Page 5 of The Runaway
Humming softly, I took the offering; the only time I smoked was when Lyov pissed me off something bad. Frowning darkly, I stared at a crack in the pavement as I thought on Jacob’s questions.
“I don’t have a plan. I said why— I can’t be in Russia anymore. Too many bad memories.” My frown deepened, and I stuck my cigarette between my lips in a futile attempt to hide howbadthose memories were. “I did the wrong guy and…”
“Ah. Pathetic, powerless guys are a good reason to run away.” Pausing, I glanced over as Jacob held out a lighter for me, his smile still soft and warm despite the coldness of the topic. “Everyone has that abusive ex. It’s so common that it’s sad.”
“I have many things to say about him, butpatheticisn’t one of them. Powerless— yes. Disgusting— yes. Pathetic… no.” Sparking my cigarette, I took a deep, toxic breath as Jacob grunted in acknowledgment. “Pathetic means pity person, right?”
“Yeah. You’ve got a point, Joci. Pathetic is like another way of saying… despicable. Dog shit under your shoe. A horrible person with no good qualities. It doesn’t really mean ‘pity person’ here.” Exhaling the smoke in my lungs, I rolled around that notion quietly. “I’m glad you got out of that situation.”
“I didn’t. His big brother showed up.” Again, I shook my head, but I couldn’t wipe the sourness from my face. “America is my chance. I took it. I have no plan, but that’s okay. I don’t need a plan.”
“Did your friend that came with you come to stay, too?”
“No. She goes back before Christmas. It’s weird— our friendship. I wouldn’t miss her, but… what we could’ve had.” I wasn’t sure why, but that was what I felt, and it burrowed deep in my chest. Ophelia and Icould’vebeen friends, but life didn’t work out that way.And I’d prefer it not.“You have sisters and brothers?”
“Yeah, but I have a really annoying cousin that’s overstaying his welcome at my place.” Interest picked up my gaze, and Jacob flashed me a grimace of his own as his cigarette cherry lit up his eyes. “I’ve wanted to kick him out, but he’s not really doing anything wrong. I just don’t want him around.”
“You don’t want him around. That’s enough reason.” My eyes met his, and his expression muddled in a dense cloud as he exhaled into the frigid air. Jacob reached to scratch his thin stubble and down his neck, the silence growing thick as I sucked on the butt of my cigarette. Leaning against the wall with an arm above his head, he clamped his lips around his smoke to gingerly touch my shoulder.
Warmth blossomed under Jacob’s fingertips, dragging down my arm to ruffle my long-sleeved shirt. His eyes never wavered, and blood drummed in my ears when he shuffled a little closer.
“You know, Joci… can I give you my number?” My lips parted in surprise, my cigarette limping severely as Jacob tinged pink under the streetlamps. He licked his lips, almost sensually, and his touch left me to take the precarious item before it burned me. So gently, his fingertip brushed my lower lip, eyes glimmering intently. “If that’s okay. You probably can’t call me on your own phone, but you can use payphones in the subway or a hospital if you ever need it… or want to.”
“Okay— yeah, please.” Tearing my eyes off Jacob to fiddle with my phone, I opened the Notepad as butterflies invaded my abdomen. Thesmellof him, a mix of smoke and light cologne and faint beer, surged up my nostrils. I titled the note ‘American Boy’ before glancing over expectantly, and Jacob pulled back to rattle off numbers. He took a drag of his own cigarette, effortlessly handing me mine with a perpetual smile on his handsome face.
5
Jacob
Glancing at my watch, I pursed my lips thinly before taking a swig of my beer. I was supposed to meet Caleb here, but he was late— as always. Who in their right mind schedules a drinking session for 5pm on a Thursday unless his partner’s going to make some bullshit excuse to be late?Me. That’s right. My cousin’s a nuisance.
“So—” Drawing my attention, Joci turned her downright angelic face to me with eyes that sparkled with interest. Her thick accent curled deliciously between my ears, and I set my beer down to arch a brow curiously. “You live here. How is it?”
“I like it— New York City is expensive, but I have a good enough job not to worry too much. Most of the time, I walk to work unless it’s really bad out. We’re supposed to have a snowstorm later next week, but I work from home Fridays and am off Saturday and Sunday.” Speaking a bit slower, I watched Joci work through what I said before she nodded in understanding. Propping my elbow on the bar, the alcohol making my eyes swim in their sockets and relaxing me. This was my favorite bar, and I lived just around the corner— but there was no point in asking her to come home with me. Even my tipsy ass knew that. “That’s the thing, too— my cousin living with me. He pays me, which it helpful and all, but… he’s really not someone I want to spend too much time with.”
We’d been talking for an hour or so, now, and I realized three things. One— Joci couldn’t read English, but she did okay verbally. Two— it was far too easy to lose track of both time and how many beers I’d had tonight. Thirdly— she was probably the most classically gorgeous woman I’d ever personally laid eyes on.
Like— Jesus Christ. Joci is a scale breaker… and that’s my cue to stop drinking.
“I am excited to live here.” Her lean face lit up at the prospect, and her thick lips parted in a smile. Charcoal-rimmed, light brown eyes brightened, slender jaw ticking with enthusiasm. “I don’t know what will happen, but I’m excited.”
“Jacob—” Caleb shouldered his way through the crowd, waving his hand at me, and irritation flooded my veins as I checked my watch again. The hands read nearly 6:30pm; why couldn’t this be one of those times that my cousin ‘forgot’ about our plans? Posting himself next to me, he gestured the bartender as he shirked off his coat, an apologetic smile stretching his lips. “Sorry I’m late. I missed the train.”
“I found better company.” Caleb frowned in mock offense, barely glancing at Joci only to do a double take. She frowned, picking at a crumb on her otherwise empty plate, and I reached to clap my cousin on the shoulder before he made thingsreallyuncomfortable. “Are you gonna sit and order a beer, Caleb?”
“Yeah. Right.” Holding out his hand for a shake, Caleb put on a charming smile. “I’m Caleb, Jacob’s cousin. Nice to meet you…?”
“Joci.” Reluctance slowed her taking his palm, and Caleb shot me a very obvious look. Alarms rang in my ears as Joci’s expression drew long and closed— like she realized what he was going to do. Before I could stop him, my cousin spoke up again, slowly, drawling to the point of insulting.
“Cool. How— are— you— liking— New— York— City?” Caleb adjusted his pitch, spoke overly loud, and even the bartender paused with a horrified expression out of the corner of my eye. Joci’s eyes narrowed, lips thinning as she pulled back her hand. My idiot cousin simply stared, waiting for an answer— thinking what he’d done wasn’t wildly inappropriate.
“I am foreign, not stupid or deaf.” Clearly, Joci made it a point not to fuck up that sentence, but Caleb wouldn’t know how much effort it took. I pinched the bridge of my nose with a small sigh and shook my head. Embarrassment sloshed in my ribcage as Caleb chuckled uncomfortably, reaching to rub his neck when I glanced up under my palm. The awkwardness thickened the already alcohol-soaked atmosphere.
I knew Caleb would come across as an insensitive idiot, but I didn’t think it’d be this bad.
“Joci, I can walk you back to your friend, if you want.” The offer barely left my tongue before she nodded, and I pulled out my wallet. Caleb frowned under furrowed brows, turning to me as I pulled out a $50 bill and slapped it on the bar. “It’s about time I get home, anyway.”
“What— I just got here! It’s not even 7pm, yet!” Draining the last of my pint, I hopped off my stool under Caleb’s annoyed gaze. Putting on my jacket as Cade swiped my money and my glass, I ignored my cousin’s open mouth and wide, flashing eyes. “Jacob! Man!”