Expelled

by Claire Adams

  I knew exactly what I was doing, and I didn't care, but I was willing to play stupid if I had to. “Oh, really? I could have sworn this was what people did when they got a massage.”

  “Yeah, I bet you did. You're ridiculous.”

  I smiled, grabbed a towel, and laid it down on my bed. I lay down on the towel, face down, and tried to relax. I almost laughed when she grabbed the other pillows on my bed, and put one on my butt, and the other two on the sides of my legs, to hide my nakedness. She never allowed me to get away with anything. I thought I had tricked her until she came back with the pillows. She straddled me, though it must have been difficult with all those pillows. She started kneading into my shoulders, slowly at first, and then a little faster and harder. She definitely knew what she was doing. I could feel the tension leaving my body almost instantly. When she got to my lower back where the injury was, she was gentle, making sure that she didn't hurt me, but she applied enough pressure that I thought I just might have a great night’s sleep.

  “It feels amazing, Natalie. How long have you been doing this?”

  “Geez, I don't know. Maybe since I was 15. Not too long, but long enough to learn good technique. My mom is very good, though―one of the best in the city. She's practically a miracle worker when it comes to removing pain from the body.”

  “She must love it, then. I'm sure glad she taught you how to massage, because this is fantastic.”

  “Thank you.”

  She worked on my back for 45 minutes. I couldn't believe her hands didn't get sore. She kneaded and rubbed and stretched my muscles. She would rub my muscles, and then she would slowly just touch my back gently. I wasn't sure what I enjoyed more, the soft touching, or the hard rubbing. I felt like melted butter when she was all done with me.

  “There ya go. All done here. You should be feeling much better now.”

  “God, Natalie, I feel amazing. Thank you; that really helped.”

  “I'm glad. I think it was just a tight muscle, no real injury. You probably won't have a lot of pain. Just the soreness now from the healing.”

  “Maybe you are a miracle worker, too.”

  “Ha ha, that's sweet.”

  She got up and slid off the bed. I pushed the pillows off, and I began to get off the bed as well.

  “Stop!” she yelled. I stopped immediately, as she took me completely off guard, and I wasn't sure what to expect, or why she was telling me to stop.

  “I gotta go. But you can meet me at my place Thursday night at 6:00 p.m., and we'll go to that wine tasting, okay?”

  That was all she said to me before she left. All I heard was the bedroom door open and close, and then nothing. It was like she just disappeared as I lay in my bed, confused as all hell. Was I losing my touch or what? I couldn't believe she hadn't been tempted to sleep with me again after I displayed my supreme nakedness for her. I rolled over in my bed and stared at the ceiling, beyond perplexed. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this girl―she was continuously throwing me for a loop. What exactly did she want?

  I started to sit up as Kyle burst through the door, scaring the shit out of me. I grabbed a pillow and covered myself up with it.

  “What the hell are you doing, Kyle? What do you want? I think you really need to start knocking before you storm into my room.”

  Kyle laughed. “Naw, man, I just wanted to see what it looked like to see a man who was just turned down.”

  I threw a pillow at him as he ran out the door, laughing. I was going to kill him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Natalie

  I found it hard to try to define what part Jet played in my life. My friends were starting to think that there was something going on with him, but the truth that I told them was that he was just a friend. Certainly he was a friend with whom I had experienced a one-night stand, but that was about as intimate as we had gotten in all that time. Brenda showed up at my apartment, looking fierce, and the boys would be meeting us there as well. I would message Jet when I was almost ready to go, and he would head over.

  The only way I could describe my relationship with Jet at that time was that we needed each other. Maybe me more than him, but somehow, in some fucked-up way, we fit into each other’s lives like two puzzle pieces. I needed him so I could excel in school, and to avoid being raped, and he needed me to provide him healing and pleasure, though I refused to offer him the type of pleasure he was really seeking out. I was really beginning to like Jet, and to enjoy spending time with him, but I didn't want it to go beyond a friendship, because I didn't trust him. He scared me in ways I couldn't quite put into words.

  Brenda was already cracking into the booze to try to quell her nervousness.

  “You better take it easy, or you are going to be hammered before we even get there.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, right. You better start getting ready, or we'll never get there.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I said as I headed into the bathroom. I plugged in the curling iron, and set it away from the sink. I looked at myself in the mirror, and tried to see what Jet saw when he looked at me. I was no doubt an attractive female, but stunning? Was I?

  I took a brush to my red locks, and brushed through them nicely. I needed to have a good, soft base before I took a curling iron and hairspray to my hair. I applied some foundation to even out my skin tone, and then I looked through my makeup bag to find some blush. I usually liked to use a blush that had a peach base to it, and I only had one. I couldn't find it, so I kept digging around in my bag until I found it. Of course, it was right in the bottom of the bag. I pulled it out and opened it up. I stuck my finger in the jar, and then rubbed it across my cheek. I rubbed in the blush and then applied it to the other cheek. I put on some new eyeshadow that I had purchased that day. I added some eyeliner and mascara. I assessed myself, and came to the conclusion that I looked like a pretty nice package, all dolled up. My curling iron was hot and ready to go, so I begin taking strands of hair and curling them.

  Brenda peeked her head into the bathroom where I was getting ready. “What on earth is taking you so long?”

  “I'm not taking long; I'm just getting ready.”

  “Why are you bothering to get beautiful? It's not like you are interested in Jet or anything, right?”

  “Hey, I'm already beautiful, and no, I'm not interested in Jet, but I still want to look nice.”

  “You look more than nice; you look hot.”

  I snorted. “Well, thanks, but I'm not trying to get attention from Jet. Don't worry.”

  “Uh-huh. Well hurry up, so you can have a drink with me before the guys get here.”

  “Okay, I'm almost done with my hair. Give me a second.”

  I finished curling my hair and went out to the living room, where Brenda was relaxing on the couch.

  “Finally! You do look gorgeous, Natalie. Jet is going to lose it when he sees you.” She got up and poured me a glass of wine while I went over and sat on the couch.

  “Well, thanks. You look great, too. Your date is going to be thrilled.”

  “Oh God, I hope so. He's so cute, and so smart. I just can't believe that he's interested in me.”

  “Brenda, why wouldn't he be? You are a great catch, so don't sell yourself short.”

  She passed me the glass of wine, and I took a small sip. I definitely didn't want to be buzzed before we even got going; that was a recipe for disaster. I wished that Brenda hadn't opened up the bottle of wine, but I could understand why she felt nervous. Dating was a nightmare, and you never knew how a first date was gonna end, or whether you would get a second one.

  I took another sip of wine and realized that I had not texted Jet, so I did that quickly, and let him know that he could head over at any time. I assumed Brenda took care of her own date.

  “What time is Dan getting here?”

  “Probably any time now.”

  “Oh, I forgot perfume.” I almost flew out of my seat, and hurried to my bedroom to grab some perfume. I had a favorit
e Ed Hardy perfume. I only had one, and I never strayed from it. I spritzed a bit on my neck, and again on my wrists, rubbing them together. I hurried back to the living room, as I wanted to finish my wine before Jet arrived.

  “I thought you weren't trying to get pretty for Jet.”

  “I'm not.”

  “Perfume; you ran like the house was on fire.”

  I laughed loudly. “Let's not get out of hand. I just wanted to make sure I was ready before they got here.” I downed the rest of my wine just as a knock sounded on the door. I got up and answered it, to find both Dan and Jet at the door. They must have arrived at the same time.

  “Hi guys.”

  They came in, and Brenda stood up from the couch and headed over to see her date. Dan kissed her on the cheek, and I thought it was just about the cutest thing I had ever seen. Jet was watching the couple as well, and I could tell that he wished that we had that same type of relationship. When he turned to me, I could see it written all over his face. He smiled at me but there was something behind that smile.

  “Are you guys ready to go?”

  “Yes, we are. However, you guys might as well have a seat and a beer, because I have to call a cab. I'm not sure how long it will take for it to get here.”

  “Natalie, you look amazing.”

  Jet’s comment caught me off guard, and it took me a moment to thank him for the compliment. The guys sat down on the couch, and I retrieved two beers from the fridge. Making my way into the living room, I handed the boys their beers, and sat back down on the couch. Brenda and Dan talked easily between each other and I was starting to think they would be a really good match.

  I turned to Jet. “So, how is your back?”

  “Much better. In fact, I saw my doctor, and he said just what you said―that I probably just had a tight muscle. Your massage definitely worked wonders, so maybe I should keep you around as my regular masseuse.”

  “You could go to my mother, and book her in after every fight.”

  “I'm not into your mother, unless you are suggesting something kinky.”

  I slapped his knee playfully. “Oh, stop it. I'm just saying she's a great masseuse. Maybe getting a massage should be a regular thing if fighting is going to be your career.”

  “I want you to take care of me.”

  I stared into his eyes, so confused by the things he said to me. “That's not my job.”

  “It could be.”

  My phone rang just then, and I looked down to see the notification from the cab company that our ride had arrived. I glanced up at Jet and then turned to my other guests.

  “Cab is here, let's go guys.”

  Everyone got up from the couch, headed to the door, and we filtered out, and I locked the door behind me. I had called a cab just in case we all ended up drunk; then we wouldn't have to worry about a way home. We could just enjoy ourselves, worry-free.

  When we arrived, the event was pretty busy. People were wandering everywhere with wine glasses in their hands. Red glasses and white glasses; the wine was being poured freely. We immediately went to the bar so we could get some wine ourselves. I was partial to white wine, while Jet seemed to stick to red. The choices at the event were quite decadent.

  We were all sitting at a table together, and it became obvious right away that Brenda only had eyes for Dan. Who could blame her? She had been single for a while, and even I had to admit the guy was cute, as well as charming. He seemed to be just as much into her as she was into him. I was very grateful that Jet was there, as I didn't know what I would have done had he not been, and I had to sit there and watch Brenda and Dan make eyes at each other.

  I looked over at Jet, and found that he had been watching me the whole time. I blushed a deep crimson, and looked down into my wine.

  “Hey, how about we play a little game while these love birds do their thing?”

  Brenda shot him a look, and he laughed.

  “What kind of game?”

  “Well, a drinking game, of course.”

  “Ohhh, that sounds risky.”

  “Are you scared?”

  I laughed. “Only of you having to hold my hair back when I puke all night.”

  “Come on, it will be fun. We'll take it easy at first, because I don't want us to get to that intimate point of me having to hold your hair back.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “I think it's a terrible idea.”

  “Why, did you get all your rebellion out in high school, so you don't need to have fun anymore?”

  “Actually I was no bad girl in high school, though I'm sure you know that already.”

  He leaned in closer to me, looking very interested in what I had to say. I wondered if his interest was genuine, or if that was how he lured women into his web.

  “So what kind of girl were you?”

  I giggled. “I read books, Jet. I studied, and I got good grades. I behaved myself, so I guess you could say I was a goody two-shoes.”

  “You're kidding me.”

  “No, what did you think that I was riding on, the backs of Harleys? Come on, Jet,” I started laughing.

  “No, I didn't think that, but I don't know. Look at you. I don't exactly picture you as a bookworm. I thought maybe a cheerleader.”

  “Oh God, no, are you crazy?” I slapped his knee playfully.

  “Okay, well, if you never played drinking games in high school, you for sure have to play one now.”

  I giggled while taking a drink of my wine. I looked over at Brenda and saw her kissing Dan. Wow, that didn't take long. Well, maybe I should consider getting shitfaced to make the evening fly by a little faster.

  “Alright, alright, I'm in.”

  “Cool.”

  “So, how are we going to do this?”

  He thought about it for a moment, and said, “Let's play, I have never.”

  “What's that?”

  “You have to say something after making that statement. If I have done it, I drink. If I haven't, then you drink. See?”

  “How interesting.”

  “Let me start so you get an idea, I have never ... ridden a horse.”

  I smiled and took a drink. “This sounds fun, okay let me think, I've never played the guitar.”

  He took a drink.

  “Really, how cool. What kind do you play?”

  “Acoustic, and really, I just fiddle with it. I'm not out to start a band or anything.”

  The night truly started to fly by after that, and as the wine went down easily, and the questions kept coming, it wasn't long before I started to feel a little drunk. We had become very hilarious to each other, and could not stop laughing at the questions. They kept getting sillier as the night went on. For example, I have never ... eaten a cockroach nor done it doggy style nor gone skinny dipping.

  “Hey Jet, you are getting better-looking the more wine I drink.”

  His mouth dropped open, and he laughed so loudly he almost fell out of his chair. “You are awesome, and a little funny, too.”

  I leaned in before I even knew what I was doing, and my lips met his. They were warm and tasted of wine. His lips parted to accept me, and I felt his tongue graze mine. His hand found the back of my neck, and he pulled me in closer, as our kiss became more of a passionate embrace. I slid my tongue into his mouth, and he sucked it gently. I felt completely warm all over, and my lips melted into his.

  Suddenly someone cleared her throat and I thought to look up, but his lips felt so nice that I didn’t care. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I decided I should probably investigate the situation, and that's when I realized it was Brenda trying to get my attention, and she looked pissed.

  “Hi, Brenda.”

  “What the hell are you doing?” Brenda was glaring at me, and I couldn’t quite comprehend why through the fog of alcohol around me.

  “What? You wanted me to come.”

  “Yes, but did you have to get annihilated, and make out at a wine tasting event? Things are a little classier than
that here, Natalie. Not to mention I'm the one on a date here, and last I heard, Jet was just your buddy.”

  I looked over at Jet, and he looked confused, although that could have been part of the fog. I couldn't tell.

  “We are leaving now. So let's go. You guys can get a separate cab back to your place.”

  I nodded, got up from the table, and immediately forgot about the kiss.

  The cab pulled up to the curb in front of Jet’s apartment. I wondered if Kyle was going to be home from the bar yet. It wasn't very late; the wine tasting had ended at 12:00 a.m., so the boys were probably still out. Jet paid for the cab, and we stumbled out of it. By stumbled, I mean I literally almost fell on my face when I got out of the cab. I did get up gracefully, though. Jet met me on the other side, and we watched as the cab drove away. Jet had the cab take us to his apartment instead of mine, as he wasn't sure if I would be okay with him staying at my place.

  “You should probably come in and crash at my place, Natalie. We are hammered, and there's no way you should drive home tonight.”

  “Are you sure? I can always just grab a cab to my place. In fact, I'm not sure why I let that guy drive away. We could have just gone to our separate homes.”

  “Just come up; it's not a big deal. Just crash here and I'll go get my car in the morning.”

  “Okay, let's go.”

  We made our way up the stairs without incident, and I leaned against the door as he fumbled with his keys. Kyle wasn't there to let us in; either that, or he was in bed already. He finally got the key into the slot, and turned it. The door pushed in abruptly, and I fell to the floor, laughing. Jet was laughing behind me, and it was at me, not with me. He held out his hand for me to take, and he pulled me up. I headed toward the kitchen while he closed and locked the door. He came up behind me and tickled me. I worried for a minute that all the excitement was going to cause me to upchuck.

  “Shhhh! We are being really loud,” I whispered. Jet couldn’t stop laughing, however, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with him. Wow, I was really severely drunk. Man, that game had been stupid. I started walking toward the couch, and he tackled me onto it, and the next thing I knew was that I was flopping on the couch, with Jet on top of me. I was giggling uncontrollably, and I couldn’t help but be aware of the close proximity between Jet and me.