Scraps - Damn Sneakers

“Okay, but seriously, why do you have a torn up pair of sneakers that are damn near identical to Jackson’s?” 

The question had been burning in my mind for the last hour or so at least. Ever since my conversation -- I used that term quite loosely -- with Jackson had ended earlier and I began my walk home, it had been stewing. Sure, it was a strange thing for me to get hung up on but it was the damn sneakers. How could I not think about it?

“I was unaware that they were so similar,” Katie said idly as her eyes scanned the contents of the kitchen cupboards. “Why does it bother you, dear?”

“It doesn’t bother me it’s just that…”

That’s when it hit me. She didn’t know. Sometimes I realized that Katie really wasn’t from around here; she didn’t know all of the stories yet, she just didn’t get it. I would have to educate her.

“They are just shoes, right?” I asked her, a bit apprehensively.

Katie cocked a perfect, manicured brow and stared at me. This was the face she made when I was being ridiculous, which was often. The effect was slightly less intimidating and more adorable when she was wearing grease smudged coveralls that looked at least a size too big for her.

“Yes, Lil,” Katie assured me with a sigh. “They’re just shoes.”

“Well, Jackson’s aren’t just shoes. They’re his,” I put two fingers on each hand up and made quotations, my face apathetic, “lucky shoes.”

Katie scoffed and rolled her eyes as she made her way across the living room to join me on the couch. “What constitutes lucky shoes?”

I was happy to see Katie taking such little stock in Jackson’s superstition. It meant that my wife didn’t buy into it. That was good. I already thought Jackson was off the deep end with this stupid shit, the last thing I needed was the same kind of crazy in my own house.

“Well, he figures that he had a good day when he first bought them, so they have to be lucky.” I shrugged at my own explanation. It sounded as lame out loud as it did in theory. 

“Mm, sounds like a story,” Katie murmured with a sideways glance.

I raised a brow and replied slowly, “Yeah.”

Katie threw herself backward so that her shoulders and head landed across my lap before grinning up at me playfully. “Tell me a story, Lil.”

I looked down at her and frowned. How can I honestly say no when she’s being all cute and shit. Damn her. 

“Alright, alright,” I conceded and sighed at the ceiling; as if she was the most difficult thing in the world and not the best part of it. “You gotta turn off all that adorable though. You’re blinding me.”

“I can turn it down but it’s never off,” Katie informed me and scooped my hands up in hers. 

Sure getting comfy, ain’t she? I let out a soft chuckle before slipping one hand out of her grasp to begin combing through her hair absently. Should just stop fighting it guess. Really, it’s silly that I even try in the first place.

“I’ll take it,” I said and leaned down to kiss her forehead before breathing out a sigh of defeat. “This is all bullshit to me, as you can probably tell, so I’m just gonna tell you what Jackson told me about that day. He was running out to get new shoes…”

*** 

“You want me to box those up or you?” the cashier asked, even as I was lacing up the brand new red converse.

“Nope,” I said and handed back the empty box with my previous sneakers, old, frayed, and covered in dried muck inside. “If you could toss this out for me though, I think I’ll be all good to go.”

The cashier told me he would take care of it before bidding me a nice day and I did the same. Typically, I would have taken care of the shoes myself but I was already running a bit behind to get back to the shop. If it wasn’t a complete emergency I wouldn’t have even chanced making the run on my lunch break.

*** 

“Wait,” Katie asked, breaking into my story abruptly. “What happened to the shoes?”

“I don’t know. Jackson never told me,” I shrugged and set her with a hard stare. “Do you wanna hear this story or not?”

“Well, you can’t just expect me to not ask!” Katie said, pursed lips and raised brows meeting my sour face. “It’s like, a plot hole!”

I looked at her in disbelief. “Why do you have to be so fucking difficult all the time?”

“I’m just asking a question!” Katie exclaimed, throwing her hands up with mine in tow.

A few silent seconds passed by while we stared at each other and then I spoke. “Yeah. So, Jackson’s lucky shoes.”

“Mmm…” Katie hummed, displeased at my inability to give her what she wanted.

“Anyways,” I said loudly, in an attempt to ignore her. “Jackson was coming out of the shoe store…”

***

As I stepped out into the bright, sunny day, I stretched my toes and wiggled them within the confines of my shoes. There was always a funny feeling to new shoes. Like a new house, so full of potential but still unbroken to you. After a couple days that would fade and they would fit like a second skin. Just like home.

Walking seemed like the best idea initially, seeing how midday traffic was fucking hell but now I was second guessing that thought. I was practically running back to the shop to make sure that Iggy didn’t dock me for being late and almost ended up tripping over my laces. I threw my arms out and did a weird hop, skip sort of thing to catch my balance again before a rough exhale left my lungs in relief for not eating pavement.

While I was standing there with my hands on my knees, slightly bent over and trying to catch my breath for a second wind, I caught a fluttering out of the corner of my eye. At first I thought it was just a piece of trash, a receipt or maybe a lotto ticket or something and disregarded it. Then I did a double take and noticed green.

“Hell yeah,” I muttered and jogged over to snatch the cash. I was sure it would be a one or a five that slipped out of someone’s pocket but to my great surprise, the bill was a twenty. “Hell yeah!”

Okay, this day is starting to take a turn for the better. I thought to myself as I jammed my newly claimed cash into my pocket and began my run back to Iggy’s garage once more. Maybe if I split the twenty spot with him, he’ll let me slide. Iggy’s super cool like that.

My surprise in the day was furthered when I walked into the garage’s office, both an apology and an offer sitting in wait, and saw that I wasn’t a minute late; in fact, I was about forty five seconds early.

“You get all fixed up?” Iggy asked me rather absently. A huge hoagie hung from one hand -- meat, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes all in danger of falling out -- while he scrolled through his phone with the other. 

“Yeah,” I said, still feeling a little surprised at my own speedy return. “Yeah, I’m cool now.”

“Awesome,” Iggy said just as enthusiastically as his previous statement. Whatever he was doing on his phone was eating up his attention real good. “Heads up, got someone coming for an oil change in about ten.”

I watched as the tomato that had been hanging precariously for the past minute fall onto Iggy’s desk with a plop. “What’s the name?” I asked, my eyes still on the discarded veggie.

“Uhh.” Iggy looked up in thought before meeting my eyes. “Knox? I think? That sounds right.”

“Hmm,” I hummed and picked up the tomato before popping it in my mouth and chewing absently. Knox… Where do I know that name from… Oh. Oh!

“I was still gonna eat that, y’know,” Iggy remarked with a face that was more exhausted than disbelieving. He knew how I was by this point though. Which is why I shrugged unapologetically and walked back to the garage without any justification for my actions.

As I cleaned up around my station for the few minutes I had, my brain played through idle thoughts. Mostly in regards to my imminent client. How long had it been after all? 

Not like it was ever significant. She probably didn’t even know my name. She’s the kind of girl that doesn’t have time for a small town boy like me. Not like I blame her really, but fuck, it sure would be nice to get half a chance… 

“Excuse me?”

The soft, feminine voice brought me out of my musings. I looked up to see chestnut hair, freckles and that coy little smile that had my heart pounding double time all present and accounted for. Sara. My gaze lingered for far too long and I had to mentally thump myself on the back of the head in order to look away.

“Afternoon, miss Knox,” I managed to actually sound somewhat normal -- if not a little smooth to my ears -- as I approached her. It made me puff up a bit with renewed confidence.

“Call me Sara,” she said and smiled a bit. I knew she would say that, of course, she had said it to me before. I doubted that she remembered though. “A good afternoon to you as well though, Josh.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. Josh? What the fuck?

“Who’s Josh?” I asked, puzzled.

“You?”

“Uh, no,” I said and chuckled awkwardly. 

God. See? I knew she didn’t know my name. Ugh.

“Then you tell me who Josh is,” Sara, who looked equally confused, said before pointing to my nametag. 

I looked down at her pointing finger, where the name Josh was indeed stitched in the place that my name generally was. It gave me a good chuckle when I remembered what had happened earlier. I had switched out my coveralls for a pair that Iggy had found in the back. I guess they belonged to an old employee and apparently, said employee’s name was Josh.

“Uh, yeah. No. These aren’t mine,” I said as I tugged at the front fabric of my coveralls before I laughed once more. “It’s a long story. I’m Jackson actually.”

“Mm, so close,” Sara screwed up her mouth and snapped her fingers as if to say, aw darn.

My brows furrowed in confusion while I shook my head unconsciously. “What?”

“Josh, Jackson,” Sara smiled and lifted her hands before mimicking a scale, “close enough, right?” She shrugged and let out a light laugh. “I mean, they both start with J’s.”

“Sounds like you’re grasping for straws there.” I pointed a finger at her playfully, going so far as to cock a brow and elicit a giggle from Sara.

Sara looked at me fondly and hummed before she turned her face to the side, cleared her throat and then looked at me renewed interest. “Well,” she said in a low, almost seductive, voice. “It’s better than-”

I never did get to find out what it was better than unfortunately. Iggy poked his head into the garage to look at me and then Sara and then me again. Not the time for social calls is what that stare said. It lingered for a burning moment before he raised his eyebrows and closed the door once more.

“Sorry about that. I, um, should really get started on this though,” I said and rubbed the back of my neck. 

“That’s alright,” Sara said in a bright, chipper voice.

Even though she sounded like normal again, not the surprising turn of sex kitten that I saw a flash of a second ago, she still felt different today. I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly but it made me notice her so much more. She stood out in a way where she blended into the scenery before. It wasn’t a loud energy, not scary or anything, but it was confident. I don’t know why but that made me smile as much as it puzzled me.

“Did you cut your hair?” I asked her randomly, my eyes still roaming over her face, trying to figure out what was different.

Sara smiled softly before replying in a slow, drawn out, “No.”

I frowned in disappointment; I had been positive that was it. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure,” Sara nodded slowly, looking at me like I was a big weirdo now. “I’ve worn my hair the same way since high school, Josh.”

“I told you," I sighed, "my name-”

“It’s a joke, Jackson,” Sara said flatly, her lips pursed at my lack of humor. “You really think I don’t remember you?”

I hummed in thought and looked to the ground for a moment. Suppose I was selling her a little short, huh? Shit, I used to hang out with Derek all the fucking time when Lil was around more. She lived there, she couldn’t be that oblivious could she?

“Is it alright if I watch you work?” Sara asked, breaking me out of musings.

“Sure,” I said much too quickly, before clearing my throat and waving a hand to appear nonchalant. “It’s not gonna be very entertaining for you though.”

“That’s fine,” she replied with a breezy shrug. New Sara was back. I wasn’t sure if she intimidated me or not yet but she definitely got my palms sweating. “I’m not looking to be entertained.”

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, my voice coming out cracked and unsteady. I quickly cleared my throat and smiled in an attempt to compose myself. “What are you looking for then?”

I could feel the energy shifting. It was molding into something more. Something that was damn near electric. That did intimidate me.

Sara smiled slyly. “How well you work with your hands. I might have another job for you later if you really impress me.”

***

“So, you know, it basically went on like that all day,” I sighed in exhaustion. I didn’t mind telling stories but this shit was stupid and I didn’t want to indulge it. “He felt like his luck was just escalating so it must have been the shoes.”

There was a moment of silence from Katie before she furrowed her brows and looked up at me, puzzled. “Wait, is that really it?”

“Well, yeah. I figured you got it. Seemed pointless to just keep reiterating the same thing, y’know?” I pulled my hand from her hair in order to wave it around in a very whatever fashion. “Good shit happened. Magic shoes.”

“But what about Jackson and Sara?” Katie asked, practically whined really as she looked up at me with questioning eyes.

“I mean, they fucked if that’s what you want to know,” I shrugged and chuckled. “I didn’t want to hear Jackson’s retelling of that though, so I’m definitely not going over it again with you. If I could even remember that is.”

“You’re no fun sometimes,” Katie replied with a petulant pout and refused to look at me.

“The point of this story was Jackson’s stupid shoes. Remember?” I rolled my eyes. “I mean, he basically decided that the shoes were lucky and since he’s always wearing them when he, y’know, gets lucky, that’s just confirmation.” I shook my head at his flawed logic. “Problem with that though, if he’s always wearing them then they can’t be lucky. It’s just… that’s not how that works.”

“Hmm,” Katie hummed thoughtfully. 

“So, yeah. That’s why I cared so much about your shoes,” I chuckled, attempting to break up the frustration I felt toward Jackson and his silly beliefs. “Wanted to make sure they weren’t… lucky.”

“Well they’re not. But,” Katie drawled and looked up at met my eyes with a smile before wiggling her shoes, “they could be lucky.”

Now this is a superstition I could get into… 

A deep hum rumbled in my throat before I snatched Katie up and threw her on the other side of the couch, getting the first giggle out of her. I scooped up both of her legs in my hand and lifted them high in the air, getting another small string of little laughs from her. When I snuck in between them so I could fall on top of her, Katie was reduced to a giggling mess.

“I think it’s working,” I said. “Look, I’m already falling all over you.”

“Is that so?” Katie asked. Her words were playful but her face had gone soft, those big blue eyes shining with nothing but unconditional love. “Are you falling for me, Mrs. Reed?”

I let out a low growl and took her bottom lip between my teeth, eliciting a high gasp from Katie. “I’m inclined to say so, Mrs. Reed.”

Katie’s breathless reply had me grinning. “Good.”

“And guess what?” I murmured in between little kisses that I laid along her jawline.

“Hmm?” Katie hummed and closed her eyes.

My grin widened until it was bordering on predatory as I stared down at my girl. “You’re definitely getting lucky.”

Katie opened one blue eye to meet mine, a smile full of blissful content playing along her lips. “Good.”