She wasn’t in her office when he clocked in, though, so he stashed the case in the break room and decided to search for Charisse in the kitchen, hoping that maybe she had gotten a ride with someone instead and was already working. Only chef Maggie was in attendance, though, and she eagerly put him to work filling meal trays.
The task was a lot more boring without Risse there, but it was easier than dealing with the patients. He found most of them frustrating in their dementia-induced confusion and crankiness. Sometimes, he just wanted to bite their heads off when they said the same inane things over and over again. Only Charisse’s softening presence kept him from completely losing it.
His desire to impress her constantly surprised him. He didn’t know why he cared so much what she thought; she was a prissy, self-righteous do-gooder who treated him like the biggest jerk on the planet, he thought as he loaded the trays carelessly onto the cart, rattling the metal with his forcefulness.
That wasn’t true, he admitted, shaking his head at his own self-delusion. Charisse didn’t treat him that way, he just felt that way when he was around her. It was his own guilt and self-loathing, dingy and tattered next to the angelic sunshine of her demeanor, that made him feel like a world-class loser. So why was he always so eager to see her?
When the meals were ready, Charisse still hadn’t made an appearance, so Jake resigned himself to facing the restless natives without her. She usually stopped at Dominion’s room first, and Jake decided to follow her pattern, secretly hoping she was already there, visiting with the gregarious senior. He poked his head in the doorway and was instantly disappointed by her absence, but Dominion’s welcoming smile still brightened Jake’s countenance.
“Jacob! So good to see you again! But where’s your pretty little helper?” The ancient leader pushed himself up with a grunt, a toot, and a chuckle, his face a caricature of exaggerated expressions.
Jake smirked and slid the bed table over, plopping a tray of meatloaf in front of Dominion. “I don’t know. I thought she’d be here.”
“You didn’t scare her off, did you? Seeing her is the only thing that makes this place bearable.” Dominion frowned as he dug into the meatloaf.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Jake muttered under his breath, but Dominion still heard him. The old man must have the ears of a bat. Or else a supersonic hearing aid.
Dominion wiggled his eyebrows and waved his fork at Jake, sending a glob of mashed potatoes flying. “You’ve got it bad for her, haven’t you?”
Jake made a face of bemused denial. “Nah. I mean, she’s hot and all, but she’s not really my type. I’m pretty sure I’m not her type, either.”
“Oh, you’re her type, all right. Believe me, I’ve known her all her life. She may not realize it yet, but you’re exactly right for her.”
“How can you know that? You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh, I think I have you figured out; I’m pretty good at reading people.” Dominion leaned closer and beckoned Jake forward. Jake perched on the chair by the bedside, straddling the arm of it and crossing his own arms against his chest.
Dominion nodded at Jake’s posture as if he expected it. “You project yourself as a bad boy and everybody eats it up, but inside is a hurt little child, begging for approval. You’ll have to drop the act if you want to win Charisse over, but when you do, you’ll realize the real you is worthy of approval, too.”
Jake quirked an eyebrow at Dominion’s description. “You got all that from the way I delivered your meatloaf?”
Dominion laughed, a hearty guffaw that vibrated his chest till he started coughing up mucus. His face turned red and his body shook as he struggled to clear his lungs. Jake rushed to his side, unsure how to help him.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he gasped, waving Jake off as his color slowly faded back to normal.
“You know what would help? One of those candy bars Charisse always brings. You got any of those?” The old man gave a wily wink.
“I’ll see what I can scrounge up.” Jake winked back.
Dominion’s words echoed in Jake’s mind as he delivered the rest of the meal trays, constantly hoping he’d run into Charisse along the way. It was pretty interesting to hear Dominion say that Jake was Charisse’s type, especially since he claimed to know her so well. And Jake had to admit the old guy hit the nail on the head with his psychoanalysis.
Jake had spent his entire life trying to measure up to his father’s expectations, never succeeding. Pretending like he was too cool to care about anything was how he’d gained approval from his peers and the only way he’d managed to inoculate himself against the constant sense of inadequacy. Was he that obvious? He didn’t think so, considering his popularity at school. Or maybe the old guy just had a knack for seeing through the facades that most people affected to protect themselves.
He also wondered why Dominion hadn’t disagreed with him when he said Charisse wasn’t his type. Was it because he thought it was true? If so, why did he seem to be encouraging Jake to pursue her? Or did he think it was so obviously false that it wasn’t worth arguing about? If you asked Jake to describe his perfect girl, it definitely wouldn’t be a church-going Pollyanna with a passion for hair products and old people. So why was she all he could think about lately?
The tray delivery took longer than usual without Charisse there to help, especially since he had to remind half the people who he was and explain to the other half that no, he didn’t know where Charisse was, and yes, she was coming back. That last part was only supposition, but she hadn’t said anything about quitting, so he assumed she just had something else to do today.
Of course, he was probably the least important person in her life, so she might have quit and just not bothered to tell him. The realization stung. Not just that she didn’t share her plans with him, but the idea that he was of so little consequence to her that he wasn’t worth a two-minute conversation. Especially since she had somehow become the most important person in his life. Jake cringed at the thought. Why did this stupid little girl who didn’t even like him affect him so much?
Jake blazed through the rest of the deliveries, offering barely a grunt and a nod at most of the residents. That’s why he didn’t get close to anyone, he reminded himself. As soon as you let them in, they stab you in the heart.
He saved Rebecca Anderson’s room for last, knowing she would take the longest. The woman was staring out the window with a glare that Jake was afraid would melt the glass, but when she heard the rickety, metal cart stop outside her door, she whipped her head around, and the scowl softened.
“Hey Ms. Anderson, you ready for dinner? The meatloaf looks nasty, but the mashed potatoes might be okay.” His mouth curved in a jaunty grin as he arranged the plate of food in front of her.
“You want my help, or you got this?”
“Don’t want you,” the surly woman growled, the words garbled in her lifeless mouth. She glanced from the tray to her useless hands and back to Jake. “But I guess I need you.”
“Great. It’s nice to be needed,” Jake deadpanned, rolling his eyes and pulling up a chair.
“Where’s the girl?” Rebecca asked between bites of mushy meatloaf.
Jake’s irritation got the best of him and he smacked his fist on the tray table, rattling the plate and silverware.
“How the heck should I know? It’s not like she’s my girlfriend. Maybe she got sick of all you grouchy old people and decided to take the day off! God knows I wish I didn’t have to be here. But you’re stuck with me for a hundred hours, like it or not.”
His eyes burned with an anger that reddened his face. The woman gave him a weird look, but otherwise had no reaction to his outburst.
“Just asking,” she mumbled around a bite of meat. “I like you better, anyway.”
“You do?” Jake pulled back, taking the mashed potatoes with him. “Why?”
“Remind me of someone. Maybe myself.” She smirked as she stretched her mouth towards the sp
oon. Jake harrumphed and moved the spoon back towards her.
When Ms. Anderson was fed and settled back into her self-imposed isolation, Jake pushed the cart full of trays back to the kitchen and made quick work of their clearing. He knew he should probably drag out the job so he’d earn more hours since there wasn’t much else to do afterwards, but his grumpy mood just made him want to escape.
When Chef Maggie left the kitchen for a few minutes, Jake dug around in the pantry looking for something sweet to take to Dominion, since Charisse wasn’t here with her contraband candy bars. He found a chocolate-covered granola bar and shoved it in his back pocket before finishing up his work.
Dominion was snoring quietly when Jake returned to his room, so he tiptoed to his bedside hoping to leave the treat without waking him. An errant squeak of Jake’s shoes brought the spry leader upright with a gasp, and he grabbed Jake’s arm in surprise.
“What are you doing, sneaking up on an old man like that, Jacob? You just about gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry, Mr. Uriel. I just wanted to bring you a treat.” Jake waved the evidential granola bar.
“You brought that for me? Well, thank you.” Dominion’s cheeks turned rosy as he revealed his broad, toothy smile.
“Charisse isn’t here to look out for you today, so…” Jake shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“You’re a good man, Jacob.”
Jake barked out a laugh. “You’re the first person who’s ever thought that.”
“I’m sure your parents can see through the bad boy image you’ve cultivated to the caring person inside.”
“Not hardly.” Jake snorted. “My mother abandoned me when I was a baby, and my father’s been making me pay for it ever since.” Jake shook his head. Why had he just said that? This man was a stranger, not his counselor.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Jake.” Dominion’s face softened, compassion pooling in his milky eyes.
“But don’t shoulder all the blame for your parent’s problems. I doubt very much if you’re the cause of them.”
Jake quirked his lip at Dominion’s assessment. The old man didn’t know enough about him to really form an opinion, but it was kind of nice to have someone take his side for once.
Chapter 7
Charisse rushed to the kitchen, flushed and frazzled. “Maggie, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed as she rounded the corner, running right into the chef.
Her explanation rushed out with one long breath. “Swim practice ran late, and I was going to call, but then I realized I locked my keys in the car, along with my cell phone, then it took forever to find someone to help me, but I got here as soon as I could! What do you need me to do?”
Maggie just smiled and spread her arm towards the empty trays.
“Oh no! You haven’t even started and it’s so late! The residents must be starving!” Charisse’s face winced with pain.
“No, no, no, it’s all been taken care of already — by Jake!”
Charisse’s mouth fell open, and she looked at the chef in awe, her pinched face softening. “Really?”
Maggie nodded. “He was just in here a minute ago, so I think he’s still around if you want to go find him.”
Charisse bobbed her head enthusiastically and took off down the hall. She didn’t know where Jake might be, but since Dominion’s room was closest, she decided she’d stop in and say a quick hello. As she neared the room, a familiar deep voice echoed from the open doorway and she smiled. She wouldn’t have to go searching for Jake after all.
She halted as her ears registered what they were saying. Jake had brought Dominion a treat? That was really… thoughtful.
Dominion called him a good man, and Charisse’s lips pursed when Jake admitted that no one else thought so. She would have agreed a few days ago, but, ever so slowly, Jake had been revealing his softer side.
Charisse gasped in empathy at the comment about his parents, and she quickly covered her mouth to muffle the sound. She doubted Jake would’ve wanted her to hear that. She was surprised he’d even said it to Dominion. But Dominion had a way of making people feel accepted, and his response confirmed that. She was glad to hear him assure Jake that his parents’ mistakes weren’t his fault.
Her heart softened imperceptibly towards him, knowing a little more about his family life. Jake might be a jerk sometimes, but maybe he was just trying to protect himself. He’d shown her he was capable of being kind if he wanted to.
Dominion never spent much time mulling over problems; he just listened thoughtfully, gave a few sage words of advice, and moved on to something else, leaving the other person stunned by his wisdom and clarity. So, when he changed the subject from Jake’s family problems to the tastiness of the candy, Charisse knew it was safe to enter, but she knocked on the door frame, just in case.
Both men’s faces lit with smiles as she entered, and she laid a gentle hand on Jake’s shoulder to encourage him as she told him thanks for taking care of the dinner trays. Jake shrugged like it was no big deal, but his countenance warmed at her appreciation. He nodded in sympathy as she explained her tardiness, and Dominion’s head bobbed happily between them as he witnessed their exchange.
“I have a lot of homework to do tonight and it’s already late, so I guess I’ll head home since you already took care of everything,” Charisse said, and unexplainable disappointment crossed her face for a moment. “Maybe I’ll just make one quick pass by the rooms to say goodnight to everybody.”
“Hey, before you go…” Jake rushed to stall her departure. “I brought a list of songs I can play. Do you want to see it?” The offer brought another quick expression to her face, this one clearly pleasure, and Jake beamed in return.
“Sure. You have it on you?”
“It’s in my guitar case, in Hariden’s office. Wanna come with me?”
Charisse nodded. “You brought your guitar?”
“Yeah, you know, just in case.” The two meandered towards the door, lost in their conversation, but once they reached it, Charisse realized her mistake and quickly turned around to blow Dominion a kiss goodbye. A mischievous look of glee was wrinkling his face as he waved goodbye and blew a kiss in return.
Mrs. Hariden was in her office when Jake and Risse entered, and she looked up from her paperwork at the sound of their happy chatter.
“Hey Mrs. Hariden, I hope you don’t mind — I left my guitar case in here while I served dinner. Charisse and I were talking about playing together for the residents some time. Would that be okay with you? I mean, would it count towards my hours?”
“I suppose once in a while would be fine, AFTER all the dinner work is done,” she gruffed.
Jake nodded enthusiastically and popped open the guitar case, revealing a glossy acoustic guitar that Risse was sure was worth more than anything she owed, outside of her car. Jake pulled a sheet of paper out of the inside pocket and handed it over nervously.
Charisse nodded, impressed, as she scanned the list of songs. He knew a lot of good ones, ones she knew as well. There weren’t any hymns or religious songs, save a few Christmas carols, but if he knew this many songs, surely he could learn a few new ones easily enough if he wanted to play with her on Sundays.
“Do you know any of those?” Jake asked, eager for her reaction.
“Yeah, a lot of them actually.” Charisse smiled with shared enthusiasm. “ I guess we have similar taste.”
“If you have a few minutes, we could try one or two, see how we play together.”
“Sure. I mean, since you brought your guitar and everything.” Charisse followed as Jake led the way to the music room.
She settled herself at the piano, and her fingers caressed out a few scales to warm up. Jake followed suit, tuning his guitar as he strummed a few chords. Eventually, Charisse stroked out the melody to the first song that came to her mind.
When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.
Jake gulped as the words spoke to him, and he wondered if she knew how true they were. Every time he thought of her, she filled his mind with sunshine. He quickly picked up the notes and joined his voice to hers for the chorus.
You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you have to do is call,
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah,
you've got a friend.
Charisse stared at him, her hands moving autonomously to the rhythm, as she soaked in the sound of his strong, raspy voice and the glow of happiness emanating from his face. Could Jake really be a friend? She never would’ve thought it was possible, but here they were, enjoying each other’s company.
When the song ended, their soulful gaze was ripped apart by the sound of clapping coming from the small audience that had appeared unexpectedly.
“We must sound okay together; we drew a crowd.” Jake gave a devilish smile.
Charisse sucked in her lips to contain the grin that threatened to take over her face. “Maybe we should give them another one, since they made the effort to come down here.”
“Definitely.” Jake nodded with a wink.
This time, Jake picked the song, glancing briefly at the list before strumming the tune. Charisse quickly jumped in, her fingers dancing along the keys to the beat. After playing through the chorus once, she sang out the words.
Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
I'll give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my love to you
There's so much that we need to share
So send a smile, and show you care
The song was more campy than angelic, but her voice rang out just as clear and true as before, and her lips curled into a smile on the last line, sending a jolt of electricity straight to Jake. His fingers responded with a melodic flourish before dancing back into the chorus, this time adding his own voice.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 18
