Thursday Nights (The Charistown Series) (18 page)

“May I join you, Ms. Silver?” a baritone voice crooned behind her. Janie jumped in surprise–– she hadn’t heard anyone come in.

“Mr. Michaels, of course, you may. How has the week been treating you? Any more interactions with junior high girls from Venus?” Janie asked playfully. He laughed deeply, making Janie’s smile grow wider.

“ They’re still relentless, but I have headed your advice.”

Janie listened and watched him carefully. There was something about him that intrigued her. So she spent the rest of the lunch break, and the prep period that followed lunch, in fun and friendly conversation with him.

“Okay, I will totally deny ever admitting this, but I loved that movie too.” His deep, rich laugh sent a warm feeling through Janie’s veins.

“I’ll take it to the grave, Michaels,” she said, smiling as she reached for her water bottle.

“So, Ms. Silver…” He looked deeply into her blue eyes.

“Yes, Mr. Michaels?” Janie answered breathlessly.

“I was wondering if you would have any interest in going out with me tonight?”

Janie’s smile faded. “I…I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Before she could finish her statement, he put his hands up, embarrassment covering his face. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if you were with someone. You’re beautiful, intelligent, and funny—of course you’re involved. Please forgive me.”

Janie could see the disappointment flash over his sexy features, and then instantly, it was gone and replaced with a mask of indifference. He moved to grab his trash when Janie placed her hand on his and leaned over to force eye contact.

“Michaels,” she said softly. “I’m not with anyone…I thought maybe something was happening with someone, but it turns out I was the only one fall—”

He interrupted her thought with his own. “What an idiot.”

Janie looked back at him and continued. “What I’m telling you is, yes, I would love to go out with you…I just can’t tonight.” She could see his face relax and his shoulders loosen.

“How about Saturday night?” he asked.

With a shy grin spreading over her lips, she replied, “I would love that.”

He took her hand and studied her face. “Can I ask for one more thing?” With a smile Janie nodded. “Can we use each other’s first names now? It feels dirty every time you call me Mr. Michaels.”

The laughter poured out of her like water from a pitcher. “Yes,
Owen.
You can call me Janie.”

“Until Saturday, then, Janie.” Owen squeezed her hand and left the teacher’s lounge.

Janie sat there with a bloom of warmth growing in her belly. Had that really just happened?
Holy shit!
Fuck the Ho-House, Lyla was getting a text…and so was Ashley!

God, I hope she comes here tonight
, Max thought to himself. Janie had been on his mind nonstop since their run-in at Chopper’s two days ago, and he needed to apologize to her. She needed to know that he didn’t mean any of what he said. He had tried to call her, but his calls went straight to voice mail, and his text went unanswered. He couldn’t blame her for avoiding him. Hell, he could barely look at himself in the mirror.

“Max,” Danny growled after calling him into the office and closing the door behind him. “Sit down, son.”

That was never a good sign. But Max had no idea what was coming. He was scrolling through his mind like a Rolodex trying to pinpoint what he could have done at work to upset Danny. He kept coming up blank.

“Um, I would rather stand, Danny,” Max said sounding like a nervous teenager.

“Sit your ass down, boy,” Danny ordered, and Max sat. “Look, Max, we’ve known each other a long time. I like you as a person, I trust you with my business, and I love you like a son. Right?” Max nodded, and Danny patted Max on the leg. “Good, good...then take this with the love I mean when I say you are acting like a selfish ass.”

Max flinched from the verbal slap.

“Since the day we met, you have been an amazing, generous man. You loved that wife of yours until it almost destroyed you. You gave to her even when you had nothing left to give. After she died, even after what she did to you, you still loved her. But you never talked about her. You just kept it inside and let it eat away at you. You worked for me and with Gage until you were physically exhausted and your hands were bleeding. We had to forcefully remove you from work. Do you remember that?”

Max tried to block those first couple of years from his memory, but he couldn’t forget how he’d been carried out of The Gage Garage when a car nearly fell on him due to his negligence when jacking it up.

“Yeah, Danny, I remember,” Max said.

Danny’s eyes, full of compassion, stayed trained on Max. “You have made it clear to yourself and to all of us that you don’t want a relationship—”

Max interrupted, his tone defensive. “I
can’t
have a relationship, Danny. It’s not about want! I cannot do it…” Max’s voice trailed off as he finished his thought. “I just don’t have anything left to give.”

Danny slowly shook his head. “Whatever you say, Max. But here’s the deal…our Janie”—Max’s eyes widened at the term of endearment—“Yes, Max, our Janie is a good…no, a great person. She has dealt with too many selfish assholes to count. Don’t think I can’t see the way she looks at you, and frankly it insults my intelligence that you don’t think I can see how you feel about her.” Max inhaled. “Don’t even think about interrupting me, boy,” Danny growled. “Talk to her. Tell her about your past. Tell her about Chloe. For Christ’s sake, she doesn’t even know that you were married. Pretending that part of your life never happened doesn’t mean it didn’t. But if you want to continue to live your life with your head buried in the sand…well, while it pains me to watch, I can’t stop you from doing it. But don’t take her down with you. She doesn’t deserve that. She deserves a man who will love her entirely. A man who will put her needs first. Someone that will wake up each morning knowing he is one lucky bastard because she is tucked in at his side and that same someone will show her how important she is to him each night as he lies down next to her in bed. Every hour in between waking up and going to sleep she should know that she is loved. There should never ever be a question or doubt in her mind that she is worth loving. You, Max, of all people should know how important that is.”

Max sat quietly reflecting on his mentor’s words.

“I know, as much as you refuse to see it, that you love her. You hurt her, and you want to apologize, and you should. But if you are going to make it clear that you guys are
just
friends, then
be
her friend and
only
her friend. She will move on, and you can go back to…whatever it is that you’re doing.”

Max nodded gravely as Danny stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and walked out of the office.

“Okay, okay, you got me here…kicking and screaming and against my better creative judgment, I might add, but I did leave during the High Holy Days...so this better be good.” Lyla winked and smiled.

Janie was relieved that she was able to convince Lyla to leave the hotel room. After being holed up in the small space for five days she was beginning to look peaked.

“And after the stunt you pulled on me the other night with Ryan? I should be pissed! He has me washing his laundry all week. What do I look like? His fucking girlfriend?” Ashley huffed.

Simultaneously, Lyla and Janie shouted, “Yes!”

With an exasperated sigh and a roll of her eyes, Ashley flashed them both the finger.

It was Thursday night. A week had past since Max had whispered, “sex with friends” in Janie’s ear. A shiver ran through her body as she tried to push the memory out of her mind.
God, had it only been a week?

Looking over at the bar Max and Kyle were pouring drinks, popping bottle tops, and entertaining the customers. Their smiles were warm, and their laughter was contagious. She hadn’t wanted to come to the bar tonight, but Danny made had it clear to both her and Lyla that he would take it personally if they didn’t show up for their Thursday night routine.

“I refuse to let those dipshits ruin a good thing,” Danny said with authority. “You come here, and I’ll make sure that neither of you need to go to the bar to get your drinks. Deal?”

Reluctantly, the girls agreed.

So, there they sat, Janie and Lyla with their cocktails, and Ashley with her bourbon on the rocks on her night off.

Danny’s was packed with its usual crowd of patrons, ranging from business to biker and everyone in between. It was standing-room-only at the mahogany bar where the bar bunnies licked their lips, fluffed their hair, and lifted their tits just to get the attention of the “Sextenders” of the night, Max and Kyle.

“So, spill,” Lyla said.

“Geez, Ly, you’re giving us a complex. Is it that awful to be around us?” Janie was only partially joking as she waiting for Lyla’s answer.

Taking Janie’s hand in hers, she looked from Janie to Ashley. “I’m sorry, girls, it’s just…I still wanna punch Kyle in the face. I’m moving in two days, and I haven’t finished my…uh…column.”

Janie stilled, catching Lyla’s almost slip. If Ashley caught onto it she let it go without question, latching onto the other new bit of information Lyla shared.

“Lyla! What do you mean you’re moving in two days? I love your home! Why are you moving? And, oh my God, why haven’t you told anyone? Janie…what the hell is wrong with you?”

Feeling the subtle squeeze Lyla gave her hand, Janie knew Lyla would handle all questions related to this topic.

“First of all, Ash, don’t get all pissy with Janie. My moving is
my
business. You should be happy to know that our girl here is a vault—the things you share with her go nowhere else. Next, I’m moving because my
house
”—Lyla emphasized the word
house
and not
home
—“stopped working for me recently. So I decided it was time to move on.” Raising her glass, she added, “I am moving a block closer to here, not farther…so cheers.” The women clinked their glasses and took a uniform sip. “And finally, do you really need to ask why I haven’t shared this information? Honestly, Ash, have you just met me?”

The three girls laughed out loud, and Ashley waived her arm, signaling to the new waitress to bring them another round.

“So, who’s the new chickie?” Janie nodded her head in the direction of the waitress.

Ashley smiled wickedly. “That’s Britney. Poor girl started working the day shift last week. I think her only reason for being here is to look at Kyle.”

Lyla rolled her eyes, “I can’t say I blame her, but does she have any idea what she’s getting into?”

Ashley giggled. “I tried to warn her but…” Ashley paused, and in a fake, high-pitched nasally voice said, “I know what I’m doing. He really
is
misunderstood. He
just
needs a nice girl to turn him around.”

They all burst out laughing, a couple of snorts escaping. Pulling on serious faces as Britney came over with their drinks, the girls sat quietly, holding their breath. But as soon as the waitress turned her back to the table, all three found themselves hysterical once again.

“What are you three up to?” Julie asked in her practiced motherly tone.

“You know, that voice doesn’t sound scary when you’re smiling,” Lyla said innocently.

Once filled in on the cause of the laughter, Julie tried to scold their behavior but only ended up laughing as well. Ashley took Julie’s distraction as an opportunity to disappear for a moment, but her whereabouts were quickly uncovered when she came back to the table with a round of shots for the four ladies.

“To
stoopid
girls!” Ashley raised her glass.

“To
stoopid
girls,” they all repeated before they knocked back their shots.