Chapter 16
~2 Years Later~
Looking up at the sound of the bell at the door of the Cafe, Lacey announced, "You're Late!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but Blaire got sick on the way to the babysitter's."
"You're lucky, Jas. If I didn't love you so much, I'd fire your ass."
Smiling at her boss, she replied. "I know."
"You're favorite guy's here again."
Rolling her eyes and throwing her head back in exhaustion, she looked at Lacey. "I swear, if Jim asks me out one more time, I just might be forced to dump his coffee in his lap."
"Haven't you already done that?" Mary asked after her only to get a wave in return.
"Hi Jim." She said as sweet as possible.
Looking startled , the young man stuttered his reply. "Jasmine. Hi. I wasn't sure if you were coming in today."
"Yea? You've been in enough times to know my schedule by now."
"Yea." He laughed a little.
"Have you ordered yet?"
"No. Not yet."
"Well, what can I get you?"
"How about a date?" Well, he definitely got bolder since two days ago.
"Jim, I'm sorry. But you're just too..."
"Hyperactive? Pushy? Clean? Shy?" He offered willingly.
"Young." She blurted out. "Jim, you're a great guy, but you're barely legal. And I'm twenty-four with a daughter. I'm looking to settle down. Not have fun with a frat boy. I'm sorry."
"Nah, it's ok. I should have figured. But if you change your mind, promise you'll call me first?"
"You have my word." Taking the piece of paper with the boy's number on it, she said good bye to Jim one last time. Once he was gone, Jasmine walked back over to the counter and tossed it in the garbage.
"I think you just broke that boy's heart, Jas."
"He's young. He'll get over it, Lace." Just then this small group of women came into the Cafe. Taking four menus, Jasmine began walking over to the table they chose. But as soon as she laid eyes on the short-haired blonde on the left, she turned right around and ran back over to Mary and Lacey. Hiding behind Lacey, she handed the menus to Mary.
"What are you doing?"
"Will you just please do the table? I can't! I promise I'll explain later."
"Fine. But you owe me big for this, girl."
"I know. Thank you so much Mary!"
"Yea yea."
After the girls left, Jasmine came out of hiding. But nobody saw that the blonde had come back in for her purse, and before she left, she looked strangely at the girl called Jasmine.
~*~
Walking into her apartment, Danni pushed PLAY on her answering machine. Hearing Joey's voice, she immediately smiled. Since Violet had...left (she still couldn't say died), Danni and Joey had gotten really close. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number that had become so familiar to her.
"Hello?"
"Hey Joey."
"Hey, D. You're back. How was Georgia?"
"It was actually a lot of fun. But um, I have to tell you something. Do you want to go get a drink or come here or something?"
"Yeah sure. Just let me get dressed and let Kelly know. I'll be there in like a half hour."
"Ok, see you then."
"Bye." Hanging up the phone, Danni went into her bathroom and took a quick shower. when she got out, she got dressed and threw her hair up in a messy ponytail. It was just Joey. he had seen her at her worst so she didn't really care what she looked like in front of him. Just then, there was a knock at the door and she knew it was Joey. "It's open!" she yelled out of the bathroom.
"D? Where you at, girl?"
"I'm in the bathroom. Make yourself comfortable. You know where everything is. I'll be out in a sec." And that's exactly what Joey did. He wasted no time in going straight to her kitchen and grabbing a beer and some chips. Then he sat down on the couch munching on the goodies while flipping through the tube.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey, D. So, what's up?" He turned off the TV so he could give her his undivided attention.
"Not a lot, I just, what I had to say I didn't really want to say over the phone. And I couldn't tell JC or Justin."
"Why? Does this have to do with Violet?"
"Yeah, actually it does.
" "Ok." When she didn't continue to tell him anything about their lost friend, he urged her on. "What's going on, Danni?"
"I'm not sure actually. While I was in Georgia, a couple of the girls and I went to this little cafe not far from the hotel we were staying at. And well, as soon as we sat down, this waitress was coming over to us but then she turned around quickly and told the other one to do our table. I don't know, I didn't think much of it. But then we were leaving and I had to go back in because I left my purse at the table, and I swear if my head wasn't attached I'd lose it. But anywho, as I was leaving, again, I noticed that same waitress talking to the other two. And I swear to god if that wasn't Violet, it was an exact duplicate."
"So wait, what you're saying is, Violet is alive? And in Georgia?"
"Joey, I know it sounds crazy, but think about it. We couldn't go back to see her at the hospital and we couldn't even have an open casket at the funeral!"
"I think you've finally lost it living here, D."
"Don't even start on me about how I should have moved out after she died because I could never do that."
"Ok, I'm sorry. I just think this is all in your head. I mean, it was your second trip without Violet. And she always went with you and friends. Maybe you were missing her and you thought you saw her."
"Then why did she hide from me?"
"Like I said, it's all in your head."
"No it's not. She's alive. And she's working at Lace's Place in a small town outside Atlanta. And I'll prove it too!"
"And how are you going to do that?"
Looking Joey square in the eye, Danni smiled coyly. "Joey, we're going to Georgia."