by Bree Verity
She was conscious of a slight disappointment when the song finished, only the band immediately launched into a boppy, reggae sound and continued their set. Following that they changed styles again, covering a popular pop song. And finally, they played what Desiree expected at the beginning – something rocky and heavy.
When the leggy blonde shouted into her microphone, Desiree assumed she was asking for applause for the boys, and Desiree clapped hard, wolf whistling and fangirling as much as she could. The boys barely looked up, but when they did, it was with sheepish smiles on their faces. They appreciated the applause, but weren’t comfortable with it.
Well, they’d better get used to it. They’re going far.
“Well, look at this. It’s Desiree the deserter. Fancy seeing you here.”
Desiree frowned and turned toward the sarcastic, unwelcome voice. Steve stood near them, swaying on his feet. Desiree’s heart sank.
Don’t do it Steve. Don’t be a fucktard.
“Hi Steve, how are you?” Desiree smiled, hoping to stave off the sarcasm she could hear in his voice.
“Not as good as you, obviously.” He looked her up and down, and Desiree felt Jack shift restlessly behind her. She put a calming hand on his arm.
“Steve, you remember Jack, don’t you? From the other night at the bar?”
“Sure, sure. The guy you couldn’t take your eyes off.” Desiree sagged. How embarrassing. She felt her face turn tomato red, and when she looked up at Jack, he was looking back at her, grinning. She gently elbowed him in the stomach. He schooled his face into an innocent expression and said to Steve, “Did she say anything about me?”
What the fuck? Jack!
“Sure, she said plenty.” Steve looked around furtively, then leaned in to Jack. “Did she fuck you yet?”
Jack straightened up suddenly, his smile gone. “I don’t think that’s a question I care to answer.”
“Okay, so obviously she hasn’t.” Steve ran his gaze over Desiree again, and licked his lips. She shivered, and Jack’s arms tightened around her. Steve’s eyes narrowed at the slight movement. “But just so you know, Jack. She’ll dump your arse just as soon as you fuck her, and go find someone else. Like the skank she is.”
“Stop it Steve. You’re drunk.” Desiree tried to keep the tone of her voice light, and failed miserably. “Are you here with some friends? Maybe you should go find them.”
“Why, so you can rub up against Captain America here?” He noisily imitated having sex, and several people round about looked at him with distaste.
Jack’s face was thunderous, his voice tight with suppressed anger. “You should stop right now, Steve, before I do something I might regret.”
“You’re going to defend her? Well, that’s nice and all, but it won’t change anything. She’s a one-fuck wonder.”
Desiree felt the whoosh of air as Jack’s fist sped out from behind her and connected with Steve’s face. Someone let out a scream. Steve staggered but didn’t fall. With a sneer he said, “Get her to tell you about herself sometime, Jack. She’s not worth your time.” Before the bouncers could make their way over to them, Steve had disappeared back into the crowd. Jack would have followed him, except for Desiree’s hand on his arm.
The wild look in his eyes died down as he looked at her, and he smiled grimly. “My apologies for that, ma’am. But there’s some things you can say out loud about a lady, and some you just can’t.”
Desiree, still a little shaken by the turn of events, replied. “Thank you for defending me.” She threaded her arm through Jacks, noticing that both were shaking. She took her bottom lip in her teeth, then said, “Did you want to get out of here?” At his nod of agreement, they threaded their way back through the crowd, only stopping when Nathan caught up to them.
“Wait, are you okay? What happened with that guy? Did you punch him?” Nathan looked up at Jack, a little hero worship evident on his face. Jack looked uncomfortable, and Desiree replied for them.
“No, nothing. He’s just… nothing.”
“Good. So,” his voice turned a little shy. “Did you like the band?”
“Seriously? Oh my god, Nathan, you guys were amazing.” Desiree was happy to see the smile return to Nathan’s face. “And your voice? Why aren’t you on The Voice or Australian Idol or something?” Nathan’s grin stretched as far as it could.
“We’re auditioning the next time they come to Perth.”
“And so you should. You guys blew me away tonight.”
“Thanks, Miss… Desiree. Thanks for coming.” Nathan grabbed her hand awkwardly for a moment, then let it go. His eyes flicked nervously to Jack, who was watching silently. “And thanks for… everything else as well. I appreciate it.” With that, he turned and was quickly swallowed up by the ever increasing crowd.
Desiree and Jack stepped out into the cool, night air, and Desiree took a deep breath. “You wouldn’t think that kid was only fifteen, would you. He talks like a little adult.”
Jack smiled. “Yeah, I sometimes hear stuff like that from Faith as well, and I say to myself ‘What happened to my little girl? Who on earth is this young woman talking to me?’”
“And it happens overnight,” Desiree said, enthusiastically nodding her agreement. “Sometimes, on a Monday a kid is still a kid, and then by Wednesday or Thursday, you turn around and they suddenly grew up. It’s astonishing to see.”
Jack was silent for a moment, then, choosing his words carefully, he said, “Steve seemed pretty cut up about something, but you guys were friends only the other night. Did something happen?”
Desiree’s heart sank. She hoped Jack would let it pass. “Oh, we had a thing a while ago. He just won’t let it go.”
“Ah. okay then.”
Desiree really didn’t want to discuss Steve’s insinuations with Jack, but she realised she should say something. Steve’s hurtful words would be burrowing into Jack’s brain right now, and he would be drawing all kinds of conclusions about her.
The problem was that most of his conclusions were probably correct. Because really, Steve was right. Up until very recently, Desiree had been that girl. The love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type.
But since meeting Jack, Desiree had changed. She didn’t want to jump into bed with Jack. Well, she did, but she was happy to wait for the right time.
How on earth could she explain that to Jack? How could she tell him that he was the first guy whose bones she didn’t want to immediately jump, without making him think she didn’t want to get physical with him?
We are NOT letting that happen, Desiree. No fucking way.
Jack looked at Desiree long and hard. She swallowed.
“Jack, there are some things about me that you probably won’t like. I haven’t been a particularly nice person sometimes. But I’m sure you’ve done stuff you regret.” A shadow crossed his face, and he seemed as if he was about to say something, but Desiree pressed her advantage. “We all have skeletons in the closet. And when I’m ready, I’ll tell you mine. Okay?”
After a long moment, Jack replied, “Okay. Let’s get you home.” But his tone was studiously neutral, and Desiree’s heart plummeted.
Had Steve just managed to destroy the best thing that had ever happened to her?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
“Well, two calls in less than two weeks. I’m flattered.”
Maureen’s drawl made Jack feel instantly better. He had been moping around, trying to work out what he should do about Desiree. Was Steve right? Would she disappear as soon as they got physical together? Jack didn’t want that from any relationship, so he had been trying to sort his thoughts and decide what to do.
But he hadn’t managed to come to any conclusions, so he called Maureen. She would know what to do.
“Why wouldn’t I call my favorite sister?”
“I’m your only sister. And you never call, then twice in two weeks? Is this still about your teacher lady?”
Jack had to grin. “Course it is, Maureen. I only
call you when my love life’s all bowed up. You know that.”
“All bowed up? That’s not a good sign, honey. What’s happenin’?”
Jack hesitated. How did he explain Desiree to Maureen?
“So I went on a date with the teacher lady. And it was good. So we went on another.”
“All good so far then.”
“Hold your horses. On the second date, one of her ex-boyfriends or somethin’ comes up to her and calls her all kinds of things a man should never say to a lady.”
“Like what?” Maureen sounded far too interested.
“Do I really have to say?”
“Well, if you want my help, honey, you’re gonna have to tell me the worst.”
Jack hesitated before replying. “Like one-fuck-wonder. And warnin’ me that once we sleep together, she’ll take off. And sayin’ that she had a reputation for it.”
“Sounds like a sweet man.” Maureen’s tone was dry and Jack chuckled.
“Yeah, a real charmer. But when I tried to ask Desiree about it, she clammed up and brushed it off.” He gave a frustrated sigh. “Should I be worried, Reen? Should I press her for an answer?”
“Will it make any difference?”
“Any different to what?”
“To your blossomin’ relationship?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Honestly? You know as soon as someone says that they’re about to tell a big ol’ lie, right?”
“That’s not true.”
“And neither was your answer to my question.”
She had him there.
“Alright, fine. I’m worried why she didn’t want to tell me. I mean, the first few dates, you’re tryin’ to get to know each other, and ‘cause I know she’s hiding stuff, it’s makin’ me nervous as a whore at church.”
“You’re hidin’ stuff too, Jack,” Maureen’s words were soft, but Jack’s ears turned red with embarrassment.
“Maybe.”
Maureen sighed. “Jack, she’s going to have her secrets. Like you do. If you push her, she’ll be off to the hills in a second. But if you take a tater and wait, well, if it’s meant to be, she’ll come to you.”
Jack’s brain knew Maureen’s advice was sound. But his heart still hated to hear it. “What if she never tells me? What if in twenty years’ time she still hasn’t told me? Do I spend all that time in limbo?”
“If it’s twenty years later, honey, and you’re still together, it was never a worry in the first place,” Maureen said wryly. “Don’t sweat on it. Maybe it’s nothing and you’re just creatin’ a tempest in a teapot.”
“And maybe she’s got secrets that would seriously affect whether we take our two dates further.”
“Well, maybe she does. But every new relationship has to find it’s feet in trust. Trust her, Jack. I bet she’s not doin’ this to make you crazy.”
“Whether she is or isn’t, it’s sendin’ me crazy. Hell, Reen, I can’t sleep for thinking about it.”
“Then you’re over thinkin’ it, brother, and you should let it go.” Maureen was firm.
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. And when she’s ready, she’ll spill all the beans. Then you’ll wonder why you turned it into such a big deal in the first place. But Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“She needs to hear your secrets too, you know.”
Jack grimaced. “Yeah, I know. It’s not time yet, though.”
“Uh huh. Well, you make sure it gets to the right time, and sooner rather than later. That kind of thing can come back to bite you in the ass in a big way.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jack heaved a huge sigh. “Well, I better let you get back to work.”
“Alright, baby brother. Give your kids a big kiss from me.”
“Yeah, I will.”
As they hung up, Jack reflected. He wondered if he was just being overbearing, insisting on Desiree telling him everything immediately. God knows he had some dirt of his own that he would need to share sooner or later.
He dialed another number.
“Howdy, Desiree? It’s Jack.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
“Jack!”
A dozen emotions washed over Desiree as she registered who the caller was. The few days that had passed since their last date had been pure torture. She didn’t know if he was upset, or angry, or even if he still wanted to see her. But his continued silence had her almost at breaking point.
Still, she didn’t contact him. He needed to work through whatever emotions were eating at him and so, even though it killed her, she gave him time.
Now, with him on the phone, she couldn’t keep the happiness out of her voice.
“How are you?”
“I’m just fine. Sorry for not calling sooner.”
“No, that’s okay. I… I kind of figured you’d call when you were ready?”
She gave a halfhearted laugh and reflected that if her phone had a cord, now would be the time she would be twirling it. As it was, she made her way to the faded red couch in her living room and plopped down on it. The couch was her security blanket, the one thing that had stayed with her as she moved about in her twenties.
“Yeah. Well, it kinda ended awkward the other night, didn’t it? And my sister tells me it’s all my fault.”
Desiree grinned. “I think I’m gonna like you sister.” Jack’s answering laugh drew the tension out of Desiree’s shoulders.
Jack cleared his throat. “She reckoned you’d tell me whatever it is about Steve when you were ready. And that if you never did, it wasn’t anythin’ to be worried about anyhow. So I decided to just let it go.”
“Let it go altogether?”
“Yep. The way I see it, you’ll tell me if you think it’s necessary.”
She smiled, knowing it could be heard in her voice. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“So, can I make it up to you?”
“Sure. What were you thinking?”
“Dinner? You and me?”
She felt a squeeze of pleasure through her body as they made plans to meet up, and as soon as they had broken the connection, of course she had to call Penny.
Before Penny could even say hello, Desiree squealed, “He called me.”
Penny had been on the receiving end of regular calls from Desiree since the mess of the other night, so she knew exactly what Desiree was talking about. “Good news, babe. And it’s all sorted?”
“Yep. We’re out to dinner tomorrow night.”
“Did you tell him about Steve?”
“I didn’t have to. He decided to let it go. With a bit of encouragement from his sister.”
“Are you still going to tell him? I mean, you were all ready to.”
“Yeah, I think I still will. I think it’ll still be helpful. You know, to clear the air a bit.”
“Good idea.”
The date was set for the following night and Desiree wasn’t sure she could last. It was almost as bad as the day after her first date. There was only one moment that broke up the monotony of the day, and that happened when she had a class with Nathan.
She smiled widely at him as he entered the class, and while he gave her a small smile in return, he didn’t look up from under his hoodie for the whole class. Desiree puzzled over him. It was as if he had gone right back into the shell she thought he was just starting to climb out of.
“Nathan, do you mind waiting back for a minute when class is over?” She had to find out what was going on, that he was alright and that whatever gains she made in her friendship with him hadn’t been erased somehow. He glared at her from under his hoodie, but gave a sullen nod of acceptance.
At the end of the class, Nathan sauntered up to her desk. “What is it, Miss Jackson? I have another class to go to.”
“Nathan?” She felt a little hurt by his words. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“The other day, at the open mic night, you… we were friends and now�
��”
“Forget about the open mic night.” Nathan slashed a hand through the air, shocking Desiree into silence. “It’s over. My mum won’t let me sing.”
“What?” Desiree couldn’t believe her ears. “But your talent?”
“What about it?” Nathan’s jeering tone tore at Desiree’s heart. “I have to get permission because they found out I was underage. And my mum won’t give it. So I can’t go. And I can’t sing.”
“Surely there’s another way?”
“The guys already have a replacement.” Nathan seemed to sag. “It was everything I wanted, Miss Jackson. And now that bitch won’t let me sing.”
“Nathan.” Desiree put a hand on his arm, and he finally looked her in the face. She could see tears in his eyes, but she figured Nathan wouldn’t appreciate her mentioning them. “Maybe I can have a word to her?”
“What’s the point? You already said, no-one gets through to my mum.”
“But I can’t believe you’re giving up on this, when you’ve got such a good voice.”
“What else can I do?”
The question hung in the air. Desiree knew Nathan was right. At fifteen, there wasn’t much else he could do. Well, he could leave home, strike out on his own, but that wasn’t a solution Desiree would suggest for any kid. His mother had the perfect right to refuse permission for her teenage son to go into pubs to perform.
“Aren’t there other options? Like talent quests or something? For kids your age?”
Nathan sniffed derisively. “Hang out with a bunch of twelve year old girls who think they’re Ariana Grande? Yeah, not really my scene.”
“But there has to be something…”
“Look, Miss Jackson, Desiree.” Nathan looked her hard in the eye. “It’s done, alright. I’m done. There’s nothing more to say.” He stalked away, leaving Desiree with a hard lump in the pit of her stomach. She made a note in her diary to contact the year co-ordinators to let them know what was going on.
But even with her concern over Nathan, Desiree couldn’t help the butterflies that flittered around, making her smile when she realised that tonight she would see Jack again. Time dragged on, but finally, she dismissed her students from her last class of the day and Desiree got home, showered and changed and then sat to wait for Jack who was going to pick her up.