by Dawn Martens
"I think we should head over to the zoo. What about y’all?" I ask with a smile.
"Sure, babe." Matty agrees and places a kiss on my forehead. I know that he’s just playing his part to get Jase to leave me alone, but all the attention sure feels good. It’s been a long time since anyone has made me feel special.
For a moment, I wonder what it would have been like if I had been Matty's girl instead of Jase’s. Would we be married by now? Would Jenny have a little brother or sister? I look at Matty, then peek over at Jase. They look so much alike. Why couldn't I have fallen in love with the reliable brother? I shake my thoughts away. "Come on y’all, let's get to the zoo."
We start to walk back to the parking garage, but Jenny spies The ‘Ole Fudge Shop and begs Matty to take her in. It didn't take much begging. Matty would give my girl the moon if he could. I start to follow them in when Jase grabs my hand and pulls me back onto the sidewalk.
"What the hell is going on between you and Matty? Shit, Julie, he's my brother," Jase finishes while shaking his head.
I look down to my feet and think about what Jase says. He is right in a way. I am being a bitch, and I'm not that type of girl. I'm not so petty that I need to use a friend to make someone jealous, am I? I can explain it any way I want, but that's what I'm doing. I'm pulled from my thoughts by a pretty but very slutty woman wearing way too much perfume.
"Jase Gibson, wow! It's great to see you here," she says while pushing her body against his. "You never called me back, but I'll forgive you." Her voice is flirty. She turns to look at me. She blinks a few times and snarls up her face. “Oh my, if it isn't little Julie Walker. How've you been, nerd girl?"
That's when it hits me. Brittany Miller. She was Brandon's girlfriend in high school. She was always a bitch to me when they were dating. She would call me names and make fun of me to her friends. As soon as Brandon found out, he broke things off with her. She blamed me for losing him, and things only got worse.
Think about all the things that high school bullies do, and I guarantee she did it to me. Only, she's a devious bitch. She wasn't a normal bully. No, Brittany was devoted to it. I swear she spent every waking moment coming up with new ways to torment me.
One time, she even took pictures of me changing in the locker room. She blew the pictures up and wrote cow across my ass then hung them all over the school. I spent the rest of the year with everyone mooing at me.
I came home crying nearly every day. I almost quit school just to get away from her, but Kristen and Bec talked me out of it. Jase knew what happened. He used to hate her as much as I did, but I guess his dick didn't hate her.
“Good actually. I better go get back to mine and Jase’s daughter,” I say with attitude. I notice the look of shock on her face. I look up at Jase and shake my head. I’m angry now. Angry at Jase and angry at myself for feeling guilty about Matty.
"Yeah Jase, your brother," I say as I walk into The ‘Ole Fudge Shop.
******
Jase
I watch Julie walk into the shop. Shit, Brittany just fucked things up even more.
“You need to go. I’m spending the day with Julie and our daughter.” I say, purposely leaving out Matty. I don’t even want to think about why he’s here.
“You have a daughter with her?” Brittany says in shock.
“Yeah, she’s eight years old and fucking beautiful. I messed things up with Julie, but I’m going to try and fix it. Like I said, you need to go.”
“Well, excuse me. I just thought we could have another go,” she says, purring and rubbing up against me. Before, I would have taken her up on it, but not with Julie back.
“Did you not hear me say that I have a daughter, or did you miss the part where I said that I want to work things out with Julie?”
“Yeah, I heard you, but I don’t care. Bec and I were talking yesterday, and I really don’t think you care either, do you?” She smiles sarcastically. “I know all about you screwing Bec the first time you were with nerd girl. Why should this time be any different?” she says with spite.
“What is with you stupid bitches? Bec is a cunt, and I don’t want you or anyone else. I only want my family, so fuck off. Tell all your damn friends the same thing,” I say angrily as I walk off. Shit! Could it get any worse?
When I walk into the shop, I see Matty laughing with Julie and Jenny. Jenny pulls on his hand and he bends down to her. She gives him a kiss on the cheek with her fudge covered lips. Julie laughs and reaches for a napkin. She wipes the fudge off his cheek and kisses him in the same spot that my daughter has just kissed. Matty grabs them both and pulls them in for a hug.
I love my brother. Hell, he and Shane are my best friends, but I'm so damn jealous that I would like to kick his ass at this moment.
Chapter 8
Julie
Our day in Nashville turned out great. We stayed at the zoo all afternoon, and Jenny had tons of fun. Jase carried her around on his shoulders and showed her every single animal. He spent an hour climbing on the jungle gym with her, then bought her nearly every stuffed animal that the gift shop had. She loved it. I think, I hope, he will be the kind of Dad Jenny needs.
When we got home, Jase asked if he could take Jenny to the Dairy Queen for an ice cream. I was little nervous about letting her go, but I knew I had to give him a chance. They were only gone for about an hour, but it was one of the longest hours of my life. Thankfully, Bethany and Kristen were here to keep me calm.
When I told them about our day in Nashville and the way Matty and I had acted, Kristen seemed angry. She didn’t say anything, but I could tell she didn’t like it, which makes no sense at all, because Kristen hates Jase almost as much as I do. Plus, she has to know that I need a buffer when it comes to him.
Bethany was disappointed. She told me that I need to get over what happened nine years ago and look at who Jase is now. I asked her who that was, a drunken whore chaser? She just shook her head at me.
I know that using Matty to keep distance between Jase and me might be petty, but I have to do something. If not, Jase and I will end back together, and I’m not gonna let that happen. I can’t take a chance at getting hurt like that again.
Now, it’s Monday morning; my first day at work and Jenny’s first day of school. Last night, Jenny asked Jase to take her to school today. It is really hard to watch him walk away with her, but she is so happy that I have to smile. I waited until they left before getting ready, so now, I’m running late. What a great way to start my first day.
I walk into Friedman’s Law Office and am shocked to see Bec sitting behind the receptionist desk.
“Hello, may I help you?” she says with a fake smile. Both her eyes are black and she has a small white bandage across her nose. It may make me a bitch, but I love knowing I did that to her.
“Yes, I’m Mr. Friedman’s new legal secretary. Just point me to my desk.” I’m trying to remain professional, but I have the urge to hit her again.
She points to the hallway. “It’s right down the hall, first door on your left. Mr. Friedman’s not in yet, but don’t worry, I’ll make sure he knows you were late,” she adds with a smile. Bitch! I walk to my desk, sit down, and close my eyes. I cannot believe this shit is happening to me.
I finally get up and start to look around. The office is a mess. Mr. Friedman’s last secretary left without giving notice, so there’s three weeks of work to catch up on. I’m so busy, that I am able to ignore Bec, but she isn’t ignoring me. I catch her looking down the hallway every now and then. I know she’s planning something, but I have no idea what.
I’m so behind that I decide to work through lunch. I’m on the floor trying to organize the files when Bec walks in with Brittany.
“Britt came over to take me out to lunch. Would you like to go with us?” she asks like we are all the best of friends.
“I’m going to work through lunch,” I say and look back down at the files.
“If I had an ass like yours, I would too,�
� Brittany adds in her normal bitchy voice, then adds a whispered, “moo.” They both laugh and walk away.
As soon as the door shuts, I jump up and grab my phone to call Kristen.
“Did you know that Bec works here?” I ask without giving her time to say hello.
“Works where? What in hell are you talking about?”
“Bec, the bitch, is Mr. Friedman’s receptionist. Her desk is twenty-feet from mine,” I say in a near shout.
“Shit, no, of course not. You know me better than that, Jules. I just heard that his last secretary quit on him, and he was looking for someone to take her place. I never would have mentioned it to you if I had known that Bec worked there.”
I take a deep breath and say, “I know you wouldn’t. I’m sorry, but hell, I’m pissed. She and Brittany just came back here to invite me to lunch, but Brittany made sure to point out that I need to skip as many meals as possible.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Nope. Brittany even mooed at me, just like in high school. I guess they’re friends now. So much for Bec hating her, huh? What happened to Bec? When did she change? When did she start hating me so much?” I have asked myself these same questions a million times.
“I don’t know, Jules. I’ve stayed clear of her since I came home, but I hear things, and they’re not good,” Kristen says. I can hear the sadness in her voice.
“I miss her. Can you believe that? I miss her, and I miss Jase. I miss the way things used to be.”
“I know you do. I do too,” she says in a quiet voice. I hear someone telling her that her next client is there.
“I know you’re busy so I’ll let you go. I need to get back to work anyway. Talk to you tonight. Love you, girl.”
“Love you too, Jules.”
******
Jase
I’m under a 65’ Chevelle. Most of the time, I would be loving it, but not today. I love my job, but I can’t wait to get out of here. I keep checking my watch to see how many hours there are until quitting time. I get to see my little girl tonight, and I’m excited.
I got to drop Jenny off at school today. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I know most people don’t think much of shit like that, but it’s a big fucking deal when you’ve missed the first eight years of your daughter’s life. No, I’ve missed nine years. I should have been there to watch her grow in Julie’s belly too.
I’m doing my best to forgive her for not telling me about Jenny, but it’s hard as hell. How the fuck do you forgive someone for something like that? Nothing will ever bring those years back, and the thought of Jenny having to live with that monster that Julie was married to kills me.
I hear my Pop walk around the front of the car. “What’s got you so antsy today?”
I slide out and smile up at him. “I get to see Jenny when I get off today. If I’m lucky, I may even get to talk to Julie for a while.”
“What are you waiting for then? Get your ass out of here!”
“Are you sure? I got two more hours,” I ask, but pray that he lets me go.
“Go on now. Give my granddaughter a kiss for me. If you get lucky, you can give Julie one too,” he says with a wink.
I clean up and am out the door in five minutes. Ten more and I’m pulling into Julie’s driveway. Jenny is riding her bike around the carport. As soon as I step out of my truck, she gets off the bike and smiles at me. I squat down and open my arms; she runs right into them and gives me a huge hug.
“You’re early, Daddy. Momma said you wouldn’t be here until it’s almost dark.” She looks towards the sun. “It’s not almost dark.”
“No, it isn’t, but Pop let me off early today. But he said I had to do something for him. To pay him back for leaving.”
“What?”
I kiss her cheek. “That was from Pop.” I kiss her other cheek. “That was from me.”
She laughs and grabs my hand. “Come on, Daddy. We’ve got to get cleaned up. It’s almost time to eat.”
Oh shit! I hadn’t even thought about it being dinner time. Julie might not want me here for dinner. I don’t want to push my luck.
“Baby doll, I’m not sure if Momma has enough for Daddy to eat too. Maybe I should go. But I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“There’s plenty. Hurry up you two. It’s time to eat.” I look up and see Julie standing on the porch. She’s wearing a pair of red shorts that just cover her amazing ass. She has on a plain tee that hugs her body, giving me a great view of her tits. Her brown hair is pulled into a pony tail, and her beautiful blue eyes are staring right at me. She smiles and motions for us to come on in.
I smile back and allow Jenny to pull me into the house. I can’t believe that I’m going to have dinner with my family.
Chapter 9
Julie
I’m not sure how it happened, but Jase has been at my house every night for nearly three weeks. Sometimes he takes Jenny to the park or to get an ice cream, but most of the time, they just hang out here. He’s really awesome with her. He’s up for anything she wants. The other day, I walked in on them playing Barbie’s. It was the sweetest thing I ever saw.
Tonight, they are out back playing on the tire swing. Bethany and I are sitting in the living room watching Army Wives. I can hear Jenny shouting for him to push her higher. I smile when I hear her laugh. God, I wish things could have been different. I wish we could have been the family that Jenny needs.
“When are you going to forgive him?” Bethany asks.
I look over to her and just shake my head. Doesn’t she realize that it’s not about forgiveness? Staying away from Jase is pure self-preservation.
“You know I love you, Jules, but you have let this go on for too long. You love that man, and he loves you. Both of you love Jenny. You need to be a family.”
I start to respond, but I am cut off by the front door opening. Matty walks in and I can tell that something is wrong. I get up and walk over to him.
“What’s wrong, Matty?”
“I need to talk to you for a minute,” he responds, and then looks over to Bethany. “Can you give us a few minutes alone?”
“Sure,” she agrees and quickly leaves the room.
Matty looks at me and runs his fingers through his hair. “What’s going on between you and Jase?”
“What are you talking about?” I shake my head and add, "He’s Jenny’s dad. That’s it.”
“Are you sure?”
For some reason, I hesitate. Was I sure? No!
“Look, Jules, I need to know if you’re still in love with Jase.”
“Why? What’s this all about?”
“Shit! You have to know how I feel about you. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. When you came back to town, I thought I’d finally get my shot, but I see the way you look at Jase, and I wonder if you’ll ever look at me that way.”
I’m shocked. I never even considered that Matty has feelings for me. In fact, I always thought he had a thing for Kristen. I’m not sure how to respond to him. I do love him, but not in the way he wants. Before I have a chance to explain, Matty pulls me into his arms and kisses me. I start to pull away, when I hear Jenny’s voice.
“Yuck, Uncle Matty’s kissing Momma!”
Matty and I separate, and we both turn towards the kitchen to see Jenny and Jase coming in the back door. Jenny is scrunching her nose up, like she just smelled something really bad. But, Jase. Shit! Jase looks like his heart is broken.
******
Jase
I love spending time with Jenny. She’s an amazing little girl. She laughs all the time and is always in a good mood. Being with her makes me happy. The only thing that could make me happier is being with her and Julie. I think Julie is starting to come around. She’s invited me to stay for dinner a few times, and she never complains when I come over. I even caught her looking at my ass yesterday. That’s got to be a good sign, right?
I’m pushing Jenny on the tire swing, and sh
e’s telling me all about her day. She loves school. She’s smart as hell. Jenny hasn't even been in school for a month, and I’ve already got a refrigerator covered in smiley face papers.
"Push me higher, Daddy."
I reach over to push Jenny higher, and her doll goes flying across the yard. Oh shit! I hope it's not broken, because she carries that doll everywhere.
"Daddy, go get Lulu, please," Jenny says so frantically that I almost laugh. How could a doll be that important?
I walk over and pick it up. It's a little dirty, but the head, arms, and legs are still attached, so I guess we're good. I walk back to Jenny and hand the doll to her.
"Why do you like Lulu so much?"
Jenny just looks at me like I'm crazy. “Because, she was the first doll you ever gave me."
What the hell is she talking about? "Sweet Pea, I didn't give you that doll."
She shakes her head and laughs. "Yes, you did. You gave it to me for when I turned six." She looks at me and makes a sad face. "You didn't come to my birthday party ‘cause you were too busy. But you sent me Lulu. I love Lulu, but I wish you could have been there."
Why the fuck did Julie give her a doll from me? "Did you ever get any other presents from me?"
"Sure lots. You always send the best birthday and Christmas presents, but my favorites are the big chocolate bunnies you send at Easter. You know Momma says I can't eat a bunch of candy because it’s not good for my teeth, but she lets me eat me as much of my bunny as I want, ‘cause they are special."
What the fuck? Why would Julie do that? Why would she keep Jenny away but give her shit from me?
