Strangely Normal

by Oliver, Tess

  “He tipped her big because he’s rich, and he was watching me because we know each other. I used to work for his dad.” I decided not to say anymore. I’d signed a stupid contract when I got hired on that basically told me to seal my mouth shut about the family business even after I left their employment. I was regretting everything about the job now.

  “He’s rich?” Apparently that was the only piece of my confession that’d caught her attention. “No wonder he hands out twenty dollar bills like they are quarters.”

  “Don’t tell Megan. It’ll only make her more rabid about him. Let her think it’s because he likes her. That will make life easier for all of us.” I reached for the doorknob hoping our clandestine meeting was over.

  “Just watch yourself around her, Eden. She can be real mean when she wants, and after today, I think she’s gonna have it out for you.”

  Charlie had been right about Megan’s anger. The glares she impaled me with could have cut glass. She finally finished her work and threw her apron dramatically on the hook. “I’m out of this hell hole for the day.” In case we hadn’t realized that she was mad, she made a point of smacking the door open as she left.

  My shoulders relaxed. I couldn’t have been happier to see the backside of her.

  “She’s not going far,” Charlie commented as she finished sweeping.

  “What do you mean? Does she live nearby?” That thought bugged me.

  “No, she lives across town, but when she gets a good tip, she goes next door to the bar and hangs out with some of the creeps over there. Sometimes the construction workers head over there after work to play pool and have beers . . . including you-know-who.” Charlie went to the door and peeked out. “But I don’t see his motorcycle out there, so he must have skipped it today.”

  It was stupid for me to even think about it or care about it, but I wondered if Jude had been playing pool, possibly even with my new nemesis Megan, the night of the disastrous cookie party.

  I helped Rick finish the pots and pans, and Charlie took off to go visit her mother. The quiet in the shop once everyone had gone was comforting but lonely. I went upstairs to shower and halfway through the torturously slow trickle of water, I decided I needed to hear my mom’s voice.

  I towel-dried my hair, combed it back, and stuck some coins into the pocket of my jeans. Work had slowed across the street, and I didn’t see any sign of Jude. I locked the diner behind me and then headed to the phone booth.

  I’d barely reached the first corner of the bar when Megan stepped out onto the sidewalk with two guys sporting greasy hair and an array of tattoos. She’d changed into a very small tank top and shorts. Her long nails were gripped around one of the guy’s arms.

  “Ooh, look what the diner coughed up,” Megan sneered.

  I ignored her and focused on my phone booth destination. She muttered something to the guys, and they all had a good round of laughter over her clever comments, whatever they were. I tucked myself into the booth and took a surreptitious glance toward the bar. Thankfully, they’d gone back inside.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Edie! Is everything all right?”

  I’d worked up an enthusiastic yes, but there was no way I could fake feelings with my mom.

  “Edie,” she repeated in a tone that assured me she knew everything was not fine.

  “I’m lonely, Mom, but I think I’m going to try and stick this out for a bit longer. But . . .”

  “But, nothing. Edie come home now. It’s so nice up here. The cabin is small, but we can take turns sleeping on the floor.”

  The lump in my throat made it hard to talk. “How are Janie and Sophie?”

  “Janie took a walk with your dad and Sophie’s sleeping. She got stung by a bee, so she’s sleepy from the Benadryl.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s fine.” She chuckled into the phone. “But by the way she howled, I was sure she’d lost a limb or something. Scared the crap out of me. She went to pick a wildflower and the bee surprised her.”

  “Sounds like she surprised the bee.”

  Mom chuckled again, and I realized I totally missed our laugh sessions. There was a long pause, and even though we were both silent, it felt as if we were speaking to each other.

  “Mom, I’ve got to try this being on my own thing for awhile longer.”

  “I know, Edie. But come home if it doesn’t work out.”

  “I will. Kiss everyone for me.”

  I skirted back past the bar as quickly as possible. Something about Megan’s two unsavory buddies had me feeling uneasy. Suddenly, I was acutely aware of how alone I was, and Charlie’s warning about Megan splashed through my mind. I quickly unlocked the door, scooted inside, and turned to shut the door but a boot stopped my process. I froze in alarm until I recognized the green eyes staring back at me through the opening.

  “Shit, Jude, you scared me.” He stepped inside. I locked the door behind him and pressed my face against the window to peer down the sidewalk to the bar. There was no one out front.

  “Who are you looking for?” Jude asked.

  “Megan, the girl I work with. She hates me, and now she really hates me, so the last thing I need is for her to see me talking to you.”

  He sat on the stool at the counter. “How did I get involved in this?”

  “Really? Oh my gosh, guys are so clueless. Megan is so nuts about you, she’s ready to pick out a china pattern.”

  “You mean that chick who waits on me in here? I’ve hardly ever said hello to her.”

  “Well, you leave her generous tips, and she seems to have decided that that means a serious commitment.”

  “I always leave big tips.” He pulled out his phone, sent a text, and then leaned his elbows back on the counter. “Anyhow, I didn’t come here to talk about her.”

  “Why did you come?”

  He stared at me with that expression I could swear he spent time working on in the mirror. “I’m an ass,” he said.

  “No argument here.”

  “I was upset and I lashed out at you and it was wrong. I was pissed at myself, and for some stupid reason, I took it out on you.”

  “You could have just reached into my chest and ripped my heart out. It would have hurt less.”

  He leaned forward. “Come back, Eden. Finley’s been asking for you. She really tore me a new one when she found out why you left.”

  “So, this is just a ploy to save your own ass.”

  He jumped off the stool and took hold of my arm. “No, this is a ploy to save my heart.”

  I stared down at his fingers wrapped around my arm. His face was near mine, but I was not going to give in. I was not going to look up at him because if I did, anything could happen. His phone rang and he released me to answer it.

  “Hey. Yeah. Hold on.” He stretched out his arm to hand me the phone. “It’s Finley.”

  I had no idea the impact just hearing she was on the other end of the line would have on me. I stared at the phone slightly stunned and then reached over and picked it up.

  “Hey,” I pushed the syllable out of my throat.

  “Eden?”

  “Yep, it’s me.” This time the words came out through sobs.

  “Do you hate me?” she asked and her words broke too.

  “Never.”

  “Is my brother, the ass, standing there listening in?” she asked.

  “Yes, yes he is.” I wiped my eyes.

  “I told you he was an ass.”

  “You did warn me.”

  “But he really cares for you, Eden. Frankly, I can’t stand to see him mope around here like Mr. Poopy Pants.”

  A laugh spurted from my mouth.

  “Is she calling me Mr. Poopy Pants again?” Jude reached for the phone, but I waved his arm away.
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  “Eden, I want you to come back. I think it will really help me. I confess, the medicine is already helping me feel better. It makes me feel kind of numb but a good numb. Like I could let some things go and not go ballistic about them.”

  “That’s great, Finley.”

  “So will you?”

  I paused and looked at Jude. Everything about him still stole my breath, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle all of it again. “I’ll think about, Finley.”

  “I’ve only got one more thing to say then. Come back, come back, come back.”

  “Actually, that’s three things.”

  “No, it’s me remember. Three times is once in my world, otherwise I would have repeated come back nine times, which I could still do if it would help convince you.”

  I smiled. “You sound good, Finley. Like your old, quirky self.”

  “Thanks . . . I think. Promise me you’ll think about it.”

  “I will.”

  She hung up. I handed Jude the phone and raised my brow at him. “You play dirty.”

  “Yep, I guess I sort of do.” He looked toward the small staircase that led up to my room. “Are you staying here by yourself?”

  I shrugged slightly embarrassed at my situation. “The rent is free as long as I’m here to open up early. The owner’s a nice, old man, but the place is too much for him to run.”

  “It’s not safe, Eden. This neighborhood sucks, and the lock on that door can be snapped with one good shove.” He took hold of my hand and even though he only touched my fingers, I could feel it through my entire body. “Come home with me, Valley.” It was the first time he’d used the nickname since that horrid night, and while I’d always thought of it as humorous and even a bit annoying, the sound of it now made my heart ache for him.

  “I need some time to think about it, Jude.” I looked around the place. “I’m on my own here, working at this diner, and I kind of like it. Independence feels good.”

  “But you will think about it?” He walked to door and looked back. “Lock this thing as soon as I walk out.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He looked at me as if there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to kiss me and there was nothing I wanted more, but the incident was still too fresh. And he knew it, just like he knew he was going to leave without that kiss. He pointed at the lock. “Don’t forget.” He walked out and turned in the direction of the bar, and I wondered if that was where he was headed. Then he crossed the street to the construction site. I watched him for a moment and then dragged my tired legs upstairs.

  The onion smell was particularly stubborn, and I had to go through the torturously slow process of washing my hair twice. Getting up before five had made me super tired in the late afternoon and with a completely unwatchable television set, I fell asleep with a towel wrapped around my wet hair and my mind wrapped around Jude King.

  Chapter 25

  A high-pitched scream woke me from a sound sleep. I jolted up in bed, and the towel unraveled and fell onto the floor. The room was dark. I felt for the light switch and flipped it on. A frightening stillness followed, and I listened over my pounding heart for another noise but silence followed. Momentarily, I wondered if the scream had just been part of a dream and then I heard voices down below on the sidewalk. I pressed my face against the window to get a better view of the bar next door. Several of the street lights overhead were broken, and the sidewalk was dimly lit but I could see several figures rustling around in front of the bar. Then I heard a scream again. It was Megan.

  I scrambled to put on my shoes. I raced downstairs, unlocked the door, and ran down the sidewalk. A hulking guy, with a neck the circumference of a telephone pole and a shoulder span that rivaled the width of the building behind him, held Megan tightly around the waist. She looked as if she’d been shocked out of a drunken stupor. Her lids were heavy and her head lulled forward and backward, but the expression on her face was terror. Two other massive guys stood nearby watching in amusement as the guy picked Megan up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She screamed again and pounded the guy with her her fists.

  “Let her go, you mindless ape,” I yelled. “I just called the cops, and they’ll be here any minute.” As I spoke the threat, I truly wished I’d taken the time to do just that. Unfortunately, reason and common sense had left me during my rush downstairs.

  The guy rumbled out a laugh that nearly shook the sidewalk. “Hey, look, another little girl to play with.”

  One of his giant buddies smashed his cigarette out with his boot and lumbered toward me. I stumbled backward, turned, and scrambled back toward the diner. I’d just reached the door as his thick fingers took hold of my arm. I swung my fist around and nailed him on the side of the head.

  “You bitch.” He took hold of my wrist, and I just waited for my frail bones to crack beneath the pressure of his fingers. I flailed my free arm at his head again, but he threw up a rock solid forearm to stop the impact.

  “Let me go!” Several cars drove past and the drivers glanced our way, but no one seemed inclined to step out and help. The size of our attackers was a definite deterrent. It was as if their mothers had filled their baby bottles with steroids.

  My attacker dragged me back toward the guy who had Megan still draped over his shoulder. I heard a door slam somewhere across the street and hoped someone was coming to our rescue.

  A groan of nausea came from behind the beast holding Megan, and then with her head hanging upside down, she puked all over the back of the guy’s pants. He threw her down to the ground with a vicious thud. I struggled to free myself but it was impossible.

  “Let her go now, and I won’t have to wipe up that puke with your ugly face.”

  Tears flowed before Jude had gotten the first words out. I hadn’t seen him walk up, but I could feel him standing behind me.

  The attention on the otherwise deserted sidewalk had turned to the guy who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The jerk holding me pushed me aside and I spun around. Jude was standing with his hands in his jeans pockets, facing down all three guys as if they were made of paper. His gaze softened as he glanced toward me. “You all right?”

  I nodded. “There are too many.” The pleading tone in my voice had no effect.

  Jude looked over at Megan. “Peel her up off the sidewalk and drag her into that diner. Lock the door behind you.”

  The guy with puke on his pants shoved the sleeves of his jacket up over his forearms. “Yeah, girlie, you’re not going want to see this.”

  “Go, Eden,” Jude said.

  My heart was slamming against my chest as I ran over and grabbed hold of Megan’s arm and pulled her to her feet. She moaned in pain and both her knees were bleeding as she stumbled toward the diner. I shoved her through the door and looked back through blurry, wet eyes.

  The guy drew back his arm and threw his fist at Jude. Sobriety was on Jude’s side. He easily ducked out of the way, and the giant staggered forward. Jude raised his foot and shoved the guy face first into the sidewalk.

  His two friends lunged toward Jude.

  “Jude!” I screamed, hoping to warn him, but it had the opposite effect. And in the split second that I’d had his attention, the other two jumped him. Jude managed to throw one of them off just as the other landed a solid punch to Jude’s face. The first guy had recuperated and rage steamed off of him as he stooped over, roared with anger, and plowed into Jude as if he was on the football field taking out an opponent. Only in this game there was no ref and no rules. Jude groaned as the guy slammed him hard against the building.

  My feet took off before my brain had even told me to move. The sidewalk seemed to have magically stretched and it felt as if it took me forever to reach them, and in that time, I wondered just what the hell I would do once I got there. My adrenaline rocketed me into the air and I jumped on the guy’s back
and clawed his face. He threw me off with hardly any effort, and I fell back hard on the sidewalk.

  Annoying little pest gone, the guy concentrated on his real prey. Jude had held his own for a few minutes but the three against one scenario had definitely turned the odds against him. Blood dripped from Jude’s mouth and nose as he staggered forward to hit the guy in front of him. I was still at ground level and with his drunken state to help me, I kicked my leg and toppled one of the beasts. He fell to his knees with a thud, and I could have sworn the sidewalk shook from the impact. The guy pushed to his feet and swung around with a look that told me to get the hell up and run.

  It was time to do what I should have done in the first place. I raced to the diner to call the police, but before I reached the door, headlights lit up the sidewalk. I twisted back around. The scene on the sidewalk looked as if it was under the spotlight on a stage. Two of the guys had taken hold of Jude and the third one was pummeling him, seemingly ignorant of the car that had pulled up in front of the bar. I squinted into the harsh headlights, hoping it was a police car. But, oddly enough, it was a limousine.

  The car door opened and a familiar figure stepped out. The guy administering the beating finally stopped and looked around at the person standing next to the limo. Then another figure stepped out of the car, and this one made the three attackers look petite. I’d seen Nicky King’s bodyguard once but the sight of him slapped the breath from me. He had to be close to seven feet tall, and I half expected the sleeves and legs of his shirt and pants to be tattered, his Hulk transformation complete.

  I wandered over to the scene, wondering if I’d been knocked senseless by the fall to the sidewalk or if I was actually witnessing the sight in front of me. The two guys holding a rather bloody and limp looking Jude kept their hold on their victim, but their mouths dropped open in a perfectly suited apelike fashion.

  “I don’t fucking believe it,” one of the guys muttered, “it’s Nicky King.”