by Jen Andrews
I’d seen firsthand what assholes men could be after Gary had cheated on me with Katie. I had also seen how deceitful girls could be, too. I wasn’t sure whom I could trust.
Except Reese.
He was my best friend and my sounding board. I needed to hear his voice and definitely needed his advice, so I called him. Luckily, he answered.
“What’s up hooker-face?” he said.
I couldn’t help but laugh at his nickname for me. It stemmed from one of our nights drinking and watching funny videos online.
“Oh, you know . . . the usual. Kinda got my heart broke a little . . . again.”
“What? By who?”
“I met someone today.”
No sooner had the words left my lips, Jeremy came out the door with the medical assistant, Tammy, and went toward what I assumed was his car. My hopes that he was a decent guy were dashed that second. I let out a defeated sigh and slumped farther down in my seat. Well, that just proved to me that the girls in the bathroom were telling the truth.
“Reese, I thought he was a good guy, but I was told a few not-so-nice stories about him from two girls I work with. I don’t know what to do.” I sighed and let my head fall back against the headrest of my seat.
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Reese cooed. “But if you just met him, how do you know if what you heard is true?”
He brought up a good point.
What if it’s not true?
But what if it was?
“Well, considering he just got in his car and left with one of the girls doesn’t look too promising for him.”
“I’m sorry, hooker-face. You’ll find someone who’s right for you. Just forget about that guy and move on.”
He was right. I definitely didn’t want to risk getting my heart broken again, especially since I barely knew Jeremy.
“You’re right Reese, I don’t want to go through this. From what I was told, he’s a liar and a cheater. I think I’m gonna go home now.” Trying to change the subject, I asked, “When are you coming to visit?”
“Good news, sweets! I applied for a job at the same gym chain where I’m working now. But guess in which city.”
“I have no idea, which city?”
“Sacramento, beeotch!”
“Heck yes! Oh my God, I hope you get it!” I squealed. “Maybe by then I’ll have my own place. We can be roomies again!”
“Yes, you need your own place, Teagan. Reese junior misses his snuggle buddy!”
“Aww, tell junior I miss his good morning pokes to the back of my thighs.”
“I sure will,” he said. “Now you go home and get to bed young lady. You are out too late on a work night!”
He was right. I was suddenly feeling exhausted after my long workday. And hungry. I realized I hadn’t even had dinner yet.
“Thanks for listening, Reese. I’ll talk to you soon,” I said.
“Goodnight, sweets.”
I drove home and found that my mom had covered a plate of leftovers for my dinner. I’d lost my appetite since I’d thought more about Jeremy leaving Dub’s with the chick from the bathroom. But, I knew if I didn’t eat something, I’d never make it through my workout in the morning.
After I pulled my dinner from the microwave and added a small salad to the plate, I took my food to the living room where I plopped down next to my sister who was watching a movie. She was sprawled across the couch, leaving me only half a cushion to sit on.
“What are we watching?” I asked when I didn’t recognize the movie.
“Some dumb-ass chick flick,” she groaned, which caused me to snicker.
“Why are you watching it if it’s dumb?”
“Brian dumped me,” she said quietly.
Oh, crap. She and Brian had been together for over a year. Suddenly my issue didn’t seem as bad. At least I wasn’t in a relationship with Jeremy.
I set my fork on my plate and turned to face her. “Sorry, Shannen. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I suppose. I’m still in shock. I mean—I know our relationship hadn’t been going well for some time now, but—I think it’s really over.”
“Did he give you a reason?”
“He says he found someone else more compatible.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I met someone today then it blew up in my face.”
Shannen sat up and I told her about Jeremy, and what Tiffany had said about him.
“Are you sure you can trust that Tiffany chick though?” she asked.
“I don’t know what to think, or who to trust. He seemed nice and genuinely interested in me. We had a good time tonight, Shannen. I mean a really good time. But after he left with Tammy—I just don’t know. I am not going to think about it anymore. He obviously can’t be trusted.” I picked up my fork and stabbed it into the center of my pork chop. Cutting off a big chunk with my knife, I shoved the meat into my mouth. It was not what I wanted to eat and immediately felt like binging on an entire tub of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.
Thank God there wasn’t any in the house.
The whole situation was depressing and Shannen being dumped by her longtime boyfriend wasn’t helping to restore my faith in men.
Shannen smiled. “Let’s make a plan to go out to a club dancing soon.”
“That sounds like a great idea. But no men allowed!”
Shannen agreed and I finished my now cold dinner. I wasn’t going to think about Jeremy anymore and decided that bed was the best way to get my mind off the day. I would think about it tomorrow when my head was clear, and my heart wasn’t achy.
Unfortunately, I woke completely drained. I had dreamt of Jeremy all night. What was with this guy that I couldn’t stop thinking about him? I needed to run and clear my head.
Forcing my butt out of bed, I threw on running clothes and pulled my hair up in a messy bun. I glanced over at the clock, and found it was already after six. Well, at least it was still cool enough outside for my run. I brushed my teeth, and headed out the door.
I walked to the end of the sidewalk and turned right, instead of left like I usually did. By the time I reached the other end of the block, my tight muscles had loosened, so I picked up my pace.
We lived in an older subdivision, but it was a relatively safe place. As I ran up one street and down another, I found myself looking at all the houses in our neighborhood. Several houses had been remodeled or were currently in the process of being remodeled.
One house, which was for sale, always caught my attention, because it was exactly what I dreamed of in a house. Yes, I was your typical girl. I wanted the big house with the white picket fence. Didn’t every girl?
Remembering I wanted to visit Nanna before work today, I ran home fast and hopped in the shower. Since I had to work, I’d only have time to stop in for a few minutes.
Once I pulled into a parking space at Nanna’s home, my mind drifted to Jeremy. I had avoided thinking about him all morning, but now, he consumed my thoughts. I speculated how he could be so cool to hang out with then leave with Tammy right after he had been with me at the bar having what I felt was a great time.
With all the sweet things he’d said, all the compliments he’d given me, and all the fun we had been having, was I that dumb to think he was interested in me?
He had to be an expert at playing games if he was stringing multiple girls along like Tiffany had said. Ugh. What a jerk!
I cleared my head of Jeremy and went into Nanna’s room. She was sitting up on her bed, and when I came in, she turned her head to look at me. “Peaches, hello,” she said quietly. Two words in a row, spoken clearly, was music to my ears.
“Good morning, Nanna. How are you today?” I asked, hoping she’d be able to respond easily again.
She tried to speak, but was having a difficult time getting the words out. Finally, she said, “Good to see Peaches.”
I smiled at my sweet Nanna and hugged her. She was doing well since her stroke, but at times, her mouth wouldn�
�t cooperate with her brain. Especially when she became frustrated or anxious. Her daily therapy seemed to be helping, and I was confident that her speech would continue to improve as the days went on.
I took her hand in mine. “I can’t stay very long, Nanna, because I need to go to work. I missed you and wanted to come by and see how you were doing.”
I grabbed the Yeats book then took a seat in the chair I pulled up next to her bed. As I read to her, she drifted off to sleep. When it was time for me to leave, I stood looking down at my frail Nanna and my heart clenched in my chest. I hated seeing her so fragile.
My nanna used to be a feisty thing when she was younger. My poor Papa had a hard time keeping her reined in at times. I laughed when I thought back to when I was around ten years old. She’d had a Fried Green Tomatoes movie moment at the grocery store one day.
Shannen and I had been staying with them for a few days during our summer break from school and they had taken us grocery shopping. The parking lot had been packed and she had already circled it three times before she finally saw a car backing out of a space. Mind you, at the time, Nanna drove a gigantic 1967 Impala.
She arrived at the space first, but this small car driving the wrong direction down the row, snuck into the space right at the last minute. She got out and yelled at the man for cutting into the parking space since it was rightfully hers. He told her she was crazy then walked away from her.
Well, that had not set well with Nanna. It just so happened the car parked in the spot opposite of the man’s car backed out as we circled the lot, once again. So what had Nanna done? She’d pulled into the recently vacated parking space and pushed the space thief’s car out of the space so she could park where she’d wanted originally.
So now, this man’s car was not only out of the space he stole from Nanna, it was blocking the entire driving lane, causing a minor traffic jam in the parking lot. Nanna and Papa had laughed the whole time we were in the store.
Checking the time, I kissed Nanna and headed to work. Once I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I noticed a black car pull in down the row from me. As I gathered my purse and my identification card, the door of the black car opened and a man stepped out.
Crap. It was Jeremy. I briefly wondered if he was here to see me, but then another thought crossed my mind. What if he is here to see one of his many conquests?
I couldn’t say why, but it made me feel a little better to see he was alone.
I still didn’t want to talk to him, so I waited in my car until he made his way through the ER doors, then jogged to the employee entrance, flashed my ID in front of the card-reader, and stepped inside the building.
My curiosity got the better of me, so I snuck to the ER and stood behind the half-wall near the receptionists’ desk where he couldn’t see me. I had to know what he wanted.
He was speaking to Margie, the receptionist.
“Sweetie, like I told you yesterday, I can’t give you that kind of information,” Margie told him.
I wondered what he’d asked her yesterday.
“Did you give Teagan the note I left?”
He left me a note?
Margie looked sideways briefly when she noticed me hovering nearby. I shook my head at her letting her know I didn’t want to speak with him. Thank God she understood what I meant.
“Not yet, sweetie, I haven’t seen her today. But I promise I’ll get it to her when I do,” Margie responded.
“Okay,” Jeremy said. The tone of his voice told me he was clearly disappointed.
But why? Hadn’t he spent the last part of his evening with Tammy? Why would he be here asking for me? This situation was so confusing.
I crossed my arms and continued to listen as he spoke.
“Will you at least tell me one thing?” he asked Margie.
She sighed loudly. “I will if I can. What do you want to know?”
“Does she have a boyfriend?” He sounded anxious for some reason, which further confused me since he’d left the bar with another woman last night.
“Well, that I can answer honestly,” Margie replied. “I don’t know if she does or not. All I can say is I’ll get your note to her as soon as I see her.”
“Alright, thanks again for your help,” he said.
He must have left because Margie closed the window and turned to me. “Teagan, what is going on with that man?”
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. “I wish I knew Margie. I wish I knew . . . so what’s this about a note?”
“He came in after you left yesterday and said he wanted to talk to you. He left you a note. It’s right here.” She scanned the bulletin board next to her desk. A moment later, she turned back to me. “Well, it was here, but now it’s not. Are you sure you didn’t get it?”
I shook my head. “Maybe whoever worked reception after you last night put it in my locker. I’ll go check there. Thanks Margie. Have a good day!”
I went to the locker room to stash my purse, but found no note when I opened my locker. Crap. I was very curious to know what it said.
Several nurses and MA’s came through the door, including Tammy and Tiffany. I groaned inwardly at the sight of them. They started talking loudly, about Jeremy. Naturally, I wanted to hear what they had to say, but I didn’t want them to know I was listening so I stepped into a bathroom stall on the other side of the lockers from where they stood talking.
“It was awesome! We were all over each other as soon as we got inside my apartment. He is so hot and has an amazing body. Oh, his dick is huge, and he fucked me so hard! He has a cute birthmark on his hip, right here,” Tammy said.
Deciding I didn’t want to eavesdrop any longer because their conversation was making me sick, I flushed the toilet to alert them to my presence. I paused before opening the door then went to the sink to wash my hands.
Tammy and Tiffany both looked over when I walked past them, and they burst into giggles. I felt my face flush, and it pissed me off because I was letting them and Jeremy get to me.
He was nothing to me, right? I didn’t even know him. Now, I never would.
Once I clocked in, I headed to the ER to work. The first person I ran in to was Jared Peterson. He was an ER resident and had asked me out a few times, but I’d declined.
“Hey there, pretty lady,” he said when he saw me.
“Please don’t call me that, Jared. People can hear you,” I said a bit too brusquely.
“What’s with you today? Bad night?” he asked, taking a step back.
He seemed genuinely concerned, and I felt bad. Had I taken his comment the wrong way because I was upset about what I’d heard in the locker room? “I’m sorry, Jared. I had a bad night and a bad morning. I visited Nanna before work and it upset me.”
Well, at least that was all true. It did upset me to see her, but I didn’t want to tell him what else was going on. Jared and I were friends and he knew all about Nanna’s stroke.
He pulled me into a hug and rubbed his hands up and down my back to comfort me. “Sorry, Teagan, I know you’re close with her. Let me know if you want to talk. Maybe we can get together for dinner tonight?”
I pulled back and looked up at him. What did I have to lose by having dinner with him? He was a nice guy, good looking, and he honestly seemed interested in me. “Thanks Jared, that sounds good. Text me when you get ready to eat, and I’ll meet you.”
Jared tilted his head down and kissed the top of my head. “I will. Have a better day Teagan.”
I would definitely try. No promises . . .
What the hell was wrong with me? I’d been pissed ever since Teagan had ditched me at Dub’s last night. But why? I barely knew her. So why was I still so pissed? Yeah, she was adorable, pretty, sexy, perfectly curvy, and positively the most gorgeous woman I’d ever—Jesus H. Christ! Who thinks shit like this?
Not Jeremy James.
She was adorable? Really?
Evidently, I thought shit like that. Now.
I’d never been
more pissed in my life than when Jackie told me Teagan had left. After that, all I’d wanted to do was go home and be alone. Unfortunately, I’d still had to deal with Cammie even though I’d broken up with her literally minutes before Teagan had come into the bar.
Actually, now that I’d thought about it, I wasn’t really pissed. I was . . . hurt.
This was not a normal feeling for me. Especially when it involved a girl.
I had to see Teagan and find out why she’d left. Fortunately, I was off work for the weekend, but would she be working on a Saturday? I knew her work shift ended around five because she’d mentioned it when I’d left the ER the day before. I checked the time on my phone, and it was only six a.m. She probably wasn’t even at work yet. I had plenty of time to run off some of my anger before I tried to track her down.
Later that morning, I left the hospital with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What the hell is wrong with me? Teagan wasn’t at the hospital according to the receptionist, and I was disappointed because I didn’t get to see her. And I still didn’t have her number. I needed to find something constructive to do with my time, so I headed over to the shop to finish the exhaust on the Mustang.
When I arrived at the shop, I welded the exhaust hangers that had come loose yesterday and sent me to the ER. This time I gave it a tug to make sure it was sturdy before moving on to the next one.
I did not need another trip to the emergency room, but if the exhaust did fall on me again, I might get to see Teagan.
“Fuck!” I yelled in frustration. I ripped off my welding helmet and hurled it across the shop. It bounced off the wall and skidded across the floor.
Was I seriously hoping to be knocked in the head again so I could go back for more stitches? What the hell was this chick doing to me? I was an idiot.
I threw my welding gloves on the floor and went to the break room to get a bottle of water. The second my ass hit the couch, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
It buzzed two more times before I could get it out of my pocket to see who’d texted. All three texts were from Cammie. I didn’t give a shit what she wanted after the crap she’d pulled last night and only opened the texts to delete them. But the picture she’d sent caught my eye. Although taken from a distance, I could see it was of Teagan.
