Back in her bedroom, Jessie changed into her usual comfortable clothes and grabbed her books. It was time to crack down and get some much-needed studying done. She had been sidetracked by John Harwood long enough, and she was done letting him be a distraction. Hell, she probably wouldn't even see him ever again, she thought. It was obvious now that Kimberly would be joining him in Italy, and she tried to shake the thought of them together from her mind. Everything she suspected about people like him were probably true, and she felt foolish for ever believing a word he'd said. She'd allowed herself to get swept away by his good looks and charm, with his vast wealth being merely an added bonus. He was more than likely in Italy right now having a laugh at her expense, that soulless bastard. Yes, she had been nothing more than a quick lay, and just another notch on his fancy hotel bedpost. Perhaps he had been craving some dark meat and, after getting what he wanted, had hurried back to his alabaster wife.
She stopped herself at that last thought, realizing how callous and unlike her it was. She also noted what a lousy job she was doing pushing John from her mind, and what little studying she was getting done. Apparently the handsome billionaire who had wined and dined her wouldn't be so easy to forget after all.
Chapter Three
The looks of pity that Melanie gave Jessie when she showed up for work the next day were almost unbearable. Melanie had clearly seen her with John Harwood and, even with her limited brainpower, was able to piece together that something was up between them. The rumor mill had been running full-steam and it didn't take long for Melanie to learn that the two had gone on a date only for John to rush off with his wife the very next day.
“I'm sorry, Jessie,” she empathized in the back room as they put on their aprons and prepared to begin yet another grueling shift. “Seriously, I am. People like the Harwoods, though... What do you expect? Rich assholes don't live in the real world like we do.”
“Eh, don't worry about it. I wasn't expecting a fairytale ending. That's not my dream. Maybe I used him a bit, too,” Jessie replied, attempting to put a somewhat positive spin on things.
“Maybe,” Melanie said, solemnly, as she left the room.
Jessie wiped a tear from her eye and was glad Melanie had left before noticing it. She'd have to put on a good show of being strong, that much was certain. The truth was, she had fallen deeply in love with John the very moment she had laid eyes on him. It had nothing to do with his money but more so his demeanor, and his incredible looks also did her in.
A week went by, and Jessie still hadn't received a call from John. When two weeks went by, she was tempted to call his office again to see if he had returned from Italy. By the time three weeks had rolled around, she had given up all hope of ever hearing from the man again and admitted defeat. She hated knowing that she had allowed herself to be manipulated by a man she was foolish enough to sleep with on their first night out. She was usually smarter than that, and to make matters worse she hadn't even used any protection when they were together. She couldn't believe she had made such a stupid move and chastised herself for it every single day.
Six long weeks later, Jessie was still feeling used, bitter, and lonely. She wished she could stop herself from remembering his combination of strength and tenderness as he made love to her. Far too often her mind would drift back to that night, and although she knew the memory would fade in time, for now it was as vivid as if it had happened the previous night. She so clearly remembered his eyes, his smile, his laugh, and even his smell. She may have been partially intoxicated at the time, yet she could still recall every detail of their one night together.
“You stupid girl!” An angry female voice snapped Jessie out of her daydream and brought her hurdling back to the reality of Burt's Diner.
Because she didn't have her mind on the job, Jessie had walked straight into the back of a customer who had stopped at the register to pay her bill. The hot bowl of soup Jessie was carrying now dripped down the woman’s cream-colored blouse.
“I'm so, so sorry,” Jessie said, fighting back tears.
“Why don't you watch where you're going?” The woman sneered.
“You just stopped suddenly...” Jessie started, but before she could finish the sentence she sensed Burt behind her and began to mop up the mess she had made by grabbing a handful of napkins and dabbing them on the woman's blouse. The woman became increasingly agitated, waving her hands and shooing Jessie away with a look of disgust on her face. Melanie had heard the commotion and darted over to begin cleaning the floor with a roll of paper towels, a kind gesture that definitely surprised Jessie.
Despite her efforts to defuse the situation, Burt crooked his finger, signaling for Jessie to follow him out back.
“Burt, it wasn't my fault,” she began to apologize while Burt still had his back to her. He swung around and studied her face for a brief moment.
“Your mind isn't on the job, Jessie. I'm going to have to take this out of your wages.” Jessie hung her head in shame. “If you do something like this again, you know what will happen, right? I gave you a second chance against my better judgment.”
“Burt, it won't happen again… I…” Jessie slapped her hand to her mouth, suddenly feeling nauseous.
“What's wrong with you, girl?” Burt took a step back, his eyes wide with concern. “You don't look right.”
“I don't feel...” Stopping the sentence short, she again covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom just in time to throw up into the toilet. She barely made it; the entire contents of her stomach coming out in violent bursts that left her dizzy and weak.
With her eyes runny and red, Jessie clumsily made her way to the sink and let the cold water run fast, catching handfuls of it and soaking her face. She hoped each splash would miraculously help her feel better, but it was of no use. The water didn't help one bit.
“How you doing?” Melanie asked with the door ajar and her head peeking into the bathroom.
“I'm fine, thanks,” Jessie answered without looking up.
“When did you last see that John Harwood guy?” Melanie asked her.
“Why do you want to know?” Jessie replied while wiping her nose with the back of her hand.
“Does he know you're pregnant?” Melanie questioned in a hushed tone.
“What? What are you talking about? I'm not pregnant,” Jessie assured her while trying to fight off a second wave of sickness.
“How long have I known you, girl? Long enough to know I've never seen you sick a day in your damn life. You don't even get the common cold. You're as hard as nails, child. Don't you tell me all that rushin' in here ain't because you're knocked-up.”
Jessie lowered her head and processed Melanie's words. It was true that she rarely got sick, and like an idiot she hadn't used any birth control when John had pumped her full of his seed.
“Shit. I think you're right. I'm late. Shit, I'm so fucking late. I don't believe this,” Jessie said while gripping the sides of the sink and staring at her reflection in the bathroom's beat up mirror. “I let my guard down for one minute with some lying, cheating guy, and this is what happens. I figured I was just late because school and this dump have been stressing me out.”
“You better get back to work.” Melanie whispered. “Burt sent me after you
. He's running out of patience.” Melanie stood holding the door open. “Looks like you got a decision to make.”
Jessie followed Melanie out, adjusting her apron and slapping on a fake smile.
“All right. I'm coming, I'm coming.”
“I don't mean that decision. I mean – you know.” Melanie pointed at Jessie's stomach. It had now been six weeks since she'd slept with John, which was far too early to be showing yet. Still, in six weeks she hadn't heard a word from the guy whose child she was likely carrying and that spelled trouble. She held out hope that she simply caught a mild stomach bug and wasn't really pregnant. She wouldn't know for sure until her shift ended and she could pick up a test at the pharmacy down the street. The next few hours were the longest of her life.
Chapter Four
Jessie grew increasingly surprised at the help and support Melanie continued to offer in her precarious situation. She felt it might be the girl's way of apologizing for all the grief she'd caused by her sending the bogus tweets and setting off the chain of events leading to her pregnancy. A pregnancy, Jessie recounted, that had been confirmed via four separate tests taken over the course of two long days. If Melanie had kept her scheming, immature ways to herself, Kimberly Harwood wouldn't have stormed into the diner that day, Jessie would have never been fired, and she certainly would have never crossed paths with the man whose baby she was now carrying. Melanie was undoubtedly the catalyst that set everything into motion, yet given how kind she was being, Jessie found it hard to hold it against her. Even if her understanding and compassion were out of guilt, she was still the only person Jessie had to lean on.
“How are you feeling today, girl?” Melanie asked.
“All right, I guess.”
Their late shift at the diner had just ended, and they had both left at the same time leaving Burt balancing the till.