Let’s Start Over

by Laurent, River

  Then I wandered through the apartment and was surprised by how put together it still was. There were some cobwebs and the fridge was empty, but other than that, it was perfect. And peaceful. I never realized how much I’d missed the quietness.

  The main bedroom was the biggest, so I decided I would take it. I dusted off some sheets and a blanket from the closet and made up the bed before I tumbled into it. Sleep claimed me as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was grateful for that.

  Chapter Six

  Ivy

  As soon as I woke up, my first stop was a shower. I stood underneath the water until it went from searing hot to freezing cold. Once I stepped out, pruney, and surprisingly satisfied, I stared at the clothes I’d worn from New York.

  “I definitely need some new clothes.”

  There were none in the apartment besides a few old pieces. My mother’s wedding dress that I couldn’t stand to part with, and a few clothes that I’d left behind years ago. Everything else had been shipped to New York or donated.

  I shimmied into the blouse, the pencil skirt, and the heels I had arrived in. It would have to do.

  When I walked outside, I was hit with my first problem. How was I going to get where I needed to go with no cell phone and no way to call a taxi? I was used to taking the Subway, or simply stepping toward a curb and lifting my hand for a taxi. I no longer had that luxury.

  I decided to find someone with a cell phone. If I remembered correctly, there was a diner a couple of blocks away. Fingers crossed they would remember me and let me use their phone. I should call work too and let them know I wouldn’t be coming back. Then I have to call Maria and arrange how to get my stuff back here.

  Linda was not in, but a waitress let me use her phone to call a taxi.

  My first stop was a clothing store where I purchased the staples that I would need. I opted for button-ups, skirts, flat shoes, sneakers and some laze around clothes, basically, jeans and shorts. I dressed in one lot of clothing and asked the woman that owned the store if it would be alright if I came back for the rest of my haul later that day.

  My very next stop was to an electronic store. I decided against going to my usual carrier and getting a phone from them. I wanted no ties with anything from my old life. I opted for a prepaid phone that I could top up monthly. Once I had a phone in my hand, I felt a little more positive about my day.

  It was time to get a job.

  I held my head up and went to my first destination. The local TV news station. It was exciting to be in the building. As I looked around, I visualized myself working there. I could do this.

  “Hi,” I said cheerfully, as I stood at the receptionist’s desk. “Could I speak with whoever is in charge?”

  The blonde behind the desk looked at me curiously. “What is this regarding?”

  “I was hoping to talk to someone about a job. I’m a journalist.”

  I must have passed whatever test she performed in her head because she picked up the phone on her desk and dialed someone. I glanced around the lobby while she quickly and almost under her breath, relayed what I’d told her. After a few more whispered interactions, she hung up the phone.

  “Unfortunately, we don’t have any open positions for new journalists. We’re fully staffed.”

  I frowned. “There’s not even anything I could apply for. Like in a back-up position? In case there’s an emergency. I would seriously take any position you have. I’ve worked as a journalist for nearly five years in New York.”

  “Unfortunately no, hon. My boss just said she doesn’t need anyone and even if she did, she doesn’t hire anyone with less than ten years of experience. Maybe try the Springston Sun? They might be hiring.”

  My heart sank. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I was never good enough in New York, so I guess this isn’t any different.

  I shook myself out of that way of thinking. If I kept this up, I would get sad and depressed and that wasn’t what I needed. Instead, I thanked the blonde and focused on heading to the newspaper office. There was still hope. I wasn’t beat yet.

  The newspaper wasn’t too far away and I walked it. I figured the less money I used the better. When I stepped into the Springston Sun’s offices, I was filled with renewed energy. This would work. I had five years of newspaper experience in New York under my belt. They would have to say yes.

  “Could I speak with someone in charge of employment?”

  “That would be Terrance Colt. Let me get him,” the woman behind the desk said. “You can sit there in the meantime.”

  I settled into the chair she indicated. At least I would get to actually meet the employment guy from the Springston Sun. As I waited, I went over what to say in my head. My foot bounced up and down until I heard a deep voice.

  “Can I help you?”

  I hopped up and shoved out my hand to the man in front of me. “I’m Ivy Johanson.”

  “Terrance Colt.”

  The man was short and his reddened face reminded me of Brian. That wasn’t a great thought to have right as I was trying to impress the man who would hopefully be my new employer.

  He pumped my hand and released it.

  “I’m looking for a job. I was a journalist in New York for five years and I have more than enough experience and the proper degree. I primarily did—”

  “Not to interrupt you,” he said as he did exactly that. “I don’t need any more journalists at the moment. I don’t have a need for any new staff, really. This is a small town paper. Turnover is low. Maybe try some of the bigger cities.”

  “Oh,” I said in a small voice. “Thanks for meeting with me, anyway.”

  “No problem. Sorry I couldn’t help.”

  “It’s okay. Thanks.” I walked outside and the sun hit my skin. It was still as sunny as before, but my hope had died. My stomach growled and I wrapped an arm around it. I should probably put some food inside of me. The last thing I’d had to eat was a bag of chips at a rest stop. At least I could stop by the grocery store and do some light shopping before I went back to the apartment.

  What was I going to do? If I got a job in a bigger city, it would defeat the purpose of leaving New York. Not to mention it would be harder to get to and even then, I might not get hired.

  I sighed as I walked along. The stress that I had pushed off before came back full force. If I couldn’t find a place to work then I would be shit out of luck.

  The grocery store wasn’t far away, but I was distracted by a bar tucked away to the side. Red Royal. A sign in its window caught my eye.

  Waitress needed.

  It wasn’t what I wanted to do, but a job was a job. At least I could keep the lights on and food in my belly until I found something else. I ran my fingers through my hair.

  I pushed the door open and once inside, glanced around the darkened interior. My eyes adjusted to the dimness of the space and I could see it wasn’t half bad. It was pretty spacious with red upholstery, a few pool tables, a karaoke machine and a few dart boards in the back. It looked exactly how a small town bar should look.

  “Hey there. Can I help you?”

  I glanced up and froze as my eyes landed on the bartender. He was tall, definitely over six feet. His golden blond hair was slightly longer than I remembered. Wisps of fine gold graced his neck. His strong jaw was clean shaven. And those eyes. They were exactly how I remembered them. The blue-green orbs stared back at me.

  Cooper Page.

  I hadn’t seen him since I left this town. My breath stuck in my throat.

  Even back then, he’d been a swelteringly hot guy with a strong build and taut muscles, but he’d grown even more devastating, even more dazzling with the years.

  My first love.

  And the first man to break my heart.

  Chapter Seven

  Ivy

  I stared at Cooper.

  He stared right back at me. Then his eyes widened in shock of disbelief. When he regained his power of speech, he shoved his hands into his pockets, as
if he didn’t know what to do with them. “Ivy Johanson,” he breathed. “I thought your face looked familiar. How the hell are you?”

  “I’m good. I’m great. I’m just… Wow. Sorry, I really didn’t think I’d be bumping into you today.”

  Cooper grinned suddenly and one mind-blowingly sexy dimple flashed at me. I had pretended to forget just how absolutely intoxicating he was. Those deliciously broad shoulders, the manly jaw, thickly muscled arms, and the mischievous eyes. To be honest, I hadn’t laid eyes on anything so fine in a long time.

  “What are you doing back in Springston?” he asked as he finally pulled his hands out of his pockets and reached for a towel, which he slung over his shoulder.

  “I thought a change of pace might be nice,” I said as I tried to stop staring at his body, only to find my eyes glued instead to the curve of his sensuous lips.

  “Didn’t think I’d ever see you back in these parts again.”

  “Well, I didn’t think I’d see you here either.”

  The last time I saw Cooper Page was when he was taking my virginity in senior year. My face grew hot at the memory of his body gleaming in the moonlight as he pounded into me. I’d thought we had something special. That was why I gave myself to him, but I was wrong. Dead wrong. Cooper had left me high and dry and went off to college without a word.

  It had shattered me. He was the other big reason I didn’t want to be in or around Springston. So much heartbreak had occurred in my life in this quiet, quaint little town, and I didn’t need or want to be reminded of any of it.

  Remembering what he did to me, made me sober up and stop staring at him. Besides, what was the point? I couldn’t be with him. There was no way in hell. Not after what I’d just gone through. I needed to cool it on the men.

  “I’ve been back for a while,” Cooper said as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured some into a glass. Then he downed it in one swallow, before he turned back to me. “After college, I ended up moving back here so I could help my parents out.”

  “How are your parents?”

  “My dad passed two years ago, but my mom’s still going tough. Wrangling kids, working, singing. She’s never changed.”

  I frowned. “I’m sorry to hear about your dad.”

  “Thank you. That’s the way life goes,” he said, but his jaw hardened as he glanced down at the bar.

  The saddened look on his face broke my heart all over again. He had always been the type to hide who he really was. What he really felt. Even back in high school, I had been one of the few that saw beneath the bad boy exterior. I couldn’t stop myself as I laid my hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze.

  Cooper glanced up and the far-away look in his eyes faded, replaced with something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  I pulled my hand away as if I’d been burnt.

  “Right, now that you’re here, what can I get you?” His voice sounded strange.

  “Oh, I don’t want a drink. I saw the sign out front that you’re looking for a waitress. I wanted to apply.”

  Cooper cocked a brow. “You want to be a waitress? I thought you went to school for journalism.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Small town.” He chuckled. “You do know everybody talks about everybody around here, don’t ya?”

  “Yeah, don’t I know it.”

  “You sure you want to waitress, Jo? It won’t be fancy like the job you had in the big apple.”

  It was strange hearing Jo again. He was the only one who ever called me by my shortened last name and made it sound special and sexy. I shrugged. “I need a job. That’s all that matters.”

  He waited as if to give me a chance to explain myself, but I didn’t want to get into a whole discussion about my life. The things that I left in New York needed to stay there. If I brought it up it would only be more painful and I couldn’t handle that. Not yet.

  Cooper looked me up and down as if he wanted to push the subject.

  I didn’t care how much he wanted to know, I was too stubborn to give in and tell him a damn thing.

  He must have seen the fire in my eyes and knew when to give it up. “Alright,” he said with a nod. “Do you have any experience?”

  “How hard could it be to carry food and write down orders?”

  His eyebrows rose. “When it’s busy? Really hard. Why do you want the job if you think it’s beneath you?”

  I rubbed my arm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I do really want the job. It’s close to my apartment and I’m great with people.”

  He hesitated.

  “Look, I know I’m probably not the best option with having no experience and all, but I can pick up on things fast and I don’t have any other commitments so you know I’ll always be here when you need me.”

  “Is that right?” Cooper drawled as his eyes lingering.

  My cheeks burned. I cleared my throat. “That’s right,” I said firmly.

  “Whenever I need you, huh?” he mocked.

  I groaned. “Don’t get any ideas.”

  “I’m a red-blooded man not a piece of stone, Jo, but I don’t touch my staff.”

  He stated this, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. That hungry look made every inch of my skin break out in goosebumps. There was no way he wasn’t mentally undressing me and bending me over the bar.

  “So, can I have the job?”

  Cooper considered it. “I guess, I can show you the ropes and give you some training. I need someone soon though.”

  “I can start whenever you need me.”

  He rubbed his sturdy jaw. “Now. Do you think you could do that?”

  I nodded eagerly. There was nothing I wanted to do less than sit alone in my apartment. “Of course.

  No matter how he’d abandoned me in high school, I found it impossible to look away. He really had matured into a drop-dead sexy, totally irresistible man. His lips pulled into a grin, which only made the situation worse. God, I wanted to kiss that mouth and work my way down all that hard muscle…all the way down to…. Jesus, what the hell was I thinking? Working for Cooper has to be the dumbest idea that I’ve ever had. It wouldn’t end well.

  But it wasn’t as if I had a choice though. A job was the one thing I needed to keep living on my own. There was no one to fall back on if I messed up and couldn’t pay for myself. I’d be on my own and I’d starve. I needed the job. I was on the run. There was no telling if or when Brian would pop up. Falling for someone else was strictly off limits.

  Stop staring at his biceps like an idiot and shake his hand.

  “Thank you,” I said as I offered my hand toward him.

  “Don’t thank me yet.”

  “Even so, I truly appreciate the opportunity,” I insisted.

  “So formal,” he teased, but he smiled as he reached out for my hand. Cooper’s big hand engulfed mine.

  His calloused palm slipped against mine and I wondered how those hands would fit on other parts of my body. How they would feel as they dragged across my flesh and caressed me.

  I really need to stop doing that.

  I definitely couldn’t afford to sleep with him again. I forced myself to think about how hurt I’d been when he broke my heart the first time. Going down that path again wasn’t an option. I pulled my hand away and quickly fidgeted with the hem of my shirt.

  Cooper waved a hand at me. “Come through to the back. I’m sure I have some spare aprons back there. I’ll show you the ropes.”

  “Thank you,” I muttered as I walked after him. My eyes traveled down his body and landed on his ass. It looked good enough to grab and squeeze underneath the snugly fitted jeans he wore. I shook my head.

  Keep it together, Ivy!

  Chapter Eight

  Cooper

  What the hell was life doing sending her into my bar?

  I hadn’t seen Ivy since the night I sped off on my bike. I still remember her face, soft in the early morning light. I was gone that afternoon. Off to colle
ge. At the back of my mind, I knew I was leaving behind something precious, but I was too young. I didn’t understand how rare it was to have a real connection with another human being.

  I know better now. I’ve never found the same connection I felt with her with another other woman. Oh, they tried, how they tried, but none of them were her.

  When her parents died, I was still at college and I’d tried to reach out, but she never answered. Then, just like that, she was gone, off to start a shiny new life in New York City.

  I’d never stopped thinking about her. The curvy, doe-eyed girl who I’d never forgotten. When I came back to Springston, I put my feelers out for information about her. Springston was known for its twitching curtains. There wasn’t much that the folks around here didn’t see. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew what was in my garbage. The women were the worst, but the men didn’t do too badly either. Everybody was curious about everybody.

  I learned little snippets of news about her. She had rented out her parents’ home. She had an apartment full of her stuff. They speculated that she planned on returning. Otherwise, why would anyone pay rent to keep their old stuff. I agreed. I changed my plans. I bought this bar and decided to wait for her. One day, one day soon, she was going to come back to Springston.

  And I would be here waiting for her.

  That day was today. You could have knocked me down with a feather when she turned up in my bar. I couldn’t fucking believe my eyes. It felt as if all the blood in my body had rushed down to my feet. She was even more beautiful than I had remembered.

  I opened my office and walked in. She followed behind. I turned around to face her. God, my eyes wouldn’t stop staring at her.

  She was looking around. “It’s a mess in here,” she said as she straightened up a stack of papers that threatened to topple over.