by ML Michaels
“No can do, lover boy. See, we’ve got plans for her too. We’re gonna mess you up, then we’ll take her to the rest of the gang and have some with her. How about that?” the man cackled. He didn’t wait for Hayden to answer and moved to strike him. Hayden blocked his punch and countered with a right hook to the face. The man stumbled a little but managed to regain his footing, bracing himself for another punch. The other man called out and suddenly, three more men came out from another alleyway. Jesse screamed as one of the men tried to grab her, but she managed to evade him. Hayden turned to help her, but one of the newcomers hit him on the side of his face.
Hayden cursed as he was surrounded. He swept his gaze everywhere, Jesse nowhere in sight, and he sighed in relief. The moment was short-lived as one of the men rushed at him. Hayden sidestepped, grabbed another man and threw him over towards the first guy. As he turned, he heard a shot ring out and felt a piercing pain in his left shoulder. He touched the area and saw blood. He had guessed right. The guy in the windbreaker had been hiding a gun.
The attackers were animated, thinking they could take out a wounded man easily, when a shrill whistle changed their plans. Fearing it was the cops, they ran off, leaving Hayden hurt and bleeding. Hayden turned toward the sound and saw Jesse running toward him, a whistle in her mouth. His eyes widened when he realized that it Jesse and not the police who had broken up the fight. He collapsed to his knees as Jesse came up beside him.
“Are you alright?” Jesse asked, holding Hayden close to her as she inspected him. She gasped when she saw him holding his bleeding arm. “You’re hurt!”
“No shit,” Hayden said through clenched teeth. Jesse ignored him as she continued checking him for other injuries. Hayden eyed the whistle around her neck.
“What are you still doing here?” Hayden asked.
“Are you an idiot? Of course I would come back for you,” Jesse cried.
“What’s with the whistle?”
Jesse blushed. “I couldn’t afford the Taser, so I…I bought a rape whistle,” she whispered the last part and Hayden strained to hear.
“A what?”
“A rape whistle!” Jesse said, exasperated.
Hayden blinked and then laughed at her, immediately grunting in pain.
Jesse quickly got over her irritation and got up.
“We have to get you to the hospital.”
“No, let’s just go home,” Hayden said.
“But your arm…” Jesse started, a worried look on her face.
“It’ll be fine. I can patch it up at home. It’s just a couple more blocks.” Hayden tried to get up, but moved too quickly and nearly keeled over. He was surprised when Jesse grabbed his uninjured arm and swung it over her shoulder helping him to his feet.
“Jesse, what the heck are you doing?” Hayden said loudly. Jesse ignored him and continued to help him walk, straining at his weight.
“You’re injured. I have to get you home,” Jesse replied.
“My arm was shot, not my legs! I can walk just fine!” Hayden bellowed.
Jesse shook her head. “It’s fine, we’re almost there!”
“It is not fine! I’m a 6’3’’ guy, and you’re practically carrying me.”
“Oh, just shut up! It’s one of the perks of being a heavy girl. I can carry a lot of weight.”
Hayden continued to protest as she vehemently ignored him all the way home.
***
Hayden and Jesse were sitting at the dinner table, a first aid kit and a tray with a bloody bullet beside them. Hayden had taken off his shirt to give Jesse better access to his wound. He kept his smoldering gaze on Jesse while she cleaned the wound and used butterfly bandages to close it so they wouldn't need to go to the hospital for stitches. Jesse did her best to avoid looking at him or his bare chest.
“Jesse,” Hayden said in a low seductive voice.
“Huh?” Jesse hummed stupidly.
“Why won’t you look at me?” Hayden asked.
“I am looking at you, see?” Jesse said, concentrating on his arm. “I’m using these special bandages to…”
Hayden covered his arm with his hand, blocking Jesse’s access. Jesse looked at him surprised and felt lost in his gaze, his eyes darkening to the color of ash. She struggled to breathe. Hayden took the opportunity to move his face closer to hers. Their lips were mere inches away from each other when Jesse broke from the spell. She stood up quickly and turned away from Hayden.
“Uh, you’re fine now, so I’m going to go to bed. Can you put the first aid kit back in the bathroom? Thanks, goodnight!” Jesse hurriedly said and hurriedly went inside her room.
Jesse sighed. Hayden was about to kiss her, and she wanted it. She almost let him, but the memory of being bullied because she was fat had sneaked into her brain and brought her back to reality. No, she thought. She could not let him kiss her. He was just the type of person who could break her heart.
She opened her closet and removed her shirt and pants to get into her nightgown when she caught herself in the mirror. She went and stood in front of it, wearing only her bra and panties. She was so busy concentrating on and criticizing her body that she didn’t hear the knock or Hayden opening the door with her purse in his hand.
Hayden was about to call out to Jesse when he caught sight of her standing in front of the mirror. His voice died in his throat. He looked at her body, as much as the view allowed, and he was instantly met with anger and sadness. He was angry because Jesse didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about and wondered who he had to obliterate for putting that idea in her head. He was sad because he saw the devastated look on Jesse’s face. She believed wholeheartedly that her body was something to be ashamed of. She really had no idea how alluring she was.
He closed the door softly and walked towards her, dropping her purse by the bed. Jesse’s eyes widened as she saw Hayden’s reflection standing behind her. She made no effort to move or cover herself up; Hayden’s stare seemed to immobilize her.
She watched as Hayden’s gaze swept from her face slowly downwards then back up to her eyes. He raised his hands and held her by her waist, and she visibly winced. No one had ever touched her this intimately before, and she was not sure what to do.
“You’re…beautiful,” Hayden whispered into her ear, making Jesse gasp and blush. Hayden circled his arms around her, pinning her arms down and pulled her closer, turning his head and hiding his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. Jesse moaned and her eyes widened, embarrassed by the sounds she that seemed unable to control.
Hayden struggled to control himself. She smelled wonderful, a hint of something flowery and soft. He was feeling more aroused by the minute, and the moan she had let out was not helping matters. He needed to stop, but she felt so good in her arms. With near superhuman strength, he regained his resolve. She had told him that she’d never before been with a man. He had to take it slow, or he would scare her. Or worse, hurt her.
Hayden slowly moved his head so his nose and lips slightly stroked her jaw all the way up to the shell of her ear then he opened his eyes to look squarely at her.
“Do don’t believe me?” he whispered. Jesse slowly shook her head, and Hayden grinned and grazed his teeth to the soft part of her ear and nipped at it gently, eliciting soft moans from Jesse’s mouth.
“It’s okay. I’m going to enjoy convincing you.” He moved his hand up to her jaw, tilted Jesse’s head up and captured her lips with his own.
Jesse gasped and Hayden took full advantage. Before she knew what had happened, his tongue was inside her mouth gently exploring. Jesse whimpered. Her legs were quaking and turning into jelly, so Hayden tightened his other arm to support her as he continued his exploration. Hayden groaned as Jesse slowly, shakily reached up her hand and held the back of Hayden’s head, stroking his scalp and bringing him closer.
He continued to kiss her for a few moments before releasing her mouth with a soft pop. Jesse was awestruck, her lips still half open. Hayden placed a sma
ll peck on her lips before he placed his arm below her knees and carried her like a bride to her bed. Jesse had expected Hayden to climb in with her and was surprised that he merely covered her up with the sheets and kissed her lips softly, murmuring ‘goodnight,’ then leaving the room.
Jesse breathed heavily as the memory of the kiss repeated over and over in her mind. She had just had her first real kiss with Hayden, and it was incredible. She covered her eyes with her arm, trying to understand her feelings and wondering what all of this meant to him. She failed miserably.
I’m going to enjoy convincing you, anyway.
She shuddered, hearing his seductive, velvety voice so vividly in her mind. He was going to prove her wrong. He was going to show her that she wasn’t the fat kid she had always thought she was.
She didn’t know how he was going to do that — if it were even possible for him to do that. But as she touched her lips, feeling them tingle and smiling as she remembered why, she felt a surge of hope that she thought she’d never feel.
***
It had been a few weeks since the attacks, and Hayden and Jesse had developed an unspoken routine. After they had reported both incidents, the police increased patrols in the area so they hadn’t seen the attackers again.
Nevertheless, Hayden had made it his mission to pick her up from work so they could walk home together. On the days when Hayden was busy working as an English tutor, Camille gave Jesse a ride.
Once they were home, Jesse would cook a meal for both of them, and Hayden often pitched in with the preparations and cleanup. He made a point of giving her honest complements every day, and before turning in, he would pull her close and kiss her goodnight. They hadn’t discussed what was happening between them, and Jesse didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, or even if this thing was going to last. Her body was still a major issue for her, despite Hayden’s valiant efforts, so when Camille invited her then to attend zumba classes, she immediately agreed hoping she’d feel more comfortable with herself.
She’d lost about 7 pounds so far, and she felt better than ever. She was actually on the verge of feeling good about herself for the first time in as long as she could remember. The only let down about her weight was Hayden’s noncommittal reaction when she told him about her weight loss.
‘If you’re doing this to be healthy, then I guess that’s all right. But remember this, I already like you enough to keep me up at night!”
That jerk, Jesse thought, venting her frustration on pancake batter she was mixing. Yes, he was partly the reason she was going to the gym, but he didn’t have to make it so obvious that he knew what she was doing. That bastard.
“Jesse? What are you doing?” Hayden asked, watching her whip the batter like her life depended on it.
“I’m thinking about how frustrating this whole roommate situation is,” she replied sarcastically, still smarting over the memory
Hayden raised his hands in mock surrender, not wanting to provoke her any further when the doorbell rang. He frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone to come today but headed for the door anyway. He opened it and Camille came barging in, not bothering to greet Hayden, and made a beeline to the couch. She dropped the stack of DVDs she was carrying and set up the TV. Hayden watched all this in confusion.
“What are you doing here?” Hayden asked.
“It’s our movie night tonight. Didn’t Jesse tell you?” Camille asked, tilting her head.
Hayden shook his head.
“Well, if you don’t mind reading subtitles, then I guess you could join us. Is that alright, J?”
Jesse didn’t answer her, focusing on cooking the pancakes. Hayden sighed as Camille looked at him inquiringly.
“I don’t know what I did this time. She was just standing there in the kitchen then she blew her top when I talked to her.” Hayden answered.
Camille laughed at his response. Jesse entered the room holding a plate of stacks of pancakes in one hand and maple syrup, strawberry syrup, and chocolate syrup bottles in the other.
“Make yourself useful and bring the popcorn and tortillas from the kitchen,” Jesse growled. Hayden stood up and obediently did her bidding. Camille held her laugh until Hayden left the room and she chortled at Jesse.
“What?” Jesse asked, annoyed.
“He’s whipped. Be honest, Jesse. What’s the real score between you two?” Camille asked.
Jesse blushed, not knowing how to respond. Thankfully, Hayden entered carrying the rest of the food, effectively cutting off their conversation.
Hayden decided to crash the girls’ movie night and the three of them demolished the food in just 30 minutes of the movie. The rest were spent in different ways. Hayden watched the movie while he absently played with Jesse’s hair. Jesse tried to concentrate on the movie instead of Hayden’s arm around her shoulders. The soft tug of her hair as Hayden twirled it around his fingers made her cheeks burn. And Camille felt giddy deep inside as she watched her best friend and her best friend’s roommate together. She spent the rest of the movie thinking of a way to help their relationship along. An idea formed in her head, and she waited for the credits to roll before asking.
“Hey, Hayden. What are you going to do for the next week while Jesse’s gone?” Camille asked a little too casually.
Hayden frowned and Jesse’s eyes widened, for she knew what her best friend was doing.
“Where are you going, Jesse?” Hayden turned towards her, not answering Camille’s question.
“Er...” Jesse glared at Camille, who surreptitiously winked at her. “We have a company outing. We’ll be going to Sarasota County,” Jesse mumbled.
“And you were going to tell me this when?” Hayden asked.
“I…I didn’t think you’d care about a company event,” Jesse admitted. “Besides, it will give you a chance to get to meet people in the area.” Secretly, Jesse worried that Hayden’s interest would end the minute he met other eligible women. Hayden was about to fire back another retort, but Camille cut him off.
“Well, since you don’t have any plans, Hayden, why don’t you come with us? I’m sure the bosses wouldn’t mind,” Camille suggested.
Hayden contemplated what she said. It wasn’t a bad idea.
“That’s very nice of you to invite me, Camille,” Hayden said, looking at Jesse with an unspoken question in his eyes.
“I just thought that you’d have work and I didn’t want to bother you,” Jesse said.
Hayden sighed. “I can reschedule my tutoring classes easily. I can even do them remotely. But I don’t like the idea of you hanging out on the beach in a swimsuit without me.”
“What does my wearing a swimsuit have to do with anything?” Jesse asked. She was completely missing the point.
Camille raised her hands between the two of them before Hayden said anything. “Okay, okay. Our flight’s the day after tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to pack and buy anything you might need, alright Hayden?” He didn’t answer her question. He was too busy glaring at Jesse, who glared back defiantly.
The rest of the night was spent in relative silence.
***
“That is tacky,” Camille commented, looking at the swimsuit Jesse took from the rack.
“What about this one?” Jesse chose another.
“That one looks like it time-traveled from the year 1975 and barely survived the trip,” Camille said.
Jesse put the swimsuits back and just let Camille pick for her. She still wasn’t looking forward to showing some skin at the beach, despite her best efforts in losing weight.
“Maybe I should just wear a Speedo?” Jesse suggested. Camille looked so aghast at her suggestion that Jesse hung her head and stared at the floor.
“I know how hopeless you are when it comes to fashion, I mean just look at you,” she waved her hands dismissively at her, Jesse looked appalled but she paid her no mind and continued talking. “But you are taking this to a whole new level. It seems I underestimated how much you n
eed my help.” Camille held Jesse’s hands in hers between them, giving Jesse a look of hope and reassurance. “Don’t worry, honey. I will get you through this. With my fashion sense and your credit card, you will be gorgeous.”
The glint in Camille’s eyes scared Jesse a little, but she followed along as her best friend pulled her around the store.
***
“Haylee, I’m going to be gone for a week. Jesse and I are leaving for Sarasota County with her work friends,” Hayden said on the phone.
“Oh, are you and Jesse dating now? I am so happy for you!” Haylee gushed.
“No, we’re not. They just want me to tag along,” Hayden clarified. “Why? Afraid your little ‘plan’ didn’t work?”
“Huh? What plan? I-I never planned anything,” Haylee lied unconvincingly. Hayden chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I’m working on it,” he replied, his eyes softening as he gazed at the two bags he had bought this morning.
“You mean…” Haylee started.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, knowing what she was thinking. “She’s a tough nut to crack though.”
“You’ll succeed. Definitely. I’m really happy for you, big bro,” Haylee encouraged. Just then, Hayden heard the front door open and he said his goodbyes to his sister. He grabbed one of the bags and left the room then walked over to Jesse and took a few the bags she was carrying. She rewarded him with a smile. He smiled back and leaned into her face to give her a small kiss, which she reciprocated a bit. She had become used to him greeting her like that that she had come to enjoy it and even respond to it sometimes.
“Traffic was horrible.” Jesse said, sorting through the things she bought.
“Yeah, I know. I just got back, too.” Hayden replied. He grabbed ahold of Jesse’s hand causing her to look up at him. “I bought something for you,” he said handed her the bag. Jesse opened it up and pulled a white netted beach cover up that would reach just above her knees. It looked like it would be cool and stylish. The netting patterns were difficult to see through so any swimsuit underneath would barely be visible.