“I did not know you’d be here,” Brian said.
“I live here.”
“I mean, I thought you’d be at work. Wait, why am I acting ashamed? I’m an adult, what we did was consensual, and I happen to like having sex with your sister,” Brian said.
“Hmm, more’s going to come up than down,” Randy looked at his cereal. He rinsed out the bowl and dried his hands on a dish towel. “What are you up to today?”
“Going to be driving around with Kate taking her to job interviews and apartment complexes. It’s going to be fun.”
“Sounds like it. So are you going to be seeing Erin regularly again?” Randy asked.
“No, I’m pretty it was just a one-time thing. Because we were both kind of drunk. It was just for fun,” Brian explained.
“Too bad. I’m trying to get us to a point where we are all dating someone at the same time. We’ve never had that before.”
“Last I knew, none of us are anywhere near dating anyone,” Brian said.
“Sure we are. I met Jackson, Jess has that coworker guy.”
“Oh, yeah. A guy you literally met yesterday and a guy whose name you don’t remember,” Brian laughed. “Perfect dating material.”
“Let’s not forget that Kate and Chrissy don’t have anyone hovering around them at the moment.”
“Maybe you could hover around them.”
“Both of them? I’m not saying that I haven’t thought about it but the odds of it happening is literally every single number to one.”
“Well, at least you get to hover around Kate today.”
Frank came into Jess’ classroom with Haley. Class had started nearly fifteen minutes ago and Jess had already taken attendance. “Sorry, Haley was with me. We were finishing up her science homework that she promised me would be done last night.”
“I had stuff to do when I got home. There was a new episode of America’s Got Talent,” Haley said as she walked to her desk.
“Okay, Mr. Campo. Thank you. I’ll change her attendance then,” Jess said and turned to her computer. “And there is plenty of time before and after America’s Got Talent to do homework, Haley.”
“Before I was eating and texting with friends. After I busy taking selfies and updating my social media. Those things don’t do that themselves,” Haley pointed out with a hint of attitude in her voice.
“You see what I put up?” Frank asked Jess. “But yet, here I am, everyday, helping her with everything.”
“You don’t have to,” Haley said.
“But I kinda do. It’s my job,” Frank said, raising an eyebrow.
“Hey, I have something to ask you,” Jess leaned in and whispered to Frank. She opened her mouth to speak but then looked at the number in her classroom. “I will ask you when class is over.”
“Probably for the best,” Frank said and stood up to walk around the classroom, seeing what the students were working on.
Jess watched him stop at each student and talk to them. It made her smile the way that he interacted which all of them. A couple didn’t respond but he at least tried. She went back to work, while continuing to glance up at Frank, until the bell rang and all the students left.
“You still have a question for me?” Frank asked. “Because I have to follow Haley to her next class.”
“Yeah, do you want to grab a drink with me tonight? Nothing special. Maybe coffee or tea or we can even get large, cheap fountain drinks at the gas station.”
“Definitely gas station,” Frank said. “I’ll see you after school and we can leave together.”
“Okay. See you later.”
“I’m here to apply for a job,” Kate said as she walked into the employment agency.
“Okay,” the woman at the desk said. “Any job in particular?”
“Any job, really. Do you have a job where I can just stay in pajamas all day and watch TV?”
“Well, your application is going in the shredder now,” Brian said.
“Do you need an application?” the woman asked Brian.
“No, I have a job. I’m just here for moral support and to watch the video you show applicants where it teaches you to lift with your legs.”
“Why do they advertise that they have every kind of job when all they offer are jobs in warehouses?” Kate asked as they walked out of the employment agency. Kate filled out an application, watched their mandatory safety videoes, but turned down all three jobs she was offered because they were warehouse work. “I have nothing against warehouses but working ten hours a day moving around things that weigh three times what I do. Not my idea of a good job.”
“Someone has to do it,” Brian said.
“And that someone isn’t me.”
They got in Brian’s car and he began driving away. “Where else do you want to go?”
“Uh, I guess Walmart or something. Are they hiring where you work?”
“At the funeral home?”
“Yeah, I could sell coffins or something.”
“You don’t want to see how the sausage is made.”
Kate suddenly saw something out the window. “Turn into this parking lot,” she pointed.
“What?” Brian turned and drove toward a restaurant, P.W. Snyder’s. “Why here?”
“They’re hiring,” Kate said.
Brian parked and looked at Kate. “You want to work in food service?”
“I think it’d be fun. And this is a fancier restaurant so maybe I could learn something about cooking or business management or something,” Kate got out of the car. “I’ll be right back.”
Brian waited in the car for nearly half an hour for Kate to leave the restaurant. Kate came running out with a huge smile on her face. She got in the car and immediately kissed Brian passionately on the lips. The kiss lasted a while as both of them leaned into it and held on to each other’s faces. They finally parted and Brian looked between Kate’s eyes and her lips. “Did you get the job?”
“Yeah, I’m starting out just washing dishes but he promised to move me up quickly to waitress and then chef,” Kate squealed.
“Well, congratulations. We should celebrate,” Brian said and began driving away.
“I’m not sleeping with you,” Kate said. “Not yet, at least. At least wait a day after our first kiss, you perv.”
“I’m glad you’re back,” Brian smiled at her.
“I know you are,” she smiled back. “You perv.”
“What do they have you doing?” Randy asked, walking up to Jackson who was putting cans away onto a shelf.
Jackson looked at the can in his hand, the cans on the shelf, the cans still in the box, and then at Randy. “Sweeping.”
“Do you think Amanda or Dana would be interested in going out with my friend, Brian?”
“The guy at the bar last night?” Jackson refreshed his memory. “Amanda might. I don’t really know about Dana. She doesn’t really date which is a shame because I think she’d be a really cool girlfriend. She’s kind of weird when you get to know her. Why?”
“I was just wondering. Mainly, I just don’t want him dating my sister,” Randy said. “I love them both, just not like that.”
“I get it. It would bother me if a friend was dating my sister as well,” Jackson continued stocking the cans. “Mainly because my sister was killed in a car accident ten years ago.”
“What?” the joke caught Randy off-guard. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Just before her high school graduation. Sorry if I sound flippant about it but I’ve made peace with it and I feel she’d want me to get a few laughs and sympathy fucks from it.”
“Well, it’s working,” Randy said. “I’ll see you later. I’m getting shown something in the back today.”
“Hey, just in case I don’t see you again today, can you give me a ride home?”
“Sure. Not a problem. I’ll see you,” Randy said and walked off to the back of the store. The day went by fairly quickly. They taught Randy how to inventory items in the back before sending him back up front to bag groceries and bring in the carts. After work, Randy took Jackson home. “Well, there you go. Do you work tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I do. You should come inside,” Jackson invited.
“Sure,” Randy shrugged and turned off his car. Jackson lived an apartment not far from the store. “How did you get to work this morning?” Randy asked when he realized how close he lived.
“I walked.”
“Is something wrong with your car or do you normally walk?”
“Fifty-fifty,” Jackson said. “I’m going to be honest. I had an ulterior motive in getting you to drive me home.”
“What?”
Jackson pushed Randy against a wall and began rubbing his crotch. Jackson sunk to his knees and began undoing Randy’s pants. After an intense ten minutes, Randy finished and Jackson stood back up. Jackson went into the kitchen to wash his hands and around his mouth. “Do you want to stay for dinner? We can order in something.”
“What was that?” Randy asked, readjusting his pants.
“A blowjob. Why?”
“Why’d you do it?”
“It’s just a blowjob. I like a guy, I go down on them. I don’t expect anything in return if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just, we’re not dating. I don’t think we’re anywhere close to dating. I’m not that old fashioned or a prude or anything, it’s just weird that this happened when we’ve barely gotten to know each other.”
“Then stay for dinner and we’ll get to know each other,” Jackson smiled at him.
“Well, okay. But I’m not a slut,” Randy said. “So don’t be getting any ideas.”
“Just so you know, it was incredibly easy for me to get you to come home with me,” Jess said to Frank as she came out of the bathroom.
Frank shrugged. “I like you. And I wasn’t going to miss what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Jess got back into bed with him and he leaned over and kissed her. As they kissed, he got back on top of her and pressed his body against her. “We should probably go out on a date now.”
“We should,” Jess kissed his chin. “Where would you want to go?”
“I don’t know, let me get my phone and I’ll do a quick search for someplace.” Frank got out of bed and pulled his phone from his pants pocket. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Anything. Maybe Mexican or Chinese.”
“How about Chinese?”
Jess got out of bed and hugged Frank as he searched on his phone. “Sounds good,” she kissed his neck. “Hey, question, why are you so close to Haley?”
“At school?” Frank turned to look at Jess.
“Yeah, Leah told me you asked to be put in her classes. How come?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “She doesn’t have a father, not one that’s around or who cares anyway, and I think she needs a sturdy male presence. I’ve met her mother and her aunt, and they are easily swayed by high school drama and they are in their thirties so I’m trying to be that person in her life who can show her that she can be better. Haley’s a smart, funny, pretty, and amazing girl and I’m trying to teach her that.”
“So you’re that teacher that’s going to save her?”
“No, I want her to know that she is a wonderful, intelligent young woman.”
“Have you noticed any change in her?”
“Her freshman year she had a D average. Since I took over her classes, she’s averaging a B,” Frank said. “And I still find plenty of time to help the other students in the classes I’m in.”
“Wow. Impressive,” Jess said. “Let’s get dressed. You can tell me more at dinner.”
T H E E N D
Randy Annual #1 comes out in November with a prequel story about Randy's short vacation in a quirky Alaskan town. Keep checking back for more stories about Randy and his friends!!
