by Dagny Rand
“Sure, what drink would you like to send?” the waiter asked. Hell he hadn’t thought about that.
“Does she have something that she normally orders?” he asked. The waiter grinned.
“It depends on how much they make in tips that night,” he said. Jack got it and smirked.
“Send her the more expensive one,” he said. The waited gave a curt nod, to demonstrate his understanding, and then scurried off.
Willow sang for a bit more, and then took a break. Jazz began playing again, but this time it was a track instead of the band, since this was their break. Jack saw when his waiter slipped up to the bar, where she sat alone, phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He sat the drink down in front of her and in response to her surprised look, leaned in and said something to her over the din of the restaurant. Then, he pointed to Jack and she turned with him. Jack offered a casual wave, and she smiled and nodded her thanks.
A few minutes later, he watched her put out her cigarette and slide off of the bar stool. She moved like a dancer, and that completely intrigued him as she walked through the place and settled herself across from him.
“Sorry, I was going to come over sooner, but then I realized who you are and I didn’t think you’d want to be around the smoke,” she said. Jack found himself appreciating that, most people wouldn’t have bothered caring.
“Thank you for the concern,” he said.
“Thank you for the drink,” she said, lifting it. Jack clinked his glass together with her and they drank together.
“So, I’ve never seen you in here before, and I’m pretty sure I would remember if I had. What brings you into this place? I always thought you were more of a base thumping, half naked strippers on poles kind of guy,” she said. Jack almost choked on his drink.
“You don’t pull any punches, do you?” he said with a laugh as he recovered. She smiled and shook her head.
“I grew out of beating around the bush around the time I graduated high school. Short attention span,” she said.
“Okay, fair enough, normally, yes. But I’ve been told to tone it down and I wanted to get out of the house. I heard about this place a few weeks ago, and it doesn’t count as ‘partying’, so here I am.” He said. Willow laughed.
“Wow, that’s got to be the truth, I don’t think anyone would come up with that as a lie to get into my pants,” she said. Jack laughed with her.
“No, that would be a horrible lie,” he said. She watched him, a smile on her face.
“You’re interesting, Jack,” she said. Jack wasn’t really sure how to take that. This was a first.
“Thanks, I think,” Jack said with a grin. The sound of the band tuning up brought her attention back to the stage. She polished off the last of her drink and winked at Jack.
“It was nice to meet you, Jack,” she said.
“You too, Miss Willow,” he said, the charm on full blast but this point as she stood and glided back up to her place on stage. Jack was pretty sure that he’d found himself a bed warmer for the night, which was funny because he hadn’t expected that here. But, he liked surprises, and he was happy with the way the night had turned out.
A few hours later, when the band had finished their final set, the musicians left through a side door, toting their instruments with them. Jack watched as they all hugged Willow goodnight, and he got himself ready to go since the next step was he and Willow leaving together. Except, it wasn’t. Willow slipped the bartender some money, picked up her bag and made her way to the door without him. Jack was on his feet, following and catching up with her in the parking lot as she lip up another cigarette.
“Leaving without me?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“That’s the plan,” she responded.
“I thought we had something back there, something that would make you want to spend time with me as much as I want to spend time with you,” he said. Willow smirked.
“What you want is someone to keep you company tonight. Might I suggest the hostess, she’s cute and looks like she’s about to piss herself like a puppy over you being here. I, however, can’t provide you with what you are looking for, simply because I am not that easy. If you want to actually spend time with me, you know where to find me. Otherwise, it’s was wonderful meeting you, Jack,” she said, turning and gliding across the parking lot away from him.
Had she just turned him down? She had, hadn’t she? No one ever turned him down! That had been true since high school because he was good looking, and had become even more true since he was now good looking and rich, and yet here he was, alone. What the hell?!
Chapter 3
Jack had found himself thinking about Willow. He wasn’t sure if it was because she’d turned him down or simply that he was that interested in her. He’d settled on him being interested because she’d turned him down. It had been a month since they’d met, and he’d been back to the club at least once a week since then. He’d buy her a drink, sometimes dinner if she allowed it, but she always said the same thing at the end of the night:
“Good night, Jack,” In that sweet, sultry voice of hers.
It was to the point that when he caught sight of her, his heart rate increased and his back stiffened, along with… other parts of him. She was turning him into a wreck, and there was nothing that he could do about it, because she wouldn’t allow it. He’d taken to lifting weights to try and work out some of his sexual frustration, but all that had done was increase how much he could lift because he was always in there lifting.
“Back again?” she said softly, as she slid into the chair across from him, like she always did when he bought her a drink.
“Yes, again,” he said with a smile. She sighed.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because, you turned me down and I don’t understand it,” he blurted out before he really thought about it. Willow chuckled.
“Most men would have gone with something like, I can’t get you off of my mind, or something romantic like that,” she said.
“That too,” he added.
“Do you really want me? Or do you just want me naked?” she asked. Jack opened his mouth to respond, but stopped and closed it again. Then, he told the truth.
“I’m not really sure,” he said. Willow smiled and nodded.
“This is probably the most honesty you’ve given a woman, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Other than my mother, yes,” he said with a self-depreciating chuckle. Willow slipped two fingers into her cleavage and pulled out a pen. She pulled Jack’s hand towards her, and started writing on his palm.
“If you really want me, take me out sometime. I still won’t sleep with you, so don’t call me expecting that,” she said. Jack nodded, looking down at the felt tipped phone number on his skin like he’d just hit the lottery.
“Got it,” he said. She smirked, and got up as the band started to get ready for another set. Before she started singing again, Jack saved the number that she’d given him in his phone. Something told me that sweaty palms having erased it wouldn’t be an excuse that would have gotten him a second shot at it. Then, he turned in his chair to face the stage, and smiled as she started singing again.
Hours later, after she’d told him good night and he’d watched her sway off across the parking lot towards her gunmetal gray Dodge Charger, Jack lay in bed, staring at her phone. Finally, he hit send on the message that he’d been debating on for the greater part of the last thirty minutes:
Did you make it home safely?
He waited, almost holding his breath as the debate about whether texting her the same night that he got the number seemed desperate or not.
I just walked in the door, actually. I had to stop for ice cream.
Jack smiled. She’d answered, that was good, right? He hit the reply button and rattled off something about it being odd to stop for ice cream in the middle of the night. She responded that she had actually wanted this ice cream for the past week, and she’d finally broken down
on her way home and gotten some. She said that she was eating it with a wine accompaniment, and didn’t even feel bad, which had made Jack laugh. He hit reply and responded again, grinning when his phone chimed with her response. What the hell, he didn’t have to be up in the morning. Staying up all night talking to her seemed like a lot more fun than sleeping anyway.
Chapter 4
Jack had asked Willow to meet him for lunch. He wanted to do something different, and everyone did dinner. Instead, he was going to have a good lunch, walk around in the shopping district for a bit, and once twilight hit, they were going to venture into the arboretum, for an event called A Night Under The Stars. There was a live swing band, henna tattooing, and a wide variety of food. It seemed like something that she’d like, and it was totally different than anything he’d ever done before. He was looking forward to it, believe it or not.
“Have you been waiting long?” Willow’s voice purred as she slipped into the seat across from him. She looked different, more casual than she did on the nights where she was singing. It was nice.
“No, I just got here myself,” Jack said, smiling across the table at her.
“So what’s good here? I’ve never tried this place before,” she said, picking up the menu and looking over it.
“Just about everything is, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried it all over the course of the time that I’ve been coming here,” he said.
“What’s your favorite?” she asked. That was easy.
“For lunch, the tuna salad. Good amount of protein, but it’s not heavy so I don’t feel like I’m lugging it around for the rest of the day,” he said. Willow gave him an impressed look and nodded.
“Good reasoning. I think I’ll try that, then,” she said, closing the menu and placing it onto the table.
Lunch was pleasant for both of them. They talked about their families, friends and hobbies. Jack learned about how Willow started singing with the band and what she did for a day job, and Willow learned as much as Jack would tell her about what it was like to play in the NFL. She laughed when he talking about the first time he took a good, solid hit and how the world had spun around him as he moved to his place on the field. The guy was the only one that he’d come across that hit hard enough to make him lose his bearings, but he’d retired now. That had always disappointed Jack a bit, as if he wasn’t really left with a challenge anymore.
They finished their lunch and took a stroll through this shop and that boutique. It was nice, getting to see what kinds of things that Willow liked, as far as Jack was concerned. He thought of it as recognizance, for if he ever decided that he wanted to get her something. A birthday or an event like that.
The Night Under The Stars turned out to be perfect, with clear skies, bright stars and an even brighter moon, and not too big of a crowd. That mean not too much chatter, plenty of food and drinks and room on the dance floor to move. That was where Willow and Jack spent most of their night after they’d eaten. He twirled her around the dance floor expertly, and she followed like this was old hat to her as they laughed together and talked. Eventually, they peeled off from the other part goers and began to stroll the gardens by moonlight.
“It’s kind of spooky out here,” she said. Jack laughed.
“Most people would think that it’s romantic, not spooky,” he said.
“I guess I’m not most people,” Willow responded with a smirk.
“I’m glad that you aren’t,” he said. They walked in silence for a bit together, and Jack gently slipped his hand around Willows. She didn’t pull back, didn’t give any inclination that she’d even noticed that he’d done it other than the fact that she allowed her fingers to close warmly around his.
“So I guess this evening ends when we leave here,” Jack said, part of him hoping that maybe she’d changed her mind about spending the night with him, although he was pretty sure that she hadn’t.
“Yeah, it does,” she said softly. Jack sighed softly.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for it to end yet,” he said. He was genuinely enjoying being around her, and that was something that he’d been able to say about a lot of people. She made him want to think about someone other than himself.
“It’s not like I said that we have to go now,” she said, smiling. Jack laughed softly.
“Good point,” he said.
Chapter 5
Three weeks later, Willow and Jack had been out several time together. Every time he saw her, spent time with her, talked to her, he found something else to like about her. There was also something especially intriguing about the fact that she hadn’t slept with him yet. He hadn’t just come out and asked her if she would, and she hadn’t just told him that she wouldn’t, but she wouldn’t. She’d made that clear. Their time together consisted of talking and getting to know each other, things he’d never bother with before. It was different, and it made not partying and going out as much a lot easier. His agent was thrilled with the change in her client, though she wasn’t really sure what it was about, and the team seemed to be taking a renewed interest in him, albeit a slight one, since it had only been a few months since his behavior had been forced to change.
“So, what do you want to do tonight, Brain?” Willow said. Jack snickered at the cartoon reference as they sat together on one of the plush couches around the dance floor at the jazz club.
“I don’t know, sitting here with you is kind of nice,” Jack said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. Willow snuggled up to the side of him and rested her arm on top of his thigh.
“True, it is,” she said. They sat there in silence for a few moments before she turned in his arms and kissed him. He’d kissed her before then, but this was the first time that she’d simply outright kissed him without any warning or prompting.
“What was that for?” Jack asked with a wide smile on his lips.
“We could go back to your place, and spend some time there,” she said. Jack watched her for a heartbeat, checking for any signs that she was kidding, or uncertain. Then, he scrambled to his feet with her still in his arms and the two of them made their way to the club exit, Willow laughing beside him the entire time.
Willow watched the world go past as she followed Jack into his complex. She hadn’t wanted to leave her car at the club, especially since they’d had a few break ins and she didn’t want to be the next one. She looked around at all of the large, well lit homes in this expensive and exclusive complex and felt special that she was actually being escorted inside. Jack turned into a large driveway in front of her and she followed suit. She saw two garage doors open, there were a total of four, and he motioned for her to park through one before he parked through the other.
“This is quite a house,” she said, getting out of her car and slinging her purse over her shoulder.
“It’s nice, but I travel so much that half of the time, I don’t get to see it. I have a cleaning service when I’m out of town to keep the dust at bay since I have dust allergies, but that’s about it. They see my home more than I do,” he said with a laugh.
“That’s kind of sad,” she said, taking the arm that he was offering as he lead her through the door from the garage to the house.
“On one hand, yeah, it is. But on the other hand, I’m traveling to play football. I love what I do for a living, and I get paid really well to do it. Most people can’t say that, so I try not to complain about things like not being able to see my house sometimes,” he said. The two of them walked through the house as he turned on this light and that until they reached the kitchen. Jack pulled down a bottle of wine and two glasses, and then motioned for Willow to follow him out on to the patio.
“I love sitting out here, no music or television, just me and the sky,” he said, popping the cork and pouring two glasses as Willow sat in one of the loungers.
“It’s an amazing view, both up and down, isn’t it?” she said, looking out over the city view that came from his house being on a bit of an incline.
“It’s one of the reasons I picked this lot,” he said, handing her one of the glasses.
They sat there together in complete silence, simply watching the world around them for almost twenty minutes together. It felt like one of the most intimate things that Jack had ever done with a women, for him. Sitting out there and appreciating the world wasn’t something that fit his image, so it was also something that very few people knew that he liked to do. He wasn’t really sure why he’d told Willow without worrying about what she’d think about him. Maybe because he trusted her to simply just accept him for who he was. That was a freeing thing to trust someone for.
“Why don’t you give me a tour of this fantastic home, hm?” Willow asked as she drained the last of her glass. Jack smiled and stood, holding a hand out to help her from her seat.
“Sure,” he said.
Willow grinned and nodded, ooo’d and ahh’d as they walked through the house and he showed her this room and that. Jack wasn’t sure about taking her through his bedroom, because he didn’t want to give her the wrong idea as to why he’d brought her out there, so he stalled until absolute last.
“Your bedroom is very tastefully done,” she said, looking around.
“I bought the whole room of furniture together. I’m not really good at putting things together on my own, I don’t think. Everything in here was made to match the other pieces,” he said with a grin. Willow turned to him with a grin.
“It’s nice,” she said, placing her hands in the middle of his chest and pushing him roughly so that he had no choice but to fall backwards onto the bed behind him.
“Willow?” he said, so surprised that he wasn’t really sure what to do other than simply flop back. Willow smirked and jumped on top of him, straddling his midsection as she leaned in close to his ear.
“You’ve waited long enough, don’t you think?” she whispered. Jack felt his eyes widen, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him as he rolled himself on top of her. She laughed and squealed, and he reached over and turned out the lights.