Life on Another Planet Ch. 14-18

"I'll need this when my credit card statement comes in," he explained.

"Hey ... they washed my car," she said in surprise as they approached the dark blue sedan. "And they vacuumed it, too. I don't think it's been this clean since I bought it."

"There you go, it's ready for you," Jesse said. "You will still need some gas, though."

"Yeah ... but I think I can afford that as long as Eric doesn't get his hands on it again," she said with a grimace.

"Has he got a key?"

"No ... he wanted one, but when he took the car yesterday, he took my keys off the counter and didn't tell me. He also didn't tell me he took all my cash from my wallet. I don't need a boyfriend who does those kinds of things."

"You're right ... you don't. Make sure he knows that," Jesse said. "Don't let him talk you out of it."

"Don't worry, he's history. I can still report him to the police if he gives me any trouble."

"Okay ... so ... I'll hear from you when you've talked to Sue?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "you'll hear from me. I've got your cell number, your home number, and I know where you work. I can find you," she smirked.

"That's the plan," Jesse grinned.

As Jesse drove away from the auto service area, he was smiling. He'd met an interesting and attractive girl and invested some time and money in her. It was an impulse that he quickly discovered gave him pleasure. She was in a tight financial spot thanks to her boyfriend, and he was able to help. He hoped she would stick to her decision to get rid of Eric, but time would tell. If he didn't hear from her in a few days, he would call and see how she responded. He had no intention of trying to collect on the money he had spent. It was an investment that may or may not pay dividends.

Joanna English was still confused and surprised by the presence of Jesse Peterson. He'd appeared out of nowhere to rescue her from a miserable start to her Sunday. She was cursing both Eric Kramer and herself for getting involved with a loser like him. She had let her friend Marlie talk her into trying out a "bad boy" to put a little excitement in her life. She was fed up with plain vanilla boyfriends and wanted someone who would challenge her. It turned out to be a poor idea.

Eric was lazy, jobless from what she could tell, a pot head much of the time, and now a thief. She wouldn't be surprised if the $50 he stole from her didn't go towards more pot. Joanna didn't like or use the stuff, but she knew most of her friends did at one time or another. She preferred wine or beer, depending on the circumstances.

She had a decent job, but was living in a basement suite, sharing expenses with Marlie Mitchell. Vancouver was an incredibly expensive city to live in. Originally from Penticton, she came to the big city to find a good job and maybe, with luck, a husband. She'd been raised in a relatively conservative family and wasn't by any means ready for city life. She'd been in Vancouver for over a year and a half, finding a job she could be satisfied with, but still had no serious man in her life. She wondered if the exception might be Jesse Peterson.

Jesse was different. Part of it was his "take charge" attitude, and part was his manners. This business of giving her references was something she had never expected. He must have been pretty confident that they would put in a good word for him. Well, she would waste no time having a talk with the ex-girlfriend. It was the most likely source of honest information. The guy was handsome enough, and he had a job, was studying and going to school, and generally seemed like a nice fellow. But she'd been wrong before, so this time she would be cautious.

Sunday, January 15, 2012 2pm

"Hello, is this Sue Chen?" Joanna asked. The phone had been picked up almost as the first ring had ended.

"Yes ... who's calling, please," Sue asked.

"Uhhm ... you don't know me, my name is Joanna English. Jesse Peterson gave me your name as a reference," Joanna began haltingly.

Sue was confused. "A reference? What for?"

"Well, this is going to sound weird, but he asked me for a date and said he could give me references. I've had a bad experience with my latest boyfriend and I was being very careful, I guess."

Joanna could hear the tinkling little laugh from Sue. "That's Jesse alright. If you're worried about him, don't be. As amazing as it sounds, he's just what he seems to be. How did you meet him?"

Joanna related the story of her rescue that morning and what Jesse had done for her without hesitation.

"Yeah ... that's what I would expect from him," Sue said. "He's a great guy. He really helped me too, Joanna." Sue went on to explain the editing of her paper and the resulting high mark she received.

"Jesse said you are studying Ocean Sciences in Victoria. That sounds really interesting."

"It is. I already have a BSc in Marine Biology, but I want to get my Masters and maybe a PhD in something related to our local waters. Anyway, I'm just getting started, so I have a long way to go."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. How old are you?"

"The same ... twenty-one. You must have skipped a grade or two," Joanna offered.

"I tested out of high school early and compressed my studies at UBC. I guess I was in a hurry," Sue chuckled.

The two women talked for over half an hour, exchanging opinions and anecdotes related to both Jesse and dating in general. By the time they hung up, both of them had become quite friendly and promised to stay in touch if they could.

Sue sat at her desk with a smile on her face. So Jesse had given her name as a reference to another girl. He had a lot of confidence that I wouldn't trash him, she thought. Then again, she had no reason to trash him. Jesse was the best boyfriend she had ever had and set the standard for any future candidate. She had some regret giving Joanna English an honest recommendation for him as a potential boyfriend. It felt like she was horning in on Sue's territory, even though she knew it wasn't the case.

Joanna hung up the phone and smiled. It had been a surprising conversation with Sue Chen. She was clearly very intelligent, having moved so quickly through school. But her comments about Jesse were tinged with regret that they had been separated by mutual agreement and not because they wanted to break up. Neither of them thought they would survive a long distance romance, and that was the deciding issue. But Sue was very forthcoming about Jesse as both a friend and a lover. Their time together was short, but it meant a lot to Sue. Joanna was heartened to hear that Jesse was pretty much just what she had encountered that morning.

Joanna barely had time to think after the call when there was a loud knock on the door to her basement suite. She looked through the peep-hole and saw that it was Eric, her now ex-boyfriend.

"What do you want, Eric?" she said in a loud voice through the door. "I told you, we're done. I wasn't kidding then and I'm not kidding now. Go away!"

"Aw, come on, Jo. I know you're pissed at me, but that's no reason to break up. We're great together and you know it."

"No we aren't great together. We never were and we never will be. Go away or I'll call the police and report you for stealing my money and taking my car without my permission."

"Don't be like that, Jo. I'll pay you back as soon as I get paid. Besides, you let me use your car before. What's the big deal?"

The conversation continued with the locked door between them.

"The big deal is that you ran me out of gas and I ended up two klicks from here with no gas. The big deal is that you took my last fifty bucks and left me with almost nothing. The big deal is that I'm tired of your bullshit, so get lost."

"You'll be sorry, Jo. Guys like me don't come along every day. You can be replaced ... easy peasy."

"Thank God guys like you don't come along every day," Jo spat. "So let's agree that you're free to find anyone you can except me. Again, go away! Don't come back. You aren't welcome here any more. Don't make me call the police, Eric. Save yourself the trouble."

Joanna heard a mumbled "shit" and "bitch" as a quick look through the peep hole indicated he was leaving. She sighed deeply, happy at having dealt with her loser boyfriend as quickly and easily as that. Eric could get pretty stupid when he'd had a couple of joints and a beer or two.

An hour later, she picked up the phone and punched in the speed dial number for Jesse's cell. He answered on the second ring.

"Hi, Jesse, it's Jo ... Joanna."

"Hey, that was quick. Did you talk to Sue?"

"Oh yeah," she chuckled. "I talked to her. She told me to stay far away from you, that you were a human octopus and only had one thing on your mind."

Jesse was laughing as she waited for his reply. "That's Sue alright. Always tells is like it is. I assume you are having me on since I don't think you'd have called if she really dumped on me like that."

"Good guess," Joanna replied. "She's having some second thoughts about giving you up, you know. You might give her a call just to stay in touch. She knows that you won't be getting back together, but she does like you a lot. I think she envies me that you might want to date me."

"It sounds like you had quite a conversation with her," Jesse suggested.

"We did talk for a while. She sounds like a really nice girl. I can understand why you'd be interested in her. She's pretty smart, too. She said you weren't together very long, though."

"No, just a couple of months, but I really liked Sue. We were never going to be long-term. We're both going in different directions. But it was nice while it lasted," he admitted.

"Well, I'm going to be around for a while," Joanna said carefully. "If you're still interested in dating, well ... I could be persuaded."

"I meant what I said this morning, Joanna. I am interested and I would like to date you. Why don't you think about the kind of date you'd enjoy and let me know. You can always find me. I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay ... and speaking of going, Eric came around this afternoon. I had a loud conversation with him through my door and made sure he understood we were done. I don't suppose I'll ever see my fifty dollars again, but if that's the price I have to pay for getting rid of that loser, I'll pay it."

"Oh ... strong words from a strong lady. Good for you, Joanna. You've made a good decision from what you've told me about him. I promise I won't turn into another Eric," he said with a smile in his voice.

"I'm counting on it," she replied, also smiling.

Chapter 16 No Ordinary Jo

Saturday, January 21, 2012 6pm.

Jesse wondered just what attracted him to Joanna English. Other than the fact that they were of similar age, so far the main reason was physical. Both appeared fit and reasonably intelligent; Jesse at six foot one and a hundred-eighty pounds, while she was six inches or so less and probably sixty pounds less. Her hair and her pretty face were the first things that he noticed, but their brief stop at the coffee shop that Sunday morning also revealed a very attractive female form.

Now, as she became more comfortable around him, a sense of humour began to emerge. This first real date was Jesse and Joanna's opportunity to discover just what they had in common. When Jesse had called her on Thursday to ask what she would like to do on their Saturday date, she suggested dinner and a movie to start with. Pretty ordinary, Jesse thought, but it was a start.

"Right on time," Joanna smiled as she answered the door.

She was wearing a conservative navy knee-length skirt and a wool pullover top in a cream colour that revealed a modest amount of cleavage. Small gold earrings and a matching simple gold necklace were her only jewellery. Her choice of simple clothes was very appealing to Jesse.

"You look very nice and I wouldn't want to keep the lady waiting on our first proper date," he smiled.

"True, that's a woman's prerogative," she grinned, "and thank you for the compliment. You look very nice yourself."

Jesse had chosen his navy blazer, tan slacks, and a pale blue dress shirt ... no tie. That was in his pocket if he felt it was needed. He was confident now that it wasn't.

"I've picked a nice restaurant I believe. Nothing exotic until I know more about what you like and don't like."

"As far as food goes, I like pretty much anything, Jesse. I'm sure it will be fine."

He escorted her to the Toyota and held the door for her. Joanna looked at him, thinking it was something too few boyfriends did for her. Jesse was raised with good manners, or perhaps was just on his best behaviour.

Jesse had chosen a restaurant on the south slope near the Burnaby border. It wasn't the fanciest restaurant in the city, but it was consistently rated as a very good choice for a medium budget. They reviewed the menu posted at the entrance and he could see the smile on Joanna's face.

"See something you like?" he asked.

"Oh yeah ... rack of lamb. I haven't had that for ages," she enthused.

"Good choice. I might have that too."

Jesse indicated they were in no rush since he wanted to get a chance to talk with Joanna. He ordered a glass of wine for each of them, then settled back.

"Now that Sue has given away all my secrets, it's time for you to tell me about yourself. You said you were from Penticton. How long have you been here in Vancouver?"

"Going on two years in May. I finished high school, spent a year at a lousy waitress job in my home town, then decided to try my luck in the big city. I was lucky. I found a job almost right away at a women's wear store. I get a base salary, plus commission on sales. I won't get rich there, but I like the woman who runs the place and the rest of the staff. I also get to use some of my sewing skills on alterations."

"Good for you," Jesse smiled. "Sounds like you've found the right kind of job. Do you think it's something you'd like to do long term?"

She shrugged. "That's a question I've been asking myself. There's enough variety to keep me interested, and most of the customers are upper middle class, I'd say. Every once in a while you run into someone who isn't so nice, or impossible to please, but that doesn't happen very often. I guess I've got the right kind of temperament for the job because my boss says I handle difficult customers well. I'm due a raise in a May, which will be welcome."

"Forgive me for being too nosy, but I got the impression that money was tight for you. Does the job pay well enough for you to live comfortably"

"You are being nosy," she grinned, "but ... yes it does if I can keep from doing foolish things. I'm still kicking myself for getting involved with Eric. He didn't just steal from me, he ran up some credit card debt on me. I must have been stupid to put up with his shit, but I did and to my shame I put up with him far too long."

"How long had you been together?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment before, "About six months. I will take me almost that long to pay down my debt. I sometimes wonder just how smart I am when I let people take advantage of me that way."

"What was the attraction of him?" Jesse wondered.

"My roommate talked me into trying out a 'bad boy' to liven up my social life. Eric was bad alright, but the wrong kind of bad. I don't know if he really had a job, or just pretended. He never seemed to have any money and usually came to me when he wanted something. Stupidly, I usually gave in. The next thing I knew, he'd run up some charges on the Visa card. I made sure he couldn't get at it again. But by then, I knew I had made a big mistake and last weekend was the last straw. He's gone now and I'm looking back on it as I real lesson for me in being too trusting. I'm off 'bad boys' for good," she said with a snap of her fingers for emphasis.

Jesse listened sympathetically, wondering just what this 'bad boy' attraction was for women.

"I can see the question on your expression, Jesse," Joanna chuckled. "You're wondering why I'd want to get involved with a loser like Eric. The truth is, I'd had a couple of boyfriends in Penticton who were pretty boring. They didn't want to do anything that was even slightly interesting to me unless it was a car race or some action movie. Then they were all for it. That, and of course sex was always on their minds. I'm no saint, but I want something more than sex out of a relationship."

"That's pretty honest of you," Jesse said, somewhat surprised at her forthright comments. He still wasn't used to how blunt people were these days.

"I guess I have to plead guilty to being interested in cars too, but usually older sports cars. I'll try not to inflict that on you," he grinned.

"What do you do for entertainment?" she asked.

"I love playing baseball. I joined a beer league team last summer and we play twice a week. I like riding my bike when the weather is nice. It's good exercise and I can go places that the car can't go. I ski when I can in winter, and I read quite a bit. Other than that, I've got plenty to keep me busy each day."

"Sounds like you have lots to keep you interested," she smiled. "I play slo-pitch softball, so we have that in common. I'm taking classes at night, just like you, and I have skis, but no one to ski with. Maybe we can try that some weekend?"

"I'd like that," he said with a smile. "Sounds like we have some things in common after all. Slo-pitch sounds like fun. Maybe I'll come and watch. When do you play?"

"Usually on Saturday, weather permitting. We can always use another player, you know."

"My beer league games are usually Wednesday and Sunday, so that won't interfere. Might be a fun thing to do," he agreed.

"See ... look how much more we have in common than my other boyfriends. I'm glad I decided to have this date, Jesse. I think I made a good decision."

"I'm glad you did too, Joanna," he smiled.

He felt a little more confident that his instincts were correct and that this young woman could be girlfriend material. They had enough in common that they could share. He was also pleased that she was satisfied with her job. That would take the pressure off her to find something that was both rewarding and interesting. It did cause him to think that the book store was unlikely to be his longer term job. He felt he should have higher ambitions for his future.

Almost as if she had been reading his mind, Joanna asked him a pointed question.

"Have you decided what you want to do when you finish your education?"

"Ah, no, I haven't. I'm not sure just what kind of skills I can offer a business. I know I'm a decent writer because a number of my teachers and others like Sue have told me so. But how to convert that into a good job is another question. Originally, I thought of journalism, but those jobs are shrinking ... at least the traditional ones. So, I'm on the lookout for something that might be a substitute."

"You said you enjoyed working at the book store. Is that not an opportunity?" she asked.

"Not really. Grant is a great guy and I'm very thankful that he gave me a job, but he can't afford to pay me the kind of money that would support me. That's why he hires students. They need the income and usually have a tight budget to live on while they are in school. He has no trouble finding willing students and I can be replaced fairly easily."

"Have you been looking?" she wondered.

"Every day I check the want ads to see if there's anything. I'm going to have to spread my search wider. I'm going to try out one of those job search websites and see what they turn up. I'm not desperate, but I can't go on living off Eve and her family forever."

Joanna was shaking her head. "When I think of the difference between you and Eric, I wonder what in the world I was thinking when I got involved with him. You have ambition and a skill that someone can use. I'm sure of it. I don't think you'll find your career in the newspaper want ads. I think you have to put a snappy résumé together and sell yourself. That's what I did and I found the kind of job I would enjoy almost right away. Give it a try, Jesse," she smiled.