Page 6

Chapter 6

Mikey

When I got home from the arena around midnight, I threw on my swim trunks and headed for the rooftop pool. Yeah, it was cold as shit, but that was the point. In and out of the pool and hot tub should make it at least comfortable enough so I could sleep.

I didn’t expect anyone to be up there, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw a figure by the pool.

Jessalyn, sitting with her phone out, playing some podcast, and working on some knitting.

“Hey, Sweet Cheeks,” I said. She startled.

“Jesus, Jockey, you’re always sneaking up on me,” she scolded. Then with a death glare, she started gathering her things.

“Wait, wait, don’t leave on account of me,” I said. “I won’t bother you. You can keep listening to your thing. What is it?”

“A murder podcast,” she said spitefully. “I don’t want it to be a group listening party.”

“Suit yourself. But don’t leave. Can’t we chat?”

“I think the other night proved we can’t,” she huffed.

I didn’t believe her, so I pushed past her spite and anger. “What are you doing up here so late? It’s after midnight.”

She looked resigned. “I come up here when I can’t sleep. Which is a lot.”

“Ah. An insomniac,” I said.

“Going for a swim?” she asked. “You’ll freeze.”

“That’s kinda the point. My shoulder’s worse. I’m out for a few games.”

Jessie’s face went sympathetic. “I’m sorry. That must suck.”

Her softness surprised me. Normally she fought me constantly. “Thanks. It does suck. Who got murdered this time?”

She looked alarmed. “What?”

“On your show. What murder are they talking about?”

“It’s a series on the Golden State Killer,” she said.

“Didn’t he live here? Maybe that’s what’s keeping you up at night.”

She laughed and her smile lingered. It was striking. She had two big front teeth that gave her a bunny-like appearance and a tiny dimple on one cheek. I liked how she wasn’t perfectly symmetrical. There was nothing fake about her, unlike the women who I usually frequented. Don’t get me wrong, they were beautiful, too. But I liked how Jessie didn’t seem to feel the need to change herself just because she wasn’t a runway model.

I’d never seen Jessie smile before, not with teeth. Her little wispy brown bangs accentuated her hazel eyes. The overall appearance reminded me of a young Stevie Nicks, except with just-above-the-shoulders brown hair. She was stunning. “They actually soothe me, believe it or not.”

“Stop right there,” I said, sitting on the edge of her pool chair. “Stay like that.”

Her eyes got big and her smile faded. “What? Is there a bug on me?”

“No. You’ve never smiled at me. This is a big moment in our friendship. I want to look longer.”

Jessie clapped her hands over her mouth and squealed. My fingers circled her wrists, trying to pry them away.

“Who are you, Ben Mikey Jockey? What is your deal anyway?” she asked as she fought me off.

“I’m your new best friend,” I said with a grin.

“No, you’re fucking not!”

“Okay, maybe not best friend, but can we at least call a truce? I’ve been told I lack a filter, but I swear I mean no harm.”

“Get out of my bubble and I’ll think about it!” she barked.

“Fine,” I said, standing and peeling off my shirt. I flexed my pecs. “Truce now?”

“Are you always this...” She frowned at me, searching for the word.

“Beautiful? Muscular? Friendly? Gorgeous? Those are all good words, Jessalyn.”

She got back to her knitting and chuckled. “I was thinking more ‘full of shit.’ Are you always this full of shit?”

“Is that a good quality or a bad one?” I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

She just shook her head. “What are we gonna do with you, Jockey?”

“Call a truce, that’s what.”

“Fine. Truce.”

“Great. Now you get to watch me freeze my ass off.”

“I’ll keep knitting, thanks.”

It’s no lie. I dipped a toe in the frigid water. Not ice bath cold, but ball-shriveling cold. An involuntary yelp escaped me when my privates hit the water. Jessie stifled a laugh. To combat the cold, I submerged myself completely, the noise in my head silencing. I realized how much my shoulder pain was creating a background din of chaos. When I surfaced, I let out a loud, exhilarated yell, flipping my wet hair back.

“Come on in, Jessalyn! The water’s fine!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” she said on a laugh. “You live loud, don’t you?”

“You of all people should know I do.” I shuffled around the shallow end, the pain in my shoulder more isolated thanks to the cold. Silence fell between us. Jessie pressed play on her podcast and got back into her knitting. The hosts graphically detailed one of the almost-murders.

“Jesus, Jessalyn. This relaxes you?”

She smirked. “I’m not the only one. These are popular for a reason.”

“I don’t see why. It’s horrifying.”

“It’s kind of like, if I know the absolute worst thing that could happen to me, anything else doesn’t seem so bad,” she explained.

“That’s grim.”

“I think it’s strangely optimistic. Like well, at least I’m not being murdered.”

I walked to the edge of the pool, resting my elbows on the concrete. “Jessie, you deserve more than just not being murdered. Life’s more than avoiding the worst-case scenario.”

Her face went stony as she considered what I said. Her eyes looked sad. “Isn’t that what surviving is about, though?”

“I don’t want to just survive. I want to live. Big. Love hard. Laugh often. All that shit that’s on coffee mugs.”

Her eyebrows went up. “Benjamin Michael Jockey, I never pegged you for a softie. You’re a live laugh love girlie!”

I posed with a dainty simper. “More than a pretty face.”

“I’m serious. You’re cocky, but underneath it, you’re hiding this... I don’t know what to call it.”

“Humanity?”

She gave me a wry smile. “Yeah. Humanity.”

“Well, someone recently told me I might be emotionally unavailable. I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”

“Proud of you, Jockey.” She studied me with curious eyes. I soaked up the attention.

From a woman who was already taken. By some guy who didn’t know how good he had it. By a guy who was betraying her trust.

Jessalyn was sweet, insightful, pensive, and funny. Or that’s how she was when she wasn’t mad at me. Not to mention those young Stevie Nicks looks and those boobs I couldn’t stop thinking about in my face.

But I was a piece of shit who didn’t deserve her any more than her cheating boyfriend did.

“Hey, you were right about something,” she said with a mischievous look.

My heart took off. Was she flirting back with me? This was a dream.“What’s that?”

“I do actually know your friend from West Virginia.”

“HA! I knew it!”

“But in fairness, I don’t know her from home. We work on the same show here. We talked about you while I was getting her measurements for something.”

“You work on Kitty’s show? I watch that! You do the outfits?”

She laughed. “Yeah. I do the outfits.”

I bit my lip, feeling smug. “So what did you two ladies have to say about me?”

“Kitty actually said you’re a really good friend. Great guy to have on your side,” she said, acting skeptical.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Jessalyn. I’m excellent best friend material.”

Jessie tipped her head to the side. “She also issued her sympathy for me living next to you.”

I stuck out my bottom lip. “I’m not that bad.”

“I’ll record it for you sometime, Jockey. It’s bad.”

Talking to Jessie, I couldn’t fathom having any material for her to record. In fact, it had just been me and my hand since I met her. And kind of a lot of my hand.

It wasn’t my fault her bratty attitude and curvy body did shit to me. Still, I did feel a little guilty about it. Friends don’t fantasize about friends’ bodies, do they?

I was shivering, so I got out of the pool and headed for the hot tub. The scalding water was a welcome relief to my chilled skin and the cool night air.

“Psst,” I called once I got in.

“Hmm?” Jessie looked up with a questioning face.

“It feels really nice in here. You should get in.”

“I don’t have my swimsuit.”

“You don’t need one,” I said with a grin.

“Dream on, Jockey. Does that shit actually work on your conquests?”

“Honestly, I don’t even have to try this hard,” I admitted.

“Wow. Must be nice to be rich and swimming in puss.”

“It has perks, but there are downsides, too.”

We did our own thing in silence for a while, then my shoulder did a really weird thing. I’d dislocated it when I was a kid and it was never quite the same. My shoulder injury was right around that area. I was actually stuck. “Hey. Um. Jessie?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you come help me?”

“Is this a trick?”

“No, my shoulder’s stuck.” She looked up to find my elbow stuck up out of the water and my face contorted from the pain.

“Geez. Okay.” She rushed over and stepped her legs into the water. “What do you need me to do?”

“I think it just needs to be popped back into place. Push like, right there.”

Jessie’s fist laid into the spot I’d indicated on my upper back and I yelped.

“Too much?”

“No, keep going.”

With a shift, my shoulder was back where it should be. I breathed out hard. She didn’t step away right away, rubbing the muscles. Her hands felt so nice.

“Better?” she asked, sitting on the lip of the tub behind me and putting her legs on either side of me.

“Yeah. That feels really good, right there.” I leaned into her hands, head dropping back onto her bare thigh as relief flooded my muscles. Her and tiny shorts. She must have stock in them. “Fuck, these hands are magic.”

“If anyone hears you say that they’re going to think I’m giving out handies in the hot tub,” she quipped. I gazed up at her, grinning as she continued rubbing my back. It was the closest we’d ever been since her tits were in my face that first night. Why was that suddenly seeming like the best birthday present I ever got?

“I’m serious. I think the physical therapy staff is hiring if you need a job.”

“Ha. Would probably pay more than costume design.”

“I thought people got rich in Ol’ Hollywood,” I said.

“I’m still junior. I’m an apprentice for now, so I don’t make much.”

“Doesn’t your boyfriend cover your costs?”

Her hands slowed and she stepped away, moving to the edge of the hot tub by the stairs. “We never merged accounts or anything. I pay him rent.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I was outraged. Not only was this guy cheating on her and not meeting her physical needs, but he couldn’t even pay for her while she was working on her career? “Isn’t he a finance bro?”

“I mean, yeah.”

“And he can’t support you while you work toward your dream.”

“He helps. He covers groceries a lot. And we take turns going to the store.”

“Wow. What a guy.” I shook my head. “Our rent ain’t cheap, Jessie.”

“I’m aware,” she said, her cheeks burning.

Fuck. No filter got me in trouble again. “Hey. I’m not trying to make you feel bad. But I’d never treat a woman like that.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s more equal. We both have to contribute. I don’t expect him to be my knight in shining armor when I’m a capable adult.”

“It shouldn’t matter, Jessalyn. He should support your dreams. I’m sure you’ve supported his.”

She went quiet again. “I should get back to knitting.”

“Give me your phone.”

She drew back. “What? Why?”

“I’m going to make you a playlist so you can actually sleep. And something soothing to listen to on your drive. You can’t keep listening to sad murder stuff and expect to sleep.”

“I’m glad you think you can fix years of insomnia with a playlist or two.”

“Have you tried it, though? Music is the best.”

To my shock, she pulled out her phone and handed it to me. “Knock yourself out.”

* * *

Jessie was so still that I thought she was asleep. But when I got close, drying myself off as I went, I saw that her eyes were open. I handed her phone back.

“I think you’re going to like it. Do you work tomorrow?”

“No, I’m off weekends.”

“Do you ever fall asleep up here?” I asked.

“All the time.”

I leveled her with a look. “And you’re not worried about getting murdered that way? Literally a sitting duck on the roof?”

“Well, at least they’d know someone from the building did it.”

I sighed, grabbing extra towels from the rack by the pool and walking to Jessie’s chair.

“Lay back.”

She quirked an eyebrow at me but did as I asked. I covered her legs with one towel and her upper half with the other.

“Want me to tell you a bedtime story or would you rather me sing a song?”

“Seriously, Ben? What are you doing?”

“Becoming your best friend.”

“Jockey,” she warned. I settled into the pool chair next to her and covered myself in towels, too.

“What’s the most relaxing place you’ve ever been?”

“No. Back up. You were going to sing to me? What song?”

“Paradise.”

“Like Coldplay or like Guns N’ Roses?” she asked.

“Neither. John Prine. That Muhlenberg County song from Kentucky. My mom used to sing it when we couldn’t sleep.”

“That’s surprisingly sweet,” she said, looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

“I’m going to ignore the shrouded insult in there.”

“Sorry. I’m still adjusting to you not being a total jock meathead thug.”

“I know. That’s why I’m being so forgiving,” I said with a grin. “Now answer my question. What’s the most relaxing place you’ve ever been?”

Jessie took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. “I used to go to summer camp on a lake. Every night when the sun went down, my friends and I would sneak off for some quiet time, just watching the sunset over the lake. It was really nice.”

“Okay, great. I can work with that. Keep your eyes closed.”

That, of course, made her eyes pop open to give me a scathing look.

“Promise I’m just helping here.” She closed her eyes and I went on. “Once upon a time, there was a girl named Jessalyn. She loved going away for summer camp with her friends. She did camp stuff all day, like capture the flag, greased watermelon contests, and cafeteria food fights.”

Jessie giggled, but kept her eyes closed. She looked so pretty with her head cocked to the side, going with me as I painted her a mental picture.

“After one especially tiring day, she and her new best friend, Ben,” she giggled again, “snuck away from the campfire to watch the sun set over the lake. She was so exhausted from a long day of camp fun, but she was glad to be in the calming presence of her bestie, Ben. Ben and Jessalyn listened to the wind rustling through the trees lining the lake, the bugs chirping, and the birds singing their goodnight songs.”

I looked over to find Jess’s face relaxed. I softened my voice and kept going.

“She had on a cozy sweatshirt and felt the warmth of her friend Ben’s company. The smell of the campfire was in her hair, the taste of burnt marshmallows on her tongue. She closed her eyes against the pinks and oranges of the sunset, enjoying the final moments of a good day.”

I stopped talking and she didn’t move. Her breathing was long and steady. I checked my phone. Almost 2 a.m.

I knew she slept up there alone sometimes, but I couldn’t in good conscience leave her up there by herself. So, I settled in and went to sleep myself.

Some time later, I was awakened by wet drops hitting my face. A rare Los Angeles rain.

“Jessie,” I said, trying to wake her. Her face was spattered with rain drops, her eyelashes covered in them. I stroked her arm, but she didn’t budge. “Jessie Girl.”

I tried it all. She wasn’t waking up. I stretched my shoulder. It seemed better than before. Jessie’s magic fingers had done something to reset it. I could carry her without hurting myself, right? I lifted probably double her weight at work.

So, I slid my arms under her and carried her to the elevator.