Breathe

by Abbi Glines

“I intend to get in a lot of time just relaxing on the beach. I like the private beach access we have here and the thought of being able to chill on the beach with no one wanting to speak to me, meet me, or get me to sign an autograph is what I’ve been craving all year. I need a break. I know Gregory hates the idea of my being unavailable for three months, but I need this for my sanity.” Jax glanced up at me as I sat the bowl of bisque in front of him. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “I want you to have a break too. Gregory thinks a little time in front of your fans this summer would be great PR. Maybe you could do a beach concert, or just do a few movie premiers.”

  Jax shook his head. “No way, Mom. I refuse to make my presence here known. I chose Alabama because it is not a highly populated area. Better yet, this little island here is private. I will consider a few movie premiers but nothing else. No concerts.”

  Mrs. Stone shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I told Gregory I would try, and I did. He can deal with you. You’re an adult. I’m not going to pressure you anymore.”

  Jax continued to eat, and I stood beside Marcus staring out the window and back at Jax’s bowl waiting for the moment when I would need to remove it. I glanced up at Marcus, and he met my eyes with a smile. He was all business, and I could tell he wanted me to do well here. I’d made a friend. Marcus lightly touched my arm and stepped forward. I immediately followed, and we removed their bowls.

  “More sweet tea, sir?”

  Jax glanced at me and flicked his gaze toward Marcus. “Yes, please.”

  Mrs. Stone’s glass of wine was missing a sip at most. Marcus once again stepped back and allowed me to lead the way out. We did the same routine as before.

  Once in the kitchen, we picked up the tray already prepared with the most rich, exotic foods I had ever seen.

  “Wow, they sure eat a bunch.”

  “Mrs. Stone has only tasted her food so far, and my guess is she will barely touch this as well.”

  “He eats all of his.”

  “Yep, but then he’s a growing boy.”

  I laughed at Marcus’s imitation of Ms. Mary, picked up the tray, and followed him back down the now familiar hall. Once inside, I placed the food in front of Jax again, and Marcus handled the sweet tea for me.

  Jax and his mother ate in silence this time. Occasionally, I sensed him watching me, and a brief touch from Marcus’s hand no doubt reminding me I needed to appear invisible. I never acknowledged the curious steel blue eyes. Mother and son exchanged a few casual words, but for the most part, they ate in silence. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I inspected Jax to see if he'd finished, and our eyes met.

  I tried to tear my gaze away, but his eyes held a hint of laughter. I stared down at my feet, and Marcus squeezed my arm. It startled me. I looked up at him, and he nodded for us to take their plates. We cleared the places in front of them at the same time, and I walked toward the door already in routine.

  “I won’t be having dessert,” Mrs. Stone said to Marcus. “I hate to leave you to eat alone, but I am exhausted. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

  Jax stood as his mother left the table. Once she exited, he sat back down. “I would love dessert,” he assured us...or he assured me.

  Marcus nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said in his businesslike tone, and we left.

  Once back in the kitchen, Marcus sat down his tray. “Okay, this is sticky. You’re supposed to take him his plate, and since his mother has left, I have no reason to return. I could go in your place, which would be the best idea, but I am afraid it will anger him. He has noticed you, which I knew would be pretty unavoidable, but I’d hoped since he is famous, he wouldn’t pay attention to another pretty face.” Marcus sighed and leaned his hip against the table and crossed his long legs. “I am leaving this up to you.”

  “Me?”

  “What do you want to do, Sadie? It isn’t about your job; it is about mine. If you don’t go back, I could lose mine for taking your spot. I think he has already picked up on my protecting you. If you go or not, your job is secure...for now.”

  I sighed and reached for the tray holding the dessert. I wouldn’t jeopardize someone else’s job to help myself out. “I’ll do it.”

  Without another word, I headed back down the hall all by myself.

  Once I entered, steel blue eyes met mine and he smiled. “Ah, so he did let you come alone. I wondered if I would be seeing him instead.”

  I didn’t want to smile at his comment but I did. I sat his dessert down in front of him and took my place.

  “Do you speak?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Marcus had spoken for me all night.

  “We don’t normally have young female employees. How did you get through Mary?”

  “I am mature for my age.”

  He only nodded and took a bite of some sort of chocolate cake with more chocolate oozing out of the inside. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked back at me. I turned to stare out the window at the waves crashing against the shore.

  “How old are you?”

  “Seventeen.” I hoped my simple reply would end his interrogation.

  “How did you know I lived here?”

  His question caught me off guard and I met his gaze. “It is hard to miss the photos of you as I dust and mop.”

  He frowned. “You applied for this job not knowing I lived here?”

  I realized he assumed a fan squeezed through the cracks of his security and he wanted to know how I did it.

  “My mother has been cleaning here for two months. However, her pregnancy has progressed and she sent me in her place. I proved my worth, and Ms. Mary kept me. My being here has nothing to do with you, sir, but has everything to do with the fact I want to eat and pay the rent.” I knew I sounded annoyed, but I was annoyed, and I couldn’t help it.

  He nodded and stood up. “I am sorry. When I saw you, and you were young and well...attractive, I thought the only reason someone like you would be working here would be to get close to me. I deal with females quite a bit, and my assuming you were working here to get near me wasn’t fair. Please forgive me.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt this job slipping out of my hands, but I would not cry. “I understand,” I managed to get out.

  A boyish smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded his head toward the door. “I guess I should have figured you were taken by the possessiveness of the other server tonight. I stared at you more than I should have, but I kept waiting for you to ask for my autograph or slip your number to me on a napkin.”

  I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

  He shrugged. “Those things are a way of life for me. I just expect it.”

  I smiled back at him this time. He wasn’t as bad as I’d made him out to be.

  He wasn’t about to fire me.

  “I am here to do my job, sir, and nothing more.”

  “Do me a favor and don’t call me ‘sir.’ I am just two years older than you.”

  I took the plate, careful not to touch his hands, and stepped back. “Okay,” I replied, hoping I could leave.

  “So, is he your boyfriend?”

  He caught me off guard with his question, and I halted in my tracks.

  “Who? Marcus?”

  A crooked grin appeared on his face. He was hard not to stare at. “If Marcus is the guy who seemed quite determined to make sure you made no mistakes tonight, then yes.”

  “No, he is…he is a friend.” It was strange saying those words. I’d never called anyone a friend in my life.

  Jax smiled and leaned down to whisper close to my ear. “I hope someday soon you will consider me a friend as well. I don’t have very many of those.”

  My face grew hot, and my skin tingled at his nearness. His warm breath on my skin made it hard to form words. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on his comment and not swooning at his feet like some crazy lunatic. “I only have one,” I blurted out like an idiot.

  Jax frowned. “I find that hard to believe”
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  I shrugged. “I don’t have time for friends.”

  Jax stepped forward, opened the door for me, and smiled. “Well, I hope we can find some time in your busy schedule because I happen to be in need of a friend myself…. Someone who doesn’t care who I am…. Someone who doesn’t laugh at my jokes when they’re not funny. If I’m not mistaken, you could care less about the fact I am on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine this month, and on the bedroom walls of every teenage girl in America.”

  His comment seemed to ease my momentary lapse of common sense from his nearness, and I shook my head. “Not every teenage girl in America. You have never been on my walls. So, I guess you’re right, I don’t care.” I walked away, leaving him standing behind me.

  * * *

  Chapter Three

  Marcus waited on me in the kitchen, drinking sweet tea and talking to Ms. Mary. He stood when he saw me. “Well, how did it go?”

  “He thought I was a fan who slid through the cracks and wanted to know how I did it. I informed him I had replaced my mother because of her pregnancy, I wasn’t a fan, and I didn’t realize this house belonged to him when I took the job.”

  Marcus frowned. “How did he take your explanation?”

  “I don’t think there will be any problem now he knows I am not a crazy fan about to slip him my number on a dinner napkin. I doubt he notices my existence from now on.”

  Marcus raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t believe me.

  Ms. Mary walked forward and took the tray from my hands. “Good, I knew you were going to work out just fine. Now, go change out of your uniform and head on home. You won’t be expected in until seven in the morning.”

  I hurried to the laundry room to change. Once I changed back into my own clothing, I headed for the door. Ms. Mary hummed while she cleaned, and Marcus stood leaning against the door waiting.

  “It’s late, did you drive or walk?” he asked when I got to the door.

  “I rode my bike.”

  He opened the door, and we walked out into the night together. “Let me put it in the bed of my truck and take you home.” He genuinely seemed worried about me.

  “Okay, thank you.”

  * * * *

  Once we were both in the truck, I relaxed and leaned back on his worn leather seats. “So, how long have you worked at the Stone Mansion?”

  He looked over at me. “I just started last summer. I only work summers here. I’m a local, but I am currently attending the University of Alabama. This is a summer job for me.”

  “It’s obviously just a summer job for me too. I will begin my senior year this fall. We just moved here from Tennessee.”

  We sat in silence for a few minutes, and I watched out the window as families walked down the sidewalks still in their beach clothing. I’d never seen the beach before we moved here. I couldn’t help but be fascinated catching glimpses of the waves crashing on the sandy shore.

  “You seem so much older than a senior in high school. In fact, you’re more mature than most girls I go to school with.”

  I smiled to myself. If he only knew. But tonight wasn’t the night to unload my life on someone who just might turn out to be a real friend. “I know. I have always been an old woman in a kid’s body. It drives my mother crazy.”

  “I wouldn’t call you an old woman, just more mature than the average seventeen year old girl.”

  The normal teenage girls laughed and flirted on the side of the streets. Summer romance wasn’t something I understood, but apparently it was a very big thing around here. The girls here referred to the tourists as the summer boys. I didn’t really get it or understand it, but then again I wasn’t normal.

  Marcus turned to me. “Did I hurt your feelings? I didn’t mean to if I did. It was a compliment, really. I get tired of the silliness and shallowness of girls. You’re like a breath of fresh air.”

  I turned my head back in his direction and smiled. He really was a nice guy. I wished my insides got all warm and tingly when he stared at me, but apparently my body only reserved that response for teen rock stars, and the thought I might be shallow made me feel sick inside.

  “Thank you, I have never been complimented on my strange personality before.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “I wouldn’t call you strange...more refreshingly unique.”

  I laughed at his attempt to make it sound better. “Thanks. Refreshingly unique sounds much more appealing. Turn right at the next light, and it’s two houses down on the left.”

  We remained silent the rest of the way to the apartment.

  “Pull over to the side. We are not allowed to use the owner’s drive. They own the house. We rent the small apartment below.”

  Marcus pulled up at the door.

  “Thank you again for bringing me home.”

  He opened his door, jumped out, and got my bike from the bed of his truck.

  I watched as he got it down and leaned it against the side of the house by the door.

  “Anytime, if you leave the same time I do, I can always give you a lift.”

  I thanked him again.

  He shuffled his feet and glanced up at me. “Since you’re new here, and we are working together this summer, why don’t I take you out one night after work, or on Sunday during the day when we are both off? I can show you what’s fun around here and introduce you to some people. You know, just as friends.”

  It sounded like fun, but I was a little surprised about the Sunday comment. “Sunday?” I asked.

  He frowned. “You didn’t know we are all off on Sundays, even Ms. Mary.”

  I shook my head. “No, I didn’t know. But, yes, I would love to go enjoy this area with someone who knows where to go.”

  He grinned and ran his hand through his blond hair. “Great. I’ll make plans this week and let you know what we are doing.”

  We said our goodbyes, and I watched him get back into his truck. I waved and turned to go face Jessica and her doubtless twenty questions as to what took me so long.

  The apartment was silent and dark. I peeked into Jessica’s room and found her asleep on top of the covers with the window unit cranking nonstop. I grabbed a quilt and covered her up before going back to my room and getting ready for my shower. She’d gone to sleep early. No twenty questions, and no having to cook dinner. I smiled and headed toward the bathroom. I needed to be clean and needed sleep. Today I managed to get past my biggest hurdle. Tomorrow should be easier. No more encounters with Jax. Having a friend would make things even more enjoyable.

  The next week fell into a routine. I arrived at work and went straight to the kitchen with Ms Mary. She talked much more than Fran, and her stories were entertaining. She told me all about her two daughters and seven grandchildren. One daughter lived in Michigan with five daughters of her own. The other daughter lived in Georgia, and she had a girl age nine and one little boy who was loved immensely by a family full of girls. Her life raising her daughters made me realize just how dysfunctional my life with Jessica would sound. I imagined my life being as full and normal as Ms. Mary’s. I knew I could one day make a life just as full of family and love as she seemed to have. I often daydreamed of a life like the one she told me about.

  My first afternoons with Mr. Greg began a little tense since he wasn’t real fond of having a teenage girl helping him, but after a day of not having to get on his arthritic knees he seemed to appreciate my being there. After my fourth day, Mr. Greg and I sat and played chess out in the gazebo when our workdays ended. He beat me each time, but I picked up on it and promised him my skills would improve, and one day I would beat him. I saw Marcus in the evenings when we all sat around the table and enjoyed a bowl of soup and salad. Ms. Mary always sent a plate of food home for Jessica, and I suspected she sent it for my sake. Somehow without my telling her, she seemed to understand how my life at home functioned. After Marcus got off work, he always drove me and my bike home. Ms. Mary hired another server Marcus suggested. He was working out well, and thi
ngs seemed to run smooth with the staff and family. Sunday morning arrived before I knew it.

  I lay in bed, covering my face from the bright sunlight streaming in the windows. It was good to not have to jump up and get ready. I enjoyed my job, but I also enjoyed sleeping late. I yawned and stretched. Today, I would be going out with a friend. I was more excited than the normal person would be, but I couldn’t help it. I sat up and rubbed my face, trying to wake up enough to go eat breakfast. It was still really quiet in the house, but Jessica normally slept till eleven every day. I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a bowl of Peanut Butter Crunch, and then went to sit on the piece of slab outside our back door. The sun glistened off the water, and it warmed me as I enjoyed my bowl of cereal. Today felt like my first real day of summer. Today, I would be able to go do something a seventeen year old would do.

  “What are you eating?” Jessica asked as she walked out the door, or more like waddled out the door.

  “Peanut Butter Crunch cereal,” I replied and took another bite.

  She sank down in the lawn chair beside me and sighed. “Do you love me?”

  I rolled my eyes, knowing what words would be next. “Yes,” I replied and took another bite.

  “Then will you have pity on me and my enormous stomach, and go fix me a bowl when you’re done?”

  This was an old game. She thought it cute to ask if I loved her before she asked me to go get her something. I ate the rest of my cereal and drank all my milk before I stood up.

  “Going to get your cereal,” I said as I walked back in the

  door.

  “Thanks, honey,” she replied not opening her eyes.

  I fixed her a large bowl, so I wouldn’t have to fix her a second one, and took it to her. I needed to tell her about Marcus before he got here. I gave her the bowl, and she sat back up from her reclined position in a chair that did not recline and took the bowl from me.

  “Thanks a bunch,” she said, smiling.

  I sat back down. “I have made a friend at work, and he is coming to get me today to show me around and hang out.”

  Jessica put the spoon full of cereal back down. “A boy! You?”