by Lolah Lace
“That’s a common name.”
“Yes, it is. Good thing I’m not common.”
Her eyes squinted, as she looked me over. I was being cocky. I had to remember to stop doing that. Be normal. Or better yet, pretend to be Jason commoner Smith. I’m just a regular chap, doing regular things and having irregular thoughts about this hot lady.
I broke the silence. “Let me finish up. What were you doing, cleaning the shelves?”
“Yeah, you’re starting today?” She frowned. “Do you want the job?”
Of course, I do. “Yes, I need a job. Take a break from cleaning. I’ll finish up.”
Kat looked at me curiously. “Jason, I need your identification for tax purposes. I have to pay you. You know there are always forms to fill out.”
“Right. I didn’t bring my I.D. I thought this was just going to be an interview. I didn’t know I would be hired. I can go get it, the I.D. My bike is out front.”
“You rode your bike?”
“Yes, I live only a few miles away.”
“No, no. You can just bring it in tomorrow. This job, you know it’s not permanent. I just need someone for the summer.”
“Yeah, just for the summer.” I played along. None of it mattered to me. I just wanted to be in her presence.
“Your bike is out front? You can bring it inside. Just put it right outside the back door, in the yard.” “She pointed to a hallway at the rear of the store. I assumed it led to the back door.
“Okay, I’ll get the bike.” I jogged from around the counter and went back outside the front of the store. I picked up my bike and put it on my shoulder to carry it inside. I didn’t want to dirty up the floor. I entered and the bells chimed. She was standing there watching me. She was smiling but I couldn’t read her eyes.
“Just go back this way,” I asked as I pointed to the rear of the shop for clarification.
“Oh, yes, I’ll show you the way.”
“Cool.” I was running out of words.
I followed Kat as she led me by two doors on my left and one door on my right. Straight back and off to the right was a small kitchen area. There were all the regular things a kitchen would have and a few unpacked brown boxes. The back wall housed a door that led us outside into a large courtyard.
“Anywhere back here is good.” She said. “Do you have a car?”
“No, I don’t have a car.” I placed my bike against the brick wall.
“But you’re old enough to drive right?”
It was my turn to laugh out loud. “Yes, I’m twenty. Do I look primary school-aged?”
“No, no. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need a work permit.”
“I should stop shaving if you’re going to mistake me for a boy.”
“There’s nothing wrong with looking young. You actually look your age. I just wanted to make sure.”
“It’s really nice out here.” My eyes scanned the yard.
There were lawn chairs, a patio sofa, a few small tables, and a fire pit. Christmas lights were hanging from tree to tree. I could see myself playing my music out here alone or maybe with a small audience. That probably wouldn’t happen but I could see it in a daydream.
“My sister sometimes entertains her friends out here. They drink and play cards and stuff like that.”
“You don’t come out here much?” I asked.
“No,” she smiled. “I do not come out here much at all. But I will probably come out here and read over the summer.”
“What are you reading?”
“A book, I read a lot of books that haven’t been published yet. I’m an Editor at a publishing company in the Chicago area.”
“That’s a cool job.”
“While my sister is gone I have two jobs this summer. That is why I need a hand here at the shop. I work from home as an editor. I’m probably going to have a lot of late nights after I close up the store. I have to keep up with my regular job also.”
“I don’t have any restrictions on the hours I can work. If you need to go off and edit a book or whatever, you can. Once I learn everything I’m sure I can handle it. I’m a speedy learner.”
“I will keep that in mind. Where do you live?”
“I live up the way on Timberline Drive. The brown house with all the windows.”
“You live with your parents?”
“No, with my aunt and my uncle. I’m staying with them for the summer.” I hated lying but the truth wasn’t going to work in this situation. Another lie on top of the other lies I’d already told wouldn’t make a difference.
“Have your aunt and uncle been in the area long?”
“A while, yes.” I had no idea if that were true. “David and Fiona Glass, do you know them?”
“No, I’ve been away from Galena for some time. I don’t know many of the people in the area anymore.”
“They have a place right off the river on Timberline Drive.” I was nervously repeating myself. “It’s about four miles up Main Street going west.”
“I believe there are more modern homes up the way.” She added.
“Yes, they have this eco-friendly brown house that doesn’t quite fit with the town’s country décor.”
“Well, everything in Galena can’t be old fashioned. People started building houses and businesses a few decades ago. I think it increases the property value and that’s a good thing.”
“I agree.”
“You rode a bike four miles? Oh my, I don’t think I can ride a bike for four minutes.”
“I’m sure you can.” She had a body made for riding.
“I assure you. I cannot.”
“You look like you’re in great shape.”
“My long-abandoned gym membership thinks otherwise.”
I smiled. I can make you sweat. I can work you out with my cock.
“Let’s go back inside. I will eventually have a customer.”
“I didn’t hear the chimes.”
“Chimes?” She asked.
“The bells on the front door.”
“Right, bear with me. I have to get used to being back inside this store. I haven’t worked here for years.”
I followed Kat into the colorful store. The glass jars were filled with brightly colored candy. It made the place seem fun and child-like. We walked the hall and I got an uninhabited look at her round bottom. Her jeans fit like a latex glove. They weren’t too tight but she did look like she was carefully poured into them. Just when I thought this town was dead as a corpse, things were heating up. If I weren’t careful my cock would be standing up. I needed to think nice thoughts about this nice lady.
I stayed at Sweet Treats all day until closing. The traffic inside the store was good although I didn’t have anything to compare it to. I couldn’t believe I had a regular job. I sold candy, rock sweets, lemon drops instead of pear drops, licorice, and jellybeans instead of jelly babies. I’d never had a regular job before and it felt good having this constant interaction with everyday people.
Kat showed me everything I needed to know. I got a full tour of the store, the basement, and the single customer bathroom. There wasn’t too much to it. I mastered it quite quickly. Everything had a rhythm to it. I didn’t pack a lunch. Hunger did creep up on me. Kat sent me a few doors down to the deli to grab our lunch. She paid for it. I couldn’t remember a woman ever paying for anything.
I was having loads of firsts on my first day at Sweet Treats. I had a perfect day with Kat but I knew the feeling wouldn’t last forever. I hoped it would last until the end of summer. I wanted her to like this imitation of me. The real me was quite undesirable.
I dreaded the wrath of Dr. David. I’d been gone all day and I was surprised he hadn’t sent a search party out to drag me back to hell. He was texting and calling me like a madman. I texted him I would be home before dark. But because of my track record, he didn’t believe me. I felt it was better to leave the explaining to when we were face to face.
I didn’t want to leave Kat
alone at the store. I’m sure this town didn’t have a high crime rate. Leaving her to clean up and lock up didn’t seem gentlemanly. I had been known to act like a gentleman from time to time.
I watched her lock the front door to the shop. I climbed on my bike and rode off at seven-thirty. I would probably be able to make it back before dark. I wasn’t in much of a rush. It was hard for me to answer to anyone. I’d done my own thing for as long as I remembered. I didn’t have rules. I was an emancipated youth at sixteen.
I didn’t know Dr. David well enough to know his reaction but I was a brave lad. I lived a fearless life. I hoped this wouldn’t go bad so early into my rehabilitation.
Chapter 2
JASON
The house was silent when I quietly entered. The door wasn’t locked. I was in the country. I didn’t think locked doors were a thing here. I carefully closed the door behind me and breathed a brief sigh of relief. I gingerly inched my way to the edge of the staircase. I placed my foot on the first step. No creaking noises, just the slight tap of my overpriced running shoes.
“Jagger!” Dr. David’s voice boomed.
I stopped moving and sighed. “I’m coming!” I followed the direction of his parental sounding voice. I had to backtrack, turn, and walk around a wall and through an open space.
Whoa, David and Fiona were glaring at me with this lingering look of total suspicion. It was warranted, I suppose. I looked again and there was a look of disappointment. I knew that look I’d given it to my father too many times to count. Why did I think of my father?
I entered the formal dining room. David was standing behind the chair at the head of the table where Fiona was sitting. Her small hands were clasped together and rested prim and proper on the table. I was about to be tagged teamed and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
“You know the drill.” David’s voice wanted to be stern but it wasn’t much to his dainty tone. I had known too many assholes in my life. He was much too zen to be scary to a tosser like me.
David’s eyes wandered down at the white cup on the table in front of him. My eyes followed.
“This is for me.” I playfully joshed and they didn’t think I was comical.
“I took the necessary steps to grab the cup of the table. I sat the cup back down on the table to empty the pockets of my denims. I removed my cell phone from my front pocket. I removed the single key from my front right pocket. I placed both items on the table and swiftly grabbed the empty white paper cup.
“Use the bathroom down here. Don’t close the door.”
“Alright.”
I hung my head and ambled out the room to the loo just around the corner. I remember when I used to rock out with my cock out. This was nothing like that and rather humiliating. Sure, I had to take a splash. I was going to get that part right. My life had really come down to this.
I whizzed in the paper cup and I didn’t wash my hands. I wasn’t supposed to do anything but urinate into the cup. I didn’t even flush the crapper. The rules were made clear to me upon my arrival. I zipped up and walked my warm yellow cocktail right to Dr. David and Mrs. Glass. I placed it on the table and now multiple test strips were sitting there waiting to be dipped into my cup of piss.
I walked back into the loo and flushed. I washed my criminal hands and went back to join Dr. and Mrs. Glass. I pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table. I had a lot to say but I would wait for the test results.
This test could detect marijuana, cocaine, opiates, ecstasy, oxys, meth, benzos, barbis, PCP and I’m sure some other drugs I couldn’t think of. I wasn’t worried. If eating loads of candy made a drug test positive than I would fail. But, I knew that wouldn’t happen. Kat forced all kinds of sugary treats and me and I was happy to take them.
I used the silent waiting time to replay everything that happened earlier in the day. I made her laugh. I made her smile. I cleaned the shelves. I took the ladder back into the basement. I learned everything she taught me. I had an impeccable memory when I was sober.
Christ, I hope I can stay sober. I really wanted to be sober. I didn’t know any drug dealers in Galena and my identification card had my real age on it. The grocery probably wouldn’t sell me any booze.
“You tested negative,” David said to jar me back into the present.
“Yea, I’m clean.” I shrugged.
“We have rules.”
“I know you do and I’m not trying to break them. I rode into town and there was a sign in the window for a job. I walked into this shop and got the job. I got hired on the spot. I started today, right away. I was excited. I lost track of time. I never had a job before, a normal job.” I stopped to catch my breath. “Regular, common people came into the store. It was different. Nothing like I’ve experienced before.”
“Jagger, you’re supposed to run everything by us first.”
“Yes, I know. But this was just a chance occurrence. I didn’t think I would get the job.”
They both looked at each other then back at me. “A job, I don’t know. I don’t know if you can handle that pressure.”
“It’s easy. No pressure at all.” I shrugged.
“You’re trying to keep a low profile.”
“I am but no one knows me in this town. The lady that owns the shop didn’t recognize me.”
“What lady? What shop?”
“Her name is Katrina Sweet. She hired me. She owns the candy shop on Main Street. It’s called Sweet Treats.”
“Sweet Treats?” David asked or repeated.
“Have you been there?”
“I know the place,” Fiona spoke up for me. “It’s a few doors down from the nail salon.”
David gazed across the table at me. “Working there just seems too risky. You’re in my care.” David concluded what was absolutely true.
“It’s not dangerous at all. I used my American accent the entire day. She didn’t know I was British and none of the customers realized my true identity.”
“I don’t know about this.” David worried too fucking much.
“Working is apart of my rehabilitation. David, please mate, this is honest work. Plus, I get to practice my American accent. I’m constantly offered Hollywood scripts. This will bloody help me be a better actor. I’ll be offered better roles. I have a Grammy. I would like an Oscar one day.”
“You can’t win an Oscar if you die of a drug overdose first.”
What a punch in the gut. Clearly that was true but stating it seemed a bit rude. “I need this method training with everyday random American people so I can pick up a proper Midwest accent.”
“How long do you think you can keep this up, this accent?”
“I’ve been acting since primary school. This,” I spread my arms wide for dramatic purposes. “It’s just another extension of that. You can come by the shop and check it out. I told the owner I live with my aunt and uncle. It’s a candy shop, literally nothing nefarious. The owner, she’s older and a respectable business owner. This is a good thing for me. Plus, I’ve never heard of anyone dying of a sugar overdose.”
My joke didn’t go over well with him. I could see it in his stony grimace. Although David was American he had an old English flair about him.
“I don’t know.” David was being difficult. I believe that was a big part of his job. So I couldn’t hold it against him.
“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s a good idea if he gets some honest work in his system.” Fiona always spoke when the time was right. She was soft-spoken and rational. She was in my corner or at least it appeared that way.
“Yes, I agree.” I eagerly shook my head up and down a few times.
“What kinds of things did you do at this candy store?” Fiona asked.
“Today, I scrubbed the shelves clean. I sweep the floors. Unpacked a few boxes and I learned to work the cash register. After a few weeks, I could probably buy a place and run it myself. I’m getting a lot of hands-on training.”
“In the morning, I need to run this job
by your manager.”
“Glynn, I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.” I hoped.
“We’ll see.”
“The owner, she told me I have to fill out some forms and bring my identification in tomorrow.”
“Wait a minute. You can’t miss any of our sessions.”
“I won’t miss any sessions. They’re every morning at eight. I need to be at the shop at ten. Everything works out impeccably.”
“Jagger, you’ve only been here for a few days. I don’t want to pile too many responsibilities on you all at once.”
“I know you think I’m moving too fast. But look where I am. I just need something other than music and therapy to occupy my time. I’ve been clean for two weeks. I absolutely want to stay clean and sober. My mates are depending on me.”
“Don’t think about their well-being. You need to think about getting clean and staying clean for yourself.”
“Of course.”
“I will see you on time at 8 AM?” I was being dismissed.
“I will be there early.”
“Jagger, try to come to breakfast also,” Fiona ordered. “I’ll make you a hearty English breakfast.”
“Sure, breakfast sounds lovely.” They were both staring at me. That disappointed look was replaced with thoughtfulness. “I’m feeling really inspired. Before I hit the sack I have some killer chords at my fingertips.”
“Go then, compose,” Fiona instructed. “But Jagger, we’re responsible for you. Don’t just disappear like that again.”
“Yea, yea, when my boss gives me my work schedule I’ll text a copy to your mobile.”
I jogged my way out of the dining room. When I was clear of their interrogation I took the stairs two at a time. I wasn’t lying. I had a wave of inspiration. I’d had this feeling before when I saw a beautiful lady. This time it felt quite different. I had a melody on repeat in my brain about Ms. Katrina Sweet.
I walked the hall and stopped at the loo. I brushed my teeth and washed my hands. I went into my bedroom humming the chords for fear I would forget them. This song was a hit. I had a feeling. I’d written so many hits that I knew which songs would resonate with the fans. This tune was one of them. I just needed to put something down on paper.
