The Demarcation of Jack

by Blakely Bennett

  The Demarcation of Jack

  by

  Dana & Blakely Bennett

  The Demarcation of Jack

  Copyright © 2013 by Dana Bennett & Blakely Bennett

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the authors.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Cover Design by Patricia Maia of Maya's Teasers & Design

  Logo design by Olivia E. Bennett

  Edited by Todd Barselow

  ISBN: 978-1-62890-399-7

  Discover other titles by Blakely Bennett at Smashwords.com:

  Title 1 – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/253431

  Title 2 – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/294629

  Title 3 – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/334939

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to all our friends and family who have been so encouraging and supportive in our publishing endeavors. It’s been an amazing journey so far and we’ve learned a ton along the way.

  Special thanks go to our beta readers Stephanie H., Brenda L., Heidi S., & Serena K., and a special shout out to Shannon P. for proof reading.

  We have amassed a great crew for our first independent publishing project. Finding our great editor, Todd Barselow, our incredible cover artist, Stephanie Higgins, and logo artist, Olivia E. Bennett has been priceless.

  Tandem writing has been an amazing adventure and we look forward to writing more stories together.

  We dedicate this story to long abiding love,

  like we have found with each other.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jenna stood next to her bed, staring at the suitcase as if it might spontaneously up and finish packing itself. She should have been excited to be getting away, going to Jamaica, but instead wished she could stay home, alone, without Jack. She glanced around their bedroom, still in love with the paintings and sculptures he had created. She wasn’t sure, though, if she still loved the man behind the art.

  As she lifted the lid of her battered suitcase, she thought of the life she had lived before marriage, the baggage she brought to the relationship and the new issues that currently weighed her down. She could hear her fellow traveler in the next room, whistling as he packed his toiletries into his cosmetic bag. Ten days in Jamaica, she thought. Fuck!

  Her ire reared its ugly head again. “I can’t believe you asked them to come along without asking me,” Jenna shouted to Jack. “You should’ve at least discussed it with me before approaching them.”

  Jack winced at the disappointment evident in Jenna’s voice. He entered the bedroom with the shower bag in one hand and his coffee cup in the other. He approached her with caution and said, “Please, let it go and try to relax; we’re going to Jamaica. Catch some rays, drink some rum, it’s all gonna be fun.”

  He peered through an opening in the curtains at the drizzle swirling under the south Florida wintery sky. The temperature had fallen another five degrees in the last hour brought on by a cold front lumbering its way toward Key West.

  “Can’t we get past this and have a good time anyway?” Jack said smiling a silly grin, hoping to elicit a positive response. Jenna’s dour look caused him to heave a sigh as he zipped up his garment bag.

  “But ten days with two more people than I expected,” she said, flumping down on the bed. “I want to know why you think spending time with them is going to help us.” She bounced back to her feet, reached into her drawer for another bathing suit, and flung it into her suitcase.

  “Well, what do you want me to do about it now? They’re already coming and I’m not exactly expecting them to help us.” He strode over and picked up the phone. “Look, how’s this? I’ll call and tell them we can fly together, but once we arrive, they have to stay on one side of the resort and we’ll keep to the other.” He held up the telephone in an impudent gesture of question.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not listening to me.” She turned to look directly at him. “I don’t know if we should even take this trip.”

  “Please, let’s not argue about this,” he said, holding out his palms in front of him. “Jen, come over here and give me a hug.” He opened his arms wide to receive her, wishing to melt some of her anger.

  “No,” she said, holding up her hand. “Jack, this is exactly what I’m talking about. This is the kind of stuff we need to work on.”

  “Okay, okay … I’ll try to do better and it won’t happen again. Until the next time,” he mumbled under his breath. Jack grabbed his mug and hefted the garment bag.

  “I heard you, you son of a…” she shouted, hurling a pair of running socks at his head.

  “Just kidding,” he yelped, recoiling and blocking his face with the coffee cup. “We’re going to Jamaica, mon. Ya mon? Everyting gonna be all right,” he said, putting on his wrap-around sunglasses and straw hat as he bounced out the door headed to the kitchen.

  “I’m not so sure about that,” she grumbled. Tramping from the room, she wheeled her suitcase to the front door. “Did you call the taxi as I asked?”

  “Yes, dear,” he called, rinsing his coffee cup in the kitchen sink.

  “Don’t mock me, Jack. I’m upset, and I think rightly so, because this is supposed to be our time to focus on us.” She pulled open the curtains and looked through the rain for the lights of the taxi.

  “Hey, I’m excited about this trip. I’ll clean up my act and we’ll have plenty of time to spend together. Okay?” He smiled as he joined her at the front door.

  After nine years together, Jack’s short stature, dark eyes, and his messy short black hair still stirred passion in Jenna. She loved his flirtatious nature but it frustrated her to know that she would yet again succumb to his charismatic charm.

  He exuded infectious energy and only seemed to find stillness while he slept or in utter exhaustion after sculpting. In the beginning, his child-like enthusiasm in almost every situation fascinated her, but recently, that fascination had morphed into a constant irritation.

  “Alright, let’s hit it,” Jack said as he opened the front door of the house. A wave of cold, humid air engulfed them as they stepped onto the screened-in porch to await the taxi. The rain had pelted the coast for the last few hours, underscoring their desire for the warm tropical beaches awaiting them in Jamaica.

  “Are you sure you called?” she said. “I don’t want to be late. Here, take the umbrella, please.”

  “Here he is, right on time,” Jack said. He pushed open the screen door and opened the umbrella. “I’ll take the bags out and then come back to get you. Wait here.”

  Jenna held the screen door open as Jack shouldered the bags. He swayed slightly under the weight of the luggage as he sloshed through a couple of puddles to the back of the bright yellow cab.

  “Good morning,” Jack said as he approached the driver. “Glorious day, aye?” He handed the driver the stuffed garment bag and the large suitcase.

  Rain had soaked the cabbie’s turban causing droplets to cascade down his forehead onto the tip of his nose. “Yes sir, beautiful day,” he said, in a decidedly Indian singsong accent. “Where would you be going?”

  “Fort Lauderdale Airport. Going to Jamaica, mon,” Jack said with a big smile.

  “That’s fine then. In a few hours, you’ll be lying on a hot sunny beach. That’s a good thing,” he called to Jack who had headed back to get Jenna.

  “Are you ready
?” Jack asked as he held up the umbrella. “Please forgive me, so we can have a good time. Okay?”

  “I’ll try,” she said, ducking underneath the canopy and high stepping to the taxi attempting to avoid the puddles.

  Jenna thought that the taxi was clean enough. The odor of musty leather and the faint smell of whiskey reminded her of sitting on her father’s lap as a child while he read to her.

  The wipers swung just slightly out of rhythm causing a downbeat that reminded Jack of Sting when he played bass with The Police. He watched the rain stream across the window as they approached the airport. Homeland Security had raised their alert to orange, and to ensure everyone’s safety, they randomly stopped cars to check for bombs.

  “Do they stop cabs often?” Jack asked surveying the scene as they drove passed.

  “No, sir, wouldn’t be good for business.”

  “I see,” Jack said.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Jenna said. “You could be carrying a terrorist. You could even be a terrorist.”

  “Excuse me?” the cabbie said, his face close to the rearview mirror.

  “No ... sorry. I didn’t mean you, as in you in particular,” Jenna stammered.

  “Way to go champ. Now he’s going to drop us at arrivals,” Jack whispered into her ear.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it,” she said. She leaned to the side trying to engage the driver in the rearview mirror with her innocent smile.

  “Air Jamaica, next stop,” he said, looking into the backseat with a scowl on his face.

  “What’s the damage?” Jack asked.

  “Thirty-five for you, sir. Seventy for your companion.” He broke into a grin and winked at Jack.

  “Oh man, where’s my wallet?” Jack asked. He reached into his back pocket and checked his jean jacket.

  Jenna glowered at Jack and then checked the front pocket of the backpack. “Here it is.” She handed over his wallet, got out of the cab and waited on the curb.

  “Here you go, my man, and thanks for your patience,” Jack said to the driver, handing over the fare including a large tip. He moved toward the far door to exit and said to Jenna, “Get a skycap to check the baggage, will you?”

  After they took care of their luggage and entered the security line, Jack wrapped his arms around Jenna. “Honey, look … let’s try to have a good time. I really didn’t mean to piss you off.”

  “Jack, thank you for saying so. No more surprises, okay?”

  “Right, sure. I’ll do my best. Seriously, I promise,” he said as he squeezed her against his body.

  They joined the sea of people winding their way through the maze, stripping off their shoes and filling square plastic buckets with their travel paraphernalia.

  “I wonder where Marc and Summer are?” he said, peering over the crowd.

  “She tends to run a little late,” she said. “At least when it comes to her yoga classes.”

  “No worries, I’m sure we’ll see them at the gate then.”

  “So what’s the first thing we’re going to do when we arrive?” Jenna asked, finally giving into the adventure before them.

  “We’re going to purchase a little cannabis,” he whispered. “Like only enough for personal use, you understand.”

  “Are you nuts? I’m not spending time in a skanky Jamaican prison,” she whispered back.

  “It’s legal.”

  “Then why are you whispering?”

  “Because, it’s legal—there. You never know who might be listening to our conversation here,” he said. He then pulled up his jean jacket collar to cover his face.

  “You’re weird,” she said, chuckling while she tugged on his sleeve.

  “Like you didn’t know that about artists when we met. Van Gogh, Picasso … wine, women, parties? Are we getting the painting here?”

  “Is that it? You’re working your way to crazy?” she teased.

  “I am crazy, baby. I live in my own world, every day.”

  “Hey, you two,” called out a familiar voice from within the crowd behind them.

  “They’re here. Right over there,” Jenna said, pointing through the profusion of colorfully clad travelers.

  “I’m going over to speak to them. Save my place,” he said.

  “No, Jack. Let me find out what’s up. I don’t trust you—you’ll tell them everything and I’ll be uncomfortable the whole trip.”

  “Fine. Go, but be nice. It’s not their fault.”

  “I’ve not forgotten whose fault it is,” Jenna said over her shoulder as she jostled through the crowd.

  Jack felt an unexpected rush of emotion as his eyes followed Jenna threading her way through the labyrinth of stanchions and passengers. She appeared more beautiful to him now than she did as a younger woman. He recalled her arresting smile when they first came face-to-face as she walked out of the local pub. She had agreed to model nude for him that night.

  Recently, Jenna had let her brown waves cascade a little past her shoulders and when pulled away from her face, it highlighted her bright green eyes. Her hips had widened slightly to give her a more womanly figure and her straight nose, high cheekbones, and the overall symmetry of her face made her a pure and refined natural beauty.

  As Jenna disappeared from Jack’s view, he felt a lurch in his heart. He realized he missed her ready smile and the way she used to gaze at him with awe. Unfortunately, in the past several months, the strained conversations and her palpable dissatisfaction had become the norm.

  *****

  “Oh my gosh, you look so ready for Jamaica,” Jenna said as she approached Marc and Summer.

  “You like? I bought this outfit just for the trip over,” Summer said, swinging from side to side.

  She wore a multi-colored floor-length sarong with a slit up the side exposing her sexy, toned leg. The yellow fitted top and Panama straw hat completed her island look. She had creamy caramel skin and jet-black curly hair she let grow wild—a perfect blend of her Jewish mother and African American father.

  “I love it and you look stunning as always,” Jenna said.

  “Are you excited yet? I’m beside myself,” Summer said, moving in close to Jenna to give her a peck on the cheek. “For a minute last week I thought we wouldn’t be able to make the trip. Marc’s partner gave him a hard time about taking an impromptu vacation. He is such a worrier sometimes. Marc had to promise to have his cellphone with him to allay Rich’s concerns.”

  “Marc, how are you doing?” Jenna asked, turning to give him a hug. “You look great as well. I can’t get Jack to wear a sports jacket to save his life.” She thumbed the edge of his lapel. “So is it true you’ve given up head shrinking?”

  He laughed. “Yes, it is. I finally decided to lay off the mind and focus on the whole body. Rich and I sold our private practice and bought two wellness centers. He handles the books and I handle operations, so he thinks the gyms will fall apart without my constant attention.” Marc placed his bag in front of him and slid it forward with his foot. “I left work behind yesterday when I started packing.”

  They moved up the line a few steps and as they stopped, Summer skimmed Jenna from head to toe and said, “I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get out of these clothes and into a string bikini.”

  “Me, too,” Jenna said, looking down at her blue jeans and sneakers. She tugged at her FIU sweatshirt. “I don’t know what we were thinking; Jack and I dressed for the weather here. We’re going to look ridiculous when we arrive and I expect we’ll be peeling off a few pieces of clothing pretty quick.”

  “I sure hope so,” Marc said as he scanned Jenna up and down. He winked and put his arm over her shoulders.

  Jenna felt a hot blast flush her cheeks and quickly said, “Jack’s farther up in the line now and it looks like we’re next,” she said, rising up on her toes. “Got to go. See you at the gate.”

  She waved goodbye as she quickly moved away from Marc. “Excuse me … sorry … I’m already in line toward the �
�� sorry … excuse me,” she said, making her way back to Jack. “God, you would’ve thought I was committing a capital offense and the looks—”

  “Honey, do you have the tickets?”

  Jenna felt the blood drain from her face and shot Jack a furious look.

  “Just kidding. We’re almost there,” he said, fidgeting with his identification. “You did wash your feet this morning didn’t you?”

  “What?” she asked, tilting her head.

  “You know—the foot fetish people they hired as part of the security team—they make you take off your shoes? You’re safe unless they actually start touching your feet,” he said, gesturing as if he cradled a foot in his hand. “Most of them are only foot voyeurs, but some of these guys are the real thing—madmen, I tell ya.”

  “Shut up, you fruit loop. You’re such a weirdo sometimes,” she said, attempting to hold back her laughter.

  “Next.” A TSA agent motioned them forward.

  “Okay, it’s happening,” Jack said excitedly. “We’re going to Jamaica.”

  “Down boy, we’re not even on the plane yet.” Jenna turned to look back toward Marc and Summer. “You know if I were a betting woman, I would say that Marc made a pass at me back there.”

  “Nah, I doubt it. Right in front of Summer? No way,” Jack said as he untied his shoes.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “What time do we land?” Jack asked, as he placed Jenna’s backpack under the seat in front of him.

  “Eleven and the sooner the better,” Jenna said. “Where are Summer and Marc sitting?” She pulled herself up high enough to see over the headrest of the seat in front of her. “I don’t see them. They must be toward the back.”

  “Once we’re flying you can get up and find them,” he said, pulling a barf bag from the seat pocket. “Is this yours?”