After they completed their hike, they talked about skiing but decided not to yet. Instead, they went to the ski lodge for lunch. It was a romantic place, but Jessica just felt like a burger and fries. Evan laughed then told her how much he appreciated her honesty and realness.
“I guess you feel more comfortable around me by now,” he commented.
She shrugged. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you feel yourself enough to order what you really want. I admire that. Most girls just order salad to look perfect.”
She laughed. “I didn’t think that much about food. I just know what I want to eat.”
“And I like that. I feel that really, you’re not that pretentious. There is a lot of depth to you, a lot of things I don’t know. You hide them from me because you’re afraid but you’re starting to show me bits and pieces of the real you. I want to know the real you,” he said, after submitting his order for a mushroom Swiss burger with curly fries and handing back his glossy menu. “I want to know what you’re not telling me.”
Jessica felt uncomfortable as usual when he started this talk. “I told you to ask me anything you wanted to know,” she told him. “We talked about this yesterday.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’m going to ask some questions.”
“Shoot.”
“How was it, adjusting to being on your own?”
Jessica trailed off, as memories flooded her mind of her first days with Gary. As they closed up the apartment and she left some of her mom’s things with the landlady, she had been so miserable and scared. The medical trash lying around the apartment and the sense that there was a great, irreparable emptiness and sadness in the vacant hole that her mother had left behind were the worst parts. She would step outside to cry, then return inside to finish cleaning and the medical odor would make her nostrils sting. Gary had helped so much. He’d made her dinner. She was eighteen, so there was no need for foster care. But she was still a scared little girl and didn’t even know that until she faced being alone. “It was hard,” she finally told him.
“I imagine. And your father? Do you miss him?”
“It was so long ago when he died, that I can’t even remember him.” In truth, Jessica had zero memories of him. Her mother had tried to show her pictures once, but she didn’t want to see the man who didn’t care that she existed. He wasn’t really her father, just some sperm donor. Her mother was mother and father to her. She had found the pictures again when she went through her mother’s things recently, and she had slapped them face down in the garbage because they offended her. He had a fat face and he was a jerk. She swore that she bore no relation to him at all and refused to acknowledge their ties.
Chapter 11
After lunch had settled, Evan took Jessica skiing for the first time. It was so cute to watch her waddle up the mountain, all bundled up in her pink marshmallow ski jacket and pants, which he had just bought her at a ridiculously high mark-up at the lodge. She struggled as he showed her how to position her legs and poles. She clearly was not ready for this, and she shrieked when Evan finally pushed her down the bunny slope.
“Pizza!” he shouted after her.
She struggled to make one but she was too slow, and crashed into the snowbank at the bottom.
Evan just adored her. She was so cute with snow on her face. He helped her up and rubbed the snow off. “Do you want to sign up for lessons? I’ll find you the best instructor,” he offered, not confident in his own teaching abilities.
“No,” she shook her head. “I want you to teach me.”
So he showed her what he could. Soon, they were able to coast down the bunny slope together. Evan reached out and held her hand the last time. “Are you ready to go up?”
They kept practicing on higher and higher slopes. Jessica was an impressively fast learner. Finally, though, she panted that she was tired. The sun was starting to go down, coloring the slops light blue and gray.
“Shall we hit the hot springs?” he asked her.
They went to the hot springs hotel and checked into a room. Jessica began to disrobe as soon as she stepped into the room, which was lit with cozy candlelight. Her whole body clearly hurt because she had difficulty moving.
“Here, let me help you.” He pulled her shirt over her head. “You will feel so good when you slip into the water. It’s nice and hot.”
She smiled at him shyly as the last of her clothes came off. It delighted him that she was still shy, when he had seen and touched every inch of her body. Her skin glowed in the candlelight and her earrings gleamed. She had yet to take them off and Evan got the feeling that no one had given her earrings before. She had worn many nice pieces of jewelry to work, but he got the feeling that they were items she had bought herself or gotten from family. All of her stuff, though nice, seemed a bit outdated or mismatched, as if she didn’t really have much money and was scrounging her drawers for things to look impressive at Davis Enterprises. It was touching that she tried so hard, but she was the type of girl to look lovely in just sweats and no makeup.
Jessica slid into the pool. “Ah,” she gasped in pleasure as the warm water enveloped her tight muscles.
“See? Told you.” He grinned as he slid his own clothes off and joined her. Indeed, the water was heavenly, steamy hot but thick with minerals. He realized that he was a bit sore himself. Skiing took a lot out of one.
Jessica immediately swam into his arms. They began to kiss. He gathered her hair behind her and the wet ends stuck to his fingers. Not caring, he tangled his hands up in her glossy locks as he sunk against her body, eager to plunge into her again. Something about her tantalized him and he just couldn’t get enough. He would live inside of her if he could, and never stop fucking.
“Are we going to make love in here?” she asked.
“Do you want to?” He pressed his erection into her hopefully.
She looked doubtful, then she grinned. “I have never had sex in water.”
“Let’s try it.” He rubbed his turgid head against her clit and felt her begin to open to him. As he slid in, she gripped his neck and tipped her head back to moan. Evan delighted in the feeling of her smooth, slick skin and the heat of her inside. Her pussy clung to him, flexing on him. He thrust into her, taking care not to finish just yet. He wanted to take it slow and enjoy every moment.
Jessica wrapped her legs around his waist and bobbed her hips with his thrusts. The water rippled around them as they made love. The heat and steam made their bodies slick with sweat almost immediately. When their mouths met, they wrestled tongues, and their moans echoed in one another’s throats. They undulated, reaching a rhythm where they were simply one being, joined at the hips, unwilling to ever come apart. Without saying anything, they gazed into each other’s eyes and felt the rhythm swell through their souls. Jessica’s earrings swung.
It was at that moment that Evan knew he loved her without a doubt. And he could see that she was in love with him too. He knew that she wasn’t ready to admit it, or give into it, but her feelings were real and solid and raw.
Evan woke up the next morning and groaned. It was time to go home. The idea filled him with loathing. He would have to go back to work Monday. While that idea was not entirely repulsive, he dreaded seeing his mother and hearing her reaction to his weekend shenanigans with Jessica. Undoubtedly she had heard all about it by now, considering how many spies she had planted throughout his life. How shameful it was, to be a mama’s boy at his age. He must look pathetic to Jessica to be under the control of his mother so much. How embarrassing!
He also dreaded achieving the civility that he and Jessica treated each other with at the office. She would come in wearing a skintight business dress and drive him crazy, but he couldn’t smack her ass or bend her over the drafting table. He would have to call her “Miss Allen” to avoid making other workers envious that he had a special relationship with her. Honestly, he could spend the entire month, or even the rest of his life, vacationing with Jessica and making l
ove to her.
He was thankful to see her lying peacefully at his side, still asleep. The trust and bond that they had built this weekend was encouraging. But he was frustrated that she still kept up her pretense, especially when it was clear that she had feelings for him. Would she ever drop the façade? Did she actually have feelings for him, or was she just a scamming hussy? He angrily dismissed that thought from his head and got up to fix them another winning breakfast.
Jessica slid out of bed and yawned. “Should I start packing?” she asked him.
“Sure,” he replied grumpily. “I don’t want you to, but sure.”
“Why not?” She looked concerned.
“I wish I could just stay here forever,” he admitted with a small laugh. “I don’t want to go back.”
“Me neither,” she admitted. “This was…nice.”
“Yes, it was,” he agreed.
“We should do it again?” she suggested. “You know, before I leave.”
“Why would you leave? Where are you going?”
“Well, I meant, after this is over.”
“What, us working together?” He looked hurt. “It’s over as soon as we finish this project?”
“Well, wouldn’t it be?”
Evan shook his head. “I would be interested in still seeing you.”
Jessica hesitated. Then she offered him a wan smile. “We shall have to see what happens.”
Was it his imagination, or did he recognize sadness in her eyes? Maybe she was rethinking her plan to scam him and run off forever with his money. But the pull of his money, and her need to avenge her poor mother, appeared to be stronger because she wasn’t quite swayed yet.
After they ate, they went shopping in some of the pricey boutiques. Evan bought Jessica whatever she wanted. She seemed to have trouble getting used to the idea. She still wore the gold earrings from yesterday. While in one of the shops, his mother called.
“Yes, Mom?” Evan answered, trying hard to keep the irritation out of his voice.
“Are you enjoying my vacation house?” she said.
“I’ll be home today. Anything you need?”
“I just wanted to make sure that you are enjoying your weekend away with a con artist.”
Evan sighed. Jessica glanced up at him, and nodded when he rolled his eyes at her.
“It’s been a nice weekend. Now please don’t ruin it when I come back.”
“Ruin it?” She cackled, much like a witch. “That’s too funny. You would think that you weren’t my loving son, the way you speak to me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I really don’t. All I do is try to guide you and protect you.”
“Okay, Mother. I have to go.”
His mother said something else, but Evan had already removed the phone from his ear and was hanging up. “She is mad that we used the vacation house,” he told Jessica.
Jessica smirked. “Don’t tell her what we did in there.”
“Oh, no, that’s our secret.” He pulled her close by the hip and nibbled her ear. “You like that shirt?” he added, noticing the piece she had been looking at.
She nodded.
“Okay.” He took it off the rack and added it to the bundle she had already picked out. She got him to buy himself a pair of Oakley sunglasses, even though he already had several pairs at home. Jessica was upset that he’d bought everything for her and nothing for himself, so he bought the glasses to make her happy.
Finally, after brunch with mimosas and delicious omelets, they returned home. Evan was glummer than he realized. Jessica tried her best to cheer him up. “Shall we fly home?” she finally asked.
“What?” he inquired. He looked at her like she was crazy. Indeed, she was. No woman that he had ever met or dated before was like her. She was infectiously different. And he loved that.
“Try it,” Jessica giggled. She rolled her window all the way down and thrust her upper body out of it and spread out her arms like an angel or a bird. “Woohoo!” she cried as a car flew past.
“Please stop that, miss!” Lenny called.
“It’s all right,” Evan told Lenny, as he rolled his own window down. Jessica made him want to have fun. She made him feel alive.
Back in the city, Evan still didn’t want to return to his usual life and Jessica didn’t seem to want to, either. The unhappiness on her face when they were in the city was apparent. So they went to various casinos and whiled away the day, gambling. Evan hit a small jackpot but they gambled it all away. They enjoyed dinner at the Excalibur as they watched dueling knights on horses. Evan had always thought the Excalibur was silly, but with Jessica it was simple, cheesy fun. They laughed and drank wine until they were rather tipsy. When a wench brought them turkey legs, Jessica ripped into hers without the manners of a lady and juice dribbled down her chin. Evan laughed as he wiped it with a napkin. The way she looked at him made his heart miss a beat. She seemed to be saying, “Thank you. Please don’t hurt me. I really like you so please don’t hurt me.”
Chapter 12
Jessica came into work in her usual nice get-up every day that week, looking every bit the businesswoman Lisa Allen. It tripped her out that Evan never once referred to her by name and seemed to have a hard time called her “Miss Allen.” It seemed to sound so unnatural. She wanted more than anything for him to know her real name, but he would kill her if he knew the truth. They would never speak again. On the other hand, how could she continue this scam on a guy that she was developing feelings for? She gave herself by the end of the week to figure out her feelings. If she couldn’t shut them off, then she needed to bail and forget the money. This was a huge score, her biggest yet, but the idea of hurting Evan that way killed her. If he could only slip up somehow and hurt her, then it would be easier.
Linda certainly didn’t help things. The way she appraised Jessica with an evil honey-sweet smile on her face always disconcerted her extremely. It seemed like Linda knew something and was planning something. She was always there at the office, getting overinvolved and asking Jessica the most uncomfortable, pointed questions. Even Isaac, the development manager, was beginning to notice Linda’s erratic and even predatory behavior toward Jessica.
Jessica tried to have lunch with the other girls in the office, but she felt so awkward. It was never easy for her to make friends. The other women seemed to regard her with a mixture of envy and dislike. They tolerated her for Evan’s sake, but their smiles were fake and they left her out of things as much as possible. It was like high school all over again.
But Evan was like a shining beacon over it all. A perfect man, inside and out. He made her feel happy and complete. On Friday, she returned to her apartment from another week at Davis Enterprises, feeling both exhausted and conflicted. She kicked off her heels and settled into her couch with a microwaved cup of tea to watch Netflix. Instead, she stared at the photo collage of her mother that she had hung up on her wall behind the TV, where she could always see it.
“Mom, I sure wish you were here right now. Life is so hard without you. You would be able to tell me what to do,” she told her mom’s beautiful image. “Of course, I wouldn’t be in any of this mess if you were here. You wouldn’t like the life I lead.” That last fact sobered Jessica. “What if I stopped scamming? What if I tried to get a legitimate job? But what place would hire me? I would get minimum wage and lose this place. And I know that I couldn’t get a job at Davis. I don’t know how you did it, Mom, because I hate it there. And Evan will hate me when he learns the truth.”
Somehow, Jessica felt that he wouldn’t hate her. She felt his love was so strong and pure that it could never turn into hate. He was incapable of hating anyone, even his own horrid mother who had ruined his past relationships. That woman was certainly miserable.
That night he had wanted to take her out, but she mysteriously told him that she was busy. Really, she just needed time away from him to think. She had to decide how to handle this. The only thing that was clear to
her was the fact that Evan was too sweet for her to hurt. Maybe he was imperfect, maybe he had some flaw, but she couldn’t go through with this. She had wasted a lot of time, but it was no use trying anymore to pull off this scam.
She needed to flee. It was time to move on to a new scam and scrap this one. This was her best one yet, but she was already doomed.
What she currently wrestled with was whether or not to come clean to him. Should she say goodbye? What scam should she pull next to survive? She was running low on money. There were the earrings he had given her; maybe she could pawn them. Las Vegas was full of crooked pawn owners, looking to make a quick buck off of desperate gambling addicts who owed the wrong people money. She knew she wouldn’t get what they were worth and she loved the way they looked on her and the way they tickled her neck. They were the nicest things anyone had ever gotten her – just her taste and style.
When she looked at her mother’s photo again, she knew it was time to leave this lifestyle. Time to start leading an honorable life and start over. But she just didn’t know how. She hadn’t had any guidance in her formative years. All her mother had really taught her was to do what you could to survive, though she had always done that honorably and legally. She had been too busy to teach Jessica much about life, not that it was her fault.
The true fault was Linda Davis’s.
Jessica began to feel her anger boil as she thought about Linda Davis, that snide diva who walked around in heels and furs. That woman was responsible for everything. Was there some way she could pull a fast one on Linda and clean out her bank account, without touching Evan? She plotted for a while but couldn’t come up with anything.
Her phone went off. It was a text from Evan. Miss you. What’s your address so that I can send you some flowers?
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