| Lainey woke up at six o�clock Thursday morning and climbed into the shower. When she was dressed and ready, she woke Cassidy up. �Cassidy, come on, wake up. I need a ride to work.� �What time is it?� Cassidy asked as she rolled over and covered her head. �It�s seven o�clock. I made coffee.� �Yeah, I am up.� Cassidy rolled out of bed and walked like a zombie directly to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Lainey had already made a cup for her, so Cassidy grabbed it and sat at the kitchen table and took a sip. �What time do you have to be at work?� �Eight o�clock. I�m sorry for waking you up, but my car should be ready this afternoon, so you won�t have to bring me again. �Alright. Let me finish my coffee and I�ll get dressed.� �Take your time.� Lainey finished getting her things together as Cassidy woke herself up. They left at seven thirty, and headed to Southern Pines. Cassidy dropped Lainey off and drove back home and crawled back into bed. She was tired, and decided she wasn�t getting up until eleven. That would give her an hour to get ready and get to work. Cassidy was woken up at ten thirty, to her boyfriend Nathan banging on the front door. �Cassidy, answer the door. I know you�re home.� Cassidy rolled out of bed and went to the door. She opened it and saw Nathan. She left the door wide open and walked to the kitchen to make some more coffee. Nathan was right on her tail. �What the hell were you doing?� �I was sleeping.� �It�s ten thirty in the morning.� �Yeah, and I am tired.� �Well, where did you go last night?� �I was home with my sister. She was having a rough day, and I was trying to get her into a good mood.� �It�s always your sister. You never have any time for me.� �Nathan, why don�t you go home?� �Excuse me?� �I didn�t stutter. I said go home.� �What for?� �Because I don�t want to see you anymore.� �Why?� �Because I am seeing somebody else.� �No you�re not.� �Yes, I am. I have a date with him tomorrow night. If you don�t believe me, go ask him. He lives next door.� �Matt Hardy is your only neighbor. You have that camp on the other side.� �I know.� Cassidy said, hoping Nathan would just go away. �You are not dating Matt Hardy.� �Go ask him.� Cassidy turned around and faced Nathan. �Look, you may as well face it now. I don�t want to be with you anymore. That means we just broke up. It�s over between us. We are finished. End of story.� Nathan looked at Cassidy as if he had no idea what she was saying. �Nathan, I know you�re not all that smart, but what that means is get the hell out of my house before I have to go postal and kick your mother fucking ass.� Nathan didn�t say a word, he just walked out. Cassidy slammed the door behind him and locked it. She drank a cup of coffee and got into the shower. She got herself ready for work and left, heading for Beefeater�s. Lainey was supposed to be out of work at three thirty, but didn�t finish her last portrait until almost four o�clock. When she was done, she called Overton�s Body Shop and talked to Danny. He told her that the axle was completely broken, and it would be a few more days, and he apologized. Lainey hung up the phone, and called her sister. �Hello?� �Cassidy? It�s Lainey.� �What�s up?� �Is there any possible way you can leave for an hour and bring me home?� �No, we are swamped. I thought your car was supposed to be fixed this afternoon?� �It was. I called the guy and he told me that the axle was broken and it would be a few more days.� �I�m really sorry Lainey, I just can�t get out.� �Alright, I�ll just try to catch a ride with somebody. I�ll talk to you later.� Lainey hung up the phone, and was mad. Now how was she supposed to get home? It would cost her forty dollars to take a cab, so she started rummaging through her purse to see if she had enough money. She pulled out the paper Jeff had given her with his number on it. She contemplated whether or not to call him for a ride. She figured it would save her forty bucks, so she dialed the number. �Hello?� The female voice on the other end answered. �Hi.� Lainey said hesitantly. �Is Jeff there?� �Can I ask who is calling?� �It�s Lainey.� �Hold on�� The female said angrily. A few moments later, Lainey heard Jeff say, �Hello?� �Hi Jeff, its Lainey. I don�t mean to bother you.� �It�s no bother, what�s up?� �Well, my sister ended up having to work today, so she brought me to work this morning. The problem is, I called the body shop and the guy told me that the axle was completely broken and my car won�t be ready for another few days. I am at work and I kind of need a ride home. If you can�t give me I ride, I understand, I�ll just take a cab.� �Lainey, slow down.� Jeff said. �I am on my way to pick you up. Olan Mills is on US 15-501 in Southern Pines, right?� �Yes, it is.� �Alright. I�ll be there in twenty minutes.� �Thank you so much Jeff.� They both hung up the phone, and Lainey sat outside, waiting for Jeff. Jeff hung up the phone and Lizzie started in on him. �Who the hell is Lainey?� �Lainey is the girl I had the accident with the other night. Her car isn�t fixed yet and she needs a ride. I am going to pick her up. I�ll be home in about an hour.� Jeff didn�t wait for a response from Lizzie, he grabbed his keys and left. He heard her screaming at the top of her lungs as he pulled out of the driveway, but paid no attention to what she was bitching about, nor did he even give a damn. Twenty five minutes later, Jeff arrived at Lainey�s work, and saw her patiently waiting for him on a bench outside. She saw Jeff�s truck, and stood up. Jeff pulled up along side her, and she got in and buckled her seat belt. �Thank You so much Jeff.� �It�s no problem Lainey. How are you today?� �I am alright. How are you?� �I am good, now I am anyway.� �You are now?� �Now that I am with you, I am great.� �Me?� Lainey asked. She wasn�t sure what Jeff meant. �I feel comfortable with you. You don�t bitch at me for stupid shit, unlike Lizzie. She and I have been fighting for about the last month straight.� �Lizzie is you girlfriend?� �Yes. But I am not sure how much longer we will be together. She just doesn�t get me. Last night I spent the night in my studio, because we were fighting. I hate to say it but I am so glad I am going on the road tomorrow. I won�t have to see her for four days.� Lainey couldn�t believe what she was hearing. She knew Jeff wasn�t happy, or at least she knew he wasn�t the way he was the day before. She was off in thought until Jeff brought her back to reality. �Lainey� Lainey, are you still with me?� �Yes, I am.� She replied, once she heard him. �So do you?� �Do I what?� Jeff laughed a little. �I asked you if you wanted to stop and get something to eat.� �Sure, where do you want to go?� �Where ever you�d like. I�m not picky.� �Well, I don�t care. You pick.� �Okay, how about� well, we can go to Beefeater�s. They have awesome food there.� �Um�� Lainey thought for a second. She didn�t want Cassidy to see the two of them together, because it might piss her off. But then again, Cassidy was the chef, and she wouldn�t be in the dining room. �Okay, I�d go to Beefeater�s, but don�t you think we are a little underdressed?� �Maybe I am, but you look great. Besides, what do they care, as long as they are getting paid? It will be fine, they will let us in.� �Okay.� Lainey said. Lainey and Jeff arrived at Beefeater�s and got some strange looks as they went inside. Lainey was wearing a pair of khaki carpenter pants and a white tee shirt. She looked presentable. But then, there was Jeff. He was wearing a white wife beater shirt and a pair of leopard print pants. His purple and green hair was flopping out the top of the bright red bandana he had tied around his forehead. The hostess came over to them, and she recognized Lainey right away. �Hey Lainey, how are you?� She looked Jeff up and down. �And you are Jeff Hardy.� �Yes I am. We�d like a table for two.� �Um� sure, right this way.� The hostess said. She grabbed two menus and headed into the restaurant, followed by Lainey, and then Jeff. The two of them were sat a table in the back of the restaurant, in a low traffic area. Needless to say, they wouldn�t be seen by a lot of people. After the hostess left, Jeff said, �Is this okay, because I can have them move us.� �Where we are is fine Jeff, if it�s okay with you.� �It�s fine with me. We will get some privacy.� The two of them were looking at the menu, when a waitress came over. �Hi, I�m Wendy, and I will be your waitress today. Can I get you something to drink while you decide?� �Yes�� Jeff said as he looked up from his menu. �I�ll have a Heineken.� �And I�ll have a Smirnoff.� Lainey said without taking the menu from in front of her face. �Okay, I�ll be right back with those.� The waitress left the table and Lainey put her menu down. Jeff looked at her and asked, �Are you embarrassed to be seen with me Lainey?� �No, not at all Jeff.� �Then why are you hiding behind your menu?� �Cassidy is the head chef here.� �Your sister works here?� �Yes. And I don�t want to piss her off.� �I take it she doesn�t like me.� �It�s not that she doesn�t like you. She is just protective of me because she is older than me.� �I thought the two of you were twins?� �We are, but Cassidy is 6 minutes older than me. She says it�s a day, because she was born at 11:58 pm on April 4th and I was born at 12:04 am on April 5th. So she always says she�s older by a day, and tries to boss me around.� �That�s funny. Matt is always bossing me around, but he is three years older than I am. So what are you going to eat?� �I think I am going to have the Filet Mignon. What about you?� �I�m going to have the Baby Back Ribs to start, and then I�m going to get the Ribeye Steak and Lobster Tail.� �You like seafood?� Lainey asked, looking as if she was going to vomit. �I love seafood, you don�t?� �No, I�ve never been a big fan of it. My dad and sister love it, but my mom and I hate it.� �I won�t order it if it�s going to bother you.� �If you want it, then order it. My sister eats it all the time, I�m used to people eating it, I just don�t care for it.� The waitress came back over with the drinks and set them in front of Jeff and Lainey. �Are you ready to order?� �Yes, we are.� Jeff told her. �I�d like to have the Barbecued Baby Back Ribs to start. Then I would like to get the Ribeye Steak and Lobster Tail, with a baked potato.� �And how would you like your steak?� �Medium well.� �And for you miss?� Lainey put her menu down and said, �I�ll have the Filet Mignon, cooked as well done as the chef will cook it, along with the Garden Blend Rice.� �Hey Lainey, how are you doing? I heard you were in an accident.� �I was, but I am fine Wendy.� �Does Cassidy know that you�re here?� �I don�t think so. But please don�t bother her. I talked to her a short while ago, and she said she was really busy.� �She is. The kitchen is crazy.� �Don�t tell her, because she�ll want to come out here, and then it will make things worse for her later on in the night.� �Okay.� Wendy said. �I�ll go put in your order.� Wendy took the menus, walked away from the table and went into the kitchen. Jeff looked at Lainey. He studied her face as she was fidgeting with her napkin. She wasn�t at all like Lizzie. She was different. She knew where he was coming from, and accepted all of his crazy ideas and ventures, without a second thought. As Jeff was looking at her, Lainey looked up and noticed. �What?� �Nothing, I was just thinking.� �What about, the next alumi-thing that you are going to build?� �No�� Before Jeff could say another word, his mind was flowing with all of these words. �Do you have a pen?� �Yes.� Lainey said as she grabbed a pen out of her purse. She handed it to Jeff. He was looking for something to write on, but there was nothing around. �Do you have any kind of paper?� Lainey dug back into her purse and found an old receipt she had. �I have an old receipt, will that work?� �Yeah, sure.� Lainey handed it to Jeff, and he started writing. �What are you writing Jeff?� �Shhhh. Just a second.� Jeff wrote until he filled up the piece of paper. He read it back to himself, and then put it in his pocket. �What did you write?� Lainey inquired. �Nothing.� �Come on. You cannot write for two or three minutes and then just put it in your pocket.� �Sure I can.� Jeff took a sip of his beer. �You won�t read it to me?� Jeff looked at Lainey, and she was looking back at him with puppy dog eyes. He could not resist her, so he took the paper out of his pocket. He read it to himself again, and then said, �I can�t read it to you, not yet anyway. I want to put it to music.� Lainey had a frown on her face. �Once I have it to music, I�ll let you hear it.� �Promise?� �You�ll be the first one.� �Okay.� Wendy came back to the table with Jeff�s ribs, and he starting eating them almost before she even got the plate on the table. Jeff and Lainey talked more, and were learning more about each other. Finally, dinner showed up at the table. Jeff and Lainey were deep in conversation, and didn�t even notice the waitress standing at the table with their plates. |
| * Chapter Five * |
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