Jake Melnick's Corner Tap Photos Novels & Stories

and watched Lucas teach Maya’s grandmother how to play cornhole. “He’s good with people,” Jake said, appearing beside me. “Always has been. Drives me crazy sometimes, how easy he makes it look.” I took a sip of my drink. It tasted like pineapple and regret. “Must be nice.” “You’re good with people too. Just in a different way. You make them feel taken care of. Safe.” Jake clinked his glass against mine. “Maya told me what you did when the dove vendor tried to charge triple for the rush order. How did you find a backup supplier and negotiate them down?”

Even as I said it my mind flashed back to the feeling of being between them, but I pushed it down. We started walking again through the thickening fair, the smells of grilled food and sweet treats pulling us along. We drifted past stalls until I spotted Jake at a big collaborative mural booth. He stood there directing a group of artists, sleeves rolled up, tattoos showing on his arms as he held one side of a large canvas steady. My stomach did a little flip when his eyes found me. A slow smile spread across his face, the kind that always made my pulse pick up. “Well look who it is,” Jake called out, waving us over. “Taylor. Alex. Come help steady this thing before it falls over. We need extr

“Have you been to Aunt Jen’s Bar on Fifth?” “Only a thousand times,” I counter, and we head out. I need to buy him a beer at this rate, especially since he put up with the constant stream of pictures and people. Once we’re seated at a booth, Jake opens his guitar case and starts grabbing bills, pushing them toward me. “Count.” We do, our shared number going over 700 bucks. “Fuck,” Jake says, hand pushing his shaggy hair up in all directions. “Not what I was expecting.”

I lift my head and peer out in the distance, trying to see the Gulf. I see something else instead. “Is that a fucking cemetery?” I almost squeal before scoffing, and turning my back to the headstones rising in the distance. “Jesus Christ.” “Julia, come over here and meet Tanner Hendricks.” Jake waves me over, and I reluctantly obey, casting a glance over my shoulder at the creepy cemetery and the standing water all around it. We’ll have to do something about that. Tanner is tall with dark brown hair and a ruggedly handsome face. He looks like he chops wood and drinks straight whiskey. He probably wears flannel and has a Labrador, too.

Lily came downstairs at some few hours in yesterday's shorts, declared the coffee too strong, and started loudly rearranging the entire contents of the snack cabinet. The morning assembled itself around them. Jake appeared. Toast was made. Ordinary sounds filled every corner. Marcus closed his laptop at ten. Pushed his chair back. Carried his glass to the sink. He paused at the kitchen doorway. Emma felt it — the pause, before she looked up.

​Before the engine could even cut out, the heavy oak front door of the main house slammed open. ​"Look who finally decided to bring the hostage!" a loud, booming voice echoed across the lawn. ​Jacob "Jake" Bill lounged on the porch railing, a half-eaten green apple in one hand and a basketball spinning effortlessly on the index finger of his other. Jake was nineteen, six-foot-one, with a messy, sun-bleached brown crew cut and sharp green eyes that always looked like they were searching for the nearest source of entertainment. He was Mike's childhood shadow—wherever Mike went, Jake was usually raiding the fridge or causing a scene close behind.

Jake took out his cell phone and started to type. “Are you sure about this?” He stopped to look at his friend. “She’s my other half, Jake. I’m sure, and I’m going to fix whatever has been broken inside her.” He looked at the security cameras. “Please keep this place in order.” He nodded at the men, then lefi the room. Walking back to the bar, he watched Maya sipping from a straw. She always ordered a soda, a clear cream soda. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the taste of her drink.

I made sure to keep away, for now at least our battle had to be on hold. My walkaround came to a stuttering halt when I spotted Troy pacing around outside on his cell. I thought Jacob had told Troy not to come. I quickly searched the buzzing room, and found Jacob caught up in playing some poker and having to pose for promotional photos with a bevy of adoring female attendees. Jax was making some headlines in that pink dress, the photographers wanted her in every shot, and she was loving it. Flicking her long black hair and pouting away, she was loving life.

I tell the kitchen staff to bring up dinner, something quick, I don’t care what, and I sink into my chair, determined to get through the rest of the evening in peace. But my peace is short lasting. A notification pops up on my computer, F******k. I frown. I don’t even remember the last time I opened it, but curiosity gets the better of me, and I click on it. The page loads slowly, and I realize it is a tagged post from Jake. A collage of pictures fills my screen. The first few make me smile despite myself: Derek with a ridiculous hat; Ava and Anna laughing with cotton candy; Luke and Aiden standing in front of a ride with their arms thrown around each other.

a little man named Jake said as he came out from the corner of the pub. Jake was in his late fifties, he was the head of security at Mr Wyatt’s company after working with him for the longest time. “Care for a smoke?” He asked as he offered Nate a cigarette “No, thank you” he politely declined Nate had a hazy memory of him from when he was a child. He remembered meeting Jake a couple of times when he followed his father to the company. “How can I help you young man?” Jake asked as they sat on a crooked bench at a dark corner