by Jamie Knight
That was a lot of information, something that Selena likes to do, just give a whole litany of details. I think I’m getting better at hearing everything she’s saying, though.
“That sounds nice. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“Oh, you’re going to love it! They pamper you so fully. And the sangria is so delicious.”
I genuinely smile for what might be the first time today. It’s hard not to catch a little bit of the sunshine that Selena’s giving off.
Maybe this will be fun. I’ve never really been one to be into beauty and makeup. I just thought that stuff wasn’t for me. Maybe this spa will change my mind.
We pull into a parking lot, and Selena leads me into the building. It has an immediate calming vibe with lots of blue walls and interesting art.
“Selena, darling! You’re back a lot sooner than usual!” I see a man approaching us. Selena quickly walks over to him, and they hug.
“I know, Jean. I just wanted to bring a friend.” She motions over to me. I walk over and say hi.
“She looks very familiar. Have we met before?”
I shake my head because I don’t know any French people, and this guy has a pretty heavy accent.
Jean lets go of Selena and starts to circle me. It feels kind of weird, but I don’t say anything, just let him do his thing.
“Oh, I know where I’ve seen you. You were on the TV with this one’s younger brother. The fiancée!”
Wow, I didn’t think anyone would recognize me from those pictures. I mean, I haven’t looked at any of them, but Jameson was hiding me behind him pretty well. Those photographers are a lot better at the getting the pictures they went than I thought.
“Uh, yeah. I’m his fiancée.”
“Well, congratulations!”
“That’s kind of why we’re here, Jean,” Selena interjects. “I want to get Jenny some beauty treatments, maybe a makeup tutorial. We need to blow Jamie’s mind.”
Jean smiles, his face lighting up with what look to be ideas. “Oh, I know exactly what to do. Come with me.” He takes my hand and starts to lead me away from Selena. I turn to her, apprehensive about this thing. I thought she would be with me the whole time.
“Don’t worry Jenny. I’ll see you afterwards. You’re going to look fabulous!”
It looks like I don’t have much of a choice. Alone it is.
Jean takes me through some doors. We’re in a long hallway and end up going into another room where there is a comfortable looking chair in front of a large mirror. There are all sorts of products lining the walls as well as a table with snacks and drinks.
“You can take a seat. I’m just going to ask you questions about your skin, so I can pick the right products.”
“Okay.”
I sit down in what feels like a chair made out of clouds. I’m starting to feel a little less anxious. Jean seems like a really nice guy. I guess it was my nerves getting the best of me like they usually do.
“So, do you have sensitive skin?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Oily, dry, combination.”
“Combination, I think?”
“Do you wear makeup a lot?”
“No, only on important occasions, and, even then, I don’t do much.”
“I see. Now your hair. Does it have a lot of damage?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t color it or anything. Just get haircuts, washes, condition it.”
“O-kay…”
I turn around and see Jean coming back with a basket full of stuff.
“Is that all going on my face?” I do have a skincare routine, but it’s not that involved. I mainly try to keep my face clean and moisturized.
“No, some of it is going in your hair. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
I just have to trust him. Selena wouldn’t bring me somewhere that she didn’t feel one hundred percent good about. I’m sure everything will be okay. I don’t have the same confidence that a simple treatment and some makeup will suddenly make me some kind of beautiful model, but I can relax.
“So, Jenny, I want you to lay back. This is going to take some time, so, if you’d like, you can close your eyes, just relax. I’ll let you know when the tutorial starts, so you can learn to do this at home. If you’re ever uncomfortable, tell me, and we can adjust. Are you ready to begin?”
“Mmhm.”
I lean back like requested. Jean starts with my hair, washing and conditioning it. I’m lost in the sensations almost immediately. It’s nice to have someone pamper you. He goes through everything, telling me what he’s doing. Some of this stuff I could do on my own at home. I guess it isn’t too hard to do some cosmetic upkeep on your own.
Next, he gives me those makeup pointers he promised.
“So, you have a lot of space between your eyebrow and eyelid. Don’t be afraid to go large. If you want your eyes to look bigger, avoid connecting your bottom and top eyeliner. You can even use a nude in your waterline. I can tell you’re probably more into subtle makeup, so these products would be great for you. Even with a heavy hand, it doesn’t deposit to much product. It’s great for beginners or your more natural girls.”
Everything he tells me, I store away for later. It’s a lot of tips and tricks, but I don’t want to forget any of them. If I had my notebook, I would be taking notes.
“Okay, I’m done!” I’m facing away from the mirror, so Jean spins me around, and I get my first look at my newly made-up face. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Is this really me?
I get out of the chair and move closer to the mirror, just to be sure. I turn my head back and forth to check all my sides. I’m speechless.
“I know, darling. You look amazing.”
I turn back around and give Jean a hug. I cannot understand how he made me look so good, but I am grateful. “Thank you so much.”
“No need to thank me. Your face was so easy to work with.”
We leave the private room, and Jean takes me back to the lobby. Selena is waiting there, sitting in one of the chairs.
“Selena!”
She looks up from her phone and, when she sees me, smiles. “Jenny! You look gorgeous. Just like I said you would.” She stands up to give me a hug. While we’re in our embrace, I thank her.
“Thank you for bringing me to someone who could make me look like this. I never thought it was possible.” We break apart, and she giggles.
“Of course, honey. You know you’re the same person. All these stunning features are yours. What you lacked was confidence, not beauty.”
Maybe she’s right. I mean, it’s like this isn’t my face.
“Still, thank you.” This could be the kick in the pants I needed to talk to Jameson.
“You know, my brother is going to go crazy with lust when he sees you. I am one hundred percent sure that he will. I hope that’s not weird for me to say.”
“No, of course not.” It does make me think though. “Can I tell you something kind of weird?”
“Yes, totally, tell me everything.”
We both sit down, and I lean close to her, so I can whisper. “So, last night, Jameson actually asked me if I wanted to do a sort of friends-with-benefits things with him.”
Selena rolls her eyes, and I’m worried I may have gone too far. “Of course, he would, the idiot. Look, my brother doesn’t always think things through. And I’ve tried to explain to him that his words will have consequences, so maybe don’t just say something because it popped into your head, but that’s neither here nor there. I just hope he didn’t offend you.”
“No, not really,” I shake my head. “I was surprised when he said it, so I kind of just left the room.”
“Well, I’m glad he didn’t upset you. He’s been getting better at not being an ass, but he has some ways to go. He was a bad boy for so long, it’s hard for him to totally turn it off all at once. All I’m going to say is I hope you’re willing to give him a chance. He really is a good guy.”
I already know all these things, but I can’t just hand my heart over. Not after what happened last time.
“I will admit I am tempted by the idea, but it will be simpler if we keep things friendly. It’s already super complicated with our engagement, you know. And I’m graduating soon, Jameson has his games. I don’t want us to get bogged down.”
I can tell Selena is disappointed, but it’s the truth. I’m not ready to jump into a relationship with Jameson even if it was only sex. I know I’d be the one to catch feelings. And, given his past, I don’t think he’d reciprocate.
“I totally understand. But, if you do want to be with him, I’d say go for it. If you really do want him. I don’t want you to miss out on your chance.” She drops the subject after that, which is fine with me because I don’t know what to say.
We leave the spa, and Selena takes me back to Jameson’s apartment. I can’t get what she said out of my head. She’s his sister, so Selena would know best. Maybe giving it a shot isn’t such a bad idea. Even though Jameson can be a little idiotic sometimes, he is a nice guy, and knows how to make me feel good.
Could he be interested in me, like really interested?
“Thanks for coming out with me today. And skipping class for me!” Selena pulls me into another hug.
“Yeah, I had a lot of fun. Especially after telling you everything. It’s nice to have another person know what’s going on.”
“I am here for you. If you ever want to talk, text me, knock on my door, call, whatever you need.”
I thank her again and then go inside. I don’t see Jameson anywhere, so I take a seat at the kitchen counter, opening up the cookies on the table.
I’m not even sure how I would go about taking a chance with him. Do I take him up on the friends-with-benefits thing? I’ve never done anything like that before. It would be completely new territory for me.
I hear Jameson’s bedroom door open. I guess he is here. I turn around to see him coming out of his room. He’s in a suit and tie which is pretty fancy.
“Hey, so I got a call while you were out, and the coach and team owners want us to come to dinner. The whole team will be there. Hopefully, it won’t get too weird.”
He’s adjusting his tie, so he hasn’t looked up yet, giving me a chance to admire the view. It’s crazy how Jameson can look so good no matter what he wears. Suit and tie, sweats. Football uniform, he always looks so good.
This is the guy I’m going to try and seduce. I don’t think I even know how to do such a thing.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Do I need to change?”
He stops playing with his tie and looks up at me. He kind of just stops moving while I wait for an answer. I don’t want to be rude, but he’s staring which is making me uncomfortable. My face is heating up, and I want to look away, but would that be weird?
“Jameson?”
He’s still not saying anything. His mouth is moving, I think, but there are definitely no words coming out. I wait a couple more seconds before trying again.
“Uh, should I change?”
He shivers a little, seemingly coming out of whatever haze he was just in. “Um, sorry about that. You look really nice?”
It sounds like a question, and I don’t know what to do with that. Is he surprised I look nice? I mean I was, so it’s not so bizarre that he’s not used to it.
“Thanks. Selena and I had a fun day out. But, about the dinner, is this okay?” I motion at my clothes. I have a feeling it’s not since he’s got on such a fancy suit.
“Oh! It’s a little to casual.” I nod in understanding. “Do you have anything a little fancier?”
I think about what I brought with me. I don’t really go out or have any reasons to get all gussied up. “Honestly, I don’t really have anything that nice,” I say, pointing to his suit.
“Hm, let me call my sister. You guys are about the same size. She might have something you can borrow.” Jameson goes back to his room. He’s in there for a few minutes, so I’m assuming he’s making the call. I wonder why he was weird earlier. Was Selena right about him going ‘crazy with lust?’
He didn’t seem very lustful. More confused. Is confusion a good thing? Does that mean he wants me?
There’s a knock at the door. Must be Selena. I go to open it, and, lo and behold, there she is, holding a very nice looking silver dress.
“Hey girl! My brother just called and said you needed something cute to wear?”
“Yeah, there’s a dinner, and I’ve got to look good or something.”
Selena laughs and passes along the gown. “You’re going to look so good in this.”
“Thanks Selena.” I turn, and Jameson has come out of his room.
“No problem, little bro,” Selena responds while walking into the apartment. I thank her again and head to my room to change. I really hope this looks good on me. Even though Selena said that I look great, and I feel pretty great with this makeup on, I’m not sure if I can pull off something as amazing as this dress.
I can try at least. Maybe Jameson will think I look pretty.
Chapter Thirteen
Jameson
Coach Kramer called and told me there’s a dinner tonight. I’m not the biggest fan of such last-minute planning, but since the team owners are the ones who arranged it, I can’t really say no.
What really got me was, when I walked into the living room, Jenny was sitting at the kitchen counter, and she looked absolutely beautiful. I already found her pretty and sexy, but she’s always kind of felt closed off. Today, for some reason, she was looking straight at me, and I was struck with something. Maybe it was the openness I saw in her face or the confidence.
She’s gone to her room to change into a dress my sister brought over for her. I’m still feeling a little dazed, which I’m sure Jenny picked up on. I could barely put a sentence together. I turn to my sister.
“What did you guys do today?”
“What do you mean?” she asks, knowingly.
“Jenny, she seems different. What did you do?”
“Oh, I just helped her find some confidence, you know. Something every girl needs.”
Confidence, eh? Well, I’m not going to complain. “Well, thanks.”
“Also,” Selena starts. The way she says that ‘also’ has me worried. It means she’s about to give me a talking to. About what, I do not know. “I know about your little fake engagement. Were you ever going to tell me?”
Shit! Jenny must have blabbed. She was supposed to be able to keep the secret, she said she could. What if someone at the dinner starts asking questions? I’m guessing that’s what happened at their lunch. Selena asks a question a minute which can be overwhelming if you’re not used to her, but everyone is going to be asking Jenny questions. If she can’t hold her own this whole engagement plan is going to crumble, and I’m going to have my entire reputation ruined.
“If you must know, I never planned on telling you.”
“Ouch, I thought you trusted me.”
“It’s not that Selena. It’s just the fewer people who know, the better. You know what would happen if this got out.” I would be ruined, that’s what.
“I know exactly what would happen. Remember I was there for everything that’s gone down since you signed? Since before then?” She does have a point. My sister has been by my side through everything. “I can help you guys. You know that, right?”
She could be helpful. It seems like Jenny really likes her, and someone like Selena could make is easier for her to navigate my kind of life. Maybe having my sister on board isn’t such a bad thing.
“Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry or whatever. But that doesn’t take away the fact that Jenny couldn’t keep the secret. What if she spills the beans at the dinner tonight? Do you know how fucked I’ll be?”
It’s currently my worst nightmare. I don’t think it’ll be enough to get me kicked off the team, but it won’t earn me any points with my teammates. They’ll probably come up with an even shittier nic
kname for me.
“Well, maybe there shouldn’t be any beans to spill, then?”
What? My sister really loves to talk in weird riddles.
“What are you saying Selena?”
She rolls her eyes, clearly exasperated with me. “What I am trying to say is what if this engagement wasn’t a pretense. Like, I’m not saying go and marry the girl, but are you opposed to having an actual relationship with her?”
“I don’t know,” I shrug.
“Well, I think she’s good for you.”
I have to consider Selena’s point of view. Her advice has never steered me wrong. In fact, the most I ever fucked up was when I was completely disregarding her advice.
“What makes you think she’ll go for me?”
“If you keep doing stupid shit, she might not go for you, but keep it classy, and maybe it’ll work out.”
“What –”
My sister whacks me lightly, causing me to stop mid-word. I look at her with shock.
“You deserve that for that dumb move you pulled last night.” I’m still confused. What is she talking about? “I’m talking about suggesting a friends-with-benefits situation. Like, really Jameson?”
Did Jenny tell her everything? Like every last word that was said between the two of us?
“You know you’re an idiot, right? You can’t offer something that casual to a girl like Jenny. If you really want her, you’re going to have to woo her which means risking that heart of yours, okay?”
I nod. I don’t know if I’m ready to risk my heart. I’ve been so preoccupied with football and everything football related, I never took the time to form a deep connection with anyone outside of my family. I don’t have a best friend, unless I can count Selena. I’ve never had a serious girlfriend.
Could Jenny really be it?
Before I can respond to Selena, Jenny’s bedroom door opens, and my attention is diverted. She emerges in the dress that Selena lent her, and, dear God, does she look stunning. I’m speechless again. She’s beautiful. The silver dress hugs her curves perfectly. How did I not see how spectacular she is sooner? Maybe I really am an idiot.