Page 2 of Sassy Pants
I knew they probably looked into me and thought I wasn’t worthy of their precious Noah. Everyone in Drag Creek knows who my fatheris. All they had to do was ask anyone. Leroy Dobson the town drunk. The man who could never hold down a steady job while drinking his life away is my dad. I had to work twice as hard as everyone else to prove myself. To fit in.
When Noah first invited me to have Christmas dinner at his parent’s, I thought it seemed too soon into our relationship and boy oh boy I was right. We’d only been dating for six weeks tops if that. I told him we should take things slow, but no not Noah. He swore to me that he wanted us to be serious that he thought he was falling for me.Yeah right.The sad part is I knew better. In hindsight I think he only wanted in my pants because I let it slip one night that I was a virgin. The whole time we’d been together I’d not met his friends. We always hung out at his apartment or gone out of town for dinner, which at first didn’t bother me, but as time edged on it became clearer to me Noah had been hiding me. From everyone.
He didn’t want a serious relationship. At least not with me. The rebound. It’s fine. He should’ve been upfront. Instead he chose to demean me in front of his entire family including Cassandra. Don’t even get me started on that C-U-Next-Tuesday Bitch. She came up in each conversation. Her picture served as the wallpaper on his cell phone when he took me out on a date. The red flags were all there wrapped in a pretty bow, but I ignored them. I wanted to believe that one day the relationship would lead somewhere. That maybe I was somebody special.
Such a fool. “Never get above your raisin’, Gianna.” That’s what my grandma, Patsy always told me. “Don’t be trying to fit in with them rich kids at school. You’re trailer trash and it’s all they will ever view you as.”
**
After that night from hell I quit my job at the bank. I came crawling back home to DragCreek to lick my wounds. I’ve been back home three weeks. Jelissa’s dad gave me a job at the Pizza Palace.
Lucky for me Jelissa is married to my half-brother, and they’re letting me stay with them instead of my having to crash at our dad’s. He still lives in the same trailer park in his rusty old trailer. I haven’t exactly told him I’m back in DC.
I took off straight after graduation. I haven’t been back other than to watch Jelissa and Chaser get hitched at the courthouse five years ago until now. When my nephew was born, I visited them at the hospital. They brought him to see me on the occasional weekend.
“Let me see you in the red one,” Jelissa rattles the handle to the dressing room door.
“Calm down. Gee.” I flick the lock and open the door.
“Babe. You look hot.”
“I’m still not completely sold on this whole blind date thinger.”
“You’ll love Jay. He’s cute plus he has a decent steady job.” I admit the idea of dating a doctor is kind of interesting.
“So what’s wrong with him? Why is he single?”
Her lips purse as a hand comes to rest on her hip. “Nothing. He’s divorced.”
“Something’s wrong with him. Women around here don’t simply divorce a doctor.”
“You think there’s something wrong with everyone.”
“That’s because there is. Now go on so I can change out of this dress I gotta get to work.” Jelissa moves out of the way, and I close the door to change back into my work clothes for my shift tonight.
I exit the dressing room with the dresses tucked over my arm. Jelissa squeals. “Does this mean you’ll go out with Jay?”
“It means I’ll think about it.”
“You’re so difficult.”
“You know I love you, but I don’t know if I’m ready to get back on that saddle quite yet.”
“Yeah. Yeah. I’m gonna go get the car started while you check out.”
I glance out the window toward the parking lot. The snow is really starting to come down.
Maybe if I’m lucky a blizzard will come, giving me another excuse to back out of this date with this Jay guy. I don’t even know why I’m buying clothes for a date I likely won’t go on. After the disaster of Noah, I’m not in any hurry.
Chapter 2
Gianna
“Yo, G. You’ve been seated.” Antonio squeezes my shoulder as he ducks behind the bar.
“Thanks.” I pull my order pad out of my apron, plastering on my fake smile. Truth is I was hoping no one else would come in and Antonio would allow me to go on home. The weather is shit. My shift is crawling by. I can hear the ticks of Father Time’s clock as the seconds pass. Pizza Palace has been in business for about ten years. The restaurant normally stays packed, sends out a lot of takeout and deliveries, but this weather is the kind that keeps ya at home curled up with a bowl of soup or chili.
I’d give about anything to be wearing my fuzzy pajamas in bed with a dirty romance bookto escape reality. Maybe one that takes place somewhere tropical. Approaching the table, my customer’s seated with his back facing me. The snow continues to fall harder. The scenery illuminated by the pole light in the parking lot as I glance out the window gives the impression we’re trapped inside a snow globe that’s recently been shook.
