Page 48 of Second Chance Vacation

“I agree, but I wish it didn’t have to be my parents’ connections, ya know? I love them so much, but I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I just want to be able to do it on my own.”

“And you will. You’re insanely smart. I have faith that your career is going to well surpass being credited to your dad making a call.”

Jackson grins as he presses his glass to his lips.

“What about you? How do you like teaching middle school?”

“I enjoy it. I wish there was more freedom in the curriculum, but I love teaching the kids. It’s such a fun age.”

“I’m sure it’s a hoot. I could never teach middle school anything, let alone English. I commend you on that.”

“How’d you know I teach middle school English?”

His glass pauses on the way to his lips, pausing there for a moment.

“Oh—uh, Savannah told me—when she was trying to convince me to come on this trip.” He nods as if reassuring himself that his answer makes sense.

We order dinner, Jackson assisting me in ordering in French, as my knowledge of the language is limited. Tables are being moved from the area in front of the stage as the lighting in the restaurant goes dim. The look of confusion on my face must be obvious.

“They open the dance floor later at night for dancing.” He nods toward the stage where the musicians are setting back up after their short break.

“Oh, okay.”

We are on our second bottle of wine before Jackson reaches for my hand across the table, squeezing it in his own. I am unsure of what he is doing when he stands up, but I am quickly made aware as he leads me to the center of the empty floor.

“No one is dancing…”I whisper shout as I look around, my face growing warm.

“Well, someone has to start it.” He pulls me flush to his front as the singer’s angelic voice permeates the room once more.

* * *

“All I’m saying, Viv, is that you can do better,” Jackson spoke so matter-of-factly that I almost felt inclined to believe him simply by him asserting it to be true.

When I decided to go to prom with Andrew Cline, I didn’t expect the evening to end the way it had. While I thought it was implied that we’d be leaving together since we’d arrived hand in hand, he took it as an open-door invitation to leave with Rachel Harrisburger. Typical.

“I know,” I said as I smiled awkwardly, trying to convince myself that it was true.

Not that I was hopelessly in love with the guy, but my ego sure took a beating. I wasn’t prepared to have to call Jackson for a ride home because I’d ridden with Andrew, and Hannah had already left. Nor was I expecting the look he was giving me right now. It resembled pity, but it wasn’t at the same time? I couldn’t quite place it.

“Viv, I’m serious. The dude’s a dick. I don’t know why you went with him in the first place, honestly.” Despite his words sounding condescending, I knew he had honest intent with them.

“I needed a date, he asked.”

My gaze found the window in an attempt to look just about anywhere but at Jackson at that moment. I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to look that mess in the eye.

“Doesn’t mean it had to be him.”

“Well, he’s who asked.”

I found myself snippier than I would’ve liked or anticipated. Was there someone I’d wished had asked instead? Maybe. I didn’t know. Potentially. I just knew for a fact he was the only one who’d asked. I watched as Jackson’s eyes crept toward me out of my periphery, lingering a second longer than made sense. He shifted his attention back to the road with a clear of his throat. We pulled up in front of my house within seconds, the perks of being in a small town.

“Sorry for interrupting your night.”

I knew he’d opted not to go to prom, but I didn’t know why.

“It’s fine. I’m glad you called.”

He had a visible distance in his expression that I couldn’t quite place. Jackson was typically a warm presence, but that night he was colder than usual.

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