Izzy’s face darkened to the darkest red it could muster and she glanced down, completely oblivious to the wicked glint in Bex’s dark eyes. Johnny’s worry could not escape her sharp gaze. Now this was certainly interesting.
“We don’t have to go to a physician,” Izzy mumbled before forcing herself to look at the pirate. “I didn’t trust Zach that much.”
“Oh.” Johnny released his hold on her wrist, and for whatever reason, this bit of information caused something content to spread through him, and he felt his body relax.
“Anyways,” Bex began, keen on changing the subject. She was tempted, however, to tease Johnny about his worry over Izzy, but felt that if she did, he might not reveal what Bex could only guess he was starting to feel for her friend. “So graduation is next week.”
Izzy’s face lit up. “Oh, I know,” she said. “I am so excited. I cannot wait to get out of school and go explore the world.”
“Are you really going to take the trip, even without Zach?” Bex asked her friend, her brows pushed together.
“Why not?” Izzy asked, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ll cash in his ticket and get some extra spending money and go alone.”
“A trip?” Johnny asked, glancing over at Bex. “Where?”
“Europe,” Bex replied before looking at her friend. “I don’t think you should go alone.”
“For once,” Johnny said, interlocking his fingers before placing them on the surface of the table and turning his head so he could capture Izzy’s gaze, “I actually agree with Bex. Going alone somewhere, especially to a whole different country, isn’t the wisest decision, love.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Izzy said, shaking her head so her blonde hair followed her movements. Her head snapped up so she was looking at Bex. “Is Brandon escorting you to our Graduation Ball?”
“Yup,” Bex said with a nod. “I already got my dress and” -
“Could you two hold it for a moment,” Johnny said, placing both hands up and glancing between the two women, “and please explain to me what a graduation is and what a graduation ball is?”
“Graduation is the completion of a certain level of education,” Izzy explained as she raked her long fingers through her blonde hair. “For us, we’ve completed college, which is definitely higher education.”
“The Graduation Ball is a formal gathering, a ball, our school has in celebration of graduation,” Bex said, a coy look lighting her dark eyes. “Only graduates are invited, plus their escorts.” She paused, glancing between the two in an obvious manner. “You know Izzy doesn’t have an escort, Johnny, and I think it would be such a great idea if” -
“Food’s here,” Izzy interjected quickly before flashing a charming smile between the two as the waiter passed out the food.
Chapter 15
How long had it been since he had gotten laid?
Johnny ran his long fingers through his dark, shaggy hair as he stared out at the bar floor, watching as people played what he recently found out was pool, drank and ate, and some even danced. The thought had been plaguing his mind for a while now, probably since his appetite required constant attention. But now it would appear as though he quit sex cold turkey. Well, he had yet to quit drinking wine (though he would admit that he cut down quite a bit than normal) and smoking his rolled tobacco. In fact, during his breaks, he and Candy would head out back. She would smoke cigarettes and he would smoke his rolled tobacco. He had tried the sticks once, but found them unappealing, preferring his own smokes to hers.
Now, however, his eyes were on Izzy, as they always seemed to be. She was laughing again at something she found amusing, and without even realizing it, Johnny had this overwhelming desire to be the one to make her laugh like that. In fact, Johnny had found himself wishing that he could do a lot of things with her. Besides the obvious, he wanted to take her on the ocean and explore it with her, he wanted to watch her sleep, he wanted to make her laugh, he wanted to make her moan, he wanted to touch her and memorize every inch of her. She was someone he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around, but it would appear as though he had no qualms about wrapping himself around her finger.
Well, this just wouldn’t do.
Johnny Clover could never – would never – be a one-woman man. He already had a couple of discussions about it with Bex, and he had had one with Brian as well. Despite their attempts at making love seem like the best feeling in the world, Johnny still felt as though he had the upper hand in this whole love game. No commitments. That was what was most important to him. Especially now! Who knew when Willow would pluck him out of this world and deposit him back into his original one? That woman was slightly deranged at best, and even if he did – could – feel something for Izzy, it definitely wasn’t going to last. Love was a feeling, an emotion, not a superpower. Not that he was in love, of course. It was just a hypothetical thought.
Candy had never had a chat with him about love, but then again, he had never fully discussed the matter with Izzy either. Not really, anyways. They were two women on opposite ends of the spectrum. He wanted to have sexual fun with one, and he wanted to make love to another. Furrowing his brow at such a notion, his index finger brushed across his bottom lip as he watched Izzy gracefully carry a tray of drinks to a table filled with a group of college kids. He didn’t ever remember making love to anyone. Maybe when he was young and naïve, and maybe when he actually did believe in the concept of love, but he had never engaged in the act recently. And he never had the desire to. Until now.
Okay, okay; not good.
The pirate tried to pull his eyes away from Izzy, but found that he could not. Today, she was in tight blue jeans that hugged the curves of her legs, her hips, and her rear, and over them were black knee-high boots with a red scarf tied around the left one. Her shirt had no sleeves, but gripped the woman’s frame, showing off a commendable pair of breasts and a flat stomach. Her golden hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, revealing her beautiful face. She never really wore her hair up except when she was at work, but he found that he liked looking at it very much. It was something unlike anything he had ever seen before. As such, he wanted nothing more than to trace it with his fingertips, to watch it for her reactions as he pleased her, and to memorize every curve, every freckle, every inch of it.
Johnny bit his lip, but a frustrated groan escaped from him nonetheless. He needed sex; meaningless, carefree, loveless sex. He needed to reacquaint himself with the activity. Going without sex for a while had horrible consequences such as thinking odd, romantic thoughts about someone who he didn’t feel romantic about. Yes, maybe if he had sex with somebody else, he might be able to forget her, what he couldn’t have.
That’s not true, a stubborn voice muttered in his head. You could have her if you wanted. You just don’t want her.
Oh, but he did. He was sexually attracted to Izzy, and there were moments when he would sit at her dining table and watch her do homework, silently losing himself in numerous fantasies that all had one thing in common; she was in them. This troubled him to no end because he had never fantasized about a woman before. Any woman he wanted to have sex with he just had sex with. There was really no need to fantasize about it. Izzy was a whole other matter. He couldn’t just walk up to her and suggest she slip on the lingerie he had first seen her in, though he found he wanted nothing more. She was his friend, one of the first ones he had, and he was afraid that any physical activity concerning the two of them might ruin said friendship. He could admit that she was his friend, and he could admit that he enjoyed the benefits of having her as such. He didn’t want to lose her over something meaningless.
Yes, but making love is not meaningless, another voice whispered. If you love her, of course.
“I do not love her,” he all but growled, narrowing his eyes in said woman’s direction, as though it was her fault he was so troubled.
“Ah,” a patron at the bar said after hearing him. “Women problems?” Johnny was about to reply
in the negative when the man’s next statements made him pause. “You know what I always do when I’ve got somebody on my mind I don’t want there? I sleep with another woman, you know, to forget. It doesn’t work long-term or anything, but at least it takes my mind off her, if only for a second.”
Johnny didn’t reply to the man’s statement, and the man was too drunk to care. However, the words the man had told the pirate were quite brilliant, if a little hard to comprehend. He had been craving sexual release for quite some time now, and it would seem that the more he went without it, the more his craving for Izzy herself seemed to multiply. It baffled him how simple the answer was, but then again, Johnny was used to complex solutions. Of course! Sleep with somebody else. Maybe if he found someone to aid him physically, he would forget all about the focus of his desires and consider her as just a friend from now on. Yes. He would do it. Tonight.
Once the bar closed that night, and Brian headed in the back, Johnny propositioned Candy. She, of course, agreed, as he had expected she would, and the two cleaned up the bar as quickly as they could in order to get down to business. Johnny forced his eyes to focus on his task at hand, but every once in a while, he would watch the swaying blonde beauty as she cleaned the surfaces of the tables. Every time he did, however, an unexplainable feeling of his chest constricting quite painfully overtook him until he looked away.
Candy led him into the closet when things were finished, assuming they had a good fifteen minutes before anyone would notice they were gone. The whole conversation about sexual diseases frightened Johnny into telling Candy he had no form of protection, and though Candy didn’t seem to mind, Johnny insisted they couldn’t actually engage in sexual behavior until he got one. Instead, the two opted for a very heated make-out session.
Upon first kissing her, the pirate scrunched his nose a bit. She tasted like she recently smoked one of her cigarettes and idly wondered if that was what he tasted like after smoking his tobacco. It definitely did not taste good. Pushing aside his disgust, he tried to clear his mind and focus. Focus! Why was it so hard for him to focus? He really needed to get laid. Maybe Bex could get him some condoms…
After a while, Johnny felt himself relax and even respond to Candy’s wandering hands. Ah, he had been missing this. His hand outlined her body and came to rest on her hips before making their way back up again. And boy, did she know what to do with that tongue…
At that moment, the door swung open, causing both people to spring apart. When Johnny’s eyes rested on Izzy, his chest constricted once again, but this time, to a more painful degree. She all but dropped the cleaning supplies she had finished with, and she swallowed. Johnny could easily tell that she was hurt; it was so evident in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but Izzy didn’t see him, and closed the door. Candy smirked at this, and went to Johnny in order to continue what had been interrupted, but he was already reaching for the door.
Out of all the things he wanted to do to Izzy, hurt her was not one of them.
It was then that he realized what he was feeling. Guilt. He was feeling guilt. And he didn’t know why.
Once he opened the door and stepped outside, his eyes sought out Izzy, but it would appear that she was already gone.
Chapter 16
Izzy had to get out of there. She had finished with what she was required to do anyways; it wasn’t like she would be ditching anybody… She just had to leave. Her chest constricted together painfully, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe as well. The young woman needed air, oxygen, and she slipped out the back and into the cold, bitter night. She let a painful sigh slip out of her nose and looked around for somewhere to sit.
Why was she feeling this way? So what if Johnny and Candy were making out in the cleaning supply closet. That was their business, not hers. Johnny was a grown man. He could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, with whoever he wanted. She wasn’t his mother, his sister, or even his girlfriend. And she didn’t want to be, right?
Let’s face it; why would she knowingly fall in love with somebody who didn’t believe in love? That was practically suicide, wasn’t it? She had already gotten hurt with Zach nearly a month ago. Could somebody really move on from a three year relationship so quickly? Was Johnny a rebound? Izzy couldn’t lie to herself. She knew she felt something for the man. She wasn’t exactly sure if she loved him or merely liked him, and she wasn’t exactly sure if it was because he was a pirate, if it was because he resembled Johnny Depp, or something completely different.
But she felt something for him.
Just because you feel something for him doesn’t mean he feels something for you, a voice in her head told her. It was harsh, but it was true. If Johnny Clover’s personality resembled Jack Sparrow’s only slightly, it was highly doubtful the pirate was intent on settling down. And she couldn’t get involved with someone who wouldn’t commit to her. There were times when she wished that she was the type of girl where she could enjoy the benefits of being in a relationship without actually being in a relationship, but she wasn’t and that made things harder for her.
Izzy looked around into the darkness as she ran her fingers through her hair. Besides the moon, lampposts with dull lighting lit up the pathway to her home, and she started walking from the restaurant in hopes to avoid any sort of confrontation. A sneer littered her face, shaking her head at such a thought. Yeah, like he would be running after her. Why would he be doing that anyways? It wasn’t as though he returned her feelings. If anything, Johnny was probably right where Izzy had found him - making out with Candy in the closet.
Shoving her hands into her pockets, Izzy decided to head home. As she walked, she focused on the waves rolling into the shore and crashing on the sand. She tilted her head to the side and glanced over at it, a small smile touching her face as she did so. God, she loved the sea. She loved the sound, the feel, the sight, even the smell. Maybe not the taste. But she loved the beautiful body of water, and wished at times that she had the opportunity to explore it. That was why she truly believed she was a pirate in a past life – had to be.
“I’ll read your fortune?”
Izzy stopped in her tracks at the voice and glanced over to her left. Standing there was a woman, with long, flowing red hair and smooth alabaster skin. Her body was lithe, her stature was tall, and she was wearing no shoes on her feet. Her clothes looked to be handmade, but they were actually pretty nice, coming in unique shades of different colors. Her tone had an accent that Izzy couldn’t quite place, but it was melodious and almost hypnotizing. She had no Tarot Cards on her, no crystal ball. The woman was standing there by herself, underneath one of the lights provided by the lamppost. She looked friendly enough, but then again, it was three in the morning. What if the woman tried to lure Izzy towards her so she could rob her.
In Balboa? a disbelieving voice asked.
“It could happen,” Izzy muttered under her breath. She then turned back to the woman with the knowing blue eyes, who was regarding the young woman patiently. “Um… no thanks. I’ve actually gotta get home.”
“Please Isabelle,” the psychic said in her usual soft tone, taking a step towards Izzy. “I know what troubles you. It will only take a moment.”
Izzy felt every hair on her skin stand up at the mention of her name. How did this woman know her name? Instead of answering, she watched the woman. The psychic smiled, as though she knew what was going on in Izzy’s mind, and took another step forward. Her sharp lips curled up and deepened, and she reached out her arm and flexed her fingers. Izzy glanced down at the offered hand and she hesitated. What if this woman was a quack? What if someone had told her Izzy’s name? What if this was some big joke?
“I assure you, Isabelle,” the woman said, meeting the young woman’s skeptical gaze, “that this is no joke.” She paused a moment before nodding once. “Now, please.”
She just read her mind. How could – Wait, no, she didn’t want to appear to be a fool in her mind. Instead, she swallowed and fina
lly placed her hand in the psychic’s.
“Isabelle, much is troubling you,” the psychic began, “but nothing more than a man, a man not of this world. I feel as though you’ve recently experienced a parting of ways with somebody you trusted, somebody you cared about.” She tilted her head, letting the ringlets of red drape around her frame. “I wish to express to you that all is not lost. Everything happens for a reason, which I am sure you know.”
Izzy said nothing, but she was quite fascinated by how accurate this woman was. So much so that Izzy actually felt… she wasn’t sure if afraid was the correct word. Maybe awed or even slightly overwhelmed. “I just don’t get it!” she exclaimed, all of her pent-up frustration at Johnny and Candy coming out. She didn’t mean to take anything out on this psychic, but she didn’t know what else to do. The one thing that consistently stayed on her mind for the past three and a half weeks was why had Johnny come to her? Why not anybody else?
The psychics lips curled up, easily reading Izzy’s frustration and understanding why she felt that way. “You are not yet supposed to,” she told the young woman, her accent making her predictions that much more ominous. “But in due time, you will find out.” She paused here and thought a long moment as her blue eyes took in Izzy’s palm, intricately going over every line, every mount her hand had to offer. “I assume you are frustrated with the pirate currently in your life, hmm?” she asked, though it was obvious the psychic already knew. “But what you think you are frustrated with does not match up to what you are actually frustrated with.”
Beautiful Disaster (A Pirate Romance book, Historical Romance) Page 8
