Her Second Chance At Love

(2) Young Love

Lisa’s POV

It hadn’t taken long and word had gotten back to me that Mary and Evan were living together.  I was told that they weren’t happy about the situation because his parents made them do this.  They had cited the baby as the sole reason and that he needed to do the honorable thing.  Rumor had it that if I wouldn’t have broken off the engagement with him, they would have made him do it.  They were appalled at his actions and his reasons for doing what he did.  One day out of the blue Evan’s mother called me to tell me how sorry she was that her son had treated me like he had but I told her not to worry.  I knew that his parents didn’t raise him to be that way and would only blame Evan and Mary for their transgressions.  If I was honest with myself, I wasn’t really in love with Evan in the first place.  Yes, he was good looking but as I thought about it more and more, I realized that it wasn’t the man that I was in love with it was the idea of moving away from my childhood home.  I hadn’t really had the courage to do so under my own terms and my own power it wasn’t until he proposed that I found the courage to get a job and start saving for my apartment.  My mother had been ecstatic when they got engaged but hadn’t actually realized that it meant that I was moving away from the home and that mom and the triplets would be stuck picking up where I left off.  Prior to my moving I had tried to teach them and they just didn’t want to learn.  So, I really owed Evan and Mary a big thank you.  Because even though I had initially gotten the job and the apartment as a way of contributing to my upcoming marriage I had decided that I was going to keep it and the job I was working to make ends meet.  Everyone was shocked that I had decided to go ahead and move out and live on my own.  Everyone that is except for grams.  When I told my grandma that I was keeping my job and the apartment grams actually teared up.  “I’m so proud of the young woman you have grown up to be dear.  I knew that Evan was no good and would break your heart.  As much as I wanted to save you from that you needed to go through it so that you had the courage to do what you are doing now.”  I looked at my grandmother and realized she was right in every way.  I needed to go through this to become stronger.  I needed the push to get myself out of my parent’s home.  Evan and Mary really did help me in a big way and for that I would be thankful.  Not that I forgive them for what they have done but at least I’m standing on my own two feet and I’m only cleaning up after myself.

I had just started my job in actuality a few months ago.  As soon as I was twenty-one, I became a waitress at a really famous bar and grill.  I had made it clear to the manager at the time that I was only working temporarily as I was planning on getting married and if my new husband wanted me to leave the job I would.  The manager nodded and said he understood.  When the engagement ended, I told the manager that I wouldn’t be getting married but would still be leaving at the end of the summer because I was going to go to college in another town.  That’s where I met Ray. He was the bartender.  He was flirty and outgoing I was sweet and shy.  The job didn't really suit me but the money was good and I needed the money if I wanted to get out of this town.  Ray kept making overtures at me and at first, I rebuffed them.  He would hit on me and I would shoot him down.  One of the other girls came up to me one night and told my he was really smitten with me.  That since I had started to work for the company he hadn't went out with any other women.   I thought to myself maybe I shouldn't be so hard on him.  Give him a chance.  The next time he asked me out I would shock him and accept.  What the hell.  Worst case scenario he was someone to help pass the time with until I got out of this town.  I hated it here.   I wanted to move to the country.  The city wasn't for me.  Aside from that I was trying many new things.  This job, my new apartment away from my parents and younger siblings.  Maybe a relationship without expectations of marriage would be beneficial as well.  Sow my wild oats so to speak.  

Ray’s POV

                Lisa was such a beautiful woman and she didn’t even know it.  I just took one look at her and wanted to be with her.  I tried everything in my arsenal to get her to see me.  She would smile and be friendly but nothing more.  I wasn’t sure what it was going to take to get this girl to notice me because I wanted her in the worst way.  I had finally confessed my desires to one of the other waitresses and that’s when she had told me all about Lisa’s previous relationship.  I kept asking Lisa to go out with me and she would generally respond with “I don’t think so” and walk away.  I think I asked her every single day she was at work when I was.  I didn’t miss a chance.  I was about to give up on the idea.  I had never had a woman turn me down as much as this woman has.  I had never had to work as hard for a date as I was with the girl.  When I told my friend about the difficulty, I was having with getting her to go out on a date with me he just laughed at me.  I gave him a dirty look and he said “Ray the magical playboy who has women falling at his feet has finally met his match.”  “What the f**k are you talking about dude? Obviously, I don’t have women falling at my feet because she has turned me down at every opportunity.”  My friend slapped me on the back and informed me that she wasn’t the typical woman that I went for and if I really wanted to be with her, I was going to have to change my ways.  “What the f**k do you mean change my ways?”  “Ray, this woman is obviously not like all the others that you have dated in the past.  If you want to grab her attention then you are going to have to stop being such a man whore.”  I was appalled at the notion that he called me a man w***e but after giving it some thought I realized he was right.  I was a player and Lisa was pure and sweet.  I would hear guys at the bar talk about how pure and innocent she was and how it made her that much more appealing.  One guy had told his friend that he wouldn’t mind going out with her and his friend had responded by telling him that she was too sweet for someone like him.  She was the kind of woman who needed a man that wasn’t going to play games and show her his gentle side.  I had a gentle side.  I could show her that part of me that I haven’t shown to any other girl.  I wasn’t going to give up I was just going to change tactics.  Maybe one of these days she would finally relent and say yes and I would be able to show her exactly who I am deep down inside.

Lisa’s POV

The next day I went to work and he was there at the bar just like always.  He smiled when he saw me and winked.  I smiled shyly back at him.  I went to the back and got changed into my uniform, clocked in and checked what tables I was assigned for the day.  Hmm I was assigned the bar area.  That meant we would have a lot of contact with each other tonight.  I wondered if he would ask me out tonight?  If so, I would say yes.  When I glanced at the schedule, I noticed we had the same days off this week.  He wasn't bad looking as a matter of fact he was actually quite handsome.  Not my usual blue eyed blond but his dark hair and eyes made him something sexy and mysterious.  He had a reputation of being a bad boy.  But hey if I was only going to play around a bit then why not get myself a bad boy.  Every woman needs at least one in her history.  After my last relationship failed because he had an affair with my friend, I was a little unwilling to connect with anyone else at this time.  This would not be anything more than a fling. A summer romance because once the summer was over, I would be gone.  I was going out of state to go to law school.  I had been accepted by a very prestigious college and couldn't wait.  My family had tried to talk me out of it.  Telling me that I wouldn't be happy being so far away from everyone but I needed it.

As the shift progressed, he didn't really talk to me that much.  I wondered if I had turned him down to many times and he had finally given up. Every now and then I would catch him just staring at me.  What was it about me that fascinated him?  I wasn't anything spectacular as far as I could tell.  I was average in every way.  My customers loved me.  I even learned to flirt just a little more with them.  I was enjoying letting that side of me go a bit.  My job required me to wear makeup and do my hair something I rarely got to do when I was living at home so I loved that aspect as well.  My one sister Jessica was all mad at me for getting out of the house and called me a lot of names.  Her biggest complaint was that I was wearing makeup and doing my hair more than just for work.  Well why shouldn't I?  I enjoyed that aspect of life.  I was living for myself for once.  I wasn't at home taking care of the family while my parents did whatever.  I was tired of cooking and cleaning up after my siblings and parents.  I was tired of being the parent.  It was time for them all to learn to live without me.  Time for me to learn to live for me.  My two sisters and brother complained that mom didn't know how to cook and neither did they.  I smiled at them and said then they should learn.  

Even after I moved out, they would come over to my apartment with those sad eyes trying to make my feel guilty for leaving them.  A few times it almost worked but then I would be reminded why I liked my apartment so much better.  One or more of my siblings would visit me at a time and would complain about having to clean up after the other ones.  Now that I wasn't home mom and dad expected them to clean up and if it didn't get done then they all got in trouble.  Mom didn't cook and expected one of them to be making dinner for everyone.  It was so unfair they would cry out.  I would think "welcome to my world" wryly to myself.  From the time I turned fourteen I was left in charge of everything.  School became a second for me.  My parents expected me to care for the triplets, clean the house, cook the meals and just be their general slave.  The few times I would get jobs outside the home they would make me quit because it took me away from home to much.  I wanted to go to college but they didn't want me to.  My mom told me that I was meant to be a wife.  That the domestic stuff was what I was good at so why would I want to waste any time in college.  I just needed to finish high school and I was about to graduate at that.

That's when I had met Evan.  He was tall and blond and muscular just how I liked them.  He had eyes for me as well.  I couldn't believe my dumb luck in finding him his only drawback was that he was always pressuring me to have s*x.  I explained to him that I intended to remain a virgin until I was married.  He told me I was too old fashioned for my own good but that he would wait for me.  That thrilled my deep inside to know that he accepted my wishes even though he didn't agree with them. The first person to ever do something like that in my life.  I was hooked on him.  One night out of the blue he asked me to marry him and I said yes.  He immediately tried to get in my pants and I told him I was waiting until marriage.  He had pleaded with me telling me that since we were engaged, we were practically married already so it wouldn't make a difference.  I told him it would make a difference to me.  He seemed to accept that and later that night we met our friends and shared the news about our engagement.  Four months later my best friend who was going to be my maid of honor was pregnant.  She begged me not to go through with the wedding until after she had the baby because she didn't want to walk down the aisle looking as big as a house.  I didn't think she looked that bad but agreed.  We postponed the wedding until the after the baby was born.

The day my friend had the baby I was dealt a terrible blow to my self-esteem. I walked to my friend’s hospital room and could hear voices. It turned out to be Mary and my then fiancé Evan.  Turns out they had been sleeping together and having a relationship behind my back. I couldn’t believe how blind I had been with the two of them. That was two months ago and I had put that behind me as best as I could.  But I was more focused than ever on going off to college and since my family wasn't going to help me, I had to earn the money myself.  When I got hired on here it was clear I was leaving at some point in time.  When my engagement ended it was made clear that would be the end of the summer and I was told that they would transfer me to the bar close to my chosen college so the job would follow me.  I was happy with that and had no intention of getting involved in a relationship of any sort.  So, when Ray started making eyes and passes at me, I was shutting him down as fast as I could.  It was one of the other waitresses named Erin that talked me into just going out with the guy.  "Don't get involved in a relationship just go out with him every once in a while" was Erin's advice.  It sounded about right.

At the end of the shift as we were cleaning the bar Ray came over to me and asked how I did for the night. I told him I did really well and made a lot in tips.  I gave him some of my tips and when he started to hand it back to me, I told him that I knew the other girls tipped him so it stood that I should as well.  He just smiled at me and started to walk away.  But then he turned to me and said "I'm going to give this one more shot.  I noticed we have the same days off this week would you be willing to use one of those days and go out on a date with me?"  I could see the hope in his eyes and I surprised him when I said yes.  I was pretty certain the guy jumped for joy.  I chuckled as he did an air punch of victory while he was walking away.  The next night when we were leaving work, I gave him my phone number and address so that he could pick me up tomorrow.  As I was walking out my cell phone rang.  When I answered it, I was surprised to find it was him on the other line. I turned around to look at him while he spoke into the phone "just wanted to make sure you gave me a legit number."  I smiled at that and responded with "yes and the address is legit as well. See you tomorrow."s indeed ready to go to this date.  It had been a year since she had gotten her heart broken.  She wasn't sure if she was ready for a relationship but a friendship with Jacob would be nice to start with.  If it turned into more than that's what it is.

They approached the parking lot of one of the towns most prestigious night clubs and restaurants.  He said "I hope you're hungry I made reservations at the restaurant before we go dancing.  Need to keep our energy up and a clear head if we decide to have any drinks."  She smiled at that.  This told her that he was a gentleman for now and that he at least cared if she had a clear head. When they got inside he gave his name to the maitre de and they were seated in a cozy little table in the corner.  He told her to order what she wanted and she told him that she was old fashioned and would eat whatever he ordered her.  With that he smiled and said "I'm glad you can trust me that much.  Is there anything I should be aware of that you may be allergic to?"  She shook her head no and he proceeded to order for the both of them.  Dinner went along just fine and soon enough they were laughing and talking about their various life experiences.  An hour into dinner they decided to make their way to the night club and to the dance floor to work off all the calories they had just consumed.  

They spent the next several hours dancing their hearts out to the music.  There were a few slow songs and the first two the young couple sat out of them.  But then when the next one came on he looked at her and said "I would love to see how you fit in my arms for a slow dance would you please have this dance with me?"  How could she say no to that?  They made their way to the dance floor where the music was playing and she put her arms around him as he put his arms around her.  They swayed and moved to the music and it was like they were meant for one another.  He was taller than she was so to put her arms around his neck was a bit of a stretch and when she did he surprised her with a soft kiss on her lips.  "Oh sorry was that to forward of me?" he asked when he noticed her reaction.  "Erin told me about your last relationship and how you wanted to take it slow. I'm sorry I just couldn't resist.  I wanted to see how your lips would taste against mine."  Oh this guy was good.  Damn Erin she would have to have some words with that girl the next time she saw her.  But that kiss was good and she wouldn't be opposed to having another.

Just as the night was winding up on the dance floor she ran into them.  Evan and Mary.  They were a couple now.  There was a ring on her finger so they were either engaged or married.  She thought about how sorry she was for Mary because if he cheated on her then surely he would cheat on Mary.  Of course they both were responsible for that relationship. She recoiled when she saw them and Jacob immediately sensed her discomfort.  "Are you ok? Do you know those people?" he had asked with concern in his voice.  "Yes it is my ex fiancee and my ex best friend."  "Let's go sit this one out I think you need a rest."  He then guided her to a table and pulled out a chair for her to sit on before being seated himself.  Such a gentleman.  Who knew he had it in him with all the flirting he did with the ladies at the bar.  But she guessed he must have been playing the part like she did when she was at work.  Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse the couple she was trying to avoid locked eyes with her.  Mary smiled and they both made their way over to the table where she was sitting.

"Shocker seeing you here Lisa."  Mary had snarled.  "I didn't think you knew what these kinds of places were let alone come to one. You never liked to go out before."  I looked up at her and said "Mary, Evan it's nice to see you two are still together after all this time."  To which Mary laughed and said "of course we are still together." Then she rubbed her stomach and said "we are celebrating we found out we are expecting our second baby. To think we owe all this happiness to you."  She looked over at Evan and said "wouldn't you agree dear?"  He smiled it was a twisted smile.  He looked at me in the eye and said "she's right Lisa if it wasn't for you we wouldn't be together like we are now."  Jacob excused himself and told her he was going to go get a drink for the both of them.  She smiled and thanked him.  After that encounter she could surely use a drink.  But before he could get back Evan made his way without Mary to her table once again. "I see you are coming out in the world.  You're still as beautiful as ever dear maybe you and I should hook up?  I see you've lost your prudish ways."  It repulsed her to hear those words from him.  She smiled at him and said "no I don't go for sloppy seconds, or make that thirds since I have already been yours once and now you have your woman."  Just about that time Jacob walked up to the table and had a strange look in his eyes.  Evan turned to him and said "you just waisted your money bro, she's not going to put out no matter how much alcohol you put in her.  She's a good girl or so she claims.  Who knows maybe you have what it takes to get in between those tight little virgin thighs. She's cold as ice but I bet she's a screamer."  With that two glasses shattered on the ground and the next thing she knew Evan was laying on the floor clutching his nose.  Mary had made her way back to the scene by this time and asked what happened.  Jacob looked at her and said "you should probably tell your leech here to stop making passes at my girlfriend he had his chance and he lost it."  

Lisa just stared at him for a good few seconds to comprehend what he had just said.  He called her his girlfriend but they had only been out on one date.  He had punched out Evan for saying those awful things about her.  Nobody had ever defended her honor. NOBODY.  Then he did something even more surprising and pulled her up from the chair she was sitting and gave her such a passionate kiss her knees went weak. She wove her fingers through his hair not caring who was watching and leaned into his body.  When the kiss was over there was a gleam in his eyes and he looked over at Evan and said "I dont' know what you were talking about but that sure as the hell didn't feel cold as ice to me."  Evan turned several shades of red and Mary was tugging at his shirt to get him to leave.  "She's not worth it Evan."  With that the couple walked away.  She just glanced up at this man that she just went out with.  Did he really just defend her honor and call her hot in the same few seconds?  Yes he did.

On the drive back to her place he placed a hand on her thigh and then immediately moved it. She giggled a little and said "why did you do that?"  He looked at her startled and said "force of habit. Sorry I'm trying to not be a playboy with you.  I really like you and want to do this right.  I'm also sorry for kissing you like I did in front of your ex and his woman."  She looked up at him and said "that was the first time anyone has ever stood up for me like that and I can't tell you how much I appreciated it."  When they arrived back at her house he told her to stay put. She sat there as he came around the front of the car and opened the door for her. "Can I walk you to your door?" He asked unsure of what the answer would be.  She smiled and told him she would love it if he did.  When the got to the door she took out her key to open the lock and he took it from her.  He unlocked the door took a step inside the foyer, turned on the lights, glanced around and told her everything looked fine.  Then he reached down and gave a quick gentle, sweet kiss on the lips and said "well I guess I will see you at work day after tomorrow."  She nodded and watched him as he walked back to his car.  She didn't close the door until he started to drive away from the house.  When she did close the door finally she leaned up against it and sighed.  She liked this guy.  Really liked him and she was pretty sure that he was the one that she was supposed to marry. He was the reason she hadn't left this town at the time that she had. She was destined to meet him and boy was he everything she could dream of.