Page 9 of Jackass

Her body froze. The look of terror on her face when she heard my voice made me pause. She slowly turned her head and looked at me.

She blinked at me. “Jack?”

When she realized it was me, her shoulders relaxed.

What the hell was that?

“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking around the room, for what, I wasn’t sure.

“I live here. We started a new chapter here a few years ago.”

Sammy looked at my cut and then swung her head to look at Blade.

“Hey,” he said.

“Um, hi.” She glanced around the room again.

“Sammy, how long have you been in Diamond Creek?” I asked.

I wanted to know how I had missed her.

She turned back to me and shook her head.

“Um, I don’t. I just started working here. I live a few towns over.”

She fidgeted with her pad.

Why was she so nervous?

“Hey, Sammy.” I reached out and placed my hand over hers. She looked back at me again.

“I’m sorry, I’ll have to have another server wait on you. I was supposed to take my break fifteen minutes ago.”

She hurried toward the kitchen, and I stood to follow her.

As I walked away, I heard Blade arrogantly say, “Told you, asshole.”

Ignoring him, I went in search of Sammy.

I needed answers.

I needed her.

She was pacing out back behind the restaurant when I found her.

I walked up behind her and placed my hand on her back. She jumped and spun around with the same look she had earlier.

“Hey, beautiful, what’s wrong?”

“What? Nothing, you just surprised me. I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” Her hands twisted in her apron.

I placed my hands on her shoulders, trying to steady her.

“Sammy—”

“Jack, please don’t call me Sammy. It’s Sam or Samantha.”

“I like Sammy,” I said and winked.

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