Chapter Two - Always Someone Marches Brave
Amanda went back to her classroom to pack up her briefcase after she had made sure all of her students made it onto their bus or into their parent's car. It was not something she had to do but it made her feel better to do it and she was sure most of the parents appreciated it as well. She had her own concerns as a mother. Even though it would be quite sometime before Gellar was even ready to go to school.
Gellar. Mandy's two-year-old daughter. The joy of her life and the apple of her father's eye. Everyone was so disappointed when their marriage didn't work out. Everyone, that is, except for Mandy and Jason. She was happy that they remained close after the divorce. After, all, they were best friends. They had known each other since Mandy was four and they had grown up together. That was one of the only reasons they even decided to get married in the first place. Everyone expected them to. They were "the happy little couple". When they finally grew tired of listening to everyone else and decided to live their own lives, they talked about divorce. Little did either of them know, the day they filed for divorce would change their lives forever. And, for the better. Strangely enough, the day they filed for divorce was the day Mandy found out she was pregnant with Gellar.
Amanda made sure everything was in order and locked up her classroom. On her way out to her car, she ran into Stephanie, a fellow teacher and one of her closest friends.
"Hey girl! How's your class going?" Stephanie asked as she easily fell into stride with her friend.
"It's going o.k. God, I can't believe it's already been a month since school started. How are things going with you?"
" Same shit, different year. No actually it's been going pretty well. A few problem children that I'd like to hang from the shoestrings of their Reeboks but, other than that..."
Mandy laughed at her friend. They had gone to college together and were ecstatic when they realized they would be teaching at the same school.
"So tell me Red... how's that little angel of yours?"
"She's fine. She's with Jason's mom and DON'T call me "Red"! I do NOT have red hair!"
Now it was Stephanie's turn to laugh at her friend. She loved to get her riled up. Mandy could be quite the little spit-fire when she wanted to.
"Yeah, yeah... I know, 'strawberry-blonde'... same difference."
She turned to look at Mandy before a huge grin lit up her face. She winked at Mandy causing her to blush and playfully slap her on the arm.
"Eph...I swear, I don't know how in the hell Pat puts up with you. You are so bad!"
They had reached the parking lot by this time and Eph had walked Mandy to her car. Mandy was actually the first person to call her "Eph". They had roomed together in college and Mandy immediately began calling her "Eph", stating "Steph" was over-rated and too often used.
"Pony puts up with me just fine and you know she'd have your butt in a sling if she heard you call her that" Mandy simply grinned at her friend.
"Oh Eph... that's why I do it!" She unlocked the door to her Mustang and got in.
"I swear girl... sometimes I wonder `bout you. I still say you're not the straight arrow you try to make everyone think you are. Wow! I LOVE the new wheels!" Eph ran her hands appreciatively over the new car.
"I know. Isn't it great? I still wanted to get the convertible but Jason had a fit. I can see his point though. A convertible wouldn't be a very wise choice for transportation when you have a two-year-old. I really like this one though. Granted, I'll be in debt `till I'm 50 but other than that..."
"You are too much, girl. Hey, Pony and I were gonna stop by and grab a beer. You wanna join us?"
"Yeah. That sounds good. I don't have to pick Gellar up from Claudia's. Jason's going by there for dinner after work and said he'd bring her home." Mandy started the engine of the car.
"O.K. Let me drive around back and pick up Pony and you can follow us out"
Eph and Pony had been together for the last four years. They met the first year Eph and Mandy began teaching. Pony was the physical education teacher at the elementary school. She stood at about five feet, nine inches with straight dark brown hair that hung past her shoulders. She had light brown eyes with just a hint of gray. Her real name, Patricia, was a name that was never used unless you were looking to start a fight. Everyone called her "Pony" instead. No one knows where it came from exactly and no one dared to ask.
She had been instantly attracted to Eph. Eph was just a couple of inches shorter than Pony with long curly blonde hair and hazel eyes. The two complimented each other well and Mandy was surprised that they were successful at keeping their relationship away from work.
Once Pony was in the car they were on their way.
Laughter could be heard as soon as the door to the bar was opened. The guilty party was sitting around a table near the back wall behind the pool tables. Two pitchers of beer had disappeared. Most of it consumed but a great deal of it from spilling off the side of the table as one very happy and very inebriated Eph hit the table. She had been laughing at the antics of her friend and her partner for well over an hour.
"So THAT'S how you got the name? I... (giggle) I mean...(laugh) That's just so..." Mandy couldn't even form her response, let alone finish it. They had loosened up enough after the first pitcher of beer to discuss how Pony got her name. This is part of the reason why the majority of the second pitcher was now on the table and floor. Either from being knocked over from hitting the table or spit from the mouths of the two listening in.
"Yeah, yeah, you two. Go on. Laugh it up." Eph and Mandy looked at each other for a brief moment and then busted out laughing. Pony just shook her head and drank down the last of her beer. She glanced up at the two women looking back at her, trying to hide their laughter before winking at each one.
"...Ride me." Pony winked at them both once again. Mandy laughed so hard that she inhaled most of her beer through her nose causing Eph to spit her beer across the table. Mandy laughed at Eph and slapped the table several times causing the death of the beer as the pitcher hit the floor.
All three women sitting around the table became very quiet.
"You two are CUT OFF! Sheesh, I can't take you two anywhere can I? You can dress `em up but you can't take `em out" Pony said with a twinkle in her eye that belied the fact she was just as amused with this as Eph and Mandy.
"So, Mandy,... when's Jason supposed to drop off Gellar?" Eph asked after she dried her eyes and drank what was left of the beer in her glass after signaling to the waitress for another pitcher.
Mandy cleared her throat and checked her phone to make sure she had no messages.
"He's going to call me before he leaves his mother's house. He'll bring her home then."
"Well... be sure to tell "Mr. Thing" I said 'Hello and Kiss-Kiss'. You already know to kiss that little angel for me."
Eph thought about the time she had spent with Mandy and Jason in college. The three of them had lived together after Mandy and Jason got married. Money had been tight on all three of them and since Mandy and Eph had been sharing a small apartment anyway, it just seemed logical for Jason to move in with them, which would cut the cost of living for all three of them. Jason was trying to get his construction business going so it had helped out a lot. She wasn't the least bit surprised when Mandy told her they were getting a divorce. She had been close to both of them, and although she was positive that they loved each other, she was also just as positive that they weren't IN love with each other. She knew that they had just gone along with what everyone expected of the two of them. She honestly thought the world of Jason and was pleased that the feeling was mutual.
"So tell me Mandy, how are your classes going this year?" Pony broke the brief moment of silence between the three of them. She looked apologetically at the waitress who brought the pitcher of beer over and wiped the table down. Pony decided that whether they finished this pitcher by drinking it, spitting it or spilling it, it was their last.
"Pretty good actually, not bad at all. I really like some of my students. I swear, there's this one little girl - a virtual scholastic sponge! She's actually caught a couple of MY mistakes. She's a very delightful child though..."
Pony considered this information for a moment, as she poured herself another beer.
"Yeah? Which one?" Pony asked, pretty sure she knew the answer to her own question all ready. She watched as Mandy emptied her glass before answering, and declined another refill from Eph, who was more than happy to finish the new pitcher herself.
"Her name is Raven... Raven Stevens. God, she's such a bright child"
"Yeah... I know which kid you're talking about... dark hair, blue eyes, she does seem like a smart kid," Pony added, knowing instantly who Mandy was referring to.
Just then, Mandy's cellphone went off. She glanced down and noticed that the number was from Jason's mother.
"Well, sorry to cut this short but, motherhood calls. That's Jason. Thanks for the company and I'll see you guys later." Mandy hugged her friends good-bye and threw some money down on the table to cover her portion of the bar tab and tip.
Once outside the bar, Mandy answered what she assumed to be Jason's call.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Dear."
"Hi Mom!" Mandy was glad to hear her former mother-in-law's voice. She was relieved after the divorce was final between her and Jason that her relationship didn't seem to change with her in-laws.
"Amanda! Honey, how are you? I thought you were going to come by and see us? We've missed you, Dear"
"I know...I'm sorry. I've just been so busy with the new school year. I'll try and make it by this weekend. Is Jason around?"
"Of course... just a minute..." Mandy could hear Mrs. Peters calling her son to the phone. She could hear his heavy footsteps as he walked into the kitchen to answer the phone. "Mandy?"
"Hi Jase... I'm on my way to the house. How was your dinner?"
"Dinner was GREAT! Mom made lasagna. She's sending me home with a plate for you. Gellar's asleep on the couch so, I'll get her and bring her on home. Mom and Rob took her shopping so don't be surprised when I walk in with a cranky child and an armload of bags"
Mandy had to laugh at this as she turned onto her street and soon after, pulled into her driveway. "Awww... your mom is sweet. Be sure to give her a hug and kiss for me. I just pulled up so I'll see you soon. I'll leave the door unlocked for you." She could hear the protests from her daughter as Jason picked her up.
"You mean you're not gonna help me with all this stuff?" He was answered with a laugh.
"Hell NO! You're the man so YOU can do it all by yourself!"
An idea popped into his head. "Well, you know...I could always just leave this plate of lasagna in the truck and take it home with me. I'm sure it would be great re-heated tomorrow for lunch."
Mandy growled her reply. Deep down, she knew he would do no such thing. She walked up onto her front porch and unlocked the front door. She placed her briefcase and purse next to the door. She sighed into her cell phone as she agreed to help once he got there. She knew she would anyway but she just loved to give her ex a hard time whenever the opportunity arose.
"O.K. Jason... I'll see you soon, o.k.? I'm gonna put some coffee on so just come on in and then we'll wrestle those bags o.k.?"
"O.K. I'll see you in a bit. Bye"
"Bye. Be Careful" The click of the phone being hung up was her answer. But, she knew she didn't need to worry. Jason absolutely ADORED his daughter. She knew, without a doubt, that Jason would be more than careful.
Mandy turned off her cell phone and walked into the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee. She sat down at her kitchen table and just relaxed a bit while she waited on Jason to get there with Gellar. She had custody of the two-year old but Jason knew that all he had to do was call and he could spend as much time with his daughter as he liked. Jason was an excellent father who spent as much time as he could with Gellar. Before Mandy even realized it, she had nodded off at the table. The sound of the front door opening and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee woke her. She got up and met Jason and Gellar in the living room. She walked over to the two of them and placed a kiss on his cheek before she took Gellar, who had fallen back asleep during the drive home.
"Awww... poor thing must be completely wiped after shopping with Grandma all day."
"Hey,... I'm completely wiped and all I did was carry all the stuff they bought her. Why don't you take Shorty to bed and I'll bring everything in."
"No Way! You are NOT getting MY plate of lasagna... you've already had your share." She stated with a grin as she headed towards the back of the house to Gellar's room.
Jason laughed at this. If there was one thing that he knew not to argue with his ex-wife about, it was her appetite.
"I won't try to take it from you. I know better so give me a little bit of credit, 'kay? Go on... I'll be right back in."
Mandy walked into her daughter's room carrying her precious cargo. She very gently removed her jacket. She changed her diaper and put her favorite Pooh pajamas on her. She kissed her daughter, softly on her forehead and then placed her into her crib. Mandy took one last glance at Gellar before turning on her baby monitor and heading back into the kitchen.
The wonderful aroma of what she knew to be her mother-in-law's lasagna greeted her. Jason had warmed up her dinner and had it set on the table waiting for her. She sat down with the biggest grin she could manage plastered to her face.
"YOU, Jason, are a doll!" Everything else was soon forgotten as she devoured the food in front of her.
After enjoying her dinner and washing her dishes, Mandy and Jason sat down in her living room to enjoy their coffee while she graded the quiz she had given to her class that day.
"Well, I'm glad Pony and Eph are doing well. So THAT'S how she got the name "Pony"? That is TOO damn funny. It seems to fit her. It makes sense to me now" Jason couldn't help but giggle after hearing about the explanation and the antics of the evening.
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it? I felt so bad for that poor waitress who came over and cleaned up that beer."
"Well, I hope you guys left her a good tip at least..." Jason commented while taking a sip of his coffee.
"Don't worry, we did. So, how's work going? And how's Steve?"
"Steve is great. Looking forward to becoming a Daddy. He's so hyper. I hope, at least for the kid's sake, that it looks like Kristen." Jason laughed, thinking about the constant ribbing between he and his oldest sibling. Mandy playfully slapped him on his arm in defense of her beloved brother-in-law. Even though her and Jason were no longer married, she still considered his brothers and mother as her family.
"You behave, Jason. You know damn well that your brother is good-looking."
"Well, not to ME, he's not. Work is coming along o.k. You know we picked up the contract for some of the new additions to the mall downtown, right?"
"Really? That's great! You're definitely moving up. I'm so happy for you, Jason. If anybody deserves it, it's you. So, are you still dating what's her name?" Mandy didn't really like Jason's girlfriend. She seemed a little too phony for her tastes.
Jason almost choked on his coffee at the question. If truth be known, he wasn't too fond of Christie either. "Christie? No way... we broke up weeks ago. So, I'm single again, Thank God! I should have listened to you when you told me what a moron she was... She definitely gave new definition to the term, 'dumb-blond'. How 'bout you? Anyone special?"
Mandy looked at him like he had two heads. "Me? No way... Besides, I'm to busy with school. However, as soon as Tall, Dark and Amazing shows up on my door step, you'll be the second to know!" She grinned at him with a mischievous gleam in her green eyes.
At Mandy's description, one person came to Jason's mind. "You know, Mandy... you just amaze me... it seems to me that you only date people with blonde hair and brown eyes,...like me for example, but you worship people with dark hair and blue eyes... And you know, I know JUST the perfect one for you...Jake!"
"For your information, my dear ex, first of all, I didn't date you, I married you. BIG difference. Second, you know I hate it when you try to set me up."
Jason just knew his instincts were right this time though. He knew a little more about Mandy than she would ever admit. He knew things about her that she had not yet admitted to herself. He just looked at her, knowing if he just sat there and stared at her, she would actually ask to know more, for curiosity's sake. After a heartbeat's hesitation, she did just that.
"So who is Jake? Some new guy on your crew?"
Jason barely stifled a giggle and thanked any god who cared to listen that Mandy didn't notice. "You could say that... been working for me for about a month. DAMN fine worker. Does the normal work of at least two other guys. Hmmm...what else,... about six feet tall, long black hair, bright blue eyes..."
Mandy was beginning to get interested as Jason told her about this "Jake" person so he decided not to mention the fact that Jake was a woman right away. He had hung out with Jake a couple of times since she began working for him. The occasional beer after work. It didn't take him long to figure out that she was actually a lesbian. Jake wasn't quite sure what to think at first until Jason assured her that he had no problem with this fact and would keep it to himself. "Well... KIND OF to myself" he thought as he looked over at his ex-wife.
"O.K. Jason, you've got me interested. Maybe you can invite Jake out the next time the band plays."
Mandy, Jason and Steve had played in the same band together since Steve moved to Virginia from New Jersey several years earlier. Steve played guitar, Jason played bass and Mandy sang lead vocals. They also had their drummer, Annie. They played at some of the local bars. Mostly covers of what you would hear everyday on the radio but, they had a few of their own songs as well, written by Steve and Jason.
"Yeah, maybe... "
Mandy finished grading her quizzes and began looking at the outfits bought for her daughter.
"Oh, Jason, These are just TOO cute! I can't believe your mother bought her little Doc Martins."
Jason smiled at his ex. From the way she was acting, anyone would have thought that everything had been bought for her. "Yep. Just like Daddy's," he stated proudly. Mandy looked at him wide-eyed as if waiting on him to complete a thought.
"AND Mommy's! So, who's this Rob guy? You've mentioned him before, I think. What's the scoop?" She carefully folded everything for the baby and placed it in a neat little pile at the end of the couch.
"He's Mom's new boyfriend. It's so weird, you know? I'm just so used to seeing her with Dad."
Mandy grabbed Jason's hand and waited for him to look at her. She knew this was a touchy subject for him. Jason and his father were very close. "Jason, It's been two years. I know it's hard and I know you miss your Dad. I miss him, too. But, you have to realize that he would want your mom to be happy."
Jason took a deep breath as he looked over into bright green. "I know. It's just gonna take some getting used to, I guess. He's actually not a bad guy. He seems to be real good to Mom and he simply adores Gellar. As a matter of fact, I think he picked out the Docs." Jason informed her with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Well see? There you go! He can't be too bad if he likes Doc Martins. He's obviously got good taste; he's dating your mom."
"Yeah, you're right. I think he's retired Navy."
"Well, I'd like to meet him if you think it's ok. Maybe all of us could get together for dinner or something!"
"Yeah, maybe. But, right now, I need to head on home. Kiss my little princess for me." Jason stood up and headed into the kitchen where he deposited his coffee cup into the sink. He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and put it on as Mandy walked him to the door. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the coffee and... thanks for the talk. I think I really needed it."
Mandy reached up and hugged him. "You're very welcome. You can talk to me anytime. About anything. You know that. We'll always be best friends, right?"
Jason smiled at her. She's right... we always will be..."Right. Take care and I'll see you soon. And...I'll talk to Jake about coming to hear us play in a couple of weeks."
"You do that. See ya, Jase..." Mandy laughed and shook her head as she shut the door and locked it behind him.
Amanda stood up in front of her class finishing up the day's lesson before the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. She passed out a note to all of her students for them to take home to their parents. The bell rang just as she finished handing out the notice to the last row.
"O.K. guys... This is a note I need you to take home to your parents. Please have them sign it, and return it to me tomorrow. As you all have heard by now, there will be no school for you next Friday. It's a parent-teachers conference day. I need these returned so I can schedule a time to speak to each of your parents on your progress so far this year."
A collective groan could be heard throughout the classroom as well as the sound of all the students in the halls, going home. Mandy grinned at her class. "Hey... no groaning. You guys aren't doing that bad. O.K., Go on, get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow."
The students wasted no time getting out of their seats and heading toward their school buses. All except for one... Raven. Mandy looked up from her seat at her desk. "Is something wrong, Raven? Do you need to speak with me?"
"No ma'am... Everything's fine. My aunt had to work late today and so I was wondering if I could wait in here until she gets here."
Mandy smiled at the child. "Of course you may, Honey. I'll tell you what, let me go make sure everyone gets out of here safely, and I'll be right back. Maybe you can help me go over tomorrow's lessons."
Raven's eyes actually brightened at the thought. She really liked Ms. Peters. She had a way of explaining things so she and the rest of the students could easily understand and remember. Raven actually found herself doing much better in school, not that she was ever a bad student but she actually looked forward to going to school now.
"Will you be all right in here by yourself for a few minutes?"
"Yes ma'am. I'll just start on my homework"
Mandy smiled again before walking out the door to check on the rest of her students as Raven brought out her notebook and her math book and began on her least favorite subject. She always chose to do her math homework first so she could get it over and done with. As she was trying to get the hang of this fraction thing, Mandy walked back in the room. She noticed the confused and determined look on her pupil's face immediately.
"How's it coming along? Any trouble?"
"Ms. Peters, I don't think I'll ever get the hang of how fractions work. I just don't understand them."
Mandy brought a can of Pepsi over to the young girl that she had gotten when she stopped in the teacher's lounge to get some coffee. Raven looked up and smiled at her teacher before taking the offered soda from her hands. Mandy went to the back of the classroom and grabbed a few items out of the cabinet in the corner before returning to Raven's desk. She sat down next to the child with an empty egg carton and a bag of jellybeans.
"Thank you for the soda. What's that stuff for?" Raven asked as she eyed the bag of jellybeans.
"You're welcome. Your parents won't mind will they?" Mandy wished she could have taken back the question when she noticed the sad look in Raven's blue eyes.
"No Ma'am. They're dead. My mom died before I was a year old and my dad died when I was two. I never really had a chance to know them and don't remember them but, sometimes when I see pictures of my dad, I think I remember him. I live with my aunt. She's kind of my mom and my dad. She's cool. I've lived with her for as long as I can remember." Mandy smiled as she listened to the child talk about her beloved aunt.
"I think my grandpa lives around here somewhere. That's one of the reasons we moved here. He used to be in the Navy and the last we heard, he decided to stay here after he retired. That would be kinda cool. To see my grandpa. So to answer your question, no. I don't think my parents would mind the soda and I know my aunt won't. I'm allowed one soda a day." She smiled at her teacher as she waited for a reaction. The only one she received was a warm, genuine smile to answer her own. "So, what are the eggs and jellybeans for?"
Mandy laughed. "There's no eggs in here. It's empty. See? I'm going to teach you how to do fractions the same way I learned how o.k.? First of all, open the bag of jellybeans and take out... oh, say...twenty."
Raven did as she was told. She opened up the bag and took out the requested amount of jellybeans, still not sure of where this was leading.
"O.K., Raven. How many eggs were in this carton?"
"Uhmm,...six"
"Right, now we're only going to use four of theses spaces though, o.k.? Now you can use this little exercise to help with multiplication and division too. How many jelly beans do you have?"
Raven counted them again just to make sure she had twenty of them. "Twenty"
"O.k. now remember we're only going to use four spaces in the egg carton. Now, place one jellybean in each of the four spaces. Once you do that, add another jellybean in each until your hand is empty."
Raven did as Mandy instructed until her hand was empty.
"O.K. Raven, good. Now, we have four spaces with jellybeans in each one. How many jellybeans are in each space?"
Raven counted them and finally began to see where this was heading. She answered with a gleam in her eyes as she started to understand. "Five."
"O.K. and how many did you have to start with?"
"Twenty!"
"O.K. so, answer this for me, what is one fourth of twenty?"
"Five?"
"Right! One fourth of twenty is five. One fifth of twenty is four..."
Raven then cut in with a realization of her own. "And if you said that this works with multiplication and division too, that means twenty divided by four is five and five times four is twenty! Right?"
Mandy smiled at her student and how quickly she caught on. "Exactly! So, next time you have trouble, you can imagine this little trick to help you out and it helps with your homework believe me. I drove my parents crazy buying me jellybeans for about three weeks. I used to take the eggs out of the carton and just put them back in the refrigerator. When my mom would open the door, they'd all fall on the floor and break. And you know what the best part about using this little exercise to help you?"
Raven arched an eyebrow at her teacher as she waited for her to answer.
"You get to eat the jellybeans when you're done!"
They both giggled as they shared the jellybeans in the egg carton. Just then a nasal sounding voice came over the classroom intercom. "Ms. Peters?"
"Yes?"
"Please inform Raven Stevens that her aunt is here in the office to pick her up."
"O.K. Thank-you." Mandy looked at Raven. "So, you all set now? Think you can figure out the rest of your homework from here?" She helped Raven with her coat and walked her to the door.
"Yes ma'am. Thank you. For the soda and jellybeans. And thanks for helping me. It makes a lot more sense now."
"You're welcome, Raven. I'll see you tomorrow."
Mandy watched until she saw Raven enter the main office at the end of the hall.
"So, how was school today, squirt?" Jake asked her niece as she drove the short distance from the school to their house.
"It was o.k. I started on my homework while I waited for you and my teacher helped me figure out how to do fractions."
"Good. Where'd you get the soda?"
"Ms. Peters. She brought it back for me when she came back from watching the school buses."
"Watching the school buses? Why does she do that?"
"Oh, at the end of each day, she stands outside and watches to make sure everyone gets on their buses or in their parent's cars o.k. She's really nice."
"Hmmm, she sounds like it. Do you like her?"
"Yeah."
Jake turned down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the house when Raven spoke up, "Oh! Can we stop at the store and get some jellybeans before we go home?"
Jake arched an eyebrow. "Jellybeans?"
Jake and Raven cleared the kitchen table together and started on the dishes after they had finished with dinner. Jake washed and put them into the dish drainer as Raven dried them and put them away with a little help from a stepping stool Jake had built for her to reach the cabinets and shelves that were too high for her.
"So that's what the jellybeans were for? That's a pretty good idea. She sounds like a pretty nice teacher. I'm glad you like her."
"Yeah. She's really nice. Can you get off work for a bit next Friday?"
Jake looked down at her niece. "I don't know. Why? You get in trouble at school or something?" She jokingly asked as she grabbed the towel from Raven and snapped her lightly with it.
"Oww... NO, silly, there's a parent-teacher conference day or something and all the parents go talk to the teachers. There's no school that day so, I get a day off! AND a three-day weekend. I have a note about it in my book bag that you need to sign so I can take it back tomorrow."
Jake thought about it for a moment. She supposed it would be a good idea for her to meet Raven's teacher but the problem wasn't getting off work for an hour or so but what she could do with Raven during the day since she didn't have to go to school. Oh boy, she thought. I can't just leave her by herself. "I'll see what I can do, kiddo."
Jake made her way to Jason's office. It was lunchtime so she knew that would be the best place to look to find her boss. She knocked on his door.
"Come in"
Jake walked into the office, shut the door and sat down across from Jason.
"Hiya, Jake. What's up? Still having any trouble with Tony?"
Jake all but growled at the mention of the asshole she, unfortunately, worked with, who had confronted her a few weeks earlier outside of the ice cream shop. "Other than the occasional crude comment and evil stare that make me want to rip his eyes out, he hasn't said too much. Otherwise, I'm fine. I didn't mean to disturb your lunch but I was wondering if I could possibly have next Friday off."
Jason put down his sandwich. "It's o.k. I don't think it'll be a problem. Do you mind if I ask why?"
Jake smiled a lopsided smile at him. "Nothing major but, there's a parent-teacher conference day at my niece's school. Not only should I attend it but, there's no school for the students that day and Raven's only eight so I can't leave her by herself all day."
Jason seemed to consider this for a moment. "Well, of course you can have the time off but what if I could recommend someone to watch her for you? If you'd like, you can still work that day and have the time off to go to your niece's school."
"That's nice of you to offer, Jason. But, I don't know anyone here well enough to leave Raven with them." She answered him honestly.
"Well, she's a very nice woman. Loves kids and watches my baby daughter everyday. My mother."
Jake shook her head, not quite sure what she thought of the offer. "Well, Jason, that's a very nice offer and I'm sure your mother is a wonderful woman but I wouldn't want to impose on her."
"Well, how about I give her a call and see what she says. Will that make it easier on you?"
Jake shrugged her shoulders. "Uhhh,... yeah I suppose. If you don't mind"
Jason was already dialing the phone to speak with his mother. Jake could obviously only hear one side of the conversation.
"Hi Mom... I'm fine how are you?... Good... She's sleeping?... Well, I was wondering if you could help me out with something. I have an employee here who needs someone to watch her kid for her next Friday?... Yeah, no school and she can't leave her all day... She's eight... Uh-huh... Her name is Jake… Yeah… Oh, her name's Raven... Yep, I've told you about Jake... Really? You will?...Cool... Well, during the day, mostly and into the evening if that's o.k..." Jason noticed the questioning look he was receiving from Jake.
"Yes, we are playing next Friday...That's right...That's why I was asking about the evening...Great...I'll see you tonight when I come by to get the munchkin... O.K. Bye, Mom." He hung up the phone before turning to Jake who still had the same questioning glare on her face. "All set. She said she'd be happy to do it."
"That's great but, what's this about 'into the evening'?"
"Well, my band is playing next Friday and I was wondering if you would be interested in coming to hear us play? Steve will be there as well as my ex-wife."
Both of Jake's eyebrows found their way rather quickly into her hairline. "Your ex-wife?"
"Oh yeah... she's great. She's the singer, Steve plays guitar and I play bass. We'll be done by midnight and Mom said she'd be more than happy to watch Raven for you if you'd like to go. So, how about it?"
Jake took a moment to consider before answering. "Where at?"
Jason couldn't wait to hear the reply to this one. "Hershe's Corral," he said with more than a hint of amusement in his tone.
Jake's eyebrows rose into her hairline. "Your band is playing in the area's most popular lesbian bar? I might not have lived in town long but I have heard of that bar"
Jason couldn't help but laugh at her. "Yeah. It pays well and between my ex and our drummer, Annie, the women don't seem to mind a couple of guys playing as long as Mandy and Annie are around. So will you go?"
Jake considered it for only a moment before deciding that maybe she did need to get out a bit more. "O.k. Jason, I'm there."
And so ends chapter 2. I will try to upload the next chapter tomorrow morning. Until then, Please read and review!
THANKS! :-)