So my writing partner just posted chapter 2, and it was fantastic. In her scene, Jake and his two colleagues have lunch. At the end of their meal, Delia, the owner, has to go to their table to make change for them. There was some mild flirting. But she was distracted; she had a phone call from a friend who couldn’t make it to a concert they were supposed to attend that evening. She mistakenly gave Jake the extra ticket she had. She only realized it hours later when she was about to leave the house.
Here is my next chapter.
Chapter 3:
Jake smiled as he watched Delia return to the back room.
Pete just stared at him as he bobbed his head, “Man, I don’t know how you do it, flirting with the ladies like that.”
Alex gave Jake a quick wink before he responded to Pete. “The problem is, you don’t have the what do I call it, the smoothness of a guy like Jake. He knows how to make a move. Mind you, I had it when I was younger, and I still do, as my dear bride of 30 years could tell you, it is just something a guy has, or he doesn’t!”
Jake guffawed, “Tell it, Grandpa, tell it!” He opened the black folder to take his change. As expected, he saw the receipt and a few bills. He also noticed something that made his eyes gleam. Some kind of ticket? Thinking quickly, he put on his poker face for the guys as he put everything into his wallet.
He wanted to get a handle on things without the other guys’ input. Although they often traveled together when they came to union office, he was glad that this time around, they each took their own cars, because driving back to his station gave him the time to process what had just happened.
Jake got into the car, locked it and put on his seat belt. He opened up his wallet and found the ticket. He read out loud: “Creations’ Peak, 7:00pm, the Mudhouse Bar.” He knew the place, a well known popular location in a neighboring town.
Driving out of the parking lot, he pondered. In all likelihood, it was a mistake, Delia didn’t mean to invite him to a concert. He could go back to the diner and give her the ticket, he was sure she would have appreciated it.
But Alex would whack him over the head if he did something like that. That just wasn’t the move a Mr. Smooth would make. That was the sort of thing Pete would do, return the ticket and not take advantage of the opportunity.
Jake thought about Delia for a bit. He didn’t know her well. He only knew her through the diner. When Tommy Hearns had the restaurant, she was mostly in the back, and didn’t deal with customers much.
But after she got it, the place blossomed, and it was something he always admired about her, how she really turned the place around to make it more than twice what it was in Tommy Hearns’ day. It was the food, the decor, even the name.
She was a good businesswoman. Beyond that, Delia was an attractive woman, with a down to earth and natural beauty. Moreover, he liked flirting with her. It just never occurred to him to make anything more about it. But her mistake was going to change that!
Smiling a devilish grin, Jake made note of the concert and drove back to his office. There wasn’t much work for him to do, the usual reports, so he was able to leave on time.
Getting home, he changed out of his firefighter’s dress uniform, checked the mail and his phone messages, then looked to see what he had in the refrigerator. Nothing. He had to admit, Delia’s food really filled him up at lunch. “Man, I could eat like that all time!”
Jake decided he would go to the Mudhouse early, so that he could have dinner and look for Delia once she arrived. He watched television for a bit to hear the local news on the public station. As expected, the reporter talked about the budget negotiations. As usual, there was no money, and the needs of the community were increasing. What else was new?
After resting, Jake got up. It was time to go. He put on an oxford shirt, dark denims, and loafers. Grabbing a sports jacket, he walked out to his car. He put on the radio to the local rock station. They were advertising the concert. That gave him a sense of what the band was like. Reminded him of Soundgarten and Pearl Jam.
Getting to the bar, Jake had a beer and chicken parmigiana with broccoli on the side. After he finished eating, he walked over to the area where the concert was to take place. He faced the door. A few minutes later, he saw Delia walk inside. She wasn’t dressed too fancily, so it was clear she’d made a mistake, she hadn’t invited him out for a date.
He smirked once she saw him and made eye contact.
Copyright Barbara James. All rights reserved.
Barbara James 