Pole Dance

by J. A. Hornbuckle

  "Caitlin--"

  "You've gone too far, Jake!" I bellowed at the top of my voice running the few short feet back down the hall to where he still stood at the front door. "The freaking bed takes up the entire bedroom, my dresser is in the kitchen and my nightstand is in the bathroom! The only room I have to move around in is the freaking living room!" I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms as I clenched my fists. For the first time in my life, I found I wanted to punch somebody and punch them HARD.

  Jake began moving as I finished yelling up into his face. Seeing that I was not moving backwards, he took things in hand by putting said hand to my chest and turning me so he could get by. I was so angry that I was trembling as I watched him take the few steps from the door to the kitchen, another couple of steps to the bathroom before he stopped at the entrance to the bedroom.

  "Aw geez, Darlin'," I heard him rumble, knowing he could see that the queen bed took up the entirety of my bedroom. I watched him from behind as he stood at the bedroom door, hands on hips. Slowly, he moved one hand up to rake through his hair before catching the back of his neck. He turned back to me and I could tell by the look on his face that he knew he had screwed up, and had done it badly. The look on his face, even his pace as he walked back toward me, was one of contrition.

  "Caitlin, I'm sorry, I--" he started as he stopped a couple of feet away from me.

  "Screw, sorry," I hissed which brought his eyes directly to mine. "Like I said in my voicemail, I didn't ask for a new bed or even need a new bed. This is whacked, Jake. We've only been together a couple of times, yet it's like you're tryin' to take over, make over, my life!" My chest was heaving in my fury and I was still shaking I was so angry, but I wasn't done. I leaned towards him to give emphasis to my next words. Though they were said quietly, I said them with deadly menace.

  "I can't do this anymore, Jake. I don't want to do this anymore." I could hear how my voice had changed, becoming rougher, huskier as I tried to make him understand. "You are outta my life, Jake."

  I watched as my last few words hit him with a flinch. But, to his credit Jake allowed me to speak my piece and took a few moments to consider what I had said though his eyes never left mine.

  "Babe," Jake said softly. "I fucked up not realizing how small your room is and that a queen wouldn't fit in it." I watched as he dropped his eyes and his hand came up again to hold his neck. "Was looking to make your life easier, easier for both of us. Wanted you to have a bed big enough for the two of us. Miscalculated the size but--"

  "But it doesn't fit, does it, Jake? It's too damn big! And the delivery man said I couldn't return it!" I could feel the prickling behind my eyes as my tears welled up but I forced them back through sheer force of will. "What am I supposed to do, Jake?"

  "Darlin'…," Jake rumbled before stepping forward and sliding his arms around my waist, my body tense and unforgiving. "I'll get it fixed and it will all be good."

  "B-but, my dresser and…" My voice hitched on the words as my throat clogged fighting the overwhelming urge to cry. I had grabbed onto the sides of his t-shirt without thought.

  "I'll get it sorted, Darlin'. I fucked up, I'll fix it." I could feel Jake's hands rubbing my back as he kissed my hairline. I found myself smack-dab, face first into his t-shirt, holding tightly onto the sides of his faded, fitted jeans. "Can you pack a bag? We'll stay at my house tonight, yeah?"

  "But--"

  "Just pack a bag, Caitlin. I'll get it sorted tomorrow."

  "Uhm, but I--"

  "Don't like saying things twice, Darlin'," I heard Jake's impatient rumble into my hair. "Get your shit and let's go to my place." I felt the tightening of his arms before he let me go and gently pushed me in the direction of the bedroom. As I moved away, I turned and saw him reach for the cell phone in his back pocket.

  I crawled over the expanse of the queen-sized bed in order to access my closet. Fumbling, I finally tagged my overnight bag and shoved a pair of jeans and a t-shirt into it. I dragged the bag behind me as I scooted back across the ocean of mattress before I got to the other side and made my way into the kitchen for clean panties and a bra. The dresser, though, was at such an awkward angle that I couldn't get the drawers open. I stood in the doorway, trying to figure a way of opening them, before I felt Jake beside me.

  "Can't get them open, Jake," I whispered, my breath still hitching, spent from the emotions of the last twenty-four hours. I raised my eyes to his and was caught by the tenderness showing in his warm amber eyes. I watched as his mouth tilted upwards in to a sympathetic grin as his fingers again made their way to capture the back of my neck.

  "I'll get it. Any particular ones you want?" he said softly in his roughened voice as his eyes moved over my face and I felt his thumb move in a slow caress on the skin beneath my earlobe.

  "You choose, baby," I replied moving to the bathroom to snag the cleansers and moisturizers that made up my daily routine.

  My day had actually started out on a high note, waking up snuggled to Jake's back, breathing the smell in of his skin as the alarm clock on his side of the bed bleated it's buzzing. After he slapped the clock into submission, Jake had turned so that we were front to front and offered up a soft, "Good morning, Darlin'" before leaning down to kiss me softly. I noticed that Jake's sweet face, beard stubble and all, was the best I'd woken up to in my entire life. And his kiss, even against our un-brushed mouths, was the sweetest, softest thing I'd ever tasted.

  His kiss, though, moved quickly, swiftly from exploring to intention as he slanted his head and ran his tongue along the seam of my mouth. My arms slid up his shoulders as I opened my lips to his hot, searching tongue, catching it, writhing against it. My fingers threaded through his hair as I tried to bring him close, closer to the closest of me. My hips bucked in response to the onslaught of his lips, his tongue as I moaned into his mouth. At the sound, I felt Jake's thigh slide between my legs and insinuate itself against my moistening pussy. My hips seem to have a life of their own as they moved to rub the swelling parts of me against his hard muscled thigh. Jake's hands, as they moved up from my waist, grazed the underside of my breasts, with his thumbs curled to rub over my tightened nipples. At the flick of my harden peaks, I couldn't contain my involuntary hip thrust, the grinding of my pussy against the firmness of his leg, much less the moan that escaped my throat.

  "Do we have time to play, gorgeous?" Jake asked against my mouth. I stretched to look over his shoulder in order to check the time on his bedside clock.

  "Just about," I replied on a breathy sigh. "If we're quick."

  While it was quick, Jake was thorough. Our hearts were just about back to normal before he pulled his head from my shoulder.

  Shower?," he asked with a self-satisfied grin as I slowly ran my hands up his forearms, his elbows, his biceps to his shoulders.

  Yep, not a bad way to start the day.

  But, the day had gone south from the moment we left Jake's house hand-in-hand. I was riding the high of being so thoroughly sated and at peace with my world that I chit-chatted through our journey to the first convenience store. The sky was just beginning to lighten towards dawn as Jake drove me to the first of the three of the stores I cleaned three times a week.

  I wasn't even paying attention to what I was saying until I heard Jake mutter a soft, though intense, "What the fuck?" as he maneuvered the car to the side of the road and stopped. I cast my mind over the last few sentences my mouth had spewed. What had I been talking about? Oh yeah, how I'd gotten the idea to interview to be a dancer at Jake's club by overhearing Renee's phone conversation.

  "She's your Lab Partner?," Jake said as he turned to me, one hand on the steering wheel and one hand braced against my seatback.

  "Uh-huh," I answered. "She said she made $300.00 per session, on the pole, which is why I applied. " I couldn't bring myself to look at him due to the weird vibe in the car, so I stared out at the unremarkable landscape through the windshield.

  "She's your age, then?" I shot
my eyes to the left to try and see Jake in my peripheral vision without actually looking at him. All I could see was his profile. And it was a very pissed off profile.

  "Probably younger by about a year. I got a late start because…well, you know."

  "What's her full name?" Jake demanded.

  "Renee Jamison," I said instantly, softly, in an effort to calm him down, although I had no idea why he was so upset. Jake removed his arm from my seat and had both forearms resting on the steering wheel as the early morning commuters zipped by us. Though his eyes were tilted towards the cars that passed by, I could tell he wasn't focused on them. He was turned inward, focusing on what I had told him.

  "She use her real name?" he finally asked.

  "I don't know, Jake."

  "Find out, Darlin', yeah?" He finally turned my direction and placed his hand on my jeaned thigh. My eyes caught his, causing tummy tumbles, before I heard him say, "It's important, Cait."

  "Okay, baby," I murmured. Jake slipped his hand to my neck and pulled me forward for a soft graze of my lips before moving the car back onto the highway, sliding into the pre-dawn traffic.

  But, Renee never showed which was unusual for her. While it was true that she was a lousy, unproductive lab partner at least she showed for every class.

  As Jake was working on opening the dresser drawers, I wrote a quick note for Marianne asking her to keep an eye on Floyd and slipped it under her front door. She had been nice enough to watch him a couple of times in the past and I was hoping she'd be able to do it again. I didn't mention where I was going, though. Wasn't brave enough for that. But just said I had an emergency and should be home tomorrow.

  "Ready, Darlin'?"

  "Think so, baby," I answered softly, shoving the underwear he'd chosen into my overnight bag and closing it up. Jake took it from my hand as I locked the door. As soon as we were outside, he used his other hand to snag mine and gave it a squeeze. When I looked up at him in question, he simply said, "Sorry."

  Since I knew he hated to repeat himself, my heart lifted at the simple word. And I squeezed his hand back in acknowledgment.

  *.*.*.*.*

  Jake had just finished running the copies of the applications when his cell phone rang. 'Caitlin Calling' was displayed and he smiled as he answered with his usual, "Yo."

  "Yo, yourself, baby" he heard her breathy voice and again had a physical reaction at just the sound of her.

  "Dinner'll be ready in about 30 minutes and I wanted to check when you thought you might be home."

  Home. Home with Caitlin in it and waiting for him. Just the thought gave him a warm feeling inside. Sure he was house proud as anyone would be that had put so much time and effort in the renovations to make the wreck livable. But he never really thought of it as a 'home' until she spoke of it as one. Until she was in it.

  "Just a couple more things and then I'm on my way, Darlin'. Maybe, twenty minutes or so, yeah?"

  "Okay, baby. Look forward to it."

  "Later, Cait."

  "See you then, Jake."

  Jake pressed the disconnect button and immediately called Ram to let him know the copies were ready. They agreed to meet at Jake's house in an hour as Ram was going to be on that side of town. He also called Dale to let him know that he was finished with the applications to give to Ram as requested. Dale hadn't completed the timecard, credit card receipt portion and asked Jake to let Ram know that it would still be a couple of days before that part was completed.

  Jake and Caitlin were just finishing up the brownie sundae's that Cait had put together when there was a soft knock at the door. It was Ram stopping by for the applications as agreed. Without being asked, Ram took off his boots and set them to the side of the door.

  "Don't know if you two have met," Jake said. "Caitlin this is Police Chief Ram Patel, Ram this is Caitlin."

  "Can I get you some dessert, Chief Patel, and maybe some coffee or milk to go with it?" Caitlin asked after softly nodding her hello from the kitchen side of the breakfast bar.

  "Gonna want the dessert, Ram. It's the shit!"

  "Sounds good to me, Caitlin. Much obliged," Ram readily responded trying to remember when his last meal was since he had been working night and day on the three cases. He watched as Caitlin gracefully moved through the kitchen adding a scoop of ice cream to the slight heated brownie square and then drizzling the bowl with ribbons of caramel before placing it in an open space at the counter and setting a spoon next to it.

  "Coffee or milk?" she asked as she lifted her hand in an unspoken gesture to sit down.

  "Coffee, black, thanks." Ram settled his tired body into the barstool and began to wolf down the decadent treat. Jake was right, it was the shit.

  "Here's the copies. I put the three you wanted on top." Jake moved to sit beside him and soon had his own cup refilled without request. "Dale said he'll need a couple more days to gather the other stuff but he'll call you when he has it."

  Ram opened the file folder as the top page caught on the edge of the lightweight cardboard and slipped, floating to the kitchen floor. Caitlin picked it up and couldn't help looking at it as she handed back to Jake.

  "Wait! This is an application for Pam Benton. My tenant, Pam Benton?" she asked with her eyes going back and forth between the two men. "Has something happened to Pam?" She dropped her eyes to the sheet of paper Jake still had in his hand. "The address is for my place, Jake. She's the tenant that hasn't paid me, the one I had to put the Pay-Rent-or-Quit notice on."

  "We don't typically advise people of a problem until the family is notified--" Ram began.

  "Has something happened to Pam?" Cait repeated as her heart began hammering in earnest. Jake moved around the side of the of the breakfast bar to pull her front to his side. "I didn't see her much since she worked nights and I worked all the time--"

  "When was the last time you saw her?" Ram asked as he shimmied his notebook out of his pocket.

  "I don't know…maybe the end of last month sometime?" she replied softly glancing at Jake. "I'm sorry that I can't be more specific. Our schedules really didn't mesh and unless she didn't pay her rent on time I didn't have any dealings with her to speak of--"

  "Could you let me into her apartment, say tomorrow morning? It'd have to be early, but I need to gain access." Ram wanted to follow the protocol in every situation but by the distressed look on Caitlin's face, he knew he was just going to have to let her know in order to gain access into the dead girl's apartment.

  Ram slid his eyes to Jake with a brief nod.

  "Darlin', Pam's body was found a couple of nights ago. She had been murdered." Jake's voice was a whisper at her ear. He felt her body begin to shake with every word he spoke and he tightened his arms around her pulling her to his front. "Ram's looking into everything he can to try and find the killer responsible. But he needs your help to get into her apartment, yeah?"

  Caitlin was frozen, eyes wide as her heart struggled to cope with her tenant's death. Jake turned her around in his arms and tucked her head against his chest. While Jake's focus was on comforting his girl, Ram looked over the information on Pam's application.

  "There's a blank space where it asks for Emergency Contact," Ram said. "Do you know if she had any family, Cait?"

  Dropping her cheek back to Jake's t-shirt, Caitlin thought. "I'm not sure. I can check the info on her rental agreement to see if one's listed but I think she mentioned something once about a sister in Missouri."

  "That'd be a big help," Ram said making another note in the small notebook. "Thanks for the treat and the coffee, but I best get back to it."

  Unraveling herself from Jake's arms, Caitlin offered to fill a travel mug if he wanted to take coffee to go.

  "Thanks, but no. I'm going to go home and try and catch some shut eye. I'll see you tomorrow, Cait."

  Jake followed Ram to the door and watched as the Chief pulled his boots back on. They were both quiet as Jake walked with him out to his car.

  "Only gonna say this
once, Jake, 'cause I know it's none of my concern," Ram began softly in the crisp night air. "You let her go and she'd be snapped up in less than an hour. Fuck, that brownie thing almost had me dropping to one knee and asking her to marry me on the spot. Hope you know what you got, buddy."

  Jake looked Ram in the eye as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "Got it covered, Ram. Know I'm lucky."

  Ram put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "Not lucky, buddy. Deserving."

  Jake shuffled his feet as Ram's hand dropped.

  "Let me know, Ram, if you need anything else, yeah?"

  "Will do, Buddy. Thanks again for the files."

  Not much was said in the space made by Ram's leaving although Caitlin and Jake worked in unison as they cleaned the kitchen together and set it to rights. When the dishwasher was finally humming through its beginning cycles and the last countertop was wiped down, Jake grabbed Cait's hand to lead her upstairs.