Diva

 EPOV

The diner was everything I expected of a small town diner. Black and white checkered floor, red leather seats on the stools and chairs, apple pie on the counter. Then there were the unexpected things, like the fact that it was in an old train station, and that there was military memorabilia on the walls. A photo of Jake in his fatigues, smiling widely, behind the counter knocked the breath out of me and made me forget everything else for a moment. I hadn’t seen a picture of him since he’d died, and he looked so alive and so vibrant in the photo. How the hell could someone like him just be gone?

“You look a little lost, son. What can I get you?”


I turned my head and looked at the owner of the voice – a dark-haired man with a little gray above the ears. He wore an apron, and the way he was looking at me made me wonder how long I had been staring at the photo of Jake.

I cleared my throat and went over to the counter where there was an empty stool. He stepped behind the counter and raised his eyebrows while still looking at me.

“Um, can I have a burger with coleslaw and fries, please? And a Coke,” I requested, forcing myself not to look back at the photo. It was like a magnet for my gaze.

“Sure, coming right up,” the man replied. A moment later, he put a glass of Coke in front of me. I sipped it slowly until my meal arrived. I liked this place already – they didn’t hold back on the coleslaw. Maybe that was Jake’s doing, as he was the only one I had ever met who had liked coleslaw more than I did. As carefree as he had been, there were some things that he had been passionate about. Like his hometown, his family, his friends, and his great love above them all – food. In his eyes, nothing was ever so bad that it couldn’t be cured with ice cream, pizza, or an extra helping of coleslaw. I looked down at the coleslaw on my plate. I wasn’t sure it would help me heal.

I ate my food slowly. I wasn’t really hungry, but I wanted a chance to soak up the atmosphere of this place that Jake had loved so much. I could even imagine myself visiting him here after our tour had ended. I looked around and wondered how many of the people in the diner had known Jake. Were there any friends of his? An ex-girlfriend whose heart he had broken by going off to war? An aunt? Maybe Jake had sat on this particular stool every day after school, eating apple pie and doing his homework. Maybe he had been doing dishes out back or swept the floor while flirting with the girls.

“Can I interest you in a piece of apple pie and a cup of coffee?

I looked up at the man from before. His skin was as pale as mine, but he reminded me of Jake. Maybe his dad or an uncle? I knew this was a family business, but didn’t know if it extended past Jake’s parents and saint of a sister. Jake had probably told me, but I couldn’t remember.

“Sure, that would be great. It’s been a long time since I had a decent piece of apple pie,” I replied. The image of high school student Jake eating apple pie on this particular stool was stuck in my mind, even if I had no idea if there was any truth in it.

“It’s my wife’s recipe, and you won’t get a better apple pie in the whole state if you ask me,” he said and carved me a piece. It looked delicious.

“I’m sure you’re right,” I said with a smile. “Is this place yours?”

“It is.” He nodded as he poured my coffee. “My wife and I have had this place, as well as the bar downstairs, for almost thirty years now.”

“Wow, that’s a long time,” I said to the man I now knew was Jake’s father. I took a bite of apple pie and nearly cried. Most people used their mother’s cooking as comparison for what was great food and what was not, but I decided to use Jake’s mother’s cooking instead. This apple pie was a goddamn slice of heaven, and it must have showed on my face, because Jake’s dad chuckled.

“Told you, kid,” he said.

I nodded and shoveled more pie into my mouth while I considered how to tell Mr. Swan who I was. I hadn’t come in here to confront Jake’s family, although thinking about it, I guessed I should have at least considered it out of respect for my friend. But even if it hadn’t been my intention, I knew there was no way I could leave without introducing myself to Jake’s dad and attempting to answer the questions he probably had. When the Army paid a visit to inform you that your son or husband had died, they never gave out many details. I had received enough letters from the families of men I had lost in combat to know that much.

“You’re definitely right about the pie,” I confirmed as I drank the last of my coffee.

I then paid my bill and looked around the crowded diner. “Um, I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time, sir. Perhaps somewhere a little more quiet, if that’s possible?” I asked, not just for Mr. Swan’s sake, but also my own. I hadn’t actually talked about Jake or what had happened in Afghanistan before, and the last thing I needed was a large audience of people who might have known him.

Mr. Swan looked surprised but nodded. “Sure. We can go downstairs. The bar isn’t open yet.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

I followed him downstairs via a stairwell out back. The bar – unlike the diner above – was nothing like I had expected. There was a polished dark wood counter, leather and velvet seats, marble tabletops, rugs on the floor, and a more elegant feel than one would expect of a small-town bar. He motioned to one of the tables in the back, and we sat down. I had no idea how to start or what to say, I just knew that I had to.

“My name is Edward Cullen,” I started nervously. It was one thing to compose a letter to grieving parents, but an entirely different matter to sit across from them when they had no idea who you were. I almost preferred meeting the enemy in open combat. “I, um, I was Jake’s squad sergeant. We went through basic training together, and I…I was with him when…um, in Afghanistan…”

Mr. Swan leaned back in his seat and nodded slowly. “I think he mentioned you in his letters, but he usually called you Rusty. Is that right?”

I nodded.

He took a deep breath. “Jake…he…my wife didn’t want him to join the Army, but despite how much it worried me when he went over there, I was just so damn proud of him. Still am, but I would have been even if he had done nothing but flip burgers upstairs or serve beers down here. Sometimes I’m afraid that it was me telling about my time in Vietnam that made him sign up.”

I didn’t know what to say, because the truth was that as far as I knew, Jake’s decision to serve in the Army was at least partly inspired by his dad. However, that was not what Mr. Swan needed to hear right then.

Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and looked at me. “You said that you were with him when…? Did he…I mean, was it quick?”

“Yes. We were on patrol. The whole squad,” I replied softly. “There were snipers, and they hit our driver and…Jake. I was right next to him, but just a few seconds later we hit a roadside bomb, and I was knocked out. I don’t know what happened after that, except that we were supposedly rescued pretty quickly. I think I even heard the helicopter before the bomb. But Jake…he…he was gone before the bomb went off. I am truly sorry for your loss, Mr. Swan. I should have said that sooner. Jake was the best friend I had.”

“Thank you, son,” Mr. Swan said hoarsely. “No parent should have to bury their child, but I’m thankful that he didn’t suffer, and also that he was with a friend. What happened to the rest of your squad, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I cleared my throat. “Apart from Jake, three others were killed. Nine were injured, two of them critically. Jackson lost both his legs, but our commanding officer assured me that he should be fine.”

“He was one of the critically injured?” Mr. Swan asked.

I nodded.

“And the other one? How is he doing?”

“I narrowly avoided having my leg amputated after blowing out my knee completely. I also hurt my back and was in a coma for a while,” I replied, shrugging at his raised eyebrows. “They couldn’t make any guarantees that my knee would ever be fit for active duty, so I got out.”

“I’m glad you made it out of there alive,” Mr. Swan said, smiling a little. “And I’m glad that you’re here now. You’ve eased my mind about how we lost our boy.”

I nodded and felt that I had to be completely honest. “I’ve visited the graves of the other three who died, but I’ve been saving Jake for last. When I was at the cemetery today, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t say goodbye.”

Mr. Swan smiled sadly. “Jake had no problems making friends, that was just who he was. But as open and friendly as he was, there were few that made it through that last guarded gate of his. Those who didn’t never knew it, but those he held closest to his heart…I just can’t help but think that they were some of the luckiest people in the world. You’re in that category, Edward – I know as much from my boy’s letters. So you also know that, even though he’s not here anymore, he’ll never be gone from our hearts. His own heart was too big, and his smile was too bright. So you don’t have to say goodbye. Not completely.”

I swallowed. “Thank you for saying that, Mr. Swan.”

He nodded. “Now I’m gonna get us a couple of beers and take care of the first customers who just walked in. Then you can start calling me Charlie while you tell me some more about what my boy was up to over there. I’m sure he never told me half the mischief he made in his letters.”

That part was easier. Talking about Jake’s pranks and jokes over a beer – that was how he would have wanted to be remembered. And the more Charlie Swan revealed of his personality, the more he reminded me of Jake.

“So what are your plans now? Heading back to your family?” Charlie asked after he was done wiping his eyes and laughing at a story about Jake pulling a prank on the whole squad in one go. He had been talented like that. Charlie had kept an eye on the bar and gone up there a few times to tend to customers. There wasn’t much of a crowd, just a few people sitting quietly in their booths. I hoped for the Swans’ sake that business picked up later on, but it was nice to talk almost uninterrupted.

“Um, I don’t know actually. Whatever I do won’t include my family, though. They didn’t agree with my decision to join the Army, and I haven’t talked to them since,” I replied. I had avoided thinking too much about my future, hoping that it would come to me in an epiphany. So far I hadn’t been lucky.

“I could use another bartender if you’d like to stick around Forks for a while,” Charlie offered immediately. “You wouldn’t think it, but it gets busy in here, and apart from myself, there’s only my daughter, Bella, and a young yahoo called James. He’s a bit high-strung, that one, but pours a decent whiskey. What do you say?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t have any experience behind a bar,” I said.

Charlie chuckled. “It’s not rocket science, son. Bella will train you, and you’ll be up to speed in no time. So is that a yes?”

I smiled. It wasn’t like I had anything better to do, and I genuinely liked Charlie. Working with Jake’s saint of a sister didn’t sound bad either, if her letters and cookies were anything to go on. “That’s a yes. Thank you.”

“Excellent! When can you start?” Charlie asked.

“Um…now if you need me to,” I replied. “I don’t have anywhere I need to be.”

“You’d be giving an old man the night off,” he said to me, winking.

I chuckled. “All right, put me to work.”

We stood up, and he reached over to shake my hand. “Thank you, Edward. I’m glad you’re staying around. I hope we can sit down and talk about Jake again sometime. You knew a different side of him that I never got to see.”

I nodded. “Definitely.”

Charlie clapped me on the back, and I tried to hide how much it affected me. No touch had ever felt so fatherly, and Charlie wasn’t my dad – in fact, I hadn’t even met the man until a few hours before. It had been a long time since I had seen my own dad, and I didn’t particularly miss him. I just missed what he could have been in my life.

I shook my head slightly to rid it of thoughts of people who didn’t really matter and followed Charlie up to the bar. He motioned for me to sit down on a stool, and he sat down next to me. Behind the bar was a petite brunette, busy polishing glasses. Charlie cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked up, I immediately recognized her.

The pretty firecracker from the cemetery.

Well, fuck me. She wasn’t Jake’s girlfriend – she was his sister. His saint of a sister, who wrote awesome letters, sent cookies to everyone and porn to Jake, who had made her believe that it wasn’t for himself. Now the pretty firecracker was supposed to train me in the fine art of bartending, and she didn’t look like she wanted to even look at me.

“Hi, I’m Bella,” she said, reaching over the bar to shake my hand.

“I’m Edward Cullen,” I introduced myself and shook her hand. Static electricity made the handshake very short, though.

“So, Edward here needs a job, and I think he’d be a great bartender,” Charlie said with a smile, looking briefly at his daughter before returning his attention to me. “Now, Edward, my daughter will be training you. She knows everything there is when it comes to Downstairs, so pay attention to her.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied, wondering if he was right. Maybe I did need a job to create some stability in my life while I figured out where to go from there.

“All right. Stop by my office tomorrow, and we’ll go over the paperwork and set up a schedule for you. It’s upstairs behind the kitchen. Just ask whoever is working the counter where to go,” Charlie said. “And whatever you do, don’t let Bella boss you around too much tonight. Listen to what she says, but don’t let her go overboard. I love my girl to bits, but she likes things done in her own way – and she sometimes forgets that it’s not the only way.”

After that little pep talk, he left me to go upstairs to check on things. Great.

It didn’t take me long to start questioning my decision to take the job. In just a day, Bella had gone from saintly sister, to pretty firecracker, to intimidating boss lady. I was a complete nightmare and there was no hiding it. I broke bottles and glasses, messed up orders, and generally looked like an ass. Charlie had said that it wasn’t rocket science, but to me it felt pretty fucking close. Just when I was at my breaking point, Bella left me alone, and James made me his errand boy. I was grateful, but only for a short while.

“So, cuddle muffin. Are you really a soldier like Papa Swan said?” James asked me when there was a quiet moment between customers.

“I used to be,” I replied and took a drink from my water bottle. I was kind of missing patrols right about then.

“Really? Do you still have your uniform?” he asked and leaned back against the counter next to me. “Wait, what kind of soldier? Thanks to Tom Cruise, I kind of prefer Navy Dress Whites. Yummy! Although fatigues are kind of hot, too. I’d give my left nut for a soldier to call my own. Okay, maybe not my actual left nut, but you know what I mean. Got any buddies who are taking the whole don’t ask, don’t tell thing to the extreme?”

“Um…yes, no, Army, and not that I know off,” I replied. “There are customers waiting.”

James frowned. “Don’t think we won’t be returning to this conversation, lamb chop.”

I entertained myself with thoughts of lamb chopping James’ ass with a butcher knife until we closed. It did my temper a world of good. I knew my place on the totem pole, so I got the broom and began to sweep the floor the moment the door had closed behind the last customer – a drunk ass singing Beatles songs with partly homemade lyrics. I was beyond exhausted, as it had been a long and emotional day, and I still had a long drive back to Port Angeles and the crappy motel room with my name on it. If I still had a job after messing up so much, I would have to look into finding a place to stay in Forks.

After I had finished sweeping the floor, I looked around for anything else I could do to suck up by getting done. There was nothing. James was lounging on top of the bar, sucking on a lollipop while he watched me. Creep.

“As much as I’d like to watch your ass the rest of the night, you can go home, sweetums. There’s nothing else left to do. I’m just waiting for the Indian princess to finish up,” he said and crunched the lollipop between his teeth. “By the way, she’s got her reasons for being a bitchy bitch. Don’t take it personally.”

I just nodded. Figuring I should tell the firecracker that I was going, I went around back to the office. I took a deep breath before entering the lioness’ den. For all I knew, she was going to eat me raw.

“James said I was finished, so I’m just going to go,” I said, interrupting her while she was counting bills, but not really caring. I was exhausted and just done.

“Okay,” she said, looking up. “Will we see you tomorrow, then?”

I blinked. I thought for sure that I had fucked it up.

“Hello,” she said, waving her hand. “Earth to Eddie.”

“Sorry,” I apologized, recovering from my shock. “I just figured you didn’t want me to come back.”

She sighed and put down the bills she had been counting. “Look, I’m sorry for tonight. We, uh, have a tradition here. You know, razz the new guy and shit,” she said. “Just ask James. He would probably tell you I was a asshole to him the first night.”

Wincing slightly at her choice of words, I nodded. “Oh, I get it.” I wasn’t sure I believed her, because she had had the same attitude at the cemetery, and I was pretty sure that there were no traditions involved in visiting that for the first time. But I was familiar with razzing – what she had put me through tonight had been nothing compared to what I had experienced in the Army. Trying to say goodbye to Jake and then talking about him for the first time had just taken a lot out of me, and I was pretty fucking done with the day. “All right, then. See you tomorrow.”

I nearly fell asleep a few times on the way to Port Angeles, but I managed not to wrap my car and myself around a tree. I collapsed into bed without changing out of my clothes, and the last conscious thought I had was that, apart from their skin color, Jake and Bella looked a lot alike.

When I woke up the following morning, my back ached as usual. I felt like an old man with the way it had protested over the lack of decent beds since I’d left the hospital. I took a long shower that made the pain back off a little – at least until the hot water ran out. As always, I needed to do laundry, but I managed to find some clean clothes. After I had dressed, I packed up my stuff and checked out. Time for motel number one million and thirty-five.

I stopped for breakfast and some much needed coffee before heading back to Forks. I was glad that I wouldn’t be making this trip on a daily basis. I was sick of driving around by then, and I was also sick of motels, but for the time being it would have to do. Finding a small apartment or something in Forks probably wouldn’t be easy.

The motel in Forks was – not surprisingly – easy to find. There was no one in reception when I arrived, so I went back out on the street to wait. It was another beautiful day, and I spotted a coffee shop across the street next to the grocery store. Loading up coffee in my system for another work night with the pretty firecracker and the flaming diva probably wasn’t the worst thing I could do.

When I had bought my coffee, I sat down at a small table outside where I could keep an eye on the motel and see whenever someone arrived. I had just taken my first sip when a big dude sat down across from me.

“Aro will be back in a bit. He’s always in and out, but he’s never gone long,” the guy said. Then he chuckled. “Sorry, I saw you over at the motel before. My office is next door.”

I nodded. Was this part of what Jake had loved so much about small town life? The whole sticking your nose in what wasn’t any of your business? I wasn’t sure I liked it, but maybe it was an acquired taste.

“So are you in town for the apple festival?” the guy asked, not getting the hint that I wasn’t interested in making small talk with strangers right then.

“The apple festival?” I couldn’t help but ask.

He laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. It’s real, though. It’s primarily old folks who make jams and pies and stuff.”

I stared at him. Was this guy for real?

“Sorry, I should just ask you if you knew Jake,” he said, seriously, making my eyes widen even further.

I nodded slowly. “I did. How did you know?”

He smiled sadly. “I saw you in a photo he sent me from Afghanistan. At least I was pretty sure it was you. Your hair has grown a lot. Anyway, when we were kids, we always talked about joining the Army together, but I have severe asthma when exposed to certain things, so they rejected me. I kind of lived vicariously through Jake and asked him to send photos and tell me all about what he was up to over there.”

“You’re Emmett,” I said. Jake had talked a lot about his best friend back in Forks, especially back in basic training when he had been disappointed that Emmett had been rejected. I even remembered the photo that Jake had Crowley take of us.

“That’s me,” he confirmed. “I’m sorry. I only remember that Jake called you Rusty, and that he thought you were some kind of super soldier.”

I snorted. “That’s the last thing I was. I’m Edward. Jake talked a lot about you. He was really bummed that they had rejected you when I first met him in basic training. Or as bummed as Jake ever got.”

Emmett smiled. “Yeah, keeping the smile off his face for longer periods of time was a challenge. So, are you out now or what?”

I nodded. “I got hurt in the same attack that killed Jake, and the doctors couldn’t give me any guarantees that I would ever get back on active duty, so I didn’t renew my contract. I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing at the time, but each day that passes by and I’m still bothered by my injuries, makes me more and more convinced.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you, man. Are you up here visiting the Swans?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.

“It wasn’t my intent, to be honest. I was just coming to visit Jake’s grave, but I met Charlie, and he offered me a job as a bartender. I started last night and fucked up royally, but Bella said that I should come back, so…” I said, shrugging.

Emmett laughed. “You’ve met our fair Bella, then. I’m glad she didn’t scare you right out of town. She’s made grown men cry with the attitude she’s adopted lately. I can’t say that I blame her, because the girl went through a lot of crap, but she’s gotta ease off a little. And you must have met James, too. I bet he liked you.”

I grimaced, refusing to think about what made the pretty firecracker so fiery. Who knew what she would do if I stuck my nose where it didn’t belong? I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be my nose she would be after – and probably with a big knife, too. “He’s a piece of work, that one,” I said instead.

“That’s one way to describe him,” Emmett said, guffawing. “Dude tried to grab my ass once, and he almost lost his arm. I was too busy laughing to do anything – it was my fiancée who got in his face about it. Usually she’s a shy one, but she protects what’s hers.”

“Oh fuck. He’s a grabber, too? I’d hoped he was all words,” I said, groaning. “Well, working with him is going to be fun. I just hope he’s prepared to lose an arm for real if he grabs anything of mine.”

Emmet just continued laughing. “I think it’s time for me to spend a night at the bar. There are things I’d hate to miss out on.”

“Thanks, man,” I said sarcastically.

“I think you’re all right,” Emmett said when he was done laughing. “I always said that Jake had excellent taste in friends, but mainly I was referring to myself. But seriously, I know that you were both his friend and his hero, and I hope we’ll get a chance to swap stories while you’re here. I knew the little, sunshiny brat who grew up to be a big, sunshiny brat, but you know the sunshiny soldier brat.”

I nodded. Sunshiny brat was a good description of Jake. “I’d like that. If I don’t get fired for being the worst bartender ever, I’ll be sticking around for a while.”

“Cool, man. I’ll come by the bar soon. Sounds like it might be a real riot,” he said and stood up. “I need to get back to work, and there’s Aro.”

I stood up, too, and threw away my empty cup before saying goodbye to Emmett and crossing the street to go check into the motel. When I had unloaded my car, I checked my watch. There was enough time to go and get some essentials from the grocery store before heading over to the diner. I could get some lunch after seeing Charlie.

Ten minutes later, deeply engrossed in the process of choosing the right toothpaste, I, along with the rest of the store, turned to look when a loud voice rang out.

“Sugar lips!”

Recognizing the voice and seeing that the diva was coming in my direction, I quickly grabbed the nearest two-pack of toothpaste and made my way down the aisle.

“Eddie, babe! Don’t walk away from me!” James called after me, making me cringe. The guy was like goddamn Velcro.

I stopped, hoping it might make him quit yelling the pet names. Before long, the entire town would think I was his long-lost lover or some shit. I had nothing against gay people, but I hated clingy individuals no matter their sexual persuasion.

“What?” I asked him when he had caught up with me.

“’What’ he says…honestly, sweet cheeks. Didn’t your mom ever teach you any manners?” he asked.

“Did you want something?” I asked impatiently.

“Yes, dear,” he said and laced his arm through mine.

I glared at him, and he removed it again with a chuckle. “So, what are we buying today?”

“We’re not buying anything,” I told him and picked up some shaving cream. James immediately took it from my basket and sniffed it. I took it out of his hands and put it back in the basket. Maybe this was what it was like shopping with kids.

“I think we should get chocolate,” he declared.

“Fine, you go get chocolate and leave me alone,” I said, heading off in the opposite direction of the candy aisle.

“No, no, doll face, I said we should get chocolate. You want to stay on Bella’s good side, yes? Well, chocolate is the way to go. Trust me,” he said, grabbing my sleeve and trying to pull me toward the sacred chocolate. I didn’t budge an inch, though.

I looked at him with raised eyebrows. “How do I know you’re being serious? I wouldn’t put it past you to get me to buy her chocolate if she hates it or is allergic or something.”

“Aw, you know me already, Eddie-poo,” he said and tried to pinch my cheek.

I swatted his hand away. “Do that again and lose the hand.”

He laughed. “So dramatic. I love it. But about the chocolate for Bella – you’ll just have to trust that I won’t lead you astray on this one. Diamonds may be most girls’ best friend, but chocolate and Bella are like this.” He held two crossed fingers up in front of my face.

That was what I was worried about. I didn’t trust the diva one bit, but getting on Bella’s good side would be a smart move if I wanted to keep the job that Charlie had trusted me with. It somehow felt important.

I sighed. “Let’s go get some chocolate.”