by Jessica Loft
“I will be ready in ten minutes, so I’ll see you then.” She replied happily. She reapplied her lip gloss, and then it was back to the mirror for one last glance before she picked up her purse and walked downstairs. After carefully and meticulously locking up the house, she started walking down the street to their agreed upon meeting place. When she turned the corner, she was pleasantly surprised to find Jackson waiting for her. He was leaning casually against his bike, and let out a whistle when he saw her walking towards him.
“Wow, girl, do you ever look good!” he said, giving her a light peck on the cheek when she came up to him. Then he took her hand to help her onto the bike. Minutes later they were on their way, with her holding onto him as if for dear life.
Chapter Four
The ride went faster and better than she had expected. It wasn’t as scary as she thought at first. In the beginning she held tightly onto him but then got over it and began to enjoy herself. It took more than thirty minutes before they were there. She hadn’t bothered to ask him about the venue, so she was surprised when they drove into a resort on the lakeside. Although she had enjoyed the freeness she was happy to get off of the bike, she straightened her clothes and hair, then went inside with him.
“I had no idea we were going so far,” she said, breaking the ice as they walked. Jackson let out a loud laugh, surprised at her comment.
“You call this far? Girl, you need to get out more. Why don’t you just drop the worries and have some fun today?” he suggested. He must have noticed how uneasy she was, she decided to be more careful to seem laid back.
The banquet hall at the resort was teaming with people their age and Jackson seemed to be friends with all of them. He weaved his way around the crowd easily, shouting “hey!” and waving. Several people called out his name as they went by. It looked like some of them were Amish as well. Holding her hand, he led her along to an empty table, where he invited her to take a seat.
“You stay here while I go get us something to drink. What would you like?”
Without a second thought, she asked for a soda. She was acting laid back after all.
“You can be sure you’ll be among only a few having that,” he said, as he left, laughing out loud.
While he was gone Sally looked around and sat thinking about her presence at the party. There were definitely more than “some” friends there. There were all manner of youth and she didn’t agree with what some of them were doing. From where she sat she could see girls her age openly drinking alcohol. The guys were wilder still, some already obviously drunk and unruly. She was definitely not comfortable in this place, yet what could she do about it? Jackson would probably laugh off the suggestion to take her back home, and she did not want to deal with that. After all, wasn’t it time she got a taste of life on the other side?
Jackson sauntered back to their table, bringing with him four cans of soda and a liquor bottle. Sally tried not to look shocked when she saw it, not wanting him to think her naïve. Handing her one of the cans, he invited her to take a drink.
“Why don’t you loosen up—join the rest of us and have some fun?” Clearly she wasn’t hiding her discomfort as well as she had thought.
From that moment on she decided to really throw herself into it. Two drinks later, Sally noticed Jackson seemed to be talking a lot, she actually found it amusing.
“You know what Sally?” He said leaning back in his chair. “You only live once. Try not to let anyone stop you from having fun once in a while. Life is not all about the serious stuff, you know! And even the Amish recognize that, and send their young people on Rumspringa.” She didn’t have a chance to say two words as he continued chattering.
“For once in your lifetime, why don’t you pretend there are no barriers, and do what you would like?”
The idea to her sounded foreign but also irresistible. She had never really been offered such an opportunity before. Yet at the back of her mind Sally knew that what she was watching—the activities at this party—went against the very beliefs she stood for, and the values she had been raised with. It surprised her then when she heard her next words.
“I don’t have any problem doing just that. It is exactly what I need,” she told him. Jackson was pleased at her answer, showing his approval with a broad smile.
“That’s my girl! Come on now, would you like to join me for a walk?”
“I would love that!” she replied.
Chapter Five
From the moment she stepped out back with him alarm bells started going off in her mind. She had no idea where they were heading, and knew she could be putting herself into a bad situation. Yet she found herself unable to stop, as it felt as if she was being drawn along by her need to be with him. They walked in silence at first, enjoying each other’s presence. Jackson slowly reached out his hand to take hers.
The surroundings were beautiful and for the first time since she arrived, she had a chance to look around. The lake lay before the backdrop of a large expanse of land with little activity going on at the moment. It was the ideal place for a getaway, only in her case she felt uneasy, she could hear her mother’s words playing through her head. Jackson rubbed his thumb over her hand, as if to reassure her that all was well. Then leading her down a little well-trodden path they came to a stop.
Sally held her breath, unsure of what would follow. She could tell he was tipsy from the strong smell of alcohol in his breath but, he looked irresistible in his tight jeans and too small t-shirt emphasizing his body. His reckless expression drew her like a moth to a flame. They stood close to each other, each unsure of the next move.
It was no surprise however, when she felt herself slowly drawn into his arms. His strong wiry arms made her feel secure and she walked into them happily. Sensing her willingness, he continued to draw her closer still, stopping only when he felt her body stiffen.
“What’s the matter? Don’t you want to get close to me?” he asked, seeming hurt.
Sally knew she was about to go into a situation where there is no way to turn back. This guy into whose arms she stood was affecting her in a way that was unfamiliar to her. She had already done things outside of her own moral code because of him. Things she wouldn’t have dreamed of, only a few short weeks ago. Yet, even though she knew it wasn’t right, she couldn’t seem to find the discipline to stop herself, because, she admitted, she was enjoying it too. So, when he bent down for a kiss she did not have the will to resist, but yielded to him. The taste and smell of the alcohol on his breath coupled with the feel of his touch had her senses reeling. She sighed and leaned her body into him farther; he went on kissing her lips, taunting her on and on.
“I have wanted to do this from the first time I met you. I know we are right for each other, Sal, why don’t you give in to me?” The sound of those words made her snap back to her senses. Everything her parents had warned her about flashed before her eyes, making her suddenly want to squirm out of his arms. He sensed the change in her, and stepped back to put some distance between them.
For a moment they both remained silent, staring at each other, as if trying to figure out what had just happened. Never before had she felt so much internal conflict. She had always known right from wrong and followed the path of the righteous easily. Now, part of her wanted to run back into the arms of the young man who made her feel so good, yet another part of her dared not allow her to take such a step. It was as if she was being drawn in two different ways and had no way of knowing what to do. He sensed her struggle and wanted to relieve her discomfort.
“I will not hurry you, Sally. I can see you are torn right now, but you don’t have to worry about that. Just know that I care about you very much and will wait for when you are ready.”
She looked up at him in relief. He was like no other boy she had ever met. It was as if he had touched a part of her that had remained hidden till now. But she realized, looking down at her watch, now was not the time to look back on it, it was later then she had ever
staid out of the house. Her parents were going to throw a fit!
“I need to get back home now. My parents will be upset if I stay out too late,” she sighed.
“Sounds like a good idea. Why don’t we go back to my bike so I can take you home right away?” The fact that he understood endeared her to him even more. Hand in hand the two of them walked back to the banquet room where the others were blasting music and dancing. A few friends called out to him when they saw him leaving.
“Jackson, where are you off to, so early in the night?” called out a girl. Even though she was obviously drunk, Sally could still hear the distinctive speech pattern of the Amish.
“I am taking her home.” He replied, pointing to Sally. She took her seat behind him on the bike, hugging him close. The entire ride home was spent remembering the feel of his strong arms around her. Embracing the feelings that coursed through her, she held on to him tight the entire ride back. He stopped to drop her off where they had met earlier in the day. Turning around to help her off, he gave her a quick hug before she quickly ran off.
“See you around soon. I am glad you came along with me.” And with that he rode off, leaving her to go face her parents at home.
Chapter Six
The entire house was lit up, meaning her folks were home. For the first time ever Sally did not want to face them. The truth of her day would not be well received. Battling between the joy of having gone out for some fun and the knowledge that she had done it against her parents’ wishes was not easy for her. She walked up the front door, and realizing it was locked, timidly rang the bell. Her mother rushed to open the door, worry written all over her face. Then with a sigh of relief pulled Sally into the house.
“We were worried about you. We expected you to be back by the time we got home, and were surprised not to find you here.” Thinking fast of what to say, Sally attempted a soft laugh.
“I’m sorry I worried you, Mother. I was having such fun with my friends I lost track of the time.” Her father walked into the hallway soon after, obviously happy to see her.
“Hello, Sal. Glad to see you made it back. We worried about where you were,” he said curiously. She knew they were only just concerned about her, but it was really starting to bother her. She was 18 after all! Right then she decided to express her thoughts.
“You know I am perfectly fine going out once in a while. Most of my friends do that anyway, without anyone watching their every move,” she retorted. Their faces dropped. Sally stopped talking, wondering if she had pushed it a bit too far. Her father was the first to speak up after what seemed like forever.
He cleared his throat and said, “We were worried you might be running around with the wrong kind of people, Sally. Ever since your mother told me about the rowdy Amish boy she saw you with we’ve been concerned about you. I sure hope you know what you are doing.”
Lying in bed that night, she wondered why they would not give Jackson a chance. Memories of the day flooded her mind as she remembered the feel of his touch. She had discovered a new side of herself that day, when they kissed. Despite having heard girls at school recounting similar encounters, their descriptions had been nothing close to the way she felt. Thinking back to the way she came alive in his arms made her realize how much emotion she had bottled up inside. Jackson not only made her more aware of herself but had awakened feelings she had not known existed. When she went to sleep that night it was to dream of floating on a cloud, in the arms of a faceless man.
Life changed that day for the girl who had led a contained and sheltered life up to that point. No longer was she content to stay home alone, but looked forward for any chance to be with Jackson instead. She seemed to wake thinking of him and went to sleep dreaming of being held in his arms. It was as if the very act of getting close to him had awakened something in her and she could no longer deny her emotions. She had come to believe they had a special connection, because he would surprise her by calling or turning up at precisely the time she was thinking about him.
She had just finished watching a movie on the couch and was getting ready to begin preparing dinner. One of her brothers was coming home for the weekend, something she was had been looking forward to and was excited about. She adored both of her brothers, and often wished they lived at home for company. Now that Ben was coming over she had something to look forward to. She was so engrossed in the thought, she didn’t hear the phone ring and almost missed it altogether. Drying her hands quickly, she ran to pick it up just in time, slightly out of breath as she answered.
“Hello,” she heard a familiar drawl respond. She could make out his voice from anywhere.
“Jackson, how are you?”
“I am well, thank you. Just calling to check on you. How have you been? It has been a while since we’ve spoke,” he went on, sending a shiver down her spine. It was not his words so much, but the way he spoke that got to her. Hearing his voice was like listening to soothing music and she closed her eyes to enjoy it.
“Hello? Are you there, Sally?” she heard him call out after a while.
“Yes, I’m here. I just sort of drifted off for a moment.”
They chatted for a while and then agreed to meet the following day. Each time they met was like the first time to her, and she would wait anxiously.
“See you tomorrow then. I really miss you girl. Can’t wait to see you.” He hung up…his words leaving her flaming with emotion.
It was as if he was there in the room with her, and trying to put off the feelings he stirred in her proved a difficult task. She knew the rest of the evening would be spent thinking about him. She went back to getting dinner ready, just in time before her parents came home.
“Wow, look at this dinner! You really outdid yourself making this. What’s the occasion?” Dad teased her when he saw her bring the veal roast out to the table. She smiled up at him, always glad to hear his compliments.
“I just thought to surprise you both.” Mother walked up to her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
“That’s my girl! I can’t wait to dig in as soon as I freshen up,” she left to go change for dinner.
It was nice to see her parents pleased with her, as she loved it when they all got along. Their relationship had been strained lately, because they kept harping on her about the risks in interacting with people like Jackson. At times, she wondered if they had any idea how the guy made her feel. Perhaps if they did, they would not be on her case as much.
Chapter Seven
A cool wind blew through the leaves on the trees as they walked along. The entire place was calm, as if listening to hear their words for each other. Hand in hand they strolled, too engrossed in each other to notice anything else. Not even the beauty of the surroundings caught their eye.
Evening had started to settle in when they came to a stop beside a small brook. Sally had not known where they were heading when they set off for their walk. Finding him waiting for her at the agreed place, this time on foot, he had once more transported her away from reality. Their greeting had been a warm hug, shared as they both hung onto each other. After which brought her to a trail she had not noticed before.
He broke the silence when he turned to look deep into her eyes. The heat of the moment, coupled with the emotions running through her made her wish to have his arms around her once more. He did not disappoint, and quickly wrapped her in his arms, wordless still. Then, when neither of them could hold them in any more, the words started to flow.
“It’s hard to believe how much I miss you when we’re apart.” He said as his blue eyes dug into hers. They wrapped together, each trying to comprehend the emotions the other brought out in them. Shifting in his embrace, Sally searched for a response.
“I missed you too, Jackson. More than words could ever say.” He needed no further encouragement, but took her in his arms. Sighing against the softness of her back, he put his lips to hers, fervently kissing her.
Sally felt herself begin to float as he taunted her,
playfully at first. Then it was no longer teasing as he took things deeper. Hands running through her hair, he rubbed his hands down her entire body, leaving tracks of liquid heat as he went. Sally felt herself unable to hold off any further, willing herself to him, closer still.
“You little Englischer vixen, what have you done to me?” he drawled, all the while exploring her with his hands. She had no time to answer as she felt herself melting in his arms. When they came apart, it was to find him regarding her with questioning eyes. She knew he felt it too, the strong connection between them, and he was waiting for her nod to continue. It was what she wanted with her entire being, yet Sally found herself unable to give in to him. Sensing her hesitation, Jackson pulled away, to once more look into her eyes.
“I can see we both want this so much. Yet it appears you are not ready to go that way yet. I want it to be magical and with no holding back when it happens, so I will continue to wait until then.” He spoke softly, his voice quivering with emotion. Nodding, she took his hand and placed a small kiss on it. Slowly, he began leading her back, with little said between them.
