Seredipity's Partner
Cities may be real but the places are all fictional. I do not own the characters, except our lovely Jolene. This is my first attempt at writing a Cap Story so don't judge me too much. Hope anyone who reads this enjoys it. It'll be a short ficlet unless it grows into it's own monster. I've had this stuck in my head and I can't write for my other stories without getting this out. It's totally ruled my brain...So enjoy! :)
P.S. I just want to send a shout out to the wonderful Rckyfrk for being a beta for this! Thanks Darlin'!
Someone To Watch Over Me - Ella Fitzgerald
Another day of catching side eyes from folks walking along the sidewalk with me. I'd grown used to it over the years. I've always been the odd woman out in school, and much the same after school. It wasn't until I had found the place I was working now that I had finally found somewhere that I fit right in. I had started at The Best Of Days while I was in college, something to pay the bills and gave me mornings off for classes. At first I was a waitress, and was quickly trained to be a bartender, but now I was the singer for the house band. Of course, I could still sling drinks with the best of them when there was a different guest band that came in for a few nights, but my favorite place was most definitely on the stage. It was a damn shame that I had missed the prime time for my talent. The bar was a jazz styled place that looked like it came straight out of the older days.
"Hey Jolene!" Caroline the bartender shouted as I walked in the door. It was late afternoon but the bar would be opening soon, which meant I was running a little late.
"Hey Caroline!" I waved back at her.
"Lookin' good today, girl!" Caroline was always full of compliments and encouragement. I waved my hand dismissively back at her as I let out a chuckle and headed for the back. I fixed my brown hair that had flown loose on the walk to work, making sure my victory rolls were perfect before lining my eyes in black and painting my lips with my Ruby Woo MAC lipstick. I fixed my white cotton sweater, making sure it was tight and securely tucked into my red A-line, tea length skirt. After another once over in the mirror, I gave myself a smile.
I had been teased about this most of my life, about being different, but different was good. I realized that being true to myself was what mattered, and what others thought was none of my business. I loved the older eras. I spent most of my childhood playing in my mother's clothes from high school and quickly realized that the 80s were not my style after I got a little older. Throughout high school, I spent many years trying to find what my style was exactly. I found myself feeling most like myself when I had found a vintage shop down the street from my dorm, full of 40s and 50s clothing. I was often bullied for being "out of style" for the rest of my years there at that school.
I met Caroline in college and we instantly clicked as friends. We bonded over our love of the older styles and classic movies, and soon after that we met Sheri, the owner of The Best Of Days. That was just about seven years ago, when the bar hadn't been doing well, but now...now it was one of the best around. We had the normal tourists that would come from around the world to time travel, but there were also the locals that kept us going year round The weekends were always the busiest, which was why I was here early tonight. The band played their instrumental jazz and big band music for a while as I helped Caroline finish stocking the bar for the night and chatting with a few of the patrons. When eight o'clock rolled around, I was walking on the stage for my first set.
"Well hello, Dolly," a gentleman from the crowd yelled and I gave him a smile. I went on to sing my normal hour set before taking a break and heading up to the bar to get a drink. "Name's Don. What's your name sweet thing?" It was the same gentleman that had hollered at me earlier, though now I wasn't sure I could call him a gentleman anymore. The man was fair from gentle as he grabbed my waist and tugged me towards him.
"The name is Jolene, and I'd appreciate it if you'd release me," I said as I pushed at his chest.
"Awww, no need to go working up a sweat just yet sweetheart. We ain't even made it back to my pad yet," he slurred in my ear.
I pulled my torso back as far as I could from within his grip, swinging back and bringing my palm flush against his cheek hard enough to make my hand sting. "I said to let me go!" I shouted at him as I pushed against his chest some more.
"She said to let her go." A voice came from over my shoulder, smooth, deep, and authoritative. Don looked over my shoulder at the gentleman that had spoken up. "I suggest you do as she says if you aren't looking for a fight," the voice spoke again from behind me. Don loosened his grip on my waist enough for me to push myself completely from his grasp.
I backed up into the body of the man behind me accidently - a big and hard body, I noted. I turned around, seeing lips in close proximity and took a few steps back to look at the man who was speaking just moments before. He was handsome...no...gorgeous. His blonde hair was poking out at odd angles, looking messy due to the wind outside. His eyes were bright blue and I was locked in solid right there. I felt like I couldn't move from the spot for the moment. Feeling a bit off kilter, I took a step back, but the perfect specimen of a man in front of me grabbed my arm quickly, stopping me from backing into Don's creepy self again.
"You alright, Miss?" he asked, and that's when I got to his lips. Those lips, the bottom one so full and tempting to be bitten. I shook my head slightly trying to get a grip on myself, but when my eyes hit his torso, I felt even more lightheaded. He was dressed in jeans that were sitting at his correct waistline, a white t-shirt that looked like it may have been painted on under that dark blue jacket that did nothing to hide his impressive chest, abs, and sheer size.
"Umm, yeah. S-Sorry. Would you like something to drink?" I said, taking a step to the side so I could walk around him to the other side of the bar, my safe place. I had to create distance; the urge to reach out and run my hand over his abdomen was making me feel uncomfortable and extremely turned on, but maybe that was the reason I was uncomfortable. I rounded the bar, pulling two shot glasses and a glass of water for myself. "I could use a shot, how about you?" I said as I turned around from retrieving the whiskey off the shelf. I glanced at him just briefly, finding a small smirk playing at one of the corners of his perfectly kissable mouth.
I shook my head again, trying to gather myself as I poured us each a shot. "This one's on me." I said as I slid the glass to him and tipped mine back, letting the liquor slide down my throat and burn those fluttering feelings in my stomach. I gave him a quick nod while I filled my cup with water and then headed towards the back to the stage to figure out the next set list. I glanced at him every so often as I sang and saw him sitting there alone, looking at the door sporadically like he was waiting for someone to come in.
"Did you get stood up, Ace?" I asked as I walked up behind him. I sat another set of whiskey shots down on the table where he was still sitting alone.
"Guess so," he chuckled.
"You new in town?" I sat down in the chair across from him, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms as I watched his demeanor. He looked so calm and well controlled, but the thing that bugged me most was this lost look in his eyes when he looked around the room.
"Not exactly," his deep voice replied. "First time here though. My buddy Sam suggested the place, said I'd love it." His blue eyes looked around the room again, a look of longing flickering in them.
"This place feels like a time capsule, my own personal heaven," I said leaning forward, grabbing my shot glass off the table and downing it quickly. "Never fit in anywhere until I found this place. Everyone says I was born in the wrong era." I scoffed, "I always wondered what it was like to live back then. It seems so much better than it is now. I'm sure it wasn't all glamorous with the wars and all." I rambled on, noticing the handsome blue eyed model across from me tensing slightly before relaxing again. "I always felt weird..."
"You're perfect," he interrupted me before he looked down, hiding his face a bit. I could tell he was laughing from the slight shake of his shoulders. I grabbed his shot, letting the cool liquid make its way down my throat again.
"What's so funny, Chuckles?" I asked but he didn't reply. "Go ahead, laugh it up. I'm used to being the butt of the joke." I snarled before standing up to head back to the stage.
"I'm not laughing at you," he said, standing up quickly. "I was just thinking about how right Sam was." I looked at him unamused, one eyebrow raised. "And I can't tell him how right he was because his ego is already too big to get through a normal doorway," he added before flashing a crooked smile that I was sure could cure any shitty day. "It's Steve by the way, not Chuckles." he added while extending his hand out to me.
"Jolene." I replied, shaking his hand for a moment before walking back up on stage.
There's a somebody I'm longin' to see I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood Although he may not be the man some Won't you tell him please to put on some speed Won't you tell him please to put on some speed Someone to watch over me
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I know I could always be good
To one who'll watch over me
Girls think of as handsome,
To my heart he carries the key
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
I finished the last song of the night. Steve was still sitting alone at his table but was smiling slightly when I walked off of the stage. "Enjoying yourself?" I asked as I sat down across from him. He nodded his head, giving me a grin. "Looks like your date never showed," I noticed.
"Probably better this way anyways," he said after dropping his head a little and looking up at me through those heavily lashed eyes.
"Her loss," I shrugged. Caroline announced last call for the bar and I excused myself to help her with the last rush of the night. Don was still there sitting at the bar.
"Hey Doll, sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I know a place around the corner, open at all hours. How about you and I go get a coffee after you get off work." Don said as I handed him his last drink of the night.
"How about we don't?" I said in a smartass tone.
"Oh, come on, give ole Don a chance. Or are you planning on riding off with Prince Charming over there?" he said gesturing with a tilt of his head over to Steve who was watching the whole interaction.
"If I know anything, it's that Princes don't exist in my world, but apparently, creeps do, Don," I said drawing his name out so he'd get the point.
"Alright, alright, I get it. You have a good night, Doll." Don said, throwing his hands up and downing his drink before getting up and walking out.
"Finally," I said under my breath. I finished up helping Caroline, letting her leave early to get home. I walked to the back, grabbing my purse and heading out into the bar to lock up and head home myself.
"You all alone now, sweet thing?" Don's voice boomed from behind me. I rolled my eyes and turned around to face the obviously wasted man.
"Don, you need to go home. Let me call you a taxi," I replied, grabbing my phone from my purse and searching for the taxi company I used most.
"Why don't you come with me for the time of your life?" he grabbed my arm tightly.
"Get your hand off of me Don. You need to take a hint and leave before I call the cops instead of a cab," I threatened, but only received a tighter grip on my arm. "Ow!" I winced. The next thing I realized Don was falling to the floor after receiving a slug to the jaw.
"You alright, Jolene?" Steve's voice asked.
"Y-yeah. I-I thought you left," I said, spinning around to face him.
"Had a bad feeling about him," he jutted his chin towards Don, who was scurrying himself off the sidewalk and taking off in a stumbling run.
"Well, thank you," I said, giving him a smile when he looked back at me.
"Could I accompany you home?" he asked, giving me a grin which fell as soon as he saw the hesitation in my face. "I'm not expecting anything at all. All I'm asking for is peace of mind knowing you made it home safely," he added. I still hesitated, unsure why he was being so nice to me. I wasn't quite used to such a nice guy, not to mention a devastatingly good looking nice guy. Most men only did something when they wanted something in return, although I hadn't quite figured out the angle that Steve was playing. I gave him a nod after deciding that I didn't mind trying to figure it out, figure him out.
"I'm not sure if you are just a nice guy, or if you are super possessive and are trying to lay claim to me," I said as we walked.
"Well, you'd have to assume I liked you more than a friend first," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, making his shoulders and chest seem even broader, if that was even possible.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed with a mock flinch. "Good guy it is," I laughed.
"I didn't...I didn't mean it to come out like that. Sorry. Old habits die hard, I guess," he said, shaking his head to himself in embarrassment.
"What's that supposed to mean?" trying to get some clarification to the obvious nerves he was exuding.
"An old friend always told me I didn't know a thing about women or how to talk to them. Seems nothing's changed." He looked around at the dark city around us before inhaling deeply.
"So what happened to your date?" I asked, trying to fill the silence.
"Not sure. Natasha said the girl would meet me there. Pretty sure if Natasha picked her out, she wasn't my type anyhow," Steve mused.
"Well, I'm thankful she didn't show. Wouldn't have had you around to save me twice tonight," I said softly and we both looked at one another, a smile on both our faces and eyes locked tight onto the others. It was one of those cliché moments from the movies, feeling as though the world had fallen away for a while. "So obviously you know I sing and bartend, but what do you do for a living?"
Steve looked away, looking off into the distance in front of us for a moment before answering, "Protect and serve."
"So a cop," I said as we rounded the final corner to my street.
"Something like that," he chuckled.
"Well this is my stop," I said, stopping at the stairs to my apartment building. "Thank you for walking me home."
"My pleasure," he said looking up at me as I stepped up onto the stairs.
"Have a good night, Officer Steve," I joked.
"Captain," he replied with a crooked grin.
"Oh, excuse me," I said with slight sarcasm, "Captain Steve."
"Jolene." He nodded his head before taking a step away and walking away into the night.
I spent that night thinking of the mysterious Captain Steve and wondered if luck was on my side this time. Had I met a man that could truly be one of the good guys this time?