Jack & Lucy

Lucy

When I spill into my living room, I look at my baking boxes still piled up in the kitchen and wish I was in Stella's kitchen so I could whip up some cookies and shoot a couple of short videos. Steve's kitchenette comes with a stove that can barely fit a normal size baking tray so it seems pointless to create masterpieces in space that won't bake them properly. I pat the top box as I say, "Hopefully you're only tucked away for one more week. Or until Stella gets back from Portland." I never thought I'd miss my cherry red stand mixer or my icing bags. I enjoyed getting creative with Jameson's cookies and I know I need to prioritize my channels again. My mourning period is over. If I am not making videos, I am not making any side hustle money and Mag's money is hardly enough to cover a decent apartment. I remember Fischer asked for cookies for his office so I shoot him a quick text asking for a quantity and design. I then flop onto my futon and start scrolling for cookie inspiration. I find myself getting lost in mirror glaze cake videos and I'm suddenly running late for work. 

I try to take my time getting ready in the limited amount of time I gave myself. I find a nice compromise between Kinsey's work and my natural look and feel fresh as I swipe on setting powder. Now that I'm aware that Jack wants to kiss me, I spend more time than normal scrubbing my lips with sugar and dabbing them with nourishing oil. I thought a nice rose lip stain would make them pop but still blend with my casual yet made-up look. 

I riffle around in the duffle bags that are doubling as my dresser, hoping to find something with sex appeal but am coming up short. I have an entire bag of lululemon leggings and another one of college tees but nothing that says, "Jack Dalton's love interest." He goes for girls that show a lot of skin and make you question if they are wearing undergarments with that tight of fabric. I shove my duffles away as I realize that I'm not going to turn into one of his rats to get his attention. That something I was doing already made him glance in my direction. 

I sigh as I find my one pair of high-waisted shorts and tie a vintage Duke tee up so it sits above my zipper. I fluff my hair with my fingers and realize my long legs would be the only skin I expose at work. I was cute, not sexy, and had to accept that. I didn't have my navel pierced, blonde hair or eyelash extensions, so Jack would just have to find me attractive anyway. 

My stomach is in my throat and I realize the cold brew is not helping my nerves. I used to have anxiety attacks before shows and that familiar buzz in my chest is back. I'm anxious to see Jack and terrified to ask him what the fuck? I don't understand why he's never tried anything before now? He had to have known I would have been receptive. I was constantly around him half-naked at the lake and would always warn the other bartenders away from him at work. I was never overly obvious about my crush since I knew he didn't date co-workers, but there were countless times he could have tip-toed the line if he wanted to. It was his rule, so he could have broken it. 

I take a deep calming breath as I approach the employee's entrance in the back of Mag's and immediately choke on sweet strawberry fumes. 

"Oh god, sorry!" Missy says, coming out from the screendoor. "I totally didn't think anyone was going to walk in." She steps onto the stoop and waves her vape pen to show me where the sweetness came from. 

"No worries," I say back to her with a wave of my hand. 

"Hey, you coming to the party tomorrow night? We're trying to get a headcount." Missy asks before sucking on the end of the pen. 

"Not sure. Probably depends how I feel once I am off." 

"Oh that's right, you close with Jack, Hannah, and Sabrina right?" 

I nodded, "Yeah, so who knows when we'll clock out."

"I think they are all coming, at least I know Maggie is hoping Jack will," Missy says and then blows the smoke away from my face this time. She flicks her flaming red hair from her eyes and then squints from the sunshine blasting onto her face. My brain snags on the last bit so I'm forced to ask, "Maggie wants Jack to come? Why?" Her side smirk and eyebrow pop makes my skin crawl.

"To finish what they started a few weeks ago, I guess." She shoves the pen into her tiny jean shorts pocket before fixing the straps on her black tank as I began to sweat. 

"What did they start a few weeks ago? I was in New York, so I'm not up to date on the hot goss," I ask casually. Trying desperately to not look overly interested when my brain is screaming, "Maggie and Jack?!" 

"Maggie finally got him on his back, but then like, something interrupted them so their little rendezvous had to be postponed. Oh and don't tell anyone, we all know how Jack is with co-workers, but I know you're close with Maggie so I figured she won't care that you know." She yanks the screen door open and then nods for me to go on in. I feel the hallway narrow as I somehow get my feet to move toward the office and then feel sick when I catch Jack waiting for me at my locker.