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As he drove toward Peace, he thought that it would have been quicker and given him more time to think than taking the plane. It wasn't like there were a lot of planes going to Peace, so this seemed like a good idea at the time. However, after he ran into traffic and was delayed for a good three hours, he realized it wasn't such a good idea after all. It just gave him time to get nervous and his stomach to knot up into balls.
He was going back to see if he could salvage their relationship and if the love of his life would give him another chance. This time he would talk to her. This time he would listen and the both of them would compromise.
If all went well, he would be walking into the opening of After Hours. He was hoping to catch her while she was in a good mood and on the upswing. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was using the idea that other people would be around in order to get her to talk to him.
This drive had been peppered with images of Jessica saying no to him in new and inventive ways. The problem was he deserved every one of them. If she wanted to go to the meeting and become the next CFO, he'd support her. How could he do any less when he knew she would do the same thing for him.
Then, as if on cue, his phone lit up and the text message and missed calls kept ringing. He pulled over to the side of the road and put on his hazard lights. That was when he saw them.
Don’t leave. I love you.
Then there were the text messages.
I fell, Brian, and I twisted my ankle. Don’t give up on us. Make sure my bacon is crispy. Love you bunches.
No, no, no he thought. He couldn’t have messed up this badly. He turned off his hazard lights and two hours later he was pulling into After Hours. Instead of seeing Jessica, he saw a frazzled Beth. When she saw him she called out, “Squeaky, pitch in.”
Brian and Clay didn’t hesitate. He did whatever Beth told him to all the while looking for Jessica. Wherever Beth was, you could find Jessica. Maybe she was still upstairs and couldn’t help. Scenarios started running through his head and he couldn’t stop them. Brian had never been so scared of not finding her anywhere. He ran upstairs but the beds were made and no Jessica.
“Beth, where is she?”
Beth looked at him and shook her head. As she went out to give a table some unlimited chips, she talked to him over her shoulder.
“She went to the meeting with Ms. Prince.”
Brian stopped and looked as Beth served two more outdoor tables. He had been saying it could be possible but now that he was here, and she was gone, it was unthinkable. The pain was worse than any physical pain he had ever been through. He could only stand there and try to absorb the pain.
“I’m sorry, Brian. Since I’m telling it, let me tell it all. I told her to go.”
His head popped up and several other people at other tables looked up, as well.
“We opened at noon. No one was here until about an hour ago.”
One of the guys at the table spoke up. “We just got here because the name of the place is After Hours. We thought that was when it opened up.”
Beth looked at them and shook her head.
“Well, I didn’t know that and neither did Jessica. What I knew was Lars had stopped by and no one else. You weren’t here and my Jessica was hurting. She was doubting herself and that for me is a no go, squeaky. So, you may not have liked what I did but I don’t regret it.”
“I should have stayed. When she didn’t show for breakfast I thought —”
“She showed up!” Clara said. “She was on crutches, but we got there.”
“Crutches?”
Beth blew out a big sigh.
“I thought I saw a snake on the steps.”
Several of the patrons turned away to snicker but Beth heard it all.
“It could have been. Anyway, Jessica was on the steps, she turned at my scream and fell. She twisted her ankle and couldn’t make it.”
“Then no one knew your number,” Beth continued.
“No one knew my number?” Brian repeated incredulously.
“Well, if we had a phone but her phone cracked coming down the steps. No one could remember it from memory and when we found Lars, you were gone.”
