by Rue Volley
She took another drink, utterly transfixed. I stopped, and she waved her hand. “Details, shit, Abi—details, woman.”
“I—it was simple. He put it in.”
She stopped me. “He did? How?”
I blushed. “With his mouth.”
She set the coffee down. “Damn—just damn, Abi—go on.”
“Well, he told me to go to the back of the theater and sit down; I gave him the remote.”
She covered her mouth and then waved her hand in a roll, pushing me to keep going.
“I sat down, and it came on—I ended up on the floor, gripping the seat in front of me.”
I looked up, and Avery’s neck was red as she rubbed it. I felt the heat in my cheeks.
“Wow.”
I nodded to her. “Yeah, I agree.”
I paused and then walked up to the Keurig and made a cup for myself. I needed it. She turned to watch me as she played with her cup that sat on the counter. I lifted mine and took a sip, forgetting to add sugar to it, I was so flustered.
“What?” I asked her, and she smiled.
“I just—wow, and you are a virgin.”
I pushed my hair behind my ear. “You say it like it’s a condition.”
“It is, a serious one.”
“Avery. I don’t know what to do. He is just—he makes me feel so—he asked me out.”
She dropped her cup, and we both jumped back as it shattered on the floor between us. It made me think about the cut on my finger and I swear that a small twinge of pain shot through it. The memory of Jack lingering on me. I rubbed it as Avery cursed and leaned down, picking up the pieces. I set my cup down and joined her, careful to not cut myself again. Jack was too far away to fix me if I did and after what he had done, I wouldn’t want anyone touching me that way again except him.
I was tempted to tell Avery about the stitches, but something stopped me as we cleaned her mess up. She dumped the pieces of the cup in the sink and then grabbed a banana from the counter. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the living room, setting me down on the couch and dropping down in front of me. She peeled the banana and then looked at me.
“You need to practice.”
“What?
“Practice—here.” She pushed the peeled banana toward me. I stared at it and then at her.
“I’m not hungry.”
She laughed. “No, suck it.”
I laughed, and it came out in a short awkward burst of sound. She winked at me which was quickly followed by a nod.
“Listen to me. One thing that is important is being able to do this. You need to practice, just in case you end up anywhere near it with your mouth.”
I crinkled my brow. “I am not going to be near it with my mouth, Avery.”
She shook her head and took my hand, she placed the banana in it and then sighed. “This banana is small, I mean, do you know how big he is?”
I started to get red again. “I—no,” the flash of memory consumed my mind as he had me on the island, and my hand pressed against him. From the looks of the banana, he was much wider than that.
“Just place your lips on the tip of it.”
I giggled. “What?”
“Abi, just do it. Once you have them on there, just slowly take the banana in your mouth and apply a bit of pressure, but no teeth! Oh man. Watch the teeth.”
I shook my head, and she crossed her arms over her chest. Avery is very aggressive, so I knew that it would be a fight to buck her on this.
I brought the banana up and opened my mouth. I tried my best to not laugh so I shut my eyes and placed my lips on the tip of it. I started to press it inside as I scraped it with my teeth. I immediately relaxed and just kept pushing it back until I had pretty much the whole thing to the back of my throat. I opened my eyes, and Avery was staring at me in wonder. I pulled it out as she shook her head.
“You didn’t gag at all.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I never gag. I couldn’t even throw up when I felt sick, sticking my finger back there does nothing.”
She held her hands up like she was at church. “Blessings all around.”
“What?”
“That’s a gift, one that Jack will love.”
I felt the heat rising in my cheeks again. It flustered me to think about doing this to him.
She stood up as the buzzer rang. She ran to the door as she called out to me. “Keep sucking and moan, moaning is good.”
I shoved the banana in my mouth and practiced pushing it and out as it got easier to not damage it with my teeth. I started to make a bit of noise, taking Avery’s suggestions to heart. I heard the footsteps and turned with the banana shoved to the back of my throat as I looked up to see Jack standing there. I spit it out as it broke and fell to the floor.
“Oh my God, Jack!” I stumbled to my feet as I kicked the banana under the couch. Avery grinned as she leaned from behind him.
“Company.”
“Yeah, thanks, Avery.”
Avery laughed as she left him standing there and headed for her room. So here I was, wet, in a towel, and going down on a banana. Fabulous.
Jack smiled at me. “Should I be jealous?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
He pointed behind himself, “I could come back, give you time to finish up.”
I shook my head as my cheeks felt like fire.
I pointed to the couch. “That was all Avery.”
“No, that looked like all you—and it looked good.”
“I, um—what are you doing here?”
“Date?”
I glanced at the wall and could see that it was only three o’clock.
“I thought the charity was at eight?”
“It is, I thought we could go out early, gives us more time together.”
I nodded to him. “Okay—yeah, okay. That sounds good. I’m just going to go get dressed and wipe the humiliation off of me, is that okay?”
He grinned as he touched the side of his mouth. “You have some—right there.”
I reached up and wiped banana from my lip. Just awesome, I’m sure I look fantastic.
“I—I’ll be back.”
He laughed as I ran out of the room with all intention of killing my roommate.
“Avery!” I yelled as I left him standing there.
CHAPTER SEVEN
TRYING TO BE NORMAL
Jack held his hand out to me as he helped me out of the black limo. I stood up, the long, black dress hugging my curves and even more elegant than the red cocktail dress of Avery’s. Of course I had to borrow another dress; nothing like this hung in my closet. I had no idea if it ever would. The ruby ring sat securely on my right hand, a beautiful reminder of Jack. Something I would treasure forever. I never dreamed that I would own something like it, but now I do.
Jack’s strong hand slid to the base of my back as we walked toward the entrance to the restaurant. His thumb slowly moved up and down against my pale skin and sent small waves of pleasure through me. If he only knew how he made me feel, then we would probably be naked in the back of the car as I allowed him to do as he wished with me. Telling him no proved to be an issue for me. One that I hoped I would never regret.
We entered the restaurant to a delicious aroma, a mixture of so many things it was hard to place it. I could tell that it was probably one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, but what did I expect? This, coming from a man who purchased a ring for me that he didn’t even know the cost of. That was not my life, nowhere near it. I was a student, the final year, almost done, and a student loan hung over my head, a heavy one. I lived on a budget, as most students do. I had thought that Avery suffered as I did, but came to find out she came from money, something she hid very well. I wasn’t sure why she had such contempt for it¸ but then again, it wasn’t my life so how could I know?
I was just grateful that I loved where I came from. Of course, my mom helped with my schooling, as much as she could. I had received
a scholarship that paid for my first year, the combination of the two helped me out. The rest I took upon myself even though my mom offered. I just couldn’t take any more from her when I knew that I could handle it on my own. If there was one thing that my parents taught me, it was the value of stuff. You work hard; you reap the benefits. I believed it.
Jack was greeted like an old friend, by name, and we were shown to his table. When the man dressed in a very nice tuxedo said that he had Jack’s regular table ready, I tried to ignore it. He told me that dating was something that he didn’t do and I decided to believe him. I mean, having a table in an excellent restaurant could mean many things. He did do a lot of business, and I am sure this place could have served as a nice spot to meet and discuss just that.
As we walked through the restaurant, all eyes were on us. Well, mainly on Jack. I was simply a prop, or so I felt as they barely glanced at me and murmurs rose. I know who Jack is. I know how important his money and influence is to the city. It was hard to not know. I guess I just couldn’t believe that I was here with him. He was famous in his own right, and I won’t lie and say that I didn’t start looking some things up about him. I figured that if I was going to feel exposed to him then I should know who I was dealing with. It could serve as good conversation, perhaps make me a bit more interesting if I felt that I needed to be.
We reached the red velvet booth in the back of the restaurant, a private location, quieter and out from under prying eyes. In fact, the booth had a curtain drawn back that I noticed as Jack held my hand and I sat down. He sat down across from me so that he could look at me as the man waited for Jack to order the drinks.
“The regular, Mr. Landon?”
Jack smiled and nodded to him as I cleared my throat and looked up above us. A small crystal chandelier hovered in the air, raining down a soft light that made him look angelic.
“The regular,” I said as I looked at him and grinned.
“I come here—often.”
“I can tell.”
He lifted his hand and rubbed the side of his neck. Something I was starting to notice with him, as well as a few other small ticks, that he seemed to rely on. I had no idea if he did them with everyone, or just me. It made me happy to think that maybe it could be me that brought it out in him. Something I could own. Something no one else had experienced with him.
“Not on dates,” he added as if I was wondering.
“Oh, I wasn’t implying anything.”
He grinned as the drinks arrived. One was placed in front of him and the other in front of me. It looked like a mixed drink, clear with a mint leaf floating on the top of it. The man bowed to me and then stepped back.
“Would you like some privacy, sir?” he asked, very politely. Jack grinned and then nodded as the man closed the curtain. It encased us in the booth. Jack gently fingered at his drink. I couldn’t help but stare at his fingers as he watched me. I picked my drink up and smelled it. Jack leaned back, resting the side of his hand on the black table that sat between us.
“Rum, vanilla with mint.”
I nodded to him.
“Sounds delicious.”
Jack looked down at his drink and took a sip. He swallowed and then waited for me to try it.
I took a sip and hissed as the burn coated my throat. His eyes looked curious as I set it down and refused to cough. I lifted my fingers and touched my lips. He reached across the table and took my hand, turning it over and rubbing my palm with his fingers, stroking it slowly as he looked at the lines that ran across it like a map to my soul.
“This one…” his finger moved along the top line on my palm and made me part my lips. His touch was intoxicating and he had to know it. There was no way that he couldn’t know. I reacted to him every single time he touched me without being able to control it.
“This is your heart.”
My heart skipped a beat as he let the tip of his finger float along, barely touching my skin. He cradled my hand in his other and it made me sigh.
“The line is broken.”
I leaned in as he did and then looked up as his eyes consumed me. “I don’t know why.”
“It looks as if you want love, but you have yet to find it, but it is coming. The line becomes solid here and continues on.”
I watched as he gently started to trace another line. “And this is fate.”
I smiled. “I don’t believe in fate.”
“Oh, really.”
I looked up at him as the soft light glinted in his eyes. “No—I mean, I believe that we set our course by the choices that we make. Fate has nothing to do with it.”
He smiled. “That’s not very romantic for someone who is, by all definition, a hopeless romantic.”
The blush rose in my cheeks. “I—I’m not a hopeless romantic. I mean, I believe in love and I think that everyone deserves it.”
“Even me?” Jack asked me as I studied his face.
“Of course, why wouldn’t you deserve love?”
Jack let my hand go and leaned back, grabbing his drink and taking a larger sip of it than before. I felt like he was uncomfortable, but oddly enough, he opened the doorway to this conversation. It was almost as if he wanted to be tested.
“I don’t know if I’m capable of love. I’m capable of many things, Abigail, but love may be too foreign to me.”
I let the words settle into me. Was he sending me a warning shot? Telling me to turn back and run?
“Love isn’t foreign to anyone; I don’t believe that, Jack.”
His eyes floated over his drink as he contemplated what I said. Then he leaned up, his lips parted, and he was right on the verge of telling me something. Something about him that he apparently wanted me to know. Right as the truth was about to see the light, the curtain was pulled back, and voices overtook the moment. I leaned back and blinked as his brother, Jerod, and a blonde stood there smiling at him.
“Jack—oh shit, sorry,” Jerod said as if he meant it. He reeked of alcohol, and his voice was an octave to loud for the quiet restaurant. The blonde smiled at me and then forced her way in, making me scoot over as Jerod did the same to Jack. Jack and I ended up closer to one another, but it was awkward. The quiet moment and mood had been successfully broken.
The blonde stared at me as I tried to ignore her.
“You are stunning, Jack—this one is just positively delicious.”
This one burned a hole into my heart. This one, as if I was just another conquest. I grabbed my glass and took a long drink from it. I ignored the pain as the rum raced down my throat. He reached up and took my drink from me, letting his fingers wrap mine, but I refused to allow it to affect me as it had before. Again, I was feeling completely out of my element and so, so very stupid.
Jerod pointed at me. “That she is, Jack, tell me. Where did you find her and are there anymore?”
The blonde giggled as she moved closer to me. She reached up and touched my small dangling earring. I sighed, feeling as if I was on display and being inspected for quality purposes.
Jack spoke, his tone even and not a trace of anger in it. “Tasha, stop. Stop acting like a bitch.”
I looked at Jack as his eyes tore through her. She sucked in her breath and touched her chest as if she was insulted, but then she burst out into laughter, the sheer volume of it making me wince as she still sat too close to me. She bumped me from the side.
Jerod leaned back and then his laughter broke through. He bumped Jack, and it forced him to knock into me. Jack turned to him.
“I am on a date,” he said in a quiet tone.
Jerod stopped laughing and leaned to look at me. “Oh, okay—well, we will take our leave of you, my fair king.”
Jerod scooted out of the booth and held his hand out to Tasha. She took it, and he helped her up as she turned and looked back at me. She wasn’t so friendly now. I guess the fact that Jack said that he was on a date killed whatever fun she was having.
“I have that dress; it was last year’s—�
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“Tasha,” Jack said in a calm tone as he stared up at her. She stopped and smiled at him.
“So, will you be at the auction?”
Jack looked down at his drink and then back up to her. “I don’t know.”
Jerod leaned on the table. “You have to come, mother will be there and we know how she gets.”
Jack took another drink and then played with the glass in his hands. “Fine, yes. I will be there.”
“And—you?” Tasha asked me, and I nodded to her.
“Yes, I’m coming. I’ll see you there.”
She shifted from one heel to the other as she glared at me. It was an obvious attempt to intimidate me, but I wasn’t moved.
“Okay—good. I will see you there.”
I smiled, and they walked away, but Jerod ran back and pulled the curtains closed as he yelled. “Don’t make her scream too loud!”
I was mortified, but the drink helped as I finished it. Jack sat very still and then turned toward me as I played with my empty glass.
“I want to apologize for that.”
I looked at him. “Why? It wasn’t your fault.”
He bit his lip and leaned back. “No, it is.”
“I don’t see how that could be; you didn’t invite them here.”
“I didn’t have to; it wouldn’t matter. What we are never leaves us.”
I watched his expression as the waiter returned to us and quietly apologized to Jack. Jack held his hand up to him. “You know my brother, he has been drinking and when he drinks, well—all manners leave with his lack of sobriety.”
“Yes, sir. Can I get more drinks for you?”
“Yes, please,” I said before Jack could answer him. He smiled and leaned back on the seat next to me. I leaned back and pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear. He studied me too closely and that feeling, the all-consuming one, returned to me.
The waiter pulled the curtain and Jack kept his eyes on me as I looked down. “Don’t,” I said quietly.
“Don’t what, Abigail?”
I sighed. “Stare at me. It makes me feel…”
Jack touched my chin and turned my face toward him. “It should make you feel nothing but beautiful, because you are, Abigail, you are the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen.”