Full Potential

by L. J. Kentowski

  Could the woman be any sweeter? “That is so nice of you, Aunt Terry. I’d love that.”

  She returned Jena’s smile and stood. “I know how difficult it can be to try and make a name for yourself.” Terry glanced around the diner. “But one day, opportunity shines down on you, and everything clicks into place. It will for you too.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Be patient, Jena. Everything happens at its own special time. Yours will come soon. I can feel it.” Placing a hand on Jena’s shoulder, she squeezed. “I’ll be right back with your order.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jena knew Aunt Terry was right. No matter how much a person might plan out their life, forces well beyond thought and determination were always in play. Sometimes life went according to plan. Other times it caught a person up and set them down in foreign territory for reasons beyond their comprehension. Her best friend’s life was a prime example. Riley had been determined to be a successful business owner, but she’d never imagined it would be owning a bar in small town Seeton, Wisconsin. Yet, there she was, ecstatically happy, co-owner of the town bar, and marrying the man of her dreams she’d met in the process. It was what Jena wanted too…only not in a small town. And she could never own a bar. She and alcohol had a love/hate relationship; she loved the stuff, but she usually hated herself in the morning for the stupid things it made her do the night before. That had happened the last time she was in Seeton and got drunk around a certain sexy, fireman…who was now off limits from her thoughts.

  Aunt Terry came out of the kitchen with a big, brown paper bag. Jena smelled the delicious aromas contained within and had to stop herself from opening the bag and stealing a fry to tide her over for the five minutes it would take to drive to Beckett’s. Five minutes was a long time locked in an enclosed car with Aunt Terry’s edible goodness within reach. Jena refrained only to keep up a mature persona in public.

  “Great, thanks again. How much do I owe you?”

  Aunt Terry smiled and waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s on me. Consider it a welcome back gift. And don’t even think of arguing with me. Riley tried doing the same thing when I told her we’d make the dinners and cake for the wedding. You can ask her how well that turned out.”

  “Point taken. You’re a godsend, Aunt Terry.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Now, go before Riley pulls her hair out, and we have to watch her sit through extensions. Amber at the salon doesn’t have a sensitive bone in her body.”

  Jena laughed and said goodbye.

  One good thing about being in a small town was not having to remember directions. Everything was approximately five minutes away from everything else. Eight minutes later, because she took three minutes to eat some fries, she pulled up at Beckett’s. The car was barely in park at the curb when she heard Riley’s squeals.

  “Oh, my God, you’re really here.” Launching herself through the open car window, she awkwardly hugged Jena’s still seat-belted chest. “I missed you so much.”

  “Crap, Riles, are you crying?” She pushed Riley back to check for tears.

  “No.” She swiped at her eyes.

  “Liar. Now, let me out of this car so I can smother you. I missed you too.”

  Jena unbuckled herself and shot out of the car to take her friend in the tightest hug she could manage.

  “Damn, girl, you did miss me,” Riley said, her voice coming out in gasps of air.

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Once they’d come close to hugging the life out of one another, along with some sniffles on both sides, Riley stepped out of her friend’s arms and gave her the stink eye. “Then don’t stay away so long next—” She sniffed the air in the direction of the car. “Is that a cod sandwich?”

  Throwing her head back, Jena laughed. Leave it to Riley to sniff out food in the middle of…well, anything. “Yes.”

  “Crispy fries?”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  Riley opened the car door and reached for the bag of food. “You’re forgiven.”

  “I hear it’s not as good as Dax’s burgers, though.”

  A dreamy grin lifted the corners of her mouth. “Nothing is as good as my man’s meat.”

  “You have gotten so sassy.” She swatted Riley’s arm. “Seeton really has changed you.”

  “Maybe a little of Seeton, definitely a lot of Dax. The man is insatiable.”

  Jena couldn’t believe the change in her friend. Back in the day, Riley allowed her business side to take over, not wanting to let loose often. She wouldn’t have been caught dead talking about a guy’s meat. Jena, however, had no problems mentioning things like that. “Do tell.”

  “Maybe later. First, let’s eat. We can go up to the flat. In fact, bring your bags. You can stay here while you’re in town.”

  Jena flicked her wrist, motioning the idea away. “I was just going to stay at the motel.”

  “Oh, my God, woman. No way.” Riley grabbed a tote out of the back seat. “It’s either here or at our house. I thought you might want some privacy.”

  “Hmm…or was it you who wanted the privacy?”

  “Dax and I are resourceful, so that’s not an issue. I figured you might want some alone time. You know, in case you hook up with someone here…again.” She added the last part over her shoulder as she walked toward the entrance of the bar.

  Grumbling under her breath, Jena snatched the suitcase out of the trunk. “That was a one-time thing, and I am not talking about it anymore.” It didn’t escape her how their roles had somehow reversed on the candid conversation front.

  Riley stopped in front of the door and glared. “Oh, we are so talking about it, Jena, and you are going to spill your freaking guts. I know hooking up with Tyler had something to do with avoiding me, and we are going to get it all out in the open, even if I have to tie you up in a chair and play country music until your ears bleed to get you to talk. Got it?”

  “I take it back. You haven’t changed.”

  “Oh, yes I have. And I’ve had plenty of time to get creative about ways to make you confess. So, if you don’t want to make this any more awkward for yourself, I suggest you give up now and be done with it.” She unlocked and opened the door. “Now, get your ass up those stairs so I can eat my fries before they’re cold.”

  “You’re so bossy now,” Jena said as she marched past. “It’s kinda hot.”

  Riley laughed all the way up the stairs behind her.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “So, how long do I have you?” Riley asked once they’d set Jena’s stuff down and taken seats across from each other at the island separating the living room and kitchen.

  “I figured a couple weeks, but if we need more time, I can work something out.” Jena stuck a fry in her mouth. “Damn, these are good.” She piled more in.

  “Aunt Terry knows how I like ’em. Your mom and dad are good? The restaurant doing okay?”

  “Oh, yeah. Everything’s the same there. You know them.”

  “They’re okay with you being away for a couple weeks? I mean, I’ll take you for as long as I can have you, but if they need you…”

  “Riley, stop. You know damned well they don’t. Honestly, working at the restaurant is more about me than them. When I couldn’t afford my rent at the apartment anymore, they let me move back in. It’s the only way I can think to repay them until I get my head out of my ass and figure out what I’m going to do with my life.” Thinking of herself as a loser was a reality she couldn’t avoid any longer. The plan was to get her butt in gear once she went back home.

  “And have you figured out what to do?”

  Jena glanced up with a mouthful of food to find her friend’s curious gaze zoned in on her. Sticking a finger up in a hold on gesture, she used the delay of chewing the fish to prolong her answer…or lack, thereof. “I have some ideas,” she said, once the food had all but disintegrated.

  “Which are?” Riley asked with a roll of her hand.

  “I don’t know. I was thinking
of getting into daycare or something.”

  Her eyes lit up. “I think that’s a great idea, Jena. You’ve always been good with kids.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to work for a daycare, I want to start my own. And as you’re well aware, there’s tons of competition in the city. Anyway, it’s only an idea right now. I’m still mulling things over in my head.”

  “Well, whatever help you need, I’m here. You know that, right?” Riley stood and tossed her food container in the trash.

  “I think you have enough on your plate right now, like, I don’t know…your wedding. And holy shit, did you even taste that sandwich?”

  “Hell, yeah, I did. It was awesome. What’s taking you so long?” She laughed.

  Jena glanced down at the quarter piece of sandwich and handfuls of fries she had left. “I can barely finish. And if I do, you’ll need to point me toward the nearest gym, or I won’t fit in my dress for your wedding.” She eyed Riley across the counter. “Where the hell do you put all that food anyway?”

  A devious smile lit up her face. “Dax and I have a great workout routine.”

  “Oh, God.”

  “There are definitely a few of those in there.” She snatched a fry from Jena’s container.

  “Jesus, Riley, what happened to your filter?”

  “I’ll tell you if you tell me what happened to my best friend? You used to beg to hear about my sex life.”

  “That’s when you didn’t have one.”

  “Well, now I do, and it’s really good.”

  From the sparkle in Riley’s eyes, Jena could tell she thought it was more than good. She was happy for her friend. For so long, Riley had put relationships, including sexual ones, on a back burner to concentrate on her career. It was nice to see her enjoying both. If only Jena could follow in those thoroughly satisfied footsteps.

  “Speaking of really good,” Riley said, sitting back down and grabbing Jena’s hands across the counter, “let’s talk about the big elephant in the room.”

  “What big elephant?”

  Riley deadpanned. “The one named Tyler.” When Jena feigned an innocent expression, Riley stabbed a finger toward her nose. “Don’t even try. I will bring Mrs. Bailey over here and make you listen to every horrid detail of her dating adventures if you don’t spill right now.”

  “Who’s Mrs. Bailey?”

  “An eighty-five-year-old widow and newly reborn sex fiend.”

  Jena recoiled, putting her hands in the air. “Okay, okay. I don’t know what you want me to tell you, though. You already know what we did.”

  “Yes, but now I want you to tell me what about that night had you avoiding Seeton and your best friend for so long.”

  Casting her eyes down on the counter, Jena shook her head. How could she explain it to anyone else? It sounded ridiculous even in her own mind.

  Riley squeezed her hand. “You can tell me anything, sweetie. You know that.”

  Jena peered up into her friend’s heartfelt gaze. If she could tell anyone, it was Riley, who had never once judged her. Not even the time Jena had to be bailed out of jail for getting caught skinny-dipping with a guy after hours at the local YMCA. Or the time she’d gotten too drunk and flashed her assets on stage for a guitar pick from a cover band at the state fair. Or the time—

  “Jena?”

  “I’m sorry, Riles. I guess I don’t even know how to explain it myself. To be honest, I’m not at all sure it has anything to do with Tyler. I mean, he set things in motion, but I think my self-doubt was inevitable anyway.”

  Jena’s chin had dropped again, and Riley’s fingers were right there to urge it back up. “Just tell me, honey. We can figure it out together, okay?”

  She nodded. Here goes nothing. “Well, my night with Tyler was amazing. That man is really good with his”—Riley’s eyebrows flew up her forehead—“hose. Anyway, we’d finally exhausted ourselves and passed out. When I woke up in his arms the next morning, I didn’t want to leave them.”

  “And?”

  “And, it was the first time that had ever happened to me. Normally, I can’t wait to get the hell out. Most times I don’t even spend the night.” She thought about what she’d said and winced. “God, I sound like such a slut. I’m the equivalent of a manwhore. Ewww…I’m a womanwhore.”

  Riley burst out laughing, but then realized her friend was serious and quickly donned a solemn expression. “You are not a womanwhore. You’re a grown woman who makes adult decisions and enjoys herself. Nothing wrong with that. Now, let’s get back to the morning with Tyler. So, it bothered you that you didn’t want to leave?”

  “Not right away. At first, I thought it was cool. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how seriously uncool it was.”

  “Why?”

  Jena knew she was confusing the hell out of Riley. Her friend was head over heels in love with a man who worshipped the ground she walked on. They were free to live happily ever after. How could she understand how completely out of reach that seemed for her?

  “Because I’m not ready for that.”

  “For what? A serious relationship? Love?”

  “Oh, God. Please don’t say the L-word.”

  “I hate to break it to you, chica, but love happens whether people are prepared for it or not. Believe me, there’s no numbered checklist for it. I should know.”

  Of course, Riley knew. Never in her wildest dreams had the woman expected to find love in a small town hours away from the life she knew. The focus had been solely on her career when she’d gone to Seeton. She didn’t have a chance. Love had sucked her right in. Once she met Dax, she was a goner.

  “Well, I’m different. And this isn’t about l…lo…lo…that.”

  Riley rolled her eyes. “It’s not?” She’d posed it as a question, but the words—paired with the skeptical expression on her face—made it more of an accusation.

  “No. Well, not directly. This is about me realizing I need to get my shit together before I can ever let that happen. It’s about me figuring out what I want to do with my life and settling in so I can concentrate on finding someone to share it with.”

  Nodding, Riley studied her. “Mmm hmm. Okay, and now tell me how that’s different from the page you just stole from my autobiography.”

  She opened her mouth to answer, but then let the words sink in. Shit.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Riley stood, went to the fridge, grabbed two beers, and set one down in front of Jena. “Look, I’m not going to lecture you about how stupid it is to think you can control the order of your life because I was as hard-headed about it as you at one point. But I am going to tell you I know for a fact you’re going to fall in love and have a successful career. And because I’m your best friend, you have to believe me. Now, let me ask you, how much of this confusion has to do with your feelings for Tyler?”

  Jena took a big gulp of her beer before answering. “I just told you.” Okay, so it was more a deflection.

  “No, you told me about a situation that made you think. You didn’t tell me how much Tyler, as the man who put you in said situation, plays into it. You can’t disregard he’s the one who rocked your world and brought about notions of love in your life. That’s right, I said it. Looove. L-O-V-E, girlfriend. You had sex with Tyler and had visions of falling in love. That means something. Give me a second, and I’ll go get my big girl panties for you to borrow so you can own up to it. Don’t worry. I washed them.”

  Jena spit out her beer as she laughed. Riley didn’t bat an eyelash at the mess. She went over to the sink, grabbed a hand towel, and came back to clean it up, a self-satisfied grin on her face the whole time.

  “You’re ridiculous,” Jena said, after getting control of herself. “I think this wedding is going to your brain. You’re so love-struck your eyes are clouded by little dancing hearts. That shit isn’t contagious, you know.”

  Riley sat again. “No, but it happens to the best of us.” After chugging her beer, she glued Je
na to her seat with a fixed gaze. “Now, answer my question. Tyler. Go.”

  After drinking the rest of the beer, Jena got up to grab another, but Riley’s hands shot across the island and stopped her.

  “Nuh uh. Confession before beer, never fear.”

  “I thought that was liquor?”

  “Not today.”

  Jena let out a long, noisy sigh. “Fine. I like him, okay? I mean, I don’t really know him at all, except in the anatomical sense, and hell if that didn’t blow my mind.” Riley giggled. “Beyond all the physical stuff, though, I had these major vibes with him. It was weird, like I’d known him for years and being together was the most natural thing in the world. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve clicked with other guys before, but this felt…different. I don’t know. I can’t even explain it. And, of course, there was the pregnancy scare.”

  Riley’s jaw fell. “Um…what?”

  “I was stupid.” She rolled her eyes. “We got caught up and forgot to use a condom. Then I was home, and I was late…but, I wasn’t, so…” Riley’s bug eyes had her vomiting words. She cast her gaze down at the counter and wiped a hand back and forth.

  “Aren’t you on the pill?”

  “Yeah. That’s why I was confused. He had me thinking he had some kind of super sperm or something.”

  Riley rubbed the back of Jena’s hand. “Oh, sweetie, why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I didn’t want to jump the gun, and then it turned out to be nothing, so…”

  “But it wasn’t nothing, was it?” she asked, a knowing expression on her face.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It got you thinking, didn’t it? About settling down, having kids…maybe even with Tyler?”

  Jena shook her head. “Oh, please. It could never work with Tyler.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I live more than four hours away, and I have no idea where my life is going. Besides, he is so not a relationship guy.”

  “All excuses. How do you know Tyler isn’t a relationship guy?”

  “Uh, hello, because he’s a fireman, and he showed me his fire truck within hours of meeting me.”