Page 41 of Demo
She clicked her tongue and slowly slid off the tailgate, clearly dejected.
“I’m sorry,” I rushed out. “Shit, Jen. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“No, it’s fine,” she said, dusting off the ass of her pants.
“You know,” I said as I looked up at Jenny and waited for her to look at me. “I don’t just see you as one of the guys.”
She blushed and looked down at her hands. “It’s just, sometimes I don’t feel very feminine. The other day one of the guys took a piss off the deck while I was standing right next to him, for God’s sake. I’m not necessarily offended, but, shit, just maybe a few boundaries.”
“He shouldn’t have done that,” I deadpanned. “Seriously, that’s not cool. And I’ll talk to them.”
“No, please. I don’t want them to think I tattled. And like I said, I’m not offended. I guess I just like to remind everyone that I am still a lady, despite the dirt under my fingernails.”
We shared a silent moment before I replied, “I don’t think anyone needs reminding of that.”
Jenny blushed. “So, wanna head to Norm’s for a round? I heard the guys saying they were gonna head over tonight.”
“Sure.” I nodded.
As we settled into the truck cab, Jenny reached into her purse and pulled out a little baggie with a couple of blue pills in it. She dumped two into her palm and jingled them around for a moment before she side-eyed me.
“You down?” she asked.
When I only raised my eyebrows, she elaborated. “They’re just uppers. Nothing too potent. It’ll just give us energy for a few hours.”
I only paused a moment before I stuck my hand out and she dropped one in my palm.
Jenny got shitfaced that night, and there was something about how inebriated she was, and the sag in her face and eyes that was a turnoff. Also, there was something familiar about it.
I stopped drinking before I got too sloppy, and dropped Jenny off at home.
As I pulled up to her apartment building, I quickly jumped out of the truck and jogged around to her side to help her out. I helped her up the stairs to her apartment and, I can’t lie, the contact felt good. I had one arm around her waist as she slung an arm around my shoulder. My other hand would occasionally find her abdomen when she swayed and needed a steady hand.
She dug her keys out of her purse and fumbled through what seemed like an endless amount of copper before she settled on one, then looked at me. We met face-to-face, our eyes locked, and there I was, staring right back at me. Bloodshot eyes with red veins snaking through cloudy orbs, dilated pupils, saggy lids.
And I’m pretty sure she knew exactly what I saw when I looked at her.
She eventually unlocked her door and made her way inside, and I left her at the threshold.
I expected her to be late to work the next morning, if she showed up at all. But when I walked into the office trailer, there she was, having gotten a ride in.
Jenny’s back was to me as she pulled something from a filing cabinet before shutting the drawer with her hip.
“You’re one of my best friends, Jenny,” I blurted out, and she jumped with surprise before giving me a smile in return.
“Good,” she said.
I nodded.
She nodded.
Then, after a brief stare-off, I turned to leave. As I started to push open the flimsy screen door of the office trailer at the job site, I heard her clear her throat.
“Knox?”
“Yeah,” I turned to look at her.
“You know I need you to sign off on these plans, right?” She held up a stack of papers.
