Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter ten of "On a Strange Tide." I'm glad it took just two days to get out. I am on a roll here. I can't believe I've already gotten over one hundred reviews. I didn't think it would happen that fast, but I am happy it did. I want to give a shoutout to Tasha Hill for being the one hundreth reviewer. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. A special shoutout goes to Tasha Hill, Alex B Goode, Ghostwriter, brankel1, Boris Yeltsin, AvalonBay, Toxic Wednesday, RaptorZeroOne, SpecialK92, and Ms. Catherine Willmon 2018 for being continuous reviewers. Your support means the world to me. As for other readers, please don't hesitate to review. I'd love to hear what you'd like to see in this fic. I don't mind that at all. If you really like it, put it in your author alert and favorites lists. You'll be able to keep track of it better. Anyway, this chapter has Tommy/Kim, Jason/Trini, Rocky/Kat, and Adam/Aisha. It features Jenna's return as well as the first appearance of Ernie and the Youth Center. Tommy and Kim's first smut scene is coming in the next few chapters. Stay tuned for chapter eleven.
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Chapter 10: Meetup/Introduction/Confrontation
Tommy and Kim were walking down the sidewalk thirteen minutes later. She snapped her fingers while singing nonsense. Caleb put his small stuffed green lizard's tail in his mouth. His parents came to the corner and turned right. She became quiet and listened to the chirping of birds. She spotted two American robins flying around in a playful chase. They flew higher, disappearing behind a building. She and Tommy picked up their pace somewhat.
"Hey, Tommy, Kim!" a female voice called.
Tommy and Kim came to a halt and looked over their shoulders to see Laura coming toward them. They smiled at her as she came to his side.
"Hey, Laura," Tommy greeted.
"How's your mom doing?" Kim wondered. She remembered feeling sorry for Laura when she revealed her mother, Lizzy, was sick with a stomach virus during Olivier Horton's second period calculus class and would go home to check on her after school ended. She told her fiancé and friends about it.
"She's still feeling sick, but she is eating some," Laura answered, sighing heavily. "It sucks when you can't do anything while sick, especially when you are a stay-at-home mom."
"My mom knows how that feels," Kim said, showing sympathy. "I will be dealing with that after graduation."
"Yeah. I told Mom I'd head to the Youth Center for a little while, so she could rest," Laura commented.
"That's a good idea," Tommy said warmly. He motioned toward Caleb. "We're taking our son there, so the others can spend time with him while I work."
"Oh, I see," Laura said and looked down at Caleb, who turned to her. "Hey, Caleb, what's shaking?" She laughed when he smiled at her. She turned to his parents. "He looks so much like Tommy with Kim's eyes."
"We do get that a lot. By the way, how about you change his next dirty diaper?" Tommy joked with a snicker.
"No, thank you," Laura said, shaking her head rapidly.
"Oh, come on!" Kim whined and let out a fake whimper.
"Don't start with the waterworks, Kim," Laura answered defiantly and turned her nose upward. "I'm not changing my mind."
"Okay," Kim said, giving a shrug. "Come on. Let's walk together."
Laura nodded in agreement and started walking, as did Tommy and Kim. People passed them on either side. Caleb took the lizard's tail out of his mouth and turned it around. He played with its tongue.
"It's hard to believe you two will be married in less than six weeks," Laura whispered in awe.
"It sure is," Tommy agreed, eyeing Kim. "It feels like only yesterday when I proposed to Kim." He smiled.
Kim giggled. "I know. I wasn't expecting an expensive ring when you proposed, but you gave me a beautiful one. In fact, I would've been fine with you using a Ring Pop ring to propose to me."
Laura waved her finger in the air. "Now, that's what is called unconditional love. It doesn't care about looks, money, social status, nationality, race, ethnicity, or any other superficial crap." She put her hand at her side.
"It astounds me that many people think all that stuff matters when it comes to looking for a mate. Relationships based on any of that are bound to be unhappy," Tommy grumbled in frustration.
"It's sickening," Kim said, her face showing much disgust.
Tommy gave a sharp nod. "Exactly."
Tommy, Kim, and Laura looked up. They spotted a northern mockingbird flying above them. They stopped to watch it. It flapped its wings to gain altitude. It disappeared behind a building. They resumed walking. They arrived at the crosswalk. They watched cars pass them in opposite directions. Caleb put the lizard's tail in his mouth.
"There's bound to be a lot of traffic later on since the sun is out now," Laura commented.
"No kidding," Kim said.
"I bet some of them will head to stores to return stuff they weren't satisfied with," Laura suggested.
"I hope there aren't any accidents," Kim commented, her voice quieting to a whisper on the last two words.
"Me too," Tommy answered and grabbed the back of his neck.
The cars came to a stop when the light turned red. Laura, Tommy, and Kim saw theirs change to green. They went across the crosswalk. They headed left once they reached the sidewalk. They heard the sound of screeching tires in the distance.
"Someone is burning rubber somewhere," Kim said.
Laura chuckled. "Oh, yeah. They probably didn't do it on purpose, though."
"I'm thinking about burning rubber in a school zone," Tommy joked.
"I bet I'd burn more rubber than you would," Kim retorted playfully while moving her eyebrows up and down.
"No," Tommy said, shaking his head.
Kim nodded rapidly. "Yes."
Tommy waved Kim off, earning a laugh from her. She gave him a noogie and pinched his neck. He tweaked her nose before smacking her on the cheek. Laughing heartily, they and Laura started talking about the time that Caleb spit up on Skull when he held him.
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The Youth Center was somewhat empty. Ernie wiped the Juice Bar's counter with a damp rag. He dried it with a paper towel. He tossed it in the trashcan underneath the counter. He took the rag to the kitchen to toss it in the sink. He returned to the Juice Bar. He placed napkins in the napkin holder and laid a stack of cups upside down in the middle.
Rocky, Kat, Adam, Aisha, and Tanya sat at a table close to the Juice Bar. Another table had been pushed next to it. The first four talked about the upcoming wedding while the last one read a newspaper. The gang's backpacks were under the tables. Billy sparred with Zack on the mats. Jason and Trini played a game of arcade soccer. They were tied at five points apiece.
"You can't beat me, Trini!" Jason shouted.
Trini squeaked. "I'll get you in overtime if I don't, Jason."
Trini set herself up for the kick with three seconds left. She kicked the ball toward the goal. Jason leapt for it, only to miss it. The ball went into the net as the buzzer rang out. She clapped, jumping up and down in much joy.
"Nice game, Trini," Jason said with a smile.
"You did very well, Jason," Trini replied and put her hands on her sides. "You might've had a chance to win if we went into overtime."
He shrugged. "Hey, there's always next time. I'm sure I'll beat you then."
She giggled. "I don't know about that."
Jason slipped his arm around Trini to kiss her temple. He ruffled her hair and laughed when she mimicked him with his. They headed to their friends. They seated themselves at the second table as Rocky, Kat, Adam, Aisha, and Tanya looked up.
"Did you find anything exciting, Tanya?" Trini wondered.
"Not really. That is unless you count the impending birth of Pearl's calf as exciting," Tanya explained as she folded the newspaper. She put it on the table.
Kat laughed delightfully. "I've always wanted to see an orca born in person. The calf is tiny compared to its mother."
Rocky slipped his arm around her waist. "Aren't the young of all animals?"
"There has been one report of twin orca calves being born," Adam said, folding his hands and laying them on the table.
Aisha expressed shock. "No way."
"I'm not kidding, Sha," Adam answered honestly. "Unfortunately, the calves and their mother died."
"That's unfortunate. Mother Nature can be quite cruel," Aisha whispered sadly.
"She doesn't discriminate," Trini added.
Kat folded her hands and placed them on the table. She twirled her thumbs around while singing nonsense. Rocky raised an eyebrow.
"You just had to start singing nonsense, didn't you?" Rocky asked.
"Yes, I did," Kat said, looking at him. "Why don't you join me on it?"
He shook his head. "Nah. I'd rather sing lyrics others can understand."
"Oh, come on!" Kat whined and faked crying.
"You can't change my mind," Rocky said with much defiance. "Nope, nope, nope, nope."
She let out a fake sniffle. "It was worth a shot."
Rocky smiled and kissed his girlfriend's temple. They and the others focused their attention on Billy and Zack. They watched their spar go on. The duo finished two minutes later and approached their friends.
"You two looked great down there," Jason commented.
"Thanks, Jase. Billy always makes a wonderful partner," Zack said proudly.
"I never saw myself sparring with a guy who is more known for his dancing than his karate at any time in my life, but I'm glad I get to do it with Zack," Billy said, patting his friend's shoulder.
"I remember when Zack had a dance-off with Bulk. He performed a very complex move that involved jumping and spinning in the air. Bulk attempted it and ended up crashing into a bunch of columns. He landed on his ass after he knocked them down," Jason whispered.
"Bulk looked so embarrassed. He never attempted that move again," Trini added, a snicker coming out of her mouth.
"At the time, I was experiencing a serious lack of confidence just before a dance contest. I kept thinking I was going to blow it. The others reassured me I wouldn't, but it had a firm grip on me. While I was at the mall with Tommy and Jason, an earthquake struck. We were in the elevator when it happened. We were trapped. My confidence returned to me, as we remained calm while we waited for help. I managed to win the contest. Bulk lost big time," Zack said, crossing his arms.
"Bulk looked quite pissed when he got a negative score from one of the judges," Aisha said, laughing to herself.
"What do you expect when your dance was downright horrible, a million points?" Rocky quipped.
"I'd love to get a million points against one of you geeks," a male voice yelled.
The group turned to see Bulk and Skull coming its way. The bullies stopped before it, laughs leaving their mouths.
"Oh, look. It's Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum," Tanya said, rolling her eyes.
"What a snippy comment, Tanya," Bulk sneered, putting his hands on his side. "How about another?" He smirked.
Tanya shook her head. "No, thank you."
"What do you and Skull want, Bulk? Isn't there an all-you-can-eat buffet with your name on it?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.
Bulk didn't look the least bit amused. "Oh, tough words from a muscle brain like you."
"Hey, at least this muscle brain knows how to behave," Jason retorted in defiance. "You and your sidekick don't."
"So, where are the teen parents in your group?" Skull wondered. "Did they go home to change into diapers?" He laughed raucously.
"Tommy and Kim did go home, but it wasn't to change into diapers. It was to get Caleb," Billy answered.
"They're bringing him here," Aisha added.
"Oh, joy. We get to smell the baby's dirty diaper after he takes a crap," Bulk said in sarcasm.
Adam smirked. "How about one of you hold him when he spits up on you? Skull looked so funny when that happened to him."
The others started laughing. Skull narrowed his eyes at them. He remembered being so embarrassed when Caleb spit up on his favorite gray Beatles t-shirt while he held him. He tossed it in the washer right when he got home. The group became quiet.
"You geeks can laugh your little heads off all you want. You won't be seeing much of Tommy and Kim after they marry. They'll be too busy tending to their children," Bulk warned.
"Hey, that's fine with us. We're proud of them for taking care of their children," Zack said, snorting.
"On the other hand, we don't see women or kids in your future," Rocky added, seriousness lining his voice.
"Whatever," Bulk retorted annoyingly. "Let's go, Skull."
Bulk and Skull headed toward the arcade area. They bumped into a young man carrying a tray filled with food and drinks in front of the Juice Bar. The food and drinks were spilt on them and the floor. Bulk stumbled backward, grabbing Skull's arm as he fell down. He took his best friend along with him. They hit the floor on their sides. The man looked very guilty. The bullies sat up.
"I'm sorry, guys!" the man apologized and grabbed two napkins from a nearby table. He tried to wipe the mess off the bullies, but Bulk pushed him away.
"Get away, you idiot!" Bulk yelled. He and Skull watched the man grab the tray and walk off. They heard laughter and looked toward their rivals. "It's not funny!"
Jason looked defiant along with the others. "It may not be funny to you, but it is to us."
Trini gave a sharp nod. "You just got another dose of karma delivered to you."
"More karma will come as long as you continue bullying people," Aisha warned sternly.
Bulk and Skull shot dirty looks at the group. They started to stand up, but they slipped and fell on their butts. They managed to get to their feet. They headed out the exit. Tommy, Kim, and Laura came in as they passed. They approached their friends. Caleb babbled. Ernie came over to the messy area with a mop bucket and a broom. He started to sweep the food up.
"Let me guess. Bulk and Skull got yet another dose of karma delivered to them," Tommy said, parking the stroller next to the second table. He unbuckled Caleb and picked him up.
"You guessed right, Tommy," Jason answered, chuckling.
"I swear, those two need their own TV show," Laura said, running her hand through her hair.
"We agree, Laura," Billy responded gently. "By the way, it's nice to see you."
"Thanks, Billy. My mom is still sick, but she is eating some," Laura commented, rubbing her nose.
"That's good," Aisha said happily.
"Yeah," Laura said, giggling softly. "Well, I'm going to go work out."
Laura went over to the workout area. She approached the pulldown and set her duffel bag next to it. She got on it and grabbed the bar. She proceeded to pull it up and down. The others looked at each other, giving shrugs. Just then, Ernie walked up to them.
"Hey, Tommy, Kim," Ernie greeted.
"Hey yourself, Ernie. What's shaking?" Kim asked curiously and took Caleb from Tommy.
"Just trying to keep this place clean," Ernie answered and gazed at her son. "Hey, Caleb. It's nice to see you."
Ernie tickled the baby's chin, which made him laugh. He ran his hand over the top of his head as he turned back to Tommy and Kim.
"He's such a handsome little guy," Ernie complimented.
Tommy smiled. "Thanks. He will only get more handsome as he grows older." He looked toward the mess. He turned back to his boss. "I know my shift doesn't start for thirty minutes, but do you mind if I help you clean up that mess?"
Ernie patted the young father's shoulder. "Not at all."
Tommy and Ernie walked over to the mess. The latter gave the former the broom. Tommy started sweeping while Ernie got the mop ready. Kim seated herself beside Trini. She sat Caleb in her lap. Billy and Zack returned to the mats and resumed their spar.
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The Youth Center was a little more crowded an hour-and-a-half later. A young woman sitting at a table in front of the Juice Bar told Tommy what she wanted. Tommy wrote it down and walked toward the kitchen. Tanya wiped a tear from her eye as she tried to contain her laughter. Aisha had been telling her about the time she and Adam placed a rubber lizard in Rocky's backpack. Billy and Zack were now sitting next to Kim. Jason had Caleb in his lap. Laura left twenty minutes ago.
"Rocky's eyes became as big as saucers when he pulled the rubber lizard out of his backpack. I had never laughed so hard in my life," Aisha blurted out.
"Of course, he got his revenge by putting rubber spiders in our hair," Adam shouted and hit his hand on the table.
Rocky growled playfully. "You both deserved it. You were mean to me, so I decided to do the same."
"I'm sure you two looked cute wearing those spiders," Tanya said, eyeing Adam and Aisha.
"He looked cuter than I did," Aisha whispered, jerking her thumb in Adam's direction.
Adam pretended to flick a fly off her nose. "That's what you think."
Adam ducked when Aisha tried to hit him upside the head. He straightened his posture. Tanya chuckled to herself and looked up at the ceiling. She turned back to the others.
"My dad's favorite prank is the whoopie cushion. He likes how it fools people into thinking they passed gas," Tanya commented.
"That was one of my dad's favorite pranks from when he was a kid," Aisha commented, smiling. "He was a master prankster, but some of them did backfire on him."
"Rocky and Zack are the pranksters of this group," Kat said.
"They've pulled some of the best pranks I've ever seen," Billy said proudly.
"Thanks, Billy," Rocky said and crossed his arms. "Of course, we've had several backfire on us."
"Don't forget that water-on-top-of-the-door prank we played on you at your place last month," Adam said, stifling a snicker.
"Don't remind me," Rocky warned.
Just then, Tommy approached Kim with a basket of fries and ketchup. He laid it in front of her. She looked up at him with a smile.
"Thanks for bringing me my fries, Tommy," Kim said, sweetness lining her voice.
"You're welcome," Tommy replied, kissing her forehead. "I would've gotten to you sooner if that lady hadn't asked me for a diet coke." He motioned toward the woman he had taken her order from a few minutes ago sipping her diet coke.
"That's okay," Kim said, looking toward her along with her friends. She shifted her attention toward the fries. "This looks very good."
Tommy ran his hand over her hair. "Fries and ketchup go good together."
Kim picked up two fries and dipped them in the ketchup. "I'm glad you said that. I would've grabbed you in a headlock and held you there until you did." She popped them into her mouth and started chewing.
"Despite that you've had many cravings of weird food combos during both of your pregnancies, you've never eaten in excess," Aisha said in amazement.
"I have been tempted to pig out on a few occasions, but I always resisted. As a result, I lost all my baby weight with the first pregnancy. My weight gain with the second pregnancy is on the right track," Kim said proudly and swallowed.
"You might not show as much as you did with Caleb," Kat commented hopefully.
"That'd be nice," Kim said with much warmth.
Tommy shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. Just then, Jenna walked in while tightening her ponytail. She saw him and came to his side.
"Tommy, hi," Jenna greeted.
"Jenna, hi," Tommy answered, looking at her along with the others. "What are you doing here?"
"I finished with my last class of the day, so I thought I'd come here to work out. I don't come here often becuase I spend most of my time studying my notes," Jenna explained.
"That's understandable," Aisha said.
"Yeah. Jenna, I'd like you to meet Jason Lee Scott, Trini Kwan, Kimberly Hart, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston, Rocky DeSantos, Katherine Hillard, Adam Park, Aisha Campbell, and Tanya Sloan," Tommy introduced, gesturing to each member of the group. "Guys, this is my ex-girlfriend, Jenna Leary."
"Hi. It's nice to meet all of you," Jenna said, smiling.
"It's nice to meet you too, Jenna," Kat answered in sweetness.
"Tommy wasn't kidding when he told us you were a pretty girl," Zack said.
"You probably get a lot of dates," Rocky added.
"Well, I'm not dating anyone at the moment," Jenna answered and looked toward Caleb. "Hey, who's the baby?"
"Oh, this is Caleb," Jason answered and picked up the baby. He stood him on his feet. "He's a cutie, isn't he?"
"Oh, yes. Are you guys babysitting him?" Jenna wondered.
"Actually, Caleb is my and Tommy's son. We brought him here for a visit," Kim admitted.
"Really?" Jenna said, showing surprise.
"Mm-hmm," Tommy said, nodding as Jenna gazed at him. "He'll be nine months old next month. Kim's mom takes care of him during the day. I work as a part-time assistant manager here from three until seven Monday through Friday. My shift started an hour ago. Moreover, Kim and I have been together for more than three years. We are expecting our second child. It is due in August. We are getting married in less than six weeks."
"Oh," Jenna whispered, pressing her lips together. She formed a smile on her face. "I hope your marriage works out, though it is a well-known fact that most teenage marriages end in divorce."
"That's true, but we're not letting that stop us," Kim answered gently. "By the way, would you like to hold Caleb?"
"Sure," Jenna said eagerly.
Tommy went over to Jason and took Caleb from him. He came to Jenna as she put her arms in a cradling position. He handed the baby to her. She looked down at Caleb, who whimpered and squirmed a little bit. She stuck her tongue out at him. She made funny noises. Unfortunately, he began crying loudly. His squirming increased some. She pulled her tongue back into her mouth and looked at Tommy.
"Tommy, something is wrong with him," Jenna mumbled nervously.
"He just doesn't know you," Tommy said and took Caleb from her. The baby stopped crying immediately. "There. He's fine now."
Jenna made kissing sounds. "It's okay, Caleb. I won't hurt you."
Jena moved her hand toward Caleb, who began crying again. She pulled it away. Tommy went over to Jason, giving him the baby. Jason sat Caleb in his lap, which caused him to become quiet.
"I better get back to work," Tommy answered seriously.
"Of course," Jenna answered. She and the others watched him leave. They looked at each other. "I'm going to go work out. It was nice talking with all of you."
"You too," Jason said, running his hand over Caleb's head before patting his stomach.
Jenna went over to the fitness area while clapping three times. She reached the leg extension. She took her backpack off her shoulders to place it nearby. She got on the extension before letting a soft snort. She placed her ankles under the lift. She moved it upward, stopping it. She took three deep breaths and lowered it. She began moving it up and down.
Jenna expressed a bit of disappointment. She couldn't believe that Tommy was engaged to Kim, let alone the father of her children. He had been on her mind ever since their encounter at Pizza Hut. She couldn't help thinking about him, especially since he was so gorgeous. She knew could have any woman he wanted.
Jenna pushed her thoughts of her mind. She knew she wouldn't be able to work out if she kept thinking about Tommy. She stopped the lift in the up position. She took four deep breaths before lowering it. She proceeded to move up and down once more.
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The Youth Center was less crowded forty-five minutes later. Jenna pulled down the bar on the pulldown. She stopped it on the down position, taking two deep breaths. She moved it up and down. She finished her workout a minute later and returned the bar to its original position. She stood up and unzipped her backpack. She reached in to get her towel and water bottle. She wiped sweat from her face and neck. She sipped a bit of water.
Laughter caught the young woman's attention. She looked toward Tommy. She saw him quacking as if he were a duck while keeping his attention on Caleb. The baby squealed while sitting in Kim's lap. Tommy became quiet and gazed at his fiancée lovingly, as did she with him. They shared a sweet kiss. Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Rocky, Kat, Adam, Aisha, and Tanya smiled softly.
Jenna emitted a small sigh. She didn't want to see Tommy and Kim interact with each other. She placed her water bottle and towel back in her backpack. She zipped it and picked it up. She put it over shoulders. She headed for the exit. Veronica came in and bumped into her without excusing herself as she passed her. Jenna stopped in her tracks and turned around.
"Hey!" Jenna called.
Veronica came to a halt and turned around to face the college freshman. She tilted her head while narrowing her eyes at her.
"Are you talking to me?" Veronica demanded.
"Yes, I am," Jenna answered and approached her. "You need to say, 'Excuse me.' when you bump into someone."
"I didn't bump into you. You bumped into me. Besides, I don't have to say, 'Excuse me.' to you or anyone else," Veronica sneered.
"You're so rude," Jenna yelled angrily.
"You're the one who is rude," Veronica retorted. "By the way, what's your name?"
"The name's Jenna Leary," Jenna snapped fiercely. "I am a college freshman who is attending Angel Grove University. What's yours?"
"It's Veronica Lloyd. I'm a senior at Angel Grove High," Veronica answered. "I've heard about you, Jenna. You're Tommy's ex-girlfriend from San Antonio."
"Yep. I moved to Los Angeles two years ago. Tommy told me about you after he protected me from a carjacker. You have spoiled brat written all over you," Jenna growled, flaring her nostrils.
"I'm better than everyone else is due to my wealth," Veronica retorted arrogantly. "Now, you'll go away if you know what's good for you."
"What if I don't?" Jenna asked defiantly.
"Okay," Veronica said, licking her lips. "You'll get this."
Veronica shoved Jenna, causing her to stumble backward a bit. Jenna regained her footing, but she refused to react. Veronica became impatient.
"Come on. Fight me," Veronica taunted.
"Not a chance," Jenna said with a shake of her head.
Veronica laughed mockingly. "You must be a big chicken."
Veronica began clucking as if she were a chicken. Jenna hissed and began going toward her. Veronica made her way toward her. Without warning, Tommy got in between them and put his hands in front of them, stopping them.
"Ladies, don't start fighting like this," Tommy said in seriousness.
"Stay out of this, Tommy. This has nothing to do with you," Veronica leered.
Tommy looked at the snob. "It may not have anything to do with me, but that doesn't mean I will let people beat each other up."
Veronica narrowed her eyes at him. "It's not my fault. It's Jenna's."
"Oh, sure. Go ahead and blame me for something that you started," Jenna growled in anger.
"Why, you—" Veronica started.
"Hey, that's enough," Tommy snapped in fierceness. "Veronica, you need to leave Jenna alone. She did nothing to you." He looked at Jenna. "Jenna, you never want to pick a fight with someone like her. She likes trying to goad people into fights. Don't ever give into her taunts, okay?"
Jenna nodded at him. "Okay."
"Tommy's right about Veronica," Ernie asked as he walked up to the group. The trio looked at him. "On top of that, only sparring is allowed in this place. I don't tolerate actual fighting whatsoever."
"I remember that, Ernie," Veronica leered and turned toward Jenna. "I hope Jenna doesn't forget that."
"I never have," Jenna snapped, glaring at the snob. "I never will."
Ernie nodded at the women. "Thank you."
"We are done here," Tommy said, holding up his hands.
Veronica walked past the young father and Jenna. She approached the leg curl. She put her duffel bag next to it. She got on it, slipping her legs underneath the lift. She grabbed the handles and began moving it back and forth. Tommy and Jenna looked at each other as Ernie went to the Juice Bar.
"I'm sorry," Jenna apologized. "I shouldn't have let Veronica get to me."
"It's okay," Tommy said comfortingly. "Veronica is a real piece of work."
"Thanks for coming to my defense, though. I appreciate it," Jenna whispered.
"Sure," Tommy said, giving her a nod. "Well, I better get back to work."
Jenna watched Tommy head over to a young man sitting at a table close to the Juice Bar. He got his notepad and pen from his pocket. The man gave his order to which Tommy wrote it down. She stared at the latter dreamily. She walked out the exit, keeping her attention on him until she got into the hallway.
Jenna got a good bit into the hallway before she pressed her back against the wall. She felt her heart beat quicken some. She thought Tommy's determination in stopping her and Veronica from fighting made him even more gorgeous. She hadn't anticipated it, but she was glad he did that. She wanted to see him again so much.
The young woman's thoughts drifted to Kim. She wondered what Tommy saw in her. She thought Kim was too petite. She believed a taller woman suited him better. She definitely fit that. Perhaps he would be alone when she encountered him again. The fact he was the father of Kim's children didn't bother her. She believed she'd make a good mother if she ever had children. She pushed her thoughts out of her mind, as she needed to get back to her dorm and read a new chapter in her biology book. She left the building and headed for the sidewalk. She began walking down it.