed that was dressed with red bed linens and comforter, the pillows ranged anywhere from red to orange. There was a fireplace; the walls were painted a scarlet color. Yes this was definitely his sister's décor.
"Thalia wanted me to come ask you if you'd like anything to drink." Luke said.
"Oh a whisky Coke is fine." Jason shrugged.
Luke nodded, "Sorry about the décor….your sister got a little carried away."
Jason shook his head, "No this is fine, I don't mind it."
"If it gets too hot you can always open the windows or if it's too cold all you have to do is flip the switch by the fireplace to turn it on." Luke said, "The temperature in this house is constantly changing with Thalia being pregnant."
Jason nodded, "Thanks Luke."
"It's nothing I hope you like it here." Luke smiled.
"I do." Jason smiled at his brother-in-law.
After Jason was settled in he made his way downstairs to find that they already had more company. Piper, the waitress from the restaurant was sitting at the island talking with his sister. Jason walked in and Luke handed him his drink. Thalia smiled, "Did you like it?"
Jason nodded, "It was quite red."
"Oh yeah sorry about all the red." Thalia laughed.
Jason shrugged, "No biggie I used to have a red room."
Thalia smiled, "Well Jason like I already said this is Piper."
Piper smiled, "It's nice to finally meet you. Thalia talks about you all the time."
Jason raised an eyebrow, "Does she now?"
Piper nodded, "Oh all the time."
"Piper's studying to be a baker." Thalia chimed in.
Piper looked over at Thalia, "Do you have to tell everyone?"
Thalia nodded, "Of course I do."
Piper laughed, "I'm going to open a bakery."
"Your cupcakes are the best, Jason try one." Thalia said pointing to a box of cupcakes on the counter.
"You might want a plate and fork for those." Piper warned him.
"Why?" Jason asked never having to eat cupcakes with a fork or a plate before in his life.
"They're full of pudding; Piper's the only one who makes cupcakes like that." Luke said.
Jason nodded and helped himself to one of the chocolate cupcakes. He took his first bite and instantly decided that this was the best thing he had ever tasted in his life.
"These are really good." Jason said.
Piper smiled, "I'm glad you like them."
"Piper's also the town sweetheart." Thalia smiled.
Piper shot her a look, "Thalia…."
"Town sweetheart?" Jason asked.
Thalia nodded, "So many guys have tried to woo her but she just won't fall in love yet."
Piper rolled her eyes, "Your sister also seems to leave out the part that half of them are from the city and they were trying to get me to leave."
"Well I still think you'll find love." Thalia said, "If I could manage you can manage."
Luke chuckled, "I have never met anyone more bullheaded than Thalia."
"Yes you have." Thalia said, "You've met Piper."
Piper laughed, "I'm not that stubborn."
"You're stubborn in a sweet way." Thalia corrected her.
"Ok maybe just a little bit." Piper smiled.
Soon enough they were all having a good time and then Thalia looked over at something and cursed, "Sorry guys, I'm going to run to the store and pick a couple things up, Luke would you mind coming with me?"
Luke looked over at Jason and Piper who shrugged and then he nodded. Thalia looked over at the two and smiled, "We'll be right back."
So with that they left Jason alone with Piper who was extremely beautiful. She smiled at him, "So your sister tells me you're a lawyer."
Jason nodded, "I just opened my own firm not too long ago."
"Wow that's impressive." Piper said.
"So how long have you been working on baking?" Jason asked.
"Since I was little." Piper shrugged, "It was something I used to do with my dad when he had time to spare."
"Dad worked a lot?" Jason asked.
She nodded, "All the time, I love getting to see him now since he's retired."
"What did he do?" Jason asked.
"He acted." Piper said, "Don't know if you've ever heard of him."
"Who is he?" Jason asked.
"Tristan McLean." Piper replied.
Jason's jaw dropped, "You're his daughter?! I used to idolize your father."
Piper smiled, "He's a good person to idolize, he never really let fame take him over. He still stayed true to who he was and that was Tristan McLean the Native American boy who grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma for the Cherokee Indians."
Jason studied Piper for a moment; she was lean but she had curves much like most of the girls Jason ever went for, her hair was chocolate brown and fell in uneven layers to her shoulders, her skin had a nice tan to it, but what fascinated Jason was her eyes. They were constantly changing colors like Lucy from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
"I never knew he was Native American." Jason said.
Piper nodded, "He is."
"So how old are you?" Jason asked her.
"I just turned 24 in February." Piper said.
Jason put it all together in his head; his sister wanted him to meet Piper. Honestly Jason saw nothing wrong with Piper, she was gorgeous, funny, sweet, and everything he looked for in a girl.
"So was Thalia always motherly growing up?" Piper asked.
Jason nodded, "Our mother wasn't the best when it came to childcare so Thalia took care of me the best she could."
"She's an amazing person." Piper smiled.
"She is." Jason agreed.
"Do you want to take a walk?" Piper asked pointing to the French doors that led to the beach.
Jason nodded, "Sure."
The beach was chilly and deserted. The moon was out casting a silvery glow on whatever it touched. Jason noticed something on Piper's finger; it looked like an engagement ring.
"Who's the lucky guy?" he asked nodding at the ring.
"Oh this, my ex-fiancé Dylan. He just left in the middle of the night and ran off with some other girl from the city." Piper shrugged.
"So you still wear his ring?" Jason asked.
Piper shrugged, "I'm not sure why I do though."
"Then take it off, throw it in the ocean or something."
Piper smiled and took the ring off, "You know, you're right." With that she flung it into the ocean.
"Was that hard?" Jason asked.
She shook her head, "Not at all. So anyone in your life?"
"I had a girlfriend, I was going to propose and then I found out that she was cheating on me with her co-worker." Jason said.
"That sucks." Piper frowned.
Jason shrugged, "Actually I'm glad that it's over."
Piper raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
Jason nodded, "I didn't really see us going that far."
Jason wondered why he was practically telling a stranger all this information. He had barely known Piper for a few hours and there he was divulging all of his secrets to her. Did he trust her already? Was he going to end up falling into his sister's master plan? Would he find that he loved Piper?