Poison

Hightopps was a lot more neutral than you would think it would be, seeing as it was are general hang out when we wanted to go to the ‘town’ bar and get drunk. And since usually Lisa would tweet about going down here – you would think that most fans would get smart and hang around; though, half of All Time Low’s fan base aren’t legal – though I know from previous experience, we do brag about how Jager burns going down. (Like they would really know.)

I sat at the bar and order a Jager bomb and downed it just as fast as the bartender set it down. I only did it because Jack’s eyes were on me; well his and the rest of the guys. I was knew to them – At least in this body, so I pretty much had to prove that I could keep up.

“Another,” I told the bartender who eyed me. He was bald with dark eyes, he’s name was Willie – in my old life, Jade’s life; they were friends and he didn’t mind it if I skipped out on my tap at the end of the night – it’s not like it was ever the big, at least not as big as the guys’ was.

Willie shook his head, “I don’t think so. Are you even sure you’re over twenty-one?”

I rolled my eyes and could feel a deep anger rustle up in me as I stood up from the stool and put my face in Willie’s – I was about to get in to it with him when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back and saw Jack there.

“Willie, give her another – anything she wants just give it to her, it’s on my tap,” I looked from Jack’s face, his eyes which hadn’t left mine to look at Willie to his hand – I shook it off and look back at Willie who still looked skeptical.

He scrunched up his face, “Are you sure, Jack? I mean –“

“I’m sure, Jamie’s with me.”

I shot him a look, a look that pretty much asked, ‘what the fuck?’ and then for fun I looked down at his hand to see his ring. But much to my shock, it was already gone. Within a second though, I redirected my attention to Willie, “So, the Jager bomb?”

“Make that two,” Jack said as he slid onto the stool next to me.

I tried my hardest not to look over at me, but honestly, it was pretty difficult – almost impossible when I knew he was staring directly at me. Finally after about eight minutes I gave and turned my head to look at him, “What do you want from me?”

“Your number.”

God, that was blunt, “Don’t you have a wife?”

Hm, I guess I can be pretty blunt too, but as the words came out of my mouth, I saw a look of guilt flash across his face and then another one of panic and desperation.

Jack sighed as he downed his bomb, “We had a fight over her leaving me – I don’t want her to go and she was pretty upset when I left the house. Lisa’s been trying to call her, I think.”

I saw a tear fall from his face and immediately I felt sorry for Jack – and that scared me. Me? Sorry? For Jack? What the hell!? He killed me! He put me here; but somehow I’m put my hand on his back and rubbing it comfortingly and shushing him.

“Sorry – there’s nothing to worry about, she probably wasn’t good enough for you and all that junk,” I smiled at him. Now honestly what am I saying? My hand fell from Jack’s back as he straightened up and rubbed his eye with the back of his hand like it was nothing at all.

Jack turned to me with a half smile, “You’re right. So, what’s your story Jamie?”

Wow, that was a quick subject change; I shrugged my shoulders as I turned away from Jack and ordered a Heineken and it was set down in front of me, I walked over towards a corner booth. I settled down in it and stretched my bare legs out. They were hardly covered by the small skirt and ripped leggings I was wearing. Picking at them wasn’t helping either.

After a minute, I was joined once again by Jack who sat on the table above me, “So, story?”

“Well if my ‘story’ is just that important to you,” I paused for a minute to take a drink – but really I was letting the new memories of my none existent childhood soak in. “I was born and raised in Houston – but I spent a lot of summers with my grandma in Austin. It was so much fun. She had a big ranch, and I helped her farm it.”

Jack looked so interested, he was sitting Indian style on top of the table just nodding away, “Go on; were there horses? Did you learn how to ride?”

I rolled my eyes directly in his face, “Obviously; I even watched the birth of two colts. It’s the most amazing thing you could ever see.”

“So then why didn’t you stay there and become a rancher? Why come here and do culinary arts?”

I screwed my face up, I had several questions of my own – A) How did Jack know so much already and B) Why is he so interested? Instead of keeping all of this in – I just voiced it all, “Why do you know so much?”

“Lisa filled me in – and you talked to her first; so you should know that when she talks, she doesn’t leave a thing out,” When Jack spoke to me, his eyes never left mine. I wonder if he saw me – or if he saw Jamie.

“Well, yeah Lisa is a talker – okay that answers one of my questions, and now the other one, why do you want to know me?” I adverted my eyes. I didn’t wanted to look at him. It actually kind of scared me, I think.

“You’re interesting – don’t you think so? So – anyways back to you, why cooking?” I looked back up at him and rolled my eyes again. Jack never did miss a beat.

“I love animals but – Cooking’s my life. I could spend an entire day in the kitchen baking,” I gushed – and it was true as I talked about it, thoughts of cupcakes and cookies, cinnamon rolls, and anything pastry sprung to mind.

Jack’s eyes widened, “Wow, I think I found the next girl I’m going to marry.”