by Quinn Loftis
Chapter 13
Jacque stood there on her front porch staring as Fane retreated to the Henry’s house. She wanted to call him back; she didn’t want to spend a second without him. “Get a grip on yourself, woman,” she told herself. She took a few deep breaths trying to clear her mind and when she did she noticed the subtle scent of woods and spice. How strange, but the scent called to her, comforted her, like she could wrap herself in a blanket of it.
She took one last look at the Henry’s house and turned to go in.
“Mom,” she hollered, “I’m back in.”
“Okay, the girls took some brownies upstairs. Are you okay, need to talk about anything?” her mom asked.
“No, I’m good,” Jacque told her. “Oh there is one thing. Fane asked me out on a date for tomorrow night. That okay?”
Lilly looked at her daughter, trying to decide if she thought it a good idea for her daughter be with him, after all she did know what and who Fane was, not that anyone else knew that she knew. Although she was beginning to think that Fane might suspect something.
“Yeah that’s fine. You two know what you’re going to do?”
“Not yet,” Jacque answered, then went upstairs to give the latest news to her two partners in crime.
Jacque opened her bedroom door to find Jen and Sally lying on her bedroom floor happily munching on the brownies Sara had brought over.
“Soooo, did he confess his undying love for you and ask you to run away to his Romanian castle?” Sally asked in a wistful voice.
“Oh my gosh,” Jacque said sarcastically, “how did you know?”
“I’m just good like that, ya know with the knowing the future and what-not,” Sally answered.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re a real gypsy,” Jen told her.
“So, do we have to beat it out of you or are you going to confess willingly, ‘cause you know I’m in to the whole torture thing, it’s how I roll,” Jen said sounding absolutely sure of herself.
“Well he told me that we had things to talk about but that he didn’t think tonight was the night to do it, and that he wanted to talk to his father first, whatever that means. Then he asked me out on a date, and then he leaned in close to me…”Jacque explained but Jen interrupted.
“He kissed you?! Was it good, were his lips soft, were his lips closed or were they slightly parted like he might want to wrestle with…” Jen asked rapidly not even taking a breath.
“Step back Don Juan, don’t even finish that sentence, let me finish,” Jacque scolded.
“Well if he didn’t kiss you then lie to me so I can live vicariously through your pretend love life,” Jacque told her pouting.
Jacque ignored that comment and continued with her story, “So, he leaned in close and at first I thought he was going to kiss me, but then his head went slightly to the right and his mouth was right next to my ear, and he blew on my neck.”
“Why’d he do that?” Sally asked.
“I know right? I don’t know. I know I nearly grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him myself. He must have been blocking his mind from mine because I didn’t pick up anything.”
“Wicked” Jen said looking thoughtful.
“Did you say ‘yes’ to going out on a date with him?” Sally asked Jacque.
“All I got to say is if she said no, she might not want to go to sleep tonight ‘cause I’m going to dye her hair blonde to compliment her being a dumb ass,” Jen told them.
“Uh, Jen, you’re a blonde,” Jacque pointed out.
“No, not really, God just got it wrong and it was too late to change it once He noticed.”
Sally shook her head and said, “Sometime Jen, I really worry about you.”
Jen didn’t say anything more.
“Well put away your hair dye you over-reacting freak. I said yes. I asked him what I should wear and he said just something to be comfortable riding the motorcycle, and just when I was going to tell him I didn’t have a helmet, he said not to worry he had already bought me one!” Jacque told them.
“Yummy,” Jen said. “Confidence is so sexy.”
“You think anything is sexy,” Sally retorted.
“Not true, guys driving those hybrid cars are so not sexy,” Jen told her.
“Is she serious?” Sally asked Jacque. “I mean, who thinks of stuff like that?”
“I have found that if you just nod your head while she’s talking, she eventually wears herself out.” Jacque said with a smile.
“Oh and then when he was walking to the Henry’s he turned and blew me a kiss and told me to have sweet dreams and that he would be dreaming of me.” Jacque finished.
“Oh, that is so freaking romantic!” Sally said as she rolled over onto her back kicking her legs in the air and squealing.
Jacque couldn’t disagree, but it also felt surreal. She had to admit he had successfully gotten her to stop thinking about Trent. How could she when this gorgeous Romanian hunk was claiming she was his, whatever it was he called her.
“Yea, it’s romantic,” Jacque said, “but there is definitely the proverbial other shoe that is sooner or later going to drop.”
“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic,” Jen told her, “maybe he’s the one, you know like in those romantic movies where a person has one, true, soul mate. I mean, he can talk to you telepathically, so it could happen.”
Jacque couldn’t argue with Jen’s assessment of the situation. Anything is possible at this point she told herself.
Jacque found herself stretching and yawning, she looked at the clock on her phone and saw that it was 11:30 p.m. Man she didn’t realize how late it had gotten, they had been having such a good time playing the game that time had flown.
“I’m gonna crash ya’ll. Here are your blankets,” Jacque told them as she handed them the blankets.
“Yeah you’d better go to sleep. You need to look your best, bags under your eyes just doesn’t say, hey throw me on the floor and take me,” Jen told Jacque.
“Yes and that is so the look I was going for, how ‘bout I just wear fishnet stockings, with thigh-high boots, and a sheer bra. Do you think that would look too desperate?” Jacque asked looking innocently at her.
“I’m just sayin’,” Jen shrugged her shoulders.
Jacque walked out of her bedroom shaking her head. She headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on the tank top and boxer shorts she had left there the night before. When she had taken off her shirt she turned around and got out the hand-held mirror to look at the marks on her back and neck.
She realized as she studied it, the markings on her neck looked like they would actually fit into Fane’s like a puzzle piece. As Jen would say, “wicked,” Jacque muttered.
She felt a shiver go down her spine and she quickly shoved on her tank top and realized it wouldn’t cover the markings on her shoulders. The last thing she needed was her mom to see them and start asking questions, especially since Jacque didn’t have any answers. She brushed her teeth and washed her face quickly and then darted across the hall to her bedroom. Going to her closet she took off the tank and Jen saw the marks for the second time, and almost if talking to herself said, “This is really happening isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so sweet girl, there’s nothing to do but go with the flow, or sink fighting the current,” Sally said using her best Mary Poppins voice.
Jen looked at her and narrowed her eyes, “If you bust out in ‘Just a spoonful of sugar’ I’m going to duck tape your mouth closed.”
“You really should seek help for that temper of yours; you know they have medicine that would help,” Jacque told her trying to sound gentle like you would if talking to an unruly child.
Jen simply flipped them both the bird, and then changed into her sleep clothes.
Jacque turned off the lights as they all lay down to sleep. They were quiet for awhile, and just as Jacque was drifting off she could feel the waves of worry coming off of Sally.
“Sally,” Jacque said, “i
t’s all going to work out, remember, we’re all too stubborn to accept any other outcome.”
Sally didn’t respond so it was quiet again. Then Jacque spoke up again, “Jen, seriously you didn’t have some smart-ass comment right when we needed it?”
Jen was quiet; Jacque and Sally seemed to be holding their breath waiting for their out-spoken friend to work her magic.
“Well,” Jen finally answered, “I was thinking, about the game we were playing tonight and about when the answer was tires on your vehicle and Fane said he had two, I so wanted to ask him if they were big.”
And just like that the atmosphere lightened and the three girls laughed until they had tears, but of course Jen could never stop at just one perverted or smart-ass comment, so when they had all caught their breaths she added, “Jacque you could always throw your friends a bone or heck even just a kibble and find out for us.”
“Is that all you ever think about Jen?” Sally asked in exasperation.
“What, how big Fane’s are, good grief no, I think about other things,” Jen defended.
“Anything not pertaining to the opposite sex, for that matter sex itself?” Jacque asked sarcastically.
Jen started to open her mouth then abruptly shut it. Looking at nothing in particular, thinking, she finally answered, “Nope, huh-uh, don’t think so.”
They all broke out in laughter again and then finally drifted off to sleep.
