Loving Jessie

After nearly five weeks of training, Reid had lost 15 pounds and couldn't believe the difference in the way his body looked. No, he wasn't exactly 'Ahnold' the Terminator, but his stomach was nearly flat, the love handles were all but gone and the chest that had been drooping was standing up and even out a little. He laughed when he struck a pose in the mirror and actually saw some biceps. "Sun's out, guns out," he quipped before laughing out loud.

He'd had to buy some new clothes out of necessity as he couldn't cinch up his pants or his belt any further. He was down from a 44" waist to a 40" and his body had changed from a kind of pear shape to almost a V. Okay, it wasn't exactly a V yet, but it was moving in the right direction.

He knew where Jessie lived and had driven by several times just out of curiosity and longing. He'd never looked to see if Mike might be watching as it never occurred to him to bother checking, but this evening Reid was watching for him. He drove by slowly looking to see if anyone was sitting in a car staring at her house.

He knew what Mike looked like from a picture on Facebook; one he was sure Jessie kept up only because the entire family was also in it. He didn't see anyone the first time he drove by, but as he came back, there he was. He was catty-corner to her house, sitting behind the wheel, and even holding up a pair of binoculars. He didn't know the radius of the restraining order, but guessed him to be maybe 40 yards away. He thought about calling the police as he absolutely hated confrontation, but instead he put his fear aside and pulled up behind the white van.

He took a deep breath, got out and rapped on the window. Mike rolled it down and said, "What do you want?"

"Are you Mike?" he asked trying to control his breathing.

"What if I am? You a cop or something?"

"No. I'm not a cop. Just a friend. Of Jessie's."

Mike set the binoculars down and said, "Oh, okay. So you're the guy she's been banging behind my back? I knew that bitch was screwing someone. I should've known it was some ape-looking guy like yourself." He looked Reid up and down and said, "I just didn't know it was someone her dad's age." He laughed loudly and something inside Reid snapped.

He reached in through the window and grabbed the much smaller man by the shirt and lifted him out of his seat and pulled him toward his face. "Listen to me you little piece of shit. She has a restraining order out on you and you're in violation of it right now. If you ever get anywhere near her again, you're gonna pray I call the cops because if I don't, I'm personally gonna take care of the problem and that won't end well for you."

Mike's eyes were wide with fear and less than six inches from Reid's and he could feel the much bigger man's hot breath on his face. "Do you understand me—-Mike? Am I making myself perfectly clear or do you need me to physically demonstrate to you I'm not kidding around?"

Mike was shaking as Reid slowly released him and let him fall back into his seat. He reached for his phone and Reid, "You go ahead and call the police, little man, and let's see who ends up going to jail. Go ahead. Dial 911. Do it. Please."

Mike put the phone down. "Good boy," Reid told him. "Now here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna start this piece of crap car of yours, drive away from here and NEVER come around Jessie again. Because if I so much as hear you were anywhere even near her, you're gonna get another visit from me and I can assure you there won't be any talking next time around. So unless you have a question, you get your sorry, scrawny, punk ass out of here and don't ever come back. Ever. Got it?"

Mike didn't speak. He fumbled for his keys, stuck them in the ignition, and started the car. "Ever!" Reid said pointing a thick finger in his face.

As he walked back to his car he realized his body was shaking. He'd never done anything like that in his life and the thought hit him Mike very well could call the police knowing he'd threatened him. He'd also assaulted him. And yet he was pretty damned sure Gabe had been right. Mike looked like the kind of guy who pushed women around but wouldn't push back when a bigger man was the one doing the pushing. As he started his car all he could do now was hope Gabe had been right.

The next evening, he had a couple of new messages from Jessie. One of them was short. The other was fairly long.

"Hi handsome!" he began reading. "I have some truly amazing news! You won't believe this, but Mike told his lawyer to stop contesting the divorce this morning! I don't know what changed his mind, but I'm going to single again within 90 days! And if that's not good enough, his lawyer also said, 'My client isn't admitting to anything, but he wants you to know he won't be...keeping an eye on you...anymore.'

Isn't that weird? (And amazing!) I might even be able to get a good night's sleep for once. I guess the Lord really does work in mysterious ways, huh? I am just SO happy, Reid!

Hey, I think it would finally be safe for you to come over for dinner sometime. I mean, if you still want to, of course. Anyway, I just wanted to share this great news with my best friend! Other than my mom, you're the first person I wanted to tell. Can't wait to hear from you, sweetie! Love, Jessie."

Reid closed his laptop and just sat there smiling. "I'll be damned," he thought to himself allowing himself a rare use of mild profanity. "It worked!"

Several minutes later he replied to her and told her how fantastic that was and that it must indeed be Heavenly Father looking out for her. He smiled as he typed those words then told her he'd love to accept her offer of dinner.

Her reply came right back. "How about this Friday around 7 o'clock. Oh—chicken or steak?"

Reid laughed again as he told her, "Definitely chicken. Can't wait to see you. Love, Reid."

It was the first time he'd signed off using 'love' the way she'd done for weeks and it felt good. He felt good. He also felt fit. Best of all, he'd managed to get rid of this disgusting parasite who'd been standing in his way and making Jessie's life miserable. "Things are looking up, Big Guy," he said out loud. "Don't blow it."

Without going into detail, Reid let Gabe know his idea worked. "Which one?" he asked. "I'm asking because you're looking pretty damned good for an old man!"

Reid laughed and said, "Thanks, buddy. The fitness trainer/gym thing has been great, but your suggestion on how to make a certain problem go away worked like a charm."

"Ah-hah! Gotcha. Yeah, guys like that are cowards. The only people they can push around are women and children. The first time a man stands up to them, they fold like a cheap suit. So....?"

"So...what?"

"So what's the status, Gladys? Are you and this woman finally getting together or was this all for naught?"

"I'm having dinner with her this weekend so yeah, things are looking up."

"That's great, but what are you gonna do to bust out of the Friend Zone? The external stuff is on track, you got rid of Shithead, and now you've got a date. Well, kind of. What's the plan to turn dinner with a friend into something romantic?"

"You really know how to burst a guy's bubble, don't you?" Reid quipped.

"Just callin' 'em like I see 'em, man. Look, the table is set so to speak and yes, pun intended. But you can't just sit down, make small talk and hope she'll suddenly realize you don't want to just be her friend. When it comes to relationships, you're either a friend or a lover. Once you become a friend it's hard as hell to move into the lover category. It can be done, but you have to change the way she sees you. The body's lookin' good, the new clothes are snappy, and I think the new hairstyle is a winner. So now what?"

"I'm not sure," Reid told him honestly. "I guess I haven't thought that far ahead. I was just hoping to find a way to be with her again."

"Well, you found it but...big deal, right? If you're still her 'teddy bear' then you're just gonna be a healthier, more fit, svelte-looking teddy bear. You're gonna have find some way to shake things up, my friend. Trust me."

"I do. Trust you, that is. You've given me good, solid advice the whole way through so far and I know what you're telling me now makes sense."

Gabe didn't answer as there really wasn't anything more to say. Both he and Reid knew the proverbial ball was in his court and it was up to him to act and get the hell out of the Friend Zone once and for all or he'd never break loose.

"Well, good luck, my friend," Gabe finally said.

"Thanks." Reid started to leave then said, "Do you really think the 'stache is that bad?" It was the one thing, the one piece of advice he hadn't accepted. He loved that dirt squirrel and it had been there longer than he'd been married. The 'stache was a part of him almost like an arm or a leg.

"Hey, I don't have to kiss that ugly mug of yours, Reid. All I know is unless a woman has a thing for them, they're generally not well received. If a guy can pull of the 2-3 days of not shaving thing, some women like that. But a mustache? I dunno, buddy. Seems pretty 1970s to me. Not that I was able to grow a mustache in the 1970s," he added with a smile.

"Yeah, considering you weren't even born until, what...1982 or something?"

"Eighty-one, but yeah, that's about right," he told the older man. "Were I in your size 13 shoes, I'd shave it."

"They're size 12, but I'll think about shaving it," Reid said reluctantly before heading back to his office. He knew a shaved upper lip looked goofy for a couple of days so if he was gonna do the deed, he needed to it ASAP. Guys who hadn't worn a mustache for that long didn't understand how important it was to the guys who did. Reid loved that damn thing, but he loved Jessie even more. So if there was even a tiny chance it might help—even a little then....

He couldn't bring himself to part with his beloved lip luggage that night, but the following morning—it was finally time. He got back from the gym, got undressed and realized he'd made some amazing progress these last six weeks. He'd pulled out most of the stops but not all of them. As he let the water get hot so he could shave, he got out the scissors and bade farewell to his old friend.

He trimmed and snipped and cut until it looked like a few days worth of uneven stubble on his upper lip. He already hated it, but it was too late to turn back now. He held a wash cloth under the hot water and soaked it then applied it to his face softening the previous day's growth. He spread on the shaving cream then stroke by stroke shaved his face clean for the first time since he'd returned from his mission when he was 21.

"I look like a kid," he said out loud as he looked at his newly bald upper lip not realizing what a good thing that was.

He kept staring at it as he toweled off and then again as he got dressed. "In for a penny, in for a pound," he told himself as he headed out the door.

That morning when he came in, their receptionist, Becky, did a double take and said, "Wow! Don't you look different!"

Paranoia quickly spread through his body as he stopped and said, "Different good or different bad?"

Becky smiled in a big way and said, "Um, different...hot." She was also LDS and married so he was more than a little surprised to hear her use that word.

"Seriously? Does it look okay?" he asked her privately after moving closer to her.

"Oh, yeah. Trust me. That's a keeper! You look like a totally different person from just a couple of months ago, by the way." She looked down for a moment then said, "It's really none of my business, but I'm guessing there's someone new in your life."

Reid smiled and asked her, "Is it really that obvious?"

"It was my first guess. I mean, a guy who's getting divorced—no offense—starts getting in shape, gets a new wardrobe, a new hairstyle, then shaves his mustache? What else would get a guy to do that?"

"You mean...a guy my age, right?"

Becky smiled again and said, "You're not old, Reid. And you look ten years younger shaving off your mustache. Honestly? You look great whatever your age. I'd say she's a very lucky girl."

Reid thanked her then smiled as he headed toward his office. He popped his head into Gabe's office and said, "What do you think?"

"Holy shit, Batman! Get in here!" Reid walked in as Gabe stood up and walked toward him. "You did it!" He moved his head all around Reid's face as though he were examining him and said, "Nice. Very nice. Okay, go get her!"

By the time Friday evening rolled around Reid's stomach was in knots. He'd not only lifted that morning, he'd gone back and did cardio for 45 minutes after work to help relieve the stress. On his way home, he picked up a dozen red roses having decided he was tired of sending mixed signals. Tonight, he was going to let Jessie know how he felt and either bust the hell out of the Friend Zone or go down in flames trying.

He put a little product in his still-dark hair and tousled it around until he was satisfied with the look. He'd showered and shaved very closely already and chose a dark blue, button-down shirt and a pair of black slacks to wear along with one of the new belts he'd recently bought. He slipped into some new black shoes and the hair gel was the finishing touch.

He knew Jessie didn't like certain kinds of cologne so he didn't bother putting anything else on his body. The fresh scent of Irish Spring would have to do.

He strapped on his Bulova watch, slipped his thinner, streamlined wallet into his back pocket, then headed to the kitchen. He grabbed the bouquet of flowers from the refrigerator then picked up his car keys, locked the door and headed for Jessie's.

He passed the empty place where Mike had been stalking her and smiled. He pulled into her driveway, took a deep breath, and got out of his car. He didn't try to hide the flowers this time as he headed up the sidewalk toward the front door. He took another deep breath then rang the doorbell and waited.

"Be right there!" he heard her call.

He put on his best smile as he heard the lock unlatch. He'd already opened the screen door and just waited for her to open the door itself.

"Hi there Re...." Jessie's voice went dead. She stood there just staring at him. "Reid? Is that really you?" she said in complete disbelief. "No way. You can't be my Reid. What have you done and where have you taken him?" she asked still in shock.

"These are for you," he told her. She reached out for the flowers but still hadn't taken her eyes off him. "And as to the um...old Reid...well, he's dead and buried. He sent me in his place." She still hadn't spoken when he said, "May I come in?"

Jessie nodded first then shook her head as she came out of her trance. "Oh, right. I'm sorry. Yes, please come in." She closed the door and said, "These are beautiful, but Reid, you didn't need to do this."

She stopped and looked at him again and as she stared he said, "Yes, I did. I most definitely did."

"They're amazing and...and you look amazing. My goodness, what all have you done? You look so different."

He followed her into the kitchen and said, "I've made a few changes so I'll ask you the same question I asked our receptionist who told me I look different. Different good or different bad?"

She set a vase on the kitchen counter and told him, "How about different...amazing?"

Normally, she looked at him the entire time they were together. This time, she was busying herself trimming the stems and hadn't so much as looked at him. While he hoped the reason for that was somehow positive, he looked at her from behind and got those same familiar feelings as he did.

She was wearing a very cute, very form-fitting white blouse with cutouts around the neckline and a pair of jeans that made her look oh-so-good to him. She was wearing a small amount of makeup and her normal amount of jewelry and she was driving him crazy even with her back to him.

"I like the new look, Reid, but what's that all about? Are you dating someone or something?"

"Kind of but not really," he said. "I mean, there's someone I like—a lot—but we're stuck in the Friend Zone and I'm trying to break out."

"Oh, I see," she said with her back still to him. "Have you had any success?"

"Not yet," he told her truthfully. "Any recommendations?"

She finally finished with the flowers then set them on the table. "These are simply gorgeous. Thank you again."

"Any advice?" he said.

"Advice?" she asked not sure what he meant.

"For getting out of the Friend Zone. With the girl I like."

"Oh, right. Well, have you just come out and told her?" she asked as she went to the oven to remove the baked chicken.

"Not yet. I was kind of hoping she'd notice on her own."

"Well, sometimes when a person starts thinking of someone as just a friend it may not occur to them the other person is interested. Unless they say something." She sat the chicken on the countertop and transferred the pieces to a platter.

"Baked chicken just as you requested," she said. "I have baked potatoes, too. Let me just grab those and then...."

He reached out and gently grabbed her arm as she went to move away. "Jessie? Could you please sit down for a minute so we could talk?"

"But I have the potatoes to...."

"They'll wait," he said politely. "Please?"

"Um...okay," she said sitting down next to him.

Reid cleared his throat then looked right at her. "Jessie? I've thought about telling you this a thousand times, but there was always something keeping me from it. Our marriages, my lack of self confidence, my fear of rejection, your crazy soon-to-be-ex."

"It's me, isn't it?" she said her voice almost hollow. "I'm your...friend."

"You are," he told her. "But I want more than friendship, Jessie. I love being your friend, but...I've had feelings for you for...for years now. I've been a good guy and done the right thing and never said a word—until now. But I don't want to be just friends anymore even if that means we can't be friends anymore.

"Oh my gosh," she said quietly.

"I want a relationship with you. I'm crazy about you, Jessie, and I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Jessie snorted in a kind of embarrassing laughter and said, "Me? You can't be serious. I'm..."

"Perfect," he said before she could finish. "You're absolutely perfect. I know you told me I didn't need to change anything, but I had to because I needed you to notice me. And not just notice me, but understand that I'm willing to do anything to be with you. So all this, whatever this is," he said indicating himself, "is to get you to see me differently."

"Reid, I don't know what to say. I mean, I've never thought of you...like this."

"I know," he said with a patient smile. "That's been painfully obvious. And I also know I'm older than you." He paused and tried to make a joke of saying, "A lot older than you," but she didn't smile. She just kept looking at him. "But if you can look beyond that, if you see me for who I really am, then...."

"I don't care how old you are," she said cutting him off but not rudely. "I never have. It's just that well, you've always been this really great...guy. My rock. My confidante. My...."

"Friend?" he said. "I get that. You've been mine, too, Jessie. But I want more. Look, if you don't find me attractive the way I do you, then that's fine. I'll accept that. If you don't like my personality or my job or something else, that's okay, too. I just need you to know how I feel and well, I need to know how you feel, too."

"Flattered," she said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I feel...flattered," she repeated. "Truly flattered."

"Is that the only thing you feel?" he asked trying not to sound desperate.

"No. No, that's not all I feel. In fact, I'm feeling so much right now my head is spinning. I mean, my best...friend...sorry, but that's what you've been to me...walks in looking like some kind of younger, incredibly handsome new guy who brings me roses and out of the blue tells me he has feelings for me." She looked at him and said, "It's just a lot to process in ten minutes, Reid."