-twenty-eight

"What's your break-up story?"

My eyes went from the moving cars to Erica. I was already chewing on my lip. "The general shit. Fell outta love then moved on."

She glanced at me with the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Sounds awfully relatable."

My blue polished toenails glistened in the soft sun as my feet landed on asphalt. By the time we had walked across the huge parking lot, the security guard held the door open for us to go in.

Out of habit, my lower lip went between my teeth as waves of nostalgia hit me. There was a reason why I never went here, to this supermarket. And as I watched Erica examine the chocolate bar in her hand, the reason stared back at me.

"Tasted this before?"

I froze as she held it up to me.

Mom.

*Memory*

"Sometimes, I honestly don't know what to do with you."

My smile didn't reach my eyes. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual."

"You're mad because I didn't let you go have sex with your boyfriend last night?"

I scoffed. She always managed to make everything sound unbelievably absurd.

"First, Jace is not my boyfriend. And second, I was going to a party. It's what teenagers do. Do drugs, get wasted and go back home, preparing for the worst hangover of their lives."

Mom glared holes into my head as she hissed. "You're insane if you think I'll let you go to a party after the little stunt you pulled last time."

"You made me take the test, Jesus!"

"Did you ever stop to think what would have happened if the test came out positive? You'd just be another horny teenage girl with a bump who ruined her life, completely."

"Maybe I want to be pregnant. Maybe I want to have a child now so I can watch the disappointment in your eyes every Thursday morning when your stupid friends come over for tea. Since that's all you've ever cared about. Only what people think."

I halted when I turned away from her. The shelf adjacent to us had different kinds and flavours of chocolate. She was allergic to chocolate.

"Y'know, I think this'll suit you very well," I smiled at the bar of dark chocolate in my hand. "Dark and bitter, just like you."

I only walked away after I'd shoved all the bars of chocolate into her shopping cart.

*End*

"I'll just get it."

I blinked when I heard Erica's voice.

"Been craving chocolate for a while." She gave me a small smile as we proceeded deeper into the mall. Our next stop was the phone shop.

"Hungry?" Erica asked as we exited the pricey store with the most expensive model of the iPhone in my bag. As much as I'd begged, even pulled out my credit card at a point, she still didn't let me pay for my phone.

I nodded as we moved past fellow shoppers. We settled for some Chinese and just as we were about to enter the small restaurant, Erica stopped. I halted at the fact that she did.

"Harry?" she called out.

The man entering the bistro adjacent to us turned and I was greeted with the clearest, greyest eyes I'd ever seen.

"Ramirez." His lips curled upwards and I blinked at the sense of deja Vu that hit me. He was awfully familiar.

Strands of almost blonde hair fell over his forehead and he raised his hand to push them back as he smiled at Erica. He looked young in camouflage as he rocked his combat boots back and forth.

"How are you?" Erica smiled. "Last I heard, you were compassing the entire Europe. Now the military?"

"Military?" he chuckled. "It's Sheila's birthday tomorrow. She likes rings with rocks on them. But today's the day some new celebrity lipstick gets to stores? Something like that so there's gonna be people. I'm hoping they'll let a noble defender of this great nation in first."

"Oh, Harry." Erica laughed. "You'll never change."

"By all means," he chuckled as his hand went to his hair. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

"Oh, forgive me."

I only turned from him when Erica's hand perched on my shoulder.

"Roxy, this is Harry, my former schoolmate and Harry meet Roxy, a friend."

"Nice to meet you." His eyes held mine longer than necessary as mine bored into him.

Where had I seen him before?

His muscles shifted as he offered his hand for a shake.

"Likewise." I took his firm hand in mine and offered a smile. I stared at him a little longer before turning to Erica. His eyes, however, shamelessly swept over my outfit.

"You're on your way out?" he looked from Erica to me.

"We were just about to grab something to eat." My response lingered in the air for quite a bit, my implied invitation probably prickling at his ego.

He took the bait. "Why don't I treat you both then?" his eyes didn't leave mine.

***

"How long have you been in Philadelphia?" Erica asked. I took a sip of water as my eyes remained focused on him.

"A year more or less. Transferred because of work. Then Sheila and I got married."

"Married?" I asked as I set the tumbler back on the table.

"Yeah. Recently," he smiled.

"Congratulations."

He smiled back at me before turning to Erica. She was saying something about Russia and the US military but I was too distracted by him to listen. There was something about him. I just couldn't place my finger on it.

"Excuse me."

I looked up from my barely touched plate of noodles when Erica got on her feet. I hated pasta. I hated Chinese. And I hated the fact that he was staring so much.

"I have to take this." With that, she was gone. I didn't even hear her phone ring.

"Pity you're married." I flashed him a small smile, daring him, before sipping some black tea.

His brows shot up a fraction of an inch before his face shifted to a satisfied expression. "Never really mattered, did it?"

I chuckled at that one.

He leaned in a little. "Anything can be arranged. That is, as long as you're interested."

With raised brows I stared at the jock seated in front of me.

"Sorry about that."

I turned to Erica.

"I have to leave right now."

"What?" I looked as she slipped her phone into her purse. "You need to leave the mall?"

"Philadelphia." She looked at me. "My mom's been in a car accident."

"Oh, shit." I blinked. "Is she- is she alright?"

"She's at the hospital." Erica ran a hand through her hair. "Matamoros will drive me to Westrn and then to the airport now."

"I'll- I'll go with you." I reached for my bag.

"No. It's alright. I can drop you."

Erica and I simultaneously turned to Harry after he spoke.

He continued. "I suppose you didn't come with a car?"

I shook my head before I turned to Erica. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Matamoros will take care of me, thank you."

I nodded.

"Matamoros will be back for you. Thanks Harry." She kissed him on the cheek. "It was nice seeing you and I hope Sheila has a good birthday."

***

After helping Harry pick out the perfect present for his wife, we were on our way to the parking lot. Instead of the generic overly expensive jewellery, we got her a new perfume collection. It was Victoria secret. I knew she'd love it.

"Impressed?"

I rolled my eyes to the sky as I got into Harry's Ford. Few seconds later, he was beside me and we were soon speeding out of the parking lot.

The drive was silent except for the cool 80's and 90's jams blasting from the stereo and Harry's melodious humming. Having nothing else to do, I picked my new phone from my purse and experimented with the interface.

"Y'know, music had so much more meaning back then. Now it's just," he paused and licked his lips like he was searching for the perfect word, "bland."

"Right." My eyes widened a bit. Of course he chose to say that just when Gaye's sexual healing came on.

"What?" He turned to me. "At least he describes sex better than that Cardi girl." Harry chuckled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing." I didn't even realize I was smiling. "You just remind me of someone. She's obsessed with old school music too." Jenna would kill for his playlist.

His smile reached his eyes as he turned back to the road.

The whole music talk reminded me of Jenna and how I unleashed her on Eric. I needed to call just to make sure Jenna hadn't done something crazy.

"Shit." I cursed when it went straight to her voicemail.

"Was than Bon Jovi?" He was referring to the song Jenna was humming to in her voicemail message.

I turned to Harry at the sound of his voice then I looked at my phone. "Yeah. You give love a bad name? Jenna's favourite."

"Jenna?"

"Yeah. The one I said you remind me of. She loves 90's music." I looked up from my phone when a few seconds had passed and Harry still hadn't responded.

"What a fucking small world."

"What?" I asked with a wrinkled forehead.

"Jennifer fucking Montgomery. Elizabeth's her middle name, ain't it?"

I froze at how easily he quoted her full name.

Shit.

Harry.

Something clicked in my brain.

It all finally made sense.

He was Harry.

Harry from Jenna's pictures Harry.

That's why he was so familiar.

"What could you possibly want?"

His question to me was so direct, I was confused.

He shook his head. "Never underestimate a fucking desperate bitch."

With how quick his countenance changed and the sudden drop in the temperature of the car, I felt goosebumps on my skin.

"Bitch?"

"Alright. I'll play her little game." We were already parked at the corner of the street. "What does she want? Tell me. I could just make all her fucking fantasies come to life again."

"Ok." My eyes were hard. "I don't know what you're talking about but what I do know is Jenna isn't a desperate bitch."

"Oh really?" his tone was mocking. "Humour me then. Tell me more, if you will."

"We've been friends for years. I know her."

"Oh," he twirled the ring on his finger, "so you're from Seattle too."

My brows furrowed even more at how much information he knew about her. "No. We met after she got here. How do you know Jenna?" I swallowed, not particularly sure if I wanted the answer to my question.

He chuckled. "With how twisted her fucking mind works I'm surprised you haven't heard vivid tales of our," his eyes went up and down my body, "rather sinful ventures."

Fuck.

"You're high up in her clouds, baby girl." He motioned to touch my cheek but I turned away. "You should run. Far away." He leaned in so close, I could feel his breath. "She's really fucked up in the head and she ain't playing around."

"And why should I believe anything you say?" I brought my hand to my mouth so I wouldn't bite my lip.

"Because you're asking the fucking questions I'm being generous enough to answer."

It took a lot of seconds for me to process what he'd said. I was scared. Scared shitless. I was in a car with a stranger who could possibly kill me over some unresolved feud with Jenna. We were at a not very familiar part of town and I was defenceless.

But I'd be damned if I didn't spill out my next words.

"Tell me," my hand was balled into a fist, "what exactly is it that you know about Jenna?"

*******************

-C.