Running Home to You (The Running Series) (12 page)

Marcus steps in before things go any further.  “Jette, I got this.  I’ll stay back here and expedite.  Reese, I’m waiting on two Brie Burgers and a Tomato Avocado Panini.”  He turns and looks at me.  “Go check on the floor. You said your piece; now go take care of the front of the house, Jette.”

Reluctantly, I concede and step back into the restaurant.  I walk straight to the bar and signal for Emmy to come over.  “Em, can I please have a shooter?  SoCo, neat, no ice.”

She eyes me suspiciously, but doesn’t question me.  She puts a shot glass in front of me, grabs a bottle of Southern Comfort, fills the shot glass to the rim, and goes back to making drinks for our guests.  Before I change my mind, I grab the glass and toss it back.  It burns delightfully as it slides down my throat.  I don’t understand why, but I immediately begin to feel the tension leaving my body as the hot liquid slowly spreads through my system.

I make my way around the restaurant, looking for Evan and checking on the customers.  Everyone seems to be handling the delays well.  The customers are all very accommodating, thankfully.  When I finally find Evan, he’s sitting in a booth at the far corner of the restaurant with a bottle of Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila.  Seated around the table are Adam, Auggie and Lucas, Marcus’ fiancée Camilla, and Evan, all laughing and having a great time.  I decide to join them and let Marcus do his job. 

My mother and grandmother are among the first to leave.  I apologize again to my grandmother for making her wait for her meal, and she reassures me that when it did arrive, it was the best sandwich she’s ever had.  Of course, she clarifies that statement by reminding me that her dessert was the best part of the entire meal. 

The restaurant slowly begins to empty out.  Aside from our friends, Evan’s family is the last to leave.  When they do, we lock the front door, crank up the music, and move our little group to the bar.  Emmy and Derek finally get their break from behind the bar.  Emmy rushes over to Adam and leaps into his welcoming arms.  She sprinkles kisses all over his face, and he has a smile a mile wide.  He whispers something into her ear, and I swear it looks like the word ‘love’.  Either that or ‘olive’, but my money’s on the L word.

Soon, Marcus finally emerges from the kitchen and joins us.  “Where’s Reese?” Auggie asks.  She’s been staying in my old room at his house, and they have grown rather close.

“She cleaned and left.  She said she didn’t want to spend any more time with her babysitter.”  He grabs Camilla’s drink and tosses it back in one big gulp.  “I think she meant me.  It got a little tense back there,” he adds.

Auggie turns to me and asks, “What’s that supposed to mean?  What happened tonight, Jepetto?”

“Did you ever hear the saying that you have to learn how to walk before you can run?” I ask Auggie.

“Sure, but what’s that got to do with Reese?”

“Let’s just say she was trying to run a marathon before she was ready.”

Charity Begins at Home

I
t’s Tuesday morning and Evan’s long gone.  He had to be at the stadium by six thirty. I’m not in the mood for a run today.  I’m actually still a little upset about last night.  Although everything turned out okay, I’m terribly disappointed in Reese.  I would have been happier if she accepted responsibility and tried to correct the situation.  Instead, she misdirected the conversation and accused me of having ulterior motives.  I’ll admit that I have my share of regrets when it comes to Derek, but that does not cloud my judgment.  At least, I don’t think it does.

After I let Maddy out for her morning constitutional, I check my phone and notice there’s a text from Auggie asking me to call him.  It was sent an hour ago, so I know he’s up.  I make a quick call and he says he wants to talk to me.  By the tone of his voice, it sounds serious, so I invite him to come right over. 

Auggie’s house is less than a mile away, so I know he’ll be here fairly quickly.  After letting Maddy in, I hop right into the shower.  I do a lot of my best thinking in the shower.  There’s a beautiful view of the ocean to appreciate while I stand under the cascading water with jets set on full power and the water is nearly unbearably hot.  As I stand there allowing the pulsating water to work their magic on my still slumbering muscles, I reflect on my friendship with Reese. 

When I first arrived at college, I didn’t know a single soul.  Reese and I met at orientation when we both signed up to join the Campus Activity Board.  We were both assigned to live in the same dorm on the same floor, which was entirely comprised of fellow culinary students.  In our junior year, we moved out on our own and became roommates.

We supported each other through family crises, boyfriend drama, and work-related anxieties. I watched her flit from boyfriend to boyfriend, always getting bored once the excitement of a new romance wears off.  She supported me throughout my two-year relationship with the jerk, David.  When I finally opened my eyes and realized what a manipulative ass he was, she never once said, “I told you so.”  She just helped me pick up the pieces and move on.

As I contemplate the events that occurred over the past few days, I can’t help but wonder if I could have handled things differently where Reese is concerned.  I knew deep down inside that I was asking too much of her.  But Reese has always been so amazing at everything she does, so I thought she would rise to the occasion.  Maybe with more support, she would have.

After I get dressed, I head back into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee before Auggie arrives.  “That’s not necessary, Jette my Pet.”

I nearly jump out of my skin.  I never even noticed anyone siting there.  “Holy crap, Auggie.  You scared the shit out of me.  How did you get in?  Evan never leaves me in the house alone without the doors locked and the alarm set,” I ask him as my heart rate slowly returns back to normal.

He hands me a macchiato from our favorite coffee house, Green Planet Coffee Co.  “Seriously?  You guys have me over here at least once a week to pick up Maddy and just now you’re wondering how I get in and out of the house?”  He takes a sip of his chai and continues, “Evan gave me the code months ago.  He wanted to make sure you always had someone looking out for you.”

I take a seat at the kitchen table across from Auggie, who’s been sitting here reading the news on his beloved iPad.  “So, what brings you over at this early hour?  It sounded pretty serious on the phone.”

After a long conversation, I discover that Reese has asked Auggie to help her find an apartment so she can move out on her own immediately.  He explains, “She feels like she can’t please you at work.  She’s not interested in pursuing a relationship with Derek, so she knows she’s disappointed you there, too.  Now, she says you made a remark last night about her getting free room and board.”

“So rather than make things right at work, she thinks this is the answer?  Move out?  What does that prove?” I argue.

“I know, I know.  I tried to talk her out of it, but she’s resolute.  Frankly, Jepetto, I was waiting for this to happen.  I think she’s in over her head.  I’m not sure she knows
how
to make this right.  You know her best.  Has this ever happened before?” he asks.

“Has what ever happened?”

“You know, has Reese ever struggled like this or failed at something?  She doesn’t seem to be taking it well,” he tells me.

“Actually, no.  Reese is beautiful, smart, and talented.  School, money, boys, it always came easily to her.  But nothing seems to be falling into place right now.  This is definitely new territory for her,” I explain.

“Well then, if you know her so well, why don’t you cut her a little slack?” he asks.

“Auggie, under normal circumstances, I would.  I really want to, believe me.  It’s tearing me up inside.  But people are counting on the success of Rush, Evan and I included.  We have to get the food and service right, or we’ll be closed faster than you can find us on Google Maps.”  I take a long swig of my macchiato, contemplating my next response before I continue.  “Maybe there is something I can do,” I tell him.

“Yeah?  What?”

“Help.  I can get her some help.  She just wasn’t ready.  That’s partially my fault, I think.  I can make this right, Auggie.”

Auggie and I agree and he explains to me his plan to help Reese find a place to live.  It turns out that he already has one picked out for her.  There’s a cute apartment available just down the road.  He’s pretty sure he can get the landlord to give her a six-month lease.

“So Auggie, listen, while I have you here, can I ask you about Lucas?”

“Sure, Jepetto, what do you want to know?”

“Well, for starters, how well do you know him?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he tells me.

“There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on.  I can’t explain it.  I just don’t trust him,” I explain.

“You’ve met him exactly two times, My Pet.  How could you possibly have formed that type of an opinion in such a short time?” he pushes back.  “I know you and Brandon got pretty close for a while there.  Are you sure you’re not comparing them?  They’re about as different as any two men could be, you know.”

“You’re right, Auggie.  I’m sorry.  Forget I said anything.”  I’ll try to keep an open mind, but I’ll certainly be keeping an open eye, too.

“All is forgiven.”  He stands, takes my hand, and brings me in for a tight embrace.  “Listen, I’ve got to run.  I want to be home when Reese gets up.” 

After Auggie leaves, I call Marcus.  I tell him I want to move quickly to find someone to help things in the kitchen.  Within an hour, Marcus calls back to let me know that I have an appointment to meet with someone from an agency called Hire a Hero Now.  Time to make some changes.

I
t’s nearly noon and Cheri, a volunteer from the Hire a Hero Now Program should be arriving any time now.  The restaurant is closed and I’ve given the staff the day off today.  Last night was very stressful, and they all did a great job of pulling together as a team and making it a success.

I select a table in the middle of the restaurant, take the chairs down, and set the table for three: Cheri, Marcus, and me.  In the center of the table, I place my beautiful flowers that Evan gave me last night.  The sentiment of good luck and protection are needed once again today.  I prepare a pitcher of sparking water with fresh lemon wedges, three glasses, and a plate of my homemade macaroons.  Just as I’m about to scrounge around for something salty, Marcus and Cheri come walking in the door.  Introductions are made and we quickly get down to business.

Cheri begins by asking if I know anything about her program.  Unfortunately, I do not, so she begins by telling us a little bit about what her group does. 

“At Hire a Hero Now, we provide personalized job search assistance to veterans and their spouses,” she explains.  “We also help veterans create effective resumes that translate their military experience into civilian terms in order to show employers the value they can bring to a company, and then prepare veterans for job interviews through training, tips, and mock interviews.”

“What kind of guarantees do you provide for the employer?” I ask.  I want to make sure that the person I hire is someone who can be trusted and has the right training for this particular job.

“We do everything we can to check on the veracity of the claims made by the applicant.  We do not do criminal checks or drug screening, but through our intake process, we put them through a battery of psychological testing to make sure they’re ready to make the transition back into the civilian workforce,” Cheri responds.  She explains to us how her program has an excellent track record of successfully placing veterans in civilian jobs.

Marcus tells Cheri what we’re looking for in an employee.  “We’re hoping to find someone with culinary experience who can help train an inexperienced staff.  We have a young crew with very little practical experience turning out a large number of meals all at the same time.  It’s a very specific skill set we’re looking for.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me it might take a while to find the right candidate for us.”

“Actually, we do have someone ready for work immediately,” she proudly counters.  “His name is Ryker Donovan, and he’s a former Food Service Specialist for the Army.  Ryker’s story is unique, but not unusual.”