Chapter 2

As promised Jazz had Dave's usual order of black coffee ready when he came in around 11, all that was left was to choose something for a late morning snack. There were so many good things in the front cases that most people had a hard time choosing. There were brownies, cookies, cakes, turnovers, cupcakes, tortes, crumbles, cobblers and many more delicious treats besides. Some things of course, were only done according to the season, Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, even Passover and Hanukkah. They were always busy, but they tended to be super busy around the holidays. They even did special orders for things like Bar Mitzvahs, Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, weddings and anniversaries, all those special little holidays in people's lives.

Since it was nearing Halloween Dave chose an orange cupcake with a bat done in black frosting.

"Here you go," Jazz said smiling. "Tell me if you like it. It's something that I only do for Halloween."

"I'm sure it will be delicious honey. Everything I've tried so far has been scrumptious," Dave said smiling, as he took a large bite, then taking a sip of his coffee. "It's great," Dave said as he wiped off his mouth. "I'd gain a ton of weight if I didn't exercise like I do. You're a terrific baker."

"Thank you," Jazz blushed at the sincere compliment. Dave was good for her ego and her self-confidence, but that's what mates did they supported each other no matter what. Still, she could tell that Dave's compliment was sincere, which is what made her blush, not just the compliment itself.

"Your mother would be ashamed of you at the way you're acting," a voice sneered.

"Who asked for your opinion Jorge?" Jazz shot right back once she heard that hated voice. "Your opinion was neither wanted nor asked for. I'd rather face a poisonous snake then listen to anything you had to say."

Dave listened to the two and thought boy he had been right. It had been clear that this Jorge had a huge crush on Jazz and so had interrupted their casual flirting due to that jealousy. The way Jazz responded told Dave more than she probably realized. It told him that she had been dealing with him for a while, months at least but probably longer and that she was beyond annoyed that he hadn't given up. Jorge might even be the reason that she had sworn off men entirely for all he knew. He'd get the story out of her later.

The line of people that were waiting to give their own orders looked between Jorge and Jazz. The kitchen staff, however, knew that the two of them got along like oil and water.

"Leave!" Jazz ordered Jorge. "If you continue this harassment I will report you to your captain. You've already tried to prove that I had murdered someone and the fact that there was only circumstantial evidence didn't enter your tiny, minuscule brain. Now you have taken to making nasty comments whenever we see each other. I'm sick of it, I'm sick of you! You've gone out of your way to make my life as stressful and hellish as you possibly can, ever since I returned four years age. Leave! Before I take out a restraining order."

Jorge glared at Jazz, but Jazz refused to back down glaring back just as fiercely.

"Also, considering my mother has been dropping hints about me getting married and giving her grandchildren I doubt that she would be ashamed of my behavior. In fact, I know she wouldn't be, as I was doing nothing wrong and even if I was, it's not your right to comment or interfere. You're not my father, my brother or my sister thank God. If you were I'd probably move far away not leaving an address, just to get away from you. Don't make me ban you for the next six months Jorge, because I will. I am so tired of your attitude. You, have absolutely no right to judge me."

"I would listen to her son," said a woman who appeared around 50 or so. "It's the height of bad manners to cause a confrontation in a public place and that she runs this sweet shop makes it even worse. You're not only embarrassing her, but you're also embarrassing yourself."

"And hurting the poor girl's feelings as well," said a man, as he looked at Jazz whose expression was neutral, but whose eyes were fighting to not shed any tears in front of anyone. "It's clear you too have a history, but that is no reason to go down on poor Jazz like that. What happened in the past should stay in the past."

"I want you to listen to me Jorge and I hope you understand, because I'm not going to repeat myself—again. Are you listening?" Jazz asked firmly, as Jorge stared at her. Once it was clear Jorge was listening, she continued, "I wouldn't date, you if you were the last man on the face of the earth. I've tried to be polite in the past, but it's clear that you are determined to voice an opinion, even when you have no right. I'm tired of being polite, especially since it does no good. If you ever mention this again, especially in public I will report you to your captain and that's only if he hasn't heard about it from someone else, as this is a small town after all. You've already received a black mark on your record for your shoddy investigation several years ago. For an officer of the law, you're hardly acting like a professional. You need to get over your obsession with me, as it's been nearly 20 years. I almost wish I had never rescued your butt from those bullies in school and just let them beat you up, but luckily for you, I'm not that heartless."

Jorge blushed in embarrassment at having the old incident revealed, but knew deep down he deserved it, as he had started it. Jazz could be vicious when riled and he had deliberately done so. Really, her and her boyfriend hadn't been doing anything inappropriate, not really. He shouldn't've said anything, and he knew it, but when he had seen her acting all flirty with Dave Rossi, he'd just had to say something.

He'd had a crush on Jazz ever since he was 13, but considering his past behavior a relationship would never work. Jazz was unlikely to ever date him considering his past record of making inappropriate comments, not to mention trying to pen that murder on her. He had been so angry at her for rejecting him a few years ago that he had tried his best to prove she had murdered a stranger in town when evidence had said she might have done it. The man in question had bought some things from her bakery but so did a lot of other people, as it was a very busy place.

There had been one of her gold and silver boxes with the name of the bakery on it and the cupcake in question had been poisoned, but many people handled the food, and it had been proven that it had been poisoned after cupcake had left the bakery. Sure, there had been a ton of circumstantial evidence, but his big mistake had been in believing that she was the culprit instead of looking for other suspects. He knew very well that his feelings of rejection had played a large part on how he had conducted his investigation.

Unfortunately, because of his conduct he would not advance in his career. He had often thought about quitting over the last couple of years, ever since he had tried to pin the murder of a tourist on Jazz, but sheer stubbornness and pride had kept him here. His career was stalled because of his obsession with the woman that had rescued his scrawny teenage self. He had let his anger, disappointment and pain at her rejection, no matter how gently it had been done, cloud his judgment.

"Shows over folks," Jazz told all her customers calmly, putting her game face back on. "Today only, everything is half off."

Dave nodded in appreciation, as he knew that the sale would keep people coming back, despite the confrontation between Jazz and Jorge. Most people loved drama, so they would probably be back just to see if there was another confrontation.

The crowd generated a lot of excited noise, and they immediately forgot about the incident that had just occurred or at least put it behind them.

Dave quietly finished his cupcake and coffee at one of the tables and then waved to Jazz as he left.

Jazz waved back and knew that Dave would require an explanation, and she supposed she owed him that considering Jorge had made a fool of himself right in front of him.

~~~Dave and Jazzlyn~~~

"So, what happened between you and Jorge," Dave asked Jazz as soon as they have privacy. "I gather that he's been bothering you for the last four years and I understand that the two of you have a history. So, I would like the whole story if you don't mind."

"I knew you were going to ask," Jazz sighed, looking out the living window of her flat. "I certainly would if I was idiot enough to cause a scene in public."

"So?" Dave questioned gently.

"Jorge and I went to school together," Jazz explained. "I defended him from some bullies, and he developed a gigantic crush on me. To him, I was his savior, his angel, his guiding light. He certainly told me often enough until I went away to college."

Jazz grimaced and Dave couldn't blame her. It sounded like Jorge had become rather obsessed with her. It happened, especially with kids and teenagers whose emotions were always stronger than those of adults. Depending on their age at the time...Well, some young people just had trouble accepting a rejection, even if one was very gentle about it. Of course, to be fair, that was true of adults too.

"While it was understandable he felt that way back when we were teenagers, we're both 30 now and he should've gotten over his obsession long ago," Jazz added.

"How old were you when you rescued him?" Dave asked.

"13," Jazz said. "I'd just became a teenager a couple of months before that happened."

"Hormones tend to be raging at that age, especially for teenage boys," Dave said.

"Yes, I know," Jazz agreed. "Though most boys don't get interested in girls until they're at least 14 or 15."

"So, Jorge was just an early bloomer that's all," Dave stated matter-of-factly. "Some boys are. If not for that incident where you rescued him from some bullies, then he probably never would have developed his crush on you."

"Believe me, I know. While I don't regret my actions, as no one deserves to be beaten up just because they're a little different, I just wish he would move on," Jazz said running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Has he ever been physical?" Dave asked and Jazz shook her head.

"No, he's a little pissant, one with too much authority since he joined the police force. He was okay as a kid, but now I try to avoid him as much as I can, but in a small place like in Moonlight Gorge, that's not very easy. I have a public business that he can just saunter in and make comments whenever he likes. It's gotten to the point I'm tempted to get physical and slap him."

"I know you're frustrated, and I don't blame you for that. Jorge's behavior is outrageous, especially in a public place. The fact that, you own the place just makes his behavior worse. A confrontation and argument in your place of business was not the smartest move he could've made," Dave agreed.

"Rent, but I get the point," Jazz agreed. "I am saving up to buy the place, but I don't have the funds right now. I've only been in business a few years after all and that's only if the owner wants to sell it in the first place. If Jorge would just get rid of the chip on his shoulder, he'd probably end up being a halfway decent man. By the way I agree with you that him confronting me and starting an argument in a public place, much less my own place of business was not the smartest move he could've made. Jorge seems not to realize that doing such a thing would only make me hate him more, not just heartily dislike, but hate."

"I don't blame you for you starting to hate him considering. You've had to put up with an awful lot from him for the last few years," Dave said. "Hate is a powerful emotion and not a good one, but still, I do understand. There's only so much one person can take and I'm sure Jorge passed that line a long time ago

"Yeah, he did," Jazz agreed soberly. "Him coming into my bakery and opening his mouth was definitely past that line you mentioned, but really he passed it a long time ago."

"People can get obsessed about all kinds of things," Dave said, and Jazz nodded glumly.

"I know," Jazz agreed. "It happens to fans of rock stars all the time. I never gave him false hope of us having a relationship. I was never interested in him that way and I doubt I ever would have been, even if his behavior over the last 4 years or so hadn't turned me off completely."

"I suppose that is when you came back to town, but for him to start harassing you within a few weeks..." Dave said,

"Well, I went to college, explored several different places during breaks." Jazz shrugged. "I've only been back in town about that and in business for most of them. I stayed with mom and dad and they lent me the money to get my bakery started. Still, you do have a point about him starting up within a few weeks of my return."

"That just means that they believe in you," Dave said. "As for Jorge, I have a feeling he's going to be trouble, genuine trouble, not just an annoyance at some point in the immediate future.

"I hope not," Jazz said, "but I suppose we'll see."

"So at least you didn't have to get a loan from a bank," Dave said. "They probably wouldn't have given you one anyway."

"I'm glad to, because I really didn't have anything worth enough as collateral," Jazz said. "Well, except for my great-grandmother's diamond ring and I'm not about to put that up as collateral. She died a few years ago. It's not the cash value either, it's the sentiment that makes it so special."

"I don't blame you there," Dave agreed. "I would never have put up something with such sentimental value as collateral, not unless I was truly desperate. Of course, lucky for me, I've never been in that type of situation."

"Neither have I," Jazz said smiling.

"So back to the subject, you mentioned in the bakery that Jorge was reprimanded," Dave said, and Jazz nodded.

"For shoddy police work and for harassment. He tried his best to get me to confess to something I hadn't done. He kept me in interrogation for hours several times. He showed up at my bakery once I had been released on bail and harassed me. He stood there making comments trying to drop my innocent act, as he put it and confess. In a bigger towns then this one that probably wouldn't have mattered so much not unless it was someone particularly influential, but here, everyone knows everyone else. This is something that Jorge didn't take into consideration when he started his harassment. Oh, I'm not saying that some people didn't believe I was guilty, but most of them stood behind me, either because they knew me or because they were friends of my parents."

"You're right this is a small town, and small towns tend to be different then bigger cities. Small communities tend to support each other when one of their own is in trouble," Dave said quietly.

"There are less than 10,000 residents, if you count the outlaying community," Jazz said. "That might not seem small to some people, but to those that come from a big city it definitely is."

"I'm sorry I wasn't around back then," Dave said. "I could have protected you from that idiot."

"I can protect myself," Jazz scolded Dave gently making him look sheepish. "I had plenty of family and friends backing me up and it helps that my mother is on the town council. She could've had Jorge fired in a heartbeat or at least put on suspension, and he well knows it. He came very close to having that happen. If I had said one word to either one of my parents, then he would've been suspended at the very least. While I would hate to see that happen, one day, he's going to go too far and I'm going to finally lose my patience with him. If that happens, he is going to get himself fired or worse."

"It's nice to have family in high places," Dave snorted in amusement, then added. "I say, let Jorge dig himself a hole. He's bound to know the consequences if he doesn't leave you alone. You were proven innocent and while he might or might not believe it, it's not for him to decide if you were guilty or not."

"It helps that my father is very prominent socially. He's a successful stockbroker," Jazz shrugged. "I'm not going to worry about Jorge he'll either get over himself or he'll be in so much trouble that he'll never get out of it. At the very least he'll ruin his career, which isn't my problem. His career is hanging by a thread as it is, as there is only so much that the citizens and his captain are going to put up with."

"I would hate to think what would happen to someone who's not as well-connected as you are," Dave said. "It does happen in the bigger cities all the time, you know."

"Which is why I prefer living here in Moonlight Gorge," Jazz said. "The only good thing that came out of it was Jorge learned a valuable lesson. He already has at least one black mark on his record and if he had another well I likely would've heard about it. He's lucky he didn't get suspended at least and lose pay. I didn't see him for quite a while after I was finally officially cleared, at least six months. He didn't come into the bakery or anything. I think he was avoiding me."

"Men have been making fools of themselves over women ever since the dawn of time, something that will never change," Dave said. "I can't blame him for avoiding you as he did make an idiot of himself. He should have set his personal feelings toward you aside and not let it interfere with his investigation. It should not have mattered that he was obsessed with you, he was in a career that required him to be a professional. He had no evidence you were guilty other than circumstantial. People are framed all the time with just circumstantial evidence."

"I hate to talk bad about my own sex, but the same could be said for women too," Jazz said.

"True," Dave agreed soberly.

~~~Dave and Jazzlyn~~~

Jazz's phone rang and she picked it up on the third ring.

"Hello? Oh hey, Shonda! How are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while."

Jazz listened and murmured in appropriate places. "You don't say?" Jazz said finally. "Yes, I have been meaning to get me some kind of pet. I was just going to go to the pet store but I just haven't had time. This puppy mill sounds like a better idea, as it's closer. I can rescue one of those poor dogs."

Jazz listened as Shonda gave her the address.

"My relationship with Dave is going fine, more than fine," Jazz answered her friend's next question. "Yes, I think I'm in love. No, that idiot Jorge isn't about to ruin it for me," Jazz laughed. "Yes, I probably should take out that restraining order, but so far, he's only been a minor annoyance, at least until the incident recently. Yes, I plan on reporting him to his captain if he keeps up his unprofessional behavior. No, I wouldn't be surprised if Captain Bloodworth already knew, as this is a small town. Word tends to get around fast. I've got to go; I'm meeting Dave for lunch. Yes, yes, I'll let you know how it goes, but if I don't get going, I'll be late. You know I hate being late."

Jazz finally hung up the phone smiling after saying goodbye. She and Shonda had been friends ever since the cradle and she knew all about Jorge and his obsession with her, but then all her close friends did. Most had been around for at least one incident to witnesses his deplorable behavior over the last few years. None had been as bad as the recent one though. Opening his mouth at her place of business in front of at least 20 people was a new level of stupidity, even for someone who could not control his feelings where she was concerned.

She understood that Jorge had been disappointed when she turned him down on multiple occasions about dating him back when they were teenagers and then again when she had returned four years ago, but this crush or obsession or whatever it was, was getting way past ridiculous into insane. He needed to move on, to find someone who was interested and available. Now she had to admit that Moonlight Gorge was a small town and that there weren't very many choices of women around his age that weren't already married, but that wasn't her fault, nor did it obligate her to comply with dating him, no matter what Jorge believed or wanted.

If she was stupid enough to date him, she had no doubt that she would have a tough time getting out of the relationship and there were no guarantees that it wouldn't turn out to be physically abusive.

While Jorge didn't seem like the type to hit a woman, the way he was obsessed with her could change a person's normal behavior. She had read up on this kind of behavior when Jorge had started exhibiting it and what she had read scared her. She was sure that he had always been obsessed with her after she had rescued him from the school bullies, but then, she'd gone away to college and had been gone for several years, so she hadn't been around to witness his behavior. Jorge might've been acting relatively normal until she had come back into town four years ago. She hadn't been around to entice him she supposed.

Jazz shook her head and refused to think about Jorge anymore, as it was just about time to meet Dave, so she needed to get going. She didn't want to be in a sour mood when she got to the restaurant Dave had asked her to meet him at and thinking about the man that had changed so much from the boy, she used to know would put her in a bad mood.

~~~Dave and Jazzlyn~~~