A secondhand emotion

 "She's such a baby," L festered a look of discontent when she couldn't stop thinking about Macy. Usually, she was in her tank and sleep pants about now, but she still had on her trusty hoodie and work pants along with her clunky shoes.

"She's an infant." She bellowed to no one in particular, but Jax had his back to her as he finished up the dishes that hadn't been done in the last few days. He was slow at chores, but eventually he got them done.

After all, Jax was her man-child she found at the park. That's where he used to play chess with the old timers. It felt like ages ago instead of a few years. Yes, she'd been drawn to him like one would want an abandoned puppy. 

She imagined even then how he got by. Did he just sleep at the park? Of course, it took some kids to beat him up before she took charge of him. He was all of twenty-two then, but he came home with her and has been here ever since. She helped him sharpen his chess skills, and he'd blazed through the last few years winning prize money at chess showdowns. If it wasn't for him, she might still be in the studio in the basement. Now she lived in a spacious two-bedroom apartment. Still, Jax was always on monotone and said very little, but usually it was profound.

"It's love." 

Did she imagine him saying it?

"No, it's not!" She was getting testy. She looked for the box wine in the fridge just as her phone beeped telling her that her blood sugar was too high. Of course, she didn't believe the sensor, but she knew the red wine would bring it down. She poured some wine in her drink cup "Sipping through Winter" and added some Fresca. It was half and half.

"It's love."  

Again, Jax was annoying her, but he went to the fridge and got out the eggs. He would make the usual scrambled eggs dotted with a few red peppers and onions. 

L got into her favorite chair and propped her feet on the ottoman to relax, but not for too long. Macy might text her about something so she couldn't drink herself silly. Before she knew it, Jax had dinner waiting.

He reminded her when they sat down to eat that he was on a team now and they would be flying him to Shanghai for a tournament soon.

"Do you really have to go?" She didn't think they played chess in China.

"Stop." He interrupted her. "Go." He looked at her as if she had forgotten he played another game.

She sighed. 

"It's love." Jax looked at her blankly.

"Be quiet, will you?" She frowned back and ate a forkful of eggs with the brown rice.

Suddenly, her phone rang.  It rattled her. It was well into the evening. Of course, it was Macy. L hoped she hadn't gotten lost in the building.

"What?"

"Can you take me to the airport?" She asked as if she were already in a rush.

"Why?" She hoped she wasn't leaving already.

"My friend's on his way here," Macy told her.

"Well, can't- What?" L winced. Damn, L thought, that fellow who made Macy so happy would be here for Valentine's Day. L gritted. She was going to have to chaprone the whole weekend.

After she got off the phone, she pointed her fork at Jax. "You aren't going anywhere."

"I leave with the team on Monday." He might as well have rattled off her itinerary for the whole weekend. She was to have dinner with her co-worker Wade and his fiancée. "Steak night."

L felt as if he was pouring in sweat. There were too many people wanting her to do things, and all she wanted was to be there for Macy. It was getting impossible.

Where do they all belong?

 "I wouldn't want to come between you and your grandmother," L said. "You should drive."

L and Macy were walking to the car in the apartment car lot. It was right where she'd left it, but she could already tell that Macy was lost. Seriously, it frightened her to think just who could take advantage of this small-town girl. Of course, L already knew she would be driving again today.

"Just pay attention, OK?" L was always serious. Not that she thought everything was a teachable moment, but she would do her best to simplify it. "Get familiar with the streets."

"All right," She was wide-eyed at the moment.

"I know it's a big garage."

"We didn't have parking garages like this back in Denver," Macy shrugged.

"I'm sure you did, you just didn't have to use one," L was matter-of-fact as she went down the path to take them out of the dark into the bright sun. Macy winced as if she preferred the cave life. It didn't bother L; she was used to it. From the moment she got to work, she was on the move.

"I suppose you're right?" Macy smiled back like an optimistic first grader. L, on the other hand, kept her knuckles white on the wheel and drove through the heavy traffic, but it didn't keep her waiting long; she got into the groove and made her way toward work.

"So did something happen last night, other than that phone call from your grandmother?" L asked with a sour lip.

"Oh," Macy laughed softly. "I heard from an old coworker. Jake."

"Really?" L knew she didn't need to know. "At least, it wasn't your ex."

"Yeah, it was good catching up with Jake and the library."

Macy agreed as she studied streets and landmarks. She shook her head, no. "It really looks all the same to  me."

It wasn't long until L drove into another massive parking lot building. "Is he going to call again?"

Macy nodded as if she believed so. L kept an even smile.

"L, what's your real name?" Macy asked before they went their separate ways.

"Elenor," L said she'd always hated that name. Then she got back to the driving issue. "Maybe it's best if you learn the transit system."

The Never Ending Night Part 2

 

Macy was sure she could sleep, especially since she yawned constantly before bed. However, going to bed was a different story. Thinking about what her Gram had said about the car worried her. She couldn't get it out of her mind, even after a warm shower, a fifteen-minute face mask, and brushing her teeth. It all came back to haunt her that she was definitely not adulting.

Of course, she went back to the kitchen to see if there was a yogurt. If only she could calm down. Yogurt usually helped, but she seemed more awake now than earlier. Still, after brushing her teeth one more time, she finally bedded down, trying not to worry. She kept the lamp on for a while, but staring at the ceiling felt like a punishment, so she turned it off. About two minutes later, her phone lit up. She had it on DO NOT DISTURB, but someone was calling. Her luck, it was Dean. Sometimes, he'd call her out of the blue. 

Macy imagined him with some guys from work out at the bar, drinking. She knew he wouldn't be sober, but then she noticed it was Jake, someone she used to work with at the library. She smiled as if it were a late Christmas present or maybe early Valentine's. Deep down, she'd missed their conversations, which generally were during breaktime. Although they'd eaten lunch together a time or so. Those were moments she wished there had been more of. But they were just friends.

"Is it too late to call?" He said he almost hung up. 

"It's fine." It had been ages since they last spoke. He'd wanted to know if she'd made it home back then when she'd left Colorado.

"So everything is going OK?" His question was gentle. "I don't know your new address." As always, he was apologetic. 

"Yeah, it's cold."

"Same." There was a pause, and he then said. "Do you like it there?"

"I want to." 

Jake was the kind of guy she could tell everything to. He wanted to know about L. "That's so great you found someone in the building where you work. Amazing." Macy sensed the smile in his voice. She sighed happily listening to him talk about all the troubles at work and about how many librarians it took to find a book.

"I didn't get in trouble, but almost," he told her. "I had the key to the study rooms and the book sale room and didn't even know it. You think I'm going mental?"

She laughed softly. "No, I think you're overworked and underpaid." 

There was something soothing in his voice, and she asked him if he could call her this time tomorrow night. He said, "Of course."

Macy went to sleep that night without a worry in the world.