by Tiya Rayne
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. Jackson glanced to the passenger seat with a smile on his face.
“Damn,” he stated. “You’re gorgeous when you laugh. I can watch you do it all day.”
My laughter immediately died down. My stomach fluttered, and for the first time, it had nothing to do with a sexual urge. Again, I wasn’t new to compliments, but it was something about the way Jackson talked to me. There was a sincerity in his voice that I’d never heard before.
“Whatever. Don’t think just because you told me about your short stint as a juvenile delinquent that I’m going to tell you any of my secrets.” I turned from him and looked out of the window. The traffic was starting to move again.
“I know you have secrets. You don’t have to tell me where the bodies are,” he said with a chuckle.
I faced him. “Are you suggesting that I’ve possibly killed someone?” I gave him an innocent look.
He glanced at me before turning back to the road.
“Knowing you, it’s probably more than just one.”
At this, I laughed again.
“I’m not that bad.”
I chuckled at his incredulous look.
“You’re a fine one to talk, little arsonist.” He roared with laughter. “Fine, you want one of my secrets?”
He nodded his head.
“Ok.” I took a deep breath as I got serious. “I went on a date with this guy one time. He was really sweet, and I thought he was the perfect guy. He picked me up in his nice new car looking so good.” I cut my eyes over to Jackson, and even though his eyes were on the road, I knew I had his full attention. I continued on. “Then it happened. Jackson, it was awful.”
“What? What happened, Charlice?” His hands tightened around the steering wheel causing his knuckles to whiten.
“He…He…He wouldn’t tell me where he was taking me on our date, so I shot him in the foot.” I started to laugh at the face he gave me. He was so invested in my story.
Finally, that cute smile broke across his face. “Not funny, woman. I thought I was going to have to go whoop some dude’s ass.”
I shook my head. “Seriously, where are we going? And I swear if you’re taking me to a gym, that story is going to be true.”
His laughter rung out in the car. “I’m not taking you to the gym. Can’t you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the suspense?”
“Fuck no!”
Another one of his loud rowdy laughs. “Tell me, what else would you be doing on a Saturday morning at nine a.m?”
Before I could answer, he seemed to think about his question.
“You know what, I don’t want to know the answer to that.”
I playfully punched him in the arm. “Despite what you think, Mr. Keller, my Saturday mornings would usually be spent running errands for my grandparents or hanging with my God-children.”
“You have God-children?”
“Yes, two and a half. They are actually my little cousins, but their mom and I are really close, so she named me God-mother.”
“Tell me about them.”
I smiled thinking about my sassy babies. “Well, Kylie is the oldest, and she is hilarious. She’s super smart and independent. She loves being helpful and thinks she’s a fashionista. Naya is three, and she wants to be just like me. She copies everything I do. I haven’t met the youngest yet, but I’m super excited to spend time with them.”
I turned to look at Jackson, and he was just staring at me with a smile on his face.
“What?”
He shook his head and chuckled. “The way your face lights up when you talk about your God-children, it’s adorable.”
I blushed. Damnit!
“Yeah well, my God-children are great kids.”
“I can tell.”
“So, what about you? Any God-children…or children?”
He chuckled. “Very subtle.”
“Hey, a woman has to ask these things.”
He ran his hands through his hair before looking over to switch lanes. “No, no God-children or children, but I do have two really great nephews.”
“Yeah, you mentioned them before. Your sister’s kids, right? So are you the fun uncle?”
“Are you kidding? I’m the world’s greatest uncle. I have a shirt and a mug to prove it. I’ve held that title for five years straight now.”
I laughed. “Oh, we’re cocky about it.”
“Damn right.”
We both laughed until it slowly faded away.
“I love being an uncle,” Jackson admitted. “And I know one day, I will love even more being a dad. What about you, you want kids one day?”
I continued to look out of the window as I allowed his question to run its usual course around my body.
“Don’t think you can distract me with this talk about kids. I still need to know where the hell you’re taking me.”
“You will see.” He laughed while taking an exit to the right.
NINE
Not long after taking the exit, we pulled up to a sign that read, Sweetwater Creek. Jackson pulled his large truck into the nearly empty parking lot. There were only three other cars around us. A large forest was in front of us.
Jackson stopped the car and hopped out. His dog eagerly waited for him to let her out. I watched in bewilderment as he came around to my side and opened the door.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“What?” If this wasn’t the craziest situation ever, his confused look would be adorable.
“I’m not going in there.”
“Why not? It will be fun. They have tons of beautiful sights, one of them is a pretty amazing view of the Atlanta city skyline. Plus, I packed a picnic for us.”
Ok a picnic was cute, but still. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m black. Black folks don’t go into woods voluntarily, Jackson.”
“Don’t do that. There are tons of African Americans that enjoy hiking.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m pretty sure I know more than you, and the ones I know, don’t.”
Jackson sighed and ran his hands through his hair again.
“Ok! Can you just give it a try? I know this isn’t usual for you, Charlice, but I wanted to do something with you that you’ve never done before. Look, I can’t afford the things you’re used to, but what I can do, is give you experiences that you’ve never had. I just need you to trust me. And I promise, if you hate it, I will bring you back to the truck and take you to some fancy restaurant that you have probably eaten at a million times.”
Well, what was I supposed to say to that? The idea of a private picnic sounded sweet, and he was right, I’d never been hiking. Hell, I didn’t even know they had places to hike in Atlanta. Besides, I had been to every decent restaurant in Atlanta, and doing something like sitting in a crowded fancy restaurant didn’t appeal to me with Jackson. I’d much rather have him all to myself.
I sighed. “Fine,” I grudgingly admitted. “But, if this is one of those crazy white people things where you drag me into the woods to rape and kill me, I’m coming back to haunt your ass.”
Jackson laughed. “How is being a serial rapist a white thing?”
“Because that’s the shit y’all do.”
He shook his head. “You have nothing to fear but snakes and mountain lions.”
I paused before climbing out the car.
“What?”
“I’m kidding. I’m kidding. Come on.”
Jackson helped me down and then went to the bed of his truck to retrieve a large green hiking bag with an attached picnic basket. He grabbed a leash for the dog and turned to me. “Ready?”
“No! But I guess it doesn’t matter.”
He laughed and grabbed my hand to lead the way.
***
I was a slow walker. I knew that I was slowing Jackson down tremendously, but not once did he complain. The dog definitely found me utterly annoying and useless. And despite the run-ins with the spider webs, the near death falls, the c
luster of gnats that attacked us, and the scorching heat, I really did have a wonderful time.
Jackson kept me laughing and entertained. He showed me things I never knew. Apparently, one of the Civil War forts on the trail was used in some Hunger movie. The picnic was just as romantic as I thought it would be. I had a really great time. So much fun that we decided to do a few of the smaller trails and some more sightseeing.
By the time Jackson pulled up in my driveway, the sun was going down. I’d just spent all day with this man, and I still wasn’t ready for him to leave.
Jackson opened the passenger side door—I hadn’t had to touch a car handle all day—and walked me up to my front door. He lingered, and so did I.
“I had fun on my not date,” I said jokingly.
“I’m glad.” He stepped closer to me.
I had to look up just to see his eyes.
His height and body heat didn’t scare me off, if anything, it had reawakened that other side of me. I’d been on my best behavior today. I was so busy enjoying myself, I didn’t focus so much on sex. However, now, having him right at my door with his bulky body fitted in that t-shirt, I was focused. His smell of sweat and musk permeating the air, had me wanting to explore something else right now.
“How about you come in for some…..coffee.” I gave him a naughty smile.
There was no mistaking the real reason I wanted Jackson to come into my home. Just to prove my point, I took an extra step towards him brushing my breasts against his chest.
He bit down on his bottom lip, and damn if the action didn’t encourage my desire. I could already feel his large body grinding between my thighs.
“Actually, I think I better head home.”
My brain made the sound of a record scratching. What the fuck?
“Very funny, Jackson! You almost had me.” I chuckled.
Jackson stepped back. “No really, I’m going to go home.”
Ok, this was not what I had planned for tonight. What was his problem? I knew he was attracted to me, he worked too hard to get a date with me, and plus, I knew his dick worked because I’d seen it hard. So what was the problem?
“Ok, what are you trying to do? I mean, I just invited you into my house.”
“I know, and I’m going to leave because I want to see you again.”
“Which is why I’m trying to get you to come inside.”
“I told you, Charlice. This isn’t some one-time thing for me. I like you, and I want to see how far this goes.”
“Jackson, I don’t date. I don’t have boyfriends. I told you this, this is what I do.” I pointed towards my front door.
“I won’t be just another guy you fuck, Charlice. If that means I’ll never get to sleep with you, then whatever. I want more. I want to be different from all those other dudes.”
“You are different….”
“…..Only because I’m white.”
Silence surrounded us. Jackson just wanted way more than I could give him. I could admit that I liked Jackson. I liked him a lot. And maybe if things were different, if I were different we could really have something, but I can’t give him what he wanted.
“Jackson, I…..”
“Don’t say anything. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to send you a text that says good morning, you can reply if you want to. I’ll continue to text you throughout the day as I think about you, again, reply is optional. Next Saturday, only if you aren’t busy with your God-children, I will pick you up around seven where we will hang out again.” He stepped a little closer to me, but not as close as before. “I never said I needed a label right now. If it makes you feel better, we can continue to call this a friendship. I just want to be in your life. And don’t think for a moment, me turning down your offer was easy, beautiful. I just know what I want, and it’s not one night with you.”
I was speechless again. How was this man capable of rendering me without thought? I never knew what to expect from him.
“Alright!” I finally said. “I guess this is goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Charlice!”
The moment my hand touched my front door, it opened. I paused, and immediately, Jackson had me tucked behind him.
“Did you lock your door before we left?”
“Yes! And I turned on the alarm.”
“Go back to the truck and call 911. Do not get out,” he said with his back towards me.
“I’m not sitting in your truck. I can handle myself.”
Jackson spun around to face me. “Take your little ass back to the truck and call 911.”
Wow! I thought sweet Jackson was sexy but alpha—do—as—I—say—Jackson was fucking HOT.
I didn’t argue, I just went straight to his truck. Jackson gave three quick whistles, and Lady was out of the truck and at his side. He gave me a stern look before entering the house.
I was so nervous I almost forgot to call the cops. After getting off the phone with the 911 operator, I realized Jackson had been gone too long. I prayed nothing happened to him. It was those worries that made me climb out of the truck.
I made my way quietly inside the house. Unlike those dumb chicks in horror movies, I wasn’t going to call out his name and bring attention to myself. I followed the sound of movement towards my bedroom. I stopped at the linen closet on the way to my room and pulled out one of my hidden .45s.
I crept closer to my bedroom, stopping when one of my floorboards gave. Once enough time had passed and nothing happened, I crept closer. Before I could walk in my room, my arm was pulled and shoved down, nearly twisting my hand until I dropped the gun to the floor. Then I was grabbed by the neck and shoved into the wall. At the exact same time, we both recognized each other.
“Damnit, Char! I told you to stay in the truck.” Jackson let me go immediately. His eyes examined me making sure I was ok. “Fuck, babe, I could have killed you.” He rubbed my neck.
“I’m the one with the gun,” I said in a strained voice.
Jackson lifted a thick eyebrow at me. “You mean the one lying on the floor? Trust me, I was safe.”
“Hey! I know how to use that gun. You just caught me off guard.”
He gave me a smirk that said ‘Sure you do’. I ignored his jibe.
“Did you find anything?” I asked, stepping around him.
My eyes went directly to the mess on my bed.
What the hell? All of my sex paraphernalia was lying destroyed in the middle of my bed. Underwear, condoms, handcuffs, lubricants, and even my collection of vibrators were all broken up in little pieces.
“Why would he do this?” I asked no one in particular.
Jackson and Lady came to stand beside me. He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs and wait for the cops.”
I let him guide me back down the stairs and into the living room where we waited for the cops.
***
Once again it didn’t take the cops long to get to us. They asked us a hundred questions and did a thorough search of the house, even taking the destroyed paraphernalia in order to search for fingerprints. I was relieved when Sean showed up. I sent him a text not long after the cops came.
“What time did you leave the house?” the young-faced cop asked me.
I felt like I was the one under investigation. They had asked me so many questions, most of them pointless.
“I left about nine something this morning,” I admitted, rubbing the throbbing out of the center of my forehead. Jackson placed a hand on my back. Just having him here had been a comfort.
“And where did you say you went?” Again, the cop asked.
I’d answered that same damn question about ten times. Could they not just compare notes?
“Like I’ve said for the hundredth time, I went out on a date.”
He scribbled that on his notepad, apparently in invisible ink just like all the others before him.
“And what time did you get back home and realize the door was open?”
> “About six, right before she called the station,” Jackson answered sensing my irritation.
“Sir, I need her to answer these questions,” the baby-faced cop stated.
Jackson did that half chuckle thing he did whenever he was trying to stay calm. I first noticed it the day he met Sean. Was it odd that I was paying attention to his mannerisms?
“Like he said, around six.”
Another second to write my reply in his notepad. “So, you were gone on a date for nine hours? Where did you go on this date?”
“None of your gotdamn business. What does this have to do with my house being broken into? You’re asking me questions like I’m the suspect.”
Sean appeared out of nowhere. He said something to the young cop that had him walking away with a glare towards me.
Jackson took me in his arms and hugged me. I needed his warmth and comfort right now.
“Aye, Charli, I’m sorry about that,” Sean said, getting my attention.
Jackson released me and I turned back towards Sean.
“I know these questions seem intrusive, but they are protocol.”
I waved Sean off. I knew the officer was just doing his job, but I was tired and angry. I couldn’t believe I was still dealing with Cliff’s bullshit.
“I know, Sean. I just don’t understand why they haven’t found this guy yet.”
“Trust me, it’s frustrating me too, baby, and I got every guy I know on this case.”
Only because I wasn’t in my right mind did I not correct him on the endearment he just used. It wasn’t the first time he called me baby, it’s usually followed up with how good my pussy tasted. However, he had never said it so freely outside the bedroom. It didn’t bother me, but I did notice how Jackson’s body tensed at the word. I still let it pass, Sean clearly wasn’t in his right mind either.