Girl Gets Her Man Ch. 03

Dan got back into the building and nearly ran over Jesse.

"Where is she?"

"I walked her to her car," he said as he continued toward the terminals. "Have a good morning."

"Hey," she called after him. "I talked to Candy. She says you need to lay off of my girl."

An indescribable pain resurfaced deep in his chest. He didn't want it to be there anymore. He turned and slowly said, "I told you that Candy and I don't talk. I don't want anything to do with her."

"That's funny, cause she wants to do with you."

"That's nice. I have work to do," he attempted to distance himself.

"Look, Danny, she says she's sorry. She says she still loves you. Give her a shot."

"You know, I haven't seen her in over two years, and I don't plan to see her anytime soon," he calmly said and turned back down the hall.

He wasn't sure how to react . She'd ripped out his heart. He couldn't help but think about how they'd pretty much spent their lives together. Candy was so good to him. Candace Marie Rosetta.

*

That morning he was nothing but an obstacle at the shop. Saturday was a rush at the shop with a lot of extra people in for the football game. He was a little distracted by what Jo had refused to say. He'd felt something was a little off with her that first night he walked her to her car. He'd brushed it off as her being nervous about him. Now, it wasn't just him. It was the fact that he was a man paying attention to her. He would have to keep this something in mind whenever he was with her. His dad kept telling him to go upstairs and work it out. He needed to clear his head and a little keyboard in his room wasn't going to cut it. He got a nap in the afternoon, and decided to work it out at the Bans. He told his father where he was off to and took the 20 ft walk. It was packed with unfamiliar faces. He got a cream soda and walked up to the baby grand piano on the edge of the stage. He played two Billy Joel's and an Elton John then took a break. He caught a seat by the bar and was about to order another soda when someone touched his back. There she was. Candace Rosetta stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and a smile on her olive face. She tilted her head slightly to let her long black curly hair fall in front of her face. His favorite hairdo.

"A friend told me you were back in town," she beamed at him.

"Candy, hello," he smiled back stiffly as he offered her his hand.

"Oh, come on, Danny." She pressed her full breasts against him. "We know each other too well to be like that. So, how have you been?"

Before he realized it, his hands were entwined in her hair. It took him a moment to stop from accepting her in his arms. It was as though the years of separation hadn't happened. He forced his arms to let go. "I've been fine, Candace." He pointed his glass out to a bartender. Right now, she was clouding the reasons that he chose not to take her back.

"Yeah, I heard. So, where's this girl you're fucking?"

Okay, there was one reason. He cringed, "It's none of your business."

"She's that good, huh? I've heard a few things about her. She black? Honestly hon, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You did not have to go there. Anything they'll do, I'll do better. She's young or something? A bit extreme isn't it? I thought you had a thing against these undergrads."

Candy had this habit of spewing malice everywhere she went. "Candy, I said it was none of your business."

"It is my business. You were mine. You'd still be mine if..." She looked at him without finishing what they both knew.

"I'm not anyone's, Candy. You made your choices. I'm over it, okay?"

She put a hand on his cheek and said, "Don't say that. I love you. I made a mistake. You know you still love me."

Two years ago, those would have been the magic words to put him back into her bed. The slow caressing way that she spoke wove her spell, but he knew where it was headed.

"We could still get married. I kept in touch with your dad. He said you might..."

He pulled out of her grasp and got back onstage. This was the one spot that Candace could not go. He searched for a song that his nervous fingers would play. How dare she confuse him like this. The bartender set the drink down on a coaster near his right hand and asked him to stick with one song. He nodded and looked away from where Candace sat watching. He spotted Jesse first, then scanned her table to see Jo. He stood up to make sure it was her. She smiled slightly when he mouthed her name. He got a hold of himself and sat back down. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and played. The first song he knew was a crowd pleaser. The next was by him for Candace. He didn't want to be mad at Candace, but she didn't seem to understand where he stood. When he finished the song, he noticed Jo talking to a man he assumed was Gary. He went back to his stool and to Candy.

"So, that's her?"

He looked into her hazel eyes and nodded.

"What is she, twelve? She seems a bit proper for you. See how she keeps to herself? You'd be lucky to get a blowjob out of her." Her eyes closed to slits and she frowned. Candace really lost her attractive charm when her face bent like that.

"It's not about that, Candy. It's about this," he grumbled as he put his hand on his chest and massaged as close to the soreness that was developing. "I don't want to feel the way I felt when I was with you."

A movement caught his eye, and Jo was on the dance floor. She shimmied and shook by herself to the rhythm. He watched her hips sway gently. He knew Candace was dissecting the girl's every flaw, but he didn't listen. It was a transformation of sorts to see her smile. She was graceful, though reserved in her sway. There was magic in the coy flutter of her eye lashes as she let a low laugh escape her lips. With every movement, she had him tightly in her grasp. He hoped she would figure out that he was taken by her. The coolness of his implied jokes were wearing thin already. When the song changed, she changed with it. The moment had ended and she was back to herself. He watched as Gary tried to draw her back to the dance, but she refused. She sat back down. The guy got too close to her as he spoke. Only politeness kept Daniel riveted to the floor next to Candy. The touches of his ex to his neck and face weren't quite holding his attention. When the jerk touched Jo's face, he could see her freeze. He saw a slight shiver as he watched her internal struggle. When she got up, he drained his drink, picked up his coat, and followed her out. After he dodged a few people he found her to his right. She just stood there trembling in the cold.

*

Jo got up earlier than usual the next morning. She was wasting time in bed anyway. Why did Daniel have to touch her? If he had just left her alone, the dreams wouldn't have returned. She'd been able to sleep normally for quite some time before she met him.

She heard keys in the door and knew that Jesse had stayed with Terrence. The shorter girl hummed to herself as she threw down her purse and strolled into the kitchen.

"Damn, you look like who lost I found. What happened to you? Was it Hot Chocolate? 'Cause I can take care of him..."

"No, I just had a bad dream is all."

"Really? You had bad ones the last couple nights, too. You sure it's not him? I can get Terrence to straighten his freak ass out..."

"He's not a freak. He's the normal one."

"Normal? The boy buys you cocoa for a month and you think he's normal?"

"It wasn't cocoa. It was the kind with a candy bar in it. You can taste the difference."

"Well, it was damn good."

"Yeah, it was great," Jo sighed. It was all great when it was just a secret admirer. Now, it was Daniel. A person who had this habit of pressing every alarm button she had.

"Hey, why don't you go out with us tonight. I already invited Gary, but I can tell him not to come if you want."

"No, I'll just work at home."

"Come sit in a chair and pretend to laugh. I've read if you go through the motions, you'd actually feel what you should."

"Am I that bad off?"

"You sure as hell are. I don't want you to be anywhere alone tonight."

She knew it was an utter mistake when she saw Daniel at the piano as they walked in. She had pulled her hair into a ponytail and picked out a nice shirt. She thought she'd be safe from seeing him for at least a few hours. It wasn't amateur night. He stopped in mid-song and started something new. He shook his head in dissatisfaction and started another one. Someone walked up to him and whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked around the room. She knew he'd spot her, so she sat down and waited. He slammed a hand down on the keys and stood up. He looked straight at her. Jo was certain everyone in the room had seen him focus on her. When he mouthed her name and slid back down, the fear was confirmed as fact. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips at his recognition of her. His face softened into a smile and he closed his eyes. The sound gently filled the room as he finally settled on a song. Jesse murmured that his song wasn't half bad. Jo didn't tell her that it was a song by Ben Folds. She wasn't up to being talked about at the moment. Her idea of a good song was more broad than most. When he finished, he went immediately into another one. This time, she didn't recognize the sound. All the time, his eyes were closed. She concentrated on her soda and half listened to what Jesse was saying to Gary as she registered every note Daniel's fingers struck.

"So piano guy has a thing for you?" She should have been paying better attention.

"Yeah." She looked away from Gary and into the bubbles of her drink.

"Look, I'm not looking for anything strange. If you're into him, it's cool. Even better for me. There's nothing like a little competition to get a man on his game. I just want an honest shot."

She rested her cheek on her hand as her elbow rested on the table. "That's nice, but I'm sure you've got girls lined up around the block. A fine, well-educated man like you doesn't need to be bothered with me."

"I'm willing to clear my slate for a very beautiful girl. I'm willing to wait, if you have a problem with rushing into things. I see the score. You're man shy. I can help you with that."

"Man shy?"

"I can tell by the way you collect yourself under the table and keep your arms close to your body. Too shy for you own good. You need a man to put all of your suspicions to rest."

He leaned forward and put his hand on hers. "I can take good care of you, when you're ready."

She forced herself to keep her hand still under his for a moment then slid out from under. "I'll keep it under advisement."

"Hey this might be worth dancing to," Jesse loudly informed. She got up and dragged Terry onto the little square designated for dancing.

Jo hadn't noticed the change of music. The sound system blared out a top 40 hit. Gary got up and rocked his hips from side to side.

"Come on, angel. Let's dance."

"I don't dance."

"Oh, come on. I won't step on your toes. Come on, Jojo."

'Jojo?' She shook her head and walked over to the square. The things a person had to put up with not to be alone. She danced to the quick music and even let out a little laugh as she bumped into Jesse in a turn. Gary's smile was genuine for once. There might have been something worthwhile in him after all. The song ended and a slow tune started. Gary raised his hands to take her and she backed away. He moved in and took her hands. "What's a dance, huh?" She pulled away again.

"I'm sorry, Gary. I can't..."

"You seemed just fine until the song change. Come on, dance with me."

She went back to her seat. Gary sat down next to her and said, "You don't want to slow dance?" He seemed disappointed. She rubbed her face and said, "I'm sorry. I haven't been sleeping well, and it just caught up with me."

"Wait," he said and quickly touched her face. "That's not makeup? You have such great skin."

The instant the back of his fingers brushed her cheek, she went from annoyed to disoriented.

"Thank you."

He took her hands in his again and said, "You're just like an angel."

Jo wasn't quite sure what to say to that. She got up as quickly as her upbringing would allow and walked out. She felt stupid for getting so upset over a simple interaction. 'A few minutes out here, and I'll be fine.'

"Jo," she heard before something draped across her shoulders. She looked down and drew the dark brown leather coat to her chest. It had been cold. She turned to Daniel and silently thanked him. He couldn't help but notice how small she looked in his coat.

"You want me to go back in there and ..."

She challenged him. "What?"

"I could tell him to back off of you," he murmured. He knew her sharpness wasn't really aimed at him.

"What for? I'm fine with it."

"I'm not. I wanted to..."

"You're not my boyfriend, Dan. He can treat me however he wants."

"I can't let him touch you like that. I couldn't stand the look on your face..."

She put her hands on his chest and pressed in every other word. "Stop it. There is no look on my face."

"It's okay for you to touch me, but it's not okay for me to touch you?" He'd nearly purred at her.

"I choose not to be touched." She dropped her hands and walked toward the car. It had been an automatic gesture. She remembered the car wasn't hers after a few steps.

"Jo, I can drive you home." Daniel's offer was more of what he would do instead of what he could do.

She was about to accept, when Gary came out with her coat.

"Piano guy, what the fuck?"

"Hey, my names Dan," Daniel offered with his hand.

"I don't care what your name is. Here, angel," he nearly smiled as he handed her coat over. "I thought I'd give you some time, but he doesn't want to wait around, does he?"

Jo slid Daniel's coat off and replaced it with her own before handing his back.

"This isn't that big of a deal, Gary," Daniel softly said. "I live right over there. I'm in the same office with her..."

"Yeah, I know what this is," Gary raised his voice. "I know what this is, so don't try to play it off, man. Just walk up and say that you're into her instead of takin my time. Right now, she's supposed to be with me. I'm sure you get her every night, but tonight is mine."

He'd never had a reason to stare anyone down, and yet here he was. It was as though a light had come on in his brain.

"Fine, I'm into her."

He'd never felt the need to protect anyone. The years of recreational Tae Kwon Do finally would have a purpose. He was enjoying the fact that he was ready to take this further, until he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. She looked between the two men. She was wringing her hands. Her lips were pressed into a frown. This had never happened before. There were two men standing erect with their eyes flaring at each other. Daniel's stare was solid though she felt he would eventually back down. She hoped he would, or this stand off would go on forever. He seemed uncomfortable even looking at Gary. The gaze finally broke when Daniel looked at her and winked. He relaxed his stance for her benefit.

"This is stupid. I was out here to relax. It doesn't look like much of that is gonna happen. Look, thanks, Gary. I had a good time talking to you tonight. Maybe, we can do it again some time. I'm gonna go. Can you tell Jesse for me?" She backed away from the both of them and headed for the nearest phone booth. She figured, 'It'll take 30 minutes to get four or five blocks to my apartment if I call a cab.'

"I'll walk you back to the lab, if you want," Daniel called from where he stood. "I wouldn't want you to go off by yourself."

She turned back to him and thought about it. It would just be a walk with him. With Gary it would be something else all together.

"That would be great, Dan. Thanks."

"You're not going with him, are you?" Gary looked a bit upset, but he wasn't worried enough to make things go wrong.

"Well, he's not yelling, and you are. I think I'd feel better going with him."

"Joanne," Daniel said in that strange way that he had, "let's get you home."

She took his arm as she would if he were walking her to her car and walked down the block. She could feel Gary's eyes on her back. When they turned the corner, she let him go. She felt pain in her back between her shoulder blades. Without thinking about it, she'd been pulling her shoulders back.

"So, where should I take you, angel?" He put emphasis on that last word to let her know that he heard it come out of Gary's lips. "You alright?"

"Fine." She gave her shoulders a shake and straightened up again. "Take me home, like you said. I live a few blocks over. It's pretty far, but I wouldn't walk it alone." Jo's voice felt very commanding.

"Sounds good to me," he smirked down at her.

Jo enjoyed the walk. He hadn't spoken except to comment on the new leaves on the trees. His hair fluttered slightly in the breeze when he pointed up. For a brief moment, she wondered what his hair felt like. She hadn't noticed his hand on her back until he gave her a little stroke across her shoulders which rang every warning bell she had. This time the spark rose up her spine and fluttered around her brain for a bit. She pulled away, to his obvious disappointment. When they got there, he stopped at the entrance to the apartment complex. She wasn't sure if she should invite him in or not. The trip that would have taken her forever by herself had seemed so short.

He said, "Which one is yours?"

"I'm on the third floor on the right."

"Good, I'll know where to point the mariachi," he caressed with his voice. He backed away and waved slightly with his left hand. "I'll see you later... angel."

She found herself waving back. "Yeah, bye."