Misery Breeds Company

"Go back inside, Sandra. I know the way in!" I called with a smile.

"Don't give me that, young man. I was raised with respect!" She snapped back.

I just grinned and hurried along to the front door. Here, I took her gently by the hand and helped her back inside. Sure enough, I could hear a kettle starting to boil, a plate of cookies was on the coffee table and her ethernet cable was unplugged and on the floor. I just directed the old bat to the couch and sat her down. I'd been here often enough to know all I'd need to do was fill the kettle and bring it out. As per usual in the kitchen was a tray, already laden with cups, sugar and a small jug of milk. I just smiled and added the water to the pot. With the pot full, I picked up the tray and carried it out to the lounge.

"Now, let's see what the problem is, shall we?" I grinned.

Putting down the tray, I turned and headed for the desk where her old computer was. While she loved her games, she never really got into playing them on her computer. But that didn't mean she couldn't use one. So I bent, took the ethernet cable, and plugged it back into her computer, which was also conveniently turned for easy access.

"I'm getting old, Tim," she said softly. I turned with a smile ready to give her some cheek until I spotted her expression. "Your little visits are just about all I look forward to anymore. My own children moved away to the other side of the country. One visits at Christmas, but they don't stay long. I just sit here, day after day, waiting for someone to knock, or the phone to ring. And when it gets too much, I pull out that silly cord and ring you for company."

"Sandra, what's wrong?" I asked softly.

She just smiled as she twiddled her cane in her hands. "I haven't got long now. I feel it in my bones and... I never got to see the world."

"Okay, would you like for me to help you book a seniors cruise or something?" I asked.

Sandra just smiled at me. "You're such a good boy," she said. "Not once have you tried to take advantage of the financial situation of an old woman. You're a good lad." She began pouring tea and I quickly darted in to help. Her old wrists still had their dexterity, but she used a smaller, lighter pot when she made tea for herself. But as I poured the brown liquid into her cup and added a single sugar with a dash of milk, she smiled a big smile. "I need you to build me... What was it... I think one of the boys called it a rig?"

I frowned, "a gaming rig, you mean?"

"That's the one," she smiled. "I've been looking online for a good way to see the world virtually. And I've found a game. A kind of flight simulator, but it's based on the real world. I'd like to learn to fly and see all the places I'll never get too."

I immediately realized what she was talking about and nodded along. "Alright, that's doable." I glanced over at her old computer. It still had one of those cubic monitors from the nineties. "How extreme do you want to take this?" I asked.

Sandra just smiled, "I was hoping for one of those, virtual reality helmets. Make it feel like I was really there."

I just laughed. She really was something else. And she was right. She was thinner than I remember. Her clothes hung off her frame a little. She had a nurse come round a few times a week to check on her. But they didn't stick around as I did. Hell... Who was I to deny an old girl? "Sure thing Sandra. Do you want your old system still? Or would you like me to put everything on your new computer?"

"I think it's high time for an upgrade, don't you think?" she smiled.

We spent a few minutes hashing out the details. She really wanted to go all out. I had the feeling she had a bit of money left over for her retirement and was looking to spend it. But... I still felt kinda bad. So I had a better idea. So after finishing my tea and a few of her macadamia crunch biscuits, I headed back to the store. I was going to throw her entire plan out the window and just give her the machine I already had built, sitting at the store for when I was bored. It would run VR without issue. All of my stuff got updated regularly, so it was basically new already. All I had to do was wipe the hard drive, reinstall the operating system, download the game, and transfer her files. Hell, I even had one of the newer VR headsets she could have.

Pulling into my parking space, I headed inside and opened the store. I went into the back room where the rig was and shrugged. Popping open the side, I pulled out the hard drive and swapped it for a fresh one. Now all I had to do was boot the operating system. I just had that set up, when I heard the front door open. So plastering on my friendliest smile, I headed back to reception... Only to freeze in the doorway.

"I'm... I'm sorry about yesterday," Jess said softly, staring at the floor.

I just ran my hand through my hair, noting it could probably do with a trim. "No, no. It's fine. You're in a tough place right now and I got all up in your business. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable." She sniffed lightly and wiped at her eye. I wanted to offer her a tissue, but I was half worried that suddenly moving might freak her out.

"Umm, I'm a little out of practice with all this." She shuffled around her feet. "I c-could really use a friend right now. And you're the only person who's spoken to me in months. The only one who made a real effort... Not... Not that it would have been worth it. With Mike I mean."

I just nodded slightly, "okay. Friends, I can do that. Would you like a glass of water or something?" I asked, casually glancing over my shoulder to see if I had a clean glass to offer her.

"I... Umm," she stammered. "Can... Can I get a lift home tonight?"

"Sure," I smiled. "We're neighbors after all."

She nodded and smiled slightly. Before raising her hand. In it was a small white box, "I... Um... I made this as an apology, you can throw it out if you don't like it. I don't care," she said in a tone, that told me she probably did care.

Slowly moving forward, I could see her tense. But she held her ground as I gently took the box and opened it.

Fucking apple pie!

"Oh!" I said quickly, regretting it immediately when Jess jumped slightly. "I love apple pie! Has your recipe got nutmeg in it?"

And like the difference between night and day, she smiled. "Yeah. It really helps balance the sweetness of the apple."

"My nanna used to make hers with nutmeg," I smiled, giving it a sniff. "I know what I'm having for lunch!"

"Right, okay," Jess said softly. "I... Need to get back. Do you want me to wait in my spot, or?"

I frowned for a moment and shook my head. "Soon as you're done, come on round. I usually close up around five-thirty anyway."

Jess paused a moment, before nodding and turning away. "Thank you," she said as she quietly left.

I released a woosh of air I didn't realize I had been holding. That had been way tenser than I thought it would be. Not that I thought It would have happened in the first place. But it was nice to know that the bridge hadn't been burned. But, I still had work to do. Heading back into the back I checked the progress of the install. It was coming along nicely, which wasn't a surprise. I spent the next couple of hours in the store. I answered the phone and dealt with a few queries in between mouthfuls of apple pie. But mostly I just watched the installation of Sandra's new system. I made sure she had everything she needed. I wanted her to be able to just plug it in and play, without any of the bullshit to deal with.

Chapter Five

She didn't know if she should be mad or kiss me. When I showed up a few hours later she was shocked. In her defense, I may have gone a little overboard. Not only did I give her my own rig, but I got her a new screen I had lying around, the headset as mentioned and a joystick to match the game. All in all, I was down a few grand in stock. But it wasn't like I was going to sell it any time soon, if at all. Besides, it was a hell of a kick watching her pull on the headset and grin like a schoolgirl while she went through the tutorials. After quickly setting up her old computer beside her new one, I promised I'd be back tomorrow to swap her data over, while we had tea. That gave her a big grin.

By the time I finally left, it was almost time to close the shop anyway. So I simply parked out front and let myself in through the front door. Checking everything over, one last time, I turned and saw Jess heading across the road. So without further ado, I locked up and met her beside my car.

"Alright, you ready?" I asked. Jess nodded softly and climbed into the passenger seat. I climbed in a moment later and started the engine. But to be honest, I really had no idea what to say to her. She was so beautiful and yet completely unobtainable. The walls around her when Mike was alive seemed to be held up by fear of the world without him. Misery breeds company after all. As horrible as her life was, it would have at least been familiar. So I started driving. "What kind of music do you listen to?" I asked, trying to break the ice. We sat in silence for a while and I gave up on the idea she'd respond.

"Jazz," she said softly. "When I was young, I used to dance to jazz."

"Use your phone, you can BlueTooth to the speakers," I said with a smile.

But she didn't return one. "I don't have a phone. If people needed to call me, they called Mike."

I just ground my teeth and pulled over. Taking out my phone, I opened a streaming service and started scrolling. "Any particular artists?"

"Is there anything by, the Ink Spots? I used to like listening to them."

Tapping away at the screen, I quickly found a mix from a popular video game franchise and hit play. The soft tones of 'Maybe' started playing through the speakers. Putting away my phone, I signaled and pulled back onto the road. It was only now I realized it wasn't raining. The drive went quickly and I swore I heard Jess singing softly more than once. But she tensed up slightly as our homes came into view. I drove straight past my place and pulled into her driveway. It was long and rather bumpy. I could also see their home was rather bedraggled the closer I got. Mike clearly didn't keep up with the lawn maintenance.

"Now-"

"Please don't ask me to sleep with you," Jess said quickly. I just stared at her like she slapped me. "I'll do it... But... I just hoped we could be friends... For a while at least..."

"Oh my god, no," I said softly. "Jess, I'm not trying to trick you into sleeping with me. This really is just me trying to help you. I've been living in that house for two years and I've seen and heard some terrible things happen over here. I don't expect anything from you, I swear it." I said quickly.

Jess just eyed me warily, "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm not good with this kind of thing. Mike would say one thing and mean another. I just got used to watching my back and expecting the worst." She shook her head, "I'm so fucking useless-"

"Please don't say that," I cut her off. "That pie you gave me is literal proof you can do wonderful things. I personally can't cook for shit, but that pie was to die for!" I grinned. "All I wanted to know earlier, is what time you started your shift in the morning because I can give you a lift into work if you need it."

Now it was Jess's turn to gape like I'd slapped her. But after a few moments, she slowly shook her head and collected herself. "I... I start at eight."

"Cool, I usually start around eight-thirty. So I'll pick you up at seven-thirty?" I asked.

Jess just nodded slowly, "okay. Th-thank you, Tim."

Getting out of my car, I waited until I saw her open her door and head inside. Satisfied, I pulled the car around and made the quick trip back home. Then it was business as usual. In other words, a microwave meal and go up to my office.

"There's an idea," I grinned.

I knew about the game Sandra wanted to play because I already had it. So it was a quick matter to fire it up and search for users online. The game itself was online multiplayer, so if she was online, she'd be in there somewhere. And I had a hunch. Loading in the location for the closest airport, I spawned in a small twin-engine. After hitting the automatic pre-flight checks, I quickly took off and headed for our little town. Sure enough, there was a low flying single-engine circling. Switching on my microphone, I smiled.

"That you Sandra?" I asked.

The smaller plane wobbled a moment before the crackle of a mic sounded. "Tim?"

"How are you liking the game?" I asked her.

She laughed softly, "oh Tim. It's wonderful. Thank you so much."

She really was a peach. "How about we go on an adventure?" I asked.

"Need to land and swap planes. This one's nearly out of fuel," Sandra said.

"Why not just spawn a new plane mid-air?"

"Where's the fun in that?" She admonished me.

I just laughed. I honestly couldn't fault her logic and we flew to a nearby airfield so she could make her swap. And I gotta tell you. The old gal stuck the landing on the first try. No wonder she had me on Mario kart...

A few hours later, Sandra had gone to bed and I had signed off. All up, today had been rather eventful. Especially in comparison to my usual lifestyle. So with nothing else to do, I took myself for a shower and bed. After all, I had to be up a little earlier in the morning for Jess. My last thoughts as I laid on my oversized mattress, was how nice it would be to have someone to share it with.

It was a restless night for me that evening. I woke up still tired and honestly, a little sore. Which didn't make sense except for how tangled my blankets were. I must have been tossing and turning all night. So with a groan, I got up and took my morning shower. Once satisfied I felt somewhat human, I got out and dressed myself. Checking the time, I groaned, realizing I was going to be a little late to pick up Jess.

"Great, first impressions and I'm already fucking late."

Rushing downstairs, I spotted something on the front porch. Skidding to a stop, I headed for the front door and pulled it open.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Jess all of a sudden had a panicked look on her face, "I... Ah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come over. I'm sorry. I'll just walk."

"Wait," I shook my head, realizing I'd scared her. "I was going to come to pick you up. I didn't expect you to walk over. I was just coming to get you now. Come on in, we'll go through the garage," I smiled.

Jess had a few quick reactions to my words. First was relief, but when I mentioned coming inside, she got nervous again. I'd have offered for her to wait outside while I backed the car out, but that just sounded rude. Either way, after a moment to think, Jess nodded and came inside. Closing the door and locking it behind her, I might have imagined it, but I swear she squeaked softly. So with the kindest smile, I could muster I led her through the lounge and into the garage.

"Y-your home is lovely," she said softly.

I shrugged, "it's not much. But it's home."

Hitting the door for the garage, light began to pout in as I unlocked the car. A moment later we were seated and I was backing out and turning around. Checking one last time that the door was closing, I started moving for the road.

"So, do you do all the cooking or just certain things?" I asked.

Jess looked at me a moment, before smiling softly. "I make all the baked goods. That pie I made you was fresh that morning."

"That really was good pie," I grinned. "What keeps you at the diner if you can bake like that? We don't have a bakery in town."

Jess just nodded, "that's why I got a job. Mike... Mike didn't like spending his money. At least not on things that didn't interest him. So I got a job." She paused while I drove. "I actually wanted to rent the little booth beside the diner and sell baked goods. But every time I saved up enough, Something came up, or... Or he just took it all. Said it was his since he pays for everything else."

I frowned slightly, not knowing what to say. "Well, now you shouldn't have a problem."

Jess just shrugged, "depends how much money he left me. I might need to work just to keep the roof over our... My... Over my head."

I honestly didn't know what to say to that. But before I could come up with an answer, my stomach let out a low growl. Jess just looked at me with an odd expression. "You missed breakfast," she said.

I just shrugged, "don't usually eat it. Cereal doesn't appeal to me and I don't have any bread for toast."

"After you park, come round to the diner. I'll make you some eggs," she said softly.

I just nodded along. "Sure, that'll be nice."

I was just pulling into the parking space behind my shop when I remembered I didn't play any music. I set a mental note to download something onto my phone for the trip home again.

"I'll meet you over there. Just come in and take a seat near the kitchen and I'll bring it out," she said and started walking around.

"One extreme to the next," I sighed.

I got it. I really did. She'd been abused for years. I was a man suddenly in her life. No matter my intentions, she still had it in the back of her mind I was dangerous. If only she knew how beautiful I thought she was. And how powerlessly angry I had been all these years.

So with a sigh, I got out and went inside the store. I gave everything a once over, noted the blinking light on the answering machine, and headed out the front door. Apparently, it was breakfast time.

Chapter Six

I'd only been in the diner a few times. But I still remembered where the kitchen was when I walked in. The place was quiet, only a couple of people sitting randomly throughout. Making my way to a nearby table I took a seat as one of the waitresses came over.

"Hey, Tim right?" She asked with a smile.

"That's me," I smiled back. What I didn't expect was for her to plop herself down on the chair opposite mine and stare me down.

"I know who you are mister. I also know why you're here. You hurt one hair on her head, you'll be pushing up daisies, am I understood?"

I tried not to be angry, but honestly... "Did you tell Mike the same thing?"

After blinking, she at least looked rather ashamed. "No... But, that's a little different."

"Is it?" I asked softly. "I, a member of this community that's been stuck living in similar fear of my life for years. Keeping in mind, he destroyed my mailbox with a shotgun. But, I, a functional member of this community, get threatened for showing a little kindness, while you all turned a blind eye to Mike and his particular brand of toxicity?"

"I..." She paused and lowered her head.

"Sue, that's my table, I got him," Jess called.

Turning, there she was, wearing an apron and holding a plate in both hands. She quickly approached and placed the plate in front of me. I gotta tell you, it looked good. Buttered toast, scrambled eggs, and a few slices of bacon.

"Enjoy, I'll see you later," she smiled and hurried back to the kitchen.

"She made that out of her own tips," Sue said softly.

I just nodded and pulled out a twenty. "Make sure that makes it back in then," I said, handing it to her.

I ignored her as I tried to simmer down from my anger. The eggs really helped keep my mind off things and Sue quickly got back to her tables. She could have her moment, I was having mine right now. Soon enough, I had wiped the plate down with the last piece of toast. I was well satisfied and ready to start my day.

I had thought about stopping for lunch later in the day, but I had a call out. The local abattoir had a system glitch and their payroll system went down. So I spent my day chasing what turned out to be a single cord that had been accidentally snapped when they moved the server. By the time that was done, I was swearing at myself for the time. It was already just after six.