No longer does he look at me like my best friend–seeing right through my tough facade. Instead, he looks at me like he wants me to catch on fire. Any warm feelings for me have vanished.
The plan was for me to start yesterday when Beau was off to avoid any unpleasantries, but when half of the shop got a stomach bug, Jack decided to shut down for the day.
So, today gets all the awkwardness and dirty looks.
Jack clears his throat again, and this time, all of the side conversations stop to listen to what he’s about to say.
“Alright, we have a new employee starting today. I think you all already know Jo. She’s the baby of the Lawson clan.”
Jamie interrupts to make a joke. “Is every member of the Lawson family going to work here?”
Dylan says, “Yes. And all of us outnumber you, so you better watch it.”
Jack keeps talking, not acknowledging that they even said anything. “She’ll be working part time, doing whatever she can to help out around here and will be learning on the job. I would tell you not to give her any shit, but I don’t think I need to. I’m sure she won’t take it from anyone. What I will say is don’t drool all over her and behave yourselves.”
He keeps the meeting short and sweet so that we can all get to work.
When everyone leaves to get back to work, Jack motions me into his office.
Jack Barrett is a tree of a man. He used to be an MMA fighter, but he’s still stacked.
Despite his large exterior, he’s basically a giant teddy bear. Everyone in town has loved him ever since he moved here because of how genuinely nice he is. Liz will never admit it, but she fell for a guy who shares quite a few characteristics with our father.
He sits behind his desk, and I take a seat across from him. Although Jack and I haven’t spent a ton of time together, I don’t really feel weird around him. When someone joins this family, they sort of just get thrown into the fire. And basically, the minute you start dating one of us, you join the family.
That’s an excellent example of why I rarely bring dates home.
Jack and I look at each other for a moment, waiting to see if the other is going to speak first.
“So,” I say, trying to break the lingering silence.
Thankfully, Jack takes it from here. “Look, Jo, I am happy to have the extra help around here. We’ve been swamped. That being said, I’m not sure how much you know about working on cars, and I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to teach you.”
I stop him. “Jack, I realize that I’m only here because my mom asked you to give me a job, and she’s hard to say no to.”
He opens his mouth to argue that it’s not the only reason, but I know it is, so I keep going.
“It’s okay. Really. I’m just grateful for the job. And I don’t want any special treatment. I do know some about cars, but if you don’t need me doing that, I’m happy to help however I can.”
He still doesn’t look like he believes me. “I don’t want to feel like I’m just giving you busy work.”
I know he’s walking on eggshells–probably because Liz told him to be nice to me. She probably also told him I can be crazy and hard to handle.
While yes, that can sometimes be true, I’m not going to bite the hand that feeds.
“Jack, if it’s something that you need done that you don’t have time to do, I’ll absolutely take it on. I appreciate you giving me a job and paying me. I’m not about to bitch about what I have to do.”
He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest while he sorts through his thoughts.
“What?” I ask, hoping he’ll clue me in.
“Alright, I’m going to level with you. I’ve been pretty behind on things around here, and Liz has been dealing with a cranky toddler. A lot of things have fallen through the cracks when it comes to the shop. Do you think you could help me get it back in order?”
At first, I wonder if Jack is just trying to make me feel more important, but that’s not really his style.
I pretend that I’m thinking it over, but there’s no need. Working here is literally the only thing I’ve got going for me right now. I have no money and absolutely nothing to do. Working in here any capacity has got to be better than being inside my own head.
“Absolutely,” I tell him. “I’m happy to help. And hey, if you ever need a sitter for Beth, so you and Liz can get out of the house for a while, just ask.”
