Nerve Wreck

Chapter 35

"Sir? Are you alright? Here, let me help you."

"Sure. But there's no way I can drive... Can you call me a driver?"

"...You're surprisingly sensible when you're drunk. Sure, I'll call them. Would you like to step outside with me while I make the call?"

Angela smiled at the new face. Are all out-of-towners this nice? He agreed and held his head for a moment before trying to get up from the bar. Angela helped him after he stumbled over a bit. Security guards approached from the entrance but stopped when Angela shook her head at them. They held the doors for them as they made their way to the front doors. He gave her a goofy smile and apologized before standing up straight.

"Holy... Max?!" Angela looked ahead towards the familiar voice to spot Jack rushing over to her and the mystery man.

For some reason, he seemed to be gone. Absent minded. He looked down to the floor and his breathing slowed. His body relaxed enough to give Angela a hard time holding him up. Thankfully he snapped out of it shortly after. He looked up at Jack who was looking at him with an amused smile.

"Max? Welcome back! You zoned out there for a bit."

"Huh..? Woah! Hey! Nice to see ya man! How long has it been since I last saw you?"

"Few years. Like three years, right? Besides being trashed, how are you?" Jack laughed a bit and put Max's arm around his shoulders and helped him the rest of the way outside. Angela followed as she dialed the number.

Jack helped his friend over to the sidewalk and helped him sit down against the wall. He rushed back inside to buy Max a couple of water bottles while Angela finished up her call. He sat down beside his friend and handed him one of the bottles. Angela let them know the time frame and went inside to get back into her comfortable clothes and take off the wig and makeup.

Meanwhile, Jack and Max caught up. Talking about high-school and middle-school. How Jack dropped out and how college was for Max. How Lily was. How much fun they had when they were just kids with no problems or responsibilities. They laughed at cringy moments from their childhood and talked about their jobs. Soon enough, Gina walked outside and sat down by Jack.

"Oh yeah! Max this is the girl from before. Her name is Gina. She's my girl so hands off!" he laughed a bit after the last part.

"Wait. You're the same girl as before? But- ha! Shit, you really don't want people to bug you outside of work, huh? Totally different yet still pretty!" Max gave Jack a thumbs up and smiled at Gina.

The driver finally showed up shortly after and Jack helped Max get in the car.

"Yeah, say all that over again tomorrow cuz I doubt I'll remember!" Gina chuckled at him and waved him off.

After the car was out of sight the two then walked over to the Jeep to go home for the night as well. Gina debated on going home finally but decided against it and asked Jack to take her to the tree house. She didn't want to look at the massive chore list dead in the face right now. She's been doing well checking stuff off the list lately and didn't want to discourage herself just yet. He frowned at her request but drove instead of arguing with her at this time of night. At least he tried not to bring it up.

"You don't have to do this. You know you're welcome at my home, right?"

Gina chuckled and looked over to him with a smile.

"I know. I just would also like to spend time in the home I spent so much to make. Actually... I guess I just want to go straight to sleep instead of spending time with your family tonight." She said that last part slowly and rather quietly as watched his reaction.

"... And me?"

"You could stay with me tonight?" Jack's eyes widened at her sudden response and his head whipped towards her as if to check if he heard her right.

Gina erupted into laughter and repeated herself slowly. As Jack parked by the playground he slowly lowered his head between his hands to hide for a moment as he thought.

"You're in your 20s man, relax." He whispered to himself.

Gina got out of the car and opened his door for him and pulled him out of the car and into a hug. She tugged him along by his sweaty hand until they got to the steps of the tree house. Jack followed her up, repeatedly wiping his hands dry on his pants. Smiling, he made himself home and layed down next to her and held her for a while. Some more serious questions eating at him.

Noticing the look on his face, she decided to break the rather comfortable silence with a question of her own.

"What's wrong? Would you rather me be at your home tonight?"

"No! No, I- I was just thinking."

"Okay... What were you thinking about?"

"Um... Are you really okay with this? Uh. I mean- I am some years older and you're still a teen a-"

She started laughing at him quite loudly. Sitting up and hunching over her stomach she kept laughing. Jack pouted and kept asking to which she kept laughing as a response. Once she was able to get a hold of herself she told him that she never would have called him that night if she wasn't at all interested in him. Nor would she have ever spoken to him  after she met him at work.

Jack felt a bit more confident after hearing her response and smiled to himself.

"Do me a favor?"

"At your service."

"Tell me about Max?"

"Sure! Where do I even start?"

Gina studied his face as he talked and listened closely. She wanted to know about him and his friends. She wanted to know everything about him. What he liked about his friends and how they met. What they were like in school together. If they used to hang out outside of school like she does with her friends. Everything. It was fun to hear him talk and laugh about memories.

Once he was finished he noticed she was having trouble staying awake with him. Turning on his side to face her he grabbed her attention by blowing on her face.

"Hm?"

"Question."

"Hm."

"Want to go to church with me tomorrow?"

"Hmmmm... Okay." He giggled at her and kissed her forehead.