by Rachel Lenna
Chapter 8
“Who are you?!” I ask knowing that he has to be a regular at least.
“I’m Jaydan Baker.”
“Very funny.”
“Well you asked.”
I roll my eyes. “I really need to get a life.” I murmur to myself as we walk past patrons all staring at us. We are lead to the VIP section again and not for the first time I wonder who Jaydan is.
“Why is that?” Jaydan chuckles as we sit at a spacious, elegant mahogany table. I choose to ignore him as the explanation is self-explanatory. The wait staff even pull my chair out for me, not used to such service I freak a little before sitting.
“Mr Jaydan how are you this evening.”
“Good thank you Jin, and yourself?”
“Good good sir.” The waiter smiles.
“This place is awesome!” I exclaim looking around at all the art works and photos. It looks like a dingy old diner but the furniture is comfortable and gorgeous.
“Glad you like it ma’am.” The waiter bows at me. “We love our little place.”
“It’s wonderful, so much character.” I smile back at him. He beams with pride.
“We like to make it about the customer.” He hands us both a menu and the picture on the front page has my mouth watering. “Welcome to Pancakes. My name is Jin, Our special is on the front for tonight, mains just inside on the left, desserts and drinks on the right hand side. I will be back in a moment with your water.”
“Thank you,” I murmur head stuck inside the menu already. “They have pictures! Why would they do that? How on earth am I meant to choose just one? They all look so good I’m not gonna be able to choose just one!” I mumble to the menu and Jaydan laughs at me. “This sucks. Do they have an everything on it plate plate?”
“Good to see you’re a girl who likes her food!” He smiles at me and my head snaps up.
“I am not one of those anorexic chicks that will have a side of lettuce and that’s all.” I point out, defensively. “If that’s what you want I’m not the girl for you.”
“Tara relax.” Jaydan lays a hand on my arm. “I like it. I like a girl who can be comfortable enough to eat in front of me. As strange as this sounds but that’s a turn on.”
I blush crimson and dive right back into the menu, choosing to let it go. Too much! Too much! “You must eat here often enough for them to know your name.” I say ignoring his comment completely. The menu is making my stomach grumble louder. “What's your favourite?”
“The chocolate and maple syrup flavoured pancakes topped with strawberries, ice cream, vanilla cream and chocolate shavings… with a side of strawberries and warm maple syrup.” He answers instantly.
“Oh my god.” I sigh, my mouth watering. “I think have died and gone to pancake heaven. I will have one of those, I just can’t decide otherwise.”
“Good choice.” Jaydan laughs just as Jin comes back. “Two of the Jaydan specials please Jin.”
“Good choice sir.” He nods as he places our water glasses down. “Would you like any drinks with that?”
“No thanks.” I shake my head. Even I know the calories in the food will be enough for me to have to run a marathon every day for a week. “Water is perfect for me.”
“Decaf black please Jin.” Jaydan smiles at him.
“Sure sir.” Jin bows and is gone in a flash.
“So,” Jaydan says after we sit awkwardly for a moment.
“So,” I repeat, grinning at him.
“You like stuff?”
“Yeah I do.” I laugh. “Do you like stuff?”
“I love stuff.”
“Well that’s good. What stuff?”
“Oh you know, a bit of this and a bit of that.”
“So totally do. Same type of stuff I like actually.”
“Oh yeah?” Jaydan grins at me. “Sounds interesting.”
“Totally is you know?” I nod enthusiastically. “Best stuff going around.”
“Great, now that we have established that you like stuff and I like stuff, what else do you like?”
“I can tell you what I don’t like.” I say taking a sip of water.
“Oh yeah?” He says not skipping a beat. “What's that?”
“I don’t like that question.”
“Okay?” Jaydan looks a little taken aback, clearly he wasn’t expecting that answer.
“I don’t mean to be abrupt, but I find that question is used when people are desperate for conversation because things are getting really awkward.” I take a deep breath. “It’s kind of like a desperate attempt to make sure that you’re definitely not compatible with that person before you find an excuse to leave. Then high tail it and run.”
“Psychology major.” Jaydan taps his head. “Must remember that for future reference.”
“You want there to be a future reference?” I blurt out before I have a chance to put a filter in place between mouth and brain.
“Of course.” Jaydan looks surprised. “I meant what I said Tara. I have waited six months for you to give me some sign you were interested.”
“I didn’t think someone like you would like someone like me.” I say shyly.
“Someone like me?” Jaydan arches an eyebrow. “Should I be offended?”
“You have girls throwing themselves at you, plenty a lot better looking than me. Most in fact. Why me over all them?”
“Tara you’re more beautiful than any of them.”
“Ehh! Wrong answer. Please try again.” I smirk.
“Because you’re real?”
“How would you even know that?” I retort. “You see me in a bar for a couple of hours a week.”
“For starters you don’t have all your lady parts hanging out, secondly not once have I ever seen you leave with a guy let alone a different guy every weekend. Thirdly you don’t have caked on makeup your just naturally stunning. Fourthly you have a mind of your own and a tongue to match, fifthly you care about people. I mean how many times have you saved my bacon from the gaggle of crazy girls just because I asked you too? Do I need to continue?”
“A lot.” I concede. “No.” I shrug. “But I thought you just saw me as a friend doing a friend a favour.”
“Oh my god Tara no!” Jaydan exclaims. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you. I know a girl with class when I see one.”
“I’m not from class.” I frown. “God if you met my family you would think I am pulling a prank on you or something.”
“What do you mean?” Jaydan frowns.
Oops. “Never mind.” I shake my head taking a sip of water. How on earth am I meant to explain my family to him? He would run away.
Hell I ran away.
“Tara.”
“Yeah?” I say, refusing to meet his eye.
“Tell me.” He coaxes.
“You will think differently of me.”
“Not possible.”
“You say that now but you have no idea.”
“Tara I put my money where my mouth is. I don’t judge people either. Tell me.” He crosses his arms over his chest and I realise he won’t give in.
“You know for a guy that I really just met properly you’re pretty pushy on a first date.”
“Is that what this is?” He grins at me.
“I… Um… I…” I realise I put my foot in my mouth? I cringe not knowing how to respond.
“Relax baby girl.” He softens. “I just really want to get to know you. Like properly. No bar talk. No all just the nice stuff, I want warts and all. Family is a good place to start? Who doesn’t have lots of warts in their family?”
“Um…”
“Exactly. Now tell me. It can’t be that hard?”
“When it’s mine it can be.”
“Well think of it this way,” He says looking me in the eye, “If you get all the ugly out now and I’m still around – which I think I need to point out again I will be no matter what – maybe you will relax a little and realise that I actually do like you.”
<
br /> I stare at him speechless. “I um. Don’t know what to say to that. This is so new to me. And scary. Did I mention scary?”
“I am scared too. I have waited a long time for this moment.” Jaydan moves a stray piece of hair from my face. “Tell me about your family Tara.”
“Fine.” I pout. “But when you want to run away screaming I will chase you down to say I told you so okay?”
“Yep.”
“My father attempted to commit suicide five months ago and has been in a mental hospital ever since. My mother is close to joining him because she doesn’t know how to exist without him. My youngest brother is in jail for fraud and my oldest brother hasn’t been seen since my father tried to off himself. He checks in occasionally to let us know he’s still alive but other than that not a peep. Before that was no picnic in the park either but the last five months have been trying to say the least.”
“Oh.” Jaydan’s smirky, smarty exterior deflates instantly.
“I told you,” I take a big drink of water just as Jin brings Jaydan’s coffee. “You wanna run away now don’t you?”
“Nope.” He shakes his head. “Just means my respect for you has sky rocketed even more.”
“Oh.” Well that’s new too.
