Heaven and Jade

The glare of the red and gold label beckoned at him like a bad memory. The words weight-loss boldly printed across the bottle a painful reminder of a life he knew all too well. He stared at the bottle of pills shoved in the back of the medicine cabinet, where they had remained unopened for several months now. Reaching for the bottle with a shaky pale round hand, his thoughts raced, I have to lose weight if I want to be with her. She won't like me this way. No one ever has. He thought.  

Josh had always been overweight. Growing up, he had two, sometimes three snack cakes for breakfast, several fast-food cheeseburgers, fries and a shake for lunch and dinner was always fried chicken, potatoes, ramen noodles, and 2 glasses of soda pop. 

Mother would serve dessert every night, praising him with pies, cakes, and fudge instead of the love and attention he'd so desperately craved. Once, he tried to tell her, he had tried to explain that he no longer wanted to be fat. He didn't want any more of the chocolate snack cakes or cream-filled donuts or the fried foods and soda pop she served him, but mother always argued that she knew what was best for her son. Then she insisted he eat; watching his every bite, every swallow. 

325 pounds. The scale never lied and today was no different. He'd seen the disgusted glances girls gave him when they thought he wasn't looking. He had noticed how manager after manager turned him away for a job, stating they had already filled the position he had applied for.  

He couldn't even get a job in fast food. He had once been hired at Chuck's Chicken Palace, only to be terminated a few weeks later, after a customer decided to start a diet, as soon as she saw him.

"We are projecting an image here. Yours is not a good match to represent our local franchise's image. I'm sorry."

But as luck would have it, Josh discovered the Internet where he no longer had to face the disgusted looks people gave him. He no longer had to listen to the opinions of others about being overweight. 

 He loved surfing the internet. He could work and chat with people, without being judged. He could be himself just as he was with Jade. 

He smiled at her name. Jade was the kindest, most caring girl he had ever met. She always asked how his day was and had yet to ask him for a photo, even after she sent one of herself.

He looked forward to their chats, even when she could only chat for a few minutes. To him, Jade was heaven and he was as some would call it, a fool in love. 

And a fool he was because last night, Jade had some exciting news to share with him. She was in love. She had met him at the grocery store where she worked, but she'd been afraid to approach him for fear of rejection.

He frowned at her confession.  How could anyone reject her? Those dark green eyes, that jet black hair would make any man stop dead in his tracks and stare in awe.

"Oh, but he's handsome. He's so funny and has the biggest heart." With every painstaking word, Josh's heart shattered.

Last night she had admitted that she was planning to work extra shifts at the grocery store.

"You know, so I can find him again. I need to find him again, Josh!"  The desperation in her voice left him devastated. He'd broke down and cried over the thought of losing her.

Today, was the start of a new day. He was going to change his life. He would take the weight off and be the man Jade would be proud to call her own.

Josh opened the bottle of weight-loss pills,  shook one into the palm of his chubby hand, then swallowed the pill down with a glass of water. He would go to that grocery store, walk right up to her and kiss her. To hell with the guy she was in love with. 

********

Jade took a deep breath and entered the grocery store for her morning shift. She was certain he would be here today. He just had to be. It had been more than a week since she had first seen him standing down the candy aisle, a sad expression across his face. Oh but those steel-blue eyes. That smile. He had the kindest smile.

Surely, he would need more groceries soon, and she was almost certain he would visit their grocery store again since it was the only store within 57 miles of their community.

But she was also certain he hadn't visited the store since, before that first day, she and she often wondered why.

Jade headed for the cash register she had been assigned when she heard the front doors open and saw those familiar dark head of curls. There was a determined look on his pale plump face. One that would make any girl take notice and wonder.

Her knees trembled, her heart raced. What if he didn't like her? What if she wasn't even his type? She couldn't stop the thoughts that crossed her path like an unstoppable freight train. It was now or never. No regrets.

Jade took two steps towards him before she realized he was staring right at her. His eyes locked with hers. She took a deep breath. Oh dear God. He wasn't going to like her. He just needed help with a question and she was after all a store employee.

For a moment she even considered the notion that he'd seen her staring at him and was planning to let her down gently.  He'd tell her he had a girlfriend or he didn't like playing video games or DnD. 

Jade lowered her head as she felt a teardrop fall. Her knees began to buckle until she felt a pair of strong masculine hands catch her fall.

"Are you alright?" He asked, a concerned look in those still blue eyes.

Oh, God. His voice was gorgeous. Everything about him was gorgeous. And then he smiled.

"Yes. I'm okay." Her words barely a whisper. She didn't even know his name.

Yet she knew she could have died happy just seeing his smile, feeling his touch.

"Good." He leaned closer, his face just inches from hers.

Jade sighed, then closed her eyes. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake. And then it happened. She felt his lips brush hers and knew she had died and somehow made it to heaven. Her heart raced, her emotions silenced to one thought, She had found the man of her dreams and he had found her.

Other Stories by the author:

• The Generation (The Generation Series Book 1) (Volume 1)

• An Exclusive 1st chapter podcast reading of the sci-fi novel, The Generation