Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait. This has been done for well over a week but I'm having formatting issues...the computer that saves it as HTML is lacking a mouse...it's a long story. I don't know how this is gonna come out as a text document only, so I'm gonna keep this author's note short. //This// represents italics. Thanks for reading the continual support!
Reflection
Chapter Seventeen ~ The Gift
The morning shift was hell. Elizabeth would hardly look at Courtney, let alone speak to her. When speach was necessary, it was cut into clipped sentences. Courtney had no idea what it was about, other than the usual, and ignored it, taking the high road. Only half of her was here, at Kelly's, serving people anyway. The other half was still lost in last night...the soft beat of the music, Jason's arms around her waist, how his lips had felt when they first brushed hers...It had been simply amazing. The most amazing thing she'd ever felt. Sure, she'd had crushes before, but she'd always been too nervous to approach them. Even if she hadn't been, her mom had made it very clear that she didn't have time for both boys and dancing. It was one or the other. Dancing won out. Dancing always had. It was the most important thing in the world to her. At least she had thought so, until those policemen had broken the news to her. Suddenly dancing didn't mean a thing.
Jason, though he didn't know it, was changing her perspective yet again. Dancing //did// matter. It was a part of her that couldn't be denied. But it wasn't everything. There was a life outside ballet. There was friends, family, even love...if she let what was between her and Jason develop into love. There was room in her life for all of these things. She just needed to prioritize. And this time she was going to get her priorities right.
"Earth to Courtney!"
Elizabeth's shrilled voice pulled her out of the thoughts she'd been lost in. Her head snapped in the petite woman's direction.
"We have //customers.// Do you think you could drag yourself out of your //important// thoughts long enough to actually do some work around here or do I have to do //everything// myself?"
Courtney rolled her eyes. As she did so, she caught sight of someone peering through the window at her. It was Jason. He smiled and stepped back.
Elizabeth had noticed Courtney's expression change. Her face had just started glowing, and her eyes lit up. Elizabeth turned to see what the other woman was looking at. She didn't see anything. She couldn't decide whether this was a good thing or not. If nothing was there, she couldn't have been smiling at Jason, could she? But since there was nothing there, maybe Courtney was //fantasizing// about last night, //reliving// it in her mind, like an immature high school girl might after dancing at the prom with her crush. It made her want to slap her. But before she could say anything, Courtney was handing over the basin full of dishes.
"You know what? Consider me on break. I am allowed to take those, by the way."
Courtney walked away, pushing through the doors of Kelly's, leaving a fuming Elizabeth glaring after her.
~*~
Jason had been hoping Courtney would see him, and she did. Their eyes locked for a moment, and he saw her entire face light up. She flashed a smile, her teeth bright against her lightly tanned skin. He stepped away from the window then, knowing...no, hoping...that she'd come out to see him. This surprise was kind of pointless if she didn't.
Surprises weren't something Jason usually arranged for anybody except Michael. Courtney was different, though. He'd seen how sad she was about her mom and her dad from that first day on the docks. Sure, she tried to hide behind this tough girl act, but he could tell she was vulnerable, a little afraid. That changed when she was around him. She was more confident, more vibrant, more alive. Maybe it was a conicidence, but he didn't think so, because he felt the same thing. The wounds from her past were beginning to heal. He wanted to help her anyway he could. That's partly what this surprise was about. He hoped it'd take her mind off her problems for a little while, maybe make her smile. Okay, so he was being a little selfish, too. He loved seeing her smile. And if she didn't react the way he hoped she would, there was always something to fall back on; the surprise was functional. Half of it anyway. The other half...well, he could skip that part if things went wrong. After last night, he didn't think it would.
Courtney pushed through the door, wearing only cargo pants, a V-neck sweater, and her Kelly's apron. She felt the cold immediately, and wrapped her arms around herself. It made Jason smile.
"Jason, what are you doing here?" she asked, but not in an accusing way. Then she scrunched up her eyes in mock disapproval. "What, are you on a mission for my brother?"
He hoped the smile meant she was just kidding. "I brought something for you," he replied simply. He wasn't good at this. Now that this was actually happening, he wasn't sure what to say. So he put the box on the table.
"What's this?" Her tone had a hint of suspicion, but she was still smiling.
"Open it and find out," he quietly urged.
Courtney looked at him for awhile. She couldn't resist her curiosity. She wanted to see what was in the box. She moved the the table, reaching out to finger the bow. The package had been wrapped, as department stores did sometimes. She had to suppress a giggle at the thought of Jason taking the time to struggle with the pink paper himself. She suspected he would do it, if the person were special enough to him, but she was just as sure that the result wouldn't have been this neat. With a glance in his direction and a nibble on her lip, she carefully began to lift the top. It slid off without a hitch, revealing the white tissue paper underneath. She set the lid aside, careful not to crush the bow, and stole one more glance at Jason before beginning to fold the tissue back.
Underneath, in sharp contrast to the white paper, was stitched black leather. For a moment her brow furrowed, but she continued unwrapping the gift anyway. She ran a finger over the material. Not vinal, not imitation. This was real leather, expensive leather at that. She tentatively finged the edges of the what was obviously a piece of clothing, extracting it carefully from the gift box. As her hands rose, it unfolded, revealing a beautiful, lined leather jacket that was just her size.
Courtney's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. When the words came, they were expressed out of pure shock. No one had ever given her a gift like this. "Jason. This must have cost a fortune." She shifted her wide-eyes gaze to him.
Jason shrugged. "I have money and I never use it."
"Why not?"
Jason shrugged with his mouth this time. "I don't want anything." He reached for the jacket, removing it gently from her arms, and then holding it out for her.
Courtney turned around and let him slip it onto her shoulders. "You've never thought of going to college?" When she turned back around, he saw his expression, if anything, was slightly confused.
"I work for Sonny." He said it like he'd never thought there was anything else out there for him.
"You talk as if that's the only thing you think you can do with your life."
"I like working for Sonny. I'm good at it."
He said it was so much feeling, so much emotion. She didn't doubt it for a second. Who was she to judge what he did with his life? She smiled, reaching out to straighten the lapels of his own leather jacket. "I'm sure you'd be good at anything you chose to do." And if working for Sonny was it...well, she could live with that.
Jason was't sure she'd understand, but he made the effort to explain anyway. "Working for Sonny is something I know. I don't have to think about it, I just do it. It's hard to explain, but I know it's what I'm meant to do."
Courtney knew exactly what he meant. It was how she felt about dancing. It wasn't something she could easily put into words, as Jason's job wasn't something he could easily describe.
~*~
Inside, Elizabeth looked at the clock. It was extremely busy and that little witch was taking entirely too long. She slammed new silverware onto a table and went to the door, pushing through without looking first.
What she saw made her more furious than she'd ever been in her life. Little Miss Courtney was standing with Jason, wearing a leather jacket that she never could have afforded and totally didn't go with any of her other clothes. Elizabeth had seen them; they consisted of frumpy sweaters and cargo pants. Courtney didn't seem to have any idea that one could be stylish on a budget. Not that that mattered. Her budget never could have covered that jacket. On the table next to them was a gift-wrapped box. Elizabeth knew what that meant. Jason had given her the jacket. Who did he think he was, giving gifts to someone he didn't even know? It made her see red all over again.
"If you don't mind, your fifteen minutes are //over//," she snapped, then turned back, letting the door slam behind her.
Before Jason and Courtney could say a word, his cell phone rang. Jason wished he didn't have to answer, but work was unavoidable. He answered it, and the conversation was brief, consisting of, "Yeah?" and "Okay, I'll be right there."
"Work?" Courtney guessed with a smile.
He nodded. "Yeah. Look, I was going to ask you if you'd like to go for a motorcycle ride sometime?"
Courtney's eyebrows rose. Now there was something she'd never done before. The thought was kind of terrifying...but this was Jason. He wouldn't let her fall off or hurt herself. She needed to start living again, taking chances. "I'd love to," she said. Jason seemed relieved by her answer. He started to walk away, but she called him back. "Thanks, for the jacket. I'll never be cold again." The words were pure truth. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside at the thought he'd put into the gift, into her.
He gave her his trademark smile and left.
She stood out there in the cold a little longer, rubbing the leather, imagining what it would be like to be on the back of his bike, holding on to his waist for dear life. In a way, it'd be living on the edge, exactly what having a relationship with him would be like. He was a mod enforcer after all. But that wasn't all he was.
She turned to go back in.
"Courtney Matthews!" a familiar voice, one she hadn't heard in years, called out.
She whirled around, her eyes widening at the sight of him. "Reuben!" she exclaimed. Without even thinking about it, she ran forward and gave her old friend a tight hug.
~*~
P.S. All right! I'm always looking for suggestions on what people want to see...so if you have any random ramblings, feel free to share :D
Reflection
Chapter Seventeen ~ The Gift
The morning shift was hell. Elizabeth would hardly look at Courtney, let alone speak to her. When speach was necessary, it was cut into clipped sentences. Courtney had no idea what it was about, other than the usual, and ignored it, taking the high road. Only half of her was here, at Kelly's, serving people anyway. The other half was still lost in last night...the soft beat of the music, Jason's arms around her waist, how his lips had felt when they first brushed hers...It had been simply amazing. The most amazing thing she'd ever felt. Sure, she'd had crushes before, but she'd always been too nervous to approach them. Even if she hadn't been, her mom had made it very clear that she didn't have time for both boys and dancing. It was one or the other. Dancing won out. Dancing always had. It was the most important thing in the world to her. At least she had thought so, until those policemen had broken the news to her. Suddenly dancing didn't mean a thing.
Jason, though he didn't know it, was changing her perspective yet again. Dancing //did// matter. It was a part of her that couldn't be denied. But it wasn't everything. There was a life outside ballet. There was friends, family, even love...if she let what was between her and Jason develop into love. There was room in her life for all of these things. She just needed to prioritize. And this time she was going to get her priorities right.
"Earth to Courtney!"
Elizabeth's shrilled voice pulled her out of the thoughts she'd been lost in. Her head snapped in the petite woman's direction.
"We have //customers.// Do you think you could drag yourself out of your //important// thoughts long enough to actually do some work around here or do I have to do //everything// myself?"
Courtney rolled her eyes. As she did so, she caught sight of someone peering through the window at her. It was Jason. He smiled and stepped back.
Elizabeth had noticed Courtney's expression change. Her face had just started glowing, and her eyes lit up. Elizabeth turned to see what the other woman was looking at. She didn't see anything. She couldn't decide whether this was a good thing or not. If nothing was there, she couldn't have been smiling at Jason, could she? But since there was nothing there, maybe Courtney was //fantasizing// about last night, //reliving// it in her mind, like an immature high school girl might after dancing at the prom with her crush. It made her want to slap her. But before she could say anything, Courtney was handing over the basin full of dishes.
"You know what? Consider me on break. I am allowed to take those, by the way."
Courtney walked away, pushing through the doors of Kelly's, leaving a fuming Elizabeth glaring after her.
~*~
Jason had been hoping Courtney would see him, and she did. Their eyes locked for a moment, and he saw her entire face light up. She flashed a smile, her teeth bright against her lightly tanned skin. He stepped away from the window then, knowing...no, hoping...that she'd come out to see him. This surprise was kind of pointless if she didn't.
Surprises weren't something Jason usually arranged for anybody except Michael. Courtney was different, though. He'd seen how sad she was about her mom and her dad from that first day on the docks. Sure, she tried to hide behind this tough girl act, but he could tell she was vulnerable, a little afraid. That changed when she was around him. She was more confident, more vibrant, more alive. Maybe it was a conicidence, but he didn't think so, because he felt the same thing. The wounds from her past were beginning to heal. He wanted to help her anyway he could. That's partly what this surprise was about. He hoped it'd take her mind off her problems for a little while, maybe make her smile. Okay, so he was being a little selfish, too. He loved seeing her smile. And if she didn't react the way he hoped she would, there was always something to fall back on; the surprise was functional. Half of it anyway. The other half...well, he could skip that part if things went wrong. After last night, he didn't think it would.
Courtney pushed through the door, wearing only cargo pants, a V-neck sweater, and her Kelly's apron. She felt the cold immediately, and wrapped her arms around herself. It made Jason smile.
"Jason, what are you doing here?" she asked, but not in an accusing way. Then she scrunched up her eyes in mock disapproval. "What, are you on a mission for my brother?"
He hoped the smile meant she was just kidding. "I brought something for you," he replied simply. He wasn't good at this. Now that this was actually happening, he wasn't sure what to say. So he put the box on the table.
"What's this?" Her tone had a hint of suspicion, but she was still smiling.
"Open it and find out," he quietly urged.
Courtney looked at him for awhile. She couldn't resist her curiosity. She wanted to see what was in the box. She moved the the table, reaching out to finger the bow. The package had been wrapped, as department stores did sometimes. She had to suppress a giggle at the thought of Jason taking the time to struggle with the pink paper himself. She suspected he would do it, if the person were special enough to him, but she was just as sure that the result wouldn't have been this neat. With a glance in his direction and a nibble on her lip, she carefully began to lift the top. It slid off without a hitch, revealing the white tissue paper underneath. She set the lid aside, careful not to crush the bow, and stole one more glance at Jason before beginning to fold the tissue back.
Underneath, in sharp contrast to the white paper, was stitched black leather. For a moment her brow furrowed, but she continued unwrapping the gift anyway. She ran a finger over the material. Not vinal, not imitation. This was real leather, expensive leather at that. She tentatively finged the edges of the what was obviously a piece of clothing, extracting it carefully from the gift box. As her hands rose, it unfolded, revealing a beautiful, lined leather jacket that was just her size.
Courtney's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. When the words came, they were expressed out of pure shock. No one had ever given her a gift like this. "Jason. This must have cost a fortune." She shifted her wide-eyes gaze to him.
Jason shrugged. "I have money and I never use it."
"Why not?"
Jason shrugged with his mouth this time. "I don't want anything." He reached for the jacket, removing it gently from her arms, and then holding it out for her.
Courtney turned around and let him slip it onto her shoulders. "You've never thought of going to college?" When she turned back around, he saw his expression, if anything, was slightly confused.
"I work for Sonny." He said it like he'd never thought there was anything else out there for him.
"You talk as if that's the only thing you think you can do with your life."
"I like working for Sonny. I'm good at it."
He said it was so much feeling, so much emotion. She didn't doubt it for a second. Who was she to judge what he did with his life? She smiled, reaching out to straighten the lapels of his own leather jacket. "I'm sure you'd be good at anything you chose to do." And if working for Sonny was it...well, she could live with that.
Jason was't sure she'd understand, but he made the effort to explain anyway. "Working for Sonny is something I know. I don't have to think about it, I just do it. It's hard to explain, but I know it's what I'm meant to do."
Courtney knew exactly what he meant. It was how she felt about dancing. It wasn't something she could easily put into words, as Jason's job wasn't something he could easily describe.
~*~
Inside, Elizabeth looked at the clock. It was extremely busy and that little witch was taking entirely too long. She slammed new silverware onto a table and went to the door, pushing through without looking first.
What she saw made her more furious than she'd ever been in her life. Little Miss Courtney was standing with Jason, wearing a leather jacket that she never could have afforded and totally didn't go with any of her other clothes. Elizabeth had seen them; they consisted of frumpy sweaters and cargo pants. Courtney didn't seem to have any idea that one could be stylish on a budget. Not that that mattered. Her budget never could have covered that jacket. On the table next to them was a gift-wrapped box. Elizabeth knew what that meant. Jason had given her the jacket. Who did he think he was, giving gifts to someone he didn't even know? It made her see red all over again.
"If you don't mind, your fifteen minutes are //over//," she snapped, then turned back, letting the door slam behind her.
Before Jason and Courtney could say a word, his cell phone rang. Jason wished he didn't have to answer, but work was unavoidable. He answered it, and the conversation was brief, consisting of, "Yeah?" and "Okay, I'll be right there."
"Work?" Courtney guessed with a smile.
He nodded. "Yeah. Look, I was going to ask you if you'd like to go for a motorcycle ride sometime?"
Courtney's eyebrows rose. Now there was something she'd never done before. The thought was kind of terrifying...but this was Jason. He wouldn't let her fall off or hurt herself. She needed to start living again, taking chances. "I'd love to," she said. Jason seemed relieved by her answer. He started to walk away, but she called him back. "Thanks, for the jacket. I'll never be cold again." The words were pure truth. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside at the thought he'd put into the gift, into her.
He gave her his trademark smile and left.
She stood out there in the cold a little longer, rubbing the leather, imagining what it would be like to be on the back of his bike, holding on to his waist for dear life. In a way, it'd be living on the edge, exactly what having a relationship with him would be like. He was a mod enforcer after all. But that wasn't all he was.
She turned to go back in.
"Courtney Matthews!" a familiar voice, one she hadn't heard in years, called out.
She whirled around, her eyes widening at the sight of him. "Reuben!" she exclaimed. Without even thinking about it, she ran forward and gave her old friend a tight hug.
~*~
P.S. All right! I'm always looking for suggestions on what people want to see...so if you have any random ramblings, feel free to share :D