Journey to the Unknown

by Jacqueline Francis

  Jasmin glanced over at him, looking extremely uneasy before turning back to the other women. “It’s not…it’s not me. It’s probably someone who looks like me.” She laughed, but it sounded too anxious to be believable. “You know what they say…All Indians look the same.”

  She was squirming to get out of this, grasping at any excuse to throw them off. Despite her denial, Connie and Beth were still unconvinced and it made Kevin curious about what exactly they were talking about.

  “Don’t be so modest,” Connie said. “It’s not often we have a celebrity passing through here.”

  “So are you guys here on vacation?” Beth asked.

  Jasmin relaxed then and took full advantage of the change of conversation. “Yeah, we’re on our way to Georgia. Any places you’d recommend while we’re here in Holbrook?”

  “We can do better than recommend,” Beth chirped. “We get off at one, so Mom and I could show the two of you around, introduce you to some of the locals. What do you say?”

  Jasmin looked over at him for an answer, but he would rather watch paint dry than spend the entire day with three women. “Drop me off at the motel,” he said.

  She was relieved by his answer, as if she didn’t want him around. Maybe it was because of his earlier comment, but he had a sinking suspicion that she was hiding something, something Connie and Beth knew that he didn’t.

  “I’m in,” Jasmin said. “Where shall I meet you?”

  “We’ll pick you up from your motel.”

  Jasmin explained where they were staying and once they were all happy with the arrangements for the afternoon, they left the table and allowed them to eat their breakfast.

  “So what was that about?” Kevin asked once they were alone.

  Her shoulders stiffened and she reached over to take a piece of bacon from his plate. “I don’t know. Like I said, they probably just confused me with someone else.”

  He wanted to believe her, but there were three reasons why he couldn’t. She was too tense to be telling the truth. Her face was uniquely weird, impossible to be confused with someone else. And lastly, in Vegas Mandy had called her the same thing—the human calculator. It couldn’t possibly be a case of mistaken identity. What the hell was she hiding?

  * * * * *

  Kevin placed the can of bug spray they’d bought on the way over on the table between the beds. He was going to be alone for the rest of the afternoon and no goliath-ass spiders were going to catch him unawares. Nope. Not today. They were gon’ learn today.

  “That really isn’t necessary,” Jasmin said, walking out of the bathroom. “He’s harmless.”

  “I’m not taking any chances.”

  He dropped onto the bed and opened up Google on his phone as she passed him to get to the mirror. He was vaguely aware of her undoing her braid and running a brush through her hair. The search he wanted to do should have held his interest, but for some stupid reason he looked up. And he shouldn’t have looked up because what she was wearing made it impossible to look back down. Her peach cashmere sweater accentuated the softness of her honey-colored skin, and even though it did a great job of shaping her tits, that wasn’t what caught his attention. No. It was her jeans. Blue skinny jeans that sheathed her like a second skin, rounding perfectly over her ass. They were so tight. Just. So. Tight.

  He got it now, understood with utmost clarity the frustration experienced by Snoop Dogg and Jason Derulo as they battled to answer the age-old question: how could this girl possibly fit all that in them jeans?

  His attraction to her was an enigma. Was she the prettiest girl in the world? No, her beauty wasn’t just at surface level and it took him a while to see it. Was she the sexiest girl in the world? No, she was short, which made her oddly-shaped figure look disproportionate. Did he care that she wasn’t perfect? No, she was still hot as fuck.

  “Seeing that you’re doing that creepy stare thing…again,” she said, meeting his gaze in the mirror. “Can I ask you a question?”

  He didn’t answer and she took that as a yes.

  “Do these jeans make my butt look big?”

  “Yep,” he replied with a slow nod. “It makes your butt look really big.”

  “Great.” She let out a deflated sigh. “See, this is why I love sweatpants. This problem doesn’t exist in sweatpants. Now I gotta find something else to wear.”

  “I’m pretty sure nothing will help, but you should love that ass, Jazz. God knows, there’s so much ass to love.”

  Turning around, she placed her hands on her hips and huffed. “Jeez, I get it. I’ll change into something that covers it up, then maybe you won’t—”

  “It was a compliment,” he said, cutting her off before her insecurities started running rampant.

  “It didn’t sound like one, but…I’ll just take your word for it.”

  Although not fully convinced, she seemed more settled. Her phone beeped and he assumed it was a text from Connie to say they were outside, because she grabbed her handbag and his jacket from the other bed. “I’ll see you later, Kevin.”

  “Have fun.”

  He kept his eyes on her and as he watched her saunter that sexy ass out of the motel room only three words came to mind. Wiggle. Wiggle. Wiggle.

  He groaned and threw his head back against the pillows. “Fuck you, Alfred!”

  When he finally stopped thinking with his dick and normal brain functioning resumed, he remembered the reason why he wanted to spend the afternoon alone. There were some questions he wanted answered. He picked up his phone again and even though he didn’t want to admit it, his hands trembled a bit as he typed her name into the search bar. He wasn’t sure what to expect, yet even with an open mind, he still wasn’t expecting the results that came up.

  Article after article about Jasmintha Daas, all of them telling him things that he’d seen from the beginning and never questioned. All of that word vomit and she never told him any of this. He even saw a snippet of her on that talk show and listening to her brought back all their prior conversations. Chemical reactions causing emotions and the mating habits of the giant crab spider. She recalled every detail like a walking encyclopedia. So many signs and he hadn’t been able to piece it together.

  As he scrolled lower down the screen, more truths were uncovered. This one was less of a surprise, but still tough to swallow. Her father, Rajan Daas, owned South Star. Her father was a billionaire. He’d been merrily driving along with the daughter of a billionaire. Not rich. Not wealthy. A fucking billionaire. She’d told him that she had won a prize, vouchers that could be redeemed at any South Star Hotel when all the while Daddy dearest was the owner.

  She was so honest that he blindly believed everything that came out of her mouth. Technically that was the only real lie. Everything else was just a convenient omission of the full story. As the initial shock wore off, it was replaced with slow, simmering anger. There was no reason for her to keep these things from him, so why did she? Another confrontation was brewing and he decided to go for a walk to clear his head.

  Holbrook was a small town, though there was a distinct charm about it. The buildings were old, but not dilapidated. Nothing big and fancy and the contrast to Vegas was astonishing. He had to remind himself that it was only five days ago that they’d been caught up in lights and glamor. It felt like time was starting to slow down.

  Actually, time seemed to stand still as he waited for Jasmin to return. He got back to the motel before she did and he could feel himself becoming more and more aggravated.

  She was in an exceptionally good mood when she came through the door an hour later. He didn’t want to ruin it, but at the same time, he wanted answers.

  “Oh, my God,” she shrieked. “I love this town. Everyone here is so friendly.”

  He sat patiently on the bed, listening as she spoke about the people she’d met. Lenny and Ester, Connie’s parents, who invited her so openly into their abode and gave her a decent home-cooked meal. Then there was Sarah, who owned the lo
cal supermarket, but she was apparently very down to earth despite being one of the richest people in Holbrook.

  Kevin listened intently, waiting for the right moment to ask his question. She gushed about what an amazing mother Connie was, and the longing in her voice made him consider putting his interrogation aside until the next day. But he needed to know.

  She tugged off his jacket and sat down on the other bed. “So she actually works two jobs and pulls double shifts just so she can save enough money for Beth to go to college next year and—”

  That was his opening and he didn’t hesitate for a second. “Speaking of college…how come you’re not in college?”

  If he didn’t know the truth, the shrug of indifference she gave would have been believable. “I don’t really…see the need.”

  “Oh, you don’t see the need? It’s strange how without any tertiary education, you still managed to get a job. And you’re a foreigner. Is it a good job?”

  Wariness showed plainly on her face. “Yeah…I guess.”

  That was all the information she offered and he wasn’t letting her off the hook so easily. “How come your dad pulled you out of normal school?”

  “Why the sudden interest in my personal life, Kevin?”

  “Just curious. So tell me.”

  She knew he knew yet still she chose to sidestep and that pissed him off even more. “He just thought it would be better for me to be home-schooled.”

  He shifted on the bed and placed his elbows on his knees. “Really? So it has nothing to do with the fact that you were considered to be too advanced.” Sarcasm made his tone edgy. “Sorry, is that the wrong word? From the articles, it seems the right word is child prodigy. Is that the one you’re more familiar with?”

  Her eyes locked on his and for some reason, she seemed irritated that he knew this about her. “The term ‘child prodigy’ only lasts until you’re eighteen, so now I’m just a regular person.”

  He gritted his teeth, becoming more frustrated that she was still playing it down like it was no big deal. “Actually, if you’re over eighteen, you’re classified as a genius. Can you tell that I did a bit of reading on this?” He gave her a smile dripping with disdain. “I’m a regular person and it takes me hours to understand the scientific principles you mastered at the age of ten.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Oh, so you are in college? What are you studying?”

  “Don’t change the subject,” he clipped curtly. “You are going to head up a major research department at nineteen without a college education. Not regular. You’ve been tasked with researching alternative sources of energy that’s supposedly going to change the face of the future. Definitely not regular.”

  “Technically we—not I—are tasked with finding clean and renewable sources of energy,” she corrected using the same mocking tone he did. “And while I’m at it, I might also look into revolutionizing the whole sphere of biodegradable packing material. It’s disgusting how much we pollute the environment with things that can easily be recycled, so biodegradable is the way forward. Are you done with your questions now?”

  Her cheeky retort instantly made his blood boil. His asshole side was beginning to surface.

  Bob: You gotta hand it to her. She’s a sassy one.

  Dan: Well, that sass is only making the situation worse. He’s about two seconds away from snapping.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

  “I didn’t think you’d care.”

  “I didn’t give a fuck about Rachel’s stupid party, but you couldn’t shut up about that. I had to find out over the internet that you’re a genius in math and science and biochemistry. Your tutors were some of the smartest university professors from around the world. And how did you pay for such tutors? Oh, let’s just throw in the fact that your dad’s a billionaire!”

  “Why are you so upset about all this?”

  Bob: I don’t think he even knows why he’s upset about this.

  Dan: He’s grasping at straws. He’s looking for any excuse to push her away. He just found out she’s completely out of his league. The genius daughter of a billionaire? C’mon, Bob. You do the math. (Grins) Get it?

  Bob: Yeah…that’s not funny.

  “Because you should have told me!” he bit out.

  Her eyebrows creased and she smirked, feigning amusement. “That’s extremely hypocritical, don’t you think? Almost everything I know about you I figured out on my own. You don’t tell me anything about your life, your family…yourself, so may I request that you get off your high horse and stop demanding the very thing you refuse to give me in return?”

  Dan: (Bows head with respect) Touché.

  Bob: I really like this girl, Dan.

  Dan: That’s exactly the problem. You’re not the only one.

  “Jazz, from day one you’ve been sharing every personal detail about yourself whether I wanted to know it or not, so I don’t get why this is some big secret.”

  “It’s simple. I didn’t want you to know…I just…” She was struggling to find a way to explain it and it took a few tries before she eventually got the words out. “I wanted…I wanted you to think…I was cool.”

  “Cool?” He was on the verge of losing his shit. “Cool, Jasmin? You wanted me to think you were cool?”

  Bob: The more he says it, the less sense it makes.

  His jaw tightened and his fingers curled into fists. “Are you kidding me right now? You downplay everything for the sake of being cool?”

  She released a heavy sigh. “People…treat me differently once they found out…and not always in a good way. I’ve been teased and pranked and treated like a total outcast because of it. Some kids thought it was really fun to make the smart kid look stupid. My point is that sometimes that’s all they see. The Brainiac. The human calculator. The…whatever. It’s only one aspect of me and I don’t want that to be what defines who I am. I don’t want to be different. I just want to fit in and I want people to treat me the same way they treat everyone else.”

  Kevin was quiet for a long while. In a weird way he understood her reasoning because he understood her, and he couldn’t stay mad at her after that. “People are always going to treat you different,” he said softly, “because you are different. You shouldn’t hide it. It’s not about letting it define you, it’s about embracing every part of you. The wannabe big-dick rapper and the nerdy genius. The social outcast and the exceptionally horrible dancer. The environmental activist and the weirdo who loves spiders. That’s all you, Jazz. You shouldn’t try to fit in when there are so many things that make you stand out.”

  He hadn’t meant it as a compliment, merely stating a fact, yet she took it as one. She smiled, dropping her head to hide her reddened cheeks. He should have used the opportunity to end the conversation, but instead he reached over the small space between their beds and lifted her chin until their eyes met.

  “And just for the record, what you’ve done…what you’re going to do…it’s about the coolest damn thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Thank you.”

  Her shy smile stretched wider and he had to resist the urge to run his thumb over her lips. This was exactly why boundaries were needed. He was dying to kiss her…just one more time. Surely, one more kiss couldn’t be that bad. But he reminded himself that he wouldn’t be able to stop at one kiss.

  She was staring at him with the same expectant hesitance, both of them trying to figure out what they wanted to do with that moment. His choice was the one that led to less complications.

  He dropped his hand and reached for his phone. “You wanna get pizza again?”

  She waited before she responded, as if she was testing to see if he’d reconsider his decision. “Actually, Connie packed dinner for both of us,” she said eventually. “She thought you could use a home-cooked meal too.”

  When she was sure that the moment couldn’t be rekindled, she slipped back into normal conversation, telling him all about her day with Connie and Beth.

&
nbsp; They ate and she had a quick catch-up with her cousins over a video chat. It was amazing how good they were getting at pretending these moments didn’t happen. But they were happening and, no matter how many boundaries he tried to put in place, he still felt powerless to stop it. He was restless, edgy. So close to the edge that one little thing could tip scale either way.

  Bob: So that just fizzled and died. Not his best performance. He must be having an off day…or maybe it’s just what I’ve been saying this whole time. He’s not as bad as we thought he was. I have to be honest, though. I’m not sure if I should be proud or disappointed with what happened here tonight. What do you think, Dan?

  Dan: I wouldn’t be proud if I were you. I wouldn’t be disappointed either. He’s bound to make a comeback. You see, he wants this girl and right now he’s trying to convince himself of all the reasons why he can’t have her. It’s bugging him, Bob. And I think what we just witnessed…was the calm before the storm.

  November, 20

  Gallup, New Mexico

  It almost felt like a wasted day, but Jasmin still had fun nevertheless. They’d barely been on the road for two hours before they’d stumbled upon Gallup. It wasn’t a scheduled stop, yet the quaintness of it had begged her to explore. There was so much culture in this small town. One of the locals she’d met at the gift shop recommended that she go to the Native American dance show and the Gallup Cultural Centre and that pretty much took up the rest of the afternoon.

  Kevin, the buzz-kill, hadn’t been happy about another unexpected delay, but he’d relented quite easily. And because it was too late to get back on the road, he’d suggested they close off the wasted afternoon by doing some much needed laundry. The continuous drop in temperature meant that she was running out of clothes faster, so she hadn’t argued.

  He was in a strange mood today. Actually, he’d been in a strange mood since the day he’d kissed her, constantly blowing hot and cold. Brash and snappy one minute, playful and joking the next. She didn’t let it trouble her too much. He was moody and she’d given up on wishing for consistency.