Troublemaker

Zoe took her time with the large pot of sweet jam, reading news articles on her phone while she waited for it to thicken. She looked up when she heard Joe appear from the stairs and he walked into the room in just a pair of plush sleep pants.

For a minute, she was taken aback by his forwardness in his brothers home while his brother’s girlfriend (fiancée?) was there as well. Then after that, all she could do was stare. He walked into the kitchen area, brushing past her to go to the refrigerator.

He appeared from the door with the milk carton and drank a few gulps before putting it back and closing the door. She scolded herself for looking at him and tried to turn her head down. When he walked back past her, which he didn’t have to do, all he had to do was go in front of the island, he brushed his hand across her butt and it made her jump.

“Joe!” She squealed.

“Don’t act like you don’t want this.” He smiled and grabbed her hips. He pressed himself into her and Zoe could feel his manhood. She wondered what it would be like to be with Nick’s older, more experienced brother, and stopped herself quickly.

“Get off of me. I ain’t no punk.” Zoe squinted into his eyes. He just chuckled and grounded himself more into her. She was reaching for something under the island and she found what she wanted.

With one good swoop of the frying pan, complete contact to Joe’s right temple was made. He crumpled to the ground and for a split second, Zoe thought she’d killed him, but he yelped once he hit the floor and she sighed a breath of relief.

“Make you think twice about hitting on me, won’t you?” She held the pan high and he cringed every time she moved. “Now get up and sit on this stool.” She pulled the stool out for him and guided him to sit.

She rifled through the freezer to find something helpful and found a bag of broccoli. “Here, put this where it hurts.” She slapped the bag into his hand and went back to her jam.

It stayed silent while she divvied out the jam amongst random containers she found. She caught a glimpse of Joe from time to time, who was sulking behind his phone. While she cleaned the pot out from the jam mess, she noticed him set his phone down.

Joe looked at her, honestly confused, “Why did you help me after hitting me?”

“Because I don’t want your brother to know anything about this. Let me see your face.” She looked hard and could see no damage that was detectable. “You’d have to be really looking to see something wrong, you’ll be fine.”

He placed the half thawed broccoli on the counter and went to the guest bedroom he had claimed. She stopped her actions and felt it was the perfect time for a cigarette.

Zoe dried her hands and made her way to the deck. She sat down and dug her last cigarette from her pocket. She realized how long it had been since she had one, and she felt right then was a perfect time for one. She text messaged Nick to get her more while he was out.

While she smoked, Joe joined her, more properly clothed this time. “Can I join?”

“As long as you keep your pants on.” Zoe joked with him. He started to walk away, but she stopped him. “Oh come on, I was kidding, come sit.”

He took the seat beside her and patted his pocket in hopes for a smoke too. He lit up and breathed deep after the toke. “I want to apologize…my girl, she’s just…she has NO personality and I’m sick of it. I wish I could get someone who was genuine, funny, something better than a wet towel at the campfire party.”

It took Zoe a minute to understand his reference and why he made it, but when she understood, she was confused, “Why are you telling me this? Not that I don’t care, I’m just wondering why me? Isn’t this a talk for your brother?”

“You made me realize that there is better out there. You came in with a homemade basket full of berries and just made it into the sweetest smelling jam. Not to mention your body is off the charts, but you have what most girls don’t have. I see why Nick loves you so much.”

“He’s told you about me?” Zoe kept her mind on the conversation but her imagination made her wander to Meaghan as a possible hook up for Joe. She could scheme later, Joe has juicy news.

“Yes, he won’t shut up about you. He never wants to leave because of you. He’s basically disowned mom.”

“What?” She was shocked by this news and wanted to know more details.

“Yeah, Mom doesn’t exactly like you, I don’t see what there isn’t to like. He called her, after they came back from the trip down here, and told her that he didn’t care what she thought, he loved you and wanted to be with you forever.”

“Wow.” Zoe’s mind started wandering at this news and she let Joe keep gabbing on, until he snapped her out of it.

“So are you guys going to get married?” The question was so blunt; it smacked her back into reality.

“I don’t know. He gave me this; he’s calling it a promise ring.” She showed Joe the opal ring and he complimented it. “I’m not ready, I said it in passing, about how it would piss off your mom, but he took it seriously. We actually didn’t talk for almost a week because he thought I just wanted to get married to get revenge instead of getting married for the right reasons.”

“He’s had girls in the past who have done him really wrong, so I can understand his worry.” Joe took his last drag of the cigarette and went to light another. He offered Zoe another one and she took it willingly.

“Speaking of his past, I don’t know a lot. I was wondering if you could enlighten me.”

“He doesn’t like to talk about some of the things that have happened, with good reasons. As a child he was normal, high school he was a straight A student. It wasn’t till after high school that the girls started to notice him.” Joe stopped for a drag and signaled with his eyeballs that someone was in the house. Zoe looked and Nick and Kevin had just made it back. He mouthed “I’ll tell you more later.” Zoe nodded and they put out their cigarettes to go inside.

“Your girl got mad skills.” Joe said to Nick. They all worked together to unpack the groceries and Zoe stepped back to watch the men work.

“What do you mean?” For some reason Nick went defensive, like Joe said Zoe fucked well.

“She made freaking jam…and she knows how to swing a frying pan.” Joe chuckled. Zoe gave him a shut up look before Nick looked at his girlfriend.

“Frying pan?” Kevin asked.

“It’s a…old tradition. You smash an egg with a frying pan while making jam…it’s…good luck?” Zoe cringed at her terrible lie, but kept herself turned, acting like she was preoccupied so it was more believable.

“Southerners are weird.” Kevin whispered loudly to his brothers. Joe looked at Zoe and winked, but she just sighed and pointed at him.