By Chance

Friday evening and they’d nearly had their first argument. Rue rushed into the apartment, blowing through like a tornado on speed. Joe Vic had never lived with a girl, a woman or some person of feminine persuasion. But the horror stories he’d heard were embedded into his memory.

He gave Rue a wide berth on bathroom privileges. He heard Rue announce she was ready and he turned of the TV and stood up from his couch. Rue looked - - in Joe Vic’s mind a hearty ‘damn’ was uttered, because Rue looked spectacular. He expected to see her winning smile, but he mouth was actually twisting into a frown.

“What?”

Her eyes stretched wide. “No sir.” She shook her head again. “No sir, you are not going anywhere with me looking like that.” She declared.

“Uh?” Joe Vic looked down at his clothes.

Rue walked past him and into his room. Rue muttered to herself the entire time. Every so often he could make out words like ‘homeless’, ‘thug’, ‘ass-scratching hillbilly’. She returned with a stack of clothes slung over her arm. “Go put this on.”

“Rue, Mary isn’t expecting me to be all dressed to the nines or anything--”

Rue silenced him with a stiff head shake. “I don’t care what Mary expects. Just go do it. You’ll thank me. I swear to sweet Jesus above, you’ll thank me. Now get!”

Twenty minutes and one wardrobe change later, the pair stood on the porch to the Braggsford home. A white curtain covering a small window in near the knocker moved suddenly. The door swung open with a swish and Mary Braggsford stepped out immediately to hug Rue. Her large grin bright against the oncoming darkness of the night.

She turned her smile towards Joe Vic, who braced himself for a large hug. The sharp smack to the back of the head sent him ducking low. “Shi- -Shoot!” He squinted at down at Mary. “Hey, what was that for?”

Staring back through tightened eye slits, Mary gave Joe Vic a look as clear as day. “You know what you did.” She moved past to let the two in.

Old Bill stood up from his recliner when he saw his wife return with Joe Vic and a gorgeous young woman.

He pulled his sleeves down, now feeling underdressed by the handsome pair. He’d seen many beautiful women in his life. More than most due to his time in the military, but this girl was a real beauty. “Now when Mary told me that a beautiful woman answered Joe Vic’s door, I told her she must have gone to the wrong apartment. But boy, do I see that I was wrong!” He wrapped Rue up in a big hug. “Let me get a look at you.”
Rue stiff as a board, her eyes darting to Joe Vic as she was suddenly manhandled by the pair of older people. Mary patted her shoulder, while Old Bill twirled her.

“Come on, you two. You’re making Rue uncomfortable.” He finally spoke. Mary rolled her eyes at him, while Old Bill backed off a bit.

Old Bill knocked his fist playfully against Joe Vic’s shoulder. “Boy, look at you! You know- - I was wondering if the world was ending.” Old Bill leaned in close to Rue, “This one isn’t known for being all that personable, but now look at him. He doesn’t look like a slug, but a handsome young man.”

“Thanks for telling me how you really feel.” Joe Vic said with sarcasm. That made Rue laugh.

Mary began moving Old Bill towards the dinning room. “We’ll never have dinner if you don’t stop yapping and pawing the girl.”

Rue shrugged off her light jacket. Giving Joe Vic his first real look at her very well formed form. Awed would be best to describe his feeling. No matter what he learned, the sight and the knowledge he had were still like oddly shaped pieces that fit together even when they shouldn’t. “I’ll put it in the closet.” His voice sounded agitated despite him not being such.

“Okay.” She replied in a quiet unsure voice.

They walked into the dinning room where Old Bill was already seated and Mary bustled in the kitchen. “Can I help you, ma’am?”

Mary beamed at Rue. “No dear. Just have a seat.”

Old Bill chuckled softly. “See, this is the type of your lady these silly young fellas need to get them motivated about life.”

Joe Vic smirked. Not exactly, he thought. Old Bill shook his head. “Excuse me, I’m an old dog- -I haven’t even gotten your name.”

Rue waved him off. “No problem, sir. I was always taught to listen when my elders or as I should say when my betters are talking.”

Mary entered the room with a platter of roast. “I like her.” She pointedly told Joe Vic.

“I’m Rue- -Rue Delacroix. I’m so pleased that ya’ll invited us over. Joe Vic and me are always workin’, so we don’t get too much time to go or see too much.”

“I love your accent!” Mary said over her shoulder as she went to retrieve the last dish.
The night passed in a blur. With Old Bill and Mary telling stories that even Joe Vic hadn’t had the opportunity of hearing. Though, he tended to keep his mouth shut and just listen to the flow of conversation between Rue and the Braggsfords, he actually found himself enjoying the evening.

He could see it. The look in Rue’s eyes spoke volumes. Tonight was really special. For her.

“- -Then, I told him I wouldn’t press charges.” Old Bill gushed. “And he looks at me like I wasn’t speaking English.”

Joe Vic shook his head. “I hadn’t been caught in about four months and nobody else had been interested in negotiating…”

Old Bill cut him off. “ I told him I needed someone like him. Hell, I was impressed. The boy fixed the car in the dark and hot wired it too. I’d much rather have someone like him on my staff than him ripping me off!”

They all laughed until an easy silence fell over the group.

Mary spoke up first. Excitement clearly unhidden on her face. “Joe Vic, I need you to do the lawn and the gutters some time this weekend- -” Mary smiled at Rue. “If you have time,” she added.

“Sure. I’ll be over tomorrow.”

Old Bill slapped the table in mirth. “That’s settled, so I guess we can move on to the million dollar question.”

Joe Vic turned his attention to Mary and Old Bill, but he didn’t fail to notice the look that Rue flashed him. Her body language was suddenly off and rigid.

“So, are you two thinking of taking things past living together?” Old Bill asked. The expression on their faces was vague, but happy. It was hopeful.

Their words blended together into one congested stammer. “We’re jus…He’s not….just friends.”

They might have been jumbled, but the meaning was understood. The mood shifted slightly. Mary exited the table and Rue followed her to the kitchen to help with the dishes.

Old Bill gestured Joe Vic to follow him to the den. They passed by the kitchen where Joe Vic caught Rue’s concerned eyes. And he shook his head to let her know that it was nothing.

In the den, the older man was waiting, smoking a cigarette. Smoke rose into the air. “Sit.” He pointed to the chair across from him. Joe Vic rested his heavy form in the chair and waited for Old Bill to begin a lecture of some sort.

“I was telling the truth when I said you looked good.”

“Thanks.” Joe Vic gestured absently. “Rue wouldn’t let me out of the apartment until I was presentable in her eyes.” He snickered.

Old Bill puffed on his cigarette with a grin fixed on his lips. “Thanks god. Rue seems like she comes from good stock.”

Joe Vic shrugged. “She’s …someone alright.”

Old Bill snubbed out his cigarette. “Boy, do you think you can keep someone like her? She seems real sweet and don’t take offense now, Son. But, she seems like she might me out of your league. And I mean this in a good way.”

Joe Vic’s shoulders slumped. His head hung low as he thought about Old Bill’s question. “We’ve--” He blew out a breath. “Got a history. She’s been through a lot….”

“Well, I don’t care. She seems like the type of girl to tame you…” He patted Joe Vic’s massive shoulder. “Might even settle down.”

Joe Vic allowed the man’s words to wash over him. He’d only come to think of Rue as a friend recently, but anything more with Rue? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

“Rue’s very complicated.” He finally said.

Old Bill sniffed hard. “ Don’t give me that. You’re complicated too. And for the first time since the night I met you, you don’t seem so complicated and burdened down. This friendship or whatever you’ve got has been good for you.” He paused.

“Seriously, I’ve been thinking. Don’t think I’m soft, but know that I’m being realistic. Joe Vic, you’re like a son to me and I’ve watched you grow from a troubled boy to a man. I want you to be happy, to be something in life and I can only hope that this girl might be the way to all of that…You’ve changed since she’s been around you…And what I’m going to say didn’t just pop into my mind. I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

Joe Vic just listened. The gravity of the situation was too big. Just too big and he felt the stirring inside for the disconnection of alcohol.

“I want to make you co-owner of the garage. When I retire, I want you to have the garage since you’re like my boy and all. Just settle down first. Then, I’ll have more faith that everything will be okay.”

Joe Vic stood up. The anxiety overwhelming him. Making him confused. Angry even. “Like I said it’s complicated.”

“Then uncomplicated it.”

Joe Vic snorted indignantly. Yeah, the only thing standing between him and Rue and Old Bill and Mary’s vision of happiness was the dick that he’d never seen, but he knew Rue had. Like he said, it was complicated.


TBC/?
Review please.