by Raven Crow
It was the same street though and Gio had been correct, but I wasn’t in the mood for his jokes right at the moment. I couldn’t remember the exact road that Pen had made me drop her off at, it was late and I wasn’t in the right state of mind. I felt dumb for not knowing where she lived.
My cell rang and I answered.
[“Did you just call me?” Pen said over the phone.]
“Yes, I am here trying to find you but I forget what street exactly that I—dropped you off at?” I stammered.
I avoided making eye contact with Gio who was already staring me down like he was judging me.
[“I will text you the addy. Later.” She replied, then disconnected.]
“Ok you can stop judging me now, Gio I will have the address in a second.” I remarked, and heard a smirk.
She texted the address and I set the GPS on my dashboard. I looked up and the street was right ahead of us on the GPS.
As I drove things became familiar quickly and within minutes I found her house.
“This has to be the one; it is the only house on this road.” Gio said.
“I’ll go in and get her.” I said as I started to get out.
“Nah there she is.”
A beautiful Pen approached the passenger rear door before jumping in.
I darted my eyes to the backseat with a smile fixed to my face for her but Pen kept her eyes glued to her lap as if her life depended on it.
“I’m sorry that you had trouble finding my house, I should have texted you the address earlier. Where is this job?” Pen said with her eyes still glued to her lap.
I turned back around, adjusted the rearview mirror; I caught her glace ahead missing me. I felt a cold breeze coming off her and I wasn’t sure why or where it was coming from.
“No problem Pen, I don’t mind and it was my fault anyhow. I should have paid better attention to my surroundings.” I replied with my eyes on her in the rear view mirror.
She still didn’t look at me. I knew something wasn’t right with her.
“Ok y’all we need to get to this run in order to actually make the delivery… so if we could—I don’t know—drive that would be great.” I hear Gio stammering on.
I pushed the gas pedal to the floor, sending the car flying forward down the street. Houses are sailing passed so fast their blurred together like a multi-colored blanket.
“We have sixteen minutes left until we are late; I’ll have us there in less than four minutes.” I bragged.
Bearing down on the wheel to right I sent the car a hundred degrees to the left. We were two streets away; I gunned the throttle to the limit. My sweet ride moved like perfection before coming to a smooth stop right out in front of the meet up spot.
“Holy shit, that took you exactly four minutes to get us here!” Pen sounded from the back seat.
“There’s no one here. We are not that early.” Gio griped while getting out of the car.
Pen followed Gio out of the car.
I put the car into park before exiting the car. The parking lot was abandoned.
Gio grabbed his cell phone to look at it.
“You have to be kidding me?!” He snapped as his brows narrowed in. “Pablo texted, he had to come a little earlier but we weren’t here, he said that he saw a suspicious car driving around the block, and he got spooked by a cop car after that so he bounced about five minutes ago.”
My stomach turned a little, I hated to lose money, especially since this was entirely my fault. I had never fucked up a run before now.
Chapter 17
Jo
As the endless hallways of mahogany floors filled my eye sockets I felt overwhelmed but I had desperately tried to hide it from Gio all morning. It didn’t help that I hadn’t slept well all night. It was like I couldn’t turn my mind off, I just kept thinking about that lady in the pond.
“Ok Jo we have finally arrived at Hawkins Hall where the all of the Hawkins Fashion Design classes are held. You will spend most of your time here I bet.” Gio advised me.
He looked absolutely handsome today in his black Nike shirt, dark, blue jeans, and a pair of black, biker boots. His aftershave had a cedar, and fresh air scent and it had to have been loaded with pheromones, because all morning I had wanted so badly to tare his clothes off of him and lick every inch of his sexy, body. I had got the feeling that he had gotten dressed so nicely for me.
“I think that we should have sex, Gio,” blurted out of my mouth, like when you slip on ice in front of your crush and fall on your face.
“Do you now, Jo?” Gio stammered. He leaned towards me, “when and where?” He rambled into my ear.
“You must be Josephine Butler, I have been expecting you.” A female voice barked from behind me, sending me spinning around.
I was so happy that my lady wood couldn’t be seen. I had been so drunk on the idea of being fucked by Gio but the sight of this professor sobered me up in a flash.
“Yes I am Josephine Butler but please call me, Jo.” I begged.
“Yes of course that’s a cute nickname, Jo. Please come this way with me into Professor
Sherman’s class, I will be the professors aid this semester. My name is, Trisha Miller.”
A tall, slender, lady in a brown, pant suit said before she pointed us towards a small, auditorium a few feet in front of us.
“It is nice to meet you, Trisha I am very excited to be able to get into Professor Sherman’s class this late into the school year.”
Truthfully I was more than just excited I was obsessed with fashion and Professor Sherman was one of the few kings of the fashion in my opinion, and now I was going to be studying under him.
“Well Jo this is where I leave you to your studies. I have some errands and business I need to attend to this morning and it seems that I’m leaving you in capable hands with Ms. Miller.” Gio chuckled.
I was so caught up on following Trisha into the class that I barely looked at him as he left. I had even forgotten to say thank you for the ride.
I bounded through the double doors like I own the place before I was struck with a sudden feeling of self-doubt.
The class setup was like a typical sewing room except there was a stage at the end of the room and ten rows of chairs in front of it. There were at least sixty students already in the room and all of the chairs were taken. I looked over at Trisha who waved me over to follow her up to the front of the first row of chairs, once up there I noticed a seat available which she guided me over to and I sat down.
**
Forty-five magical minutes later and I sat there for another five minutes unsure if I could move out of the seat for the next student.
“You don’t want to leave either, I don’t blame you. I arrived thirty minutes early in order to get a seat up front and now I don’t want to give up this seat.” A soft voice sounded from the chair next to mine.
“You got here that early? Wow that is something I thought I was Professor Sherman’s biggest fan but I think that you have me beat.” I reached out and shook her tiny hand.
She smiled and shook my hand back. She had long, dark, brown hair, green eyes, and small freckles on her cheeks similar to mine.
“I might have every one beat but still I am envious of you, you are the one who got the professor’s aid to hold a chair for you up front. Plus, I think I saw you with Giovanni Gardier before class so you must be someone important?” She leered.
The way she’d hovered over Gio’s name made me feel special that he had been giving me so much of his time and attention.
“I’m truly not anyone special; I had no idea that I would get a seat in the front row. My name is Josephine Butler but you can call me Jo. Yes that was Giovanni Gardier who was showing me around earlier. How do you know him?”
“My name is Daphne Bissett; it is a pleasure to meet you, Jo. Everyone knows Gio, is the son of the king after all but he doesn’t just give out tours to random people, you must be special are you two dating?” She pressed as she mov
ed closer to me.
Are we dating? I hadn’t even stopped to think about that question. By the way she was staring me down awaiting my answer I panicked and blurted out the first thing I thought about.
“No…no of course I’m not dating Gio, his father is my godfather. We are neighbors. He showed me around that is all. I don’t even know him.” I rambled out answer after answer until her face changed and she started to laugh.
“Oh my God, seriously you are so dating him—its ok you don’t have to tell me. You can just keep it a secret, I won’t tell anyone.” She continued to giggle at me.
“I don’t know what to say to you, Daphne. Gio is very nice but I have only just met him. I can’t believe that he is so popular around here. Truthfully, I really want to concentrate on my studies and not on a man this year.” I proclaimed and immediately felt stupid.
“Ok I will lay off you, Jo. I am sorry for teasing you. If it means anything, you and Gio would make a great looking couple should you two ever decide to date. Ok, I won’t say anything else about it. Now—what are you doing after school?”
“After school—I don’t know what I’m doing I hadn’t thought about it. Why?”
“Good—than you can come with me to The Shore.”
“The Shore? What’s that?”
“Oh yeah I forgot you are new here, The Shore is what we locals call the lake. It is where all of us young people go to hang out. You have to come.” She said while eagerly nodding her head.
Chapter 18
Gio
I had walked all around the campus for an hour and no sign of Jo. My cell phone started ringing and grabbed it, Jo was calling.
“Hey Jo, where are you I have been looking for you everywhere? I already left the campus but I can come back if you need me to.” I stammered into the phone.
I was already halfway back to the neighborhood but I would turn around to get Jo if she needed a ride.
[“No need I’m at this place called The Shore with my new friend from school. You should come over and join us, Gio.” She voiced with a held back giggle.]
[“Yes—yes come down here Gio!” A voice I didn’t recognize yelled in the background.]
What the hell new friend was she talking about I thought while driving towards The Shore. I was only three minutes away as it was.
“I can do that I guess. I will be there in a few… later.” I said before I disconnected.
I pulled up and parked. I walked towards the lake noticing all the cars I knew it was going to be packed on The Shore. What was I getting myself into by heading straight into sob-hell? The Shore was ours but The Reef was theirs. It wasn’t anything special just a series of wooden planks that the kids connected together and set to float in the middle of the lake. There were so many planks connected that The Reef actually looked more like an manmade island than anything else.
I reached the sand in record time and while my shoes slid hopelessly around underneath me I scanned the horde of people for Jo. The May weather had heated up like it was July and my shirt was starting to stick to my chest. My head begin to fill with the hundreds of loud teen and adult voices which seemed to close in on me as I made my way down to the water. I was sure that I had heard my named called at least twice since I reached the sand but in this sea of people I couldn’t see where it was coming from. I would need to text Jo in order to track down her exact location.
I had changed my clothes earlier but I hadn’t planned on this type of heat. I was going to have to make some kind of adjustment to my wardrobe and quick. It was at least a ten minute walk away from my house so that option was out.
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and I grabbed it out. It was Jo messaging me.
[Hey where are you at? I’m down by the water waiting for you.]
I quickly typed, “I’m on The Shore right now lost in a sea of people there’s no way I will find you in this mess just go to the parking lot and find my car, it’s the black Audi I’ll be standing by it.] I hit send.
I did a three-sixty, heading straight back to my car to wait for Jo. I leaned up against the side of the car to avoid looking awkward.
It hadn’t even been five minutes before I spotted a vivacious Jo bouncing her gorgeous body out of the crowded shore to make her way towards me. I stood straight up while watching her as she got closer to me by the second. There seemed to be a girl walking with Jo who was staring at me like she wanted to eat me.
Jo walked right up to me with a huge grin plastered across her adorable face and said, “I am so glad you could make it, Gio. This is my friend Daphne Bissett; I met her in my first class this morning after you dropped me off; thank you for that by the way.”
My eyes darted over her shoulder at her new friend. She seemed to be grinning at me from behind Jo like some sort of fan of a celebrity. I waved at her trying to be kind to her plus she seemed harmless enough while she waved back.
“What made you want to come down here, Jo? I thought you were going to have me came to get you from the campus?” I ran with questions.
I could actually feel my skin as it started to crawl with every minute I was out here with these snobs. It was like I could hear all their judging thoughts and it was strangling me to death.
“I am sorry. I thought you would want to come down here to see me. Maybe I should have called you earlier to tell you that I didn’t need a ride after all that way you wouldn’t have gone to the campus to get me.” Her sweet voice cracked and I felt like shit. “You are not upset with me, are you?”
“Oh God—no I just don’t like the crowds, I’m not very social is all. I’m sorry for being a dick.” I sprung back with a smile like a white flag. “You are too adorable to be upset with anyhow. Can we go now though?” I arched my brows twice at her.
“Welcome to The Shore, Prince Giovanni! It was so nice of you to join us little people, your majesty.” A painfully familiar voice leered from behind me before I heard a group of laughter.
I didn’t have to turn to know who it was that was talking to me his stupid voice unfortunately was burned into my memory banks forever. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of even a glance as he and his small group of asses passed us on their way to The Reef I assumed.
“Who is that, Gio?” Jo asked me while watching them walk by.
“I’ll tell you later, can we go?” I again plied and she nodded.
Chapter 19
Pen
How was I supposed to convince Sax that I was just randomly in his neighborhood? It wasn’t going to help matters by the fact that I had on short, sexy, denim, skirt, with a flannel shirt and a pair of black, open-toed, heels. Either way I was already standing on his porch shaking like a leaf just staring at his door wondering if I could pull this off or not.
The door swung open and there stood Sax shirtless, in a pair of basketball, shorts and no shoes. His hair was damp, he must have just showered.
“Wow, you are not what I expected to see standing on my doorstep, Pen.” He voiced with brightened eyes on me.
He stepped out onto the porch and walked around the side of his porch looking over towards the backyard.
“I’m sorry I should have called first, it is rude to just show up unannounced.” I choked as I followed him. “What are you looking at, Sax?” I peered over his shoulder to try and see what he was looking at.
All I could see was his car in the driveway alongside his house and that wasn’t strange enough to stare at.
“Don’t be silly gorgeous, you are welcome anytime no announcement necessary.” He said in a soft tone while he turned his head a bit. “I am looking for my basketball, I thought that I had left it in the driveway under the hoop but I don’t see it over there.” He added before turning completely around to face me.
“Are you going to play basketball right now?”
“No I just got back from playing a game and I wanted to take the ball into the house before some kid takes off with it but it looks like I’m already too late.”
As I stared at him I started to think that I wasn’t entirely sure just how I was supposed to keep taps on the Gardier’s to begin with as Mr. Moreau had asked. Should I record our conversation? Should I take photos of all the locations we go to together? Hundreds of questions started to rise out of my head trying to push their way out of my brain all at once.
“Well I can help you find the basketball, Sax if you want?”
“No—no it is no use some kid has already made off with it I bet. I am going to have to go and get another basketball and next time I’ll leave it in the house.” He said before chuckling in a playful way.
He started to walk towards his front door so I followed.
“Ok well you probably want to get showered up and what not so I should—go…” I started to say and he jumped into my sentence.
“No—don’t go I have already showered and I’m completely free to hang out or whatever you want, Pen.” He leaped with a heavy eagerness to his tone.
“I’d like that.” I smiled as he opened the door and we walked into his living room.
My eyes drifted around the room. I was shocked by how unbelievable fancy Sax’s house was. I knew that he was into antiques but I had no idea what great taste he had as well, I couldn’t have done as good a job as he had with this place. He had clearly taken a great deal of time to collect all of these beautiful and unique pieces.
“Wow your place is amazing, Sax. I love the way you have placed all of your artwork and antiques it is just beautiful in here like a museum.”
“Really—you think so? Well, I have tried to make it look as put together as possible I don’t have any real interior design experience or anything like that. Thank you for saying so, Pen I appreciate your kind words.” He said before putting his hand on the back of his neck with his eyes on his feet like he was shy all of the sudden.
“Yes—really your place looks great! I would have never guessed that you didn’t know what you were doing with the decor.”