Miriam and Fink fell into easy conversation about shared acquaintances from their childhood, while Libby focused her attention on Jake. “So, what’s your story?” she asked him. “You’ve been in Denton five years and you don’t have a degree to show for it? You like working at this place that much?”
“No,” Jake replied defensively, although he did love working at Mack’s. Libby was the type of girl he didn’t particularly appreciate – sure, she was hot as hell, but her attitude made being in her company a little too uncomfortable. “I’m putting myself through school – I can only afford to go part-time because my grants don’t cover that much.”
She nodded, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort with the subject matter and his defensiveness. “Okay. When you do finally graduate, what’s next?”
“I don’t know!” he exclaimed exasperatedly. His mother asked this question every week when he called her to check in, and he never had a good answer for her, either. “I’m majoring in English and I have no idea what I’m going to do when I’m done! Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Pretty much, yeah, if it’s the truth,” Libby answered, her expression neutral.
“Just so you know, you’re kind of mean and unpleasant to talk to,” Jake grumbled.
She smirked. “It’s intentional. I don’t play nice with men – I try to keep them from thinking I’m approachable so I don’t have to put up with so much of this.” She jerked her head in Fink’s direction. “You, though…you’re interesting. You’re honest and you don’t kiss up. I like that.” She cocked her head to one side, studying him. “It’s a shame I don’t find you attractive.”
“Is this seriously how you talk to people?” he asked in disbelief.
“Libby, be nice to Jake,” Miriam scolded, looking away from Fink. “He’s not used to you!”
“You can be mean to me,” Fink raised his eyebrows suggestively at Libby.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I could be nice to you if I tried.”
Fink just grinned. “You should know, Elizabeth, that I love a challenge. Deny me all you want – we both know you won’t be able to resist my charms indefinitely!”
Libby shuddered and stood up, grabbing her purse. “On that note, I think I’ll go home. I have a lot of studying to do tomorrow – this Maymester merchandising final isn’t going to pass itself.”
“I’ll walk you out!” Miriam jumped up and escorted Libby to her car before Fink could say or do anything.
“My god, what an amazing woman,” Fink breathed, staring at Libby’s retreating form. “Do you want to be best man at our wedding, or should I ask Damian?”
Jake scoffed. “Tell you what, Fink – if you manage to make that wedding a reality, I’ll pay for your bachelor party myself.”
“Deal!” Fink beamed. “I’m gonna hold you to that, bro.”
Miriam returned to the table. “Guys, I think I’m ready to call it a night, too. I can walk back by myself if you want to stay, though.”
“You’re not walking home alone in the dark,” Jake informed her, extricating himself from the booth. “I’m tired, anyway; I’m not used to waking up before noon on a weekend. Fink?”
“Yeah, I guess I can head out, too – it’s a slow night, the fish aren’t really biting,” Fink agreed, standing up and stretching. “Let’s check on Damian!”
The man in question wandered back to his roommates. “Are you guys leaving?”
“Yeah, are you coming?” Fink asked.
Damian grinned. “Nah, I’ll be home in the morning,” he answered, winking at a giggling Shelly.
***
After bidding Damian goodnight, Miriam, Jake, and Fink left him to wait for Shelly to finish her shift and set off on the short walk home. Within five minutes, they were back in the house and flopping onto the couch.
“Does Damian go home with waitresses he’s just met pretty frequently?” Miriam asked curiously.
Fink snorted. “Waitresses, bartenders, busgirls…”
“Bus drivers, if they’re young and hot,” Jake added.
“Personal trainers, female athletes, store sales associates—”
“Store managers. Assistant store managers.”
“Soccer moms – remember when he needed community service hours for a class and he coached that kids’ soccer team for a semester? Between practices, games, and the moms, we hardly saw him.”
“Can’t leave out those friends of my sister’s that she brought to visit when she was a freshman, either.”
“Undergrads with varying majors, grad students, the occasional hot professor—”
“Don’t forget the stripper he hired for your birthday last year,” Jake reminded him with a yawn. “He got you a birthday present and then kept it for himself.”
“Ah, Delilah,” Fink reminisced wistfully. “I didn’t mind – the best part of any gift is unwrapping it, anyway, right? So yeah, Miriam – Damian is our resident ladies’ man. A slightly wilder version of myself, you might say.”
“And a much more successful one,” Jake smirked. “His record is a hell of a lot better than yours.”
“Yeah, well, yours is ridiculous,” Fink shot back. “You haven’t slept with anyone since Callie dumped you three months ago!”
Jake’s expression turned grumpy again. “I’m just pickier than you guys are.”
“Well, this has been fun,” Miriam yawned, standing up to stretch, her arms shooting above her head causing her shirt to ride up a bit and expose her navel. “But I’m going to bed. Good night!”
Fink and Jake watched her ascend the stairs to her room, across the hallway from Jake’s. “She seems cool, right?” Fink asked. “Living with her shouldn’t be too bad, I’m thinking.”
“She’s really…cheerful,” Jake groused.
“Yeah, but it’s nice. We could use a little cheer in this house. Plus, hot friend!”
“Ugh, just give up now before she makes you cry.”
“No way.” Fink shook his head. “Just watch – she’ll be mine by New Year’s.”
Chapter Four
Two in the afternoon on Tuesday found Jake wiping down the bar at Mack’s, keeping an eye on the servers and customers. As manager, he was responsible for just about everything during the day throughout the workweek, since Charlie usually didn’t come in until late afternoon – on weekends, he was there all day and night, so his schedule was more lax during the week.
Jake glanced up when he heard the chimes signaling a new customer and was pleasantly surprised to see Miriam. With both Fink and Damian interning full-time for over a year (and continuing to do so as they continued grad school), it was seldom that he had a visitor at work.
“I got a job!” Miriam exclaimed happily, hoisting herself into a seat at the bar. “I was so excited that I had to tell someone, but Libby’s in class and Damian and Fink are at their internships. I knew you were here, though, and I was hoping you’d share my joy.”
“Well, I’m so glad you chose me as your last resort,” Jake scoffed, pouring her a glass of cream soda as she beamed at him.
“You were my first choice, honestly,” she informed him, sipping the drink. “I didn’t think the other guys would care all that much about a measly part-time job on-campus and Libby’s kind of indifferent about work – she just models because it gets her into all the good parties and she gets to keep a lot of the clothes. Plus, she’s making all these networking contacts for after graduation. But my new job at school? I don’t think she’d care one way or the other.”
“Well, I guess that makes me feel a little bit better,” he admitted, setting his bar rag down. “Did you eat yet? I’m about to take my lunch break.”
“No, and I’m starving,” Miriam answered, her eyes lighting up. “What’s good here besides the burgers?”
“Well, everything, really. But the lunch special today is grilled cheese, tomato bisque, and kettle chips,” he told her with a smile. “Should I put in an order for two of those?”
r /> “Ooh, yes! Sounds great!” she replied happily.
“Go wait at that table by the kitchen,” Jake pointed. “That’s where I eat. I’ll bring it out in a minute.”
Miriam dutifully waited at the table as instructed. A guy in his late twenties with spiky bleached hair sat down across from her and eyed her appraisingly. “Are you here to interview for the server position?”
“Oh, no,” she shook her head. “I’m just here to see Jake. He’s my roommate.”
“Well, lucky him!” the guy grinned at her, leering a little. “I wish my roommate was a cute little thing like you – he’s a hippie slob.” He extended a hand towards her. “I’m Mike, by the way.”
“Miriam,” she responded, accepting his hand out of politeness. He didn’t let go.
“So,” he asked her, still clutching her hand, “I get off around six tonight, if you’d like to meet up for drinks.”
“I’m, uh, only twenty,” she answered uncomfortably, tugging her hand back, but Mike didn’t relinquish it.
“Drinks at my place, then,” he grinned at her, ignoring her discomfort.
“Hands off, Mike, and get back to work,” Jake ordered, his voice laced with displeasure, walking out of the kitchen with a tray of food. He glared at Mike, who reluctantly dropped Miriam’s hand and got up, mumbling a goodbye as he stalked off to check on a table.
“Hey, I’m sorry about him – he’s a real creep,” Jake apologized to her, setting the food down on the table. “Charlie keeps him around because he’s willing to work full-time – he doesn’t take any classes, and he’s happy to work seven days a week if we’d let him. I’ve asked Charlie to let me fire him a bunch of times for bothering the girls who come in here, but until there’s an actual customer complaint, rather than just their disgusted expressions…” he shrugged.
“Ugh. I’ll stay clear of him from now on,” Miriam promised, dipping the corner of her sandwich into her soup and then taking a bite. “Mmm, this is delicious!”
“Yeah, I love grilled cheese and tomato soup – my favorite comfort food,” Jake told her, digging into his own lunch.
“Mine, too!” She grinned at him. “Especially when it’s tomato bisque – and this one is great.”
“We make it here, fresh, everyday. Well, we make everything fresh everyday,” Jake explained. “All the soups are Charlie’s mom’s recipes – apparently she was a cook at Charlie’s grandfather’s restaurant when he was a kid. The place closed down during the Great Depression, but Charlie brought it back to life in the 80’s, made some changes, and now the Mack family legacy lives on.”
“Wow!” Miriam sipped her cream soda. “This place has more history than I thought. I hope it stays around forever.”
“Me, too.” He smiled across the table at her. “So, tell me about the new job! I thought you said yesterday that no one was going to get back to you until the end of the week.”
“Well, the guy at the Willis lab liked my enthusiasm so much that he called me an hour ago and offered me the position. I start tonight!”
“That’s great, Miriam. I’m impressed – the computer lab is a good gig. What are your hours going to be like?”
“Well, since I’m the low man on the totem pole, I’m working nights – Sunday through Wednesday, seven to midnight,” she answered, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
“That late? Didn’t you tell them you have to walk back and forth?” Jake asked, concerned. “Tell them you need an earlier shift; I’m sure they can work it out. Maybe you can switch with someone.”
Miriam laughed, unconcerned. “Don’t be silly. I walk everywhere at all times of day and night – it’s fine.”
Jake’s expression turned from concerned to angry. “Are you crazy? Do you not pay attention to the news? You can’t just go walking around late at night, Miriam. There are crazy people out there, you know!”
“Yeah, I’m having lunch with one right now,” she smirked at him in a very Libby-esque manner that he found he did not care for. “Seriously, I’ve been a pedestrian for three years – I carry pepper spray, I hold my keys like they’re adamantium claws, and I’m always aware of my surroundings. I can take care of myself.”
“Mike’s a pedestrian, too, and he’s always walking around late at night. You want to run into somebody like that?” Jake pointed out.
“Eww,” Miriam replied, glancing in Mike’s direction and shuddering. “I’ll just have to be extra careful, then.” She stood up and smiled down at him. “Listen, thanks for lunch. I want to get in some piano exercises and maybe a nap before I go in at six – they want me there early tonight for training. I’ll see you when I get home tonight, okay?”
Jake scowled as Miriam flounced out the door, humming what sounded like that song he liked by The Secret Handshake.
***
Miriam yawned as she tiredly walked out of the computer lab, blinking sleepily. She’d have to get used to this new schedule – she’d never been much of a night owl. At least her first shift had been a success – she had worked with another girl, Britney, who was a sophomore elementary ed major and lived at Bruce Hall, Miriam’s old dorm. They’d chatted amicably through their five-hour shift (six for Miriam, counting her hour of training), taking ID cards and filing everything that came out of the printer into numbered boxes so each student could easily locate their work. Now, though, Britney had dashed off to the dorm for the night, and Miriam wearily set off for home, rubbing her eyes.
“You didn’t seriously think I was going to let you walk home alone at this hour, did you?” a voice called incredulously. Miriam jumped as she searched for the voice’s owner before locating Jake sitting at the edge of the fountain, apparently waiting for her.
“Jake! You scared me,” she gasped. “I told you I’d be fine to walk home alone – you didn’t have to meet me here.”
“Well, I’m here, so let’s go,” he said tiredly, standing up and dusting off his jeans. “You look exhausted, and I’m pretty beat, too.”
“I am tired,” she agreed. “I’ve been getting up early to use the practice rooms on campus before they fill up for the day.”
“You have a piano at the house,” Jake reminded her. “Why are you even bothering to use the practice rooms when you can practice at home whenever you want?”
Miriam shrugged. “Force of habit, I guess. Plus, I don’t want to wake you up, and I’ve been getting up at seven.”
“That is ungodly early,” he agreed as they cut through the campus to Fry Street, “but if you’re not fighting the other music students for practice time, you can sleep in a little bit, especially now that you’re working such late hours, right?” He groaned at the dance music coming out of one of the bars. “What happened here?” he moaned despondently at the sight of all the fresh new buildings. “Fry Street used to be awesome. Now it’s just…ugh.”
“I know what you mean,” she nodded. “We used to come here for competitions in high school, and my choir director would always take us to the Tomato for lunch – I was so sad when it burned down.” She sighed. “I almost miss the vacant lot – this just looks wrong.”
They turned onto Oak and Jake glanced down at her. “So your first shift was okay?”
“Oh, yeah, it was great!” She smiled back up at him. “It wasn’t too crowded, everyone was pretty quiet, and since I came in an hour early tonight, I’ll get paid for eleven hours for this week instead of just ten – next week will be my first full week, when the regular summer semesters start. I’ll have to start getting more sleep since I’m taking a Summer III music course in the afternoons.”
“Blegh,” he shuddered. “Summer school is the worst. I live for my three months off. I tried to take a summer class after my first year, and I swore I’d never do it again – it was a complete disaster.”
Miriam shrugged as they approached the house. “It’s not ideal, but my parents want me to graduate next year, and music majors have a lot of classes to get through – not to mention student teaching
, in my case.”
“You’re brave to work with kids,” Jake commented, unlocking the front door and letting Miriam enter ahead of him. “I was a day camp counselor the summer after I graduated high school, right before I came here, and…ugh, I don’t like to think about it. I don’t want to see that many little kids in one place ever again.” He walked up the stairs, Miriam following behind him.
“I’m just really passionate about music,” she explained. “My parents were okay with me majoring in it as long as I could ensure that I’d be employable, and directing a choir means I can share that passion with others.”
“You couldn’t do that with a BFA in Vocal Studies?” he asked.
“Employability,” she reminded him, opening her bedroom door and yawning again. “I think I’ll sleep in tomorrow. Thanks for keeping me company on the walk home – it was really nice of you.”