The Demarcation of Jack

by Blakely Bennett

“Okay, so how will this work?”

  “I’ll show you.” He put out the cigarette, took her by the hand and led her into the room. He pulled one of Jenna’s scarves from the top drawer. “It’s time for you to get naked.”

  Summer removed her clothing piece by piece as she strutted to the other side of the room.

  “You’re stunning,” he said, walking around, observing her from all angles. He stopped in front of her and tied the scarf to cover his eyes.

  “Hey, you don’t need to be shy with me,” she said, tugging at the material.

  “I see with my touch,” he said, retying the scarf behind his head. He used his fingers to caress her face softly, memorizing the contours of her features.

  “Oh, so you do this with all the girls?” she asked, laughing.

  “Shhh,” he said gently and continued to explore her shoulders, feeling the space between her collarbone and neck. “Very nice.” He moved his hands down to her breasts feeling the curve and the weight.

  Summer shuddered under Jack’s hand as he gently traced her areola, finally circling her erect nipples. “Oh my.”

  He continued to discover the hills and valleys of her body until she felt weakened by the passion he stirred within her. He removed the blindfold, and with deliberateness in his step, he stalked over to the large bag of clay on the counter, and ripped open the packaging.

  “What do you want me to do now?” she asked, sitting down on the bed.

  “You can watch,” he said distractedly. “I’ll still need to see you but you can get dressed for now if you’d feel more comfortable.” He motioned toward the bathroom without looking back. “There’s a robe in there you could use,” he said, sliding the plastic covering down from around the clay block.

  He aptly began to mold and cut away the excess clay with a butter knife he had kept from the breakfast tray and began transferring his tactile experience into the budding sculpture. “I’ll use this as a figure study when I carve you in marble or maybe granite,” he called out. “The height of this counter is all wrong,” Jack said angrily. “Will you help me move the clay over to the table?”

  “Sure,” she said. She stood, grabbing one side of the bag from the bottom. “Wow, this sure is heavy. How will you get it home?”

  “It won’t be as heavy after I trim away and it hardens on its own. It doesn’t need to be fired. I’ll ship it. Not a problem,” he said, sliding closer to the edge of the table. “This height is much better,” he said, quickly shaping and removing clay as he worked. “There’s another pose I would like to sculpt. It’s where you lie on your stomach, clasping your feet behind you and then you pull up.”

  “The Bow pose … Dhanura-asana,” she said. She watched Jack working skillfully and frantically, cutting away every piece that was not her, until she began to emerge from the clay.

  “Can you come over here?” Jack said, scratching his nose with is forearm. “Turn around.” He scanned the contours of her lower back. “Okay.” He circled back around and faced the gray block.

  “Jack,” she said. She took his face in her hands and began to caress his lips with her own.

  He gave into the kiss as he held his arms out to the side.

  “I don’t care if you get clay on me,” she said, placing his arms around her back.

  “It feels good to work,” he said, his voiced charged with energy. He pressed his palms against Summer’s naked body, lifting her off the floor in a deep kiss. He lowered her back down and began kissing her neck, pressing his mouth to her shoulder, making a trail with his tongue toward her breast.

  *****

  Marc and Jenna, arm in arm, strolled out of the lobby and down the pathway to the gardens.

  “I’m amazed at how comfortable I feel with you,” Jenna said. She looked down at the lights that illuminated their trail.

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “It’s so easy to talk to you and I didn’t realize how attracted I could be to another man,” she said. She circled to face to him.

  “We’ve never had this much time together either.”

  “True. Why did you wait until now to tell us about your lifestyle?”

  “Timing, I guess. We hoped you guys would be a long-term connection from the first time we met several months ago.”

  “You’ve said that before but I’m not sure we’re on the same page. I mean, we found out about this a couple of days ago. This seems fun for now—for here—who knows what’s going to happen once we get back home.”

  “I agree and that’s where the risk comes in for all of us,” he said. “Would you like to sit in one of the wicker swings?” He pointed to the enormous Banyan tree bathed in shadow.

  “Yes.” She reached for his hand as they cut across the grass.

  Marc slid onto the cushion, leaning against the rattan. He held out his hand to help Jenna inside. “This is really comfortable,” he said as she rested against his muscular torso. The swing swayed lazily as he lightly tickled down her arm.

  Jenna adjusted her body to face him. “So you think you could love me?” she said, furrowing her brow and crinkling her nose.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Jack’s forever telling me to live in the moment instead of the future and at this very moment I finally get it.” She looked up at him. “I don’t know where this will end up, but I know this is right where I want to be—right now.”

  “That’s good enough for me.” He turned on his side and encompassed Jenna in his arms. He removed the pin that kept her hair in place and ran his hand up the back of her neck into her scalp. Tilting his mouth to cover hers, he kissed her with an intensity that hinted at his building desire.

  Jenna broke away abruptly as her heart began to accelerate. She breathed fast and shallow as she rested her forehead on his ribcage. “I felt that throughout my whole body,” she said. She placed her hand on his chest and could feel the racing of his heart, which matched her own. She brought her lips back up to his and kissed him deeply. Her thoughts gradually ceased as she gave herself over to the experience.

  He kissed her gently, suckling her lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He kissed her with increasing passion until she finally jerked away from him.

  “No more,” Jenna said, gasping. “I feel like I’m about to explode. I’ve got to get out.” Breathlessly, she struggled to climb out of the swing. Once free, she quickly escaped to the path while Marc jumped out to follow her.

  He hurried toward her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. Well … I don’t know. That was so intense and I know it was only kissing but it felt like more than that. I hear myself, and it sounds so stupid, I’m sorry, I—”

  “I understand. It’s okay.” He enclosed her in his arms. “It was intense for me, too.”

  “So what are we going to do about it?” Jenna asked. “How am I going to explain this to Jack?” She stepped away from his embrace and folded her arms around herself.

  “How are you going to explain what to Jack?”

  “How I’m feeling.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Whoa … wait a minute…” Summer said, pushing him away from her breast.

  “This is harder than I thought it would be,” Jack said, stepping away from her. “I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I … I just got lost.”

  “It’s okay. Everything’s cool.” She ran her hand over his shoulder and said, “Chill, we’re still good.” Smiling, she sauntered to the bathroom and lifted Jenna’s robe off the hook. She slid into the garment and tied the sash at her waist. After walking back into the room, she sat on the bed and watched Jack get lost in his art again. While Jack worked, Summer slipped quietly out on the porch and watched the whitecaps reflecting the hotel lights as they crested on the shore. The incessant sound of the waves softly crashing in the distance inspired her to meditate.

  She filled her lungs with air. “Ohhhmmm,” she breathed out. She held the tone for the length of her breath. “Ohhhmmm,” she humm
ed, centering herself. She lowered herself into a lotus position, placing the backs of her hands on her knees. Her middle finger and thumb touched, creating a circle.

  Jack continued to work with a driven ferocity while on the balcony Summer sat motionless. A knock sounded from the door and neither Summer nor Jack moved to answer it. A minute passed and another knock thundered against the door.

  “Jack. Jack, are you in there?” Jenna said.

  Jack looked up and felt immediately accosted by his present surroundings. To him, he had been home in his studio. “Coming,” he said, quickly moving toward the door and opening it. “Sorry, I was in the zone and I didn’t hear you. Where’s Summ—” he started to ask but watched her enter the room through the French doors.

  “Hi there,” Summer said. She moved to greet Marc and Jenna.

  “My robe?” Jenna said, checking out the scene around her.

  “Oh, yes. Jack said I could borrow it.” Summer turned to embrace Marc.

  “What time is it?” Jack said. He walked forward to shake hands with Marc but laughed when he looked at his clay-caked fingers. He kissed Jenna on the cheek holding his hands out to the side.

  “It’s past 11:00 o’clock,” Marc said. “I thought Summer and I would go back to the room and get ready for the pajama jazz party but I see she’s already ahead of us.”

  “Cute, hon. I’ll get changed,” she said. She gathered her clothes together and dropped them on the side of the bed.

  “May we have a look?” Marc said, pointing at the sculpture on the table.

  “It’s not finished but sure, go ahead,” Jack said, turning to the side to let him pass. “Are you okay?” he whispered to Jenna.

  She shook her head slowly and walked over to the rendering.

  “Wow, this is amazing. I didn’t realize it would be so big,” Marc said.

  “Summer this—” Jenna said, looking back as Summer dropped the robe to the floor revealing two grey hand prints on her cherry bronze back.

  “The final piece will be even larger and in marble I think,” Jack said. He wiped his brow with his sleeve and plopped into the chair. “You guys didn’t happen to bring any Red Stripe did you?”

  “No, but I do have a check for you once you’re finished with this piece.”

  “Excellent,” Jack said. “Maybe I’ll do it in granite then.”

  Summer flounced away from the bed and said, “I’m ready.” She strode over to Jack and admired the short replica of herself. “This is really cool, Jack.” She gave him a hug and a peck. “It was incredible to see you work. Thanks again and see you later,” she said over her shoulder as she sashayed to the door. “See you later, Jenna.” She passed by Marc out into the hall.

  “Thank you for a wonderful time,” Marc said to Jenna and then he left the room.

  “Wow, I’m tired,” Jack said when the door closed.

  “We don’t have to go to the party.” She lay back onto the bed.

  “Oh, I want to. I was thinking about taking a power nap. I see your hair is down, wasn’t it up when I left?” he asked nonchalantly. He uncrossed his legs and crossed them again. “So how did it go?”

  She rolled on her side to face him. “Do we have to go to the party?”

  “Did something happen that I should know about?” he asked. He placed both feet on the floor and leaned forward in the chair.

  “I think this whole thing … us … them, it’s a bad idea.” She squeezed her eyes shut.

  He moved over to the bed. “Tell me what happened, Jen,” he said with urgency. “Did Marc do something wrong?”

  “It’s not like that, it’s … I don’t know how to say … I don’t want to hurt—”

  “Just say it. We said we were going to talk openly about everything, so say it.”

  “The kissing was—”

  “Bad?”

  “No. It was … too good.” She glanced up at him and pulled her head back at the same time.

  “Ah, that. Well, what does that mean?” He looked down at his hands. “Damn, I need to wash up. I’ll be right back.”

  “I thought you would be upset,” she called out to him in the bathroom.

  “I’m not sure yet what you mean. The kissing was too good and so—” he answered loudly.

  “And so I broke it off because … well, it felt like more than kissing.” She looked away from Jack who had come back into the room.

  He lay down next to her, placing his hand on her hip. “You mean you were very aroused? Wasn’t that the point?” he said, scratching his head. “I’m not seeing the problem here.” He propped up on his elbow and lifted her hair away from her face. “I have something I need to tell you.”

  “Do I need to prepare myself?”

  “No. It’s really no big deal but we agreed to share everything. In the middle of working, I needed to see Summer’s lower back—she was still undressed—and I asked her to come over by me. She had been sitting on the bed. After I got the proportions in my head, she turned around and we began to kiss. I got caught up in the moment and kissed my way down her neck toward her breast—she did stop me though.”

  “When she dropped my robe I saw your hand prints on her back.”

  “Oh crap. Really? That’s fucked up. Did that upset you? ‘Cause it’s hard to kiss and not have the desire for more. Is that what you were trying to tell me?”

  “I don’t know. It seems too complicated. I felt a lurch in my stomach when I saw the handprints. And feeling this kind of desire for another man—it worries me. Doesn’t it bother you? Are you feeling the same way about Summer?”

  “Honey, I thought that was the point. Having this adventure and sharing it with each other,” he said, running his hand over her hair.

  “They think we have long term potential,” she said, glancing away again.

  He tilted her head so he could see her eyes. “What does that mean exactly? Did Marc say?”

  “It means they see us continuing this once we get home and letting it develop and see where it goes. Something like that,” she said, pulling her body into the fetal position.

  “I have no problem with that. I want to be friends with them when we get back. I’m not sure we’re looking for the same thing, though. This is just for fun, right?”

  “I pretty much expressed the same thing to Marc.”

  “So what’s the problem, Jen?”

  “I’m starting to like him more and wanting to—”

  “Have sex with him?” He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

  “Yes…”

  “Have fun. Just don’t fall for him. That’s my plan,” he said, rolling back toward her. He pulled her against him and kissed her tenderly.

  She held his face in her hands and closed her eyes trying to push Marc out of her mind.

  He sat up in the bed and said, “As long as we keep talking, nothing can go wrong. I need to wet the clay and close the bag so I can finish it tomorrow.” He stood. “I’m sure the party’s already started. We need to change and I need to clean up.”

  “Do me a favor,” Jenna murmured as she scooted to the edge of the bed.

  “Sure.”

  She turned her back to him. “Unzip my dress...”

  The zipper flowed smoothly down the sway of her back to the top of her thong.

  When he finished, she said, “...and don’t let Summer wear my robe again.”

  *****

  Marc and Summer left Jack’s room and stepped into the pineapple-brocaded hallway of the south wing.

  “So how did it go?” he asked.

  “I like him. He’s got passion, fire,” she said. She took Marc’s hand as they strolled across the lobby to the stairwell that led to their room. “What’s she like in private?”

  “She’s excellent. She’s both strong and innocent in some ways, I don’t know. I like her.”

  They climbed in silence up the stairs and down the hallway to their room. Summer unlocked the door.

  “What’s he like away f
rom Jenna?” He loosened his drawstring and walked over to the bed.

  “It was incredible to watch him work,” she said as she began to undress. “I didn’t realize he had such a serious side. Then I made the mistake of interrupting him for a little kissy-face and he got somewhat carried away.” She jumped onto the bed, extending her legs out in front of her and leaning back on her hands.

  “What did he do?” he asked, dropping down next to her after removing his clothing.

  “He kissed down my neck on the way to my breast, but he was in an altered state. You should see him work. It was frantic and organized at the same time. He seems like a totally different person. On fire, but in a controlled burn, if that makes sense. It’s hard to explain. I was very aroused. After the kissing, I went out on the balcony and it was so peaceful I decided to meditate. I really love it here,” she said, slanting her head toward him.

  “Yeah, me too,” he said. He placed his hand on her thigh.

  “How was dinner?”

  “I had a wonderful time and the food was superb. Jenna freaked out a bit at the end, though.”

  “She seemed a bit odd when you guys showed up. I thought maybe it was because I was wearing her robe.”

  He lay back on his elbows. “That may have been part of it but while we were kissing she pushed me away and said it was too much.”

  “You do have that effect on women,” she said, throwing her head back and laughing. “Do you think they’ll go to the party?”

  “I don’t know. If we don’t get a call from them, I suspect they’ll be there. What are you wearing?”

  “Not much,” she replied. She sat up and tugged open the drawer in front of her. “You?” she asked, slipping into her lingerie.

  “How about these?” he asked, holding up a pair of silk boxers. “I could wear my robe over it.”

  “Sexy. How’s this?” she asked. She spun around to model the blue laced v-neck babydoll with high side slits. The material held together in three places down the side with tiny satin bows that matched the straps. She wore a g-string underneath the tiny dress.

  “Wow. I’m not sure you’ll make it to the door without me attacking you first,” Marc said as he pushed her back onto the bed. “I have some pent-up sexual tension I need to release,” he rumbled, fondling his way up her body.