Jack slipped into the Inn, unseen by the other residents. Easing
himself onto a bar stool, he ordered a Coke. A gruff, deep voice barked out
behind him.
"Aye, mate! Why doncha git yerself a good ole beer, and join us guys? Ye seem like a tough fellow, not one ta be drinkin' a Cola!" the voice laughed. Jack remained rooted in his spot, a small smile creeping onto his face. Finally, he whirled on the bar stool and faced the inn-goers, an amiable smile on his face.
"Sorry," Jack said, stretching lazily. "I gotta drive, and I don't drink and drive." He took great pleasure in seeing the men of the Inn's jaws drop, eyes bulge out of their sockets. They obviously recognized him from the television, and as Jack suspected, didn't expect a tall, well- built man.
"It-it's the romance writer!" the Burly Man exclaimed, eyes rooted to Jack's face. Jack nodded, proud that he now knew it was nothing to be ashamed of. "A man writin' a romance novel," the man continued, as though reading Jack's thoughts. "Having a woman publicize yer own book fer ya!"
"Nevah send a woman to do a man's job, but if your name is…eh…"
"Jack Willis," Jack replied lightly.
"right. Like I was sayin. Nevah send a woman to do a man's job, but if your name is Jack Willis, well then, send a woman to do a woman's job done by a man!" a man laughed. Jack tilted his head thoughtfully, as though thinking, although he already knew his response.
"Aren't there male nurses, male flight attendants, male secretaries? Hair stylists? Why not male romance writers?" Jack questioned curiously. The men shifted uneasily in their seats. Jack stood, glancing around, and headed toward the door, with a final remark tossed over his shoulder.
"Glad you enjoyed it. Goes to show who the real men are. Good for you!" with that, he walked out. One man turned to the big Burly Man, eyes wide and chin quivering.
"He kin read us lak a book, can't he?" he whispered. The men groaned and each whacked the man on the back of the head.
Jack walked over to Ruby, who was situated on the step of the truck. She got up, fixing him with the glare that only Ruby Vale could ensue, the glare that could make him step back, and hesitate. "Jack Willis, what the bloody –eck were you doin?" She took his hand gently, turning it over. "No bruises. You didn't fight," she stared speculatively at him. "So?"
Jack grinned, and helped her into the truck. "Let's go home. I've had enough of this celebrity style."
~*~Several Days Later~*~
Jack pulled into the dusty lot of the Boomerang Café. A smile lit his features at the vacant…JACK'S SPOT. He nudged the sleeping Ruby, and nodded to the sign. She grinned and punched him lightly. Jack eased gently on the brakes, a wince flooded his face.
"Not again," he groaned. "Rube, hold on." Ruby flashed him an irritated, confused look, then understanding.
"You never fixed the brakes did you, Jack?!" Ruby demanded. Jack grinned awkwardly, and jammed down harder on the brakes. The truck coasted forward, forward, till it rested, barely touching the metal of the parking spot. "Well done, Bond," Ruby teased.
Inside, Suz was sweeping in the new café, when she heard the familiar squeal of brakes. "Jack's back!" Suz exclaimed ecstatically. "Ruby must be with him!" She bustled toward the door, when Artie grabbed her arm.
"Don't be ridiculous, Suz! Jack isn't…"
"SUZ!" Ruby's voice pierced the empty café. "SUZ!" She hobbled into the arms of the older woman, and the two women embraced.
"Look at you, Ruby! Where's Jack?" Suz asked. Ruby shrugged, just as Jack walked in.
"Suz!" Jack exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her, and lifting her off the ground.
"Jack Willis, put me down this instant!" Suz admonished, laughing. Suddenly, the door opened.
"I don't believe I got an invitation to a party." Suz, Ruby, Jack, and Artie turned to see Hamish leaning against the doorframe, a smile on his face.
~*~ There, that's longer. Well, what will Hamish's true reaction be? Jack has something planned for Ruby. R&R and more will be written. Wait…more will be written anyway! Lol!~*~
"Aye, mate! Why doncha git yerself a good ole beer, and join us guys? Ye seem like a tough fellow, not one ta be drinkin' a Cola!" the voice laughed. Jack remained rooted in his spot, a small smile creeping onto his face. Finally, he whirled on the bar stool and faced the inn-goers, an amiable smile on his face.
"Sorry," Jack said, stretching lazily. "I gotta drive, and I don't drink and drive." He took great pleasure in seeing the men of the Inn's jaws drop, eyes bulge out of their sockets. They obviously recognized him from the television, and as Jack suspected, didn't expect a tall, well- built man.
"It-it's the romance writer!" the Burly Man exclaimed, eyes rooted to Jack's face. Jack nodded, proud that he now knew it was nothing to be ashamed of. "A man writin' a romance novel," the man continued, as though reading Jack's thoughts. "Having a woman publicize yer own book fer ya!"
"Nevah send a woman to do a man's job, but if your name is…eh…"
"Jack Willis," Jack replied lightly.
"right. Like I was sayin. Nevah send a woman to do a man's job, but if your name is Jack Willis, well then, send a woman to do a woman's job done by a man!" a man laughed. Jack tilted his head thoughtfully, as though thinking, although he already knew his response.
"Aren't there male nurses, male flight attendants, male secretaries? Hair stylists? Why not male romance writers?" Jack questioned curiously. The men shifted uneasily in their seats. Jack stood, glancing around, and headed toward the door, with a final remark tossed over his shoulder.
"Glad you enjoyed it. Goes to show who the real men are. Good for you!" with that, he walked out. One man turned to the big Burly Man, eyes wide and chin quivering.
"He kin read us lak a book, can't he?" he whispered. The men groaned and each whacked the man on the back of the head.
Jack walked over to Ruby, who was situated on the step of the truck. She got up, fixing him with the glare that only Ruby Vale could ensue, the glare that could make him step back, and hesitate. "Jack Willis, what the bloody –eck were you doin?" She took his hand gently, turning it over. "No bruises. You didn't fight," she stared speculatively at him. "So?"
Jack grinned, and helped her into the truck. "Let's go home. I've had enough of this celebrity style."
~*~Several Days Later~*~
Jack pulled into the dusty lot of the Boomerang Café. A smile lit his features at the vacant…JACK'S SPOT. He nudged the sleeping Ruby, and nodded to the sign. She grinned and punched him lightly. Jack eased gently on the brakes, a wince flooded his face.
"Not again," he groaned. "Rube, hold on." Ruby flashed him an irritated, confused look, then understanding.
"You never fixed the brakes did you, Jack?!" Ruby demanded. Jack grinned awkwardly, and jammed down harder on the brakes. The truck coasted forward, forward, till it rested, barely touching the metal of the parking spot. "Well done, Bond," Ruby teased.
Inside, Suz was sweeping in the new café, when she heard the familiar squeal of brakes. "Jack's back!" Suz exclaimed ecstatically. "Ruby must be with him!" She bustled toward the door, when Artie grabbed her arm.
"Don't be ridiculous, Suz! Jack isn't…"
"SUZ!" Ruby's voice pierced the empty café. "SUZ!" She hobbled into the arms of the older woman, and the two women embraced.
"Look at you, Ruby! Where's Jack?" Suz asked. Ruby shrugged, just as Jack walked in.
"Suz!" Jack exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her, and lifting her off the ground.
"Jack Willis, put me down this instant!" Suz admonished, laughing. Suddenly, the door opened.
"I don't believe I got an invitation to a party." Suz, Ruby, Jack, and Artie turned to see Hamish leaning against the doorframe, a smile on his face.
~*~ There, that's longer. Well, what will Hamish's true reaction be? Jack has something planned for Ruby. R&R and more will be written. Wait…more will be written anyway! Lol!~*~