by J. Bengtsson
Suddenly Jake’s phone buzzed, startling us both. He ignored it until it stopped. We kissed through the intrusion. A minute later the phone started buzzing again. Jake and I separated slightly and he pulled out his phone to check who was calling and then returned the phone to his pocket. He jumped right back into our kiss. I pressed up against him. Just as we started getting hot and heavy again, Jake’s phone buzzed for a third time.
“Fuck,” he groaned as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. This time Jake answered it.
“Hey, what’s up?” he answered, slightly out of breath. There was silence before Jake said, “Okay, I’m on my way. Thanks.” Jake ended the call and turned to me. “They are going to have some games and cut the cake. We have to get back.”
Chapter Eight
Jake
I held Casey’s hand while we walked back. I don’t know why. I just did. It felt comfortable. It felt right. She smiled up at me with such a happy, trusting look. I wanted to wrap her in a hug. She made me feel so…I don’t even know how she made me feel…all I knew was that I liked it. A lot. Things were getting more complicated by the second. My emotions were all over the place. How was I just supposed to walk away from her after that kiss? It rocked my world.
Up until tonight, I’d never really found kissing to be very enjoyable. For some reason, to me, kissing seemed more intimate than sex. But I did it anyway because it was a means to an end. Girls wanted at least some foreplay…a little reassurance that they weren’t totally being used. So I did what I thought was necessary to get them into bed. Usually it didn’t take much before they had their legs wrapped around me and we were going at it. Of course, I wasn’t totally selfish. I made it worth their while; if for no other reason than I had a reputation to uphold. Over the years I’d learned what satiated a woman and I did my best to insure she would walk away feeling compensated.
Yeah I was using them; but, hell, they were using me too. Women didn’t go after me because of my winning personality. They went after me because I was a rockstar. For whatever reason, nothing turned women on more than a bunch of sweaty guys up onstage belting out song after song. Hey, I didn’t make the rules. I just took advantage of what I’d been given. And as brief as the encounters were, they were mutually beneficial. I got my rocks off and they got bragging rights with their girlfriends. Win-win.
But that kiss had nothing to do with the rockstar. That was all me…and all her. It wasn’t a trade off or a means to an end. It was genuine emotion. The first real kiss I’d ever had in my life. Was it really possible to meet someone and just know they are the one for you? I’d always thought that was crap but now I wasn’t so sure. What I did know was this was not the last time I was going to kiss Casey Caldwell.
Chapter Nine
Casey
As we walked back to the reception, Jake took my hand. No words, he just reached down and grabbed it. And instead of being awkward, it was like our hands molded into one. The connection I felt to Jake at that moment was electrifying.
Just before walking back into the reception hall Jake dropped my hand. “I have to go back to my family for a bit. Can I find you later?”
“I would like that,” I responded.
“Okay. See you soon,” he smiled and then walked back into the hall and headed straight over to his family. Before reentering myself, I tried to smooth down my hair and my dress. I was in a serious state of disarray. It looked, and felt, like I’d had sex. I was slick between the legs and wanted nothing more than to lock myself away with this sexy man I’d just met. So much for playing hard to get! How had Jake been able to reduce me to a quivering fangirl so easily?
The wedding party separated by gender for the garland and bouquet toss. I went through the motions but I wasn’t really connected to what was happening. In fact, I almost got hit in the head by the bouquet and watched, impassively, as women went after it like their lives depended on it. I, for one, didn’t feel like I needed the bouquet. I’d already won the biggest prize at the wedding…the affections of an amazing guy who kissed me like he meant it.
I watched Jake with his brothers. They were having so much fun. For his part, Jake seemed to have completely disengaged from our balcony kiss. I wasn’t so lucky. The memory of it clouded my mind. I wanted more. I felt desperate to get back to him. I hated being that girl. I’d always prided myself on being independent and levelheaded when it came to guys but Jake, damn, he was like a drug. This must be what it felt like to be addicted. My head was spinning when Sarah and two other bridesmaids cornered me.
“What the hell, Casey? You know I like Jake. Why are you doing this?”
“Yeah, totally uncool, Casey,” Julia piped in.
“Wait, what am I doing?” I replied.
“Oh please. You know damn well what I’m talking about. You’ve been throwing yourself on him since the second you met him. It’s actually pretty pathetic.”
“No more pathetic than your half-assed attempt to lure him in yesterday.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sarah questioned with venom in her eyes.
“It means…you don’t have dibs on him Sarah. Jake is a big boy. He makes his own decisions and can choose who he wants to hang around with.”
“How can he choose when you’re monopolizing all his time?”
“Do you see him with me now?” I said dramatically. “No, because I don’t have a leash on him, Sarah. Jake is free to hang out with whomever he wants.”
“And that’s you? Is that what you’re saying, Casey?”
I threw my hands up in the air and sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you. Jake isn’t here now so be my guest,” I uttered, motioning in his direction.
“Right…I’ll be rude and interrupt him when he’s with his family.”
“What do you want me to do, Sarah?”
“Back off!” She demanded in all her mean girl glory.
“No.” I replied defiantly.
“No?” She answered in disbelief.
“No. I like him and I’m not backing off.”
“You act all high and mighty Casey but you’re nothing special.”
“Thanks,” I replied sarcastically. “I appreciate that.”
“You know what kills me? You were the one acting all unimpressed by Jake at the bridal shower. ‘Long hair guys aren’t my type’.” Sarah mimicked me. “Now all the sudden you’re hot for him? How does that happen?”
“There is no sinister plot going on here Sarah. Once I met him I discovered that he’s super cool and that I enjoy hanging out with him. That’s it.”
“Well we would all like that chance to hang out with him but we can’t because you’re draped all over him and not giving anyone else a chance.”
“You had a chance. He wasn’t interested. Let it go.”
Sarah glared at me. “You’re such a conniving slut, Casey.”
“Jake doesn’t think so.”
Sarah stared at me a second before her eyes went big and she mocked, “Oh my God…you actually think he’s into you, don’t you? That is hilarious. What do you think is going to happen here? You think Jake is going to whisk you away on some magic fairy ride? You think you’re going to be his girlfriend and marry him someday?”
Yes. “No. Of course not. I didn’t say that,” I said, flustered.
“You didn’t have to. I can see it in your eyes. Please tell me Casey, you don’t actually think he likes you, do you?”
When I didn’t immediately respond, Sarah laughed out loud, but she didn’t sound happy in the least.
“Oh my God, you’re delusional. I actually kind of feel sorry for you. You understand that he’s a rockstar, right?” Sarah was talking down to me like I was some stupid little girl. I’d never been good at defending myself against girls like Sarah. Boys I could handle, but mean girls…they intimidated the hell out of me. So instead of engaging her any further I turned to walk away but Sarah grabbed my arm.
“I hope you know…he only wants one thing from you
,” she said through gritted teeth.
I yanked my arm from her grip and stormed off. The encounter left me feeling shaken. I started questioning the moments I’d shared with Jake. Was that really all he wanted from me…to get me in bed…because if that was what he wanted, it wouldn’t take even the slightest bit of effort on his part. And really, what was I expecting? It wasn’t like we were going to start dating. Jake had been perfectly clear about that.
I found an empty table toward the back of the reception hall and sat down. My feet were aching in the heels so I took my shoes off. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. Suddenly I felt like crying. What was I doing? I was seriously falling for a guy who candidly admitted to me just an hour before that he wasn’t interested in a relationship. By making my ‘no strings attached’ deal with him, I’d basically tricked him into hanging out with me by dangling the possibility of sex in front of him…knowing I had no intention of honoring the tease. I tried to pretend that we could just be friends but the attraction I felt toward him was off the charts. And either Jake felt the same way about me or he was just a master at seducing women…which, given his profession, probably wasn’t too far fetched. Could he just be that skilled at playing women that he was able to bring me to my knees so effortlessly? Maybe Sarah was right. Maybe I was just another notch in his belt.
“Damn you’re hard to find sometimes, Casey Caldwell.” I opened my eyes and upon seeing Jake’s adorable smile, all my self-pity disappeared. I smiled up at him. “What are you doing over here all by yourself? Are you hiding from me?”
“Actually yes.”
Jake’s face changed. He looked confused…like he was trying to figure out what he’d done wrong.
“It’s not you,” I sighed. “I just got bitched out for hogging all your time. Apparently there are other girls here who would like the chance to have sex with you tonight.”
Jake didn’t seem all that shocked by my words which made me feel even more insecure.
“And, despite what happened on the balcony, I don’t sleep with guys on a first date…not that this is even a date…but you know what I mean. So if that is what you’re expecting, maybe you should just go and explore your options…hit up Sarah…she’s a sure thing,” I revealed, finally breathing after my speech. “Plus my feet hurt.” I whined.
Jake stood there silently. I couldn’t read his face. He appeared to be thinking. Was he really contemplating his choice?
“Well, it was really nice meeting you Casey. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime,” Jake said then turned and walked away. My mouth dropped open. It felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I didn’t know what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t that. I thought we had more of a connection than for him to just dump me so he could find a more willing hookup. What a goddamn jerk!
I was so upset that I didn’t even see when Jake stopped a few feet away, swiped a white rose out of a vase, and grabbed a couple of napkins off the table next to him. He then turned around and came walking back over to me with a mischievous smile on his face. It took me a second to understand what was happening.
“Oh my God, that was…oh my god…that was just mean!” I exclaimed loudly. “I really hate you!” I shot my leg out to playfully kick him and he dodged me easily. What I really wanted to do was grab him and kiss him. Jake looked so pleased with himself.
“You were just too easy,” he said stealing my line from last night’s prank.
“You got me good!” I acknowledged, laughing from both relief and happiness. “For a second there I seriously thought you were the biggest jerk EVER!”
“I know. I could see the venom in your eyes. But, really Casey, you had it coming,” Jake defended, shaking his head and smiling. He pulled a chair up close to me, sat down, then handed me the rose. “For you.”
“Ahh…so sweet. Thank you,” I replied, as I smelled the rose.
“Your welcome,” Jake replied smiling then added, “I guess the only thing left to do is take care of your other problem.”
I looked at him confused.
“Give me your damn feet,” he said.
I looked at him in shock.
“What? I’ll give you a foot massage.”
“You’re seriously going to rub my dirty, stinky feet?” I asked incredulously.
“I brought protection,” he revealed and held up the two white napkins proudly.
“That’s…so funny,” I laughed out loud. I swung my legs up and deposited them onto his lap.
Jake wrapped my feet in the napkins and started rubbing them. “And just so you know, I don’t have a foot fetish so this sort-of grosses me out. I’m only doing this to impress you.”
“Well then you’ve accomplished your goal,” I declared. Just then he hit a sore spot in my heel and it felt so good that I actually started moaning and groaning.
“Holy shit, Casey. You sound like you’re having little foot-gasms.”
I laughed loudly at this. “You have no idea how good that feels.”
“I’m getting a pretty good idea,” he commented in amusement.
I giggled.
“So speaking of foot-gasms, Jake, why would you stay…I mean, I took sex off the table?”
Jake looked at me with the slightest smile then said, “I’m not a Neanderthal, Casey. I don’t need to have sex to have a good time.”
“And are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Having a good time?”
“I wouldn’t be here, with your stinky feet in my lap, if I weren’t.”
“Yeah, you’d be in a broom closet with Sarah,” I joked.
Jake shook his head but he was grinning. “God, it’s all about sex with you, Casey”
I laughed. “I know. Sorry. You intimidate me. I mean it would take no effort on your part to get with pretty much any girl at this wedding.”
Jake didn’t refute my claim…probably because he knew it was true. In fact, he was actually giving what I said quite a bit of thought. What am I getting myself into?
Finally he sighed and said, “Sometimes having sex just isn’t worth the consequences.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that with sex comes expectations.”
I waited for him to explain his comment and when he didn’t I said, “And?”
Jake sighed as if he were expected to explain himself to a child. “If I’m going to have meaningless sex with someone I need a quick exit strategy otherwise she’s going to want to follow me around, or worse, talk. In a setting like this, there is no way to disappear after getting it on so sex would not be worth the consequences…get it?”
I looked at Jake stunned. “Wow, you’ve really given this a lot of thought.”
Jake laughed. “I’ve learned from experience.”
“I’m sure you have. So then I guess it’s a good thing we aren’t going to have meaningless sex tonight?” I laughed. “Because I would definitely be following you around trying to talk to you.”
“I know. You’d be the worst,” Jake smirked.
I laughed.
“I’m just kidding. With you, it wouldn’t be meaningless sex?” Jake retorted, laying on the charm.
“Well, you won’t have a chance to find out, now will you BFF?
“Oh, I didn’t realize that that was what we were.”
“Your rules, not mine.”
“My rules?” Jake questioned.
“Well, isn’t it you that has some fancy-schmancy world tour that you don’t want to disturb with a needy ho?”
“Oh right, you’re the needy ho, I forgot.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jake smiled his sexy smile and continued rubbing my feet in silence for a minute before saying, “What if I want to revise my rules?”
“I’m listening.”
“Friends with benefits, maybe?” He smiled seductively.
“Yes but you forget my number one rule…no sex on the first date.”
“What about the second date?”
“I have no steadfast rules about that. But we would have to have a second date to find out and that seems unlikely since you’re leaving tomorrow for Europe.”
“I’m leaving for Europe, not another planet. It doesn’t seem all that far-fetched that we might see each other again, Casey.”
My heart leapt inside my chest. Did he want to see me again? Refusing to allow him to see my excitement I shrugged then replied simply, “Yeah, I guess… if I’m not dating someone else by the time you get back.”
Jake grinned at me. “How likely is that?”
“You don’t think I can get me a guy in three months time? I go to ASU, Jake…it’s not that hard!” I exclaimed with indignation.
Jake laughed. “I have no doubt you could find a guy in an instant. I just meant how likely are you to find a guy who rubs your feet when they are sore or who finds your first date rule charming?”
“Honestly?” I laughed. “Not very likely.” Seriously? Was Jake McKallister really trying to sell himself to me? There was absolutely no need. I already found him irresistibly charming. “But then how likely are you to find a girl who makes you laugh and who also has a binder full of banana labels?”
Jake smiled, “Honestly? I don’t think another girl like you exists in the world.”
Ahhh…damn you Jake.
“Still that doesn’t solve our current problem. What about tonight?” I asked.
Jake thought for a minute. “Is making out considered sex in your little rule book?”
“Well now that you mention it…no…making out falls within the realms of acceptable no sex behavior.”
Jake looked at me blankly. “I have no idea what you just said.”
“Yes Jake. We can make out. God, do you need me to show you the rule book?” I said rolling my eyes dramatically.
“That might help,” he said smiling that adorable smile of his. “Because, honestly, you’re confusing the fuck out of me.”