#nightshift

My dear friends, it took me so long to update my fanfictions, but you all know the reasons why. But, let’s not talk about the struggles that life gives you, let’s read about Jessie and James and how they get closer….

Chapter 3:

James went all out in his new role as a waiter. He served the few guests who presented themselves hungrily on the diner’s doorstep, mixed the most delicious milkshakes Jessie had ever tasted, and his talent for mental arithmetic left even Eddy speechless. Some of the visitors eyed the young man sceptically. They weren’t used to so much motivation and drive. Most of the time they looked through a veil of inertia and hopelessness, but James brought life to the place. He was extremely accommodating and friendly, had a smile ready for every guest and talked to the visitors as if they were old friends. Jessie couldn’t get out of her amazement. She hadn’t experienced such a relaxed atmosphere in months, not since Butch and Cassidy had been watching her warily, hoping only for financial disaster. Eddy was pleased whenever Jessie’s mood lightened. He knew her tragic story all too well to wish her all the happiness in the world. She didn’t have an easy childhood, got into trouble as a teenager and struggled as a grown woman. Constantly putting her foot in her mouth, constantly being taken advantage of and bullied from top to bottom, constantly being told how useless she was in this world. But now the tragedy seemed to take a turn, this guy James had taken a fancy to her. Eddy watched Jessie as she couldn’t take her eyes off the new waiter, she was almost magically drawn to his refined manner.

“I hate to interrupt your daydreaming, but I think we have a little problem,” Eddy’s gaze wandered to a small table in the corner of the restaurant. A rather upset woman was banging on the table with all her might, standing up angrily and slinging her purse around her shoulders.

“I’ve told you many times, Brock! Leave me alone with your pathetic hit ons. You’re not my type! You and me, it’s never going to happen! Let me through, please,” she snorted disdainfully and hurriedly left the diner. Brock was left behind, looking pretty miserable. He hung his head low, sobbed heartbreakingly to himself and dragged himself to his friend’s table.

James was visibly taken aback by this little incident, but when he looked towards Jessie, she merely rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smile. Were Brock’s rejections perhaps the order of the day? Was he a hopeless romantic in search of true love?

James approached the disappointed young man and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Someday you will find the right woman who accepts you as you are, with all your rough edges,” James wanted to encourage him, but Brock didn’t seem to be listening. He sobbed again and buried his face in his hands.

“It’s hopeless, no one loves me. I will die alone and completely isolated from society.”

Jessie couldn’t stand by and watch the drama any longer. She threw her cleaning rag on the counter, made her way through the guests, and without waring hopped onto the table right in front of Brock. This performance alone triggered long-forgotten feelings in James. He felt so attracted by Jessie’s though nature that he had to pull himself together no to weaken. What followed made his heart throb and almost break. Jessie spoke from his soul. She bent down to Brock and unconsciously opened up to each of the guests present her deepest desires that she had suppressed for so long. She cleared her throat.

“Let me tell you this, Brock! Ture love takes time. From childhood you will be involved in relationships that will tear you apart and make you despair. First, your parents abandon you, arguably the most important ratio a young thing like me would have needed. Suddenly you are on your own, struggling with the corrupt customs of society and still trying to fit in and please your social environment. Then one day you wake up and feel you were born to be a rebel. You have not been able to build up trust for a long time, your previous acquaintances have thoroughly spoiled your belief in the good in people. You become bitter, disappointed and have hatred for this world and its inhabitants. The word love becomes anathema for you, you would rather be alone than in bad company. This becomes your motto in life. You fight your way through, you are betrayed, robbed, exploited, and chased away, and yet every shitty day you adjust your crown and carry on. But then,” her gaze fell on James for a split second, “someone enters the door of your diner, metaphorically speaking, and with them comes that sense of comfort and well-being you’ve been missing for years. This person makes you think happy thoughts, ensnares you just by his presence, you feel attracted, you want to breath in this person, love and live him, you forget the infamies of the past and can start a new phase of life. This person helps you to gain self-esteem, he can put back together the shards of your broken heart, support you and give you the love you have never felt. Yes, such a person exists for everyone in this world, even though I’ve never met him. What I wanted to tell you with this monologue, don’t give up! Love finds its way! Even if it sounds corny. So stop banging all over my expensive furniture and act like a man!” She smiled at Brock before turning back to her mountain of dirty plates.

James was moved to tears. What would he have given to take Jessie in his arms now, to hug her until she could shake off all her terrible experiences? But there were other feelings at play. He felt aroused, so aroused that he would have loved to cup Jessie’s face and kiss her. He wanted to caress her mouth, taste her lips, let his tongue melt into hers.

“Get a grip, James,” he shushed himself. Somewhat ashamed of these lustful thoughts, he tried to hide is excitement as best he could and got back to work. Jessie’s words would haunt him for a long time.

Late in the evening, when all the guests had left the diner and Eddy was dismissed by Jessie with the words “I’ve found a new victim”, she and James were faced with an almost impregnable mountain of glasses, silverware, plates and leftover food.

“Let’s get to work! Do you mind if I listen to some music? It helps me recover from the stress of everyday life,” Jessie pointed to the old jukebox in the far corner of the diner.“Go ahead!” James nodded at her and stole a small smile from Jessie’s lips. He couldn’t guess her taste in music, but when the first notes of “Baby I don’t care” by Transvision Vamp sounded, he was all the more on fire for his supervisor.

There was eager cleaning, sweeping, boning, washing up and drying. It was necessary to scrub the floor, wipe down the tables, clean up the ketchup and mayo bottles that were scattered all over the place, but the time flew by. Jessie sang along to her favourite song, and to James’ amazement, she danced and lolloped in beat to the tune.

“Careful, James. Don’t let your eyes fall out of your head,” she grinned mischievously and threw a handful of wash-off foam at her coworker. James reacted with surprise at her perky behaviour, but promptly retaliated with a sponge fight until they were both soaked down to their underwear. They laughed and snorted when the other could no longer open his mouth full with foam. They kept each other from splashing the other wet, but soon James had to admit defeat. He had no chance against Jessie.

“I surrender, Jessie,” he laughed, “please, have mercy.” Jessie knelt over him and grinned widely. “Okay, whatever you say. I’ll get you some dry clothes,” she disappeared into the storage room for a brief moment, bringing James old jeans and a tattered shirt. Actually, she didn’t want to watch him change, but her eyes kept slipping to his naked torso. James was slim and was in good shape. She could not take her eyes off his strong arms – and his scars. Long, deep scars stood out on his skin. Some of them seemed to have been disfiguring his appearance for a long time, others looked fresh, as if he had escaped an ordeal by a hair’s breadth, which nevertheless left its mark. It was on the tip of her tongue, she wanted to ask him about the reason for these ugly marks, but she held back.

James felt her gaze on his body. It was extremely uncomfortable for him to show himself to her so hurtfully, so he dismissed everything with a broad smile.

“Would you like another milkshake before we close?” he offered her. Jessie nodded and James prepared her a creamy treat topped with fruits and a sweet ingredient she hadn’t guessed until now.

“Do you think we can put your ideas into practice and turn this dump into a respectable place?” she expressed her concerns. James reached for her hands.

“To be honest with you, there are masses of things to do here. The walls need a new coat of paint, the menu needs updating, we need a slogan and we need to drum up publicity. We need financial security, and we can’t have everyone writing in, but I also understand that you want to help people and I think that’s just wonderful, just like you helped me. I promise you that we will get this all done in no time, and I will stand energetically by your and Eddy’s side to get the store up and running. I can get the materials; we’ll do the work ourselves and in a week you can plan the reopening.”

His words were soaked in hope. Jessie could see perfectly well how she could make her place shine again. New curtains, peppy patterns, bright colors, just the way she liked it. James, who was a stranger just a few days ago, could make her dream of owning a noble restaurant come true. He really was a very special person. Quiet and introverted, but at the same time looking for adventure, courageous and creative. She had to admit that she felt a soft tingling deep in her stomach, that sometimes she was out of breath when she was near him, but maybe those were just misleading signs.

“You know, James. No one has ever given me such hope as you. The last men I met were self-centred, conceited bastards who demanded everything from me, and I do mean everything, just to cheat on me with the next best curb-crawler. You’re different, you’re almost a gentleman compared to those bullies. You are so respectful and decent, one could just fall in love with you,” she blushed, completely embarrassed of the words she just said.

James was also quite abashed. “Jessie, thank you. Thank you for being so open with me, I’m just a stranger in this world after all. I’m glad I met you and I’m looking forward to our project together. No matter what happened, sometimes you have to leave the past behind, even if it keeps knocking. Just lock the door and let’s change the lock. I’ll try to support you as best as I can.”

He glanced nervously at his watch. It was after midnight, he would reap blows again for this.“I have to go now, unfortunately, but I wanted to ask you one more thing. Do you want to…” he took a deep breath. “No, forget it, never mind.”

James turned on his heel, but Jessie held him back.

“Go on a date with you? I’d love to, James.” She smiled at him.

“Friday’s a day off. How about 8 pm at the pizza place at the end of the strip?”

“Sounds great! Good night, James.”

@3nyasu3 @diehardrocketshipper@rocketshippingsblastingoffagain@rocketshippingassbutt@jessicarocket@estrelatzia@teamrocketshipping@musashi@james-team-rocket@brilliancetheory@madladmusician@in-correctteamrocketquotes@k-rocket-k@buchichu@masterstarpikachu@rocketmonsters

Chapter 2:

The whip already raised for use, Jessiebelle reared up in front of James, who was cowering on the floor all intimidated. “Where have you been? Do you realize how worried I was?” She swung the whip and gave James a blow. James cried out in pain, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He knew that this little excursion into freedom would have consequences. Today Jessiebelle carried out the punishment with her favourite tool and throttled her fiancé without batting an eye.

“You have to be chastised, otherwise you might get ideas and leave me, and we both don’t want that, right James?”

The young man was trembling with pain. He grabbed his arm with the gaping wound. Sometimes he wanted to die, sometimes he wanted to leave this world, thoughts that had plagued him since he was a child. But the urge to be free and to be able to live his own life had prevented him from doing anything stupid until then and thinking of the waitress Jessie gave him new hope. Another lash!

“Please, Jessiebelle, stop!” he pleaded. “I’ve learned my lesson, I’ll never sneak away again, but please, have mercy!” Tears streamed down his face. Jessiebelle knelt beside her fiancé and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

“This is the only way you will learn to be obedient and please your future wife. Sometimes you have to take harsher measures to open someone’s eyes to how much love is involved here. I love you, James,” she breathed into his ear. James cried bitter tears. If this is love, what does abysmal hatred feel like?

She left him crouching on the floor, alone in his pain and thick tears of despair. James was breathing heavily, he could barely move, but he had a mission and nothing and no one, certainly not Jessiebelle’s abuse would stop him. With the last of his strength, he tried to get to his feet, left the torture cellar and sank into his pillow, tired and exhausted. Tomorrow night he would see her again, Jessie. He imagined her smile, her sapphire blue eyes, and slipped into a fitful sleep.

The day dragged on endlessly. James counted the hours until he could sneak out through the service exit. When evening came, he waited for the right moment to dismiss the property. The servants covered him, they were on his side and could no longer watch this tragedy of a relationship.

“I hope the wound heals quickly, James. This tincture is a recipe from my grandmother, it is supposed to work wonders. Look how Jessiebelle is ruining you. You are a shadow of your former self.” Maria became quite emotional at the sight of those deep cuts. She had cared for James since he was a little boy every time his parents were traveling the world again. Seeing him like this, abused, beaten and mistreated, broke her heart. James put a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry about me, Maria. There’s someone worth living for,” he put on a weak smile.
“And I really need to see her,” he pressed on the tourniquet and disappeared into the night.

As James walked along the Strip, he noticed the many carnies and performers. Some were painting portraits of the tourists; others were juggling ten balls at once. Others sang and played music and thrilled the guests with little show acts. It wasn’t long before James spotted Ash, who was holding the crowd spellbound with his Pikachu. He had many tricks up his sleeve and his little Pokémon was exceptionally well trained. They were a welded team and impressed the audience with a fantastic interlude consisting of various electric attacks that Pikachu was capable of. The crowd went wild, applauded and cheered. The coins were already jingling, the bills flowing. James wanted to do more than one good deed today and secretly put a hundred-Pokédollar bill in Ash’s hat. With it, he and his friends could enjoy a delicious dinner at the Diner. Ash could hardly believe his eyes when he fished the large bill out of his hat. His mouth was open, never had he received so much tip before. His gaze wandered through the audience and stuck to James.

“Hey! Aren’t you the guy who was at the Diner last night?” he asked him. James nodded his head. “Wow! What happened to your face? Where did you get that black eye?” Ash wondered. Should James tell him a tall tale or come clean with the truth? He didn’t know this boy at all and honestly, he didn’t want to hang his private life on the big bell.

“Work accident,” James replied. Ash nodded his understanding and stowed the big money in his pocket. He had no idea that his sponsor was standing right in front of him.

“Are you coming by today? Fridays are fish day, you’ll miss out on the tastiest salmon and sea food if you don’t show up later.”

That’s when it slipped out of James’ mouth. “Is Jessie having a night shift tonight?” It was so foolish, he felt pretty stupid. What kind of impression did this make on young Ash? The boy grinned maliciously.

“Jessie is at the Diner every single night, trying to keep herself and that place afloat, it takes hard work, but she’s up to any problem. So yeah, she’ll be there. Why?”

James blushed to the roots of his hair. “Oh nothing, she just served me very well.” James shrugged it off, but one question still burned on his mind. “This man, who works with her at the Diner. Is that her boyfriend?” Ash laughed out loud.

“You mean Eddy? He’s ace. All he wants are close and deep friendships, but nothing more. A hug is still in, but not a step further. You don’t have to worry about him but let me give you some good advice. Give Jessie some space and don’t press her. Life wasn’t always easy for her.” Ash packed up his paraphernalia and disappeared down a dark side street.

Late in the evening, James hardly dared to show up at the Diner. He was visibly nervous and couldn’t quite explain to himself why. Of course, he was happy to see Jessie again and to enjoy her first-class service, to feel her warm smile on his skin. On the other hand, he didn’t want her to see him maltreated like that. But when he entered the restaurant, the atmosphere was really tense. He discovered the large bouquet of flowers that he had secretly sent her, but Jessie seemed to be anything but pleased about it. He approached the waitress and overheard snippets of conversation that made him shudder.

Turning to Eddy, she showed her best friend the small note James had enclosed. “He’s trying to suck up again, that lousy guy! Signs it with a friggin J. Like I wouldn’t guess it’s that assface of Jack’s who’s supposedly trying to make up with me. Throw this bouquet in the trash can right now, Eddy! Get it out of my sight!” she commanded. This action had gone completely wrong. But how could James have known that Jessie’s ex-boyfriend’s name started with a J, too? He put a hand on her shoulder and Jessie immediately winced. “Oh, it’s you. Sorry, I didn’t see anyone enter de Diner. I’ll come right over and take your order.” She heaved a deep sigh, gave way to her anger, and kicked the trash can with all her might.

James had probably hit the wrong nerve. Now he felt all the more pathetic. He wanted to please Jessie with the bouquet and show his gratitude for the nice service, but this action was a shot in the foot.

The waitress was beside herself when she reached James’ table. Her hair was mussed, she rummaged in her apron for her tiny notebook to write down the incoming orders and could not concentrate on her guests. Something had to have happened, and James was trying to figure out how to help Jessie. It was his turn to ask her about her day.

“Miserable, James. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong! But I don’t want to burden you with my stuff, I’m sure you have other things to worry about, judging by your eye…” James’ hand shot up. “I’ll get you cooling pads”, Jessie was overly attentive and James liked that feeling of being cared for by someone. There was no emotion in his relationship with Jessiebelle, except for pain and hatred. There could never be any question of love. It was an arranged engagement, and his parents didn’t care how much James suffered from Jessiebelle’s mannerisms. James wanted to offer Jessie all his attention in return, he wanted to listen to her, ask her how her day had been and talk for hours about trivial things that made him forget for a short time the strains of a botched relation.

“Here’s your coke and a turkey sandwich. Enjoy!” she forced herself to smile, but the day’s toil was gnawing away at her. James had to take the initiative.
“Please, sit down for a minute. There aren’t many guests, you can certainly take a short break”, he offered her the seat next to him. She looked around, nodded wearily, and let herself sink into the chair.
“What a day,” Jessie grabbed the menu card and fanned herself. He turned to her, eyeing her beautiful face, and straining to take in her every word.
“Maybe you’ve already noticed, but the Strip is no place for rich snobs. Drunks and homeless people hang out here. Most of the guys who come to my Diner can’t even pay, so they charge me. Unfortunately, at the end of the month there is barely enough for the rent…and food must also be purchased. We work to the limit, staying open late to make a few Pokédollars, but it just doesn’t pay. Cassidy paid us a visit today. You remember? That broad from the newspaper? She threatened to kick us out, said she was going take the Diner away from us piece by piece. I just don’t know what to do, we barley make ends meet and we have far too few guests. What should I do? Oh, why am I talking to you, you have enough problems,” she buried her face in her hands and sighed.

James stroked her cheek. He could have bought the Diner at the push of a button, but he didn’t want to be liked for his money, he wanted to be liked for who he was, the real him.

“Don’t hang your head, I could help you out after all. I don’t want a salary, a roof over my head and a warm sandwich in the evening is perfectly fine”, he smiled encouragingly at her. ‘And I can be closer to you,’ he didn’t say it out loud. She raised her head and looked at him questioningly.

“What do you want in this shabby place? I’m sure you have better places to stay and besides, I really can’t pay you anything, we’re almost broke…”

James felt embarrassed. If only Jessie knew how much he wanted to escape the shackles of this terrible relationship. He wanted to be free, no matter what the cost. He wanted to have air to breathe, he wanted to laugh and have a zest for life, and that’s what he hoped to find at the Diner. With people who could show compassion, who responded to the needs of others, without batting an eye, were willing to offer a helping hand to even the most down-and-out creatures on the Strip.

“You know, I have some idea about advertising and marketing. With just a piece of cardboard and my loud blabbermouth, I can double your customer base. Trust me,” he held out his hand to her and she took it. What tender, soft skin. So fragile. What have these hands had to endure? Cleaning, washing, cooking, tidying up. Such delicate hands must be protected, and James already knew how. He wished this handshake would never stop. For the first time he felt the perky waitress and it was overwhelming. A slight tug in his heart area told him where this journey would lead, and he hoped Jessie would be the destination. He had never felt so attracted to a woman before. She was different, she was a fighter that not even the worst news could wear out. For a brief moment, they looked at each other, smiling. No words were needed to describe the attraction between these two. They lost themselves in their gazes, even if it was only for a split second. Something blossomed between them, a tiny flame of hope, of forgetting and of new beginnings.

“I’m about to get out my violin and serve them a plate of spaghetti with meatballs,” Eddy murmured to one of their guests. “Yes, yes, our Jessie has sworn off love, but she seems to make a big and fat exception with James…”

“Let there be fish for everyone! Let’s celebrate, my friends!” Ash rumbled into the Diner, followed by his two best mates, Misty and Brock. They immediately destroyed the intimate moment between Jessie and her new co-worker James. They both jumped up and tried to hide their blushes. Jessie cleared her throat. “Get to work, James! We don’t want to keep our guests waiting!”

My dear friends,

it’s been a while since I last posted an entry. Let me tell you why and what, besides Covid-19, made me pause from publishing fanfictions over the last couple of months. Of course, Switzerland was very affected by the pandemic and still is today. We had numerous lock-downs or as Swiss people call it “slow downs”. My mother got very sick last year, I almost lost her. The doctors said she would only live two or three more days, but my mom is a fighter. She had to stay at the hospital for months, she endured countless medical examinations, had to take meds and slowly learned to live again. I’m so proud of my mother that she was strong and determined to get better. When she turned back home, I started to take care of her and I hate to leave her on her own, even if we’re talking about half an hour or less. Right now, she’s doing quite good, actually, we’re on vacation and she makes a great effort to participate in life in Italy. She’s my role-model! She will never be the same as before, but she won’t give up, she wakes up every morning to make progress. I prayed for her and her well-being, I prayed every single night she might get another chance and now we’re here at the beach and dining in fancy restaurants. It’s been a horrible year for everyone, a year full of sorrow, tears and desperation, a year where I was constantly afraid, the hospital would call me with some bad news, but she did it! She survived and she fights for her life! So proud!

Good news is: I passed my doctoral exams and I’m officially allowed to call myself Dr. phil. des. Melanie C. but that won’t ever stop me from loving Team Rocket so here it is - a brand new Rocketshipping-fanfiction for you guys.

LOVE YOU!

Night shift

Chapter 1:

It was past ten o’clock when that miserable looking guy entered the diner. He inconspicuously sat down in the farthest corner of the café and immediately hid his face behind the menu card. Nevertheless, Jessie the waitress could make out the pathetic expression on his face, how he was cowering like a whipped dog. She had seen quite a bit in this diner. Drunks, thugs, addicts and other needy people who asked for a sympathetic ear, compassion and understanding, but that guy was different. He suffered terribly, but did not dare to communicate, instead he hid from the world so as not to attract attention and quietly endure his fate. Jessie had to do something about it. Of course, she didn’t want to play the Good Samaritan. She knew the tricks of the men who entered this diner. Most of the time, they told the waitress tall tales, hoping to be comforted, whatever they meant by that. But this young man did not make a shady impressionHe was well dressed, looked well-groomed, and Jessie was especially struck by his bright emerald green eyes, the only thing in his face that had not yet been veiled by grief and sorrow. She decided to do something about his displeasure.

“Did you have a rough day?” she asked while disinfecting the table.

He looked briefly into her eyes and nodded. “That’s one way to put it,” he answered, the gaze immediately lowered again.

This would be a taciturn conversation, but Jessie didn’t give up easily, she was a natural at making even rocks talk.

“Listen! No matter what happened, I’ve seen or heard some things. If I can help you in any way, my name is Jessie and I’m in charge of this table today. Let me just get the gum out from under your seat and get you a cold drink. What would you like?” She pulled a spatula from her apron and rubbed away the remains of the spoiled brats that marred her diner.

‘Wow,’ the young man thought to himself. ‘A strong, self-confident woman who lends a hand herself and who’s not above cleaning up dirt.’ Their eyes met briefly, and he forced a wry smile.

“You know, kid. You can’t rely on anyone. If you want to get everything done, do it yourself and don’t trust anyone. This world doesn’t give you anything for granted!” She briefly wiped the back of his chair before disappearing behind the counter and pouring the young man an ice-cold Coke.

“I have rarely seen you so concerned about a customer. Normally you show yourself aloof and only take the order, so as not to get involved in embarrassing conversations. Must be a really great pike, this pathetic creature in the far corner. Could it be that you’ve got a tiny crush on this guy?”

For Eddy, teasing his best friend was the greatest pleasure. He didn’t know her like that. Jessie usually resisted any kind of small talk. This was due to her dark past, when she had repeatedly fallen for advances from men who were never looking for a steady relationship, but for a quick fix. Eddy had witnessed this bad time of his friend, how her heart was broken, how she was badly played with, and how she was simply dropped like a hot potato. Jack was the worst example of them all. While Jessie was already hearing the wedding bells ringing, he was making love to the women of the Strip and deceiving Jessie night after night with other broads. Jessie was devastated when she found out Jack was cheating on her. She was furious, not even at her lying boyfriend, but at herself for having been so stupid as to trust a man.

Jessie gave Eddy a light pat on the head. “Don’t be silly! That time is over. I can take care of myself, I don’t need male support for that. I’m a big girl, I make my own dough, and I keep my head above water pretty well. No, not a chance, I’ve sworn off flirting.” Nevertheless, she caught herself as her gaze wandered to the young man in the corner. “Oh yes, this time is definitely over,” Eddy smirked.

“Jessie, could you bring us a side of fries, please?” Misty’s order echoed throughout the hall. The twenty-year old waved her hands. She was used to speaking loudly, almost shouting, to attract guests to her daily water Pokémon show. Sometimes she walked up and down the streets of the Strip all day in the blazing hot sun, trying to win people for her underwater attraction. As an excellent student, she could have taught at any college, but she had decided early on to get into show business and make her living doing what she really loved, joined by Dewgong and Starmie. Her parents had not agreed with this decision at all, it was wasted talent, they had claimed, and had summarily turned Misty out the door. Since then, she had been struggling through life on her own, but could always count on Jess, the diner and her two best friends, Ash and Brock, young people who were also not favoured by fate.

“Temper your voice, twerp!” Jessie couldn’t help but grin. She spread the ketchup bottles around the table, hoping Ash wouldn’t spill on himself and the diner again. His constant companion Pikachu immediately hopped on his shoulder, grabbed a fry and popped it in his mouth. Ash and his Pokémon were carnies. He had trained his friend well and attracted many spectators with his performance. Most of them felt sorry for the guy and tipped generously. That’s why Ash was able to invite his friends to the diner every night, a place that gave them hope where they could experience security. They were convinced that nothing would ever disturb this idyll and that fate, for better or worse, had taken its course.

“Who’s that guy over there?” Brock wanted to know. He had barely sold chocolate and roses tonight. The others held back, but they were certain that their friend was just too pushy with women and that’s why he only collected rejections instead of green bills.

“I’ve never seen him here before. Must be from another area. I can’t tell you for the life of me why he’s wearing a suit at theses temperatures, he looks pretty pathetic to me anyways,” Jessie replied.

“Maybe his car has stalled,” Ash suggested, “and now he was forced to wander through the desert until the tasty aromas from your diner brought him back from his delirium.”

“Or,” Brock interfered, “he had to flee his own wedding because his wife is a real pain in the ass, unlike our sweet Misty,” Brock oohed at his friend. “Forget it, Brock! You and me, this will never happen!” She gave him a gentle poke.

“Enough now with your naïve speculations! Just let him enjoy his drink. We’re closing soon, so get going,” Jessie dismissed their absurd ideas with a wave of her hand, but at this point no one knew how right Brock was.

Dark thoughts hunted the young man. He knew what he would face at home if he was late. Beatings, torture, rebuke, harassment, were just a few words to describe his failed relationship. Unconsciously, he stroked his scarred arms.

“Can I get you something to eat?” Jessie pulled him out of the maelstrom of bad thoughts, of course she had noticed the wounds, but maybe he had gotten those injuries at work. The young man rummaged some coins out of his pants and let them jingle on the table. “Is that enough for a cheese sandwich?” Jessie hated small change, but she would make an exception for him. A friendly smile, a quick nod, and she passed on the order.

“Something’s wrong with this guy,” she whispered to Eddy. “He’s scarred, bruised and pays with penny coins. Possibly a vagrant.” Eddy couldn’t help but grin. “That guy’s been keeping you busy all night, Jess. What’s the matter with you? Are you getting weak?”

The young man could not overhear the conversation between the waiters, but he was sure they were talking about him. He sure made a rather frightening impression, but that was a private matter and not something you shared with a waitress in a diner.

His gaze drifted to the daily paper, which had two faces emblazoned on it: Butch and Cassidy. He had never heard of this odd couple, but according to the news, theses two were causing quite a stir and were terrifying the Strip.

“Oh, so you’ve already spotted them, those two knuckleheads! They keep the Strip in suspense, and heads roll when the taxes don’t add up,” Jessie served him the cheese sandwich and gave him a slight smile.

“Can I get you anything else?” He thanked her and took a hearty bite of his dinner.

The last half hour flew by and the remaining guests left the diner to spend the night on the Strip, as very few had a roof over their heads. Jessie set about cleaning up and Eddy checked the register.

The young man stood up and made his way towards the door. But before he left the diner, he glanced back at Jessie for a moment. A sigh escaped him. What if…?

Jessie returned his gaze and watched him go until the young man disappeared. She walked right up to his table and found a little note on the receipt.

“Thanks for treating me like a human being, James.”