The Scent of Jasmine

by Lila Bruce

  “Alright. Ask your mother. If she says yes, then I’ll take you.”

  “Take you where?” Rachel’s mother Kim said, walking into the kitchen.

  Jessica glanced up at her sister-in-law. Kim had not yet dressed for the day, wearing a blue terry cloth robe over her pajamas. Jessica guessed it must be Brett’s morning to open the bakery.

  “Some movie she wants to see. Magenta…”

  “Magena,” Rachel corrected.

  “Magena then. She said it comes out on Friday and you’d be okay with it. It’s a cartoon movie.”

  Kim raised an eyebrow as she poured herself a cup of coffee. If she suspected some illicit deal had been brokered between Rachel and Jessica prior to her arrival, she didn’t say anything. “Well sure. You two have a great time. Maybe me and Brett will go do something, just the two of us.”

  “Great. You two work hard, you deserve a little time alone. You know Rachel is fine with me. We’ll make it a girl’s night out.” Jessica swiped the screen of her phone and began to look up the website for the local movie theater.

  “That sounds awesome,” Kim said, leaning against the kitchen counter as she sipped her coffee.

  “I like girl’s night out,” Rachel said, swirling the milk in her cereal bowl around. “Maybe we’ll see those nice ladies again.”

  “What ladies sweetie?” Jessica asked absently as she checked show times, doing her best not to grimace upon seeing the listing for the movie. There was an image of a little girl with blue skin riding a white horse. And rainbows. Lots of rainbows.

  “Kendra and Grace. You remember Mama, from the Mexican restaurant.”

  Jessica froze in mid-swipe. It took a second for what her niece had said to register, and when it did Jessica looked sharply over to Kim. Her sister-in-law stared back – a guilty stare if Jessica ever saw one – and then downed her coffee in one gulp.

  “Well, I need to get going. Brett’s going to be wondering where I am.”

  “Kim…” Jessica began in a soft, threatening tone.

  Surely not.

  “Well, gotta go.”

  Jessica narrowed her gaze at the blue terry cloth that flashed out of the kitchen. She turned back to Rachel, who was drinking the last of the milk out of the side of the bowl.

  “Do I want to know?” she asked her niece.

  “Probably not,” the child replied, pushing back from the table. She walked a few paces and dropped the bowl into the sink.

  “Well, hell.”

  Rachel started towards the living room and then stopped. She turned to Jessica and looked at her thoughtfully before speaking. “If it makes you feel any better, Grace didn’t seem happy about it either.”

  Jessica was at a loss for words, not quite sure how she should take that.

  “And Aunt Jessica?”

  “Yes Rachel?”

  “I think Grace likes you too.”

  Chapter Seven

  “I don’t like this at all,” Grace said tersely into the phone.

  “Grace, you are making too much of this. You know that I would be there, but someone has to go to Buckhead and check in on the Chavez project.”

  “And I suppose that someone has to be you.”

  “Well it makes sense Grace. Look, you are already there. And I’m already halfway to Atlanta.”

  “Monica, it was your idea to take this account.”

  “But the client came in to see originally. You’re making too big of a deal out of it. Just do the walk through with her and then I’ll take over.”

  “You’re going on my list Monica.”

  “I love you Grace.”

  Grace swore under her breath as she ended the call and slid the phone into her purse. The last place she wanted to be on a Saturday morning was walking around a deserted old home with the object of her unrequited lust. She should have known Monica would pull a fast one when she allowed her partner to talk her into taking the account.

  Grace sighed and let her head fall back on the leather headrest of her Camry. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She would make it a point, she thought to herself, to get in and out as quickly as possible. Who knows? Maybe Jessica would bring her brother with her. That would certainly make it less awkward.

  She looked at the large, two story home that sat just a few hundred feet in front of the Camry. It was definitely old, possibly antebellum. It had a beautiful wrap around porch that seemed to beg for a rocking chair. The front door, like the rest of the house, was white and sorely in need of paint job. It was a charming front door, however, with stained glass inset over the top half. Whatever else they did to the house, she would make a point to see the door was properly restored. They just didn’t make them like that anymore.

  The sound of engine driving up the long dirt driveway drew Grace’s attention.

  And here she is.

  Grace gave another sigh and stepped out of the car and into the warm Georgia sun. Summer was still a few months away, but it was already getting warm. It was going to be one of those summers, Grace imagined, for it be so hot so early in the year. The kind of summer where the rain was scarce and the heat oppressive. Still, it was better than living up North with all the snow and ice in the winter.

  She leaned against the burgundy sedan and watched as the dark German sports car came into full view. Jessica was driving and Grace could see she was alone in the car. Grace stepped towards the car as Jessica opened the door to get out. Halfway there, Grace glanced at the tag on the front bumper that read ‘HOTSTUFF’ and froze.

  No fucking way.

  Grace looked at the tag and then to Jessica, who was making her way towards Grace, and then back to the tag again. Jessica frowned at the expression on her face and followed her gaze to the tag. Shaking her head and smiling, she said, “Do you like it? My business manager’s idea of a joke.”

  “Yeah, it’s something alright.” Grace turned and glanced at Jessica, careful to avoid the green eyes that she knew would be dancing in her direction. “Shall we go in?”

  Jessica nodded and walked to the house. She was saying something, but Grace only half heard, her mind wrapping itself around the phrase ‘business manager’. What exactly did Jessica do that she would have a business manager and drive a seventy thousand dollar car. What was it Kim had said? Something about peppers? And why would she be working in her brother’s bakery if she did whatever it was she did to make that kind of money?

  “So, what do you think? Is that something we can do?” Jessica’s voice interrupted Grace’s thoughts and she flushed, not quite sure what the original question had been.

  “Um, I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “The front door,” Jessica repeated. “I was wondering if you thought we would be able to save the front door.”

  “Oh definitely. I was admiring that myself. I will certainly do everything we can to see that it’s properly restored. There’s a guy that I know in Athens that should be able to work magic on it.”

  Jessica seemed to let out a breath that she was holding. “Oh fantastic. I was worried that we wouldn’t. I remember this door when I was little and how much my grandmother loved it. It’s original to the house, you know?”

  “Is it?”

  “Yup. And no telling how that is, to tell you the truth. Let’s go inside,” she said, glancing back at Grace as she unlocked the front door. “It’s kind of rough inside, so be warned.”

  Rough was an understatement, Grace thought to herself as she stepped through the threshold. Instantly her nose wrinkled as the smell of mothballs hit her in the face. Sheets covered a few pieces of furniture left over from the former occupants and spider webs seemed to hang in every corner. The floor was a beautiful old hardwood and creaked in spots as they walked through the house.

  “Watch the floor right there,” Jessica said as she felt it buckle slightly under her weight.

  Grace nodded. “I will, thanks.”

  “Not afraid of spiders, I hope?”

  “No, me and spide
rs are fine,” Grace said, sidestepping what had to be the largest cobweb she had ever seen outside of a haunted house. “Rats, however, are a different story. If we see one of those, I’m out of here.” Jessica gave a little laugh at that and Grace felt her stomach flutter at the sound. Was there nothing about this woman that didn’t turn her on?

  “So, what do you think?” Jessica asked, stopping in what looked to have at one time been a dining room.

  “It’s…I’ll be honest Jessica, it’s going to take some work.” Lots of work, Grace thought. “But, that said, I can really see the potential. I think with some work – a lot of work – and the right touch, this house could be magnificent.”

  Jessica beamed at Grace’s words, her emerald eyes sparkling. Grace made the mistake of looking into them, and found herself captivated. She knew that she was staring, but she found herself unable to care.

  “And do you think that you might have the right touch?” Jessica said, her tone lowering as she took a step closer to the Grace.

  “I’d like to think that I do,” Grace answered in a voice that didn’t quite sound like her own. She took a breath and found herself inhaling the faint bouquet of jasmine. The scent coursed through veins and sent goosebumps up her arms. Grace could feel a warmth spreading through her body.

  “I was hoping you would, to tell you the truth.” Jessica’s voice was almost a whisper as she spoke and Grace found herself wondering if they were having the same conversation anymore. Maybe Jessica was really talking about the house, and not…well, not. Grace found it was impossible to tear her gaze away from the younger woman’s eyes, which had turned a dark shade of green. She fought the ever growing urge to reach out and run her hands through Jessica’s dark flowing hair, to wrap it around her fingers and draw her in close, to breathe in more of the jasmine that seemed to be Jessica’s essence until there was nothing else. She continued to stare shamelessly at Jessica and saw what she thought might be the same feelings reflected in the other woman’s face. Grace opened her mouth to say as much when suddenly the largest goddamned spider she’d ever seen in her life dropped on Jessica’s head and began to scurry down the side of her face.

  “AAAAIIIIEEEEE!”

  Jessica shrieked and jolted into the air, shaking her head and hitting the side of face frantically.

  “Oh my God!” Grace screamed and began batting at Jessica’s head, trying to knock the spider off her check but failing miserably.

  Jessica began to run then, moving at a speed Grace never imagined possible. She sprinted past the doorway and then bounced off the front porch, hitting the ground and rolling as if she were on fire. Grace followed behind her quickly and dashed to ground, grabbing Jessica by the shoulders.

  “It’s gone, Jessica it’s gone,” she shouted as Jessica continued to struggle, scratching at her own face, almost on the verge of full-out hysteria. Just as Grace was about to slap her, Jessica stilled and seemed to stop breathing. She looked up at Grace, her eyes large and still somewhat wild.

  “Are you sure?” she said softly. Grace nodded. “Oh my fucking God. I can’t believe that fucking happened.”

  “I don’t even know what to say,” Grace murmured.

  “You can let go now.”

  “What?”

  “My arms. You can let go of my arms now.”

  Grace realized she still had Jessica by the shoulders and dropped her hands, falling back to sit on the grass. She breathed heavily then, and looked down at Jessica, still laying prone. Grace didn’t know where it came from, but she suddenly felt a giggle escape her lips. Jessica shot a quick glance at Grace when she heard the sound and narrowed her eyes.

  “It’s not funny.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why are laughing?”

  Grace tried to say that she wasn’t laughing, but gave up halfway through the sentence and fell over on her side snickering.

  Jessica sat up and punched at Grace. “Stop laughing!” In response Grace began cackling, tears running down the side of cheeks.

  “I’m sorry,” Grace said, out of breath from laughter. She rose from the ground and began to dust off the back of her khaki pants. “I know it wasn’t funny and I am absolutely appalled that I would laugh that way. I don’t know what came over me.” She coughed and looked down at Jessica and then shook her head. “I understand if you want to fire me right now. That was totally inexcusable.”

  Jessica said nothing and simply stared up at her with an expression that Grace couldn’t read. After a moment she held her hand up and Grace grabbed it, pulling to help Jessica up off the ground. She pulled once and was surprised when Jessica suddenly jerked back forcibly, pulling Grace down to her instead of the other way around. In an instant Grace found herself on top of the other woman and then they were rolling, Grace finally coming to rest on her back. Realizing that their earlier positions had been reversed, she wordlessly looked up at Jessica and into dancing green eyes.

  Neither woman spoke, Grace wasn’t even sure if she was really breathing or not. Then she knew she had to be because she could smell – no taste – the familiar hint of jasmine. Jessica’s hair had fallen to one side, and a few errant strands hung over her face. Of its own accord, Grace’s hand reached up and pushed them back. The younger woman seized the hand and turned her face into Grace’s wrist. She seemed to inhale sharply and then touched her lips to skin. Grace groaned and felt her eyes close as Jessica softly kissed the inside of her wrist. Fire shot up from Grace’s arm and she suddenly felt hot, her core burning with need.

  “Grace,” Jessica breathed against her arm.

  Grace’s eyes opened and she gazed up at her. She could see the same desire she felt burning in her center reflected in Jessica’s face.

  “Jess, I…” Words seemed to fail as her strained voice faltered. Jessica smiled and kissed Grace’s wrist again, this time gently grazing the tender flesh with her teeth.

  “Grace,” Jessica said softly, “There’s…” Her voice trailed off as she suddenly snapped her head up. She looked back towards the driveway and then swore softly under her breath. Springing up to her feet, she dragged Grace up with her and then pulled her close. Grace was a few inches taller than Jessica, but she found herself looking up into the other woman’s eyes as they stood with their bodies pressed against one another.

  “Jessica…” Grace began as she heard a car door slam shut in the distance.

  Jessica smiled before she spoke softly.

  “I accept your apology.”

  Chapter Eight

  “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

  Jessica stood at the rear of her BMW 428i. Rachel was next to her, crying as she looked from the bicycle tire-sized dent in the bumper to her aunt and then back to the bumper again.

  “Mama and Daddy are going to kill me,” the eight year-old sobbed.

  “No they’re not. We just won’t tell you did it.”

  “I’m sorry Aunt Jessica. I didn’t mean to hit your car.”

  “I know sweetie,” Jessica said as she surveyed the damage. It really wasn’t that bad. Jessica had actually done worse damage herself driving on the I-10. “The important thing is that you are okay.” She turned and led her niece away from the car and back towards the house.

  “Aunt Jessica?”

  “Yes sweetie?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know. Just be more careful riding your bike around the yard, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Aunt Jessica?”

  “Yes sweetie?”

  “What time is your date?”

  Jessica stopped as she reached the screen door, her hand hovering over the handle. She cast a glance at her niece.

  “Who told you I had a date?”

  As if I really need to ask that question.

  “I heard Mama and Daddy talking,” she said, swirling her red hair around one finger. “Mama told Daddy that you were going on a date with the lady from the Mexican restaurant.”

 
“Hmmpf. I don’t know that I would call it a date.”

  “Then what would you call it?”

  What the hell were they teaching these kids in the third grade these days?

  “I would call it getting together with my designer to go over plans for the remodel of Grandma and Granddaddy Taylor’s old house.”

  “Are you going to have dinner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is it going to be a hamburger or are you going to a nice restaurant?”

  “Neither. I’m going to meet Grace at her house to look at blueprints and color swatches and she is going to cook. I believe she said pasta. She asked if I liked pasta, anyway.”

  “Are you going to dress up or are you going to wear what you have on now?”

  Jessica opened the screen door and they stepped inside the kitchen. She glanced down at faded jeans and a red Houston Texans t-shirt.

  “I’m not going to wear this. I’m going to put something else on before I go.”

  Rachel walked over and opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a juice box. Popping a straw in the top of the box, she continued her line of questioning.

  “Are you going to talk just about prints and colors or are you going to talk about other things too?”

  “I’m sure we will talk about other things as well.”

  “Will be it be just the two of you?”

  “I believe so, yes.”

  “Are you going to brush your hair and put on make-up before you go?”

  “I’m sure that I will.”

  “Aunt Jessica?”

  “Yes sweetie?”

  “You’re going on a date.”

  With the Rachel walked out of the kitchen and into the living, leaving Jessica standing alone in the kitchen to consider what her niece had said.

  It had been two weeks since her encounter with Grace at the farmhouse. Grace had done her best to avoid Jessica in that span, or at least is seemed to Jessica that she was. Jessica knew that she had come on a little strong – okay, a lot strong – outside the farmhouse, but she knew that she was not imagining Grace’s response that day. She couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened between them if her brothers Brett and Mark hadn’t chosen that particular moment to stop by. As soon as the men arrived, Grace became Miss Uber-Professional and seemed to go out of her way to make sure that she and Jessica were not left to themselves again.