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CHAPTERONE
SAGE
“See you tomorrow.”I hurry out of the garage, swinging my purse over my shoulder.
“Sage, wait!” Jesse races up to me, wiping the sweat off his face with a greasy rag.
“I can’t.” I keep walking. “I have to get home.”
He holds my arm, stopping me. “Just one night. One dinner. Can’t you give me that?”
I sigh. “Jesse, for the last time, I’m not interested in dating you. Or anyone. After everything I’ve been through, I need time to myself. And once I get everything figured out, I’m not staying here, which is another reason I’m not getting involved with you, or any other guy in town.” I pull my arm back. “I really have to go.”
He folds his arms over his chest. “I don’t know why you won’t agree to this. I’m not asking you to marry me. It’s just dinner. You at least owe me that.”
“Owe you?” I huff. “Are you serious?” I storm off toward my car, feeling the dust kicking up on my legs. This town is so freakin’ dusty. I feel like I’m constantly covered in it.
“Sage, you know I didn’t mean it that way,” Jesse calls out from behind me.
I whip around and see him still standing in the same spot. His faded jeans and blue work shirt are covered in grease and for a moment I feel sorry for him. Stuck in this town forever, working at his dad’s shop. But then he makes a stupid comment like he just did, and any sympathy I had for him is gone.
My purse slipped down my arm so I fling it back over my shoulder and say, “You mean you weren’t implying I owe you sexual favors in exchange for this job?”
He starts to smile but then quickly shuts it down when he sees how angry I am. “I never said that, or implied it. I asked you to dinner. That’s it.”
“Yeah, and I said I’m not interested. I’ve told you that like a million times. If turning you down means I’m fired then…” I stop, wishing I hadn’t said that. I need this job. It’s the only place in town that would hire me and it actually pays well, or at least what’s considered good for a town this size. I whip back around and start walking. “Bye, Jesse.”
He doesn’t respond. Shit. I hope I didn’t just get myself fired. I don’t think Jesse would do that but I don’t know him well enough to say for sure. I’ve only worked there a month and so far Jesse and I have gotten along fine, except for when he asks me out. Every time he does, I tell him no, and then he avoids me for a day or so. After that, things go back to normal until he asks me out again. I’m getting tired of it and just want him to stop.
He needs to find someone else to go out with. It’s not like he couldn’t get a date. Jesse is a decent looking guy. He’s average height with sandy blond hair that always looks messy but in a good way. He plays sports with his buddies on the weekends, usually basketball, so he stays in shape. It’s not like he’s all muscle or anything, but he’s in better shape than a lot of the guys around here. And he has a cute face, with a side dimple and soft baby blue eyes. A lot of girls like that look but I prefer guys with more of a rugged, manly face.
As soon as I drive off I call Nina. I’ve only known her a little over a month but she’s already my best friend.
“I need a new job,” I say, speeding down the road, my anger putting me on edge. I’m not just angry at Jesse, but at my situation and what got me here.
“What’d he do now?” she asks, chomping on her gum. She’s trying to quit smoking so she’s been chomping gum like crazy.
“He asked me out again.” I cradle the phone between my neck and shoulder as I crank down the window. My mom had to sell both her car and mine which is how I ended up with this rusted-out piece of metal that barely runs. It was a sign-on bonus for taking the job at the garage, or at least that’s what Jesse called it. I shouldn’t have accepted it, knowing there was a catch, but I really needed a car.
“That’s it?” Nina asks. “I thought you were going to say he made a pass at you. Groped you. Tried to kiss you.”
“No. None of that. He just wanted to go to dinner.” My window stops halfway down, obviously broken, so I give up cranking on it and turn on the fan to get some air blowing. It’s a scorching hot June day in Kansas, at least 100 degrees.
“Just dinner?” she asks. “Then why are you pissed?”
I wipe the sweat off my brow. “Because I’m tired of it. I’m tired of feeling like I owe him something other than my time on the job. In fact, he even said that today. He said I owed him. That’s harassment. I could turn him in for that.”
“And then you’d have even more enemies. If you shut down Kenny’s Garage, people won’t have a place to fix their car.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m so pissed. I can’t do anything about it other than keep telling him no. I can’t quit. I need this job.” Hot dusty air blows out the vents. “I’m sweating to death in this car.” I attempt to lift my leg off the vinyl seats but it feels like it’s glued on so I give up.
“I could try to see if Aunt Lu could give you some hours at the coffee shop but—”
“No. Forget it. I don’t want her losing business because of me.”
“This isn’t your fault, Sage. You weren’t the one stealing from them.”
“No, but my dad did enough damage for their hatred to spread to me. And my mom.”
