Solar Flare
Chapter Three
Jo was working on autopilot as she moved about the restaurant. Her mind kept straying from the task at hand to the handsome boy that she seen the night before. They had gone to see a movie, a standard first date location and harmless enough, but she couldn't remember a single thing about the film.
What she could remember was that she was overtly aware of how close she was to Jacob in the theater. Granted, it was a movie theater and the chairs were close to begin with, but that coupled with his huge frame it was more difficult to not be touching him in some way. She was more than grateful for the darkness since she couldn't reign in her blush. Although her embarrassment was forgotten for a moment when they were a little ways into the movie. She couldn't explain how she knew, it was more of a feeling of sorts. It was as if she could sense the anger beginning to roll off him, even though in the dark she couldn't so much as see his expression. It should've made her feel uncomfortable and given her a reason to try and end the date early. Instead, she decided to be bold and lean in toward him, shifting ever so slightly in her seat. He went still at her movement but a moment later, again, she could sense the change in his mood. Then his arm easily wrapped around her shoulder, enveloping her in his warmth and the rest of the movie passed in comfortable silence.
She couldn't even explain it, what it was between them. Notoriously, she was quite awkward when it came to interacting with a potential crush or even an attractive person outside of work, where it was easy to put on and hide behind a professional front. She would stammer, blush, the world would feel like it was closing in and her chest would tighten. Actually, that all would still happen around Jacob but it was different at the same time. It was overwhelming and yet welcomed all at once.
"Table 5, Jo," called her manager.
"Got it," she answered. Readying her notepad for the next order, she didn't even bother to glance up, knowing the dining area like the back of her hand and sidestepping around the pulled out chairs. Pulling her pen from her bun, where she safely stored it, she placed the tip to paper and said her opening line.
"Sorry about the wait, folks. How can I help you today?"
"Any specials today, Jo?"
Opening her mouth to answer, she suddenly stopped and snapped her gaze up at the familiar voice. The large figure of Jacob Black filled the chair nearest to her and she jumped at the unexpected sight.
"J-Jacob!" she stammered, surprised. Cheeks turning pink, she noticed that he wasn't alone and she saw a younger boy sitting at the table with him. While he was obviously younger, she would bet good money that he towered over her as well in regard to height. He gave a friendly wave and she returned the gesture, confused.
"You sound so surprised," chuckled Jacob. "Am I not supposed to visit? I heard that the food and service are great here."
Her blush brightened at his teasing tone but she was quick to retort as well, smiling.
"I was just surprised to see you in restaurant appropriate attire, Mr. Black. What can I get you today?"
The younger boy bit back a bark of laughter, sniggering behind his hand and Jacob's grin only widened as he laughed as well. Once they had settled down, introductions were made and she learned that the boy's name was Seth Clearwater and he was from the reservation like Jacob. Jo took their orders down and promised that their burgers would be out shortly and when she turned to make her way back to the kitchen she felt a light tug on her apron and was promptly turned back around.
"Um, yes?" She couldn't help but notice that it was especially interesting to have the temporary height advantage over the handsome boy. Almost thrilling, she thought as she looked down to make eye contact. His dark eyes were bright as well and she had the vague notion that he was thinking along the same lines.
"When do you get off today?" he asked. Bringing her wrist up, she glanced down at her watch to make certain.
"In about an hour. Why?"
"I've got something to ask you," he answered cryptically. Raising a questioning eyebrow, she left the table and made her way back to the kitchen to turn in their order with an amused smile.
Jacob's gaze lingered until the girl disappeared into the kitchen before turning back around to see Seth grinning toothily at him.
"She seems nice," he commented, pleased. The larger boy folded his arms with a proud smile, leaning back in his chair.
"Of course she is."
A few moments passed in comfortable silence, the restaurant's atmosphere was warm and friendly as the other patrons enjoyed their meals. Jo brought out their drinks but she didn't have a chance to chat since the dinner rush picked up and she needed to take care of her other tables. Jacob couldn't help but watch as she worked. It was interesting to see her without her blush and instead move with an easy confidence. She moved around the dining room with a well-practiced grace, smiling and talking with the customers, most of which she knew by name and even knew their usual order. Some she even shared a friendly banter, the employee and patron giving each a hard time in good fun. She also asked how some particular aspects of their lives were going: how was first grade for the young boy? How was a young woman's mother doing?
Jo had just brought over their plates when someone caught her eye and she gave a smile and a wave.
"How's it going Chief Swan?"
Jacob looked over his shoulder to see the chief of police entering the establishment and Bella was only a step behind him. Fortunately, Edward Cullen wasn't with them, not that he could really appreciate a restaurant of any sort, with being undead and everything. The chief waved in return and Jo had them pick their own table and promised to be with them in a moment. The werewolf felt Bella's gaze on him and he noticed Seth shift slightly, unnerved by the attention but he didn't say anything until Jo stepped away to take care of the cop and his daughter.
"Bella looks kind of upset," whispered the boy, leaning in to keep his voice low. "Does she know?"
"It's none of her business," said Jacob, not looking back at the other table. "It doesn't concern her and if she wants to know then she can ask, but other than that, it has nothing to do with her or her precious bloodsuckers, so I doubt she'll be interested."
As Jo took down the orders, she couldn't help but notice that Bella's attention kept drifting past her toward Jacob's table and she couldn't help but feel uneasy at the sight. She kept her smile and professional appearance and when she turned to head back to the kitchen, she glanced from the very corner of her eye and was unreasonably relieved to see that Jacob didn't even seem to be slightly interested that Bella was just a couple tables away.
The kitchen was bustling with activity as always, the back of house being considerably warmer than the front. The grill was sizzling, fryer bubbling, and orders were being shouted out when ready to be taken out to the customer. Her dad was working the grill like he usually did, sleeves rolled up, bandana tied over the top of his head so to keep the sweat from rolling into his eyes. Keeping tabs on her next table's order, she noticed that one of the new hires was struggling with their tray. The new girl was trying to carry too many things at once and Jo quickly made her way over.
In a moment of foresight, she saw the tray start to slip away from the girl's hand and she lunged forward to try and save it.
"Watch it!"
The crash of dishes resounded throughout the kitchen and the two girls were laid out on the ground in a tangled mess. With one hand on the now empty tray and the other keeping the new girl from hitting the tile floor, Jo took the brunt of the weight of the fall but between the two of them, they managed to wear most of the food rather than get it on the floor.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry…!" yelped the new girl, Mary. Jo didn't answer right away, only quickly motioning for her to get up. When they fell, the girl's weight had landed fully on her right leg, primarily up near her hip. She kept her jaw clenched tightly, trying not to cry out while lightning like pain shot from her hip down to the arch of her foot.
"What's going on?" called her dad, unable to step away from the grill.
"We're all right," Jo answered, noticing how pale Mary turned when the owner's big voice sounded out. Well, he was intimidating to those who didn't know him. She saw the receipt on the ground and spoke up for her again.
"We need a remake on table seven, please."
Mary whispered a very faint "Thank you…!" to which, Jo gave a shaky smile and held out a hand so to be helped to her feet, doing her best to keep weight off her right side. She placed it down on the ground and the ache jolted through her again but it wasn't as staggering as before, it was more familiar. That was better. At least it was time for her to clock out. Making her way back toward the grill to make sure that her dad knew about the remake order and that she was going to clock out for the night. She saw him glance toward her leg but she was quick to laugh it off, saying it wasn't a big deal.
"Oh yeah, Jacob's here so I might be hanging around before heading home if that's all right?" she asked. He gave a guffaw of a laugh and gave a teasing look.
"Is that your new boyfriend from the other night?" He paused to flip over a few burgers and then stepped to her side and grabbed a drink of water. Jo felt her face dare to blush as she pouted at her dad's teasing. He knew that kind of stuff always made her super flustered as a kid and still could turn her pink even now.
"He's a boy that I'm sort of talking too, if that's what you mean," she clarified. "I can talk to boys."
"Well, thank heavens, it's about time you can talk to boys," he joked.
She tried to keep her frown, though the corner of her mouth twitched. "Ha ha, you're so funny. Well, I've got a boy to talk to and shouldn't you be working?"
Her dad gave another loud laugh. "You go have fun. Let your mom know where you'll be at and when you'll be home."
"You got it," she agreed. "Have a good night!"
After changing back into the outfit she had worn to class, though still smelling like salt in her opinion, she stepped back into the dining room to see that Jacob leaning against the wall in the general waiting area. He was in the middle of a conversation with Seth but somehow, before she even took a breath to say "Hello," he perked up and turned to look at her, an easy smile taking over.
Her heart picked up and she felt herself becoming unreasonably happy at the sight of him and she couldn't help but grin back at him in return.
"Hey there," she finally managed. "You guys didn't have to wait on me or anything."
"It's no problem," said Jacob, straightening up to his full height. His dark eyes glittered in a way that allowed her blush to remain vibrant as he held the door open, Seth bounding outside first and Jo quickly following. The waitress followed Seth's lead to a rusty pickup truck (a rather standard vehicle for the rainy town of Forks) and the young boy jumped up, turned in midair, and took a seat on the bed's edge, giving an impish grin. Jo blinked in surprise.
"Dang, you really can jump," she commented. His smile only grew and her knees then nearly buckled when an arm was casually swung over her shoulders and she was effortlessly tucked into Jacob's side.
"He's just showing off," mocked Jacob. "Get down, we've got to get you back home soon anyway."
"Aw, you're no fun," said Seth, giving a fake whine. The taller boy gave a short laugh and made a quick dart forward, as if to throw him over his shoulder, but Seth was able to tumble backwards and flip over the other side. He stood up straight and held his arms up as if he was a gymnast. Jo couldn't help but clap, impressed. He gave a bow and ducked into the cab of the truck.
"Smartass," laughed Jacob. Pulling open the driver's door, he turned back around to face the girl gesturing to the vehicle. "Hop on in, we'll give you a lift."
"Oh that's alright, I've got my bike here," she said. "Thanks, though!"
His expression shifted to concern. "But it's dark out. It's not safe to be riding at this time of night."
"It's not a big deal—here, I'll show you!" Before he could argue further, she made her way over to the bike rack and brought her yellow bicycle out to show. With a flip of a switch, a small headlight came to life above the front wheel. She even rang the small bell for good measure.
"See? Totally safe," she stated proudly. "Plus I don't live too far from the restaurant anyway."
Jacob made his way over to her beloved bike and gave the bel a ring as well. She giggled at the action while at the same time being aware of how close he was to her. Looking up, she was surprised by worried vibe he was giving off. Was that just her imagination? Why was he worried? She's made the ride more times than she could count.
"It's really not a big deal," she tried to reassure him.
"The bell is very convincing," he tried to joke, but his grin faltered halfway through. "But there's all kinds of things out there at night. Please, I'd feel better knowing you got home safe."
There was something about the sincerity in his tone that dissuade her impulsive thought that he might be teasing her about her preferred mode of transportation like most did. Even in the dim nighttime lighting, she felt like she could still read those dark eyes with unwavering clarity. He wasn't trying to give her a hard time, his concern was honest. That alone was unnerving, to have someone worry over her. Being the overly concerned one was usually her job so to have the tables turned was a strange feeling.
She glanced back at the old truck, noticing Seth's wave, and did her best to swallow her rising anxiety.
"Okay. I-It'll be faster anyway," she agreed. Her leg was still aching anyway so it would be better that she stayed off it, she reasoned to herself.
Jacob released a breath she didn't realize he was holding and his answering smile was enough to warm her straight to her toes, melting some of her nerves away. She could feel the heat emitting from him as he leaned forward, giving her hand that was resting on the handlebar a gentle squeeze.
"Thank you."
There it was again, that earnest honesty she couldn't wrap her mind around. As if she was the one doing him the favor. Goosebumps broke out across her skin as she gave a smile in return.
"I should be the one thanking you. You're helping me out here," she joked. He gave a soft laugh and picked up her bike with one hand, resting it on his shoulder like it was nothing.
"Trust me. I'm more than happy to." His figure was even larger than before with him holding her bike but she didn't feel intimidated or small in his wake. She didn't even realize that she had shifted closer, her fingertips slowly reaching out as she looked up at him, nearly brushing against his jacket.
Seth's laugh cut through the air with startling clarity.
"Who's the show-off now?"
Her blush flared back to life so quickly that she missed the sound of what could be described as growling as Jacob sent a sharp look over his shoulder to the boy. Her embarrassment soon gave way to humor and she found herself cracking up at the abrupt mood change. Seth grinned at her from ear to ear and Jacob's scowl soon faded, giving her an amused smirk. He stepped away to deposit her bike in the bed of the truck and then moved to the still-open driver's door as Seth gave a wave. Taking a deep breath, she made her way over and climbed into the truck, taking Jacob's offered hand.
Immediately, she realized that she didn't take into account was how tight it was going to be when the doors closed.
She tried to make herself as small as possible but it was a fruitless effort. Seth was clearly in the middle of a growth spurt while Jacob was a large person in general, so both of their shoulders were pressing in on her. It didn't seem as if the boys were too bothered by the arrangement and while Jo tried to keep her mind under reasonable control, but when the truck croaked to life, her nerves shot through the roof. Her hands gripped the material of her jeans above her knees and she fought to keep very still and to refrain from shaking. She closed her eyes when Jacob put the truck into gear and they started to move which immediately twisted her stomach into knots.
It would be fine, her house wasn't that far away. It would be a short drive.
She was only dimly aware of herself giving her address and she tried to focus on the casual conversation between the two boys. She made herself listen to every word, doing her best to keep her mind completely occupied. Seth was talking about some kind of tribe council meeting that was taking place the next evening, telling her that it was going to include tales from their people and that everybody would be there.
Suddenly, she felt Jacob's large hand cover her tightly clenched fist and she dared to open her eyes. She didn't hesitate to open her hand and slip her fingers in between his, not caring if she was embarrassed for a moment. He kept his eyes on the road but she could feel his concern reaching out to her. While half of her wanted him to keep both hands on the wheel, the other half was so relieved to have his hand to hold.
Thankfully, they pulled up to her house in a reasonable time frame and Jacob cut the engine before getting out and she was quick to follow. She took a deep breath, thrilled to feel the night air against her skin once more. Jacob had picked up her bicycle once again and carefully set it down, ringing the bell as he brought it to her. She gave a weak giggle at the gesture.
"Thanks again for the ride. I really appreciate it," she said, the bike under her hands one more.
"Like I said, it's not a problem," said Jacob, giving that heartwarming smile. She noticed that he was still holding onto her bike as well, sort of leaning in toward her. "Listen, Jo, what're you doing tomorrow?"
"A whole lot of nothing, why?" She was acutely aware of how close his hand was to hers again and she was quietly wishing that she had the nerve to reach out and hold his hand again.
"I was thinking you and I could spend the day at La Push," he suggested. "You'd probably meet the rest of the pack before the council meeting in the evening too, that way you kind of know everyone."
Pack? That was certainly an interesting way to refer a group of friends, thought Jo. Odd yet endearing.
"Wait, you want me to attend the council meeting?" she asked, confused. "That sounds like a pretty private affair, are you sure? I mean, I can make arrangements to get a ride home before the meeting starts, it's really not a problem."
Green eyes widened as Jacob stepped closer to her and once again she could feel the heat radiating off of him.
"Trust me, you have every right to be there."
His tone was so serious, so honest that she couldn't help but believe him.
"It's date then," she answered, breathless. His smile seemed to light him up from the inside and her blush turned another shade darker as he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss on her cheek. Shivers were sent up and down her spine, the delicate hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised.
She managed to nod. "Can't wait."
The truck started up again and she remained outside her house with her bike as she watched them pull away, both boys giving her a wave. She lingered for an additional moment, hoping her face would cool off before she went inside. Her phone suddenly buzzed with a message, sufficiently snapping her out of her daze and she pulled out the device to see who was reaching out to her.
"Huh, Bella Swan," she mused.
Hey Jo, would you like to get together to work on the project tomorrow?
"Well I actually have social plans for once," she joked to herself before typing a reply. "Shocking."
I'm busy tomorrow, but what about the day after? We could make a day of it and knock it out in one go. The sooner the better lol
It didn't take long for her to answer.
That sounds great. See you then.
REVIEW! Your thoughts would be love as always! Sorry for the big delays, work and life have been extra crazy here (story of my life) but I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and learning a bit more about Jo!
Next time, Jo gets to visit La Push and meet the rest of the pack!
Hope you enjoy!
