Dan got back into the building and nearly ran over Jesse.
"Where is she?"
"I walked her to her car," he said as he continued toward the terminals. "Have a good morning."
"Hey," she called after him. "I talked to Candy. She says you need to lay off of my girl."
An indescribable pain resurfaced deep in his chest. He didn't want it to be there anymore. He turned and slowly said, "I told you that Candy and I don't talk. I don't want anything to do with her."
"That's funny, cause she wants to do with you."
"That's nice. I have work to do," he attempted to distance himself.
"Look, Danny, she says she's sorry. She says she still loves you. Give her a shot."
"You know, I haven't seen her in over two years, and I don't plan to see her anytime soon," he calmly said and turned back down the hall.
He wasn't sure how to react . She'd ripped out his heart. He couldn't help but think about how they'd pretty much spent their lives together. Candy was so good to him. Candace Marie Rosetta.
*
That morning he was nothing but an obstacle at the shop. Saturday was a rush at the shop with a lot of extra people in for the football game. He was a little distracted by what Jo had refused to say. He'd felt something was a little off with her that first night he walked her to her car. He'd brushed it off as her being nervous about him. Now, it wasn't just him. It was the fact that he was a man paying attention to her. He would have to keep this something in mind whenever he was with her. His dad kept telling him to go upstairs and work it out. He needed to clear his head and a little keyboard in his room wasn't going to cut it. He got a nap in the afternoon, and decided to work it out at the Bans. He told his father where he was off to and took the 20 ft walk. It was packed with unfamiliar faces. He got a cream soda and walked up to the baby grand piano on the edge of the stage. He played two Billy Joel's and an Elton John then took a break. He caught a seat by the bar and was about to order another soda when someone touched his back. There she was. Candace Rosetta stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and a smile on her olive face. She tilted her head slightly to let her long black curly hair fall in front of her face. His favorite hairdo.
"A friend told me you were back in town," she beamed at him.
"Candy, hello," he smiled back stiffly as he offered her his hand.
"Oh, come on, Danny." She pressed her full breasts against him. "We know each other too well to be like that. So, how have you been?"
Before he realized it, his hands were entwined in her hair. It took him a moment to stop from accepting her in his arms. It was as though the years of separation hadn't happened. He forced his arms to let go. "I've been fine, Candace." He pointed his glass out to a bartender. Right now, she was clouding the reasons that he chose not to take her back.
"Yeah, I heard. So, where's this girl you're fucking?"
Okay, there was one reason. He cringed, "It's none of your business."
"She's that good, huh? I've heard a few things about her. She black? Honestly hon, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You did not have to go there. Anything they'll do, I'll do better. She's young or something? A bit extreme isn't it? I thought you had a thing against these undergrads."
Candy had this habit of spewing malice everywhere she went. "Candy, I said it was none of your business."
"It is my business. You were mine. You'd still be mine if..." She looked at him without finishing what they both knew.
"I'm not anyone's, Candy. You made your choices. I'm over it, okay?"
She put a hand on his cheek and said, "Don't say that. I love you. I made a mistake. You know you still love me."
Two years ago, those would have been the magic words to put him back into her bed. The slow caressing way that she spoke wove her spell, but he knew where it was headed.
"We could still get married. I kept in touch with your dad. He said you might..."
He pulled out of her grasp and got back onstage. This was the one spot that Candace could not go. He searched for a song that his nervous fingers would play. How dare she confuse him like this. The bartender set the drink down on a coaster near his right hand and asked him to stick with one song. He nodded and looked away from where Candace sat watching. He spotted Jesse first, then scanned her table to see Jo. He stood up to make sure it was her. She smiled slightly when he mouthed her name. He got a hold of himself and sat back down. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and played. The first song he knew was a crowd pleaser. The next was by him for Candace. He didn't want to be mad at Candace, but she didn't seem to understand where he stood. When he finished the song, he noticed Jo talking to a man he assumed was Gary. He went back to his stool and to Candy.
"So, that's her?"
He looked into her hazel eyes and nodded.
"What is she, twelve? She seems a bit proper for you. See how she keeps to herself? You'd be lucky to get a blowjob out of her." Her eyes closed to slits and she frowned. Candace really lost her attractive charm when her face bent like that.
"It's not about that, Candy. It's about this," he grumbled as he put his hand on his chest and massaged as close to the soreness that was developing. "I don't want to feel the way I felt when I was with you."
A movement caught his eye, and Jo was on the dance floor. She shimmied and shook by herself to the rhythm. He watched her hips sway gently. He knew Candace was dissecting the girl's every flaw, but he didn't listen. It was a transformation of sorts to see her smile. She was graceful, though reserved in her sway. There was magic in the coy flutter of her eye lashes as she let a low laugh escape her lips. With every movement, she had him tightly in her grasp. He hoped she would figure out that he was taken by her. The coolness of his implied jokes were wearing thin already. When the song changed, she changed with it. The moment had ended and she was back to herself. He watched as Gary tried to draw her back to the dance, but she refused. She sat back down. The guy got too close to her as he spoke. Only politeness kept Daniel riveted to the floor next to Candy. The touches of his ex to his neck and face weren't quite holding his attention. When the jerk touched Jo's face, he could see her freeze. He saw a slight shiver as he watched her internal struggle. When she got up, he drained his drink, picked up his coat, and followed her out. After he dodged a few people he found her to his right. She just stood there trembling in the cold.
*
Jo got up earlier than usual the next morning. She was wasting time in bed anyway. Why did Daniel have to touch her? If he had just left her alone, the dreams wouldn't have returned. She'd been able to sleep normally for quite some time before she met him.
She heard keys in the door and knew that Jesse had stayed with Terrence. The shorter girl hummed to herself as she threw down her purse and strolled into the kitchen.
"Damn, you look like who lost I found. What happened to you? Was it Hot Chocolate? 'Cause I can take care of him..."
"No, I just had a bad dream is all."
"Really? You had bad ones the last couple nights, too. You sure it's not him? I can get Terrence to straighten his freak ass out..."
"He's not a freak. He's the normal one."
"Normal? The boy buys you cocoa for a month and you think he's normal?"
"It wasn't cocoa. It was the kind with a candy bar in it. You can taste the difference."
"Well, it was damn good."
"Yeah, it was great," Jo sighed. It was all great when it was just a secret admirer. Now, it was Daniel. A person who had this habit of pressing every alarm button she had.
"Hey, why don't you go out with us tonight. I already invited Gary, but I can tell him not to come if you want."
"No, I'll just work at home."
"Come sit in a chair and pretend to laugh. I've read if you go through the motions, you'd actually feel what you should."
"Am I that bad off?"
"You sure as hell are. I don't want you to be anywhere alone tonight."
She knew it was an utter mistake when she saw Daniel at the piano as they walked in. She had pulled her hair into a ponytail and picked out a nice shirt. She thought she'd be safe from seeing him for at least a few hours. It wasn't amateur night. He stopped in mid-song and started something new. He shook his head in dissatisfaction and started another one. Someone walked up to him and whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked around the room. She knew he'd spot her, so she sat down and waited. He slammed a hand down on the keys and stood up. He looked straight at her. Jo was certain everyone in the room had seen him focus on her. When he mouthed her name and slid back down, the fear was confirmed as fact. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips at his recognition of her. His face softened into a smile and he closed his eyes. The sound gently filled the room as he finally settled on a song. Jesse murmured that his song wasn't half bad. Jo didn't tell her that it was a song by Ben Folds. She wasn't up to being talked about at the moment. Her idea of a good song was more broad than most. When he finished, he went immediately into another one. This time, she didn't recognize the sound. All the time, his eyes were closed. She concentrated on her soda and half listened to what Jesse was saying to Gary as she registered every note Daniel's fingers struck.
"So piano guy has a thing for you?" She should have been paying better attention.
"Yeah." She looked away from Gary and into the bubbles of her drink.
"Look, I'm not looking for anything strange. If you're into him, it's cool. Even better for me. There's nothing like a little competition to get a man on his game. I just want an honest shot."
She rested her cheek on her hand as her elbow rested on the table. "That's nice, but I'm sure you've got girls lined up around the block. A fine, well-educated man like you doesn't need to be bothered with me."
"I'm willing to clear my slate for a very beautiful girl. I'm willing to wait, if you have a problem with rushing into things. I see the score. You're man shy. I can help you with that."
"Man shy?"
