27: Scoring Points

Jesse

 

       It is really not my day. When I'd gone to pick up Ginger, she'd asked me where the rest of her costume was. She'd asked me not to get something too short! How was I to know she was going to complain about what the top looked like? I was just so happy she was helping out that I offered to get the thing for her as a thank you.

        Not that it mattered after all... For a while there, I wondered if Bryce took care of finding someone for me for me. Why else have the new waitress dress up like that? And she's blonde. And her eyes are green. And her name is Marie. And she has great legs. Unfortunately, those great legs have knees... mean knees, surprisingly-powerful, well-aiming knees.

       "Get up, Jesse," I hear Bryce order. I don't want to. I think I'll just lay here on the floor for a while, thanks. Like an idiot, I get up.

       "Shit," I should've expected this. Of course, I deserve a good punch in the jaw. He went easy on me, even if I lose my balance anyway and fall on the floor. Then Lynne comes over and starts trying to clean my face up. Lynne has a great rack.

        I seriously need to get laid.

      I turn my head and watch Desmond stomp after Ginger after she disappears behind the building. Well, there goes my sort-of partner in crime. I look over at Marie now. At first, I think she looks like she doesn't know if she should laugh or be concerned, but wait no... that's not it, there's more to it than that. As soon as she sees me really looking at her, the look of pain I see in her eyes quickly leaves to be replaced by a calm mask. Interesting.

       Bryce distracts me from further wondering what that look was by making me get up again and apologize to Erin. Geez, Bryce. Can't you see she's uncomfortable? I was gonna do this anyway, but on my own schedule, when I thought Erin could handle it. Now you're forcing her to. I don't know if I completely buy her acceptance of my apology, but I drop it. I need to sit down anyway.

        Unfortunately, I don't get to yet. What the hell? I need to get laid, but not that bad. 

        Yet.

        I decline the emasculating flowers as politely as I can. I really don't need this crazy woman and her probable loads of baggage. I glance out of the corner of my eye to see if Marie saw any of this. She didn't. She looks like she's getting hassled by an underage kid trying to pass himself off as eighteen. 

Marie

       Yeah, right. You're not any older than my little brother. I'll go get you some carbonated kool-aid.

       The place has picked up all of a sudden. Too many people stand around without drinks in their hands. This is my first Friday night, and I'm not about to screw it up.

       Only a few Fridays ago, I was out with Dawson... then that bitch Cristina showed up.... Don't think about him, about anybody. Just. Work.

         I walk over to Jones. He winks at me like he understands completely when I ask him to fix me something that looks like an adult drink, but isn't, for the kid behind me.
       "You know," he tells me as he makes the drink, "I know you're upset with Bryce about the whole outfit prank thing, but you look really good in that."
       "Um," What? "thanks... I guess," I stammer back. He laughs a little and hands me the drink.
        I walk around from person to person and get a load of drink orders. After I've handed some of them out, a brunette walks up to me.

          "Hi. You must be the new waitress. I'm sorry," she says.
          I decide to be friendly even though I can sense some animosity coming from her towards me. "Um, yes. I'm Marie. Can I get you anything?"
          "Why the hell are you dressed like that?" she asks instead of answering my question. She glares at somebody walking behind me. After a few seconds, I see it's Bryce.
           "Practical joke. It's some orientation thing I'm sure," I say laughingly even though I want to knock down my boss at the moment.
           "That's funny," she says like it's not. "I didn't have to go through any such nonsense. It makes me wonder if he had you dress this way since he knew Jesse would be dressed like that. How does it feel to be set up?"

        I want to hit her. Must... not... hit... customers. Somehow I doubt Bryce would tolerate that. "Oh, I didn't know you worked here. Are you the waitress that got fired?" I ask sweetly. Satisfaction courses through me with her split-second glare before she can mirror my plastered-on smile.
         "Oh no. I quit. I'd had enough of watching my boss flirt with anything that moved."
         "Funny. I've only seen him flirt with his girlfriend."
         "Oh, well this was before," she waves her hand and looks around. "So, do you like being set up with Jesse?" she asks again just to get on my nerves.
          "The way I see it, it's a coincidence. He came here with someone... though she left I think." Is she jealous of the fact that it looks like Bryce wants to set me up with Captain Brainless? I wonder if I should milk this jealousy just for the fun of it. So, I shrug and say, "But who knows, n'est-ce pas? Anything could happen. Maybe he thinks it's a good idea." I watch her expression cloud over with a feeling of increased satisfaction.
         "Well, then maybe I should warn you. He flies through women faster than your new boss used to," she snips.
        "Which means nothing to me since I have no idea what you mean." Do I detect a hint of jealousy about Bryce as well?
       She sighs dramatically and says, "Well then, I suppose you'll just have to learn the hard way. Don't say I didn't warn you." She pauses for a second to see if I'll say anything. I don't, so she says, "Yes. Go get me a drink. A Big Mistake. I'll drink it in your honor." She grins.
        "Augh, you don't need to pay me the compliment, and I'll get that for you right away," I say, my voice dripping with false sweetness as I swish my skirt and turn towards Jones. I listen intently behind me for any sudden movements in case she tries something. I hope she does. Self-defense can be so rewarding.
     Where did I put those eyedrops?

Jesse

        Life is unfair, I think as I watch Troy and Lynne dancing for a moment once Adele has finished teasing me about my attire. She enjoys a good practical joke as much as her father I think. Only, my costume isn't a practical joke. Marie's is.
        It didn't work, Bryce, she hates me already.
        I guess I was a dick.
      I probably should apologize. Second one for tonight... if she'll even let me talk to her long enough for me to get it out.
       I turn around a little to see her prance away from Bernadette while Bernadette stares at her with her hand on her hip like she's mad. That woman's always mad. Both definitions. Then I turn away and rest my cheek on my hand.
        I need to change up my game.
        I sit here and think about how I might go about doing that. Everything I've done lately has earned me a picture thrown at me, a knee to the groin, and a punch in the jaw -- not my finest moments. I ponder that look I saw in Marie's eyes as I'd laid on the floor when I lost my balance after Bryce punched me. There was this look of fear and pain that she quickly hid when she saw me looking at her. I turn around to figure out where she is. She's standing over by the bar. I swear it looks like Jones is flirting with her. 
         You're not going to come and ask me if I want anything, Marie? I'm sitting here at a table...
        Bernadette suddenly gets up and runs to the bathroom. I watch Marie as she looks at her with a smirk on her face. I turn back around to face the table when I see Bryce pull Erin out on the dance floor. Not too much later, I breathe a sigh of relief when they disappear off to the overflow seating. Still jealous of my best friend.

        I decide to go ahead and try to talk to Marie again -- this time just being nice. I walk up behind her right when she makes some remark about how Bryce just vanished, and she sounds a little pissed off. That's about the time that Pamela tells her that she's his sister. The 'oh shit' look on Marie's face is priceless! I don't score many points when I can't help but crack up laughing behind her.
        "What do you want, anyway?" she asks with a scowl as she turns around to me. Pamela looks at me as if to say 'what are you up to, Jesse?'
         I keep my grin on my face as I answer Marie, "Well, I was sitting over there at a table, and you never came over to take my order, so I thought I'd get up and find you myself to ask for a beer." I instantly feel bad about complaining. It was supposed to be all in good fun, but she looks panicked that she thinks she screwed up again. "No, don't worry about it, Marie. It's fine. I don't blame you for not wanting to talk to me," I say quickly to keep her from getting further upset.
         The worried look is still there as she says, "I'm sorry. That's no excuse. I still should've come over. What would you like?"
          Not quite knowing what else to do at this moment, I tell her the brand, and she hurries along to get it.
          I can't win for losing. Now I've made her feel worse.
         I look at Pam and say, "Don't be mad at her for her trash-talking Bryce. She's not had the best night."
          "Oh, I'm okay with that. I just wanted her to know before she really said something stupid that she didn't need to say to a customer anyway." She walks off to go talk to Simon or something.
          Marie comes back with my bottle in her hand. She hands it to me real fast. Too fast. I don't have a chance to try and catch her hand with my fingers like I like to do. She still looks panicked. "Hey, Marie. Hold up a sec, would you?" I ask.
          "I can't. I have to apologize right now to that other woman," she says quickly and darts away. I resolutely watch her as I go ahead and drink the beer I didn't even really want in the first place.

Marie

         I have no idea where Bryce went. The last I saw of him, he was walking off with his girlfriend. But I looked where they went, and I didn't see him. The place is getting crowded, and I can't do it on my own since Jones has to stay behind the bar!
          Then, oh great, I mouth off to his sister of all people. What was I thinking?! Then, Captain Insano has to remind me what a terrible job I'm doing at my job.
          After I, finally, get everyone's order taken care of and make sure they're all happy -- they're mostly easy-going people I've noticed -- I go and plop myself down at a bar stool. I work at not crying. I'm exhausted. I'm angry. I'm homesick. At first, Jones tries to cheer me up, but he gets distracted by a patron running his mouth like we really care what he has to say.

        "Everything okay?" I hear from behind me. Oh crap. Jesse again.
        "I'm fine," I say, tight-lipped.
        "You don't look it."
       Go away! I let out a huff. "Do you need me to get anything for you?" I ask automatically. I forget I'm sitting right at the bar, and if he wanted anything, he could order it his damn self.
        He smiles like the same thought just occurred to him as well. I fight the urge to just faceplant right into the bar's counter.
        "Just a moment of your time, if you don't mind," he says.
       I get irritated at my shaking hands, so I clench them together tightly on the counter in front of me. "Well, that all depends on what it is that you have to say."
        "You shouldn't hold your head that way. You'll get a crick in your neck," he says and reaches up to massage the back of my neck with one hand.
         Oh damn, that feels good. "Is that all? I can't believe you came over here to just comment on my posture," I lightly snap, working hard at not showing how what he's doing is affecting me.

      He laughs softly and says, "No. I came over here to apologize for earlier, and... earlier." I irritatedly throw my arm back to get his hand off the back of my neck. He drops his hand and says, "And... sorry for that too, I guess. It's just you look incredibly tense, and it was bothering me."
      "I'm fine. I'm only waiting for this crazy evening to end," I say, not sure what to do with the apology.
         "Yeah, and I contributed to the craziness. Ginger's right in a way. Sometimes I just don't think."
        I work hard at not snorting. No shit. I decide to just be nice. "I accept your apology," I say before I watch a wide grin cover his face. I also see an un-amused expression flit across Jones' face when he looks at Jesse for a second. So, he doesn't think much of the boss's best friend either.
         "Thank you, Marie," he says with that same boyish grin. He then leans down on the counter on his elbows and puts his chin on his hand. He looks ridiculous, but in a cute way like he's giving me his full attention. He asks, "So, where are you from?"
          Great, I think sarcastically. I can see no way to avoid the question without being completely rude, so I say, "Champs les Sims."
           He blinks a few times and says, "Wow. That far away, huh? Why did you decide to move here?"
           It's a simple enough question, but I don't feel like getting into the answer right now. "Look, Jesse. I'm really sorry, but I don't have time to sit here now. We're getting ready to close up, and I need to straighten a few things before I can go home."
           "Would it help you if I helped?" he asks as I get off the bar stool.
           I let out another huff and say with a shrug, "Knock yourself out." I like that phrase.

       He does a decent job of helping me get things cleaned up while Jones closes out the register. As we work, he tells me all about himself. I don't really care if he runs a store or if his family used to come here every summer, but he tells me anyway. I'm too tired to tell him to just be quiet.
       I sit here and wait for Jones to finish up so I can go home when I hear Jesse's boots sounding overly-loud as they cross the floor towards me.
        "May I walk you home?" he asks me while I stare at his shoes.