If That's All There Is

2. That bad, eh?

Jamie, how could she forget that he prefered to be called Jay. He wondered if she'd remember every little dislike and quirk of his. How could he forget hers?

He couldn't believe it when Audra Wilkes stepped into the pub last night. She still looked beautiful even under the dim light, the only change to her appearance being short blonde hair. He'd observed her throughout the night. Her elbows leaned on the bar as she knocked back numerous glasses of whiskey before he summoned the courage to approach her.

The words were tumbling out before he could stop and think like he'd planned this exchange for a lifetime.

Sure he'd changed in the past ten years, but he couldn't understand how she didn't recognise him. The night had gone so well, his mind going back to her settled in his bed and face nuzzling into the crook of his neck as she fell asleep. How her painted nails traced his chest and fingers curled around his bicep whilst they chased that high before collapsing into each other's arms.

Even the morning run and cold shower couldn't shake his mood. The abrupt rejection hurt more than the hangover. How did this morning go so wrong?

The dainty silver bracelet still clasped around his bed frame made him groan. Audra had put it there to stop it from catching in his hair. He closed his eyes, the thought of her fingers combing through his hair and pulling on the knots sending him into a haze.

Now it was the only reason for him to see her again.

Why was she so against him? All he could think of was, what happened to Audra Wilkes? His shoulders slumped as he undid the bracelet and slipped it into his pocket. Should he call? Tell her to pick up her bracelet or hope that she'd reach out first and ask. Did she still have the same number she did ten years ago as a teen?

He wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. He chucked a hoody over his clothes and grabbed his keys from the hook by the front door.

A fine mist of rain met him as he stepped outside and ran to his truck. He flung himself into the worn seat. He pushed the cassette into the radio and turned up the volume, trying to drown out his thoughts.

The grey, dull sky dampened his mood, the windscreen wiper screeching against the rain, much like the voices in his head. As if, on autopilot, he found himself parked outside his two best friends' apartment. The coffee shop below dimly lit, a closed sign dangling on the door, but he ignored it and entered the place.

"We're closed! Did you not read the sign?" A slender brunette woman appeared from the counter and tossed the cleaning rag over her shoulder. The frown eased from her forehead at the sight of Jay, a smile stretching her thin lips. "Hey, lover boy."

Jay stumbled back, knocking into the small dining table and sending the chair on top crashing to the floor. A whispered sorry fell from his lips, his eyes avoiding hers as he picked the chair up and set it on the table again.

"What's wrong?" She asked, making her way over to jay leaning over the counter with his head in his hands. Her Name tag glistened in the light, Jen in brown capital letters against a beige background.

He'd known Jen for as long as he'd known his best friend, Bobby. They met seven years ago at a volunteer program, Jen came as a package deal they'd been together since school. Two years older than Jay, Bobby took him under his wing and helped him through a rough patch.

A beer slammed down on the side of Jay, bottle cap clunking to the ground. His fingers curled around the cool glass, hair shielding his face as he took a sip.

"Didn't think you'd be showing your face so early after last night." A heavy hand came down on Jay's shoulder, shaking him in its grasp.

The hand ripped away from him. "Read the room, Weston." Jen's voice whispering something Jay can't quite hear. He can tell by her crossed arms and bopping head that she's giving his other friend hell.