by Wood, Lauren
“Look, Jack. Thank you. I know you’re doing this because you love me and you want me to be safe, but you have to see that this is crazy. I am not going to go live with some guy that I don’t really even know. I know you think this is sweet, but it’s not. I will be fine. I can live without people there to watch me. I’m grown up. Have been for a while.”
He waved me off. “Don’t act like this is the end of the world. It’s not. You know it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, I have eyes, sis. I saw you guys at the wedding. And I know that you’ve had a crush on him for years.”
Now I was confused. If he knew all of that, why in the world was he trying to get me to go there? Did he want us together?
“So, you want us to get together?”
He made a face and shook his head vehemently.
“No. Damn, Dina. How the hell do you get that out of what I said?”
“I don't know. You keep talking about how great he is, and you want me to go live with him. What do you expect me to think?”
“I just want you to be safe, and I know that John will do that for me. It has nothing to do with me wanting you to be with John. He is actually the last guy I think you should be involved with. I mean that with all sincerity, Dina. He is a good guy and everything, but he is definitely not someone I want my sister dating.”
I wanted to ask him why he was so worried about it now, but I didn't think it was a good idea. My brother tended to be a bit overprotective, and I had a feeling this was one of those instances. He did not seem relieved, until I told him that I would not have anything to do with John in that way. It wasn't planned anyways, even though I didn't think it was the worst idea ever. There had been a moment with John and that is what I had thought about since the wedding.
There were also the words of my brother’s wife that ran in my head as well. She had been in a very similar position to me and it had all worked out for her. Why couldn't it work out for us?
“I see that look in your eyes, Dina. Promise me that you will listen to me on this, if nothing else.”
He was so serious all of a sudden, that I didn't think I really had a choice. As much as I was used to Jack being so easygoing, there were times that he wasn’t, and this was certainly one of those times. I wanted to know more or why this was suddenly an issue, but I didn't have their bravery to do so. The last thing I wanted to do was make him even more suspicious. Especially not when there were so many things on my mind. It’s not like I hadn't thought about it.
I assured Jack that nothing like that was going to happen. He seemed a bit better about it, but I ended up having to promise him several more times before I left. I agreed to go stay with John, because I knew if not, there was going to be something else for him to stress me about. I wouldn't put it past Jack to move to California, just to make sure that I went to class and I’d listen to his ideas about what he thinks I should be doing with my life. I was ready for some freedom, and I knew that agreeing to this madness was the only way to do it. I assured myself that after a couple of weeks, I would find another place. It was only temporary.
So, I got all my things together and got on a flight to California. I was nervous, of course, but at the same time, I was also really excited. I wanted to believe that it was all about going to college and starting a new adventure, but that wasn't exactly the truth. The truth was, that I was also a little more excited than I should have been to see John. There was just something about him, and the crush I had for him, had only multiplied since the wedding. After we had that kiss together, I was even more sure that us being together just made sense.
Once the plane landed, my nerves took a back seat only to how hungry I was. The plane did not serve food and my stomach had been in disarray since I'd left that morning. Even before that, I hadn't been able to sleep the night before. There were just too many variables and outcomes that I couldn't really plan for. I had no idea what was going to happen and all I could do was hope for the best. That was easier said than done.
I had to wait a few minutes to get my bags off the carousel, but eventually I was ready to start my new life. John was supposed to be there to pick me up, but I didn't see him anywhere. After a few minutes, I decided it was better to find a cab and go to the address that my brother had provided. At least I would get there sooner. I'd been traveling all day and the last thing I wanted to do was stay at the airport waiting.
I realized that I didn't have John's number in my phone for some reason and tracking him down was the only way that I was going to get anything done. I waited in the taxi line for a couple of minutes, got in a taxi and started on my way. I tried to convince myself that everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to. I wasn't sure if that was true, but I really liked to believe that it was.
It took about twenty minutes once we got on the Interstate and I couldn't believe how busy it was. I imagined that California was going to be full of people, but the sheer number of cars on the road was hard to fathom. It was the first time, but not the only time, that I was overwhelmed by my new adventure. I had to question if I was making the right decision. This was a lot; everything had changed and I was trying to get my head around it. That was the hardest part of all.
I paid the cab driver, and he was nice enough to help me with my bags.
“You are going to do great here, Dina. There are a lot of girls that are trying to be models out here, but you're one that has it.”
He had been complimenting to me the whole ride and I'd found it a little uncomfortable after a certain point. When he finally gave me a card with his number on the back, I tried to seem interested, but I wasn't sure if I was doing a very good job of it.
“I will give you a call once I get settled in, James. Thank you.”
I tipped him well and hoped that it was enough. I certainly wasn't going to be calling James, or anyone else. Even though I fantasized about John, far too much, it did not mean that I had time for all of that. The only thing I had time for was classes and learning. This is what I was here for and like everything else in my life, I wanted it all to go according to the plan. It was always better that way.
I was admittedly a little nervous as I got to the door. My brother had assured me that John was okay with the situation, but there was still a part of me that wondered if that was true or not. We had shared a moment and a kiss and something more, but then I had kind of avoided him. It had all freaked me out and knowing that we were going to be living together, it made me feel very strange. How was this even going to work?
I knocked on the door softly and waited for someone to answer. There were no sounds on the other side of it, but there was a car in the driveway, so I was hopeful. I knocked again a little bit harder this time and waited for someone to answer. The place was a lot bigger than I had imagined. I knew John made good money, his family was rich, but I didn't realize how much they had.
This place was practically the biggest in the neighborhood. It was kind of nice and weird all at the same time, to know that I was going to be staying there. This seemed a whole lot better than the dorms.
Finally, someone answered the door after the third time that I knocked, but it wasn’t John. Instead it was an older woman who was tiny and short. She had a genuine smile on her face, and she asked me if I needed any help.
“Hi, my name is Dina. I am supposed to be staying here for the next couple of weeks?”
“Yes, yes, and I have a room ready for you. John wanted to make sure everything was ready for you when you arrived.”
She invited me in and I thanked her. I immediately felt welcomed and considering the situation, that was far more than I could have imagined being possible. This certainly wasn’t a normal kind of situation. I thought that this was going to be horribly awkward, but I was already feeling good about the situation. As much as I worried, I had a feeling that everything was going to be just fine.
The woman introduced herself as the maid and gave me a s
hort tour as we walked along. The place was even bigger than I had imagined, even bigger than it showed outside, and I was a little nervous about actually getting lost here. She assured me that there would be somebody around to help if I needed anything.
“Where is John? I would like to thank him for his hospitality.”
She looked awkward for a moment and then we heard a sound coming from upstairs. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that it was a woman crying out in pleasure. I saw the maid’s face go red and I knew that Gabby was embarrassed. It was quite clear what John was doing and he was not available at the moment.
“Well, I will worry about talking to him later. It looks like he's quite busy right now.”
Gabby looked relieved that I had put two and two together so quickly and even after she left, I was still straining to hear what was going on down the hallway. I couldn't help but hear it. The woman was screaming out in pleasure and she kept repeating John’s name. What was he doing to her that made her sound such a way?
Even worse than that, the more I listened to it, the more turned on I became. I had never experienced such pleasure like that, and I was actually a little jealous of the woman. Whoever she was, she was getting something that I needed badly. And I hadn't even known it. It felt like a lifetime ago that I felt such a way.
I can say one thing for my brother’s friend John. He sure had stamina. I was not nearly as experienced as most women of my age. I knew that being in college this way was going to be hard, because I had only slept with a couple of guys and even then, it had been a short-term situation. Which meant, there were a lot of things I just had no idea about. But one thing I knew for sure was how turned on I was by what was going on down the hall. By the end of it, I was more bothered than I should have been.
My hands were trembling as I made my way to my room. I could still hear them and before long, I had to lay down. What a way to be welcomed to my new place. This wasn’t going to be at all like I’d imagined. Not at all.
10
John
Lisa was leaving and I was feeling better about the situation. She had given me a call a couple of days ago to take care of her and now I had to return the request. I don't know what was going on with me lately, but Dina was supposed to be here today, and I figured the best thing I could do for the situation was to make sure that I was as sexually worn out as I could be. I think I’d accomplished that. I was spent, with not another drop in me.
I’d been thinking about Dina far too much and that was a problem. That was a big problem and the best way to take care of a problem was to handle it in the only way I knew how. Lisa waved as she was leaving. I was feeling a little better about the situation. Sometimes I swear that woman had a magic touch, and that was most likely why I kept her around.
I was half-dressed, coming down the hallway, when I saw that the guest room door was open. I kept telling myself that someone must have left it open. Gabby was usually pretty good about closing doors, but that was the only reasoning I could come up with. It hadn’t really hit me yet that it could mean there was an extra guest here. I hadn't even thought far enough to think about the fact that Dina was here. At the moment, I had no idea what time it actually was, or how much time had been sucked up with Lisa.
That all came quickly to my mind though, when I went towards the door to close it. I was rather surprised to find a half-asleep Dina in the bed. I said her name gently because I didn't realize that she was actually asleep until she woke up. She had this look on her face when our eyes met, and I didn't even need to ask if she had heard what was going on between me and Lisa. Apparently, it was a given.
“I didn't realize you were here.”
“It's okay. I haven't been here that long. Your maid, Gabby, let me in. She's really nice.”
After that initial moment of vulnerability, where I had seen too much in her eyes, she covered up whatever emotions she had inside of them, and I had no idea what was going on. I think that was the whole point, and I didn't like it one bit.
“Well, it's good to see that you are settling it already. Your brother has called twice. I just looked at my phone. Will you give him a call and let him know that you arrived here safely? I'm sure that he believes you have been robbed and kidnapped already.”
“Trust me, John. My brother is worried about far different things.”
I didn't like the way that sounded, and I wanted to ask her what those things were, but to be honest, I kind of didn't want to know. There had been a moment where I thought I had revealed too much to my friend Jack about how I felt about his sister. It had literally just been a moment, but he had made it clear to me that Dina was definitely not an option.
I was staring at her now, looking at the tension written across her face and wondering what she thought of Lisa’s performance. She had been quite vocal, like she knew that somebody was listening and now it almost made me want to blush. The way that Dina could barely meet my gaze told me that she had obviously heard far too much. The problem was, the innocence that she displayed in her expression only made me want her worse.
I left the room, because I was still feeling strange after being with Lisa. Now that Dina was here, the woman that I had been fantasizing about for three months, I knew that I was going to have to pull myself together. This was my best friend’s sister and the last thing I needed to do was get involved with her. Dina was off-limits. I had known that for a long time. I just hadn't cared back then. Now she was beautiful, and so help me, I cared. Even if I didn't want to.
* * *
Dina came down for dinner and she looked refreshed. Her hair was still a little wet and it smelled like gardenias. I asked her how her nap was and if she was feeling better. She assured me that she was, but she was still finding it hard to meet my gaze.
She was dressed to impress, and I asked her what her plans were for the night.
“Well, since I have to start looking for a job tomorrow, I was going to check out a couple of bars tonight. There are tons around the college, and I bet I can make good tips there.”
“Don’t you want to spend your extra time studying? I am sure your father has made sure you are well funded for this.”
She made a face. “He has given me a card to use, but I don’t want to use it. I can do this myself, which means that I can’t take handouts. I know it is going to be hard, but I think it will be good.”
I was thinking about what her brother had said and I knew that it wasn’t a good idea. She didn’t need to be around a bunch of drunks all of the time. It didn’t seem desirable. Dina was too pretty and too naïve.
“Why don’t you get into something else? Like what you’re majoring in. You’re going to need experience, so why not start there? Bars around here can be rather rough, and I don’t know if you’re ready for that yet. This isn’t Coloma.”
She didn’t like my comment. She told me that she was looking into working in movies, but that hadn’t proved as easy as she had originally believed. That gave me an idea and I wasn’t sure how Jack was going to feel about it, but I knew that it was a good way to get that worry off of my mind. My friend had dropped some worry onto my lap, and I wasn’t sure how to work with it. I wasn’t used to it.
“I am not a kid anymore. I know my brother probably told you to keep an eye on me, but you don't need to. I don't plan on getting into that kind of trouble. I am just here to get a job and learn.”
I believed that that was her intention, but I did not believe that it would last very long. The West coast had a way of changing people and the last thing I wanted was for her to be changed. I also wanted to keep her close for my own selfish reasons. But I wasn’t going to say that out loud.
“I was just thinking that maybe you would be better suited for that job. It would be closer to what you are doing. You know that my family runs a production house, right?”
I was afraid that she wasn't going to listen to me or pay attention, but I had her attention now. The production side of things was no
t something that I paid all that much attention to, but I would now. If that meant that I got to spend some more time with Dina and it wouldn't be frowned upon.
I was still trying to keep to the promise that I had made with Jack. I told him that I would keep her safe. I'd also told him a long time ago that we would always be friends and I always had his back. This was the way for me to do it.
“Are you serious?”
I told her that I was and her smile just got a little bit bigger.
“You don't know how much I would love that. I tried to get a couple internships or something around here, when I was still in Coloma, but nobody would really give me a chance. I mean, are you really serious about this?”
I told her that I was, and she jumped into my arms for a big hug. If this was anybody else, maybe that wouldn’t have been a problem, but it wasn't anybody else. It was Dina and I had been thinking about her far too much.
The contact made me shiver and it took me a minute to pull myself together. She was already pulling away and going on and on about how great everything was going to be. I tried to stay with it, but my whole body was humming like I had electricity running through my veins instead of blood.
I had just relieved myself with Lisa not too long ago, so why was my reaction so strong? Nothing with Dina made any sense and this was just another example.
11
Dina
Going to California had always been a dream of mine. I don't know what I expected exactly, but California was everything I thought it would be and more.
The college was beautiful. It had a great campus and there were a lot of people around to talk to that were into the same stuff that I was in to. It was an eye-opening experience and I almost wondered why I waited so long to do it. I had taken a couple of years off before starting college.
