by Susan Renee
“Thank you for understanding.” He kisses the other side of my neck. “I promise I will make it up to you. I’ll spend all night tomorrow making it up to you.”
“It’s a deal.”
“And you know what else I can’t wait for?” he asks.
“What?”
“Our trip to New York Next week. I hope these next few days fly by so we can be free to spend several days together, just you and me, locked in a hotel room.” He smiles and kisses me again.
“Mmm…I love the sound of that.”
Jack stands up, lifting me from his lap and carrying me all the way to the front door. “It’s a beautiful tattoo,” he says, admiring his artwork on my chest.
“I think I’ll keep it,” I tell him. He kisses me one last time before putting me down and opening the door.
“I’ll call you tomorrow as soon as I can. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck. You’re bad-ass Jack Schmidt. Go do your thing.”
“I love you!” he calls to me from his car. I wave and blow him a kiss good-night. “I love you too!”
Chapter 9
Linda
Fridays are the best day of the week! Although it’s not always the end of my work week – as I work during the weekends a lot – it’s always the end of Jack’s, which means I usually have his undivided attention for a few days in a row. Knowing that I’m off today, and after last night, I’m pretty sure this weekend might just become the greatest weekend of my life, and I have all day to prepare for it.
“Forget Friday!” I say as I spring out of bed. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s sex-day!” Stepping in front of the mirror in the bathroom, I pull on the collar of my shirt until I can see it. The tattooed words that Jack left for me last night are still there, his reminder of his feelings for me.
He loves me.
Staring at his artwork on my body makes me fear the shower. “It’s too pretty to wash it all away,” I whine to myself. I contemplate covering it with plastic or something, but if it gets even a little bit of water on it, the ink will run. “Too bad it’s not a real tattoo. Then I wouldn’t have to…”
I gasp at my own words. “A real tattoo…”
Quickly I pull my shirt off and study the markings over my heart. “He would flip out.” I smile thinking of how awesome it would be if I could show him tonight that the ink is permanent. That his words really will be with me forever. Not sure if they’ll even have time to get me in, I decide to pull on some clothes, throw my hair up in a messy bun and call Jenna.
“Jenna’s cell phone answering service?” Jacoby’s voice greets me.
“Uh, I’m pretty sure her cell phone actually comes with an answering service,” I tease.
“Yeah but I saw your name and knew she wouldn’t want to miss your call so I answered it. She’s in the bathroom.”
“Well then, hey there, Mr. Jacked Up Jacoby, how’s it going this morning? If she’s in the bathroom then I trust I’m not interrupting something important?” I smirk even though nobody can see me.
“Well first, I don’t fuck and tell.” He chuckles. “And secondly, no. I’ve actually been up for several hours working, and she just woke up not too long ago.”
“Oh good. Do you guys have plans today?”
“Nothing major. Why? Do you have plans?”
I want to squeal through the phone, “YES! I’m getting LAID tonight!” but that might be really awkward for Jacoby to hear since that statement involves his best friend. “Uh, yeah later, but first I want to get a tattoo.”
“What? A tattoo? Why?”
“Why not? You’ve got some. Where did you go to get them done?”
“You’re serious?” he asks.
“Hell yeah, I’m serious!” I exclaim.
“Uh, okay. I usually go see Cole over at Flash Your Tats. He’s great. Does nice work…she wants to get a tattoo today.” I hear Jacoby tell Jenna my plans and then hear a shuffling noise on the other end.
“You want to do WHAT?” She squeals. “Are you even serious right now?”
“YES! I’m serious.” I laugh back at her. “It’s a long story but Jack tattooed me with markers last night and I want to make it permanent. Will you go over with me?”
“Something about Jack? You’re getting a tattoo for Jack? Babe, don’t you want to think that through a little bit? I mean, I don’t know what it is but what if it doesn’t work out?” she warns.
“Biotch, listen to me. I’m not getting his name tattooed across my ass or anything. It’s just something I like and want to keep.”
“You have to tell me what it is before I say I’ll go.”
“Okay but I’m going whether you decide to come with me or not,” I tell her.
“Just tell me.”
“He wrote the words ‘I love you’ right over my heart last night, Jizz.” I swoon. “But he drew a little red heart in the place of the O in love. It’s so cute. It’s small but it’s there and I don’t want to wash it away. I want to keep it. Forever. He loves me, Jizz. He told me he loves me.”
There’s silence on the other line until I hear a sniffle.
“What the hell, are you crying?” I ask her.
“Shut up. No, I’m not crying.”
She’s totally crying.
“What’s wrong with you?” I laugh.
“That’s just so sweet, Linds. He told you he loves you...he told her he loves her.” I hear Jenna tell Jacoby.
“Yeah, we had a nice talk last night. And after his big day in court today we’re going to finally uh, celebrate our feelings…all night long, he said.” I giggle.
“Oh, my gosh!” Jenna laughs.
“Yeah so I want to get this tattoo so I can surprise him tonight. So, will you come with me?”
“Of course, I’ll come with you! I think this is super sweet. You guys are so cute together. What time to do you want to go?”
“Um, I don’t know yet. I have to call and make sure they can get me in. I’m hoping they will since it’s just a small thing.”
“Ok well I’ll get myself ready and you just swing by my place whenever you’re ready.”
“Sounds great. I’ll be in touch. Later Jizz.”
“Later babe!”
***
“I hope you’re sure about this,” Jenna says as she climbs into the passenger seat of my car. “You know tattoos are permanent, right? There’s no going back.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. And yes, I’m sure.” I can’t hide the giddy smile that I’ve been wearing all morning. Jenna looks at me like she’s not sure who I am.
“What has gotten in to you? Last night you were all ‘cry me a river, I’m not getting laid’, and now you have this weird smile plastered across your face.”
I look over at her and, with a pretend horrified expression, declare, “I think it might be love.”
“Ha! You don’t say.” Jenna laughs. “I apologize if I’ve ever put you through the ‘emotional-best-friend-ringer’ because wow, it’s hard to keep up with your emotions sometimes.”
A hearty laugh escapes me. “Consider it karma, bitch! You owe me. This is the start of bestie retribution.”
“Okay, okay. I concede. Besides, if you’re with Jack and I’m with Jacoby, we’ll never be apart! So, show me this fake tattoo,” she says.
As I’m driving I pull the collar of my shirt down so she can get a glimpse of Jack’s words written on my chest. “Awww, that’s so sweet. If Jacoby had done that to me, I would’ve wanted to keep it too.”
“Do you think he’ll like it?” I can’t believe I’m even questioning myself.
“If his feelings are as strong as yours, and I think they are, then yes, I think he’ll love it,” Jenna says, putting my mind at ease. “Do you think tonight is the night?”
“Oh yeah. He finally told me last night that he wants it, really badly, but he’s been too scared to mess anything up between us,” I begin to explain.
“Why? He’s not a virgin, is he?”
“No, I don’t think so, though he never really said for sure. What he did say was that he’s had it kind of rough in the sexual experience department, and I don’t mean rough in a good way.”
“Awww, poor Jack. I wouldn’t have ever thought that possible with him, and Jacoby has never mentioned anything, not that he would always know, I suppose.”
“Yeah. So, I think now that both of our feelings are out on the table, he feels better about things. So, the plan is to get together after his hearing and spend the night…together.” I wink.
“Are you going there or is he coming to your place?”
“Umm, to be honest we really hadn’t decided that. He’s going to text me when he’s home from his hearing, but maybe I’ll swing over there and surprise him with what is soon to be the best tat ever!” I declare.
“Did you trim the bush?” Jenna asks in her best drill sergeant voice.
“Bush trimmed, Sir!” I respond with a salute.
“Shave your legs?”
“Legs shaved, Sir!”
“Coconut oil applied?”
“Soft as a baby’s butt, Sir!”
“Good, because we’re here.” She squeals as I turn the car into the parking lot of the Flash Your Tats tattoo parlor. I pull into a spot near the entrance of the store and grab my purse from the back seat. “Here we go!”
Chapter 10
Jack
“Thank you, Mr. Schmidt. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.” Mrs. Clark wraps me in a hug as we stand together in the court room.
“It was the least I could do for your children, Mrs. Clark,” I say to her. “You have great kids. They deserve to grow up with a parent who can provide for them and most importantly, show them unconditional love.”
“So, what do I do now?” she asks as I close my briefcase.
“Well, the court will send some paperwork that finalizes everything, but in the meantime, you get to walk out of here with a smile on your face, go pick up your kids and spend the day showering them with love. I guarantee you they will appreciate it.”
Mrs. Clark beams at me through her teary eyes. “That sounds like a perfect idea.” We both walk out of the courtroom where Mrs. Clark’s ex-husband looms nearby. His expression is not at all one of satisfaction and I can feel Mrs. Clark’s anxiety level rise just walking next to her.
“Just keep your head up and keep walking, Molly. He can’t hurt you now. That’s what the restraining order is for, and if he comes anywhere near you or the kids you call the police immediately. Don’t think twice.”
Mrs. Clark takes a huge breath and wipes away the happy tears from a moment ago. “Why does he have to ruin everything? I can’t even celebrate without him getting in the way.”
“Don’t worry,” I tell her with a reassuring smile. “That will only last until you leave this building. Then you’ll be fine.”
“Do you get to celebrate things like this to? Or is it just back to the office for you?” she asks sincerely.
“Well, yeah it is back to the office for me to finish some paperwork, but yes, I’ll get a chance to unwind tonight and celebrate with a beer.”
Or, you know, sex!
“Great. You deserve it. So, you’ll be in touch with anything else I need to do?”
“Yes. My office will call to schedule one more meeting to finalize any outstanding paperwork. You should expect to hear from someone on Monday or Tuesday at the latest.” I nod.
“Great. Thanks again. For everything,” she says.
“You’re welcome.” I wave as she walks out the door into a beautifully sunny Friday afternoon.
***
I’ve never been more grateful to have a hearing today of all days. Having something to keep me busy all day certainly makes the day go faster. When the clock strikes five I don’t hesitate to shut down my computer, clear off my desk, grab my stuff and head for the car. I can’t wait to get home. I’m in need of a good shower to wipe the slime of abusive ex-husbands off me so I can focus on the one and only thing I want tonight.
Linda.
She’s waited patiently for so long, so I have a lot of making up to do. I want her to be able to feel all my feelings for her, and have not one doubt in her mind who she can trust to give her the world if she wants it.
After I walk Sampson, I play with him for a few minutes before getting ready to jump in the shower. I pull off my socks and take my shirt off before starting the water. Thoughts of Linda, and what our night might be like, have been running through my head all day. I can feel the anticipation surging through me. I remove my belt from my pants and unzip them when a blood-curdling scream comes from next door.
“HELLLLP! OH MY GOD!”
“Whoa! What the…?” I ask myself, running through the apartment to ensure nobody is here. The scream was loud enough, I would’ve believed it was from the next room.
Next room.
Gabby’s room.
“GET OUUUUT!”
Her bathroom is just on the other side of mine. That’s what I had to have heard. It was definitely her voice I heard. I run from my apartment straight into hers, not even knocking to make sure everything is okay. I know Gabby isn’t my favorite person in this apartment complex, and I know I sometimes see her as a bit of walking Destiny from my college years, but I wouldn’t ever wish her harm. If she’s being attacked, it’s my duty to help her.
“Gabby!” I shout running through her apartment.
“JACK! HELP!” she cries.
I expect to find her being physically attacked by a stranger, or worse, maybe someone we know who lives right here in the complex. What I don’t expect to find when I make my way down the hall to her bathroom is Gabby, dressed only in a pink bathrobe, standing on her bathroom sink.
“Gabby? What’s going on?” I ask, trying to catch my breath. “Are you okay?”
“NOOO! I’m not ok, Jack! There’s a MOUSE in my bathtub!!” She points to the white tub against the opposite wall. “Look! You have to get him out of there!”
Is she kidding me?
I take one more step farther into the bathroom towards the tub and confirm that there is, indeed, a nice-sized mouse scratching at the walls of her tub, unable to climb up.
“Okay, first of all, you sounded like you were being murdered with that scream, but it’s only a damn mouse in your bathroom. And secondly, how the hell did it get in there?”
Still standing on the sink and grasping at her robe she explains, “I have no idea how he got in here at all! One minute I was washing my make-up off my face, and when I went to open the shower curtain he fell in. He had to have been on the curtain rod and I never saw him. How the hell he got up there is beyond me! PLEASE, can you just help me get him out?”
I look around the room with my hands on my hips not sure of how I’m going to remove this mouse from the bathtub. Part of me would love to just let the little guy stay in there and tell Gabby it’s probably karma for something, but damn it, I’m the nice guy who doesn’t like to be mean to women, so of course I agree to help her.
“Do you have a mouse trap?” I ask her.
“Ew! No! I’ve never had mice before and besides, I don’t want mouse guts all over my tub. I need to get a shower before my date tonight!” She squeals.
“Okay, well, I can’t promise that I’m going to get him out of there alive. Just…” I think for a minute and realize it’s not a big deal. “Why don’t you just grab your things and go shower at my apartment while I deal with him? Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah. Oh, God, yes! I don’t want to see what happens to him.” Gabby jumps down from the sink and grabs her shampoo and conditioner from the side of the tub. “I’ll just…go wash my hair at least, and come back.”
“Sure. No problem. Umm, how about a bucket. Do you have a bucket of some sort that I can try to lure him into to get him outside?”
“Yeah I do.” she says, grabbing a small bag and tossing a few things from the bathroom insi
de. “It’s underneath the sink in the kitchen.”
Following her instructions, I walk out into the kitchen and find a large blue bucket underneath the sink. “Broom?” I shout to her.
“Hall closet!” she responds, walking down the hall, opening the closet door along the way. “Right here. Thanks Jack. I swear I’ll be quick.”
“No problem. I can’t promise I’ll be quick, but I’ll try.” I walk back into Gabby’s bathroom as she leaves for my apartment. I hear her say hello to Sampson before deciding to get back to the matter at hand.
With a broom in one hand and a bucket in the other, the only thing I can think to do is to try and push the mouse into the bucket and then hopefully release it outside. One would think that would be pretty easy to do, but in fact, it is not. I guess I never thought about just how fast mice can be when they want to be. This little guy has been able to evade my every move. Finally, and with a little more force than I probably needed, I use my hockey-stick of a broom to shoot the mouse into the bucket like a puck into a net. The mouse hits the bottom of the bucket and is dazed just long enough for me to pick the bucket up so that he can’t climb out.
“He shoots! He SCORES!” I shout to nobody but myself. Before the prize rodent tries to escape the bucket, I grab a towel from the rack in front of me and throw it over the top of the bucket. “Time to get you out of here, little guy. Hang on.”
Once again, I feel like the ultimate winner proudly walking down the stairs of my building with the prize in hand. It’s not until I reach the door to the outside that I realize that I’m not wearing a shirt, or socks and shoes. I let out a playful sigh of defeat before telling my new rodent friend, “You’re lucky I’m an animal lover, because I’m about to freeze my nipples off for you.”
Opening the doors to the building, I feel the rush of cold wind shooting my chest and cold cement against the bottoms of my feet. I sprint across the parking lot to the grassy area, where I remove the towel and tip the bucket over releasing the mouse. “You’re welcome,” I say to him as he scurries away like this whole thing was a fun adventure.
I don’t hesitate to get myself back in the building and up the stairs to get warm. Once I’m finished putting away the broom and bucket, I close Gabby’s apartment door and head for mine. When I open the door, Gabby is just on the other side, hair wet with her bag on her arm. “Mission accomplished,” I tell her proudly.