Jessa James - Dr. Hottie

“Well…” Kenzie shifted from side to side and glanced over her shoulder.

“Kenzie, what is it? Do I really look that bad?”

“It’s just that, you know, he’s not alone.”

Addy looked at her sister, scrunching her face up. “What do you mean?”

“He’s got someone with him,” Kenzie said to the floor.

“You must mean Shannon.” She reached for a stack of cups that were put away haphazardly, and righted them. “I know about them already.”

“I’m sorry.” Kenzie said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just that I saw him—with her—and I didn’t want you to—”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” Addy said. “Coming in here like this, with her…”

“What a dick move,” Kenzie said. The little sister in her came out strong, ready to go to battle for Addison. “He’s an asshole.”

“Yeah, well. She’s not much better,” Addy said.

It had been five years since she’d graduated high school, but seeing Shannon in person after all those years instantly took her back to being eighteen. She’d had classes with Shannon since they were in sixth grade.

They’d never been friends, but sometime around their junior year of high school Shannon had decided Addy was a target. She could still remember the taunts that trailed after her down the hallways.

“He looks bad,” Kenzie said. “I think he’s going prematurely bald.”

“His hair’s buzzed, Kenzie,” Addy said.

She hated herself instantly for sticking up for him. Especially after how they’d broken up.

They’d dated for a year, and for the past couple of months Addy had thought they’d simply transitioned to the more complacent stage of their relationship.

The honeymoon stage hadn’t been the kind of fireworks she’d always heard about, but Jeremy had been two years ahead of both her and Shannon in high school.

Quarterback of the football team, he’d been his class’ homecoming king every year and of course prom king by the time he was a senior. She still remembered the surprising weight of the crown when he’d let her try it on six months ago.

Now, Jeremy was climbing the ranks as a salesman at one of the highest-end jewelry stores in town. Unfortunately, that meant that he had less and less time for her. When she’d eventually worked up the courage to confront him about his neglect of her, he just shrugged.

“So what, you want to break up?” he said.

Like it meant nothing to him. Like she meant nothing to him.

She’d left his apartment in tears that night, and it was only a few days later that she had first spotted him slinking around with Shannon. He probably didn’t even pick Shannon to bother Addy, he just didn’t care about Addy at all.

Kenzie elbowed her in the ribs.

“I’m gonna go kick them out,” she said. “I can’t believe he had the nerve to come in here—”

Addy grabbed her arm.

“No, let them stay,” she said.

Kenzie searched her eyes.

“Fine,” she said finally. “But I’m not waiting on them.”

Side by side, they peered across the doors. Shannon let out a laugh, and her long platinum hair fell down her back. Addy sighed.

Jeremy had always been the cool guy in high school, somehow able to strike that balance between bad boy and popular guy. Even now, he was still really handsome. The buzzed dirty blond hair highlighted his sharp features and square jawline.

But Kenzie is right, she thought to herself. His hair is starting to thin. That’s really why he buzzes it.

She shook her head and forced the mean side of her away. There was no denying that she was still in love with him.

Let’s be honest, she told herself. Jeremy barely paid you any attention the past few years. Maybe I am kind of pathetic, but how did I know any different? He was the first cool guy I’d ever dated.

The others, not that there had been a lot, were nonthreatening and good guys, but there was no fire.

Not that you can expect much from someone who works in a video game store, she thought. Or an entry-level software developer.

With Kenzie pressed against her side, they watched Dawn sashay through the dining room and troll for tips. Dawn was thirty-five and married, complete with an oversized rock on her finger, but that didn’t stop her flirtations. She let out a whistle worthy of a construction worker when two young guys came in and walked up to the bar.

Addy pulled off her apron and started back down the hallway. She grabbed the restaurant’s books to take home.

It’s about time to get a handle on them, she thought. And no way in hell I’m going out the back like some kind of criminal.

She started to make a mental to-do list as she pushed through the saloon doors and wove through the dining room.

Compare price sheets requested from the vendors. Make next week’s schedule. Compose that reply to OSHA’s letter.

“Addison! I’m glad to have caught you.” Addy turned around, her arms full. Shannon walked toward her.

“You are? Can I… can I help you with something?”

She could have kicked herself for asking, but they were still on restaurant property. She was still basically the acting manager.

“I just wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“Well, yeah.” Shannon pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Jeremy and I, we’re really happy. And I have you to thank for that.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“He told me everything. About, you know, your relationship,” she said, and dropped her voice low. “He’s a good guy, and I know he was trying to do you a favor dating you. Giving you an ego boost and all that.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t take it like that. But thank you for not begging him to stay with you a little longer. You know he would have. That was really big of you, to be all adult about things. I mean, we both know he deserved better. And I’m just glad I was there when he was ready to stop being so charitable.”

“Get out of my restaurant,” Addy said. Her voice shook and tears stung at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“What? Hey, I’m being nice here!”

“Get the fuck out of my restaurant!” Addy yelled. The silence around them was palpable. She could feel all the eyes in the restaurant on her. She heard a utensil fall to the floor.

“Pathetic,” Shannon said with a smile.

Addy turned around, covered in shame, and ran to the front door with the heavy books in her arms.

“Hey! You okay?” She nearly slammed into Jack as she barreled through the front doors.

“No,” she whimpered. “I just… can you please take me somewhere else?”

“Of course,” he said. “Come on. My car is right over here.”

She followed him to his car, still ashamed.

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