Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."
Chapter 2- Taking Chances
"What are you doing, Jack?" Lee asked as they stood by his car.
"I thought we were going out to dinner," Jack stated as he stared at the contact information on his phone.
"Well, we are, but did you forget that you drove here separately?" Lee inquired.
Jack released a soft breath through his nose as he chuckled, "I guess I did. I have something else on my mind."
Rosie walked to the back of the car and pushed the "send" button on Jack's phone.
"What are you doing?" He yelled as he quickly pushed the "end" button in response. "I don't want her to think I'm desperate."
Lee laughed, "Well, aren't you kind of desperate? I mean, you were desperate to meet her, weren't you?"
Jack thought for a moment, "Yes, I was desperate to find her, but I don't want her to go out with me because she pities me."
"Pities you? Jack you are absolutely hilarious," Rosie remarked as she turned around and opened the door to get Matthew settled in his seat.
Rosie kept Matthew's door open while the adult talk continued. She turned to Jack, "I have never known you to be a player. I don't know Miss Thatcher other than as Matthew's teacher, but I'll tell you one thing…"
"What's that, Rosie?" Jack asked.
"If Lee had approached me and asked if I wanted to go have coffee sometime and then he walked away without setting a date?" she released a harsh breath. "Well, all I'm saying is that I would have been mad and when he did ask, I might have said 'No.'"
"Hey Uncle Jack?" Matthew called out.
"Yeah buddy…" Jack responded but was still preoccupied by Rosie's statement.
"I'm going to marry Miss Thatcher when I grow up," he announced.
Without thinking, Jack responded, "Not if she marries me first."
"Mommy, tell Uncle Jack that Miss Thatcher is mine. I love her," Matthew remarked.
"I'm sorry buddy. I'll make you a deal; if she wants to marry you, I won't stand in the way, okay?" Jack replied before Rosie closed Matthew's car door.
Matthew held a "thumbs up" as he immediately began playing with his hand held video game system.
"So where are we going for dinner?" Jack asked.
Rosie jumped in, "Matthew's favorite place is Pizza Hut."
"Okay, I'll meet you at the one on Holland Road," Jack stated before heading to his Jeep.
By the time Jack arrived, Lee, Rosie and Matthew were in line, which made its way out the door and onto the sidewalk.
Jack walked up, "Are you kidding me? I've never see this place so busy."
"Honey, why don't we just get some pizza to take home?" Rosie suggested.
Lee started for the door, "That's a great idea. Jack, do you want to come back to the house for dinner?"
"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll head on home," he replied.
Jack arrived back at his apartment, stepped inside, threw his keys on the table and sat down on his sofa. He checked the clock, 8:49PM, and wondered if it was too late, or even too soon to contact her. Rosie's comments continued to spin in his mind, but he also knew that Rosie was Rosie, and not the typical woman.
He realized that she had consumed his thoughts for so many months and there was no way he would sleep tonight without talking to her. Would his call be viewed as coming too soon? But then again, if he waited would he come across as uninterested?
"Uninterested?" he whispered as a quick breath exited his lungs and he shook his head slightly.
He pulled up her contact and not wanting to bother her if she was busy, he texted her…
"Hi Elizabeth. It's me, Jack…"
"Hi Jack…" Elizabeth responded as she quickly placed his contact information in her phone.
"I wanted 2 call, but thought u might B busy…"
"Not busy. Just walking my dog on the boardwalk…"
"What kind of dog do u have…?"
"A black Lab. Her name is Snitch…"
"Interesting name…"
"Her registered name is Can't Keep a Secret…"
"Ha, that's funny…"
"vnc98w78a7hf nav8a7w45ncr…"
"Huh…?" he responded.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm having trouble navigating the crowd of people with Snitch while texting…"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to catch you at a bad time…"
"Jack, I didn't mean it that way. Would you like to talk in person? I mean over the phone and not text…?"
"Yes if you're sure you aren't busy…"
"Jack, just call me…"
Within seconds her phone rang…
His name now flashed up on the screen of her phone, "Hi Jack. This is better than typing." Even as she told herself to back away; that she would only find herself in pieces again, the sound of his voice made her heart pound and had her praying that he would be different.
Jack couldn't believe that he was a bundle of nerves talking himself into texting and calling her. Now that he was actually talking with her over the phone he felt completely at ease.
The topics of their conversation were varied, but casual. Their talk was not forced or uncomfortable, and before Elizabeth knew it, she was back home.
"Okay Jack, if your plan was to talk to me until I made it home, you have succeeded," she stated with a slight giggle.
"Did you lock your door?" He asked.
"Always," she responded. "I promised my parents when I moved away that I'd be careful," she explained.
"Before I let you go, are you free for coffee after work tomorrow?" He asked.
Elizabeth hesitated. She desperately wanted to say 'Yes,' but fear of unresolved issues hampered her response. Before she knew it the word 'Yes' flew out of her mouth and she was obligated. Although she promised herself that she would be cautious, she realized that there were many things she didn't want to do, but truly meeting Jack for coffee was far from one of them.
"Um, I'm out of school at 3:30. How about you?" She asked.
"My shift is over at 3," he replied. "Do you want to meet at Starbuck's on Main?"
"Perfect. I'll see you then," She offered.
"I'm looking forward to it," he replied.
"Jack…"
"Yes…"
"Thank you for talking with me until I got home," she mentioned.
"I enjoyed it; you're very easy to talk to Elizabeth. Good night," he replied before hanging up the phone.
Elizabeth smiled as she sat on her sofa and held her phone in her hand. "Calm down girl. You act like you've never had a conversation with a man before," she whispered to herself.
He'd done it; he found her, called her and now had a coffee date for tomorrow with her. He knew that it was way too early to assume that she was the "one," but he couldn't deny the fact that there was something about her that had completely captivated him.
Elizabeth changed her clothes, slipped under the covers of her bed, pulled out her Nora Roberts novel, "Come Sundown," from her bedside table and attempted to take her mind off of her coffee date the following day. After reading the same paragraph three times and still having no idea what it said, she closed the book and sat it beside her on the bed.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and laid her head back on her pillow. It had been eight months since she had been on a date. No, that's not true. She had been on several dates during that time, but the men were all self absorbed, controlling and/or only wanted one thing from her. She decided that she was better off spending her free time with Snitch and her friends, and that a romantic relationship would come along at some point…maybe.
Her eyes remained closed as she unconsciously smiled at the image of Jack sheepishly picking up his phone from the floor when they first saw each other. Not certain what it was, but she felt some type of energy when their palms touched. His handshake was firm, but quite gentle, and the more she allowed herself to think about him, the more images of him continued to flood her mind. She could only hope that the positive images of Jack could now wipe away the ones she had continued to carry of the worst night of her life.
Elizabeth sat up in bed, again reached into her bedside table and pulled out her journal. She had regularly conveyed her thoughts and feelings on paper for as long as she could remember, receiving her first journal as a Christmas present from her parents at the tender young age of six. She often pulled out her previous journals and enjoyed reading what was important to her during that time in her life. Many times she found herself laughing at the things she wrote, but quickly realized that at the time, those feelings were real, and often nothing to laugh about.
Her journal unfortunately opened to an entry that was written ten months ago…
"My head is spinning; my heart is broken, and it feels as though nothing will ever be right again. I was living within a lie; his soft, kind eyes hid the deception, drawing me in as I drifted through. I heard the words and honesty was what he swore; it was what he professed, keeping me dangling as he laughed at my naivety.
Never will I allow myself to be taken in; never will I assume that the words are gospel, and that I am truly important to another. I trusted easily, and that won't happen again as I sit amongst the shattered pieces of my life."
She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. She found it hard to catch her breath as she quickly flipped through the pages of her life, hoping to remove the visual which now snapped her back to her reality.
She picked up a pen from the table, flipped her journal to the next blank page, took a deep breath and attempted to place her thoughts and feelings down on paper…
"Don't let go; keep control; don't fall quickly, as the pain from the past will push the feelings of the future. Lead with your head, not with the desires of your heart. Think through that which is before you; remember things aren't always what they appear to be…"
Jack was quite proud of himself. Not only had he found the woman, who had occupied a place in his mind for many months, but they had spoken, and she was as intelligent as she was beautiful. The fear of having her open her mouth to speak and ruin the visual he had maintained was gone. Now it was time to take things slow and hope that she would be as captivated by him and he truly was by her.
He closed his eyes to sleep, and for the first time since he could remember, her face appeared, however, this time it contained the smile she wore when they met.
The following morning, Elizabeth was sitting at her desk while her students were in their music class when Freja, one of the third grade teachers entered her classroom.
"Hey, a group of us are taking Macey out to Stevie Ray's for her birthday dinner tonight. You are coming, right?" Freja asked.
"No, I'm sorry I have plans. I'll go by before I leave today and wish her a happy birthday," Elizabeth stated.
"You…plans? Okay, who is he?" Freja inquired.
Elizabeth shuffled papers on her desk, "What makes you think it has to do with a guy?"
"Elizabeth, since you and Maxx broke up you never have plans. Well, you dated those guys that really weren't worth your time or you hang out with your dog. So now you have plans? Good for you, but who is he?" Freja pushed for information.
Elizabeth thought for a moment before commenting, "At least Snitch isn't going to hurt me. But if you need to know, his name is Jack and we are just meeting for coffee. He's nice, but we just met, so we'll see how it goes. I want to take it slow."
Freja had other things to do, but sat beside Elizabeth's desk in the uncomfortable child's seat. "OK, talk fast before I fall out of this thing. Where did you two meet?"
"Actually he is a friend of the parents of one of my students," Elizabeth revealed.
Freja's eyebrows arched and she cocked her head to the side, "Elizabeth, isn't that like pushing the limits a bit?"
"What do you mean? He isn't the father of one of my students. I don't see a problem with it. Is there a problem with it?" Elizabeth asked wondering if her interest in him had caused her to turn a blind eye to a possible ethical issue.
"No, I guess you're right. It's not like he is the father of one of your students. Besides, don't you remember when Mr. Russo married that woman whose son was in his class the year before? You can't tell me that they weren't sleeping together when he was teaching her son. That right there is crossing the line," Freja remarked.
"I assure you Freja, he does not have a child in my class, and I am not sleeping with him," Elizabeth admitted.
Freja carefully stood from the chair and walked toward the hallway, "The second part of that statement is your loss, of that I'm sure."
"How do you know, you don't even know who he is?" Elizabeth asked.
"I know you. You were hurt by Maxx, and you aren't going to take the chance on someone unless you see something special," Freja replied. "Elizabeth, do yourself a favor…"
"What's that?" Elizabeth asked.
"Don't let what Maxx did to you continue to influence the way you feel about men in general. He wasn't worth the sadness you felt. Not all men are jerks. There are good ones out there, and hopefully this guy…"
"Jack?"
"Yes, hopefully Jack will prove to be a good one. You deserve some happiness."
"I'm happy," Elizabeth stated sternly, seemingly as if she was trying to convince herself.
"You need more in your life, Elizabeth," Freja insisted.
Elizabeth stood from her desk and headed toward Freja and the hallway. "I need to go get my students, but please don't worry about me. Don't make a big deal about this thing…this whatever it is with Jack," she stated as she used her hands and a back and forth flick of the wrists swinging in the open air.
Elizabeth continued, "He seems nice, but I won't hold my breath that he's everything I've always dreamed of. We'll see what happens. Who knows, we may never see each other after today."
The women headed down the hall together until they reached the first intersection at which time they separated.
"Elizabeth, don't let Maxx continue to pull you down. He's not worth it. You know you are so much better than that," Freja stated softly, so those standing outside the office couldn't hear.
"Hey, I appreciate your concern. Maxx is done; fact is. it was done before it started, I just didn't know it. I wasn't smart enough to see things clearly back then. He showed me his true colors, and I learned a valuable lesson. It won't happen to me again," she stated as the women separated. "At least I hope it won't happen again," she thought.
Jack returned to the precinct, having to take a prisoner to booking on a Driving on a Suspended License charge.
"Oh good, I didn't think I was going to see you today," Logan Amherst stated as he passed Jack in the hallway.
"Hey Logan, what's up?" Jack asked.
"A group of us are meeting after work for a game of basketball. I can count on you, right?" Logan asked.
"Sorry, but I have plans," Jack quickly responded.
"Well, change them. We're going up against Braden's guys from the First Precinct. You know how cocky they can be. We need you, Jack. You're our best shooter," Logan pleaded.
"I'm sorry but no one said anything, and I have plans that I'm not willing to break," Jack stated as he headed back toward the parking lot and his police cruiser.
"Stop right there. Who is she?" Logan asked.
"Stop yourself. Not everything has to do with a woman," Jack replied.
"Come on Jack. Tell me who she is," Logan continued to prod.
Jack smiled but provided no further information.
"Wait…did you find her?" Logan asked.
"Find who?" Jack pretended to be confused by the questioning.
"You found her? How did you find her? Man, you need to apply for the detective position that's opening up," Logan remarked.
Jack's continued smile and soft laugh proved to Logan that he was on the right track.
"So where did you find her?" Logan asked as he walked with Jack out into the parking lot.
"You're not going to believe this, but she is the first grade teacher for my friend Lee's son, and I'm seeing her after work today. So, I won't be playing basketball later," Jack adamantly stated. "I'd like to help out, but not today."
"Okay, but we aren't playing until 6:00. If you find yourself free anytime after that, please come play. Your brothers are in trouble without you," Logan attempted to play the camaraderie card.
"No promises, but I'll come by if I can," he stated,
Jack arrived at Starbucks at 3:25 PM, captured a table with an umbrella outside and waited. Then he saw her exit her ice blue Hyundai Santa Fe. He smiled as she walked toward the sidewalk. She was every bit as beautiful now as she was before he had met her. He jumped up and greeted her at the gate.
They both sat down at the table and their conversation immediately flowed. Before they realized it, it was 4:10 and neither of them had yet to experience a cup of coffee.
"I'm so sorry. I invited you here for coffee and neither of us have had any yet. What do you like?" He asked, making a mental note of her preference.
"House blend is good. Maybe 4 splenda and 3 pumps of French vanilla? She stated but it came out more like a question.
Jack laughed, "Is that what you like or are you asking me?"
She returned the chuckle. "Jack, I'm a simple girl. Usually I go to 7-11 and I make my own. I never know how to order coffee here."
"Are you willing to try something new?" He asked.
"As long as it isn't spicy and does not contain anchovies I'm an adventurer," she advised.
"Okay, I can guarantee that you will be safe there. I'll be right back," Jack stated as he headed into Starbucks to place their order.
He returned a few minutes later and found Elizabeth on the phone…
"I know, I've missed you too Mark, I'll see you on Saturday," she stated as she watched Jack take his seat across from her. She listened as "Mark" continued talking.
"Okay, dinner would be great. You let me know; I'm looking forward to it. Bye," she ended the call and placed her phone back on the table.
"So, what do we have here?" She asked.
"It's Pike's Peak with three packets of splenda and 3 ½ pumps of caramel macchiato," Jack stated as he handed her the cup.
"Hmm, this is really good, thanks," she commented as she cupped her coffee in the palms of her hands.
They sat quietly for a few moments while Elizabeth smiled nervously, concerned by what had happened between Jack leaving and returning to their table that stifled their conversation.
"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, as she was enjoying herself more than she had expected to.
"Can I ask you something?" Jack responded.
"I don't know, can you?" Elizabeth replied, but quickly noticed the confused look on his face. "I'm sorry; that was teacher humor, but apparently it wasn't funny. What would you like to ask?"
"Who's Mark?" Jack asked as he held his breath while awaiting her answer.
"My Vet. Well actually, my dog's Vet," she stated as she glanced down at her phone before looking back at Jack. Seeing the look on his face she explained further, "Snitch has an appointment on Saturday morning for her check up and rabies shot. Mark was just calling to remind me."
"That's a Vet that really gets involved in his work. Don't the secretaries usually take care of the appointment reminders?" He delved further.
"I suppose so, but Mark and I have been friends since we were about 5 years old. He saw my name on the book and just wanted to call me so I wouldn't forget," she explained.
"Are you from Virginia Beach?" She asked, hoping to retrieve the comfortable ease of their prior conversation.
Jack's smile returned, "Yes, born and raised here. How about you?"
"Actually, I'm from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, but I came to Virginia for college and never went home. So I call Virginia Beach home now," she responded.
Jack looked out into the parking lot before returning his glance to Elizabeth," May I ask you something?"
"Sure, what would you like to know?" She replied.
"Since you and Mark have been friends forever, I assume he is also from Ft. Lauderdale," he began.
"That's right. We met in kindergarten, and he and I went to UVA following high school. Is that what you wanted to know?" She asked.
"Are you two…I mean are you and Mark…"
"No…no, Jack I'm sorry. I guess I should have explained further. It's true, Mark and I have been good friends forever, but I have also been close friends with his wife, Mandy," Elizabeth explained. "I'm the godmother to their two kids."
Jack released a cleansing breath as the smile returned to his face.
Their ease of conversation returned, and although neither broached certain topics, they found themselves laughing, and thoroughly enjoying their time together.
Elizabeth glanced at her watch, 6:15, and suddenly became aware that Snitch was home alone, and most likely desperate to get outside. "As much as I would love to stay and talk, my dog is home and I really need to take her for a walk."
Elizabeth gathered her purse, phone and keys while Jack threw away their trash.
He walked Elizabeth to her car, "Thank you for meeting me."
"I had a really nice time, Jack. Thank you for asking me," she responded as she drew out her sentence wondering if he was going to make a move and ask her out.
When he didn't, she slipped into her car and headed for home to her faithful dog, Snitch. She pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Jack wondering to himself where his mind was and why he was standing alone without another date with the woman of his dreams.
Jack headed toward home, angry with himself, and worried about what she must think of him. They'd had a wonderful time, and for the most part, the conversation flowed without difficulty. It would have been logical for him to have asked her out, but "Oh, what must be going through her mind right now."
He pulled into his apartment complex and sat in his Jeep contemplating the phone call he was preparing to make. He fiddled with the buttons on his phone, as he worked through what he wanted to say in his mind.
Elizabeth walked into her apartment, energetically greeted by Snitch. She quickly took her down to the fenced in pet area to allow her to potty. They returned to their apartment where Elizabeth fixed their dinner. Both of them sat in front of the TV while they ate; Snitch having her usual kibble and Elizabeth with her boring microwave meal.
Following their dinner, Elizabeth grabbed Snitch's leash, stuck her keys in her pocket, locked her door and headed out for a walk.
Elizabeth's phone sat on the table vibrating as it announced a call from Jack. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was heading out of her apartment building and the voicemail clicked in…
"Hi, this is Elizabeth; I can't get to my phone right now, but if you would like to leave me a message, and I'll get right back to you…" BEEP!
"Elizabeth, this is Jack. I don't know where my mind is. I don't like doing this over an answering machine, so please call me when you can," he stated before hesitantly hanging up.
Elizabeth rambled on about her time with Jack while Snitch was intent on sniffing everything in sight.
"He seems like a really nice guy and I think we had a good time. At least I had a good time, but he didn't ask me out, so what does that say?" Elizabeth bent down and looked directly into Snitch's eyes hoping for an answer.
"So he's not that into me, is that what you think?" she asked as Snitch looked up past Elizabeth to the bird whose wings were flapping in the tree.
"I know, I know, I told you after Maxx hurt me that I wouldn't let another man do that to me," she stated as they continued walking. "But does that mean that I don't open up myself to anyone? Okay, you're right, girl. If it is meant to be, it'll happen. You can't force something that isn't in the stars."
Elizabeth pulled up on the leash, "I know that things happen for a reason, but if I like him, do I just sit back and do nothing hoping he finds his way to me?" She laughed as she questioned herself, hoping that her four-legged companion would surprise her with the answer.
Not receiving the answer she wanted, or any answer for that matter, she released Snitch to play in the local dog park. There were none of the usual dogs present, but Snitch still appeared to be having a wonderful time, leaving Elizabeth alone on the bench to ponder life.
Jack initially went into his apartment, but felt edgy and in need of burning off some steam. So back to the precinct he headed with the thought that playing basketball may get his mind off of Elizabeth.
"I wasn't expecting you, Jack. Did you see your girl?" Logan asked.
"She's not my girl, Logan, and yes, I did see her," Jack responded, still finding it hard to believe that he watched her drive away without asking her on a real date.
Jack's teammates quickly realized that Jack's head wasn't in the game. He passed the ball to their opponent's point guard, committed several personal fouls, but the final straw came when he made a 3-point shot…for the other team.
"Time out," Logan yelled.
"Jack, what's the deal man? You have got to get your head into the game," Logan stated as he put his arm around Jack's shoulder and led him away from the others. "What happened?"
"Nothing, we had a great time," Jack responded.
"Great, so when are you taking her out again?" Logan pushed for more information.
"I don't know what was with my mind but I forgot to ask her out and then she was gone," Jack admitted.
"So call her," Logan remarked as he reached in Jack's bag and pulled out his phone.
"I called her earlier and got her voicemail. I'll call her when the game is over," he stated as he dropped his phone back into his bag.
"Jack, I think your game is over. We can't recover from the points that you're scoring for Braden's team," Logan stated as he took the ball from Jack's hands. "Sorry man but no girl is worth losing to the First Precinct guys."
Jack certainly didn't agree with Logan's statement, after all this was just a game, but his brothers in blue were depending on him. He shook it off, headed back out on the court and completely turned the game around. Each shot he took swished through the hoop and he quickly became the 'go to' guy on the court.
Following the game, Jack showered and changed before heading out into the parking lot.
"Hey, we're heading to Shakers for a beer. We pay up when we lose, so you have to come with us?" Sgt. Cal Braden mentioned.
"Thanks but I have something that I need to take care of," Jack stated.
"Jack it's still fairly early. Come with us for a celebratory beer and then you can call her. Besides, maybe she'll call you in the meantime. You don't want to appear too eager," Logan stated as he pulled Jack over to his truck.
The officers of the first and third precincts came together to celebrate a great game as the cheesy trophy, purchased by Sgt. Braden, was handed over to Jack as the unanimously voted MVP.
"I certainly never saw that coming, especially when you came in and scored more points for my team in two minutes than my guys did," Sgt. Braden and the other guys laughed. "I don't know what was on your mind, but we appreciated the help. At least it wasn't a runaway game."
As they left the dog park, Snitch still appeared energized, "I take it that you aren't ready to go home. Let's just keep walking then," Elizabeth stated as they continued toward the beach.
As they passed a pet friendly café, Elizabeth glanced into the patio area and saw several of her friends.
"Hey, I guess it's 'Macey Party Wednesday,'" Elizabeth giggled as several of her friends were playing a drinking game. "But where's Macey?"
"We had dinner at Stevie Ray's, and then many of the people had to head home. Sometimes it's nice not to have anyone waiting on you," Patty stated. "Join us."
A guy sitting next to Patty stood and offered his seat to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth smiled, "Hi, I'm Elizabeth. I don't believe that we've met."
It was evident that he was already intoxicated as his voice was louder than necessary, his speech was slurred, and he fell into Elizabeth as he stepped away from his seat. "No, I don't believe we have. I certainly would've remembered you, sweetheart," he stated as he flashed a glassy eyed smile. "I'm Adam, Patty's brother's cousin's friend," he stumbled poorly over the words.
"WOW, that's a mouthful," Elizabeth stated as she slipped back away from the table.
"Come on, let's dance," Adam somewhat demanded as he grabbed Elizabeth's arm and pulled her toward the dance floor.
"Adam, stop. I have my dog. I really need to leave," Elizabeth remarked, certainly sorry that she took the time to stop and say hello.
"I'm just visiting for the week. Come on, beautiful…join us," he was frighteningly pushy.
"I don't have my purse with me. I wasn't planning on needing to stop anywhere that I needed money. So, technically I'm broke. My dog and I are going to head on home," she laughed nervously, sorry that Adam had now given her another reason to mistrust men.
"Your money isn't good here anyway. I've got you covered. No need to rush off," Adam stated.
Elizabeth looked at Patty, hoping to obtain some assistance with Adam, but she herself appeared to have consumed a bit too much wine. Elizabeth found the entire scene sad, and simply wanted out.
"Thanks so much for the offer, but I need to get back home. Snitch and I were just out for an evening stroll. You guys be careful," Elizabeth stated as she and Snitch quickly headed out to the sidewalk.
"Elizabeth…wait," she stopped and turned around to find Adam approaching her.
"I want you to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" He stated, his demeanor was pushy and he was not willing to accept 'no' for an answer.
Somewhat caught off guard she replied, "Thank you so much for asking, but I'm seeing someone right now, so I can't."
"I'm only in town for the week. I'm sure the guy would understand," Adam remarked as he held on to the parking meter for stability.
"I can't do that, but you have a nice night," she stated as she turned away.
Elizabeth had only walked a few steps when she felt something on her arm, and was quickly spun around. Snitch started barking and jumped between her and Adam.
As quickly as Adam had grabbed her, his hand was forcefully removed.
"Elizabeth, is everything okay?" Jack asked, surprised to have run into her on the strip.
She immediately wrapped her arm through his, "Jack, I didn't know that you were…"
"Hey, you must be her boyfriend," Adam snidely commented.
"Yes I am, is there a problem?" Jack asked as he carefully positioned himself in front of her.
Adam raised his hands up, "No, she said you two were dating, but I just thought we could have some fun while I'm in town."
Before thinking Jack's mouth opened and the words flew out, "If she's going to have fun with anyone, it'll be with me." Jack looked around as several people from their party stepped outside to see what was going on. "Can someone take care of him and make sure he gets home safely?"
The designated driver of the group stepped forward, "I've got him. I'm sorry ma'am. He's usually a nice guy."
Elizabeth removed her arm from Jack's and started down the street.
"Elizabeth, wait…I'm sorry; I didn't mean the crack I made about us having fun. I'm so sorry," Jack stated as he rushed to catch up with her.
"I'm so embarrassed, Jack," she stated as he trotted up and walked beside her.
"So, you told him we were dating?" Jack teased her.
"I didn't say you specifically, but thankfully you came up when you did," she clarified. "What are you doing down here?"
Jack advised that his third precinct team beat the first precinct in basketball, and the group had stopped in at Shakers for a beer. "Did you get my message?" Jack asked.
"What message?" Elizabeth asked as she slapped at her pockets, quickly realizing the she didn't have her phone. "I must have left my phone at home."
"You know, you should always have your phone on you in case you need to reach me to save you," Jack released a breath that came out in the form of a soft laugh.
"That's funny, but you are right. I always have it…well, almost always," she replied. "So, what was your message?"
"Come with me to my Jeep and I'll give you a ride home," Jack offered.
"Didn't you say you came down for a beer? So, have you been drinking?" She asked.
"I came down to celebrate our win, but I didn't drink," he assured her.
"Thank you. I'd appreciate a ride home. Oh, is there room for Snitch?" She asked.
"Absolutely," he promised.
They reached his Jeep and he opened the door for her…
"So Jack, do I have to wait to check my phone or are you going to tell me what you wanted?" She asked.
Before closing her door, he took a deep breath and began, "I had a great time with you this afternoon," he stated.
"I did too," she replied.
"Well then you wouldn't want to be considered a liar, would you?" He asked.
"Liar? What are you talking about?" She asked, obviously confused.
"Well, you did tell that guy that we were dating. So, I have a sure fire way to keep you from being branded as a liar," he stated with a warm smile that showed dimples so deep she could have easily forgotten her hesitancy and fallen into them.
"Jack, I didn't say you specifically, but I do appreciate you being concerned for my honor," she smiled back. "What do you suggest to keep my reputation intact?"
"Will you have dinner with me Friday night?" He asked as he felt his heart somehow resting in his throat as he awaited her answer.
"Obviously I don't want to be labeled as a liar, so I would love to have dinner with you," she responded as she told herself that he was different.
"So technically, we're dating, and you were telling the truth," Jack stated as his linked hands were draped over the door frame and his chin rested atop his entwined fingers.
Elizabeth smiled, "Well, technically you'd be right."
Jack closed the door, slipped into the driver's seat and drove Elizabeth and Snitch to their apartment, located a short distance away.
The entire apartment complex was quiet as they pulled into the parking lot and he slipped into one of the visitor spaces. He put the Jeep in park, jumped out and opened her door.
"Thank you Jack for the lovely conversation today, the ride home and well, thanks for saving me tonight," she humbly stated as she made note of his gentlemanly nature.
Jack held out his hand, which she hesitantly accepted, as he helped her and Snitch out of the Jeep. "I had a wonderful time today, and I look forward to our date on Friday."
He walked her to her apartment, took her keys from her hand and opened her door. Jack placed the keys in her palm as his hand rested momentarily on hers.
He didn't know why, but he saw pain in her eyes, and he secretly promised to find out whom or what had hurt her so deeply.
"Thank you again for today." Jack turned to walk away. He had only ventured a few steps when he turned back around to see her closing her apartment door.
He smiled before calling out, "Elizabeth?"
She opened the door and stepped back outside.
From the middle of the empty hallway he stated, "Just so you know, I would have asked you out to dinner without the 'Liar' thing." He watched a smile return to her face before turning and heading down the hallway toward the elevator.
Before he stepped outside she called out to him, "Jack, just so you know, I would have said 'Yes' to dinner with you even without the 'Liar' thing."
"Good night," he stated as he headed out into the courtyard.
"Good night," she replied as she stepped back inside her apartment. She leaned her back up against the closed door and released a cleansing breath.
She glanced over at Snitch, "He is nice, and that smile is to die for, but…"
Snitch walked over and rubbed up against Elizabeth's leg before sitting down in front of her, "I know that I have not always been the best judge of character, but he seems so different from the others."
Elizabeth suddenly seemed disappointed in herself, "Okay, I promise not to get suckered in again."
Elizabeth walked back to her bedroom, grabbed her journal and returned to the den. Before taking a seat, she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. She grabbed Snitch a biscuit and walked back to the sofa. She pulled her legs up, drawing her knees in and encouraged Snitch to join her, which she did, following the consumption of her biscuit, of course.
She opened her journal and flipped to the first blank page…
"Can you truly count on anyone but yourself? Is it possible to ever feel completely comfortable with someone; so comfortable that you know that each decision they make will have your best interests in mind? You trust them so much that there is no shadow of a doubt that their actions are genuine and contain no ulterior motives? You feel so at ease with them, knowing that they would never hurt you, but when it did happen, as it inevitably will, there would be no doubt that it was unintentional. How do you find such unconditional love; such true devotion, and once found, how do you let go of the fears, the apprehension, and the nagging memories of your poor past decisions?
I do want what others have; the healthy relationships that I see from my parents, family members and friends. However, do I have to change who I am and what I want to achieve it? In doing so, aren't I no longer being true to myself and simply accepting what is before me? Isn't that settling? Settling may be fine when choosing the difference between the ice blue and sky blue blouse, or the eggshell and beige wall paint, but in a relationship, settling will not bode well for long lasting happiness.
I do believe that things happen for a reason. We may not know the whys initially, if ever for that matter, as some things are best left unknown. However, do we simply sit back and coast on our ride through life? Do we accept whatever happens as our destiny without so much as lifting a finger to intervene? Don't we have a say in our future? 'Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be' may be a beautiful song, but does it mean accept the hand your dealt and don't fight for more? Mistakes of the past are meant to be corrected, hopefully never to rear their ugly head again. However, if we sit back and allow our fate to be completely decided for us, then I believe we have no one but ourselves to blame for the outcome.
Although I am a firm believer that some things are completely out of our control, we must also realize that our present and future decisions are made based on the experiences of our past. Replicating bad experiences is inevitable if we choose to turn a blind eye, preferring to move whichever way the wind blows, casting aside the responsibility that we should feel for the decisions we've made.
Finally, fear drives many of our decisions, holding us captive as we navigate through the intricacies of life. I am afraid, I won't deny that, but I am also intrigued, and I can only hope that fear will not be the ultimate winner here."
To be continued…
