Just in time for Rita to walk into his bar. She brought a cool breeze in with her, a relaxing energy that thrilled at the same time. Her sister was in tow, for which Jasper was grateful. Hurley was safe enough, but he didn抰 like the idea of her walking to the Liquor Hole by herself in the dark.
Rita looked the same as this afternoon, hadn抰 gone and dressed herself up梩hank God. She had, however, rid herself of all that makeup, and Jasper liked her unpainted face. The way it called Saturday mornings to mind, when the only stain on her lips would be from fresh strawberries. Her clothes might be plain, but they were form-fitting enough that he could see the taunting curve of her bottom. That抯 exactly what an ass like Rita抯 was. A taunt. It said, Don抰 even try it, fucker. But at the same time, her long-sleeved shirt, complete with thumbholes, made him think of long stretches on the living room floor while rain pelted the roof. The shirt would mess her hair up when it slid over her head, but they wouldn抰 give a shit on account of it being Saturday.
What the hell is in this beer?
Jasper gathered his far-fetched thoughts and rounded the bar in Rita抯 direction, remembering at the last minute to smile. Odd, since smiling typically came natural to him. Intense wasn抰 a description anyone in town would associate with him, but Rita seemed to coax it to his surface. The closer he came to their seats, the more anxious she appeared. As if she might jump out of her skin at the mere idea of talking to him. Laying that kiss he抎 promised on her in lieu of hello was out of the question, because something told him he wouldn抰 stop, and he was determined to keep things slow and steady. Good thing slow and steady appeared to be what Rita needed, too.
揂nd here I was doubting you.?Jasper made eye contact with Nate and nodded toward the ladies. 揃uy them a drink on me, Nate. They抮e mourning a fan belt tonight, God rest its soul.?
They gave their drink orders. An apple martini for the sister. Rita a pint of their IPA. Gorgeous, sharp-witted, and good taste in beer. Lord have mercy.
Jasper leaned against the bar beside a stiff Rita, but reached to shake the sister抯 hand. 揑 don抰 think we met properly today. I抦 Jasper.?
揚eggy.?Her smile was warm and slightly giddy, her gaze darting back and forth between him and Rita. Did that mean Rita had been talking about him? He didn抰 have a chance to finesse the answer out of Peggy before she hopped off the stool. 揧ou have a jukebox in this place??
揑 surely do. Please avoid Van Halen.?He noticed the dance floor filling up, the couples moving closer to one another. 揟ends to get 抏m worked up.?
揧ou got it.?
Just like that, he was alone with Rita. Maybe the heavens were finally smiling on him. Now if he could only get her to look at him. She seemed more interested in the condensation on the pint glass Nate had set down on the bar. Before he could become entranced by the movements of her index finger, Jasper shook himself. 揧ou talk to your sister about me??
A flash of those eyes made his gut tighten. 揑t was kind of unavoidable.?
揌ow抯 that??
She sipped her beer so long he thought she might finish it. 揟hat pay phone didn抰 hide much. They saw you厰
揟hey saw us.?
揥ell. But you棓
揝tarted it. Is that what you were going to say??Jasper leaned closer, powerless to keep the grin off his face. 揟hat抯 the oldest excuse in the book, but I抦 going to let you use it. You know why??
揥hy??
揃ecause I want to finish it, too.?Just the kiss. You can manage one healthy interaction, man. 揂nd you catch more bees with honey.?
She turned until her legs were pointing at him and a blinking sign that said PROGRESS might as well have lit over his head. 揂m I the bee in this scenario??
揧ou surely are.?Slowly, he swiped a thumb over her knee. 揂nd I reckon you sting when provoked.?
Rita exhaled in a rush of shaky laughter. 揥ow. You are very good at this. Do you practice in the mirror??
He抎 already been halfway to irritated with himself before her question, but that brought it safely home. It had taken him exactly ten seconds to fall back into old patterns and habits. Behavior he thought he抎 buried, but apparently his colossal attraction to Rita had dredged them right up. Jasper pitched to the side, supporting himself with an elbow planted on the bar. 揇amn, can we start the conversation over? You don抰 have to walk back outside or anything. But pretend I just asked you whether or not you抎 spoken to Peggy about me.?
When she repeated her earlier response without a single hesitation, his desire to kiss her skyrocketed straight to the moon. 揑t was kind of unavoidable.?
揑抦 sorry I put you in that position, ma抋m.?
The edge of her mouth tugged. 揘o, you抮e not.?
揘o, I guess I抦 not.?
Rita laughed. If life had a rewind button, he would have hit it over and over again, the way he抎 done with love scenes as a child watching his grandmother抯 taped episodes of General Hospital. Until he抎 been caught and sentenced to a week of dish duty, anyway. Rita laughed with her eyes. They went a little glassy as her shoulders shook, but the actual sound was what crept over his skin like skimming fingertips, shooting him full of awareness. It was low and intimate, like a bass string being plucked in a smoky jazz club. He wanted the sound back as soon as it faded. Wanted to hear it vibrate against his belly. Go easy, man.
揝o.?He plunked his beer down on the bar. 揥here were you four headed in that big, rusty Suburban before Hurley reeled you in??
She looked pensive as her shit-stomping boots started to sway back and forth, bumping the wooden rungs of the stool. 揥e need to be in Coney Island by New Year抯 Day. So we can jump into the Atlantic Ocean.?
揥hy梬hat??He dropped onto the stool beside her, his drink forgotten on the bar. 揟hat抯 pretty high on the list of things I didn抰 expect.?
揙h, I know the feeling.?A beat passed. 揑t was our mother抯 last wish.?
揑抦 sorry.?
She nodded, brushing her hair back in a jerky motion, as if she were uncomfortable having someone抯 undivided attention. He抎 never had cause to use the word preposterous before, but that was the only way he could describe her lack of confidence. Despite the inappropriate name, the Liquor Hole was his life抯 work, and, at the moment, it was nothing more than an unworthy backdrop for Rita. And, God, he was staring at her hands like an aggressive palm reader. 揗ost mothers want to avoid having their children turn into floating ice sculptures. What was her reason??
揋ood question.?A hint of sadness winked in her eyes, and Jasper wished he抎 let the subject drop. This was what happened when he avoided talking about sex. He stumbled right into deceased parents. And yet he wasn抰 sorry. Not even a little bit. He wanted to know everything. 揑 think卻he meant it as some sort of symbolic bonding experiment. But I don抰 know. We抮e kind of unbondable.?
揋ot the feeling I interrupted a near-melee this afternoon.?
揂aron called my souffl?decent.?A strand of dark hair caught on her lips when she shook her head. It took one hundred percent of his impulse control not to tug it away, but she beat him to it, anyhow. 揑t sounds silly now.?
揘ah.?Jasper couldn抰 help leaning in to get a whiff of cooking spices. 揌e would have had it coming just for dressing like a preacher on a weekday.?
Another one of those quiet, smoky laughs. 揑 guess there抯 a fine line between politician and preacher.?
揚olitician??Jasper shivered, then recalled the threat Rita抯 brother had leveled at his head back on the highway. 揝till, I can抰 help but like him for wanting you safe from a stranger. He can抰 be all that bad if he worries about you.?