Dare Me More

THREE

Jacky and Cole had agreed to meet at the café within the hour.

"While I'm gone you guys can finish cleaning up the place," she said to her friends as she finished blow-drying her fresh hair like she would meet Cole without a good scrub to get rid of last night.

Christy groaned from the loungeroom, her head falling back on the floor. Other than the need to use the bathroom—and be Jacky's timer—she hadn't moved from the makeshift spot she slept on. "Can't we just lie here until you come back?"

"Dude." Jacky grabbed her old clothes from the bathroom tiles and threw them in the laundry's hamper. "There isn't that much to do. Just a couple of dishes left. The floor needs a sweep and return the blankets and pillows to Monique's room."

Jacky didn't wait for Christy's response before tackling her skin. She heard muttering and the vacuum turning on and assumed Christy was doing at least one of the two.

Jacky thought over what she would say to Cole. She could immediately apologize, tell him she didn't mean any of it because she was drunk, and drunk people... well, shit. They tended to say the truth, didn't they? No, that wouldn't do. She could tell him that the call was meant for someone else. But what if he asked who? Besides Mike and Kevin, she didn't associate herself socially with other guys. 

She did her hair and makeup basic; a simple bun, a single coat of mascara, and a thin layer of gloss. The few pimple scars scattered around her chin made her want to cover up, but she wasn't in the mood to play with the rest of her face. Besides, Cole had seen her bare-faced before.

Mike and Christy left when she did, promising to meet up again sometime soon. Jacky looked Christy dead in the eye and told her she'd probably see her soon regardless. Christy laughed and gave her a tight hug. Thankfully, Christy didn't smell worse than Mel, and Jacky managed to hold her breath.

Jacky made her way to the café where she worked, only a few blocks from her apartment. She crossed the street, the heat making her skin tingle. Short sleeves and shorts were a good option today. The breeze wasn't strong out on the streets, and she caught herself fanning her face when directly in the sun. 

As soon as she walked into the café, the fan hit her directly, and a calm, cooling sensation came over her. Coffee lit the smell of the café. She could taste the bitterness in the back of her throat. Maybe a glass of iced coffee would do the trick for her headache. A couple in matching yellow shirts faced the window, and Sammy, a waitress, and her colleague, in her uniform served large glass sizes of milkshakes. Sammy greeted her with a smile and continued on her way. Jacky will be seeing her on Wednesday for their general work catchup.

She found the back of Cole seated on one of the stools in front of a wide bench, hidden in the shade with a direct fan on top. She wanted to make fun of him badly. He always hated the summer, claimed it was unbearable to live through, and that living in England would be the best fit for him.

Seeing him put Jacky in a pleasant mood. She walked towards him, trying to act as sneaky as possible, and wrapped her hands over his eyes, his shaved face scratching the palms of her hands.

His back arched straight. 

"You know what you did," Jacky said in an old lady accent.

"Nanna, I promise, Zach took the last cookie!" His melodramatic, vibrant voice sent Jacky laughing. He spun in his chair, a radiating smile pulling at his cheeks, and reached out with one arm to hug her. It's not her fault she sunk into him the way she did like he was peace wrapped in a cacoon of safety. And it certainly wasn't her intention to breathe in the smell of him. But everything came as a habit with him. A habit in which she'll find out if she messed up.