Chapter Text
Baxter Ward.
That was a familiar name to Jamie. And not just because he had spent his vacation in Sunset Bird at the same time she and Cove had a fight.
Back then, she couldn't have imagined she'd see him again so soon, even though she enjoyed his presence. Baxter had always been someone friendly who respected Jamie and Cove's boundaries, even though he didn't particularly like their new neighbor.
The gang — Jamie, Cove, Terry, and Miranda — welcomed him when he arrived in town, and despite the short time they spent together, they had memorable moments that somehow brought happiness to Jamie, despite the storm that was brewing.
But what she didn't expect was to meet him again two years after her move from Sunset Bird. Baxter had been more than just a summer friend.
He had also been one of Jamie's blind dates, which she had participated in with the hope of moving on from her first love.
As mentioned before, her blind dates had never been a success. But that doesn't mean Baxter was a failure.
Life's circumstances were just different.
♡
Three years ago.
Jamie didn't know why she did things she knew she'd regret later. Some things just didn't make sense in her head; at one moment she wanted something, but only after doing it did she realize it had been a terrible idea.
This moment fit perfectly in that case.
She wasn't sure how she went through with that idea. Maybe it was because she had called her college friend asking her to set her up on a blind date while feeling sad and drunk, or because her sister had encouraged her throughout the next day when all Jamie wanted was to recover from that damn hangover.
But here she was, on her third (perhaps fourth?) blind date since then. And from this adventure, she had drawn one conclusion: almost all men lie.
When her college peers started recommending people for Jamie to go out with, she thought it would be easier, considering she believed her friends had good taste in setting her up. But she was utterly wrong.
One of her colleagues recommended a friend who seemed not to understand the kind of relationship she was looking for and went straight for kisses, which on the bright side gave Jamie the chance to use her self-defense skills.
There was another guy who seemed nice, but eventually turned out to be an arrogant jerk. Spending most of the date talking about himself or judging every aspect of Jamie's life (when she had the opportunity to talk about herself).
She was already thinking of giving up and convincing herself that it might be better to be alone after all, until one of her friends messaged her, letting her know that her boyfriend's cousin was in town and seemed really charming, and agreed to go on a blind date with her. Although it was strange, it intrigued her to meet him in person. If he turned out to be a disaster too, then she would definitely stop and be sad and alone.
Jamie was already at the restaurant where they had agreed to meet. She made sure to at least look presentable for such an upscale place. Everything seemed expensive, and she was already expecting to spend a good portion of her part-time job salary on that dinner.
It better be worth it.
Then he appeared, and that was when Jamie recognized him.
He was Jamie's old summer friend. He had changed, of course. Furthermore, he was taller and more mature, and he didn't seem to have the same black-and-white style as before.
But he still had that charismatic look.
— Good evening. — He reached Jamie's chair and extended his hand to give a gentle kiss. — It seems we meet again. How long has it been, Jamie?
— Did you know all this time? — She asked, shocked.
Baxter laughed as he sat in the chair opposite Jamie. He seemed genuinely amused by her reactions; it all seemed like a big game to him.
She, on the other hand, felt completely embarrassed.
— I couldn't help but be curious when I heard that my cousin's girlfriend was desperately looking for a blind date for her lonely friend.
— You find this hilarious, don't you? You didn't have to set up a blind date if you just wanted to laugh at me. — Jamie replied, blushing.
— And who said I'm here to laugh? — Baxter said, raising an eyebrow. — It's an honor to be your blind date, Jamie. I can't deny I was curious in a way.
— Curious? About what?
— How about we place our orders and then each of us asks their own questions? I think tonight will be really fun.
It didn't take long for each of them to order from the waiter. Jamie was careful not to end up completely broke by the end of the meal.
— So, — Baxter began after the waiter left — how did you end up in this crazy world of blind dates?
— Well, it's a long story. I was feeling lonely, and one drunk night, I called asking for a blind date. — She grimaced. — Okay, maybe the story isn't that long. But can't anyone blame me? Is not wanting to be single such a terrible crime?
— I'm not in a position to judge; after all, we're both here on this date. But haven't you already been with someone? At least the last time we met, you didn't seem to have this need to be with someone.
Jamie knew who he was referring to; she figured he would ask about him. But damn, it hurt more than she imagined.
— We were just best friends, never together. — And besides, don't you think it's rude to ask about someone's past in the middle of a date? You're starting off on the wrong foot…
— You got me there. — Baxter laughed. — I'm sorry, I won't ask more questions if it makes you uncomfortable. Let's focus on the two of us tonight.
“Two of us.”
Why did that phrase sound so strange?
Jamie and Baxter, that pair had never crossed her mind.
But she decided to set that feeling aside.
The two talked about various things during dinner, about college, interests, and hobbies. Unlike other dates, she didn't feel bored; on the contrary, she wanted to share more about herself and learn more about this new Baxter Ward she was getting to know.
When the bill arrived, he insisted on paying her share.
— Since I chose the place, it's only fair that I cover the dinner bill.
— Are you sure?
— What matters to me is that you enjoyed a meal you liked.
Wow, chivalry wasn't dead as long as he was around.
They left the restaurant, and just when Jamie thought the encounter was over, Baxter turned to her with bright eyes and a smile on his face.
— Want to do something fun?
— I thought we were going to end the date.
— We could, but if you want, we can extend it and do something enjoyable.
Jamie was confused, but seeing his enthusiasm, she felt curious about what fun things they might do. — Alright, you've convinced me; I'm all yours tonight.
And so, Baxter took her hand and hurried off to wherever he wanted to go. Jamie simply followed without questioning.
Until they both stopped at a place less luxurious than the restaurant they had just left. Jamie certainly didn't feel dressed for such a place.
— A convenience store?
— Yep. — Baxter replied, entering without caring if he looked too fancy for the place.
Despite some strange glances directed their way, Jamie wasn't bothered for a moment. She found it all too amusing to feel embarrassed.
And they were still holding hands.
— What are we doing here?
— We're here to buy stuff, of course. Choose whatever you want; it's all on me.
— I'll feel quite spoiled if you keep treating me like this.
— Maybe that's the intention. — He replied with a teasing tone.
And so, the two of them bought ice creams of various flavors they could imagine and left, laughing at the cashier's reaction to their attire. The night was so lighthearted, and Jamie could only think about how Baxter was fun and made her feel good.
They continued walking until they reached a park, which, due to the late hour, was empty. They sat on a bench, continuing to enjoy their ice creams and gazing at the moon in a pleasant silence.
— Hey, — Jamie said, breaking the silence after a while — I just thought of something that made me curious: how long have you been doing blind dates?
— Oh, — Baxter hesitated, looking a bit uncertain about what to say — I don't actually do blind dates.
— What? So what are we doing here? Are you kidnapping me or something? — she replied ironically.
Baxter laughed at her remark and said, — This is different; I wouldn't have come if I didn't know it was you.
— But how did you know it was me? Did you see a picture of me? That kind of ruins the whole blind date thing...
— Oh no, I didn't see any pictures of you or anything like that. I just happened to know your name. I overheard your friend talking.
— So you could be having a blind date with someone else with the same name as me right now, just because you thought it might be me?
— When you put it that way, it sounds weird, but yeah.
— You're definitely a crazy person. — Both of them burst into laughter.
After the laughter subsided, they fell silent again, gazing at the sky and finishing the remaining ice cream in their cups. Until Baxter said:
— It's just that... when I heard your friend talking about how you were feeling lonely, I started to imagine it might really be you, and I felt really sad about that. — Baxter turned his face to meet Jamie's gaze — You're an amazing person, and even if there was a small chance that the person your friend described was you, I wanted to make you feel a little better.
Jamie felt a bit down, hearing that — So you came on this date with me out of pity? — she said, looking away.
— No, no, no. Definitely not. — He reassured her. — You're not someone who should receive things out of pity. Jamie, you're incredible, and that's why I didn't want to cancel our date tonight.
For some reason, that information didn't hurt Jamie or make her feel as upset as she thought it would. She couldn't explain the feeling in her heart. But she wasn't hurt by it.
It didn't hurt the way it did when Cove left her house without a second thought. It's stupid to make such a comparison because they're two different people, but it's inevitable.
Jamie got up from the bench and held Baxter's hand. She wanted to prove something to herself.
— What do you think of a dance? To end the night on a high note.
— Jamie, you know I retired from dancing.
— But you can still dance for fun, can't you?
Defeated, Baxter took her hand, and the two began dancing in the middle of the park at night, where the only sounds were the wind rustling through the leaves and the small animals interacting in nature.
The atmosphere between them was peaceful. Everything felt calm, and maybe that's what made Jamie realize that she wasn't in love with Baxter the way she still was with Cove.
Because when she danced with Cove, her stomach did pirouettes, and her heart waltzed along with her. Her senses got lost in the dance steps, and her mind could only think of her first and only dance partner.
Baxter brought a different feeling, one of comfort, security, and peace. But he didn't bring the chaotic feeling equivalent to the waves of the sea that Cove brought to her soul.
At the end of the dance, she gave Baxter a gentle kiss on the cheek. Jamie then whispered softly — Thank you for tonight; I hope you find happiness.
After that, Jamie never asked for another blind date, because she realized that not even the best guys could make her heart race as fast as Cove Holden.
But despite everything, Baxter would always be someone Jamie held dear.
♡
— Baxter! — Jamie hugged him, surprised — My goodness! It's been so long since we've seen each other. How have you been?
— I've been really well, and I see you're still as beautiful as ever, Jamie. — Baxter took her hand and left a gentle kiss, just as he had done that night.
The engaged couple, upon sensing that established closeness, looked puzzled.
— Jamie? Since when are you two so close? — Randy asked.
— Oh, it's a long story, but we've met up after that time.
— Indeed, and I can say it's really nice to see you again, Jamie. I feel these days are going to be a lot of fun. — he added with a playful tone.
— Excuse me, — someone behind them said — I'm sorry for the delay; could we skip the introductions and get started?
It was Cove, soaked from head to toe. It looked like he had just come from the beach, running due to the delay. Even his green hair was dripping onto the floor of the Tropical Place.
But what Jamie couldn't help but notice were his furrowed eyebrows and his grouchy expression. Cove was upset, and not just a little.
This gathering was bound to be something else, and Jamie had a bad feeling about it.