He got up, put the knife away, and put the gun in its holster. “I hope we understand each other. Have a nice day. Hope we don’t have to finish this conversation.” He turned and walked away. Ivan looked at the covers. The knife had cut the bedspread, blanket, sheet, and mattress. Nicole, with her eyes still closed, as she heard the door shutting, said, “I don’t think he was joking. In fact, it sounded like he wanted to kill you.” Ivan didn’t say anything.
The next weekend, Ivan would hardly look at Britney as they danced. He was distracted and they didn’t even make it to the final round. After the contest, Britney asked JD, “What did you do to him?”
“Do to who?” he said in a curious tone
“You know who, JD,” she said angrily. “Ivan. Don’t play that. What did you do to him?”
JD shrugged innocently. “I didn’t do anything to him. If I had, he wouldn’t be breathing.”
Britney rolled her eyes. “Don’t give me that. I know you did something. What was it?”
“Did he tell you I did something?” A smirk came to his face.
Britney folded her arms across her chest. “He hasn’t hardly talked to me at all this week.”
“So you just automatically assume I did something. I am shocked at you, Britney Farley.”
“I haven’t heard you say that you didn’t do anything, JD.” She started tapping her foot on the floor.
“You know, you’re right. I didn’t say I didn’t. But I will tell you this, I haven’t laid a finger on the boy. I didn’t do anything to him at all. Now are you happy?”
Britney shook her head. “JD, don’t give me that crap. Are you going to make me twist your arm?”
“Girl, you about two seconds away from me wearing that ass of yours out.” She stepped right up to him and in an angry voice, “Do it. I know you did something.”
He smiled. “Maybe later. You are cute as a button when you are angry. You know that.” He turned and walked away.
As he was walking, she stomped her foot and said loudly, “Leave him alone, JD. He is my dance partner. I don’t need him looking like he is terrified of me on stage.”
“Well, he might have a good reason to be terrified. You Farley women are dangerous people.”
She put a half smile on her face despite the fact that she was fuming. “You heard me, JD.”
“Yeah, I heard you. Are we going out Wednesday night? Or are you going to be too busy?”
“Seven o’clock, JD,” she called after him.
“See ya then.” He turned the corner.
Chapter 9
A New Commitment
Cody and Catrina were in the top five. Bobby, Nicole, Britney, and Ivan spent a lot of time with them at the dances. Ivan still would hardly look at Britney and talked to her as little as possible.
Bobby, Nicole, Ivan, and Britney started finishing in the top fifteen and sometimes even the top ten. Bobby and Nicole and Britney and Ivan were predicted to end the year within the top fifty. If they did that, then they would have enough points to make it to the world championship in Switzerland on New Year’s Eve. The second week of April in Cheyenne, Wyoming, they had just finished a competition. Bobby and Nicole placed tenth. Britney and Ivan finished eleventh. They always finished just one spot apart. They laughed about that. Sometimes Britney would finish just one number higher than him or he would her.
They had hired nannies to watch the kids. They traveled in RVs to where they were going, and they would stay in hotel suites with the kids and the nannies would stay in the RVs. The next competition was a very short distance away in Denver, Colorado. She walked into her room and Sara, a nanny, said, “She was good as gold tonight.”
Britney smiled. “She is always good as gold.”
“Yes, she is. She is a very good baby. Well, you have a good night.” She got up and walked out of the room. Britney had told her she didn’t have to stay in the RV. She could stay in the other room. She would put the baby in the room with her. But Sara wouldn’t have it. “It is only a job, keeping that frame of mind. I have done this long enough to know not to get attached. It is helpful when the assignment is over.” The next day, she got up and gathered her things. They went down to Denver. It wasn’t very long. The next five trips were very close. Gloria had planned it that way because she wanted to show them a few more things and start teaching them some new dances.
It was early afternoon. JD answered his phone the normal way. “Yeah.”
Britney said in a cheerful tone, “This is going to be my short day. So instead of us going out Wednesday or Thursday like we normally do, we can go out tonight.”
“Well, I ain’t got plans. Since you asked me out, I can go. What time?”
Britney smiled. “You won’t do JD.”
“Normal time?”
“Yeah,” she said casually.
“Anything in particular you want to do?”
“Not really, maybe check out some local attractions or something.”
“Okay, I will try and sort it out if you don’t come up with something. I will see ya at six.”
Britney laughed slightly. “See you then, JD.”
That night, as JD was walking Britney to her room, Britney smiled as she grabbed his hand. “JD.”
He looked at her. “Yeah.”
“We been going out for a while now.”
“Let me guess. You don’t want to do it no more,” he said casually.
She gave him a strange look. “Why are you so negative all the time?”
JD shrugged. “Best way to be. That way, you don’t get upset when shit don’t go the way you want it to go.”
Britney leaned next to him. “You are too negative. Would you like to come in for some coffee? It is still early, and I am not tired.”
“Drinking coffee isn’t the best way to get tired. But yeah, I wouldn’t mind a cup.”
She laughed. “See, I didn’t tell you to get lost, bozo. You can ask to come in sometimes.” She opened the door. Sara was reading a book.
“How was she?” Britney said as they walked in. Sara did not like JD; most of the people that didn’t know JD didn’t like him. Most didn’t even try to get to know him. Sara replied at a quick pace, “Good as gold. Have a good night.” She gathered up her things fast and walked out. As she was walking out, Britney said, “I think we will be leaving about nine in the morning.
“Nine it is.” And the door closed.
“Nice lady,” JD casually said.
“She is. A real sweet lady who takes her job seriously. I think she had a bad experience with a former employer before. She keeps everything professional.”
JD nodded. “Best way to do it; less complications for both. You don’t give more because of expectations. They don’t expect more from someone that is isn’t a friend or family. If you get canned, then what the hell, just go to the next job.”
Britney in a joking tone, “I see my security guard has put some thought into that.”
“Very little. Just saying.”
“Had much experience like that getting attached.” She looked at him curiously to see his expression as he answered the question. Most of the time, he had the same look on his face and spoke with a casual or icy tone.
“Naw, use my head. Don’t let things get like that.” He walked over to the door and looked in at the baby. He smiled as he did. Britney looked at him. He always smiled as he looked at Delana.
Britney said as she was putting the coffee on, “So is that the reason you have never kissed me good night or asked to come in?”
“Sure is a sweet little thing.” He was obviously ignoring the question.
Britney grinned. “Yes, she is.”
“You got something on your mind that you want to talk about?” JD asked casually.
Britney laughed. “Sure do, JD. Can’t get anything past you.”
> He walked over to the table and said as he sat down. “Shoot.”
“We been going out now for, what, over six months now. At least once a week. Some weeks two or three times.”
“Thanks for the recap. Your point?”
Britney shook her head. “It sure is hard to talk to carry on a conversation with you. You know that, JD?”
JD smiled slightly. “Better that way. I find if I talk too much, it runs people off.”
She laughed slightly. “Some of the things you say I can see that happening. I really can.” She brought him some coffee and some cream and sat it down in front of him. She went back and poured her a cup and came back with two spoons. “I am just curious about something.”
“Okay, since you don’t know what shoot means, stab.”
She laughed again. “Well, I guess I will get to the point. We have gone out quite a few times.”
“I thought we had established that.”
She threw a towel at him and said in a teasing tone, “Shut up!” JD smiled and didn’t say anything. “I am just curious as to why you say the same thing every time. I had a good time sometimes. You may add hope we can do it again sometime. Sometimes we set a date and time, other times, you call me. Not once out of all the times we went out—that was back in November or December—not once have you ever tried to kiss me. I was wondering why you haven’t tried. Most of the time before I can say same here or yada yada yada, you are walking away or out the door.” After a few moments of silence, she said, “Well?” He didn’t say anything. Britney sighed. “JD, how come you aren’t saying anything?”
He smiled. “You told me to shut up, remember?”
Britney opened her mouth slightly and nodded. “I sure did, didn’t I? I don’t guess I should tell you to shut up if I want you to say something. So I tell you what. You sit over there and shut up.”
He took a drink of his coffee and didn’t say anything. Britney got up. She walked over and he looked at her. She moved the table back slightly, placed her leg across his chair, and sat down in his lap, facing him. He looked at her. She smiled and sat there looking at him. Not saying a word, just looking at him.
After a moment, she reached back, got her coffee, took a drink, and sat it down. She picked up his coffee. “Don’t want it to get cold.” She offered it to him. He took it and smiled as he took a drink. She sat there looking at him. She leaned back slightly next to the table and looked at him with a smirk that said, “Okay, we are going to sit here all night.”
JD thought, ‘My god, those things poking out like that look so damn good. She is so beautiful. What the hell she sees in me, I don’t even think God knows. At first, I thought maybe she wanted to change me. In many ways, she has. She deserves better than me. But everything she does said she don’t want better; she wants me. But why? She just pointed out that I haven’t done anything to lead her on in the least. Yeah, I try to show her I’m having a good time because I am. I also try to let her know I enjoy being with her. I think she knows that. If she keeps looking at me like that, I’m going to fuck the shit out of her. That I know she doesn’t want.’ “Me and women is about like water and gas,” he said in his casual tone. “We don’t normally mix. It’s not that I don’t like them or can’t make them like me. For a short time, that is. Most times very short. Eventually, they get tired of me running off doing something they say is crazy, like killing a whole bunch of folks. Most say I am heartless. But the things they tell me to do, if you have a heart, you get killed.”
He sighed as he looked for the right words. “You would be surprised at some of the things they tell me to do. Make it look like a terrorist attack. Like that children’s hospital I blew up to kill a target. I didn’t do that on my own. I just did what I was told. Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t lose no sleep over it.” She shook her head slightly as he continued speaking. “Me myself, I would have taken him out alone or with fewer people around. But that’s that. I don’t get to say what I do or don’t do. My topic of conversation or lack of charm turns people away. So I discovered by just not saying much and not doing what other people would do keeps people around longer.
“Hell, when I first started seeing you, that night you thought I was going to kill you. So what would you think if I grabbed you up and gave you a big fat kiss? I am fond of you, Britney. I enjoy spending time with you. I like watching you dance. A lot of things about you just give me peace of mind.”He looked away. “You are a decent girl, always have been a decent girl. All that know you and seen ya knew you were going to grow up to be a pretty thing. And you have.” Looking back at her, he said, “So I take it in stride. I go out with you. Help pass the time look over y’uns. Make sure nobody tries to do anything stupid to you and that boy. We’re proud of y’all. Y’all got a good future ahead of you. I don’t try to kiss you for couple reasons. One, I don’t want to make you scared. The other is I don’t kiss you or try to kiss you because I know you deserve better than someone like me. I also know eventually you are going to find someone better. When that happens, I am going to say I had the time of my life once with a beautiful lady. That was one hell of woman. That way, you wind up being happy. I wind up with good memories. Lord knows I don’t have many of those. It’s not that I do not want to kiss you. It’s just that I know I am lucky and you deserve better. Now does that answer your question?”
She smiled. ‘So you think I deserve better. Is there a man out there better than you? If there is, I am sure I will never find him. Stanley was a great man, JD, and I’m not sure if he was a better man. Just as good but not better.’ “Yeah, it does, JD. Mind if I tell you what I think about what you said?” she said in a serious tone.
He nodded his head. “Knock yourself out.”
Britney leaned forward and said softly, “This is what I think.” Her lips gently touched his. His mouth parted, and her tongue explored his mouth. Her passion increased and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. After she kissed him, she leaned back.
“You a damn good thinker,” JD said with a surprised voice
She grinned. “JD, I took you at your word when you said if I didn’t want to go out with you, I didn’t have to. I was frightened at first. But I know you haven’t seen any fear in my eyes in a while now. I like spending time with you.”
“Do I need to take you to see the shrink tomorrow?” JD said with a soft laugh.
She laughed with him. “No, JD, you don’t need to take me to see a shrink. I am just saying I like being with you, and if you want to kiss me when you bring me back to my room, feel more than free to.”
“I might just take you up on that.”
She grinned. “Prove it.”
He kissed her. As he kissed her, she thought, ‘Damn, I can get used to this.’ They kissed for a long moment. She moaned slightly and ran her hands through his thick black hair. She felt her body start to rise. This was a surprise. As he stood up, he pressed her body tight against him. She held her arms around him and wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tight. The direction he started walking, she knew he was taking her to the bedroom.
Her heart started pounding. She didn’t know whether to stop or let him have his way. She wasn’t afraid either way. A few moments later, she felt her body being lowered down. Then he was on top of her. She rubbed his back and dug her nails slightly in his shirt. He stopped kissing her. He leaned up and pulled his shirt off. Then he started unbuttoning her shirt. She lowered her eyelids, giving him a desirous look, and didn’t say anything. There was a look in his eyes that she had never seen before.
He was a man of few words. She knew he was a cold man at times. But he lived in a cold world. She felt her shirt open and his hand go down her side around to her back. In just a second, her bra loosened up. He pulled his hand back, grabbed the center of her chest, and pulled it. She moved her arms forward and the bra came off with her shirt. Her heart was racing. He grabbed her br
east softly at first. Then his breathing increased as they kissed and squeezed it harder. She placed her hands in his hair, moving them down his back, holding him tight.
‘What the fuck are you doing, man. You know she wouldn’t say stop, even if she wanted to.’ His conscience screamed at him. He stopped and looked at her; he moved back slightly.
She smiled. ‘He thinks I’m afraid to say something. I can see it in his eyes. The truth is I want this as bad as it felt he did. “I guess this is what you get when you tell a Coleman to kiss you.” She touched his face. “Sometimes I do fear you, JD.” She leaned forward, hugging him. His body felt so good next to hers. The hairs on his chest tickled her soft skin slightly. “But this is not one of them. I am not afraid to say stop. JD, I…” She stopped for a moment. “I don’t know if I should say it or not.”
He kissed her and laid her back down, his body firm next to hers. It wasn’t very muscular, but it was well-toned and firm. He had several scars from being shot. She felt warm on the inside as the nerves between her leg started to harden. A tingling inside her body sprang to life as the nerves inside her began to come alive. As he kissed her neck and moved downward, the hairs on her body started to rise. Her body started to warm from the inside out as her breathing increased from the sensation his touch was causing. As he touched her all over her body, her words so soft and filled with passion, she said, “I am so glad, Jake, to have you in my life.” He paused for a moment to look at her. He felt her hand go to the button on her pants. “I’ve never been with a man before. I don’t know if I should say stop or if I should say make love to me. All I do know for sure is I want you to be a part of my life. My baby adores you, Jake. She loves you as if you were her father. I know you love her like she was your daughter. I want you to make love to me. But I can’t handle you making love to me and walking out our lives. I understand if you try to have a serious relationship with me and it doesn’t work out. Then we both can say we tried. But don’t walk away because you feel you are not good enough for me. Because I don’t think I could ever find another to replace you.” She touched his face. “I love you, I know that for sure. I think I am falling in love with you.” He moved up beside her and kissed her.
Love and Beyond Part 3 Page 13
