Jessica chuckled in relief. They were back to normal. "Why didn't you tell me about Helen. We promised each other that we would say whenever we have another person in our lives."
"You mean like you told me about Clay?" Ramon asked. "I saw you two on Thursday night too."
"But that was a spur of the moment thing. I invited him to a poetry concert. It wasn't a date."
Ramon wriggled his brow. "Madam Jessica, I think we have what you would call an impasse. Meeting Helen was a spur of the moment thing too. I went to the Business Center to eat and she was there."
"Okay, okay." Jessica sat up straighter. "I like Clay"
"What? Am I hearing right?" Ramon asked jokingly. "Jessica likes a guy who is not Khaled." He mused, finally putting down the cup. "Why doesn't Khaled have a last name?"
"I don't know," Jessica shrugged. "He's just Khaled, like Cher is just Cher, and Sade is just Sade."
"So what's his real name then?" Ramon asked. "You must know that. He's been your phantom crush for years."
"I don't know. There is no info on that."
"On the Internet?" Ramon shook his head. "Something's not right. No mother gets up and says, ‘this is my child, his name is just Khaled.’"
" For you, nothing is ever right about Khaled," Jessica said.
"One day when I have loads of time on my hands, I am going to find out what Khaled's full name is," Ramon promised. "So have you kissed Clay yet? Remember how you used to fantasize that your first kiss would be with Khaled under an umbrella in the rain with the elements crashing around you?"
"Shut up." Jessica frowned. "I have a way to go, but I am growing up. It sucks that I told you so many things."
"Fantasies, all featuring Khaled." Ramon laughed. "Anyway, I am happy you are growing up. Welcome to the land of the living. Maybe we should carry our significant others with us for lunch and have a double date."
"Maybe," Jessica said noncommittally, though it gave her a warm feeling to think of Clay as her significant other.
Chapter Four
Clay walked into the lab sleepily. He had stayed up the night before torturing himself with the thought of Jessica and Ramon finally moving their friendship to a romantic level.
He had found the girl that he didn't even know he was searching for, and she chose just that moment to explore a romantic relationship with her longtime friend. The thought was depressing and gave him a heavy feeling. He sat down beside his lab partner, Stewart, who had his head on the desk.
"What's up mate, didn't sleep well either?" he asked Stewart.
Stewart looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot, and said hoarsely, "Ray Cummings is sleeping with my girlfriend."
Clay frowned. "Ray Cummings?"
"Yes, the nerd, our lab instructor." Stewart sighed. "If he can get my girlfriend to sleep with him. I don't know man..."
"How do you know she's sleeping with him?" Clay asked while he took out his lab book.
"Because twice I saw him sneaking out of her place at Blue Palm Apartments."
Stewart put his head back on his arms. "I am going to kill him."
"No," Clay said hurriedly. "No girl is worth going to jail for."
"She's worth it." Stewart heaved a sigh. "I can't tell you how much she's worth it. Tracy is the best thing to ever happen to me. No man is going to come between us."
"Then you should take that up with Tracy, not Ray. Sort it out with her." Then something clicked with Clay, Tracy from Blue Palm Apartments was probably his neighbor. "Is your girlfriend's full name Tracy Carr?"
"Yeah, man." Stewart straightened up. "You know her?"
"Met her last week…very friendly. She's a law student?"
"That's her." Stewart nodded. "And the best debater ever. She knows her stuff."
Clay nodded. "Maybe you should talk to her about Ray."
"She's going to deny it." Stewart frowned. "Tracy and I have been together for the whole summer. I know how she argues, and I know that she'll have some excuse for having Ray in her apartment at two o'clock in the morning. Just yesterday he was there until four o'clock."
Clay realized that Stewart was beyond reasoning. He was seething with hatred. He felt like warning Ray to watch out when he stepped into the classroom, his white lab coat almost engulfing his small frame.
He was a short and extremely slim guy who had a wide mouth. He was self-conscious about his prominent overbite so he rarely smiled, and he had oily skin that broke out periodically. Clay had had him as a lab instructor in the summer and he was still in awe at how well Ray knew his science. He was like a genius squared. This was also Ray's final year as a chemistry student. Ray was going to make waves in the science world; he was sure of that.
He looked at the bristling Stewart who had straightened up when the door opened and Ray walked through.
Stewart was undeniably handsome and he dressed very well. He took pride in flexing his biceps so that women could stare at him. Clay almost laughed at the irony of Stewart being jealous over Ray. Maybe Tracy Carr was really more interested in brains than brawn. If she was, she would be a real anomaly in the female world, based on his experience.
He almost grinned at Stewart's intense scowl then his eyes zeroed in on Ramon, reminding him that he had some girl trouble as well.
He was still feeling the effects of tossing and turning and thinking about Jessica. She had all but admitted that she was attracted to him just before she went off with Ramon to pursue their relationship. Every word had been like a dagger to his heart.
"Today we are going to learn how to make gun powder," Ray said, interrupting his thoughts. "It's a pretty simple combination of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and elemental sulphur. Did you know that in the past people would obtain potassium nitrate from bat guano or horse urine?"
"He is the horse urine." Stewart mumbled darkly.
Clay listened as Ray explained the various elements and the process they would use to make gunpowder. He was jotting down notes even though he could barely hear Ray. Every time he spoke, Stewart grumbled something derogatory about him.
"Here's the kicker, though," Ray said. "I want you to find out what quantity of each ingredient is required and then next week we will make the explosive. The finer the powder, the faster it will burn, so come prepared to work. We will need an extra hour for lab, so work it out with your other classes."
Ray gave them one of his rare smiles, his yellow uneven teeth gleaming. Stewart shuddered beside him. "I can't believe that she kissed him. Somebody pinch me. Wake me up."
Clay growled. "Snap out of it, Stewart."
He wished that they didn't have to have the same lab partner all semester because Stewart was going to be a pain. He couldn't even remember how he was saddled with him in the first place.
After class, Clay watched Ramon. He was asking Ray questions about the gunpowder experiment, and Ray was patiently answering him. Clay was itching to ask him about Jessica. Were they now officially together?
He had no right to be feeling this way about her. He came on the scene just three months ago; Ramon and Jessica were friends for years. He should stop thinking about her as much as he was. He was just setting up himself for heartbreak. Jessica and Ramon had history. He sighed.
"Sounds like I am not the only one with issues," Stewart said beside him. "What do you have to sigh about?"
Clay shrugged, "I like a girl; she has a boyfriend."
Stewart scowled, "Jessica Bancroft. I see the way you've been staring at her all summer. Leave the girl alone then. Don't intrude on her relationship with her guy."
"I will." Clay stuffed his notes into his bag. "I hope your situation works out."
"It will," Stewart scowled, "because I have a plan."
Clay looked at him warningly. "Don't do it... whatever it is."
Stewart looked as if he wasn't listening to him. He had zoned out. Clay walked away, nodding at Ramon's enthusiastic wave as he went through the door. He could see that Ramon was happy. He almost scowled at
him and headed through the door in a huff.
*****
"What put you in such a bad mood?" Jessica was sitting on the bottom step below the lab door. She had been reading a book, and now it was lying face down on her lap as she contemplated him through slit eyes.
He couldn't prevent the grin that slipped across his face. She was lovely to behold. She had on a pink top and black jeans. Her usually wild hair was in a ponytail.
He sat beside her. "I had a rough night. I was thinking about you and Ramon…The truth is, he just waved to me and I got angry, jealous really."
Jessica gasped. "You really like me that much?"
"Yeah." Clay nodded. "I thought I told you before."
"Well," Jessica grinned, "I can't remember. Tell me again."
"I like you; I haven't liked a girl this much since...ever." Clay looked at her seriously. "And you are now with Ramon; that sucks."
"I am not with Ramon." Jessica touched her hand to his and then drew it away, gasping. They definitely had the chemistry she was searching for.
"I thought you were planning to get together with him." Clay asked, confused.
"Well, we didn't," Jessica said breezily. "We are back to normal, Ramon and I. I was waiting for you just now."
"You were?" Clay grinned, feeling a relief so deep, it was making him dizzy.
"Yes." Jessica stood up and brushed off her pants. "The poetry society is having a reading in the cafeteria. It starts in five minutes. I thought we could have lunch while listening to poems. I did a poem, want to hear it?"
Clay nodded eagerly. He would love to hear anything from her, even if it were rubbish.
"It's called Letting Go." Jessica cleared her throat. "It is hard to move from the familiar, give yourself breathing room, it will always seem as if it is too soon, but in order to grow, you should know that you have to let it go..."
When she finished speaking, Clay was silent.
"So, do you like it?"
"It was perfect," Clay said softly. "I really liked it. What familiar thing are you letting go?"
Jessica swallowed. It was Khaled, but she didn't want to say it aloud. "Just familiar things in general. Letting go is a part of growing up."
Clay looked at her and saw how she was struggling not to say “Khaled”, and gently took her hand into his and squeezed it. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
*****
Jessica was in her room getting ready to go to Clay's party at Blue Palm Apartments. She was going to wear a red t-shirt, but all of them had “I love Khaled” written on the front. Her mother popped her head around the door when she was looking at the tops and worriedly rubbing her lips.
"I told you! You shouldn't have gotten that statement written across all your tops."
"Not all of them," Jessica said to her, "just the red ones, because red is Khaled's favorite color."
Her mother came into the room fully and leaned on the wall. "You must introduce us to Clay. The whole family wants to meet him."
"Why?" Jessica asked frowning.
"Because he is a miracle worker." Kylie came into the room. Her pregnant belly looked like it was going to pop at any moment. She waddled to the side of Jessica's bed and sat down.
"What are you doing here?" Jessica asked.
"I heard through the family grapevine that you have a new guy," Kylie said, "and you are going out on a date. I had to come see this."
"He's not picking me up here," Jessica said in relief. "I am driving to the Blue Palm Apartments to see him. You guys are acting like this is my first date."
"Technically, it is," her father said from the doorway. He came and stood beside her mother. "Why can't this Clay come and pick you up?"
Jessica groaned. "It was a casual offer to go to his block party. He is just a friend."
"Whom you like very much," Kylie said. "I can't recall a time, in recent history, that I have come into your room and it was blissfully silent. Khaled is gone and Clay is in, a real live male who we can speak to and get to know. Jessica has a real live boyfriend; what a relief."
Jessica put her head in her hand, "I wasn't that bad was I?"
"Yes, you were," her mother and her sister said at the same time.
Her father just nodded. "I must say that I am feeling relieved, so relieved that I may forgo investigating Clay, at least until I meet him."
Jessica grinned. "Oh, yippee! Heard that Kylie? I must be the only child who is going on a date with somebody that Dad hasn't had investigated."
"Just for now," her father said grinning. "Bring him to meet us soon before I get too curious."
Jessica rolled her eyes and glanced at the watch. "It is not a given that Clay and I will get serious you know. I think you guys are way too happy about one little outing."
Her mother laughed. "No, I think we are right about this one. Let's get out of her hair," Celeste said, taking Bancroft's hand, "and let her get dressed."
When they left, Kylie reclined on the bed. "Don't expect me to move; I am in a very good spot here on your bed and moving is too much of a bother."
Jessica shook her head. "What should I wear instead of red?"
She chose an orange top instead and pulled her hair into a low chignon, allowing a few tendrils of her curls to linger around her face.
Everybody had pronounced her gorgeous when she left the house, and she drove up to Blue Palm Apartments feeling only slightly nervous. She got out of the car and knocked on the door of apartment 1B.
Clay answered promptly, his eyes widening when he saw her. "Wow. You look super pretty."
Jessica grinned. "Thanks. It's seven forty. Sorry I am so early, but I didn't want to stay at home one minute more. My family was going into a tizzy just because I am going out with a real guy."
Clay grinned. "You are most welcome to come early. Come on in."
He opened the door wider and she entered. He had on a white top and black jeans, and the apartment smelled of his cologne. It was a woodsy scent. She liked it. She liked him. Her eyes ran over him appreciatively. He was playing a CD. It was the acoustic version of one of Khaled's CDs; it was a gospel hymn compilation. The song that was playing was Precious Memories.
"I've never heard that one before, I mean the acoustic version. His voice sounds so pure here without all the instruments to drown him out," Jessica said in awe.
Clay looked at her closely. "I am not reawakening any addictions, am I?"
"No," Jessica laughed uncomfortably. "I am not addicted to Khaled." After taking a breath she asked, "Can I borrow this CD? I mean, it must be the only one I don't have."
Clay sighed. "You can have it."
Jessica grinned. "Thank you so much. Are you sure?"
Clay nodded. "Yes. There is more where that came from."
Jessica sat down. Clay had not messed with the standard decoration of the Blue Palm complex. He added a model ship to the center table and there was a picture of him with two middle-aged persons standing near an oceanfront.
"Who are they?" Jessica asked.
"My parents," Clay said. "It was one of those rare times when my Dad came back from the cruise ship and spent almost six months at home. That was ten years ago."
"What does your mom do?" Jessica asked.
"She's a florist. She owns a shop back home in Kingston. When I was younger, I had to help out in the shop, so I appreciated the beauty of flowers and I started writing poetry. I used to play football just to balance it out, you know."
"Oh." Jessica smiled. "You were teased because you were sensitive?"
Clay nodded. "I was geek personified. My favorite place was always at the back of the library."
"It's funny," Jessica said grinning. "You don't look like any geek I know."
Clay sat beside her and then jumped up. He was not having just friendly feelings for Jessica. He wanted to put his hand on her shoulder and draw her closer to him just now. "Ready?"
"Sure," Jessica said, standing up.
&nb
sp; When she and Clay entered the pool area, there were a few people milling around. Tracy Carr walked up to them, a wide smile on her face that dimmed somewhat when she looked at Jessica.
"Hello, Clay. I am happy that you could join us, and with a date too, how nice."
"Hi, Tracy, this is Jessica, my friend. Jessica, Tracy is my neighbor and she is the one who told me about the party."
Jessica shook Tracy's outstretched hand and almost shuddered at the cold look in her eyes.
"You are Presidents Bancroft's daughter?" Tracy asked. The smile she had plastered on her face not even near her frigid eyes.
"Yes," Jessica nodded, "I am."
"Well, well," Tracy said, "it's a pleasure to have Mount Faith royalty among us. Enjoy yourselves." She turned to Clay. "Good to see you again."
Clay nodded.
"She was cold," Jessica said when Tracy walked off. "Ironically, I think she was my cousin Arnella's friend. I don't know why they stopped talking though."
Clay shrugged. "I get the feeling that Tracy rubs people the wrong way. She is my lab partner’s girlfriend though, and he is going crazy over her."
Jessica chuckled. "She seems like a femme fatal, keep out of her way."
"I will," Clay looked at her seriously. "There is only one girl's way I want to be in right now."
Jessica swallowed, and they stared at each other, only breaking eye contact when a bright voice said to them. "Excuse me, my name is Sydney; I am new here. Who are you guys?"
They had to mingle with other people, but even when they were separated and were chatting in different groups, Jessica could feel their connection. She liked that; she liked it a lot.
Chapter Five
Jessica was having a rare bad day on the Monday after her Saturday night out with Clay. She was stuck in Music Room 3 with a slow learner. She was teaching her lone student to play the piano, and it was trying her patience. She glanced at the clock periodically, waiting for the hour to be up.
Just To See Her (The Bancrofts: Book 8) Page 4
