Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Work became routine for Jayd the following day after her encounter with Steve on the roof. She didn’t have to avoid him because he had called in sick that morning. She felt her heart heavy when it was hard to concentrate on the screen in front of her. Jayd closed her eyes to rest them when she heard her office door open. Her eyes snapped open, hoping it was Steve but it was Andrew instead “What’s wrong? You look disappointed.” He smiled gently.
Shaking her head, she answered “No, why would I be? I’m always happy to see you.” He walked over and hugged her as she clung onto his waist “I miss you.”
Andrew looked down at her strangely as he knelt to be leveled with her “Is something wrong?”
“No.” she lied with a plastered smile.
Fixing a strand from her face, he grinned “Good because we’re having lunch with Daddy today. I want this to go perfect. Just like dinner last Friday.”
“Do I have to go?” she asked pleadingly “I’m not feeling too good.”
“Are you sick?” he asked.
“Yeah, kind of.” She smiled weakly.
Andrew sighed “I know you’re still nervous around him but trust me. He really likes you.” Jayd had no choice but to agree with a short nod. He kissed her on the forehead “I’ve gotta go but I’ll be back at noon for you.” She nodded in answer and watched him leave.
The rest of the day was a blur to Jayd, she went through the motions in a daze. Lunch was a blank sheet in her head for she couldn’t remember how it went or if she was polite enough for Mr. Fung. She remembered Andrew repeating a few questions but could not recall what they were by the time she got home that night “Hi ma.” She greeted without much feeling.
“You’re perky tonight.” She quickly noticed the gloomy expression her daughter had when she collapsed onto the couch tiredly “Long day?”
“It felt like ten years.” Jayd sighed.
“Steve came over—”
“He’s here?” Jayd shot up, suddenly wide awake.
“No.” Mrs. Lee frowned “He came by to drop off something for you. I left it in your room.”
She didn’t have to finish for Jayd to rush to her room. She found an large envelop on her bed. Opening it, she found a letter and her old rag doll that she thought was lost when she was ten. She controlled the tears from coming out when she read the letter ‘Jayd, I hope this doll leaves you smiling. I bet you thought it was lost. When I hid it years ago, I didn’t want to give it back to you because I knew you would always come by to ask me for it. I would tease you and say I don’t know but I really did. I could tell you knew even then. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make you sad or question your feelings. But some things are better to be questioned now then later. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt, remember I only want you to be happy. No matter what happens between us. Can we go back to where we were? Good friends? I know I can’t ask you to forget what I said but all I’m asking is that you try. I don’t want to lose a friend like you. Love Stevie.’
Jayd wiped the tears from her eyes as she dropped the doll and letter. Walking over to his apartment, she put on a smile and knocked on the door. She heard footsteps getting closer as he opened the door with a look of surprise “Jayd?”
“Thank you.” She hugged him tightly, a smile sprawled on her face. Slowly, his arms reached up and returned the hug.
“I figured it should go to the rightful owner.” He smiled.
“And we can be friends again.” She pulled away with a wide grin. Tears still wet on her face.
Steve smiled as he wiped the remaining tears away with his thumb “Silly girl.”
Jayd pouted “Don’t make me cry again.” He laughed “It’s not funny, you should have seen me…” her words faded and so did her smile when she spotted Lisa behind emerging from the kitchen “Lisa.”
“Hi Jayd!” she grinned while fixing her apron “I’m making dinner. You want to join us?”
She felt a sudden twinge of jealousy, something she’s never felt before. It was foreign to her and at the moment she had no idea what to do with it “Oh…eh…no…it’s okay. Um…my mom is cooking…which reminds me. I …eh…should get back.” She stammered and knew what an idiot she must have sounded like.
“Okay…we’ll see you later.” Lisa said brightly as she returned to the kitchen.
“There’s no need to lie.” Steve crossed his arms sternly “Auntie said she was going to her friends and playing mahjong for the rest of the night.”
“Oh really?” Jayd thought fast for an excuse “Right…Andrew is coming by.”
He turned his head strangely “Really? I thought he said he had a meeting tonight?”
Her mind went blank as her face grew hot with embarrassment “Well, you’re not exactly sick!”
Steve covered his mouth and forced out two coughs “Yeah, I am. I have a cough.”
“Convincing.” Jayd said with extra sarcasm “No, it’s okay. I don’t want to bother you with your dinner date.” Turning, she walked back to her apartment. Leaning on the door, she scolded herself for weakening. Why was she so jealous? Who cares if he’s dating Lisa? What did it matter to her? Sighing, she walked into her room and stopped at her bed where a clear view of the doll and letter sat. When the jealous feeling came over, she suddenly felt angry.
Jayd turned to her drawer as she dug through her jewelry case and pulled out a silver necklace Andrew bought for her years before. She let the feeling take over, marching back to his apartment, she knocked vigorously until he opened the door “Jayd?” Steve was confused to see her.
“This is a necklace Andrew bought for me on a business trip to Japan. He said the charm reminded him of me.” She pointed to the little girl smiling brightly “He makes my heart flutter every time he kisses me here.” She pointed to her forehead “He makes me laugh all the time and I smile each time I think of him and it’s almost everyday!” she burst out angrily “So don’t look at me with that cocky face and tell me that I have no feelings for this guy!”
Steve leaned onto the door with a tilted head “It took you that long to answer me?” she huffed angrily and was ready to turn on her heels when he pulled her back by the hand with a laugh “I’m kidding!” closing the door, he smiled at her “Stay for dinner. I’d like for you to be here.”
“How about Lisa?” Jayd whispered.
“She can’t hear you.” He replied with the same tone “She left, family emergency or something.” He shrugged.
“Oh, so I’m just a substitute? You just don’t want to eat dinner—” he began laughing, making her stop “What’s so funny?”
He smiled with a shaking head “Just the way you get angry over everything I say.”
“That’s not true.” Jayd muttered.
“Yes it is and you know it.” He walked over to the set up dining table “You like pasta?”
Wrinkling her nose, she nodded vehemently when he turned to her for confirmation “Yeah.”
Suspicious, he pointed to the dish “What’s the name of this pasta?”
“They have names?” Jayd asked and he nodded with widened eyes “Oh…I’m not too good at the names. They’re all in Italian.” She laughed nervously.
Steve laughed “They’re called ‘bow ties’.” He pulled the chair out for her to sit “Shall we?”
Jayd watched him as he sat down across from her and began digging into the food “How can you act so normal?” He looked up at her with a mouthful “Doesn’t it bother you? I just threw everything back in your face.”
“A day later.” He shrugged “He couldn’t be that important.”
A slow smile came on her face “You’re hopeless.”
“Yes! A hopeless romantic.” He agreed “A friend once told me that. I didn’t believe her then but I guess now I do…because you said so.”
“I’m not worth the trouble.” Jayd tried to convince him.
He stopped eating and looked up at her solemnly “You have nothing to prove to me. If you truly love Andrew, concentrate on that. Whatever I said should have no meaning.” She opened her mouth to reply but he beat her to it “I meant everything I said. From my little heart.” He read her thoughts “Have a little faith in yourself.”
Her thoughts were running through her head but she kept them hidden afraid she would open yet another box of worms if she questioned further. Instead, she nodded silently “I will.”
“How is it?” he asked after she had her first bite.
Jayd smiled forcefully “Mmm, it’s delicious.” She lied openly.
“Really? I think the pasta is a little undercooked and the sauce is way too sour. Plus the ground beef is old.” He watched as she spat the food out into a napkin. He laughed when she grumbled incoherently “Soy sauce chicken and rice?”
“I’d thought you’d never ask!” she laughed while collecting the dishes and tossing it into the sink. They rode downtown in the same cab, Steve gave the driver directions as he stopped in front of a run down restaurant “Wow…you don’t have to splurge your entire paycheck on little ole me.” She mocked.
“They make good chicken here.” He laughed while showing her the way inside.
The place wasn’t as bad as it looked from the outside. They were seated in the corner back of the room, a booth fit for two “This is okay.” Jayd bounced on the seat “Comfy…” she nodded approvingly.
“Her majesty likes!” he claimed with a laugh. Suddenly, his smile shortened “Um…maybe we should got eat somewhere else?”
“Why?” Jayd asked as she turned to where he was looking. There in the separate backroom were a group of well dressed businessmen. Andrew was one of them and a girl dressed to kill and wearing too much makeup was swooning all over him. He looked cold and uncomfortable but allowed her to touch his arm and shoulders. She turned back to Steve with a shrug “We can eat here. I’m actually craving for chicken.” She grinned wildly.
Steve shook his head “Are you in denial?”
“Denial?” she asked while noticing his nod towards the room with the businessmen and escorts “Oh that…I see Andrew.” She assured him.
“And you’re not jealous?” he asked.
Jayd shook her head “Why should I be? He obviously is uncomfortable but because of worth ethics, he can’t just push the girl away. The other guys will think he’s a wimp.”
Steve flared his nose in shock as he unfolded the menu and glared at it “I think he’s something else right now. But I don’t want to curse in a restaurant.”
Sighing, she pushed his menu down “Hey, I’m not bothered with it. Why should you be? It is just business after all. He’s never had a problem of infidelity before and I’m not about to walk over and put on my bitchy girlfriend face because some girl is crawling all over him. He’s a big boy, he can fight her off himself.” She assured him.
“Denial.” He shook his head.
Jayd smiled “Call it what you want.” She peeked behind in the room and found Andrew this time pushing the girl’s hand off his chest. A look of annoyance filled his face. Feeling relieved, she return to the dinner and ordered a dish for herself.
After they finished, they got up to leave and noticed the men were still in the room. Most of which looked drunk but Andrew remained calm and cool. He looked bored as he glanced at his watch “Poor baby, he’s bored by the women.” Steve pouted “Must not be his taste.”
“Oh stop.” Jayd laughed as she linked her arm through Steve's and pulled him out of the restaurant “You’re just mad because I didn’t turn into the green eyed envy monster you thought I would become.”
“You read my mind.” He said bluntly.
“Just admit it. He’s not a bad guy.” She teased as they walked along the streets.
Rolling his eyes, he repeated, “He’s not a bad guy.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard.” Jayd grinned. Suddenly her eyes lit up “Ooh!! Fish balls!” she rushed over the vendor.
“We just ate!” He exclaimed.