"C'mon, man. Eat your dang food," Tyler propped his elbows on the top of the picnic table outside of the auto shop. "Man, you're no fun when you're all grumpy. Eat your food."

   Andy was busy enjoying his leftover enchiladas that Len had packed up for him the night before. He looked up at Tyler. The young man was rolling his eyes at Jude and growing more impatient with him by the minute.

   "I'm not hungry," Jude growled.

   Uncle Andy had to chime in then. "All you've eaten today was a skinny granola bar, boy."

   "Then what was the point of me driving ten minutes there and back to get us food?" Tyler's slate green eyes narrowed and bored into Jude's head. He did not appreciate his friend and co-worker's ungratefulness.

   Jude shifted in his seat. He put his smartphone down and opened the styrofoam to-go box that Tyler had set on the table in front of him several minutes ago.

   "Finally!" Tyler rolled his eyes again and began to dig back into his meal as well.

   He had driven out to Mindy's Country Kitchen. It was a small, family-owned restaurant that specialized in southern comfort foods and well worth the drive in comparison to the many fast food chains closer to the shop. They served breakfast and lunch, and every day of the week they had recurring specials. On Wednesdays they had chicken-fried steak, green beans, mashed potatoes, white peppercorn gravy,  and biscuits.

   Andy looked at the two boys, shoveling golden brown and battered meat into their mouths, dipping it into the gravy, and then swooping their forks into a healthy portion of perfectly whipped potatoes; he had to admit, though, the bean and corn enchiladas he made last night were mighty tasty. He never would have thought he would actually have liked to cook, nor had he thought he would be any good at it.

   The wooden picnic table was set beneath the shade of a sweetgum tree. Its leaves shook in the sporadic breeze that was an accompanying alert to the overcast sky. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were due later that day. For now, though, the coolness was pleasant and the men enjoyed eating their lunches together.

   Carbohydrates, fat, and protein were all mixing within Jude, relaxing his furrowed brow and attempting to relax his attitude.

   "What's up with you, man? Yesterday you were even worse." Tyler took a sip of his sweet tea. He shook the tall cup and the straw squeaked as he lifted it up and down. He took another sip. Under the dim, blanketed sky, his hazelnut skin shone smooth and dark, like warm salted caramel.

   "I don't want to talk about it," Jude said. He played around with his mashed potatoes with his fork. He raked his fork this way and that. An amateur's Zen garden. He let out a tired sigh.

   "Up late again, huh?"

   "Why so many questions?"

   "Just tryin' to make conversation."

   "How is Gracie doing, Tyler?" Andy asked as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked over at Tyler seated directly across from him.

   Tyler's demeanor completely changed once Andy has changed the subject to his sweet little girl. It was as if Jude and his attitude were dust.

   "She is doin' so well! She's in the two year old room now. Man, props to those teachers. There's two ladies in there, and like sixteen toddlers. I would run away and never look back. They're not all sweet as sugar like my baby girl is, that's for sure." He shook his head and a faint frown played on his lips as he continued to eat.

   "That's good to hear. I'm not surprised, though. She has a wonderful and attentive father."

   Tyler smiled and looked over at Jude, who was seated next to his uncle.

   "I can see something's buggin' you, man. Just let it out."

   "Rachel and I...had a fight?"

   "Oh, a lil trouble in paradise for Romeo. I see, I see."

   "Nothing like that. She freaked out 'cause I was smoking in her apartment."

   Tyler jerked his head to the side, incredulously.

   "Her landlord doesn't allow it."

   "Ahhh."

   "Now why would you go and do something like that?" Andy asked.

   Jude let out a sigh. "I don't know."

   After wiping his mouth and taking another sip of tea, Tyler placed both of his hands on the table and leaned in. "I know why."

   "Oh yeah?"

   "Yeah," Tyler admired the dancing leaves above him. "You're starting to lose interest in her."

   "No way, man. She's hot."

   "All your relationships have expiration dates, though."

   Andy stopped chewing his food then. He waited for Jude to speak.

   "Maybe this time it'll be different."

   "You mean, how? Different how?"

   "I don't know," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and looking sideways at his uncle for a second. "Maybe...I see...potential in this...whatever we have."

   "Really?" Tyler was taken aback. His eyes widened as if he was seeing a pig fly. He didn't care if his food got cold.

   "Yeah. Really." Jude looked as if he was proud of himself and then returned to eating.

   Slowly, but surely, Tyler's doubts about the Blanesville Casanova's profession of pseudo-love came to the surface.

   "Have you told her how you feel? 'Cause, uhm, smokin' a cigarette at her place and getting her all upset really isn't the way to go about telling her you may or may not want to be with her, ya know?"

   "Yeah. I know." Jude replied curtly.

   "Watch your attitude, man. I'm only askin'."

   "Aw. Go to hell, Ty." Jude waved his hand in front of him and looked away from the table, disgruntled.

   "What did you just say to me?" Tyler was hurt. He was only trying to pry more out of him. Not only for Rachel's sake, but for Jude's as well.

   Jude slowly turned his head and  made eye contact with Tyler. He replied through a clenched jaw, "You heard what I said. Now, shut up about it."

   Tyler got up from the picnic table. Andy dropped his plastic fork-full of enchilada. He knew it was best to just let this minor row run its course for now.

   With a shrug of his shoulders, Tyler swept up his tea and box of food. "Jude, man, you can kiss my black and white ass."

   He swiftly threw his drink and food into the plastic garbage bin next to the picnic table and walked back toward the car shop.

   Andy picked up his fork and ate his lost bite. He brought his elbows onto the table and rustled his  napkin in his hands as he thought of what to say.

   Jude did not touch his food. His phone had lit up, but he did not bother to look at it. He was biting his lip.

   "Jude," Andy said delicately, "you should go speak with him. He was only curious about you. He's your friend. The good ones always ask questions. You shouldn't bite his head off for wanting to know."

   After a few breaths, Jude's shoulders relaxed and he stood up.

   "Alright," Jude said, with a soft lilt to his voice.

   He buried his hands into his pockets and kicked at the rocks on the ground as he walked over to the shop.

***

   Rachel tossed in her sleep and wrapped her arms around her pillow. She heard a tap tap tap at her window. She roused just enough to be sure of what she thought she had heard.

   Tap tap tap. Again.

   She groggily rose from her bed and wrapped her fluffy comforter around her bare shoulders. The clock on her beside table read 1:37am. She sleepily rubbed her nose and teetered over in the dark to the sound.

   With the glow from the streetlight outside her window, she could see that the sound was coming from little black rocks of asphalt being thrown up at the window.

   Tap tap tap tap tap.

   As she took the final step to get a better view of the area below her window, her heart dipped in her chest. She saw a hooded figure, in all black, just standing there, slightly swaying side to side.

   She gripped her comforter tightly around her, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Her eyes darted to see if anyone else was on the street. There was not anyone around, of course.

   Rachel deeply sighed with relief when she saw the silhouette of Jude's Ford Falcon parked across the street. It was parked askew, and the figure, whom she knew then to be Jude, began to fling more tiny rocks up.

   Her crippling fear transformed into flustered exasperation. It was almost two o' clock in the morning. She had a class starting in just six hours. Pre-med was no joke.

   She yanked open her window and stuck her head out. Her long silky hair slipped out as well. She was not a girl trapped in a high tower waiting for her prince to come up, though.

   "Jude?!" Rachel half-yelled, half-whispered.

   He was just about to hurtle a few more rocks when his heavy arm sunk to his side and he let go of the rocks.

   "Hehh low," he slurred.

   Rachel did not have time for this. Being the sober one in a conversation on the other end of a late night bender was not her ideal in this moment. She stomped her foot on the carpeted floor and huffed.

   "Whas wrong bay?"

   "What's wrong? It's two o' clock in the morning, Jude! I have class tomorrow--today!"

   "Awwwww...sorry... ," he swayed again and sighed, "Ya nee to leh loose more...where's all dah studdin' goin' tah really geh you any way...hmmmm?"

   "A future, Jude. That's what. What's your deal? I haven't heard from you at all the past couple of days. You didn't even respond to my text yesterday."

   "Sorry...I...diddin know whah tah say."

   She was starting to feel a little concerned for him. He was looking more and more unsteady on his feet. She feared he would lurch forward and hurt himself.

   "Stay right there! Don't move! I'm coming down to talk to you!" she hissed in a whisper.

   Jude wobbled to one side a tad and gathered himself as best as he could. Finally, he just waved his arms up in the air, put down his hood, and sat on the street, legs crossed at the knees like a child waiting to be read a story.

   She dropped the comforter and put on her slinky ruby red and turquoise kimono. She twisted her wavy hair into a loose bun on top of her head and made her way, quietly, out of her apartment and down to Jude.

   Rachel's mind fumed with sudden fury. What was he thinking driving here in such a state? He was wasted. He could have killed someone or himself. She was ready to drop all concern and let him have it. He deserved it.

   "You're sitting in the road? Get up!" She quivered with anger as she walked out of the door and onto the street.

   All of her thoughts came to a stop when she saw him in full view, though. She quickened her pace and pulled at him to help him up. He awkwardly stood and stumbled toward her and put his arms around her. Despite the anger still left in her, she softened under his touch and her concern grew more for him.

   "Come upstairs. I'll take care of you."

   He nodded and lazily swept her long stray bangs out of her face.

   Rachel wrapped her arm around his waist to support him as they entered her building and went up the stairs to her apartment. The weight training hours she and Malia had put in at their school's gym was paying off now. Her muscles strained to hold him close as he tended to lean forward abruptly, but she could manage it.

   Once inside her apartment, he held her face in his  hands and looked in her eyes. He breathed deeply and said, "You er too good for me."

   She hushed him and brought him over to her couch. 

   After taking off his shoes and unzipping his hoodie, she sat next to him just as he plopped forcefully onto the cushions below him.

   "No," he attempted again, "You er too good for me...I do nah deserf you. At all."

   She shook her head and swept his dark curls out of his eyes.

   "Don't be silly. That's just the booze talkin'."

   He took hold of her wrists that were still in front of his face and pulled them down onto his chest.

   "Lissen to me, now. I mean dis...I do nah deserf you. I don't!"

   "Sssssshhh. You need rest. Things will be different once you sleep it off for a few hours, okay?"

   He almost looked like his was going to cry. Rachel hovered over him, almost afraid to leave him there. He reached his hand out for her.

   "Sleep wih me?"

   Spending the rest of the night sleeping next to a heavily inebriated and snoring Jude was not her idea of romance. Without a doubt, there was enough room for the both of them.

   "Okay. I'll be right back. I need to get my phone so I don't miss the alarm I have set."

   When she returned, Jude's eyes were still open. He laid on his side and opened his arms. Rachel stretched her body out next to his, her back to him,  and welcomed his warm and heavy embrace.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hello, sweet reader

I'm so happy you're reading this! You make my day!

Jude's got something going on here. What are your thoughts?

If you were Rachel, what would you have done?

Her feelings for him can't be denied--that's what prompted my song choice for this chapter, Viva Voce's "When Planets Collide".

I know. Jude broke the law.
NO ONE should drink and drive.
But, that should go without saying. This is a work of fiction, after all. Us writers have to make our points in sometimes drastic ways. Sometimes, though, they appear to be highly realistic----

I want to be clear---because I write about these characters in these sorts of situations, and this won't be the last time, it does not mean I condone their behavior at all.

Thank you for sticking around! It means the world to me!!

XO,
Leanne