Right Down Cherry Lane//Warrant •Jani Lane•

Maybe I Do

It was the same day where Erik came to my work and hung out with Carrie and I.

Erik had just given me advice on Jani.

He spoke of the devil because Jani had just walked through the door shortly after that.

Maybe Erik was right.

Jani smiled when he saw me turn around and met my eyes. I watched as his eyes went to Erik, the smile vanishing. Did he seriously think Erik and I were a thing?

Look, Erik is cool, he was nice, he's attractive, but in all honesty I did not want to be with Erik. I haven't known him that long, but he was a good friend.

I didn't want to ruin our friendship by starting something a friendship isn't.

Jani on the other hand? Shit was totally weird as fuck.

I hate him, but sometimes he wasn't all that bad company. He is really cocky though.

I turned back around and faced Erik, breaking my eye contact with the all too familiar Mr. Cherry Pie. I sighed.

"You okay?" Erik questioned, seeming to have no worry or care in the world that Jani was looking over at us. "I don't know how to talk to him without it turning into something it's not. It happens every time he and I talk." I told Erik truthfully.

He shrugged. "Just talk. Eventually it'll become natural."

I nodded lightly and looked over to
Carrie. She was still in her own world carrying away with drawing.

I then sucked in a deep breath and got up, skating over to Jani.

"What's he doing here?" He questioned as soon as I reached him. "Erik just wanted to hangout." I told Jani honestly. Like I explained earlier, Erik and I were always just going to be friends.

Jani nodded as he still looked at the table Erik was at, finally looking at me. "So want brings you by?" I questioned Jani with a small smile, doing my best in taking Erik's advice.

He gave a smile in return. "Wanted to see you." He said. I nodded. This was honestly going much better than our usual conversations.

"My breaks about to end soon." I told him honestly. "But you can sit with Carrie and Erik and I'll come to the table whenever I can." I explained to him, making an effort to at least attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt.

He nodded and walked over to the table, He and Erik conversed and did a weird handshake thing. I smiled and went behind the counter.

I went to peoples tables, topping off their coffee, giving them their food, bills, whatever it may be. Things were going smoothly until someone stuck their foot out and deliberately tripped me.

It was worse though because I was wearing fucking roller skates.

It was some ass hat teenager that did it too. "Holy shit, Lori are you okay?" Jani said as he rushed over to me in my fallen state.

"Fucking aye." I said pissed off, as I wiped the food that had gotten on me when I fell. My fucking wrists hurt. They weren't broken but most definitely were gunna be sore for a few days.

Jani leaned down and held out his two hands for me to take. I looked at his eyes and grabbed onto his hands gratefully. He pulled me up, I almost falling again thanks to the stupid fucking roller skates, but he was fast to think and put his arm around my waist so I wouldn't fall.

We were closer than we ever had been. "Thank you." I told him genuinely. He smiled and let go, fingers lingering on my arm. I gave him a small smile then left to go to bathroom to see if I could get this shit off of me.

***

/no one's pov/

Jani helped Lori up, he hated that this kid made her fall.

So, when he watched Lori go to the bathroom, he turned around and looked at the kid. Jani was pissed. "What's your problem, man?" The teenager asked him. Jani got in the guys face.

"What is wrong with you? Why would you fucking trip someone; a women whose just doing her job?" Jani asked him.

The teenager laughed. "Cause it was funny. She probably doesn't have anything else going for her besides this shitty job and her body." The teen said.

He realized that he basically did the same shit to Lori with the cherry pie joke when they first met.

That's when Jani lost it.

He was beyond pissed. Even though he hadn't known Lori for long, he could tell that she was undeniably smart. Jani came to the conclusion on that's why she kept rejecting him.

"Listen here you piece of shit. You will not trip, degrade, or disrespect her ever again. And if you do, I will personally kick your ass out." Jani told him.

The shit head teenager looked at Jani with wide eyes and fear and nodded profusely. Jani then let go of him.

Perfect timing too because Lori had just walked out of the bathroom.

/End of pov/

I skated out of the bathroom and saw a very agitated Jani look in my direction. I furrowed my eyebrows. Had something happened after I left? Was he mad at me?

I skated over to him. "Hey, are you okay?" I questioned him. "I will be." Is all he said. "Where's the ass hat who made me fall?" I said, as I looked to a booth of barely touched food and an empty seat.

"He left." Jani replied. "Oh." I said with a small smile, happy that the dick left. I looked over at the booth that Erik and Carrie were smiling at my niece. I then briefly looked at Jani again and started to skate back over to the table. I didn't get very far.

Jani grabbed my hand at the last second and turned me so I was facing him. It seemed like a moment out of  a movie to be honest. "What?" I questioned, fucking surprised by that move he just pulled.

He started to speak, his hand still holding mine. "I'm sorry, Lori." Is all he said. It surprised me. I stared into his eyes and couldn't help but believe that it was true.

"I shouldn't have done that shit to you when I met you. It was fucking idiotic and I'm sorry." He continued. My face softened. "That ass said something and it made me realize that how he treated you is exactly how I pretty much treated you, and for that I'm sorry." He explained more, apologizing again.

I continued to look a him as I smiled a gentle smile at him. A genuine smile too. "I except your apology." I told him honestly. How could I not?

He then smiled too. I then couldn't help but think.

Maybe I do want him