Cat and Mouse (closed for Craneman8686)

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dixie Jones was your typical midwestern country girl. She grew up in the woods and hill with three older brothers and enough land that they could all run amuck without getting into too much trouble. A small town where everyone knew everyone but charming in its own way, banking on the history of Route 66 to bring in the tourist and keep the town alive. It was safe and quiet and nothing ever happened, most would call it boring but Dixie called it comforting but more importantly home.

Chicago was a whole new world for Dixie, the people, the noise and all the action going on all the time… It was overwhelming and it took her months to sleep through a whole night. A year later and it was still a struggle to sleep thought the night but her new apartment helped, that it was within walking distance to work was even better. Being the early bird meant that she had time in the morning to get ready and walk down to a local coffee shop, it was there that she had met Jake. It was a busy morning and all the chairs and tables were filled with people and with 45 minutes before she had to clock into work Dixie had no desire to add to her ten hour day at work by arriving that early. Feeling braver than she knew she was she approached the man who was a regular and always by himself. “Is this seat taken?” It was the start to an easy friendship, whenever they saw each other at the coffee shop they would sit with each other and casually talk about their lives. It never ventured pass the doors of the coffee house but Dixie was okay with that, Jake was a nice man and she was grateful for the one friend that she had in the city.

This morning was unlike any other as Dixie stepped into the coffee house feet heavy and face drawn tight with stress. Dark circles dulled the normally sparking blue of her eyes and her hair was down and looked to be unbrushed. Gone were her fitted scrubs, in their place loose cotton shorts and an over sized tank top, her gray sports bra visible through the armholes and slippers. It had been three days since she had visited the coffee shop and when Dixie got her coffee she hadn’t even bothered to look around for Jake, choosing to plop into the nearest empty table as she stared into the dark depths of her coffee mug, worrying at bottom lip trying not to cry yet again.

 

[Craneman8686]

Jake had grown up in a small, local college town. Even with the younger crowd that arrived to attend the school, once they graduated, they saw this town for what it was and didn't stay long. He had always been a bit of a loner, preferring computers and new technology over hanging out in the usual crowds that most people considered you needed to be part of to be one of the "cool kids". While he stayed at home, and didn't play sports, his dad insisted that he used the home gym with him and over the years, Jake had built himself up into a stocky, toned frame. Not muscular by any means, but enough to feel proud of how he looked in a mirror, along with his dad teaching him how to fight if the need ever arose.

Once he was older, he made the decision to leave the little town as well and get as far away from it as he could. He packed his things and started driving, not really sure where he was going until he saw the night brighten up with the lights in the not too far distance and the signs for Chicago. "Good a place as any" he said to himself as he took an exit. He found a hotel to stay in for a few nights until he was able to find an apartment of his own with the cash he had earned by selling off his old computers and a lot of the tech he had. Looking and landing a quick freelance job troubleshooting and fixing people's systems, he quickly found a steady stream of income and a group of people that he talked with everyday regarding issues he couldn't fix on his own. They quickly became a tight knit group of friends....the first real group of people he enjoyed hanging out with.

A couple of weeks went by and Jake found a small coffee house a couple of blocks from his apartment that he stopped in every morning to sit and check his emails and tried to plan his day the best he could. Looking up, shocked, as one morning this gorgeous blonde walked up to his table. "Umm, yeah, sure" he responded thinking she was just going to take the chair to another table and surprised when she slide into the seat joining him. They feel into an easy conversation after introduction and one day led to the next. That little shop became their meeting spot and Jake looked forward to it. He thought at times about if it would ever carry outside of the shop but never dared to broach the subject with her.

Jake wasn't really concerned when Dixie missed a morning. They had talked about how her nurse's schedule could change at any given moment, but when the days started adding up, he began to worry. Trying to find her online but he couldn't find any type of presence anywhere, like she was hiding from something. His concentration and concern was interrupted as the front door bell rang and he looked up and watched her walk in, looking like she hadn't slept in days. He watched as she ordered and moved through the little shop to a back corner and sit alone, staring down at her cup. Jake pushed up from the table, leaving his things for a moment as he walked over cautiously, not knowing what was going on. "Hey Dixie, you ok?" he asked carefully.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dixie was just moving through the movements; she had forced herself to get up out of bed, to put clothes on and leave her apartment. She had thought it would make her feel better, make it all feel less hopeless, but it just made the cut sting at the loss of everything that she had and was about to lose. She hadn't even realized she had made it to the coffee shop, it was almost automatic that she show up here in the morning, until Jake said something.

"Jake?" Dixie looked up at the familiar face, her voice breaking at just the use of his name. “Jake!” She cried instantly leaping from her seat to hug him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burrowing her face into his chest. “I-“ Choaking on the word Dixie shuddered feeling the tears start to make her eyes sting. “It wasn’t me.” She silently wailed into his chest. There was no one here that she knew, no friends and she couldn’t- no wouldn’t take this home to her family. There was only Jake and she clung to him like the lifeline that he was. “I didn’t do it.” She promised her voice weak and trembling with fear, she pulled back from his chest but didn’t let him go so that she could look up into his eyes, so that he could see the truth in her own red rimmed ones. “I don’t know what to do.” Tears ran down her face and Dixie turned away pulling her arms back to wipe at her face, embarrassed that she was cry again and this time in front of Jake.

“I’m sorry.” Dixie sniffled turning so her back was towards Jake, her face hidden along with her tears. “This isn’t your problem. I mean we’re barely friends and this is,” A heavy sigh fell from her chapped lips. “It’s just too much and I’m sorry to have bothered you with all this.”

She didn’t want to think about the way she had thrown herself at Jake or what he would have thought about this whole display. “I’m, I’m just going to go.” She apologized again slipping by Jake without meeting his face, sure she would see how uncomfortable and annoyed he would be with her.

 

[Craneman8686]

Seeing her raise her face up and look at him, her tear rimmed eyes. Was she questioning who he was? If she recognized him? His questions seemingly put to rest as she jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back tightly, unsure what to do or what was going on with her as she sobbed into his chest. "What....?" He planned to ask her what was wrong, what was going on before another sob broke out and she claimed that something wasn't her. His mind a whirlwind of questions but he wasn't going to get any answers out of her until he was able to calm her down.

"Dixie, let's sit down and tell what's going on." He finally managed to get out between her cries and her hands gripping his shirt. "I can help you figure whatever this is out." He told her in a calm voice. Trying to quell her almost hysterical actions. But it's like he was talking to thin air as she didn't acknowledge any of what he was saying.

Caught off guard again as she apologizes and releases her grip on him as she turns her back to him. "You don't have to be sorry. I can try to help you if you'll just tell me what's going on." He tries once more in a feeble attempt to show that he is generally concerned, but once again she ignores his offer and claims she is going to leave. He reaches for her arm to stop her as she slips past him and heads foe the door. He tries to follow her out, stepping out onto the sidewalk as she hurries off. "Dixie...please." He tries to call after her. He hurries back inside to gather his things up from the table and get back outside. By the time he does, she is long gone and he stands there staring up the sidewalk into the crowd of people, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Hours later and Dixie was back at the coffee shop. She had calmed down since the last time she was there and peeked around the window first before approaching the door. It was way past their meeting time, Jake was sure to have moved on with his day, yet a part of her was hoping....

Their table was empty and there was no sign of him. It was like the impact of clashing rams as to how not seeing him there made her feel. One half of her new it would be too fantastical to expect to see him there was it was strange how it cut Dixie, how it hurt when she herself had told them they weren't friends. The smarter rational part of her mind argued that it was for the best, she had been a wreck this morning and had embarrassed herself in front of him and he was sure to think less of her now.

Still, she made for the door and ordered a large verion of her typical order and a everything muffin, one of those yummy looking quiche things that claimed to have bacon in it and a monster peanutbutter cookie. Yeah, she was eating away her stress but hey!, that was better than crying it away right?

 

[Craneman8686]

Jake had walked away from the coffee shop that morning, his head still in a fog of what the morning was all about. Dixie had never acted like that before towards him. I mean, they had only spent time together at the shop but it seemed so out of character for her. Maybe he would see her again within the next couple of days and she would explain it all away.

He pulled out his phone as he walked down the sidewalk and checked into his first appointment of the day. Pulling the address, he headed that direction to see what problems this next customer was having. He couldn't complain much. These freelance IT jobs payed the bills.

Jake made appointment after appointment and soon it was the middle of the afternoon and he was finishing his last call. Debating on stopping by the coffee shop again on the way home as he wasn't really hungry but instead he only made his way to his apartment and relaxed for the evening.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dixie arrived early to the coffee shop the next morning, sitting at their shared table with a large order of Jake's normal ready for him in ways of an apology if or when he arrived. She didn't know what to expect when she saw Jake next but the least he deserved was an explanation to her emotional assault upon him the day before. It was going to suck on Dixie's part but as much as she hated to admit it, Jake was her only friend in this town and she wanted them to be better friends if he was willing to give her a chance.

Heck she had even took a shower, washed her hair, shaved and put on clean clothes, even if it was comfort wear in the form of loose fitting pale blue linen shortie shorts and a cream spaghetti cami top with a built in bra, oversized tie dye tank top with a faded sailor moon screen print on it and hey dude slip ons. The cherry on top was the effort that she even put in combing her hair into a neat bun and the light makeup she had applied touching up her cheeks with some blush, light eyeliner and some nude lip color.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl and Dixie picked at her muffin without any real enthusiasm, nothing like yesterday where everything had passed by her lips with no real taste or goal other than to fill the growing pit in her stomach. Flipping her phone over she tried not to frown at the shown time, only two minutes had passed yet it had felt like an hour. Maybe this would be a good time to look for another job? The idea was far from thrilling but obligation had her unlocking her phone creen and opening up the internet to fill the time as she desperately hoped that Jake would be by soon.

 

[Craneman8686]

Jake woke the next morning to a growling stomach having not eaten anything the night before. He climbed out of bed and stepped into the shower to wash the morning fog out of his mind. As he finished getting ready to start the new day, his thoughts ran back to yesterday morning and how Dixie had acted so uncharateristically of herself. His stomach growling again pulled him from his train of thoughts and he slid his shoes on and headed out the door, making a note to himself that he needed to go the store and pick up some groceries.

With his laptop satchel draped over his shoulder, he headed for his usual spot to grab a coffee and bite to eat. A few minutes later, as he walked across in front of the small coffee cafe, he glanced in the window and was surprised to see Dixie sitting at their usual shared table. A cup was already sitting in front of where he usually sat and he rubbed his hand through the short stubble of his shaved head.

Pulling the door open, he walked inside and the barista saw him first and through up a greeting. "Hey, good morning, Jake." Jake raised his hand and offered up a morning greeting in return as he crossed between the tables towards Dixie. Wondering if he would get any answers about her strange behavior but not planning on pushing for them. He walked around the edge of the table and drug his chair out, it scraping across the floor as he looked her lost in her thoughts. Dropping down into the chair across from her, he finally broke the silence. "Umm hi?"

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Great... Dixie cringed on the inside. It was weird and awkward between then, so quickly did their air of casual friendship burn up in her breakdown of major proportions. "Hi." She weakly returned pushing the still steaming mug of coffee towards Jake. "Sorry about yesterday." It was blurted out with a faint blush and cut to the point. "Something insane came up and I didn't, still, don't know how to handle it and you're the only person outside of my family and work life that I know, and I totally fell apart on you." Dixie finished looking up a Jake's face nervous about what she would see.

 

[Craneman8686]

Jake sat there quietly waiting for her to respond and he finally heard her apologize when she started talking. "You don't have to be sorry, you know. You just worried me. I haven't seen you like that before." He reaches for the mug as she slides it over to him and continues. "Is there anything I can do to help out with whatever is going on?" He offers up wandering if he can get any more information out of her.