Fan Fiction ❯ And So it Goes ❯ Oh, How Time Turns ( Chapter 3 )

“When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” - Alexander Graham Bell

 

-Chapter Three-

-Oh, How Time Turns-

 

When Jackie returned Sunday night from her date, she made an announcement.

 

“Darlings,” she said with her award-winning smile. “I have great news! I have decided to stay the rest of the week! Oh, if it's not too much trouble of course, Auntie El.”

 

Ellen hugged her niece and assured her that, absolutely, it wasn't any trouble at all.

 

“Don't worry about any of my necessities; I brought them all with me! And I packed enough clothes to last me the entire time. I wasn't sure what I wanted to wear when I was here, you see. But I think dear Rae and I should go shopping anyway. We can liven up her wardrobe a little bit!”

 

Rae absorbed all this with an absent smile. Sure, she didn't mind if her cousin extended her visit. But shopping with Jackie wasn't something she was sure about. It seemed though, as if she didn't have too much of a choice in the matter.

 

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Jackie clapped her hands together and turned to Rae. “I'd love to come to work with you the whole time I'm here too, darling! Mama Millie is just a doll!”

 

“Oh, well…” Rae couldn't stand to say no to the excited girl. There wasn't any reason for her not to come along anyway. So she smiled as warmly as possible and said, “That sounds great.”

 

“Ooh, I knew you'd think so!” Jackie exclaimed before wrapping her cousin in a hug. “This is just going to be so much fun!”

 

`Right…' Rae thought to herself. `Fun. Yeah. Lots of it. If I survive it, that is.'

 

-oooooooooo-

 

The sun rose bright and cheery on Monday morning. Its rays swept over the city and in through windows, doors, and anything else they could penetrate. The sky was a clear, crisp blue, and the only clouds to be seen were the little fluffy white ones that look like cotton balls. The kind that children make shapes out of when they're lying on their backs in the grass. It was warmer than it should have been, but not really unnatural.

 

When Rae and Jackie left to take the short walk to the bus stop, everyone they saw was smiling or laughing. It was like the sunlight's brightness was a palpable thing; a real emotion that was contagious and entirely welcome. Jackie was glowing. Rae even found it impossible not to grin.

 

They reached the stop without coincidence. Rae's smile faltered. These benches were painted too. In the sun, the paint shone a rich green, the color of new leaves in the spring, and for a minute, Rae thought she might not mind the change. This particular stop wasn't all that familiar to her anyway. She only used it when she visited her mother.

 

Mama Millie was very happy to hear that Jackie would be working with them for the next five days. “I'll make sure you enjoy your stay, dearie,” she told the young woman.

 

The shop was unusually busy that day, as if everyone wanted sweet things to go along with their good moods. All the regulars stopped in, including the elderly gentleman, Mr. Sherman, who owned the furniture store across the street and who seemed to have taken quite the liking to Mama. He came in with his hair combed over to one side and a red rose pinned to his shirt. He smelled of too much musky cologne and wore a big, silly grin on his face. Behind him wandered in two much younger men who looked completely exasperated.

 

“Good morning, ladies,” Mr. Sherman greeted Rae and Maura. “I'd like to order a nice big carrot cake, please.”

 

“Of course, sir,” Maura smiled and went to retrieve his order.

 

Mr. Sherman grinned at Rae, then noticed Jackie, who was busy putting icing on a fresh batch of honey buns. “And who is this lovely young lady?” he asked.

 

“Oh, that's my cousin, Jackie.”

 

At the mention of her name, Jacqueline straightened up and smiled wide at their customer. “It's a pleasure to meet you!”

 

“And you as well,” the old man responded. Just then, Mama Millie backed out of the back room carrying a large tray of donuts in her hands. Mr. Sherman's face lit up like fireworks.

 

“And if it isn't the most beautiful woman who ever walked the earth!”

 

The look Mama shot at him was one she would have used on a child who was trying to make up for something bad he did by telling his mother that he loved her. “Hello, Mr. Sherman.”

 

“Oh, please, Millie! How many times have I told you to call me Hugh?”

 

“Too many times. And I'm still not going to call you that.”

 

The two young men who had followed Mr. Sherman in were watching the spectacle at hand unfold, amused smiles on their faces. The taller one was relaxing comfortably against the wall of the shop, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. He had short, spiked brown hair and blue eyes that sparkled with obvious confidence, like he knew how good he looked in his white cotton wife beater and numerous silver necklaces. His companion, not as tall but certainly not short either, looked gentler and more approachable. His black hair fell around his face and hid his eyes, but his beautiful smile was clearly visible. Rae's breath caught in her throat for a second. She felt an embarrassing blush rise in her cheeks and turned her head away, looking for something - anything - to distract her. She scuttled past Maura, who was returning from the back with a carrot cake in hand, and shut the door of the store room firmly behind her.

 

Jackie, on the other hand, had nothing to hide, and didn't even notice the disappearance of her cousin. “What about you, boys? Can I get you anything?” She smiled, charming as ever.

 

The taller man stepped forward with a cocky grin on his face and leaned forward over the counter on his right elbow. He cast a pointed glance down at the pastries in front of him. “Your… buns look really delicious.”

 

Jackie giggled. “Oh, they are. The best in the city.”

 

“Really? Maybe I could try them some time.”

 

“I think I'd like that.”

 

He winked. “I'm Jason.”

 

“Jackie.”

 

“That's a cute name. Is it short for something?”

 

“Uh huh. Jacqueline.”

 

“Jacqueline, huh? I think I like that…”

 

The black haired man stepped up beside his friend, shaking his head. “Is Jason short for `jackass'?”

 

“Ha ha. Funny, Beau-tiful.”

 

Jackie looked back and forth between the men, still smiling but seeming a tiny bit confused. “Um… Bow-tiful?”

 

Jason threw his head back and laughed, and the other man rolled his eyes. He stuck out his hand to Jacqueline and she shook it. “I'm Beau,” he said. “Nice to meet you. I apologize for my friend. He's not been trained yet, and I forgot his leash at home.”

 

“Jason! Beau! We're going now,” Mr. Sherman was carrying his cake in one hand, and had Mama's hand in his other. He brought the back of it to his lips and bestowed it with a sloppy, loud kiss. “Until we meet again, Millie, my dear!”

 

Pulling her limb away from the man, Mama shooed him out of the bakery. Beau waved and left after him.

 

“Looks like I'll have to try your buns some other time, Jackie,” Jason drawled. Then he turned and swaggered out, leaving a giggling red head in his wake.

 

-oooooooooo-

 

Rae slid down the door in the back room and tried not to feel so completely overwhelmed. Her face was stained a ruddy red, a mix of shame and something she didn't want to acknowledge. That man… That gorgeous young man… She had no right to even think of him that way… She felt like she was betraying someone, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who. His face flashed into her mind. Short, soft dirty blonde hair… Eyes so brown they were almost black… A charming, kind smile…

 

`Mathew…'

 

Unthinking, she dragged a hand across her eyes and was surprised to find moisture on her knuckles. When had she started crying? Shaking her head, Rae tried to dispel the sadness by thinking of people she loved, but it didn't quite work. Instead, the face of that young man with the dark hair and the stunning grin filtered into her thoughts and made her sob. Just this once, she thought, she would let herself cry. Just this once, she wouldn't attempt to put on a happy mask. This one time, when there was no one to watch her, she would allow her broken heart to bleed.

 

-oooooooooo-

 

Jackie's cell phone rang about fifteen minutes after Mr. Sherman, Jason, and Beau left the bakery. With no more customers in sight and having already gotten a little ahead schedule, the girl figured it was okay to answer the device. She pulled it from her pocket and checked the tiny screen on the front. She didn't recognize the number, but shrugged and flipped the phone open anyway, putting a stop to the ring tone - a dial tone version of her favorite song.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Jackie? This is Michael, from yesterday.”

 

“Oh! Hi there!”

 

The male voice on the other end of the line laughed a little and went on, “I was wondering if you're free tonight, too. Maybe you'd like to go out to dinner?”

 

“That sounds like a nice idea.”

 

“Great; can I pick you up at your place?”

 

“Sure.” She gave him her aunt's address. There was a little silence as he scribbled it out on a piece of paper.

 

“Okay. Is seven all right?”

 

“That's perfect.”

 

“All right… So I'll see you later?”

 

“Definitely!” Jackie said good bye and hung up, stuffing the pink phone back into her jeans and smiling. Michael… He was really adorable. On Sunday he'd taken her to a movie: a romantic comedy. That had really impressed her, since most guys wouldn't go near such a film, not even to get the chance to kiss a pretty girl in a dark theatre. But Michael had been the one to suggest the movie in the first place, and had kindly kept his hands in acceptable places - one in his lap and one lightly entwined with hers. They'd shared a large popcorn and a soda, with two straws, and Jackie had to admit that she really enjoyed herself. She'd chosen to take the bus back to Ellen's instead of letting him drive her since the theatre was pretty far away and it was getting late. At the bus stop he'd left her with a kiss on the cheek and a promise to call her again; she'd written her number on the back of his hand.

 

She sighed and swept a lock of red hair from her face. It was a shame there were no nice guys like Michael back home. Jackie came from a sleepy little town where everyone knew everyone and the big news on the street was what kind of new, wild hair-do the woman down the road got. It was funny, really, that the boisterous red-head was a small-town girl, when she'd always lived in such a big-city way. She had always envied Rae, who was born and raised in a busy metropolis. Jackie figured she must have dated every eligible guy in her hometown at least once, and not a single one of them had been able to really catch her interest for long. She hoped Michael would be different; she wanted to have a good time for the remainder of her stay with her aunt and cousin, and if enjoying herself meant spending the nights out with a fun, good-looking guy, she was game.

 

-oooooooooo-

 

It was Maura who came across Rae in the storage room, eyes a little puffy and nose red. The older girl insisted she was fine, but the brightness in her brown gaze and her mussed hair told a different story.

 

“I'm okay, I promise!” Rae said for what had to be the millionth time as Maura's concerned blue eyes swept over her. Discovering that two of her employees were conspicuously missing, Mama Millie peeked into the back room. When she saw the two females looking both very grave and flustered, her snow white eyebrows drew together in consternation.

 

“Are you both all right, dears?”

 

“We're fine, Mama,” said Rae, while Maura answered, “Rae isn't.”

 

The elderly shopkeeper looked back and forth between them. Her face was set in a thoughtful frown. “Okay,” she began. “Maura, dear… Why don't you go help Jackie with the muffins?”

 

The girl almost, almost started to argue, but Mama was pinning her with a rare no-nonsense glare, so she shuffled off to the front from, muttering under her breath. When her golden-blonde head had disappeared on the other side of the door, Millie turned to regard Rae. After a long moment she asked, “What's wrong, sweetheart?”

 

“Nothing, Mama.”

 

The woman's brows rose again, this time as if to say, `Oh, really? I don't believe you.'

 

With a soft sigh, Rae carefully lowered herself onto a crate that contained bags of flour and folded her hands in her lap, opting to stare at them instead of into the green eyes that had settled on her. She could never fool her beloved employer, who had a knack for reading people. “I was just thinking about Mathew, that's all.”

 

Millie grimaced. Mathew… It had been quite a while since she'd heard that name, although she was sure that it ran through Rae's head every day. She remembered him, of course she did… He used to visit the shop all the time to say hello to Rae and buy a donut. `The best in the entire world,' he used to call them. He was a sweet boy, really… And smart, too. A biology major at the University of Ahenta, the big college campus some forty minutes from the city limits, if Mama remembered right.

 

“What could have made you think of him, dearie?”

 

A slight scowl passed over Rae's lips. “That guy… the one who came in with Mr. Sherman…”

 

“Hm? The brown haired one, you mean?”

 

“No… The other one.”

 

Millie wrinkled her forehead in concentration and thought of the two young men. “Oh! You mean the cute one with the black hair!”

 

Embarrassment seeped into Rae's features. “Yeah…”

 

“Oh, sweetie, don't look so down about it! He was a real treat!”

 

“But, Mama… Liking him would be like betraying Mathew, and I… I can't do that.”

 

Millie scoffed and waved her hands around to dismiss that statement. “You're not betraying anyone. It's perfectly all right to like another boy now, dear.”

 

Rae sighed and shrugged her shoulders in defeat, not willing to debate over the matter anymore. “Okay, Mama.”

 

Mama Millie could sense the sadness in the girl's posture, in her voice, in everything… So she decided to lighten up the mood a bit. “So… Did you get a look at his rear end?”

 

With a groan and a deep blush, Rae buried her face in her hands.

 

-oooooooooo-

 

“I've got another date, darling. I'm going to go shopping for an outfit to wear before he comes to pick me up at Auntie El's. You wanna come?”

 

Jackie and Rae stood side by side on the sidewalk in front of the bakery. They had just closed up shop and bid farewell to Maura and Millie. Rae tucked a lock of sandy brown hair behind her ear and shoved her other hand deep into her jacket pocket. The sunshine that had started off the day had mercilessly disappeared, and the chill of the approaching winter was back.

 

“No, thanks. I'm going to go home and take a nap.”

 

Jackie shrugged. “All right. I'm going to go call a taxi. See you later.” The redhead took off down the street as she dug her cell phone out of her coat. Rae walked in the opposite direction, towards the bus stop. She kept her head down, chin tucked into her chest, trying to keep warm. It wasn't until the green bench came into her view that she looked up… And almost shrieked in shock.

 

Not more than half a foot away from her was the dark haired, handsome stranger from the shop. At the moment he wore a polite but confused grin, and was gazing down at her, probably wondering why she had stopped so close to him. With a high-pitched squeak she jumped back, nearly falling over the bench in the process. He reached out to steady her, but Rae backed away farther, praying to any God that was listening to make the earth open up under her feet and swallow her whole.

 

The man seemed to get that she didn't want his help, so he let his arms drop to his sides and tried to look friendly since the girl was obviously very flustered. “Are you okay?” he asked.

 

His voice was deep, rich, and kind. Rae was terrified of it. “I… Yes.” She jerked her head down in a nod and kept her eyes averted from him.

 

He offered her an apologetic grin. “I'm sorry about that,” he said, even though the incident had been entirely Rae's fault. Puzzled, she forgot to be mortified for a moment and glanced up at him. Instantly, she regretted doing so. His mouth was curved into a welcoming little smile. The cold had dusted his cheeks with just a hint of pink that contrasted wonderfully with his ebony hair. And his eyes…

 

`Hazel…'

 

They appeared to shift from blue to green at will. He was devastating.

 

`Oh, God…'

 

Slowly, carefully, as though he thought she would run if he moved too fast, he extended his right hand to her. “I'm Beau.”

 

Rae looked down at his hand as though it would bite her. When he noticed her wide-eyed expression, he backed off a little and gave her another reassuring smile. She remained gaping at him, looking trapped like a deer in the headlights, so Beau decided to try a different approach. “What's your name?”

 

She blinked a few times, as though attempting to understand what he said. It looked like she wasn't going to answer him, but then…

 

“Rae,” she said, in a voice that was tiny and afraid.

 

His grin was beautiful and full of light. “That's a pretty name,” he replied, completely sincere.

 

Rae thought she might have whispered a thank you, but she couldn't be sure. The bus pulled up to the stop then, and Beau asked her, “Are you getting on?” When she nodded, he stepped aside to let her board. Out of impulse, or maybe it was fate guiding her, Rae turned to see if he was following. He wasn't, though, and moments later a pretty looking girl with platinum blonde hair pushed past Rae to get off the vehicle. She didn't so much as acknowledge the other girl, just grabbed Beau's arm and started to drag him away. The young man looked back as the door was sliding shut and offered a little smile and a wave.

 

Then the driver pressed down on the gas pedal, the bus accelerated, and Beau was gone.

 

-oooooooooo-

 

AN: You guys want some interesting info? Check it out:

 

“Beau” means “handsome or beautiful” in French. Pretty fitting for our good-looking new friend, huh? ~_^

 

Also, “Rae” is an Old English name (usually meant for boys >_>) that means “doe.” Perfect for our heroine, since she's so incredibly shy and timid! Just like a deer…

 

Anywho… This chapter, like the last one, is dedicated to Devildice708, because today is his birthday! Happy eighteenth, Dice! I hope you have a wonderful time, because you deserve it very much.

 

Love,

Neko