Six Feet Under the Stars

The next morning I nearly jumped out of my skin when the convenient store cashier approached me in the parking lot.

I had been minding my business, just content to muse over the twists my life had taken while watching the sunrise. The sun made the dark asphalt sparkle. For the past few hours I had been thinking of Dorian. I missed the way things used to be with us when our relationship was at the fresh beginning stages of love with no bullshit attached along with it. Maybe things would have taken a different course if he never got abusive and I never got snappy with him.

It was strange that I felt guilt over sleeping with Alex. It made me feel like I had cheated on Dorian and wronged him even though we were broken up. I couldn't get the thought of us being separated into my head and I hoped it wouldn't hold me back from moving on and having a new relationship, whether it be serious or innocent.

While lost in these consuming thoughts, I didn't hear the approach of footsteps slowly up from behind me. "Well hey there."

I literally jumped up from my spot on the concrete and my heart beat a mile a minute. Laying a hand over my chest, I looked at the store clerk's smiling face and still couldn't manage to relax. "Hey."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized sucking on the end of a toxic cigarette. "Just doing my usual sweep of the parking lot before I head into work. It's not mandatory, but I like to know what I'm dealing with." As he spoke the last part of his sentence, his eyes roved around my body.

I shifted uncomfortably under his laser gaze. "Not a bad idea."

The cashier held out a crummy hand that was oiled from a recent automotive repair. "I'm James. James Morton."

"Melanie." I answered reluctantly, leaving my last name out on purpose.

"Nice to meet you, Melanie." James greeted with a grin that continued to widen the more he looked at me, "I've wanted to talk to you since you came in the store the other day with those two guys. I never got the chance and I'm sorry about that since I hear you're leaving this morning."

I wasn't sure how he found out the tour bus' departure time. "Yeah, moving on to a new city." Subtly, I checked to see if anyone was stirring in the tour bus to come to my rescue. Unfortunately, they weren't.

"You going to college anywhere?" James lit another Marlboro and tried to sound conversational and friendly.

"Put those plans on hold a while ago." I told him honestly suddenly feeling sad about my lack of higher education. The price tag on tuition had forced me out of the college track.

"Major?"

"Journalism. Minoring in psychology."

"College was never in my plan. I tried to go but all I could focus on was how much money I could be making instead of listening to a dumbshit talk my ear off about hell knows what." Nonchalantly, James shrugged apparently indifferent to the whole matter.

"Circumstances are different for everyone." I reasoned shifting away from him little by little. The vibe radiating from the cashier was more than a little weird. I had the onset of chills.

James' head perked up. "Maybe you can help inspire me to head back. How about we stay in touch while you're away?"

He made it sound like we were old friends parting on a different path, not two strangers that lives just happened to intersect for a night. "No, I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Why not?" Though he smiled, it was strained.

Racking my brain, I came up with a plausible lie. "My boyfriend wouldn't like it all that much which is understandable."

"You're a very pretty girl." James told me as if that would change my mind. "I'd like to get to know you better. That's harmless, right?"

It seemed like this was James' usual game to hit on girls that were leaving soon in hopes of scoring some action on the side from a traveler. Especially in the way his eyes rested more on my chest for longer increments than anything else. Apparently my boobs were the most interesting scenery around us.

I distinctly pulled my cardigan sweater around the camisole I was wearing. Clearing my throat, I said, "It's not harmless. It's just not a good idea. You seem like a nice guy and everything but I'm taken. I'm sorry."

"Are you bored with your guy? I can show you a good time. You know I can too. I'm a good lover; I know how to treat a woman right."

It was hard not to laugh but I managed. James was starting to sound like a pimp using 1970's pick-up lines to nab a girl. But when he reached out to touch me, the physical contact crossed a boundary I didn't like. I threw my hands out in front of me, "Woah."

"What?" His lips quirked at one corner.

"I am not okay with this. Now, I have to go." I backed up towards the bus entrance and bumped into another person. It was Jack with a wary expression overriding the sleepiness in his face.

"This your boyfriend?" James sneered slightly, contorting his face into an ugly version of himself. One I didn't care for at all.

"What's going on?" Jack had no idea what the problem was, he just knew that something wasn't right. "Hey, weren't you the cashier at the convenient store up there?"

"Assistant manager." James corrected while his nostrils flared.

"Sorry." Jack didn't sound very sorry at all. "Maybe you should head back up there. I don't want any problems or anything. You're bothering my friend here."

"Friend? Oh. You're not her boyfriend; you just wish you were." said James angrily while flicking his half-smoked cigarette to the ground at Jack's feet.

"Your words have me shaking in my boots." Jack replied ever joking with a slight smile.

A long pause ensued where James searched for a witty comeback. Coming up empty, he only said, "Whatever. I don't have time for this. I gotta get on the clock for my shift. Fuck you, guys."

As James trudged up the hill, Jack laughed loudly and clutched his stomach, "Man, that probably had to be the worst comeback I have ever heard. 'Fuck you, guys'; very original. I don't think I've heard it before."

Smiling softly, I said, "One of the best yet. And thanks for being Superman right there. That guy was seriously giving me the creeps. He was trying to get my number to 'stay in touch.' Weird."

"It's understandable since the two of you are so close." Jack's sarcasm earned a chuckle from me. He then opened his arms, "A hug for the hero?"

"Sure." I grinned coming into his arms readily.

Jack's laughter shook me against his chest. "I like you being here, Melanie."

"Same goes for you; you're very handy to have around."

I could tell Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, thanks. I'll write about this in my diary."

"Do you keep a diary?"

"Can't reveal all my secrets in one morning. I have to save something for the afternoon to share. You're really trying to jump into my soul right now. You gotta take it slower so I have some time to react." He joked.

"I'll remember next time." I smiled pulling away from his arms after a moment longer. It was very relaxing hugging Jack. No pressure.

After a few minutes of conversation, Alex stepped out of the tour bus barefoot and yawning. His hair stuck up in wild directions from sleep and my breath seemed to catch in my throat. Jack backed up from me to let Alex through and the three of us stood together in leisurely, easy talks.

"James showed up." I finally said.

"Who?" Alex looked confused.

"That cashier." Jack answered. "I heard some talking outside and came to investigate. Really, I swear I am James Bond. At least in another life anyway. And I found that clerk from the convenient store was trying to chat up Melanie over here."

Alex frowned slightly, "I thought he seemed a little off."

"More than a little." I mumbled.

Jack overheard me and began laughing softly. "You're right."

Alex sighed the way one does while running on two hours of sleep and zero cups of coffee, "Well just try and forget about him. We're about to head out anyway. There's always creeps you'll run into in the world. It's unavoidable."

I was surprised that he was so calm about everything that had occured. Probing around for a reaction, I added, "He kept looking me over."

The wrong person reacted. "Maybe we should tell his boss or something." Jack suggested appearing very concerned about my personal safety.

"It's over with now." Alex waved a tired hand looking absolutely exhausted. It seemed like he didn't get any sleep last night. Dark circled underlined his eyes and he was distracted by something.

Honestly, it kind of bothered me that Alex wasn't really taking a stand to help me out. I didn't want to get James in trouble, but it would have been reasuring to see some emotion or at least a stronger reaction from Alex. We weren't officially together but I wondered if this was a slight snub; maybe I was getting more serious than he was about the whole thing.

However, I was glad for Jack's support. I took me a good twenty minutes to talk him out of storming to the office and writing a strongly worded report about James' behavior. In a way, I thought it was sweet he was being overprotective of me.

Alex would definitely benefit from taking a few lessons from his best friend.