I check my phone again. Jess should be here in about five minutes. I left the apartment just a few minutes after six and as I neared the end of the hallway I heard a door open and I have a feeling it was David on his way to dinner with my mom. The whole thing still strikes me as weird… I wonder what she’s doing, but decide it’s not worth the mental energy to even think about it.
I look up just as Jess brings her car to a stop in front of the apartment building. I can see her smiling in the waning sunlight and I smile back as I walk toward her. I get in the passenger seat and rush to buckle my seat belt as she pulls away from the curb.
“Hey,” she says.
“Hi. Thanks for coming to get me… I really appreciate it.”
“Of course… I don’t mind. It shouldn’t be that busy… at least I hope not.”
I smile at her and turn my attention to the road in the hope that she will do the same. I’m always glad that she doesn’t mind driving us around, but spending time in L.A. with Dex and Spencer driving made me realize how crazy of a driver she really is. A smile creeps onto my face… she’s a great friend because of everything she is.
“So,” Jess says, “who is this neighbor guy and why did your mom invite him over for dinner?”
I laugh and shake my head.
“He’s just some guy… I guess he lives in the apartment right across from us. He was in the hall earlier when I went to the bank and when I came home he was in the living room… it was so random.”
Jess laughs. I can tell she’s already amused by the absurdity of the story.
“So,” I say, “I went into my room and texted you.”
“That’s funny. I’m glad you texted… it’s going to be a fun night.”
Her words have a bit of an ominous ring to them, but I’m holding on for dear life as she rounds a corner and I don’t give them a second thought.
We get to the bar a few minutes later and I walk right through the front door, keeping right behind her just in case one of the other staff sees me and decides to question my age. Jess walks behind the bar and up to the register that sits behind it. She quickly clocks in and turns back to me.
“You can sit there,” she says, pointing to the last chair at the bar.
I sit down in the chair and put my purse in my lap. Jess ducks down behind the bar and when she reappears she is adjusting an apron that she just tied behind her back. She takes a quick look around the bar, noting the few people sitting at the other end who are talking with the other bartender.
“I’ll be right back,” Jess says.
I watch her as she walks down to the group and says hello. They smile when they see her and the other bartender starts to walk toward me. He looks like he’s in his early twenties and he has a head full of shaggy brown hair. He flashes me a quick smile as he takes off his apron and clocks out using the register. Jess walks back toward us and leans against the bar.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Sure… I guess I’ll have a soda.”
She pulls a glass down from the shelf behind the bar, drops a few ice cubes into it and fills it the rest of the way with soda. She smiles at me and passes it across the bar. Jess turns to the other bartender as he starts to walk away and she whispers something into his ear. He turns his head and looks at me as a smile creeps across his face. He raises his eyebrow as he looks back at Jess and she starts to laugh. He just shakes his head, rolls his eyes and walks away.
“What did you say to him?” I say, once I see he’s moved out of earshot.
“Oh… nothing.”
Jess pulls down a bottle of whiskey and pours herself a shot, which she downs in the flash of an eye.
“Are you allowed to do that?”
“I have no idea… but I did it… nothing can change that.”
She winks at me and smiles. Jess is ridiculous. She’s wild and just does whatever she wants—it’s not something I could ever do, but I love that she has that kind of approach to life.
“So…what’s next for you?” Jess says.
“I guess more acting.”
“Good… I’m glad to hear it.”
Jess holds up a finger and then darts toward the other end of the bar. I feel kind of bad that I’m taking up so much of her time and it’s early still. I promise myself that if it gets busy I won’t bother her at all… I know this is how she makes her money and I don’t want to get her in trouble with her boss or anything.
I take my phone out of my purse to occupy myself until she comes back. I’m hoping there’s a text from Spencer, but I’m disappointed when I discover there isn’t. I think about texting him, but decide against it. I never want Spencer to feel like I pester him when I’ve got nothing else to do, not to mention he is probably busy. Salem is much bigger than Greenville, but compared to L.A. it’s still pretty sleepy—I imagine that Spencer is busy all the time considering how in demand he is for acting jobs. It’s good… I want him to make money and continue to ride the wave he’s on because there’s no telling how long it will last.
“Sorry about that,” Jess says.
I look up from my phone and she’s standing in front of me again. I put my phone away and take a drink of my soda.
“No worries… and please, don’t neglect customers on my account… I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
She waves her hand through the air and shakes her head.
“It’s totally fine. We don’t get much of a crowd on the weeknights… this is more of a sports bar that older people tend to hang out in… not college kids. My boss, Mr. Nelson, is pretty chill and mostly just cares that the till is right at the end of the night.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” she says, leaning against the bar. “So… where were we?”
“Um… I guess I just told you I was going to keep acting.”
“Yeah… that’s awesome. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks,” I say.
“And you’re happy doing it?”
“Yeah… I mean it’s different, you know… but I like it.”
“Good… as long as you’re happy in life… that’s all that really matters.”
I smile at my good friend. She’s right—there are so many crappy things that happen all around the world on a daily basis… I feel really fortunate that things have gone so well for me in Los Angeles.
“I’m happy… with that part of my life.”
She cringes and nods. We both realize that everything going on with my mom makes being content a little bit harder.
“Sorry… I forgot about that for a minute.”
“It’s fine… it’s still hard for me to believe that it’s real. I keep thinking that I’ll wake up one of these mornings and my mom will be fine.”
“I totally get it… it’s awful… I’m so sorry.”
I take a drink of soda and then a deep breath. Jess grabs my glass once I set it down on the bar and she quickly refills it.
“Thanks,” I say. “It’s just hard… it’s one of those things that you know happens, but always think that it’ll happen to someone else. Like… I know people get diagnosed with cancer every day, but I never… I never thought it would happen to my mom.”
“It’s so crappy… there’s no other way around it.”
She’s right… it’s crappy and there’s nothing I can do about it. I feel like a broken record, but I feel like the only thing I can do is try to take care of her in any way I can.
“Let’s change the subject,” I say, “let’s talk about something more cheerful.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“So… let’s talk about you.”
“What about me?” Jess says, smiling just a little.
“Are there any boys… men… whatever, in your life?”
The smile instantly fades from her face. Jess opens her mouth and then shuts it just as quickly.
“Not really.”
“Not really? What does that mean?”
As if by some act of divine intervention… an older looking man walks up to the bar next to me. Jess’s body language instantly changes as she turns her attention to him.
“Hi, Mr. Nelson,” she says.
That makes sense… he’s her boss and he must have noticed that she’s been standing around talking to me and not actually helping customers who could potentially need her attention.
“Can I speak to you… in private?”
“Of course.”
My heart races as I watch her walk out from behind the bar and follow Mr. Nelson to the far corner of the room. She has her back to me, but I have a feeling it’s not a great conversation they are having.
I decide I should go. If I haven't gotten her in any trouble I don't want to stick around for that to happen. I take five dollars out of my wallet and put it on the counter to pay for my soda and head for the door. Just before I reach the door I look over my shoulder to see if Jess is still talking to Mr. Nelson… and I run into something solid. I close my eyes and feel as if I'm about to fall, but then I feel a hand on my arm steadying me.
I open my eyes, expecting to see some poor older man who I just ran right into… but instead I'm face-to-face with Logan. Definitely the last person I was expecting to see. I can feel my face turning bright red and I tell myself I'm just embarrassed after running into him.
“Sorry… I didn't see you.”
He smiles at me. I walk around him and head for the door. I'm pretty sure I hear Logan calling my name, but the door shuts behind me and I take deep breath of the cool night air. I take my phone out and pull up the number for the same taxi service I used last time. It's late enough, not to mention a few miles back to the apartment, that I really don't feel like walking.
It was weird seeing Logan again… I wasn't sure I would ever see him again and I certainly didn't think about how it would feel. I was still irritated with him when we were both on Late with Lucas in New York a few months ago, but now I felt nothing when I looked at him. I guess the only thing that can mean is that I've completely moved on and I'm happy with where I am in my life, and with Spencer, that Logan has become just some guy.