Thanks again to those of you who continue to read this story and provide feedback so faithfully! I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I haven't had much time for writing this week and I found that this latest installment, trying to convey Teresa's POV and introspection, was difficult for me. More action (and more Jane) in the next chapter, I promise!
Chapter 6
From the looks of it, she wasn't the only one to be taken in by Patrick Jane's charms.
Teresa looked out the front window of the café and watched as yet another small group of customers made their way into his shop across the street. It was his opening day and she had noticed numerous people coming and going throughout the morning and early afternoon. This time it was three nervous-looking, giggling teenage girls no doubt daring one another to get their palms read or fortunes told or some other such nonsense, she thought to herself with the roll of her eyes. She watched as he ushered them in with the dramatic sweep of his arm, his dazzling smile on full display just as she'd expect it to be. Before following them inside, he glanced out into the busy street, and Teresa instinctively stepped (or rather, jumped) backwards so he wouldn't see her through the window. She cringed and rolled her eyes again, this time at herself and her ridiculous behavior. What the hell was she doing, spying on him like some moony-eyed schoolgirl? she silently chastised herself. She quickly grabbed the plates off the table she was bussing, stacked them in her bin, and hurried back to the counter.
Okay, so she wasn't exactly spying on him she reassured herself. They worked across the street from one another and it was a big window. She couldn't help but notice the comings and goings of her neighbors from her vantage point. Just like she could see Cho's almost daily trips down to the market to grab a fresh piece of fruit to eat with his lunch or Rigsby's frequent visits to the ice cream shop down the road on particularly hot days. Wow, she realized: she was becoming a regular Gladys Kravitz, remembering the nosy neighbor character from those old "Bewitched" reruns she used to watch as a kid. She must really miss police stakeouts.
Still, what on earth was she thinking? she questioned herself impatiently as she began wiping down the counter and straightening up her work area that had been left in complete disarray after the lunch rush. Wasn't she at least a little bit smarter, a little bit wiser and more discerning than this? Or was she just like those naïve girls across the street, reduced to a bundle of confusion and ambivalence after a few sweet smiles and chummy conversations with this guy?
Patrick Jane was basically a hustler. He swindled people for a living, playing on their insecurities and vulnerabilities all the while coasting on his intelligence and charm to get by in the world. Everything about him and the way he made his living flew directly in the face of all that she believed morally and ethically. Not to mention the fact that he undoubtedly made a habit of sidestepping, if not outright breaking the law as a matter of course. She had collared dozens of guys just like him as cop- people who lived their lives according to their own set of rules and skewed moral codes with no concern for the consequences. If she were on the job right now, it's more likely she'd be putting cuffs on the man rather than having a friendly chat with him over coffee and Danish.
So was he just playing her? she wondered. Trying to get on her good graces so she would turn a blind eye to whatever possible schemes he may be cooking up? She wasn't so completely taken in by his fiendish good looks and charm to overlook this possibility, and the cynical side of her knew that this might be at least partly the case. Although if she were honest with herself, she would admit that both of these forces- his devastatingly handsome face and endless charisma- were beginning to chip away and wear down her heavily guarded defenses. The way he looked at her when they spoke, his attentive gaze and natural ease lulling her into conversation, was completely disarming and a little unsettling to her.
However, despite the wariness that lingered, she knew in her gut that not everything that had transpired between them up to this point had been a ruse or part of some grand scheme he might have to win her over and somehow manipulate her. She had seen his showman persona slip several times and his carefully constructed affectations fall away more than once. It had happened first during his reading of her over at the pub, then again during their conversation just the day before. He seemed genuine in his openness when he spoke about his life and childhood, almost eager to show this other side of himself to her and she couldn't help but respond in kind.
And even if this guy was bad news and was somehow trying to hoodwink her, she thought to herself, what was the harm in engaging in a little harmless flirtation? She could still keep her radar up around him (as she usually did with men) and regardless of whatever happened, in a few months it would be over. She'd be heading back to the city to resume her regular life, and he'd be long gone, too. No matter how ill advised it might be from a logical standpoint, maybe a little summer fling was just what she needed. No fuss, no muss.
The ringing of the bell attached to the front door interrupted her vacillating thoughts. She looked up to see a blonde teenage boy standing about ten feet away from her wearing a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and an awkward, cautious look on his face. By his height she figured him to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, but his baby-faced expression and facial features gave him the appearance of someone much younger.
"Hi," she welcomed him cheerfully, although not too enthusiastically; she didn't want to scare the poor kid off. "What can I do for you?"
"Um, hi. My name is Jason. Wylie. Grace told me to stop by here after school let out. She mentioned you were looking to hire a busboy for the summer?"
"Yeah, we are. I'm Teresa Lisbon, the manager here. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand, which he shook swiftly before returning his own to the strap of his bag, which he clasped onto as if it were some kind of security blanket. God, he looked so nervous.
"So, Wylie, have you ever had a job before?"
"Uh, no, not really. Although I do make some money here and there, doing IT-type stuff for people around town. You know, helping them set up their wi-fi or teaching people how to program their DVRs, simple stuff like that. I can get some references for you if you need them."
Teresa smiled gently at his obvious enthusiasm then replied, shaking her head, "No, that won't be necessary. With Grace vouching for you that's more than enough for me. She said you're the brightest kid in her class."
Wylie beamed then averted his eyes shyly. Despite his apparent embarrassment at her compliment, he noticeably relaxed at her praising words.
"Well," Teresa continued, "I can't promise you this job will be all that exciting or intellectually stimulating, but I can give you about thirty hours of work a week if you're up for it. Minimum wage to start, with a raise after four weeks, plus your share of tips… How does that sound?"
"That sounds great, Ms. Lisbon. Thank you!"
"Call me Teresa, please. And school's out for the summer I take it? So you're all ready to start?"
"Yep, I'm free as a bird," the young man replied in a chipper voice.
"Good. Then we'll start you out on Monday." She paused. He seemed so eager get to work right away he was almost jumping out of his skin.
"You want to come back here right now, and we can show you around a bit?" she asked.
The young man practically hopped over the counter in his excitement.
xxxxx
Later after she had closed up, Teresa walked across the road before heading home. She needed to go to the market to buy a few groceries for dinner, plus she wanted to stop by the bookshop and see if the latest release from her favorite true crime author had come in yet. (Cho had promised to set aside a copy for her when it did.)
As she approached the building she cast a quick glance over at Jane's shop next door and was a little disappointed to see its shades drawn and curtains closed. It was dark on the inside and a small Closed sign hung in the window by the doorway. She shrugged it off and was about to continue on her way when her curiosity got the better of her. She impulsively decided to move in closer to see if she could get a better look at the inside of his place. She leaned into the window, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with her hands and peered through a crack in the blinds. She was just starting to make out the shadowy shapes of the inside of the store when the door, just a few inches away from her, opened abruptly. Teresa jumped back and looked up, a mixture of shock and embarrassment washing over her like a wave.
Standing there, with an amused, puckish grin spreading across his face, was Jane. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned into the doorway casually, his eyes dancing wickedly.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Lisbon. See anything you like?"
Thanks again for reading! Feedback, as always, is greatly appreciated!
