𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The universe must have agreed that today was an excellent opportunity to play a sick joke on me. It always seems to be on days when my anxiety is higher than usual. When our waitress approaches our table, I can't help but wish we had chosen a different place to eat.

"Welcome to Ramsay's Kitchen! My name is Carly, and I'll be your server to—" she stops mid-sentence when she finally looks up from her notepad.

Her tongue glides over her teeth, a smile gradually appears across her lips.

"Hi Carly." Gareth outstretches his hand. "I'm Gareth," he says with a wide grin.

"Hi Gareth," she said, her voice carrying a hint of flirtation. "What can I get you to drink?"

Jax and I exchange a knowing glance. He gives me a small smile and shakes his head to silently tell me it's okay—to not let her ruin my time.

"I'd love a beer. Do you carry IPAs?" he inquires.

"We do," Carly responds with a nod as she leans forward to point out the menu selections, giving us an unexpected glimpse of her cleavage.

Gareth points to the beverage on the menu, causing Carly to bend further down to view his choice. His eyes stay focused on her chest, rather than the menu, when I clear my throat loudly. I swear bile is slowly rising in my throat at the sight alone.

The rest of the table gives their drink order as I continue to stare at the menu longer, pondering my choices. I clear my throat and carefully place the menu back on the table, folding my hands politely on the table.

"I'll have a glass of Moscato, please." My voice is a lot more quiet than I intend. Not feeling a hundred percent comfortable, and honestly just wanting to say forget it and leave.

Carly tilts her head with a sly grin. "Could I see your ID, please?"

Seriously? Why isn't she carding anyone else at this table? Ana, Nora, and I are the same age. The guys are barely any older than us, but I figured I'd be her punching bag for the day as soon as she approached our table.

I rummage through my purse and eventually pull out my wallet. After struggling with the narrow slot for what feels like an eternity, I finally retrieve my lisence and hand it to Carly.

"They always manage to take the worst pictures at the DMV. Looks like someone's having a bad hair day, huh?" She outstretches the license in her hand.

Jax takes the license from Carly and examines the photo carefully, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "I don't see it. I think she looks cute," he says before handing it to me.

Carly rolls her eyes and gently closes her notepad, and returns her pen to the pocket of her apron. "I'll be back with those drinks." She smiles at Gareth before departing. Finally.

Jax leans into my side. His breath gently fanning below my ear, sending a shudder through my spine. "Do you want to leave?" he asks quietly so noone else can hear.

I quickly shake my head. "She won't ruin my first Ramsay experience," I reassure with a smile.

A few minutes later, Carly returns to the table, placing our drink orders in front of us. "Are you guys ready to place an order?" she asks, her pen ready at the ready.

We start with Ana placing her order for none other than "The Idiot Sandwich", and go around the table until everyone has ordered.

"Those will be out shortly," Carly says with a wink at Gareth. She tucks her pad into her apron before whipping around, her long black ponytail swishing behind her before she disappears into the kitchen.

Ana and I glance at Nora, hoping she noticed the obvious flirtation from our waitress toward someone she's interested in. Nora sits across from us in the booth with her phone open, smiling at the screen.

"Are you guys ready to go to the studio on Monday?" Ana asks Gareth.

"Yeah, we got the paperwork yesterday. We can go pretty much whenever we want. We just need to tell them a few hours in advance to make sure nobody else is in there," he replies while placing his arm around Nora.

"Our contract with them states we only need to give them one complete album, and we can go back home for a few weeks before we have to be on tour for three months," Jax adds. He leans back against the booth and places his hands behind his head.

"I'm excited for you guys," I gush.

While we engage in conversation, Carly walks toward us with a large, circular tray balancing our order. The enticing aroma wafts from the dishes and immediately stimulates my salivary glands, causing my mouth to water uncontrollably.

Carly places Gareth's order in front of him with a smile—unnecessarily bending to expose a peak of her cleavage again—while Gareth sips his IPA, his eyes locked on her chest way longer than appropriate. I roll my eyes at the scene and clear my throat to get Nora's attention. Just as Nora looks up, Gareth looks away from Carly and smiles at her. Oh this guy's good.

When she places my dish in front of me, it takes all of my willpower not to dive into it as soon as it hits the table. The cheese is melted perfectly, with roast beef pouring out of the side of the sandwich.

I take a final sip of my wine and set it quietly on the table. "Carly, when you get a moment, would you mind grabbing me another glass of wine?" I ask as politely as I can muster.

Carly gives me a forced smile. "Sure thing," she says through her teeth.

While she leans over the table to place Nora's order in front of her, the hot plate suddenly crashes onto the table.

"Shit!" Carly exclaims loudly. Her eyes widen while she cradles her wrist. When she finally looks at her wrist, a dark burn already appears from the scalding plate.

Jax sits back in his seat while glancing at Carly's wrist from a distance. "Wow, that's unusual. Waitstaff usually know to pay attention, especially to a hot plate," he comments. He takes a long pull of his beer and sends me a subtle wink.

"Really, dude?" Gareth snaps. "Why would you even say that?"

"Make sure you put cool water on that. It'll hurt like hell, but it won't scar as easily," I advise while she's running toward the back. I do feel bad for her, but not enough to physically help. She's treated me like shit all night and with the stunt she pulled at the mall, that's about as much as I can do for someone like her. The nurse in me wants to kick my own ass, but maybe she'll learn not to be an asshole for no reason.

Jax gazes at me with wide eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he shakes his head in disbelief. "Always looking out for others, huh?" he says while cutting into his food.

"That's my job," I reply, "but that's all she's getting from me tonight."

When we finish our meal, a new server comes to our table to greet us. "Good afternoon! Would you folks like to order anything else? How about desert?" he asks with an eager smile.

"No, I think we're all set, thank you. Is Carly alright?" I inquire. The thought of how excruciating that must have been makes me cringe internally.

"She will be fine. I'll make sure to tell her you asked!" he says while clearing our plates. He swiftly places the check in the middle of the table. "No rush! Only when you are ready." He smiles before waltzing away.

I reach for the check, but before I can, Jax snatches it right before my hand touches it. He better not think he's paying; the bill was over four hundred dollars. An unsettling anxiety creeps over me, making my muscles instantly tense. If I had known he'd planned on paying, I would have suggested something more casual, like Taco Bell or McDonald's. The thought of him considering that we were using him for money in any way is the last thing I want.

I lay my debit card flat on the table and slide it over in Jax's direction while he reaches for his wallet. A mischievous smile plays across his lips when he lays his card with the receipt and holds it hostage. Jax puts his finger on my card and slides it back to me.

He smiles sweetly. "Don't worry about it. It's on me."

I can't shake off my worry about it, though. I feel uneasy when someone pays for me because it makes me feel as though they believe I can't pay my own way. I work hard and have saved enough to have a comfortable vacation, so we definitely have plenty to have fun with.

"What if we split it?" I rush out desperately.

"Oh, just let the man pay," Ana insisted, leaning back in her chair. "I understand that you're not used to having others pay for you, Allie, but it's okay."

Jax looks at Ana and silently expresses his gratitude with a look of appreciation.

Once our new server hands us the receipt, I gracefully dip into my purse and retrieve cash to leave a generous tip. If I can't pay for my meal, I will damn well pay for the tip, and if he already did? Then the servers made more, which still makes me happy.

While we make our way back to the parking garage, we pile into the car and let out a collective sigh of exhaustion. The meal was truly phenomenal. I don't think I've eaten that well in a long time.

"Did you want us to drop you ladies off at home?" Gareth asks.

"Yes, please. I'd love to take a nap before we have to be ready," I rush out before Nora can say otherwise.

Arriving at the curb, Jax shifts into park and steps onto the sidewalk. Confusion floods me while watching him leave the vehicle. If I'm honest, I do want to spend time with him, but I'm still feeling flustered from lunch. The way Carly was flirting so hard with Gareth and him checking her out so blatantly. I just want to take a nap before we need to leave.

I watch him stride around to the trunk, mesmerized by how he always confidently holds himself. The sun catches his eyes while he removes the bags, making them shine like a cloudless sky. My breath catches while I turn to lead him inside, listening to his soft footsteps crunching against the gravel. Each step calls out to me, pulling me closer to him like an addiction. If not for all the doubts swirling around in my head and the people around, I just might surrender.

"I'm not entirely sure which of these bags belongs to whom," Jax admits while placing them on the couch.

"Thank you for bringing them in." I tuck a stray hair behind my ear.

"It's no worries. I'll let you go take your nap. I'll see you later, Al," he reassures while leaning in and kissing my cheek softly before walking away.

I stand there frozen. My hand flies to my cheek to check it's still intact after feeling the tingly sensation he left there. My stomach is a tsunami of butterflies and nerves, while I continue to stand there for a few minutes.

When Ana and Nora finally come inside, I'm still standing in the same spot, feeling a mix of excitement and slight anxiety. Ana glides into the living room and plops herself on the couch. "Are we planning to talk to her, or are we just going to let it go?" Ana asked with concern in her voice.

"I think it should be said. She's already been through enough with Michael leaving her to raise two kids alone. It's not right," I say in a hushed tone and take a seat beside Ana.

Nora enters the living room and finds Ana and me sitting together on the couch. "You guys all set?" She raises her eyebrows skeptically.

"Come sit with us, Nora," I offer with a pat beside me.

"Is everything okay?" she asks while she sinks into the cushion.

"Have you and Gareth discussed where exactly this is heading?" Ana inquires.

Her face scrunches slightly. "No, not really. We've been texting each other every night, and he's spent the night twice. Things are going good!"

Jax and I have been texting every night, too. Although he hasn't stayed over or anything, I can't shake the feeling that he might be following in Gareth's footsteps. He has to have his inbox filled with how much they've grown in the last few years. Maybe that's why he and his wife got a divorce. Maybe she couldn't handle it anymore.

"Sweetie, did you see what was happening at the restaurant?" I ask cautiously.

"What do you mean?" she responds with hostility in her tone.

"He and that waitress were flirting it up like no tomorrow. We're just afraid you guys are going a little too fast without having a conversation about what you two are doing—" Ana starts to say before Nora cuts in.

"He wasn't even flirting with her! Just because a guy is nice when they go out to a restaurant doesn't automatically mean they're flirting," Nora retorts. "I understand and appreciate your concern, but he and I are fine. Just please let me enjoy this while it lasts and see where it goes for myself." She stands from the couch and grabs her bags from the couch before bolting upstairs. The sudden slamming of a door from the floor above startles me, causing me to jump slightly.

I rise from the couch and gathering my bags. "Well, that couldn't have gone better," I mumble.

Heading upstairs, I close my bedroom door and haphazardly toss my bags in the closet. I turn back to my bed and collapse face down onto the soft pillow. I hate that Nora thinks we're cornering her. We just care about her and don't want to see her fall in love with another guy who shows no intention of sticking around.

My mind races thoughts, tumbling over each other in a relentless stream. I'm begging to fall asleep just to make them stop.

What if Jax is texting other girls, too?

Can I handle it if this is the case?

What am I even doing flirting with him?

The possibility of these questions feels too deep for me to want to continue hurting myself. I have two daughters to keep in mind, and it's not realistic to think that someone on the brink of being famous would even want to be with a single mom. My eyes sting with tears while I contemplate the inevitable outcome of it all. I'm left to go back home and remember all the sweet things he's done for me, the kind talks, the way he makes my nerves come alone. Meanwhile, he goes back to his everyday life of being a rockstar and being with whoever he wants, whenever he wants. Who would want to be tied down to someone like me when they could have anyone they want? Someone like Carly, even.

I jerk upright in my bed, using the back of my hands to dry my eyes. I'm not letting this feeling consume me, especially during what's supposed to be a relaxing vacation for me. I am a strong, beautiful, independent woman who doesn't need to feel reassured by anyone when I can give it to myself. I quickly stand from my bed and dash to my closet, retrieving the bag from the mall. I bend down and shuffle through the bag, looking for the olive-green lingerie set I bought today, and confidently stride to the bathroom. I slip on the outfit and stand in front of the mirror, feeling a sudden spark of confidence. My hands run down the material, feeling the intricate lace hug every curve in my body. After wrapping myself in a push bath rove, I settle onto the bed when my phone vibrates gently.

Jax: Is it 6 yet? I miss the company of normal people. And you, of course.

I struggle to contain my smile at his comment, but I know I need to approach this situation realistically. It's just not feasible. With a sigh, I place my phone on the nightstand and shut my eyes, hoping to catch a quick nap.

One thing is clear in my mind: I won't be heading to Boston Common to let things escalate further.