Hello, this this another POV shift. This chapter is from Jerry's perspective. Hopefully it makes you hate him a little bit less, hopefully.

Of all the things I did for my best friend, babysitting was definitely the easiest on the list. Sure, it was a little embarrassing that the littlest girl always tricked me into letting her paint my toenails. At least she let me choose the color. But Kari and Marisa were getting older, and possibly, hormonal. I was great with kids, but women...well, my ex-wife could vouch for my failures. Still, I couldn't feel anything but pride as Dean begged me to watch the girls so he and his girlfriend could go on a first date. He put on a tie and I grinned.
"You know," I said. "I don't care if you want to get a hotel room. I can sleep on the couch, you guys could sneak in early."
"Dude," Dean said, shaking his head. "Don't you think maybe you're just a bit too nosy?"
"Oh I don't have to be nosy. I remember camping. I could hear Kayla across the lake, man. I know you guys have..."
"Well, yeah," Dean said. "And she's my girlfriend. We're serious, but I want tonight to be romantic."
"So what's your plan?"
"I'll tell you later, if she's impressed."

"So how are the girls doing with it all?"
    "They are happy," Dean grinned. "They actually love Kayla. I think if we broke up, they might pick her."
"Well, don't screw it up," I said. "You love her, right? Don't lose her. Then you spend Saturday night babysitting for your divorced friends."
"Speaking of screw ups," Dean asked. "How is Allison doing?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "Probably still sore from when we hooked up."
"Yeah, right. But seriously, have you called her."
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"I am trying to respect her wishes," I said. "And respect her. It's called not being a douche. Maybe I don't have what I want...but she doesn't totally hate me."
"And what do you want?"
"Dude, I don't know. More sex, more money, less work."
"I mean from Allison."

            "It doesn't matter, Dean. Unless you've got a time machine, I am at that woman's mercy."
"You haven't been dating since she came back into your life."
"And your point is..."
"I am about to take my girlfriend to dinner at space needle, which I have personally rented out and filled with roses and candles. I walk around humming, Jerry, humming. I am an idiot because I am in love right now. If I can have a happy ending, so can you.'
"I know I can have a happy ending, it's the relationship stuff that I suck at."
"Did you just make a sex joke?"
"Did you just use the phrase 'happy ending' with me and not expect a 'that's what she said' joke?"
"Whatever," Dean said. "Thanks for the babysitting. I appreciate it."

"Just promise me you'll try to get laid tonight," I chuckled. "And I am ordering pizza."
"Kayla made you and the girls this Italian feast," Dean said. "Lasagna, homemade bread sticks, salad."
"She cooks too?"
"She's cooked for you four times," Dean said. "But all you remember is the curve of Allison's ass from our get-togethers."
I just smiled and nodded. It was a great ass.

*

*

*

    It was eleven-thirty, and the girls were all asleep. I still smelled like nail polish and bread sticks, which wasn't terrible. I had fun hanging out with Candice, who humored me by playing catch. I didn't have my own kids, so I have to live vicariously through dean's daughters. I had taken Marisa to baseballs games before the divorce. I sat up watching TV, and my phone buzzed.
DEAN: Can you stay for two more hours, possibly?
I just chuckled and shook my head.
JERRY: Whatever you need bro. I just hope you're getting laid. Have fun.
DEAN: Thank you. I owe you one.
I just smirked put my phone down. At least one of us was happy.

    In the window I saw a flash of lights and my attention was caught. Dean and Kayla were off doing who knows what, so who was here? I couldn't decide which scenario was more unpleasant, Greta or an intruder coming to the door. I looked outside to see a small red Camaro with a license plate I knew by now. Allison waited in the driveway, but why was she here? She looked nervous, as if she was too scared to knock at this hour. I got up and slipped my shoes on, stepping outside. I walked up to her car and looked inside. She was hunched over, her blonde hair hanging down in a tangled mess. She was crying, and it bothered me more than I could explain. The asshole that made her cry is going to pay. I will beat him until he can taste his own blood and then some. I let go of my caveman thoughts and knocked on the window. She looked up and shook her head, clearly not happy to see me. I knocked again, hoping she'd rolled down her window. Slowly, she fulfilled my hopes.
"Hey," I said sheepishly. "Kayla is out with Dean. I am babysitting. They're going to be a while."
"Oh," Allison said. "I just...I need to see her now."
"Sorry," I said. "You can come inside and wait. I have some leftover lasagna. I promise I won't even talk to you unless you want me to."

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut with a gun to your head," she said with a smirk.
    "Well, I promise I won't annoy you," I said. "Or I'll try not to."
"God Jerry, don't be nice. That makes it all worse."
"I am always nice, usually. I have my own particular brand of kindness that many women mistake for chauvinism."
"Well, whatever you tell yourself."
"Come inside, Allison. You've been crying, you're shaking. At least have a drink of water to steady your hands."
"I don't know..."
"You can't hate me enough to risk your own life. You can't drive like this, at this hour."

"I suppose," she sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt.
She got out of the car, wearing her workout and clothes and bright orange tennis shoes. I shook my head at myself, because despite having every good intention, all I could do was think about those shorts momentarily.
"Are you checking me out?" she scolded.
"I'm sorry," I replied like a scolded child. "I'll stop it, I swear."
"I am crying, and my mascara is running. I haven't slept in two days and I feel like shit. And you, you're checking me out."
"You can put yourself down however you like," I said. "All I see is beautiful."
"Oh god, Jerry. Do not be nice to me. It's too confusing right now."
"Fine," I smirked. "Your shorts are a little slutty."
"Thank you." This woman made no sense whatsoever.

    We walked inside, and I made her some food and she sat quietly. I set down a plate of leftovers for her and watched her. She seemed hollow, and sad.
"So what was it," I asked. "Boys or business?"
"What?"
"Making you cry," I said. "What is it?"
"It's not boys," she sighed.
"So you aren't crying because of me? Because I will kick my own ass, you know."
"I'd like to see that."
"It's just, Dean thinks I should have called you after we... well, you know what we did. I told him I wasn't going to call because I respect your wishes. So, for the record, I want to call you every day. But I don't think you want that, so I don't call."
"I'm not crying because of you Jerry. But it's sweet you even thought to call. Five years ago, you wouldn't have."

"So what happened?"
"One of my studios caught on fire," she sighed. "It was stupid. Some teenage girl left a cigarette in the locker room, it flamed up overnight. No one got hurt, the insurance will cover it."
"But that's rough," I said. "You'll lose money, and customers. I am sorry, Allison.'
"I'm fine," she sighed. "It's just, it was my first location. I am attached to it in an unhealthy sort of way. I don't have anything to show for my life, no husband or kids. I've never really built roots, but I built that place. I thought it meant something, now it's just gone."
"It's not gone," I said. "It's just broken."
"Sounds like us," she sighed, taking a long drink of water.
"Allison, you've built plenty," I said. "And if you wanted a husband or kids, you could have it. You can have it. Just pick a man and he'll worship at your feet."

"Yeah right. I was married once and I was an idiot. He discarded me like trash. I won't...I won't ever let myself believe that another person can make me happy. It's too risky."
"Allison," I said. "I was young and stupid. And we both know that I came from...from a broken home. It's no excuse, but I was just acting out what I knew. I repeated what I'd seen as a kid. It's so ridiculous, but I made a mistake. I was drunk and stupid and angry at nothing. Afterwards, I knew you'd never forgive me. So I got angry instead of getting better."
"Jerry, did you ever think maybe we're not cut out for a real relationship? Maybe that's why we worked for a while. We're the same breed of dysfunctional."
"I have thought that I wasn't cut out for it, but I've never thought it about you," I replied. "I tried to get serious with someone last year, this single mom. Her name was Trisha, she had a little boy named Tom and I was serious. I bought a ring."
"Oh," Allison said. "What happened?"

"I caught her cheating on me with her ex-husband," I laughed. "I literally walked into the middle of the act, just like you did. It was probably some sort of cosmic justice. Then the week after that, you came back into my life. It was like the universe threw you back into my world to mock me."
"Is that why you were such a dick to me?"
"Partly, but I don't know. I just lost my head. When I am stupid or confused, I lash out. I am sorry. I said some lousy things that night. I think the things I said about my cheating were worse than the cheating itself."
"Still, at least you tried," Allison sighed. "I quit trying after the divorce. I gave up on love."
"Well, maybe you should try," I said. "Because honestly, any man would be lucky to be with you."
"I don't know," she said. "So many men want to sleep with me, I doubt anyone would want to marry me. I work constantly, I am irritable. I don't trust men and I love to flirt."
"I'd marry you," I said, regretting it once it popped out.

"Really? So if I said, 'let's get married again,' you would..."
"Ask you how big of a ring you'd like," I said. "And then we'd discuss if you want to do a courthouse wedding again or do the whole big thing."
She laughed.

    "I'm not kidding, Allison."
"I know," she said. "I don't know how to feel about that."
"Look, do you feel better about the fire?"
"A little."
"I bet I can make you laugh," I smirked.
"Ok," she said. "Give me your best shot."

I bent down and pulled off my sock, propping my foot up on the table to show off my toes.
"Oh my god," She said. "You paint your toenails pink?"
"Candice did it," I chuckled. "I probably shouldn't let her, but that girl is so happy when I let her paint my toenails. It's like god damn Christmas to give Uncle Jerry a pedicure."
"That's adorable," she sighed. "Thanks, for tonight."
"No problem," I said. "So should I call you sometime?"
"No," she sighed. "But who knows. Maybe someday I'll call you."
Maybe wasn't a no.

"I can work with that."