Thomas looked at the three girls lined up by Rachel’s door, waiting for him. He bit back a curse. He loved Rachel, but she sure knew how to get him in trouble. He got out of the car and the girls hurried over.
“Hey, baby,” Rachel said and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
“Hey, Rach,” he said and nodded to the other girls. “Gemma, Liz. Didn’t know you were coming with us.”
“That’s alright, isn’t it, sweetie?” Rachel said, leaning into him. “I wanted to come with you, but I had already made plans with Gemma and Liz so… You don’t mind, do you?”
Thomas stared into her big, brown eyes. He’d never been able to say no to her.
“I don’t think everyone will be comfortable, is all. With Jock bringing Sofia and…”
“Oh, that’s not a problem, is it Gemma? Liz?” Rachel said quickly with a smile over the car to her blonde friends.
“No, of course not. I’m way over Jock,” Liz said emphatically.
“So am I,” Gemma agreed.
“Not that he couldn't do better than that funny sounding red-head,” Rachel remarked irritably as she placed her hand behind his head, her thumb caressing his cheek. He leaned into her touch. She had the softest skin. “I suppose she's the flavor of the month and we’ll have to grin and bear it until he gets tired of her and move on.”
“I’m still not sure it’s a good idea to…”
Rachel reached up and silenced his protests with a kiss. She linked her hands behind his neck and as she kept kissing him Thomas’s brain slowly turned to mush. When she finally pulled back, licking her lips, Thomas couldn’t remember what they had been talking about.
She intertwined her fingers with his and smiled at him. “So, shall we go? We don’t want to be late.”
Thomas nodded and got back in his car after opening the passenger door for Rachel. He didn’t remember why it had been a bad idea to let Rachel’s friends join them until they were already inside and had buckled up.
Too late now, he thought and looked over at Rachel who was looking at him with a triumphant little smile. And why wouldn't she smile? She’d gotten exactly what she wanted and Thomas was the one who’d be getting chewed out by Jock for weeks when the whole evening eventually went south.
He sent a quick text to Jock so his friend wouldn't be blindsided when he showed up with two of his exes. Thomas cast another quick glance in the rear-view mirror at the two girls who, as far as he knew, until this night hadn’t spoken to each other for three months. Not since Jock dumped Liz and got involved with Gemma the next day.
They were sitting calmly in his backseat now, but they didn’t look like they were planning to enjoy a nice movie.
For a moment guilt churned in his stomach, but he shook it off. This had been bound to happen sooner or later. Thomas didn’t believe in karma per say, but he did believe you reap what you sow and Jock sure had this coming. so much the better if it made Sofia uncomfortable.
That didn’t make his trepidation lessen any as he walked into the cinema with the girls fifteen minutes later and caught sight of Jock and Sofia sharing a box of popcorn.
His arms tensed when she laughed at something one of her other friends said. He snuck a glance at Gemma and Liz over Rachel’s head. So far they both looked composed, but that could change at any moment.
“Hi, guys,” Rachel said as they came up to the others.
Thomas watched as the smiles vanished from everyone’s face as they noticed them. Sofia’s eyes narrowed into slits when her gaze met his and his heart sped up. Fight- or flight mode, he told himself. It had nothing to do with the way her eyes glittered and her cheeks flushed. Jock was wrong. She was not gorgeous when she was angry.
“Thomas,” Jock said and removed his arm from around Sofia’s shoulders to shake his hand. “I didn’t know you were bringing so many people tonight. Hi Rachel, Gemma, Liz.”
“I sent a text,” Thomas muttered.
“We figured, the more, the merrier,” Rachel said with a laugh.
“Why, Rachel, that sounded positively dirty,” someone said from behind them, causing everyone to laugh.
Thomas turned around to find a grinning Wayne shouldering his way into the circle. “Sofia, honey, what are you doing, standing next to that idiot?”
“Who are you calling an idiot?” Jock wanted to know as Wayne swerved around him to give Sofia a hug. Wayne ignored him and turned all his charm on the one girl who seemed oblivious to it. Thomas tried to tell himself that he was happy about the distraction.
“We can still run away together,” Wayne told Sofia, bending to get close. “Leave these crazy people behind.”
“Hardly,” Denise said and pushed in in front of Sofia. “We’ve got tickets.”
Jock took advantage of Denise’s intervention to sneak an arm around Sofia to drag her away from Wayne.
“Would you two stop pulling at me?” she complained and shook off his arm before taking Denise’s. “Come on, the movie’s starting.”
Wayne and Jock stared after her with their mouths open. Thomas was sure he looked just as ridiculous because Rachel nudged him none too-friendly in the ribs and glared at him.
Thomas cleared his throat and let her lead him towards the theatre. He’d never seen either Wayne or Jock strike out before. The stunned looks on their faces made him laugh and he slapped their backs as he passed them.
That broke them out of their stupor and they quickly caught up with and passed him.
“I don’t understand why they like her,” Rachel said.
“I don’t either,” Thomas replied as he held out their tickets for the attendant.
“Gemma and Liz are both way prettier.”
“Mm,” Thomas agreed absentmindedly as he put his hand at Rachel’s back.
“You think Gemma and Liz are pretty?”
Thomas stiffened at her tone. He had been in love with Rachel since the first time he caught sight of her after her family moved to Little Sippleton in sixth grade. He hadn’t gotten her to go out with him until last fall, but he’d been trying for years. He knew all of her expressions, the way she looked when she was happy or angry, and he recognized every nuance of her tones. This one was dripping with warning. He merely wasn’t sure what she was warning him about.
“No?” he tried.
“No, you don’t think Gemma and Liz are pretty?”
Thomas began to sweat. “They’re not ugly.”
“So you’re attracted to them?” Rachel said loudly.
“What? No!”
“You said…”
“I’m not attracted to them,” Thomas told Rachel adamantly. “I just said they’re prettier than the new girl.”
“Still, Jock and Wayne seem to think…”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with Jock and Wayne! They must have made a bet or something. They usually have better taste.”
He didn’t realize how loudly he’d been speaking until the others looked over from where they were trying to find their seats.
Wayne looked shocked. Jock looked like he wanted to punch him. Sofia stared at him, hurt visible in her eyes for a second until Denise who quickly put an arm around her shoulders while she glared daggers at him.
“I mean, I don’t…” Thomas cut off, unsure how to finish the sentence.
“It’s alright, Thomas,” Gemma said from behind him. “We all know they only like her because she’s new. They’ll get over themselves soon enough.”
“Cut it out, Gem,” Jock told her, pulling Sofia down into the seat next to his. “Green’s not your color.”
Gemma blushed. “At least I’m not slumming it with…”
“You better not finish that sentence,” Jock threatened.
“I will not have you speak to her like that,” Rachel told him. “Just because you…”
“That’s enough!” Jock yelled. “Jefferson, if you value our friendship you’ll get yourself and your girlfriend far away from…”
“How dare you tell
him what to do?” Rachel shouted. “He…”
“Can everyone shut up, please?” Sofia said, her voice cold and cutting. “The rest of us are here to watch a movie. You can yell at each other afterwards.”
Thomas looked away from her and noticed that the rest of the hundred or so people in the theatre, many of whom he recognized from school, were staring at them. He blushed a furious red.
“Let’s go,” he told Rachel.
“I will not have her dictate what I can do. I want to see this movie,” Rachel declared and marched over to their seats.
Gemma and Liz followed quietly, every now and again darting a glance back at Jock who was sitting with his arm around Sofia, determinedly not looking in their direction.
Thomas sighed and went with them. He spent the next hour and forty-five minutes feeling cramped and uneasy in the large chair. Rachel was holding his hand, but for once, her touch couldn't distract him from the rest of the world.
It felt like someone was staring at him, but when he turned around he couldn't make anything out in the darkness of the theatre. At one point he heard Sofia laugh and the sound nearly pushed him out of his chair.
He didn’t know what it was about her that had him so on edge. She just rubbed him the wrong way. Not that that gave him any right to talk about her like he had. He shifted uncomfortably.
Rachel squeezed his hand. He was pretty sure the evening had turned out exactly the way she wanted it to and that made him… uneasy. He loved her, but he didn’t like it when she used him to manipulate situations and people around him. It made him wonder if she’d ever manipulated him.
“I’m so happy to be here with you,” she whispered in his ear.
Her breath, hot on his skin, sent shivers all the way to his toes.
“Me too,” he whispered back and placed a kiss on her cheek.
He did his best to push back his discomfort and concentrate on the movie, but it was a relief when the credits rolled and the lights came back on.
That is, until Rachel pulled him out of his seat and hurried them towards the exit in time to intercept the others before they could leave.
“Did you like the movie?” Rachel asked Sofia as they drew level with her.
Sofia regarded Rachel with suspicion, but in the end she shrugged. “It was alright,” she replied.
“I’m surprised you could understand it.”
“Why?”
“Well, no offense, but your English isn’t that great.”
“Rachel, get lost,” Jock said. “Don’t listen to her,” he told Sofia, pulling her closer.
“Why not?” Gemma piped up. “Don’t you want her to know that you all laugh at her behind her back?”
“What?” Jock said, sounding stunned.
“I have never laughed at you,” Wayne told Sofia earnestly, moving closer to her. “Well, unless you’ve made a joke.”
“You laughed at her yesterday. At lunch,” Liz said softly.
“How would you know?” Jock asked irritably. “You weren’t there.”
“It’s okay,” Rachel said, patting Jock’s arm. “I’m sure she’s aware that she has an accent.”
“Having an accent doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand what you’re saying,” Denise said angrily.
“Though sometimes she wished she didn’t,” Sofia commented drily.
The others laughed and Thomas felt Rachel stiffen beside him.
“I’m sorry, what was that? Was that English?”
“Rachel,” Thomas muttered.
“Would you stop?” Jock told her. “You’re sounding racist.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sofia said. “I get why she doesn’t understand what I’m saying. It must be difficult to only speak Bitc…”
”How dare you?”
Thomas pulled a gasping Rachel behind him before she could lunge for Sofia.
“Apologize,” he told Sofia.
“I will. As soon as she does.”
“Jefferson,” Jock warned.
“Rachel didn’t go calling names,” Thomas said, his hands fisting as he took a step forward.
Jock tried to block Sofia, but she pushed him back and stepped forward until she was toe-to-toe with Thomas. Her eyes were all green now, all anger.
“You crossed the line,” Thomas said.
“Why do you get to decide where the line goes? And why does she hide behind you? Is that how your relationship works?”
“Our relationship works just fine.”
“Does it?”
“You know nothing about us!”
“You’re right. And you know what? I don’t want to know. The two of you deserve each other.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked, grabbing hold of her arms as she made to move away. She shook off his touch.
“You speak English. You figure it out,” Sofia said and grabbed Jock’s arm in one hand and Denise’s in the other. She pulled them towards the exit while Wayne, Marlene and Claire followed closely behind.
His eyes were trained on her until they passed through the door where Jock sent him a final, murderous glare. As soon as they were out of sight Thomas deflated. He knew that he was going to have to work to make this up to his friend.
“Would you believe those people?” Rachel said. “I can’t understand why you’re friends with them.”
Thomas bit his cheek to keep from saying something he’d regret. Instead he took her hand and pulled her with him. “Come on, let’s go.”
Mr. Jones had never been happier with a having gone to watch a movie. It was already shaping up to be one of the best decisions of his career.
His eyes, full of admiration and cunning speculation, followed the girl as she turned and stalked off, pulling her boyfriend with her and while her friends hurried after.
He had never seen anyone so magnificent in their anger. Most people merely got short of breath and red in the face. Not her. With sparkling green eyes she had looked like a mythological creature. A valkyrie, perhaps. She did have a bit of a Scandinavian accent.
The boy was handsome too. He took a closer look at him where he stood with his mouth open, another girl clinging to him. Nicely built with symmetrical features, a strong jaw and straight nose. He would do.
He had found them. Finally.
”Sims!”
His personal assistant leaned forward over him. “Sir?”
”You know that project that we’ve been discussing?”
“The one about you installing a glass roof on your penthouse?”
“No, the other one.”
“The one about the cockroaches? I thought you decided against…”
“No, Sims!” Jones impatiently interrupted.
If there had been anyone less stupid than Sims who was equally good at keeping his mouth shut and mix Jones’ favorite drinks he would not have tolerated the man for another minute.
“The one that was really… classified, hrrm? The…explosive stuff,” Mr Jones said.
Understanding dawned on Sims face. So did horrified disbelief. “Yes, sir?”
”That’s them. See to it, will you?”
”Sir, are you sure that would work? They’re so young and…”
Mr. Jones turned his wheelchair around and looked Sims straight in the eyes. Nothing in Mr. Jones face showed any emotion.
To someone who didn’t know him this might have seemed like a good thing. There was, for example, no sign of anger. In fact, Mr. Jones was looking at Sims in a way so completely void of anger that Sims took a step back.
”Mr. Sims. I did not ask for your opinion. I told you to do it.”
”Yes, sir.”
8
Armed and Dangerous
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sofia asked when Jock put his tray next to hers a couple of weeks after what he referred to as their first date and she referred to as the movies-fiasco.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he said and began devouring his pizza.
/> “The rest of your friends are over there,” Sofia said, nodding towards the table where Thomas and some of the guys were sitting with Rachel and Gemma and the other girls.
“I know, but you’re sitting here and you’re my girlfriend,” he said with a grin. “And I haven’t seen you all weekend.”
“I’m not your girlfriend.”
“If you keep that up I’m going to be forced to kiss you right here, in front of everyone,” Jock said mock-threateningly.
“Go ahead. I’ll just punch you in the nuts afterwards. Clear up that whole misunderstanding.”
Jock grinned and leaned closer to her. “Do you have any idea how sexy it is when you talk about my nuts?”
Sofia did her best to scowl at him, but she could feel her lips twitch. “It’s not supposed to be sexy. It’s supposed to be threatening.”
Jock sniggered. “You couldn't be threatening if you tried. You’re like a little kitten.”
Sofia grabbed a handful of his grey t-shirt and pulled his face down so she could look him straight in the eyes.
“I’m not a kitten.”
Instead of looking properly intimidated Jock’s pupils dilated and his gaze shifted to her lips. The boy was incorrigible. She let go off his shirt with a shake of her head and turned back to her food. A large hand grabbed hold of her head and turned her back around.
“Hey! I…”
The next second Jock’s lips descended on hers. He was not a bad kisser, Sofia decided as she fisted his hair in her hands and took control of the kiss. Nice, soft lips and he didn’t try to push his tongue down her throat. She pulled back and he grinned smugly at her.
“Now it’s official,” he said.
Sofia let go of his hair and swung for him, but he was already off his chair, laughing.
“Coward,” Sofia muttered.
He leaned in to kiss her cheek and ruffle her hair, before dancing away again. “I have to head over to the paper. You can have the rest of my pizza, if you want?”
“How nice.”
“It’s one of the perks of being my girlfriend.”
“Eating your leftovers?”
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