A Little Broken (7 page)

His switch from the weather to the costumed holiday jumbled her thoughts for a second, though she recovered quickly.
You’re getting the hang of this
she said to herself.

“Regardless of history and Druid beliefs, I still believe that Halloween was created by candy companies. What better way to boost sales than to make children knock on your door asking for some? Of course you can’t say no, because then you feel bad,” she said, pursing her lips at the thought of trick-or-treat duty. She meant it when she said she had always felt bad. There had only ever been one year that she had forgotten to buy candy and every sad face had ingrained itself into her brain. She had sworn it would never happen again.

“So, you’re not a fan then?” Dominick asked again, his face falling.

“Oh no. I just like to sound bitter about being forced to buy chocolate.” Jessie smiled, “I’m still the perpetual eight year old. I still dress up, even when I have nowhere to go.”

“Well, do you have plans? Other than playing dress-up like the other kids?” She was relieved to see that his face was happy again. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she didn’t like the look he got in his face when he was disappointed. He looked…almost lost that way.

“I’ll probably be working. Mr. C. hasn’t posted the schedule for the holiday yet, but I’m assuming since the other girls probably have plans, it’ll be me passing out coffee to other adults with adolescent tendencies,” she winked as she said it, slightly mocking herself.

“Well…I know of this pretty epic Masquerade Gala going on. Maybe you’d like to go with me? You could leave candy in front of your door, so you won’t feel bad for the kiddies, and you would actually have somewhere to go when all dressed up as someone else for the night.”

Jessie looked at Dominick.
Really
looked at him, probably for the first time since she’d met him. His hair, so black it almost looked blue, fell around his face, curls hitting his temples. In the short time they’d been talking, she’d noticed that he would shake his head on occasion, moving the hair away from his eyes. His tanned skin, accentuated his strong cheekbones, and the thumbprint dimple in his chin. Jessie would have been blind, deaf and dumb to not realize that he was a catch. A catch that had purposely hooked himself on her line, the line she never even cast out into the water.

Was she ready for this? Could she start
dating
? Certainly it hadn’t been enough time. Her divorce had just gone through three weeks ago, expedited by a sympathetic judge. Her heart, her trust, her life, still remained in tattered ribbons that no glue or tape or stitching could put back together. Knowing this, though, she also realized that she didn’t want to say no to Dominick. She wanted to go with him. To talk to him more, like this. Relaxed.

“Jessie? It’s just a glorified costume party, really. No pressure. Well, okay, a little pressure, but not a lot. I’d really like you to go with me. We could complain about the weather the whole time? Or snicker at the awful costumes we see…you know, all the good stuff…” his words trailed off, as he searched her face for some hope.

It was the hope she saw there that had her throwing her caution to the wind. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he asked, eye brows high. He seemed surprised that she had agreed to go. Hell, she was surprised.

Nodding, she answered, “As long as I’m not working, I’ll go with you. Do we have to coordinate costumes? If we are, I’m
totally
picking them. Rule number three hundred sixty-four of Halloween and costuming: Never let men choose coordinating costumes. Been there, done that. I refuse to be a Playboy Bunny on the arm of a fake Hugh Hefner again…”

Her insides melted at the sound of his rich laugh. With his laugh ringing in her ears, she realized that for the first time tonight, she’d lied to him. As long as she was on his arm? She’d dress up as anything he wanted.

Chapter Eleven

“Jessie, do you want to hang out tonight? I know it’s Halloween, but we could totally rent some awful slasher movies or something – we could watch them and laugh at the dumb girls who run up the stairs instead of out the door. I already have candy that we can pass out to trick-or-treaters, too.” Toni was talking fast, as though she had rehearsed the proposal and was afraid Jessie would say no. Unfortunately, she
was
going to say no.

“Thanks for the offer, Tones, but no thank you,” she said, busying herself after checking her watch for the hundredth time. The same five minutes had passed since she checked a second ago, but you never know, it could have changed.

Toni sighed loudly, shaking her dark hair and sending unruly strands flying around her face. Jessie glanced at her, noticing that her friend was actually really petite, though still curvy. The thought shocked her a little, as her personality, and attitude, made her seem bigger. 

 “Alright, Jessie…seriously. What is up with you? You never want to hang out or and do anything. You don’t even have a cell phone! I
worry
about you. You walk to and from work, regardless of if it is dark or not,” her friend said, sounding exasperated and placing a hand on her out-cocked hip

“I’m alright, Toni. I’m sorry you worry. I like to walk, and I have no need for a cell phone.”

Jessie was telling her coworker the truth. No one was really going to call her – except possibly Dominick or Mr. C, and of course, Toni. Not even her parents. When she’d left Fayetteville, she hadn’t thought that anyone would be upset with her for leaving, but she’d been wrong. Her parents didn’t want to speak to her. They felt used, manipulated, and hurt. It was hard enough losing their grandson, but the way she left, made it that much worse for them. She felt bad about that, especially now, and regardless of the amount of times she’d tried to write them and explain further, the words just wouldn’t come. How could she tell them that she felt that they blamed her for the death of her son? How could she explain to them the guilt that wracked her daily, that she couldn’t keep her beautiful boy with her? They would never understand. No one would. Which is why she let them stay angry with her, it was easier. Their anger was easier to bear than disappointment.

“So, what are you going to do tonight then? You going to play troll and hide under your drawbridge all night?” Toni sounded exasperated with her, but the troll analogy had Jessie smiling.

“Actually, I sort of have plans.”

“You have…plans?” The disbelief in Toni’s voice would have given her away, even if the look she gave Jessie hadn’t already.

“Yes. You know, when you and someone agree to a time, and then meet? Sometimes you can write these down, so you don’t forget. On a calendar even. I hear doing that makes them even more official.” Even Jessie could hear the teasing humor in her words. “I don’t have a calendar though…Instead, I wrote it on my order book. See?” Jessie leaned over, pointing to the writing on the back of the pad. It read:

DON’T FORGET PLANS AT 7:30, HALLOWEEN

“Who wrote that? That’s not your writing,” was all Toni could say to her.

Toni was right, and entirely too observant for her own good. When Jessie had come to work the day after her coffee téte á téte with Dominick, the writing had magically appeared on her pad. It was written in neat block lettering, not at all what she would have expected from his handwriting. She had smiled like crazy at it, until a coworker had bumped her, scared her, and asked her why she’d been so happy. After that, she’d simply put it back in her pocket, and tried to forget it was there. It hadn’t worked. She’d been unconsciously running her finger over the lettering for days.

“My date.”

Her coworker’s eyes grew round, and she squeaked a high-pitched noise of excitement. At least, Jessie sure hoped it was excitement. If Toni was choking on something, she wasn’t sure she could remember how to do the Heimlich Maneuver. Crap.

“You okay?” Jessie asked her, just making sure. Yeah, she was a little paranoid these days.

“YOU HAVE A DATE! OH. MY. GOSH! Who’s it with?! Is it with Mr. C’s nephew? The hot one that Courtney sat in your section last week?!”

“Dominick, yes.” Her words were clipped, but Jessie could feel the color flooding her cheeks. She hoped that Toni would calm down soon. Customers were starting to look their way, and she was embarrassed.

“So, what are you guys doing?” Toni’s voice was still a bit loud, but at least she’d stopped screeching.

“He’s picking me up and we’re going to a costume party, thing.”

“A costume party?” Her nose scrunched up a little on the question. “Jessie, I love you, but you’re the quietest I’ve ever met. How are you going to manage at a party? Drunk people will be there, and they’re NOT quiet.”

Jessie laughed, which surprised Toni.

“It’s not a frat party, Tones. It’s…well, it’s sort of this gala thing. You know, with people in elegant costumes doing elegant things. No beer pong, no flip cup. A shame on the last two, I think, but hey, it wasn’t my choice. If I had been my choice, I’d still just be a grumpy old troll living under the bridge, as you so often like to tell me.”

“I’ve never called you grumpy
or
old, though I do know a pretty catchy tune to that. I could sing it for you some – WAIT. Do you mean the Masquerade Gala? The one held downtown?”

“I guess so, why?”

“Wow! That’s…that’s HUGE, Jessie! A lot of people in the money scene go to it, and there are rumors of a red carpet and celebrities attending too! The tickets are crazy expensive, but all the money goes to some charity. That’s a pretty snazzy date, missy!” There was awe in her voice as she explained. Jessie was surprised when this news didn’t surprise her, nor did it scare her like it would have. Dominick was going to be there with her, and with him she felt safe.

“Do you have a costume already? Are you coordinating with him?” Toni continued; she was a woman on a mission, and it seemed to a ‘get as much information out of Jessie while she’s still talking’ mission.

“I do, and we are.” Jessie didn’t elaborate. She still wasn’t completely happy with the costume choices, and had known from the start that it was a bad idea to allow a man
any
input in them at all. At least he hadn’t chosen something slutty, and she was glad she’d gotten him away from the whole “fairy tale” concept he’d tried to win with.

“Well?” Her coworker bounced in anticipation. Jessie sighed, but didn’t want to disappoint her. She could see that they could probably be friends one day, if she would just let her in, and didn’t want to lose the prospect. Sure, she may not be ready just yet, but she may at some point.

Jessie mumbled the costume choice. She was hoping that she could get away with that, and that Toni would just let her get away with it. Fat chance, that.

“You aren’t getting out of telling me that way, my friend. Now, louder, using your best outside voice, try that again.”

“Ugh. We’re going as Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. I have this incredible, yet embarrassing, giant green dress thing. It’s so unfair, he gets to go in this dapper suit, and I look like a green cream puff.” Jessie sounded indignant.

“What are you still doing here then? He’s picking you up at seven-thirty? It’s six! You need to go run home to get ready. I’m sure it takes a while to get in that dress and you still have your hair, and your make up, and –”

Jessie raised a hand, stopping the tirade coming from her new friend. She knew that once Toni got on a kick, that she would keep on until she either ran out of things to say, or until she couldn’t breathe. If the latter, she would just take another big gulp of air and continue on.

“I’m going, I’m going. I just finished counting the money. Watch - this is me, walking the money into the safe. See?” Jessie said, walking to drop the money into the safe, then untying her apron and throwing it at Toni. “Please say bye to Mr. C. for me, and thank him again for giving me day shift today.”

With that, Jessie turned on her heel and walked out the door into the still bright evening. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realized that for the first day in a long time, she was looking forward to night. She’d never admit it out loud, but there it was.

Chapter Twelve

“This dress…is…ridiculous,” Jessie said to herself in the mirror, swaying to watch the bell-like skirt move. The dress was exactly like she’d told Toni: giant and green. What she hadn’t said, however, was that she was secretly in love with it. The bodice was green and cream floral cotton, though still fit snug against her curves and pushed what breasts she had up, causing them to defy gravity. The lace detailing that scattered along the neckline lead to delicate cap-like sleeves that made her shoulders look delicate, sweet even. True, she could hardly breathe with the cinching of the corset, but it was totally worth it. The matching skirt billowed out from her hips, flowing down to the floor, and was filled out with the help of an embarrassingly large hoop skirt.

Sighing at her reflection, she picked up the emerald green sash and fastened it around her middle. Jessie had to strain to see behind her, to be sure the bow was perfect, and when it was she turned to face herself again. She hardly recognized the woman in the mirror: she’d done her hair in the true fashion of the timeframe, with large tight curls, and her eyes looked large, framed with mascara and liner that she was unused to. Her lightly painted pink lips pursed as she thought of the large matching hat that lay nearby on a chair. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to wear it or not – the thing was a monstrosity, as far as she was concerned, with its green satin ribbon and huge brim.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she turned, glancing at the clock as she did. It was 7:28. Crap, she should have known that he would be on time – he was an anomaly like that.
Really, who was truly on time these days? There should be a law against it,
she thought. She’d been hoping he’d show up at like…8:30…
or you know, not at all
. The gala had seemed like a much better idea a few hours ago, especially now that she was dressed up in this beautifully absurd outfit.