I do not own these characters, Stephanie Meyers does, I'm just borrowing them until this story ends. Enjoy, please review, all are welcomed. Well, not the mean ones, I can accept criticism as long as its constructive. Thanks All.
Chapter Two
Laughter spilled from the back room, our make shift employee lounge, which consisted of three milk crates, a shipping palate and a daily opened box of Mountain Dew, all arranged neatly in the corner of the store room. It was 1am and I was exhausted, I cracked my back as I reached behind me pulling the apron strings loose and folding it over my arm, my feet literally dragging the floor. I heard the laughter die down and smiled as Angela leaned back on her crate to make sure the shuffling sound was me and not Harry.
"It's just me…but I can smell the smoke so you might wanna open the back door Ang." She rolled her eyes, snapping her cell phone shut, giving a very brave dismissive wave as she got up taking another drag from her cigarette.
"Screw him," she blew the smoke toward the ceiling vent, waving her hand absently over her head making the smoke swirl and dance above her. "If he gave us cigarette breaks like every other decent, kind employer, I wouldn't be breaking his damn rules." I laughed as I approached her, taking the cigarette between my fingers, nodding as I put it to my lips, pulling from it, every nerve ending in my body grateful for the fix. I closed my eyes letting the tar and every other unholy chemical burn my lungs and sighed releasing the white filtered air as I handed it back to her.
"Nicotine…it is a bitch." Grinning as I opened my eyes, already anticipating the eye roll she would give me, I walked toward the store room door, cracking it a bit the fresh, crisp air wafting in ushering some of the smoke away. I pulled the rubber band from my hair, rubbing my fingers on my scalp with a groan, my hair spilling over my shoulders as I stood in front of the mirror tapped to the far wall of our little lounge. Pulling my name tag off and pinning it to apron for safe keeping I started to hum the melody that had been on repeat in my head for the past few days.
Preoccupied, I always was when a melody wouldn't leave me alone; I never even heard Angie approach but I smiled as she ran her fingers through my hair gently tugging the ends into a loose braid. She always did that at the end of the day, I think she just hated that I never took much interest in girlie, dainty things like combing my hair more than once a day. I smiled at her in the mirror a silent thank you for the gesture and she chuckled low in response.
"You heading to Deluca's." She knew me so well asking a question she already knew the answer to, but I nodded anyway. "Mmhmm, Jake gave me the 2am spot." I turned her wrist up looking at the time. "Shit I should get going; I still have some work to do on the song."
Pulling her own apron off, she sat on her crate changing her shoes, sifting through her bag for the things she used every night before she left work, brush, make-up, cigarette lighter. "I might head over there with you tonight Bella, its been a while since I've seen Jake with his fine self." I laughed, arching a brow as I shrugged into my jacket "Yeah um, then clearly it's been a while since you've seen Leah too? So long that you forgot she exists?" Laughing more when she huffed, running the brush quickly through her hair, I loved Angela; she was so comfortable being herself that it was difficult not to envy her confidence at times. "Bella, that bitch is on her way out…." She trotted over to the mirror, lipstick in hand making me laugh as she tried to talk as she put some on, sounding like the 'wah wah' of an grown up on a Charlie Brown cartoon. I managed to understand the parts that mattered, Jake was a trapped man…she had the key, blah blah blah. We'd had this conversation before, many times in fact and as usual Angela was completely delusional about her feminine wilds and their effect on one Jacob Black. I grabbed by bag, shaking my head at her as I slipped it onto my shoulder, leaning against the door frame I waited knowing she needed a ride.
"Never mind they've been together nearly three years huh." She nodded dusting a little something on her face, whatever it was I couldn't see the difference it made, but who am I to say anything. "Exactly…never mind."
Angie could always make me laugh; we'd been friends since high school, classic story. I was new, shy, smart, artsy kid that no one ever talked to, she was the popular loud mouth that everyone wanted to be around. Girl needs friend, other girl needs to pass calculus, one tutoring and make over session later we were best friends for life. Not that I couldn't make friends on my own, I could and did. But being friends with Angela made my move to Forks Washington so much easier that I'd anticipated it would be. She got me; before anyone else did and once she was able to translate my extremely awkward stammering, nervous ticks and inability to walk and do just about anything at the same time for the masses; life at Forks High was gravy.
I smiled at the memory, shaking my head at her as she maneuvered her breasts so there was a little more cleavage than God had actually provided. She was really planning on prowling tonight "Are you ready Ang, I've got just about 20 minutes to get over there." She blew out a dismissive breath, still checking herself out, tugging her skirt just a bit lower. "Oh please, you've got a date with a hard bar stool and a microphone that has some serious audio feedback issues." Shoving my hands in my pocket, I pouted Now that's not fair, the stool has a cushion. She laughed, shaking her head as she slipped into her jean jacket, flinging her bag over her shoulder "Yeah, a torn one that cuts into your ass when you're up there too long."
I frowned getting out my keys and opening the door as she called over her shoulder to Harry that we were leaving. His response was his typical rant about slamming the storeroom door so it locks and letting us know he could smell cigarette smoke up front. We laughed the alley echoing as she gave the door a good slam. "Speaking of hot men…" I paused my key in the door, looking over the roof of the car at her wondering who was speaking of hot men. I often missed entire portions of a conversation so I didn't say anything; I figured I'd piece it together like I always do. She seemed to be reading my mind again and rolled her eyes opening her door once she heard the lock snap up.
Getting inside, I turned the car on and she immediately pressed the eject on my CD player, not even bothering to see if it was something she would like. Like I said, she knew me well and to say our taste in music was different is a complete understatement. Flipping through the stations she found one she like and I was completely disgusted by, tugging my seatbelt into place before pulling the car into gear I drove out of alley and onto the street, flipping the heat on. "So, the coffee crotch guy…he was gorgeous!" I had no idea what she was talking about, holding my strumming hand in front of the vent I arched a brow at her, letting my non response clue her in on my ignorance. She laughed and shook her head, looking up at the ceiling of the car like it would have the answer to why I was so dense sometimes. "Gorgeous, piercing green eyes, bronze just been fucked hair, tall…cherry red lip, crooked smile? Any of this ring a bell?" I stared at the road, shrugging a little as I worked the kinks out of my fingers in the warm heat. "Oh good lord Bella! You assault many men today with a pot of hot coffee?"
The bell began ringing as I realized who she was talking about. Right, hot guy, hot crotch, I'm an idiot. "Right, yeah…I was so freakin embarrassed I don't even think I paid much attention to what he looked like." Liar.
She laughed "You are such a liar. You were totally checking him out!" I looked at her, my mouth open and she smirked as I started to stutter. "I…no I wasn't…he, I was just…" Laughing more she waved her hand as if she was trying to help by pulling the words from me, but, there was no help, I didn't even know what the hell I was saying.
"Don't even bother to deny it. You were all…" her voice went all Betty Boop on me as she arched her back emphasizing her breasts and I groaned, turning the corner. "Oh…excuse me Mr. Hawt Coffee Crotch Guy let me clean that up for you. Can I take your number…I mean oops your order?" I so hate her sometimes. "I…did not do that Ang." I laughed, completely mortified as the memory of this afternoons events that even now nearly 13 hours later made me want to die came flooding back in. "You so did! You were all let me clean that up for you…lo-ver." She was having too much fun and when she was like this denial was completely moot. There is a button in my head that is reserved for moments just like this, so I pressed it and like magic this silly, wonderful completely slutty best friend of mine was put on mute and I smiled.
I scanned the block for a parking space, checking the clock; great I've got five minutes. I perked up when a car at the end of the block pulled out, rushing toward it I back in and sighed as I turned off the car three minutes to spare. Looking over at Angela who hugging herself and smooching the air with her eyes closed, I arched my brow as she parted her fingers into a V in front of her mouth her tongue lashing and flicking between them. What the hell? Right…mute. Must remember to turn it off or she just looks crazy sometimes. I regretted that decision the moment she was in full volume again.
"Oh yeah Coffee Crotch! Stick it right there, just how I like it!" She saw the look on my face which I could only imagine was a cross between complete confusion and absolute horror and burst into laughter. Shaking my head as I opened my door and popped the trunk, I laughed, rounding the car as she poured herself from the passenger side laughing even more. "You know you liked him."
I shrugged, smoothing my hand over my guitar case before lifting it out and closing the trunk. "What's not to like…he was…beautiful and aloof. Funny, charming." I continued as she opened the front door to Deluca's a place I easily considered my home away from home most nights of the week. "He cleaned the table off…did you see that? I was just…" taking in a deep breath as I trailed off, the familiar smell of old pine and beer filling my senses, comforting me as I made my way to the back. Angela followed behind me, I was faintly aware that she was greeting people and undoubtedly not paying any attention to what I was saying. Perfect, because I didn't think I could stop. "He was…wow. His eyes were amazing; I don't think I've ever seen that color green before on…anything. And I mean, if there's one color we know in Forks, its green right?"
Not expecting an answer I laughed at myself, because she definitely wasn't listening, Jake was rounding the bar and approaching us with a welcoming, very Jake trademark grin. I set my case on the floor as he opened his arms pulling me into a tight hug. He greeted everyone like they were a long lost friend, didn't matter that he saw me practically every night for the past year. The hugs were always tight and yup, he lifted me like a feather off the floor laughing as I protested and swatted his back for release.
"You all ready Bells, the schmuck up there is eating into your time so you better get up there." He eased pass me reaching for Angela who let out an obnoxiously loud moan as he hugged her, the sound of it was immediately eclipsed by the brooding, melodic sound coming from the dimly lit stage. It pulled me closer, as if each note stretched out into tiny fingers luring my body, my soul toward the stage and I stood there gazing up. This must be what a siren song is, Irresistible. I watched as his lips curled around each low, practically groaned word and my heart sang. A song so yearning that I had to place my hand on my chest to make sure it didn't leap forward and I would understand if it did. I wanted to be closer too, my fingers tightened around the handle of my guitar case to keep from reaching out and touching some part, some connection to the sweet torturous sound of his voice.
In the distance I was aware that she was behind me, Angela leaned in closer, silent for a moment then in a voice I don't think I'd ever heard from her, she spoke softly not wanting to disrupt the air with her own voice as it mingled with his.
"Wow, Coffee Crotch Guy…"
