Mismatched

4. Jake

Jake rested back into his spot on the sofa, turning Ebony's bracelet in his fingers. He'd done a good job, at least he thought so. The string had been reinforced at several points and the beads and stones glistened from the extra polishing. The clasp was new—the old one had fallen apart during the repair and there had been no saving it. But he wouldn't dare admit that it had been kind of fun mending the thing, or that he'd smiled when he'd seen a tray of silver nuggets with a letter imprinted into each one.

As he placed his ankle lazily over one knee, he laughed. It had been a crazy spare of the moment idea to spell that word between the stones. Now, every time Ebony would look at the bracelet she'd be reminded of him. It would probably drive her crazy.

Hell. It would drive her crazy, he realised. What had he done? This was her mother's gift and he'd desecrated it during a silly whim. There was only one thing to do, return to the counter and pull the bracelet apart, remove the letter beads and reassemble it properly before Ebony returned.

Leaping out of the chair, he was halfway across the waiting room when Mrs Harrostone's voice sounded behind him, "Is that a fully-formed bracelet I see in your hand, Jake?

He turned casually and held out his palm, the bracelet sitting there like a humourless joke. "Ah, it is. But I think I found a mistake. Could you spare me a minute to fix it?"

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that," Mrs Harrostone said. "From what I can see, it looks as good as anything I can produce."

The fortune teller walked closer, and Jake dropped it into her palm. It was one of the moments in life when it would have been easier to look away, or walk away, but he was compelled to keep watching the debacle as it unfolded before his eyes. His chest tightened as he noticed Ebony shifting nervously behind Mrs Harrostone. It was if the girl was waiting to hear the status of a loved one after an operation.

Mrs Harrostone shifted the bracelet under the glow of the fish tank and inspected his work, 'umming' and 'ahhing' every now and then. Ebony stood, biting her lip. The first time he'd seen her do that, she'd been blushing like crazy. The girl had blushed a lot since he'd met her. Like when he'd removed his shirt, and her lips had parted. He'd sworn that she'd wanted him to kiss her. If it hadn't been for that shock in her eyes, he probably would have. To have that effect on Ebony...it was the reason he'd spelled that word on her bracelet. Call it flirting with the girl who doesn't wanted to be flirted with. Ebony called to be flirted with, and knowing that she had 'no men' vow somehow made it easier in Jake's mind. The danger of falling for her was impossible.

From across the room, Ebony shot him a small smile. It was sweet, undeniably so. He smiled tightly, liking her smile far too much. Ebony needed to leave, now, or he was going to do something stupid again. Like give her his card with all his means of contact. He would be available any time of day.

Mrs Harrostone shifted away from the light of the tank and smiled at Jake. "You've got some flair for jewellery making, Jake. I see you got quite creative in places. Interesting choice of beads."

"You added things?" Ebony asked, horrified.

Jake ruffled his hair, wondering how to explain. "We never recovered enough beads. I had to...improvise."

"Oh. Sorry. That makes sense. I do really appreciate this. Honestly. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't fixed it. Probably gone insane with guilt."

"Now you have no reason to feel guilty." Guilt. It was the one word Jake didn't need to hear. He already had enough guilt for the both of them. Ebony had entrusted him with her one-of-kind bracelet, touched by her long-lost mother's hands, and he'd polished those off fingerprints, too. And what he'd spelled with those beads... He groaned inwardly.

"Nice job," Mrs Harrostone said, passing him the bracelet. Why she hadn't passed it to Ebony was a mystery. "I'll make us a pot of tea, Jake. You know where to find me."

He nodded, recalling her stuffy room with its crystal ball perched upon a table.

Mrs Harrostone turned to Ebony. "It was lovely to meet you. Feel free to stop by again. If not for a reading, to at least tell me if I steered you in the right direction. I do always value feedback."

"Yes, of course." As Ebony smiled, Jake thought she looked like a different girl from the one who'd first walked into the shop. Giving up his appointment time seemed worth it just so he could see her transformation. She still looked incredible in that skirt, but her hair now framed eyes that were brighter and less burdened. 

The fortune teller practically floated from the room, leaving him alone with temptation. Ebony turned her back to Jake as she slipped on her coat. He found himself staring at the way her black hair fell over the fabric in a glossy wave. Ready to leave, she walked towards him with confidence in her step. Her perfume wafted in the air; it was a sweet floral that he inhaled deeply. When she pointed to his hand, he pretended that he'd hadn't forgotten about her bracelet. She reached for the piece of jewellery, but Jake held it by both ends and laid the bracelet over her wrist. Carefully, he turned her hand and clipped the clasp. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks," she whispered, peering up through dark lashes. That look alone was going to be his undoing. Clearing his throat, he stepped back at the same moment Ebony did. She searched inside her purse and pulled out her keys. "Time to go. I don't want to keep you from your reading any longer."

I could skip the reading and take you out for a drink, he almost said.

"Thanks again for giving up your time. For fixing this..." She held up her bracelet and smiled. "For everything."

"Anytime." The girl was killing him with sweetness. Fortunately, she began walking towards the shop. She paused at the archway and gave a small wave before disappearing from view. Seconds passed. The door chimed, signalling that either someone had entered or Ebony had left.

"What am I doing?" Jake said to the empty room. He ran through the archway and ducked under chimes, pulling the door open. Stepping out onto the footpath, he spotted her walking towards the coffee shop next door. "Ebony!"

Ebony turned, blinking in surprise. She began walking up the hill, meeting Jake halfway. "Is everything alright? Is it Mrs Harrostone?"

"No." What did Mrs Harrostone have to do with anything?

"Did I forget something?"

"Yes."

She frowned. To know what Ebony was thinking now... Especially as he pulled out his wallet and slid his business card into her hand. She glanced down at it. "Why are you giving me this?"

Hell, her 'no men' vow. He was trampling all over it. But he didn't care. She would either call or not call. The sensible Jake prayed she would drop the card in the gutter. But for some reason he made up a plausible excuse. "In case you need a jewellery repair. I might have made a mistake or two." Or four, he thought.

"I'm sure it will be fine."

Before she could jam the card into his hand, he began walking backwards up the hill. "Then call me because I'd like to see you again, because I'd rather not leave it to a chance meeting on the street. That could take years, months. Maybe never. I'm not that patient."

Ebony eyed him dubiously, then slipped the card into her bag. "I'll call." She turned and rushed into the coffee shop like there was a bushfire hot on her heels.

Jake knew then that Ebony would never call.

***
💖
***

Will Ebony call or will it be left to chance?

I'd love to know what you think!