Wisely they don’t look. They know she’s mine and they can sense there will be trouble if they so much as look in her direction. Kids are smarter than I give them credit for sometimes.
But a kid her age isn’t what she needs. She needs a man, a man like me who can rip those jean shorts right off her and run my tongue over her body, and in places, she’s never been touched before.
My eyes rake over her body as she moves closer to my table, bringing the drink I don’t even need or want. I try and remind myself to stay calm, that ordering coffee as hot as they’ve got it gives me a reason to sit here while it cools, and try not to get caught staring at her for the next thirty minutes or more. I also try and remind myself I have no business bothering this little princess, the one who I see feeding the stray dog out back in the alley when she closes up shop at night. I really need to remind myself to quit watching her from a distance or else she’s going to freak out and ban me for life from ever coming in here again.
Not that it would matter. Nothing can keep me from her. And more than anything I need to remind myself what life was like before her, and how having enough money to last a lifetime, a stellar reputation, and everything a man could ever want, wasn’t enough.
Because there’s only one thing this man wants in this world, and at the moment he doesn’t have it.
Her.
And that’s about to change. She will be mine.
3
Jewel
For some reason, I just feel like today’s the day Jake is going to say something to me. Then again, he’s just slowly sipping that coffee, as usual, his eyes locked on me but not actually taking any action. I’m about to pull my hair out waiting for the man to say what clearly appears to be on his mind.
“What the hell?” Ella says, raising her hands and taking a step back, trying not to spill the coffee she’s carrying from out behind the bar.
“Sorry, I didn’t notice you walking this way. You usually don’t come out from behind the espresso machine.”
“And you usually come when I announce an order, but your head was in the clouds. I couldn’t keep the customers waiting any longer.”
“My bad,” I say as Ella slides past me, delivers the order, and is quickly back at my side.
“Your bad or you mean he’s one bad man?” she says, joining me while ogling Jake.
“What do you mean? You don’t know anything about him?” I snap.
“Defensive much?” she says, leaning the top part of her body to the side as she raises an eyebrow at me.
“I’m just saying he’s a nice man and a good customer. He doesn’t bother anyone and tips well.”
“And I’m just saying that you should focus on boys your own age, like the ones over at table five, and leave real men like Jake Stone to real women like me.”
“I’m not a real woman?” I question.
“Sweetheart,” she begins in a tone that’s a little too condescending for me. “I’m just saying that no matter how much you know about life, there’s more to learn. You’re only eighteen. Jake is what? Forty-one? I mean, come on…have you ever even been with a man before?”
“That’s none of your business,” I snap.
“Oh honey, your reply tells me all I need to know,” she cuts right back, shaking her head and waving her finger at me. I want to grab it and snap it off, but I need this job and the money it brings in. “And I’m guessing you already know about Jake’s reputation.”
“What reputation? I’ve never seen him with another woman.”
“That’s because apparently he keeps things quiet. Man’s got a few kinks that he keeps on the down-low. At least that’s the word around town.”
“I doubt it,” I shoot right back, although secretly I suddenly yearn to know more…so much more.
“I doubt you’d be able to take one thrust from that giant of a man, or at least you wouldn’t be able to walk straight for a week after. Trust me on that one,” she says, patting my shoulder. “Leave guys like him to women with a bit more experience, like me. Your time will come, sweetie.”
I shrug my shoulder and then slide my body to the side, not wanting this woman to touch me one more time, or I will have to pop her. Fortunately for both of us, she heads back behind the counter and starts polishing the chrome knob of the espresso machine, staring at Jake as she does but he completely ignores her.
I was tempted to tell Ella this was more than some schoolgirl crush, but she wouldn’t understand. She still treats me like I’m in high school although I graduated and was never even really involved in anything in school anyway. I didn’t have friends or play any sports or join any groups. I love to read so I took a lot of classes with reading assignments which helped me get good grades. Other than that I just kept to myself.
But I can’t keep these feelings I have to myself much longer. And it’s not only Ella that knows but my mom too. The first time that Jake came in I remember thanking the manager for hiring me and mentioning my rent was due and this job was really going to save me. The manager did nothing, not offering me an advance or anything of that nature, not that I’d expect it.