Beth Wilder looked at her watch just in time to see the digits turn from 9:59 to 10:00. The bus would be coming soon. She shifted, impatient. The droning buzz from the bus stop's single fluorescent light droned on and on and on and on. At least she was alone and didn't have to share this space with the other weirdos who took the late night bus.
It was ten at night, September 9th, 2004. Beth Wilder was 13-years-old.
She had more direction in life than others her age. For that, she had to thank her notebook.
The Notebook.
The one that the Woman From the Future carried in her arms when she approached Beth on that sunny day when she was an 8-year-old playing in her front yard. The Woman who claimed to be her years from now.
Beth didn't really have any doubt of that. Not anymore, anyway. Not after every single thing in that notebook had come true. Every little thing, down to the smallest, most inconsequential detail.
The Woman From the Future wrote that Beth had a mission that she would have to commit to, a mission that would begin just after four in the morning on October 8th, 2016. Twelve years from now. The Notebook said she should train in preparation.
Don't rush yourself. Start with gymnastics, the Woman from the Future wrote.
And that's just what she was doing. Because whatever that mission was, it was important enough for the Woman to find her in the past. Or for her to find herself. However it worked.
Beth was taking evening classes at a local gym in Downtown Riverport. Her parents thought she was insane. She never showed any inclination to play sports, not until now. They had had an argument the previous night. They thought Beth was losing her mind. The Notebook warned her of this. They would regard her interests in weapons and martial arts as bizarre, worrying even. They would notice the changes in her personality brought on by Beth's endless speculating about the nature of her mission, the forthcoming "Fracture in Time," and about her future self.
Beth knew she couldn't come clean. They would probably throw her in a mental institution. She had to admit- "I'm following instructions given to me by a woman from the future who I'm pretty sure is actually me from the year 2016 so I can save the world or something" did sound certifiably off-the-wall crazy.
The class she went to tonight went a little longer than usual. She got out late. Her parents were not very happy with her, so she knew better than to call them for a ride home. The bus it was.
Eventually, the bus trundled up to her stop. She climbed aboard, paid her fare, and took a seat somewhere in the middle. In this part of Riverport, the buses were usually empty after eight. That suited her. The late night bus rides were actually nice, in a way. They were some of the few times she could get some peace and quiet.
She pulled out the Notebook from her bag and studied it for the ride home. Beth was in the midst of making a mental note to find a Filipino Martial Arts studio when she realized the bus made a stop.
She heard someone else get on board. Beth spared a quick glance up.
She froze. It was him.
Jack Joyce.
His name is Jack Joyce. Remember his face. He's going to become important down the line, the Notebook had said.
Beth first saw him three years earlier, taking this very bus home with her. Jack was a scruffy kid with blue eyes, probably fourteen by now. Sometimes, he came on the bus with a black eye. Sometimes it was a cut on his forehead. Sometimes his knuckles were bloody and raw. And sometimes, rarely, he got on the bus with a smile on his face and no injuries. For some reason, Beth liked to see that.
Jack would make intermittent appearances on that late night bus. Sometimes, he would disappear for months on end. This worried Beth whenever it happened. A part of her said it was because he was vital for her future mission. Another part said it was because she genuinely cared what happened to him.
It was weird. She had never, ever said a word to him. The Notebook said to just observe, never contact directly. And Beth did that dutifully.
Why did she care about him, then? Why?
Something told her she had to. Because by 2016, the Woman From the Future seemed to believe she would care about Jack quite a bit.
Jack wordlessly stomped to the back of the bus. His right cheek was bruised. Jack stalked past her seat, sending the briefest of glances down toward her. Did he recognize her? He must have. They'd been taking the same bus together long enough by now. He had to have made note of the redhead girl his age who was always staring at her notebook.
With a sigh, Jack took a seat two rows behind Beth, on the right side of the bus. She made a furtive glance over her shoulder. Jack was busy staring out his window, looking contemplative and surely thinking about his life in a way 14-year-olds start to do.
Beth turned back to face her notebook. At that moment, she got a sudden urge to talk to him.
The Notebook had explicitly forbidden this in no uncertain terms.
Learn what you can about Jack, study him from afar, but DO NOT APPROACH HIM DIRECTLY. You aren't the only one watching him.
Beth looked around the deserted bus. It was just her, the driver, and Jack. Who the hell was watching them? Unless the bus driver was an agent of Monarch Solutions. In that case, they would certainly be playing the long game since Beth was sure he had been operating this route as long as she could remember.
She couldn't help feeling this way. The Notebook said that he will be very important to the mission, to her life, come 2016. It also implored her to go and gather as much information as she could. Sure, keeping an eye on him was working out, but just imagine what she could learn actually talking to him. Surely talking to the kid once would not doom the entire mission. The curiosity of what exactly made Jack so damn special was eating her up.
Beth had sat up from her seat and gathered her things before her brain could tell her not to.
She tossed her bag into the window seat and flopped down onto the aisle seat to his left. The disturbance made Jack jump.
He turned to her, face neutral.
Beth blinked. Her stomach dropped and she had the feeling that she had made a huge mistake.
But, there was no going back now.
"Hi," Beth finally spoke.
Jack blinked back at her, seemingly confused.
A thought raced through Beth's head, one she never had before. He was… cute. Boys around their age were suffering through the throes of puberty. Jack certainly was too, but Beth had to hand it to him. He was doing it a bit more gracefully than most. And his eyes were really nice as well. She gave him that.
"Hey?" Jack said.
She was silent for a bit. The deafening awkwardness overpowered her.
"What… what are you doing?" she managed.
"I'm… sitting here. On the bus."
"Oh. Me too!"
Beth smiled. She meant for it to be a joke. Jack did not laugh.
This was turning out to be a bad idea. If Monarch didn't kill her, she might end up killing herself out of embarrassment.
She decided the best approach was the more honest one.
"I'm sorry. I just- I see you all the time here. And I just wanted to say 'hi,' for once."
Jack seemed to relax a bit. He nodded once.
"Sorry… I just… yeah."
"Bad day?"
"You could say that."
She reached out her hand.
"I'm-"
Beth stopped briefly. Her future self would probably want to smack her if she used her real name.
"Courtney," she settled with.
"Jack," he said as they shook hands.
But I already know that, she thought.
"So, what brings you onto the late bus?"
Jack almost unconsciously touched the bruise on his face.
"I was, um, hanging out with some people."
She nodded toward him.
"I guess it didn't end well?"
He chuckled.
"I guess it's not as unnoticeable as I thought, huh?"
"Nope. Sorry."
He shrugged.
"Whatever. When my brother asks, I guess I'll just pretend not to know what he's talking about."
"I can get that."
"What about you?"
"Oh, I'm just coming back from gymnastics."
"This late?"
"Yep. I wanted to get more practice in."
"Are you on a team or something?"
"Nah, I just do it."
"Cool. I don't do much sports."
"Besides boxing?"
He smiled.
"Besides that."
"So, are you in high school now?"
Jack shrugged.
"I guess I'm supposed to be."
"Oh, so, you're one of those guys?"
"What do you mean 'those guys?'"
"Those guys that likes to get in fights downtown instead of going to school."
"That's pretty accurate. It's more interesting anyway."
"So, what part of the city are you from?"
"I'm up in Daly Heights. You?"
"Baldwin Acres. Not too far from you, right?"
"No, it's not."
"Too far to walk from here, though."
"Why didn't you call your parents?"
Beth smirked.
"Well…"
"Let me guess…"
"I'm not really sure they'd answer," she replied with a slight smile.
"I feel that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. My brother and I just kinda… do our own thing."
"What's your mom and dad say?"
Beth knew the answer, of course. She had to act like she knew nothing about him.
Jack's eyes filled with sadness. Beth hated herself for asking and forcing him to feel that sting of pain from his parent's death.
"They're not around anymore."
Beth gasped, despite the fact she knew very well that Anthony and Kathryn Joyce died in a car crash back in 1999. It was a genuine reaction, too. Maybe it was different actually seeing Jack and his memory of it.
"I'm sorry," Beth mustered. That was genuine as well.
"I didn't mean to bring it up," she continued.
He nodded once.
"It's fine, don't worry. You didn't know."
If only he knew.
"So," Beth started, hoping to get his mind off his parents, "what do you do when you're not off picking fights with people?"
"Guitar. I'm learning."
"Favorite bands- go."
"Blink-182. My Chemical Romance. The Killers. Uh… Taking Back Sunday. You?"
"This might sound weird…"
He laughed.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah…"
"I'm interested now."
"Okay. I like music from the eighties. You know. Toto? Bon Jovi? Rick Astley? Whitney Houston?"
Jack gave a sympathetic shrug and smiled.
"I've heard of them, of course, but I couldn't say I know them."
"You're missing out!"
"Oh, I don't think so. I prefer modern music, Courtney. Not old people music."
Beth shook her head, mouth open in mock disgust.
"You take that back!"
"I don't think so! You know it's true."
"Shut up!" Beth laughed.
"God, imagine what it'll be like when you're older. Like, twenty, or something. It'll really be old people music by then."
"Well, those songs and bands are timeless! People will still be listening to Whitney and Toto years from now. Do you think people will care about your whiny emo music twenty years from now?"
"Hey! It's not whiny!" Jack whined.
"Sure."
"It's really not, it's like-"
"Sureeeeeeeeee."
Jack flopped back in his seat, happily frustrated. They both looked at each other, meeting each other's gaze and smiling.
For some reason, Beth liked that he was smiling. She was able to get his mind off of the things that were bothering him, whoever he had just fought, whatever was going on at home. And she was proud she did.
Maybe Future Beth was somewhere, screaming in anger at her for being so stupid as to actually go and contact Jack. She could be risking the entire mission!
But, Beth didn't really care. She was glad she talked to him.
Their conversation continued for several more minutes, until Jack's stop. They were both still laughing as he gathered up his things.
"Well, Courtney, it was nice talking to you," Jack said as he stood up.
"Yeah, you too. It was nice to have someone to talk to on the way home."
"Oh, definitely. Better than just sitting there."
"See you soon, I guess."
"Yeah, you too!"
Jack smiled over his shoulder as he bounded down the aisle and off the bus. Beth watched him take off jogging down the sidewalk, presumably toward his home.
She had learned nothing that would be valuable to her mission. She knew most of the things he talked about already. But it mattered not. She made contact with the scruffy kid that her future self promised would play a major role in the years to come.
Beth took the night bus two nights later. She was alone again and sincerely hoped Jack would be on tonight. But, he did not show.
He would be gone again the next night. And all the other nights after that.
Years later, Beth would learn that Jack had a fight with Will and ran off, spending his time with friends outside of Riverport for close to a year. When he came back to Riverport, he would live with Paul Serene's family on the other side of town. Beth would not speak to him again until 2016. Jack would not take the night bus again and would forget about his encounter with Beth until some years later.
Jack was busy. Well, not busy per se. He was busy being anxious.
He was sitting on the couch of the house Monarch had given him. It was a strange turn of events. In his last meaningful interaction with Monarch Solutions, the corporation was attempting to kill him and his brother. Now, under Hatch, Monarch had given him a humble two-story townhouse in the Rockfort neighborhood, a working-class part of Riverport that, in recent years, was straddling the line between a middle-class neighborhood and a gentrified, up-scale community. They were also going to hand him a monthly stipend for living expenses. Jack heard that they did this for all of its agents that handled more "sensitive" matters for the company, like Liam Burke. Helped keep them loyal, probably. Monarch owned this entire row of houses, apparently. He wondered if any of his neighbors were Liam Burke-types looking to keep an eye on him.
Jack was never really one to be concerned with luxury and living fancy. Back when he was in Southeast Asia, a roof and four walls was enough to keep him happy. An electric fan would have been a real luxury.
This place was nice, though. It had everything he would need to live comfortably.
When he had arrived at his new home, Hatch had been there to personally hand him the keys.
"Enjoy the house, Mister Joyce. It's a gift from Monarch," he had said, "but I just want you to know that we may need your assistance in the future. If we require you, we will let you know."
Hatch left him there in front of the garage, leaving Jack alone to ponder precisely what he had gotten himself into.
But, that was not his concern at the moment. At the moment, he was worrying about his upcoming date with Beth.
They had set the date earlier this week. When they were walking together through the empty promenade in Monarch's headquarters. Friday. 7:00 PM. He had suggested they meet at The Anvil, a bar in Downtown Riverport that was an old favorite of Jack and Paul growing up. Paul knew the owner pretty well and was able to convince him to serve Jack and their friends before they were twenty-one.
It was not a fancy place, but Jack hoped Beth would not be opposed to that. But, then again, she really didn't strike him as the fancy type. If she was anything like Jack, a place just needed the right atmosphere and cheap drinks to be the gateway to a good night.
Jack jumped to his feet. He started off into space sighed. An hour ago, he was going to get ready. He still remained in sweatpants and a white t-shirt. As he wandered into his kitchen, he glanced over at the light over his oven. It was 6:15.
"Oh shit," he mumbled before dashing to his bedroom.
The Anvil was a good twenty minutes away, if traffic cooperated, of course. Which it rarely did at this time in this neck of the city. Jack did not fix the entire timeline to be late to his first date with Beth.
He brushed his teeth and took a quick shower. That was the easy part.
Soon, Jack was before his wardrobe and closet, racking his brain as to come to a conclusion regarding his outfit. With the minutes ticking down, Jack made a rapid-fire decision. Black jeans. Slim fit, too, to show off his good side. A subdued, knit-pattern maroon henley. Black and white sneakers.
It was a bit chilly out, so Jack dug around for a jacket. His fingers brushed over the leather jacket he had worn during the events of the Fracture. Jack smiled, picking up a sleeve and looking it over.
No, he thought, you've seen enough action for a while.
Jack withdrew an olive green M65 field jacket. Gave off that "rugged, prepared for action, but not crazy" sort of look.
He looked at his phone as he gathered his keys and wallet.
6:35.
"Shit, shit, shit…" he chanted as he ran out the door.
He pulled up to the bar at 6:59.
Jack put his car into park and killed the engine. He groaned and put his hands to his face. The plan was to get there before seven. Get a good spot. Be ready for Beth. He had failed.
He emerged from his car and smoothed out his jacket. The only hope now was that she would not be upset at him for being late. Well, he wasn't actually late, but close enough to it.
As he walked to the bar, a voice caused him to freeze in place.
"Jack!"
He turned. Beth walked toward him, grinning.
Jack looked her up and down. His heart leapt.
"Wow," he whispered.
Beth obviously had no problem picking an outfit that worked for her. She was wearing tight blue jeans, ones that perfectly accented her figure, a clean, white blouse, black boots, and a matching black leather jacket. Her red hair was done up in a wonderfully messy bun, a far cry from the simple, practical ponytail he had up until now only seen her in.
Jack stared. Beth blinked. Jack continued to stare.
"You, uh, okay there?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, I just…" Jack started.
Beth chuckled.
"Yeah?"
"You… you look really hot."
She laughed and pushed him lightly.
"Really? You're smooth."
"Oh, thanks, I try."
Beth took a step closer to him and draped her arms around his neck.
"You're doing something right," she said softly before leaning up to kiss him.
"So," she said once they broke apart, "come show me your dive bar."
Beth grabbed his arm and looped her own around it before urging him forward.
"Hey, come on. It's not a complete dive. I pick good places."
"Whatever you say, Jack."
It had probably been years since Jack had last set foot in the bar. But, everything was just as he remembered it. Cozy, quiet atmosphere. The noise level was in the sweet spot where you could hear each other talk, but there was enough background noise to drown out conversations from one's neighbors.
They were already getting through their first drinks. Beth looked around the bar and nodded approvingly.
"This place is kinda cool. Gotta admit."
"I only pick the best."
She smiled and rolled her eyes.
"What?" Jack asked.
"I figured any place you'd hang out would slide more toward the 'dump' side of things as opposed to 'charming.'"
Jack laughed.
"Oh, come on. I pick good places. It's just that they're more… you know-"
"Blue-collar?" she finished.
"Sure. We can call it that."
"It's nice though. I mean that."
"It better be. I came here all the time with Paul and our buddies."
She gave a slight smile and twisted the bottle of her beer around on the table.
"It's weird. I know you and Paul were best friends. It's just… hard to imagine him not as the Paul Serene I know."
"Believe me. It was hard for me to come to terms with the fact that my best friend, who I've known for as long as I could remember, came back from the future as a sociopathic killer who was willing to sacrifice the entire world to make his plans happen."
"But you fixed everything."
"I did. I saw Paul in the Monarch HQ, you know. He's head of marketing now. He doesn't know a thing about what happened in the other timeline. He's the same Paul I've known. It's weird, in its own way, but I'm happy."
"I'm glad."
"Beth, I know this might sound hard to believe for you, but Paul's actually a great guy. He's someone I can trust. Knowing I was going against him was really eating me up, back then at least."
"But, you went and did it because-"
"That was the mission."
"That was the mission indeed. And it all worked out, right?"
"Well, I'm here on a date with the most beautiful woman I've ever met, so, yeah."
Beth looked down, her cheeks red and a grin spreading across her face.
"We can thank Paul for that in its own roundabout way, right?" he added.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think we can."
"I'll be sure to let him know he's good at being a time-travelling matchmaker."
"I just have a question, Jack," Beth asked several moments later after taking a deep sip of her drink.
"What's up?"
"They told me that when the Stutters got worse, you headed to Monarch to find Paul and take the Countermeasure back yourself."
"That's what happened."
"That was a pretty big risk. I probably called you a lot of names when you told me your plan."
Jack's stomach twisted. He tapped the side of his bottle and exhaled. Beth had not been informed that by that point, she was already dead, and he went to the Monarch building to finish what she started.
So what you did next… it wasn't personal?
"Yeah. Yeah, you kinda did," he managed to lie.
Beth laughed and rested her head on an open palm.
"They were probably good ones too. What was I doing?"
"Staying behind and letting me do the hard work."
She flipped him off.
"Okay, fine, you were doing the mission control stuff. You were good at that."
"Damn right. But… my question is, they were telling me that at this point you were really gunning for Paul."
"I guess I was."
"What caused the change? You know, to get you from being on the run to on a warpath against Monarch?"
Jack was silent again. He managed to speak before Beth could notice anything wrong with this.
"You, actually."
It was the truth.
"Me?"
"Yep."
"What'd I do?"
"You, uh, roused me. Let me know what I was fighting for."
She smiled and chuckled, sitting back in her chair.
"Did you have a crush on me, Jack?"
"At that point? Yeah, I think so."
"That's adorable."
"I am the romantic type."
She rolled her eyes.
"I spent a lot of time figuring out you were, exactly. In my profile of you, 'romantic' didn't come up."
"Maybe if you actually talked to me, then you would've seen!"
"Oh, nope. Future Me forbade that. Look, don't touch."
"That must of been hard," Jack said with mock concern, "having to keep your hands off this."
Beth flashed a flirtatious smile.
"I'll admit. Sometimes it was."
"When we were together back then, you weren't exactly very, uh, forward with me."
"Maybe that's because I was a little more concerned with stopping the Fracture than getting your number, Jack. It's how I am. You give me something important to do, I go and do it, get it done, and then worry about everything else."
"So, what, you approached going out with me all tactical and everything?"
"Oh, absolutely. I reconned this place yesterday. Picked an outfit that was the right mixture of 'looking cute' and 'useful in CQC.' Never know what might happen tonight."
They both laughed. Beth downed the last of her first beer and slammed the bottle on the table.
"That's the first one down," she proudly reported.
"You're beating me. Want some more?"
"Of course. The night is young, Mister Joyce."
"Alright then!"
Jack got up, intending to grab some more drinks. As he walked, he chuckled to himself.
Beth seemed happy. And for that, he was happy. To see her smile, having a good time, seeing her happy and free of the burden of her mission. The thing that made him smile was the fact that she chose to spend this night with him.
He returned soon enough with some fresh drinks.
"Can I ask you something now?" Jack said in-between their sips.
"What's that?"
"When's the last time you did something like this?"
"Like what?"
"You know. Going on a date with a relentlessly charming man."
"Oh, is that what you are?"
Jack scoffed and leaned back.
"I thought it was obvious!"
Beth pouted and gave a slight shrug.
"Don't remember that in my notebook."
"Whatever. You didn't get that far back then."
"Guess not. I'm making this up as I go along."
"Oh, I do that with most things. I think you've noticed."
"Believe me, I'm starting to think it's all you do. Anyway… I'll be honest. High school."
Jack leaned forward, surprised.
"High school? You're kidding."
"Not kidding."
"Well, why?
"I was kinda busy. Come on, Jack. That's the reason I did most of the things I did. Preparing for the End of Time leaves you with not a whole lot of free time. That and I needed to make sure I was invisible. Less relationships meant less connections. Less connections made me harder to find."
Beth reached over and gently grabbed his hand.
"But since that's over," she continued, "I think I'm ready to make some of those connections I've been missing out on."
Jack smiled and entwined his fingers with her. He sat out of his chair, leaning over to give her a kiss.
He paused.
"Can I?"
"Of course," Beth said softly as she rose to meet him halfway.
The pair kissed briefly.
"I like how you decided to take the initiative this time," she commented when they broke apart.
"And how you actually asked, too," she added.
"Gotta make sure I'm not being too presumptuous. This is only our first date, after all."
"Oh, shut up," Beth said with a roll of her eyes.
She knocked back her beer quicker this time away. Jack noticed.
"You're going through these things quickly. Did part of preparing for the Fracture involve going to lots of frat parties?"
"Ugh, no way. It's just… I'm determined to do something tonight."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"And what would that be?"
Beth leaned in, a devious smile spreading across her face.
"I'm getting absolutely fucked up tonight. You're probably gonna end up carrying me out. So, stay somewhat sober."
He chuckled.
"Wow. This is a side of Beth I wasn't expecting to meet."
"It's a side of Beth I haven't really explored in a while. And you know what? I figure it would be a great time to get back in touch with it. After all. We fixed time. Ended the Fracture. Time to celebrate, huh?"
She raised her bottle, smirking.
"I'd agree," Jack said, raising his own bottle and clinking her's.
Beth set her empty bottle down and nodded thoughtfully.
"I think I can go for some shots right now."
Beth buried her face into her crossed arms on the table. She laughed hard, trying her best to stifle it.
"So, yeah," Jack said, finishing his story, "that's how me and Paul got banned from Salt Lake City and are currently considered enemies of the Mormon church. Nice place though. You should visit without me."
Beth raised her head. She was staring at him, attempting to keep a straight face. Her lips quivered as she attempted to suppress a grin. Beth gave up and began laughing again, flopping her head back down into her arms.
"What?" Jack smiled, "am I that funny?"
"No! No! Wait, yeah, you're actually pretty funny. It's just… I'm kinda buzzed. And when I'm buzzed, I get really giggly. It'll get worse the more alcohol you get into me, trust me."
"Oh, man. We gotta pace you a bit. Hey! I got an idea."
"What?" Beth said with a giggle.
"Let's play some pool."
"Drunk pool?"
"Oh, yes."
"I'm game."
Jack stood up. Beth stuck her hand out. Jack took it and helped her up.
"Let's go!" she declared.
"God. You suck at this."
Beth glared at him.
"I'm off my game."
"Were you ever on your game?" Jack snarked.
"Shut up, Joyce. I can beat your ass with this pool stick."
He held up his hands defensively.
"You probably could. I'm just being a smartass."
"That's one of your biggest talents."
Jack had already sunk two balls. Beth was unable to get one into a pocket.
She leaned over the table, trying to line up her cue with the white cue ball. Beth leaned over probably a bit more than was necessary. Jack was standing behind her, sipping on his beer. His eyes drifted downward.
When they first created an alliance that Jack felt back then would only be temporary, Beth had made a memorable comment to ward off his concerns.
They were walking to the front door of the decrepit Bradbury Swimming Hall. At the time, Jack was ready to run the moment Beth tried something, which he was almost certain she would. At the same time, he was deciding to give her the biggest benefit of the doubt he had ever given another person. She was one of the few people not shooting at him, so it was a start.
Beth had finished explaining how there was something in this dusty building they needed and Monarch wanted. Jack's eyes roamed over her from head to toe, most certainly finding her implication that Monarch was her adversary quite ironic. He quirked an eyebrow at the Monarch Solutions logo embroidered on her navy blue combat shirt.
And yet you're wearing their uniform, he commented.
Beth gave a very slight smirk at his remark. She walked away, leaving him where he stood.
I like the way their pants fit, she coolly replied.
Jack paused- they did fit quite well.
That's not to say that the skinny jeans she was wearing weren't doing her more favors than the Monarch tactical pants would; Beth Wilder was the only person he ever met that made cargo pants like a magnet to the eyes.
She looked over her shoulder. Of course, she had a grin waiting for him.
Jack quickly averted his gaze as her smirk mocked him, pretending to be very interested in the lamp hanging over the pool table. Her grin widened, having most definitely caught his staring and showing no signs of disapproving.
"Whatcha looking at?"
"Oh, nothing. You're doing it wrong," Jack quickly made up an excuse.
"Doing what wrong?"
"Lining up your shot."
"Oh, is that so? Why don't you come show me then?"
Jack chuckled as his bottle clinked on a nearby table, "Alright, why not?"
He came up behind her, Beth leaning back and nuzzling against his frame. Jack reached over to take her hands and guide them into their proper positions. The cue was hard, but her hands soft. In truth he had no idea what he was doing, this was all just a very convenient excuse to get closer; to call her bluff and hope it wasn't one.
"Gotta put them like… this," he explained as he rested his head on her shoulder.
"I was doing that, moron."
"Don't get fresh with me."
"Oh yeah?" she countered, still grinning.
"Yeah."
"What are you gonna do about it?"
"Not give you my pro-level pool tips."
Beth turned to him and gave him a quick kiss.
"I think I could live without."
Several feet away, four young women seated at a table watched this exchange with interest.
One of them shook her head with a sound of disgust.
"Ugh. I wish these two would just get a room already," she said, sipping her margarita.
Another one twirled her braided hair in puzzlement.
"I… feel like I know him," she said.
One of her friends laughed.
"Oh, shit, Amy. Don't tell me. Did you hook up with him last year or something?"
Amy Ferrero glared at her friend.
"No, I did not," she snapped, "he just looks familiar. Her too, come to think of it."
"Well go on over there and ask if they're looking for a third!"
Amy scoffed and stood up, stomping over to the bar to get a fresh drink.
Jack had some alcohol in him, sure. But he could handle his alcohol pretty good at this point in his life. With all the drinking the locals in Thailand did, he had to adapt or be left behind.
Beth had evidently not reached this point as of yet. She was was spinning and empty bottle on the table. Beth giggled madly.
"How you feeling?" Jack inquired.
She looked up at him, grinning dumbly.
"Oh, man. Yeah. I'm good. But, uh, I think I'm done."
"Really?"
"Jack, if I have one more, you're probably gonna end up dropping me off at the ER."
"And we don't want that."
"Nooooooooo, we do not."
"I'll get an Uber."
"Good idea!"
They paid their tabs and together exited the bar. Beth was hanging onto Jack for dear life as he ordered a car to come pick them up from his phone.
"Oh, man, what time is it?" she asked.
"A little after eleven."
"That's past my bedtime."
"Careful, Beth, your parents may be out looking for you."
She snorted.
"They can keep on looking, I don't care."
They settled on a corner, waiting for their ride. Beth snuggled against him.
"Hide me in your jacket. It's cold."
"It's not that cold."
"It's cold!" she protested.
She grabbed hold of one end of his jacket and forced his arm out of the sleeve. Before Jack could protest, Beth wrapped herself up in half of his jacket.
They looked at each other and she smiled wide.
"Anyone tell you… that you got really pretty eyes?" she asked.
"No, actually. Well, maybe."
"Mhmmm, well, I'm telling you. Forget the other girls that said that."
"Thank you. I like your eyes, too."
Beth leaned in and fluttered her lashes.
"Oh, don't we just have the best eyes in Riverport?"
"We do."
"You know something else?"
"What's that?"
She leaned in to whisper to him, like this was a big secret.
"You're really hot. Like, really hot. You know, my Notebook said I needed to keep an eye on you. And I did. And I would be like, 'damn, this Jack Joyce guy has it going on.' I really wanted to talk to you. But you know me, sooooo professional. Can't go out with the guy that needs to save the world."
"Since the world is saved, I think you're allowed to be a little unprofessional."
"You are so, so right."
The red Nissan Jack was waiting for pulled up. Their driver stepped out to open the door for them.
"Jack?" he asked.
"Yep."
"And Beth! Don't forget Beth!" Beth said, raising a hand up as she stumbled into the back.
Beth's apartment was modest and suitably low-key. Jack was quickly discovering that this was a defining characteristic of her's.
Jack helped her out of the car. Beth refused to let go of her hand.
"Okay, will you be okay to go up by yourself?" Jack asked, concerned.
Beth narrowed her eyes. She looked truly offended.
"You're coming up, too. Dummy."
"I am?"
Beth walked forward, gripping his hand and forcing Jack to come up with her.
"Yes, yes you are."
Beth did not have the luxury of having a place paid for by Monarch. As such, her apartment was a bit small, but it was no matter. Just enough to comfortably fit two people, it seemed.
She stumbled through the door, so unsteady that Jack made a move to catch her.
"Are you sure you're good?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"I'll live. Although I think that I'm finally feeling the effects of those four whisky shots I took at once."
She doffed her jacket and tossed it into a pile on the couch.
"Okay. I need a shower. I feel all… gummy. Must've been the gross bar you took me to."
"Hey, I thought you said that place wasn't so bad!"
She shrugged.
"I guess I was wrong…"
"Whatever. I don't remember you complaining."
"That's because I'm so nice and I like you so much."
She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Wouldn't want to go breaking your heart, right?"
He smiled at her.
"I would've survived, somehow."
Beth stepped back away from him, knocking into a chair in the process.
"I'm gonna go and take a shower."
"Okay. I'll be here."
"You better be."
Beth walked off to her bedroom. She paused at the threshold.
"And you better not get any ideas," she added, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
Jack held up his hands defensively.
"Me? Never."
Beth offered a suggestive smile and departed.
Jack took this time to wander around her apartment and gain a better idea of how Beth lived. One thing he noticed was how immaculately clean and organized she kept everything. Even after just a few days, Jack's place was starting to look like the disaster zones his places of residence always became. In Beth's apartment, not a single book was out of place on her bookshelf, there was no clutter taking up space on the kitchen counter, and even the chairs in the dining room were neatly pushed into place at the table. Her apartment looked like a model home one would see on TV.
He next looked to her mantle in the living room. There was a television and several photos set up on shelves. A few showed Beth as a child. One of them showed her, maybe ten years old, on the back of a horse. She was smiling from ear to ear, lost in the moment. Jack smiled as well, almost involuntarily, at the sight of Beth enjoying a carefree moment. She was a cute kid, too.
Another picture showed Beth at maybe twelve or thirteen sitting next to an older woman, who Jack assumed was her grandmother. Next to that was a teenaged Beth in a cap and gown, standing in-between a beaming man and woman- her parents most likely- at what he figured was a high school graduation. Jack wondered what their relationship was nowadays. Had that relationship been something she had to sacrifice to continue her mission? Maybe, Jack hoped, now she could try to fix everything she was forced to leave behind.
Jack settled back down on the couch. He could hear the water running in her bathroom from where he planted himself.
He had half a mind to wander in there and ask if she needed company. At this point, he was sure that she would be very open to such a thing. But, Jack still retained enough lucidity to talk himself out of such a course of action. She was drunk. Very drunk. It wouldn't sit well with him. Stuff like that never did.
Instead, Jack's eye caught a book on her coffee table. It was titled Quantum Mechanics the Easy Way. He chuckled, picking up the book and leafing through it. It seems that years and years of being exposed to all of this time travel junk at least made Beth somewhat interested in how it all worked.
He flipped through the pages, reading random excerpts and peering at the charts filled with esoteric calculations that peppered the pages. This book was apparently written by some physics professor at Texas A&M University. The writing reminded him of Will's ramblings on time travel and quantum physics, but just a little more organized. A little bit.
"Jack!"
Jack must have become so engrossed in it because Beth's voice made him jump.
"Oh, hey," he said as he put the book back in its place.
Jack looked up. She was wearing a purple bathrobe and it seemed like not much else. Her hair was undone, the first time Jack had seen it in such a state. It tumbled down her shoulders in auburn waves. Jack never realized how long it actually was.
"Well, I'm fresh and clean now," Beth reported.
Jack stared at her, almost slack-jawed. His eyes couldn't help but notice how she had loosely tied her robe, allowing Jack to leave very little of her body up to the imagination.
He stood up and swallowed hard.
"You look it," he somehow managed to get out.
Beth smiled.
"So. Uh, I think I'm gonna go to bed."
She took a few steps toward him. Jack remained rooted to the spot.
Beth gently lay her arms around his neck.
"You know, I got a king sized bed in there. Plenty of room for two of us."
A part of Jack most certainly wanted to take her up on that offer. The more logical part told him to stick to his morals, however much they were being tested.
That part won.
Jack kissed her softly on the forehead.
"You had quite the night. Go get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."
Beth withdrew her arms and let them fall to her side. She nodded once.
"Okay. Goodnight, Jack."
"Goodnight, Beth."
She turned around to walk to her room. Beth paused mid-stride. With a flash of purple, she whipped around and stepped forward to plant a kiss on Jack's lips.
Jack returned it, running his hands through her hair, still damp from her shower. Their lips broke, but they were still entwined, faces together. Jack took a deep breath of her lingering shampoo.
"I had a great time tonight," Beth whispered breathily.
"Me too."
"I want to see you again."
"I… I want to see you everyday," Jack admitted before he could even begin to stop himself from speaking too quickly.
She took a short breath.
"Do you?"
"We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay? When you're a little less drunk and more inclined to not say things you may want to take back."
Beth giggled.
"Your fault for getting me liquored up."
"Go to sleep."
Beth broke away from him. She walked backwards.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Beth."
She smiled at him one last time before gently shutting the door.
Jack felt pleased with himself. He kicked off his shoes and settled down on the couch. Jack laced his hands together behind his head and waiting for sleep to overtake him.
He awoke with a shudder. Jack sat up, confirming he was still crashing on Beth's couch in her apartment. At some point during the night, he managed to cover himself with his jacket.
Jack willed himself to stand up and stretch. Dawn light poured through the windows over the couch. He checked his phone and saw a text from Paul, sent late during the night. Jack had not spared a glance at his phone almost the entire night.
I hope you're getting laid rn lmao
And a follow-up:
But seriously, lemme know how your date with Brittney went
And one more:
Or beth. Whatever her name is
Jack rolled his eyes and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Paul could wait.
The door to Beth's bedroom opened. She stepped out. Her hair was wild, her face looking a combination of pained and confused.
"Good morning, gorgeous," Jack happily greeted.
Beth offered a weak smile.
"Good morning, handsome."
Jack whistled and shook his head.
"You sure put the 'hot' in 'hot mess.'"
She rubbed her forehead with her open palm.
"I knew a hangover would be in my future, but I didn't really stop myself."
"That's because you wanted to have a good time and you deserved it."
"Yeah… I guess I did."
Beth raised an arm weakly toward the kitchen.
"Hey, can you make me some coffee?"
"Sure."
As Jack prepared her coffee, Beth took a seat at the dining room table.
"You know what you need? Some eggs, bacon, and other disgusting fried foods you probably shouldn't be eating if you're looking for a healthy breakfast. There's a diner not too far from here. You game?"
Beth weakly gave a thumb's up.
"That sounds good. I'll be more enthusiastic once I get some coffee and water in me."
"I'll call Will to get me down to the bar so I can get my car. Then I'll go and take you. Sound good?"
"Yeah. Now please stop talking and make me some coffee."
"Yes, ma'am."