“I’m pretty sure this isn’t exactly what my dad meant.” I quickly snatched the leather jacket I had hanging in the entryway and threw it on.
“Bra, panties, and a coat, eh? Very GQ of you,” he said, lobbing the book on the bed. “Pity it goes against the school dress code, because you pull it off superbly.”
“Get out,” I said, stepping away from the door and motioning for his leave.
Instead, he simply propped himself up and grabbed a donut off the plate he had sitting beside him on my nightstand and took a bite into it. “You know, you gotta love the modern American breakfast. Back in the olden days, everyone was limited to eggs, bacon, and whatnot, but now you can drink coffee drenched in caramel, eat cereal smothered with sugar, and have cakes masquerading as morning pastries.”
“Could you please-” I started.
“Oh, where are my manners?” he interrupted, gesturing to the plate. “Would you like a Devil’s Food donut? They’re sinfully delicious.”
“Jack,” I started again.
“Seriously, it’s like eating brownies for breakfast.”
“Get your feet off my bed,” I instructed, finally taking notice to the fact that he had his riding boots resting on my comforter. “I don’t need the dirt from outside a seedy bar all over my sheets.”
He merely kicked off his shoes before returning to his meal.
“I have to get changed for school,” I said, still seeing no plans for his departure.
Thankful that I had a walk-in closet, I tried to carry on with my routine and went inside the wardrobe as if he wasn’t there. Why was he? I took off my jacket and started sorting through some long sleeve shirts.
“I think you should go with that sexy, little corseted number you have in the back,” Jack casually called out.
“You went through my closet?!” I asked furiously, my eyes immediately homing in on the red laced burlesque corset in question.
“Looks like someone’s a little closet-sex-kitten,” he teased.
“Easy, tiger,” I said, trying to hold a steady pitch in my voice. “It was my costume for last Halloween. My friends had decided to go with a whole Moulin Rouge theme, so I was stuck wearing that ridiculous thing.”
“Oh, don’t be modest,” said Jack. “You’re not fooling anyone. Girls like you always try to play down the fact that they enjoy being sexy. And there’s no better time to express that hidden desire than on Halloween, when all bets are off. Even your everyday novice-nun can turn into a naughty nurse or flirtatious feline come October 31st.”
“Yes, well, thankfully that’s the night of the dance, so I won’t have to worry about being seen in a getup like that.”
“So, you’re going to Homecoming, eh?”
“Not if I can help it,” I replied.
“You’re on the decorating committee, and you don’t even want to attend the function you’re helping to design? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense,” said Jack.
“Gwen forced me into joining. She says it’ll look good on a college application, because, as you know, Ivy League schools are always impressed to learn of someone’s talents for hanging lights and making banners,” I said wryly, pulling on a fitted black long-sleeved shirt with a deep v-cut.
Normally, the revealing nature of the plunging neckline would give rise to me putting on a camisole underneath, but for some reason, I decided against it. I quickly fed my legs through a pair of bleached blue jeans and yanked my stiletto biker boots over them. I emerged from the closet with my leather jacket in hand and grabbed my book bag off the floor beside my desk.
“Aww,” sighed Jack. “Despite your unwillingness to indulge me and my desire to see you donning a corset, bustled mini skirt, and garter belt, you still look adorable. It’s kinda girl-next-door meets biker-babe. A bit of leather and cleavage is always a crowd pleaser. Come-hither.”
At first, I wanted to kick myself for not covering up more, but then I realized his dallying really didn’t bother me. In fact, not at all.
“You ready?” I asked, coming over to the bedside.
“Wow, you really cut straight to the point,” he said playfully, sitting up and leaning in. “I didn’t think you’d make it this easy.”
Hooking his hands around my waist, he pulled me in until my legs were up against the side of my mattress. Jack rested on his knees, still hovering a few inches over me when he straightened. Soaking in every shade of blue and gray in his penetrating eyes, along with an enticing fragrance of coastal beach soap, I returned an equally alluring gaze, trying best to not blush as the heat from his hands sank into my skin. With his breath falling onto my lips, I arched my back onward to make the distance between us next to nothing.
Dipping his head down so that our facial features were aligned, he leaned in with intent, but I turned away. Taking the lone donut off the plate on the tableside, I temptingly bit into the warm, chocolate pastry.
“Mmmmmmhhh,” I moaned pleasurably. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
Slowly running my tongue over my lips as I savored the bite, Jack pulled away with a smirk immediately rising to the surface.
“Thanks for the quickie,” I said, grabbing my purse beside the plate.
“You’re just a tease,” he called out, snatching his shoes before following me out into the hallway as I triumphantly trotted downstairs.
“If perverted behavior, like coming unannounced into a lady’s bedroom and catching her in a less than decent state, is all it takes to get a woman into bed with you, then I weep for humanity,” I said.
“Oh, give it time,” said Jack. “Eventually, you will succumb to the temptation.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I replied as I entered the kitchen.
Jack poured himself a cup of coffee and parked a seat at the bar just as my dad came inside.
“You don’t have to bother,” said Jack, watching me about to dial my cell. “I already called Ian and told him I’d be giving you a ride.”
“And he was okay with that?” I asked, clearly bother once more by his intrusion.
“I don’t know. I didn’t follow up our conversation with a Q & A to discuss his feeling, but I told him nevertheless.”
“Again, boundaries.”
“Well, forgive me. I wasn’t aware that I had to run everything past your security detail,” Jack cracked. “Just a suggestion, you might want to think about rehiring for the position. Ian’s about as intimidating as a basket of kittens.”
“Not that it’s any concern to you, but he can handle himself just fine. And if you provoke him in any way, I can guarantee that he’d do more damage than you’d think.”
“What? Is he going to pull the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog out of his magic top hat?” Jack countered.
My dad nearly choked on his coffee as he tried not to laugh, but a definite snort erupted under his breath.
“You, outside,” I said, pointing at Jack.
“Uh-oh,” he said, looking at my dad. “I’m in trouble.”
Rinsing out his cup of coffee, Jack said goodbye to my dad before heading out the door.
“Have fun.”
I walked up to my father and punched him in the arm.
“Oww,” snapped my dad. “I didn’t make the comment.”
“You’re certainly not helping though.”
“Oh, come on. It was funny. Besides, any guy who knows Monty Python is okay in my book,” he chuckled.
“What is happening to this world?” I asked in utter bewilderment, reflecting over the events occurring in only the last day and a half.
1) Possessed game board piece attacking me.
2) Nearly killed by a ghost driver.
3) My “Baby” was damaged.
4) My privacy had been completely violated.
5) Jack was working as the puppeteer to my life.
6) And my dad, MY DAD, actually approved of Jack!
I had officially entered the twilight zone.
As I exited the side door, my ey
es immediately homed in on the stunning brightwork and rear fender moldings of an immaculate, black 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS. Jack smiled from ear to ear as I approached the car in utter idolization.
Jack opened the passenger door and ushered me inside. “You like her?”
“She’s gorgeous,” I said, admiring everything from its original steering wheel to the door paneling as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “The engine?”
He turned her over, and an arousing purr ignited from under the hood. “Eight cylinder.”
“Are you serious? How much did this cost?”
“Enough,” he simply replied. “You ever ridden in one before?”
I shook my head. “I’ve only seen her model up close once, at a car show.”
“Well, I have a feeling you two will get along just fine. She can sense the love,” he said, patting the dash.
Chapter 10
Teeth
By fourth period my head and neck felt like someone had beaten me with a shovel, and I had every intension of going to the nurse’s station to avoid gym class. Thankfully, Gwen informed me of the good news that had Coach Whitmore blowing smoke out of his ears. All the Homecoming props had been delivered to the gymnasium during the previous hour while that class was outside, in which the entrance to the girls’ locker room had been barricaded closed by loads of boxes and displays.
All the girls from that hour were forced to attend the next period still donned in their athletic uniforms while they waited for the entrance to be cleared. Some of the guys from our hour started the long process, but we females argued that since we still didn’t have access to proper workout clothes we shouldn’t be forced to participate. Out of fairness and complete reluctance, Coach Whitmore said that no one who didn’t want to partake in today’s activities had to, including the guys.
So ten minutes into the hour, we all strolled out onto the playing field in our street clothes and took our places on the bleachers as what mainly consisted of the football team took to the turf for a few rounds of flag football.
“How long till you get your Baby back?” asked Ian as we parked ourselves seats at the top of the stands.
“Till further notice,” I moaned, rubbing my temples.
“Oh my God!” gasped Gwen, repeatedly jabbing her pointer finger into my arm.
“Oww!” I said, more out of annoyance than pain.
Gwen grabbed my chin and angled it in the direction of the football field, my eyes immediately landing on Jack as he fed his shirt out over his head. He tossed the thermal to the ground just before catching a returning pass. No muscle on his sinewy and lean inverted triangular frame went overlooked. With his rippled abs, toned arms, broad shoulders, and defined pectorals, Jack could easily put any professional model to shame.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” muttered Ian.
“Jealous?” Gwen teased.
“Of what? Over inflated egos from a group of academic underachievers? No, I’m happy where I am, thanks,” he confirmed, kicking his feet up onto the bleachers in front of us as he rested his back on the railings. “It’s forty-three degrees out here, and Coach offered these idiots reversible jerseys. Instead of following logic, moronic intuition guides them to rip off their shirts for no given reason other than to impress women.”
“I’m impressed,” said Gwen, gawking at all the bare torsos.
“Yes, because what really determines one’s character is based on how many sit-ups he can do,” cracked Ian. “What’s even more pathetic than this cry for attention is the fact that this juvenile display is going to become habit to them. Sure, it looks fine now, but in about twenty years when their six-packs have turned into fleshy kegs, they’re still gonna be prancing about sans shirts, scaring innocent bystanders and scarring small children.”
“Awww,” teased Gwen. “Sounds like someone’s still suffering with residual effects from Mr. Johnson.”
“Is that the neighbor you have that’s always doing his yard work shirtless?” I asked, cringing at the mental visuals of a thick beer gut and man-boobs.
“One in the same,” Ian said with a chuckle. “If only my brain worked like an Etch-A-Sketch, I would have shaken my head violently and erased the images away years ago. There’s nothing in this world that will remove the emotional scars he left.”
“You ever think that maybe he’s always looked like that, and that he’s just delusional with his self confidence?”
“Nope, because he showed me some photos back from his glory days, and he was none other than the star quarterback of your very own New Haven Knights.”
“Well, even if that is their future in a couple decades, I still wouldn’t mind finding out what all that muscle can do now,” Gwen replied immodestly.
“Just because they have the muscle, it doesn’t mean they know what to do with it,” remarked Ian.
Coach called out a drill and the teams broke out into a play. Coming into a perfect stance with the football gripped properly in his grasp, Jack relinquished a deadly throw that held cannon bearing velocity. It landed firmly into the arms of a player a remarkably long ways down the field.
“Care to recanter?” asked Gwen, smugly.
“Any woman with sense would need more than a cliché display of testosterone to gain any respected feelings for a guy like that,” said Ian.
“Well, we can see Foster, here, is enjoying the view, and I can damn well guarantee that she’s appreciating more than the athleticism,” Gwen rebutted, giving me a nudge as I stared a bit too hypnotically in Jack’s general vicinity.
It took me a few seconds to process her last statement, and it was too late to try for a denial.
“You’re kidding me?” said Ian, deflated by my lack of response. “Not you too?”
“Oh, leave her alone,” said Gwen, graciously coming to my defense. “I’m just happy to see her taking an interest in the opposite sex. I was beginning to believe she was a nun-in-training.”
Another play went into motion, and again, Jack launched the football down the field with precision. All the girls on the bleachers beside us gave him a round of applause, igniting a massive eye roll from Ian. Jack gave a sarcastic and theatrical bow just as a few of the girls started giving him catcalls and whistles.
“Excuse me while I go hurl,” said Ian, preparing to stand.
Everyone on the field came back into position. Just as the next play commenced, I got a massive knot in my stomach, and I instinctively clutched Ian’s hand.
“Cass, you okay?” he asked.
My eyes homed in on a linebacker who barreled straight through the other players with a bull rush, leaving Jack completely exposed.
“He’s going for the blitz!” I exclaimed.
Just as the words rushed out, the linebacker sacked Jack, drilling him into the ground with an annihilating impact. Coach immediately blew his whistle, and everyone on the bleachers rose to their feet in concern as Jack laid motionless on the field.
“This doesn’t look good,” said Gwen, watching one of the players run off to go fetch help.
The three of us climbed down the stands and headed towards the forty-yard line.
“What the hell were you thinking, Chambers?!” shouted Coach, getting into the linebacker’s face.
“It’s okay,” grumbled Jack a moment later, groggily starting to rise to his feet. “I’m fine.”
“No, Matthews, stay where you are. You could have a concussion, or worse,” said Coach.
“Trust me, I’m fine. I don’t need a school nurse shining a light into my eyes, pretending like they know what they’re looking for,” Jack said with a stifled chuckle. “I know how to take a beating.”
Despite Coach’s insistency, he rose to his feet with the help of two other players pulling him up by his arms.
“Take him to the nurse’s office, no excuses,” addressed Coach.
Jack sarcastically saluted him and walked off the field with a player on each side.
After making an appearance
in Study Hall, I headed to the library to work on my biology report. As I made my way down the central hallway, I could hear Jack’s voice from inside the main office.
“Mr. Matthews, despite your belief in my incompetence, please take some helpful advice,” said Nurse Patty. “Avoid high impact recreations, especially given your medical history.”
“Well, there goes my social life,” he cracked, strutting out of the nurse’s station.
“If you have any problems, get your butt back in here. You hear me?” Patty said.
“Like a whistle,” replied Jack. As soon as he saw me coming towards him, he couldn’t help but smile. “Checking in on me?”
“Just going to do research,” I replied, flashing him my biology textbook. “You okay, though?”
“Tiptop.”
“What did she mean by ‘your medical history’?” I asked, the two of us heading down the hall towards the secondary cafeteria.
“I had an accident last fall. Haven’t played ball since.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “And I have to say, that was the roughest game of flag football I’ve ever seen. What happened out there?”
“You mean with the over-exuberant linebacker? Yeah, that was just a bit of a misunderstanding.”
“Bulldozing you into the ground was an accident?”
“No, that was wholly intentional. The mix-up was over the fact that he thinks I was flirting with his girlfriend during Algebra 2.”
“And you weren’t?” I asked doubtingly.
“Firstly, she was the one who started talking to me, and secondly, I didn’t know she was dating anybody,” confirmed Jack. “So, really, I’m just a victim of circumstance.”
“Oh, you poor, innocent soul,” I mocked. “I’d suggest for you to be more careful with whom you make eyes at, but I have a fairly strong feeling the message would fall upon deaf ears.”
Divine Vices Page 11