"Oh, and, Jack?" Annie's head was just beginning to clear now that she was sitting upright without assistance. "Is there any more of that rice left? I'm also starving." In fact, Annie could hardly remember ever being so hungry.
"Oh, no, I'm so sorry. I gave the leftovers to Sam." Jack cursed himself for not saving her some. He knew she had hardly eaten anything, for crying out loud! "But I can make you a sandwich. I have some excellent roast beef."
"No, no, that's okay. Thanks, anyway," Annie said quickly.
"How about turkey? I'll make you a turkey sandwich with this great bread I…"
"No! No, I-I'm not really hungry… I don't need anything, please..." Annie was starting to look distressed again, and Jack was perplexed.
"Annie, what's the matter? I can make you a sandwich. I don't mind! I'll make you a nice…"
"No, no, no, that's not it. I don't need anything. It's okay." Annie balled the quilt up in her fists and wouldn't look at Jack.
"Annie, tell me, right now. What's the matter?" Jack spoke gently but firmly as he sat back on the edge of the bed to get a better look at her face.
"Well, I-I don't eat meat, " Annie admitted, sneaking a quick look at Jack.
What?" Jack was incredulous. "But I just saw you eat chicken at dinner."
"I know," Annie wailed. "I didn't know how to tell you."
"Why didn't you just say, 'Jack, I'm a vegetarian?'"
Annie twisted the quilt nervously. "Well, I tried to, but I couldn't quite get it out in time. And you seemed to be in such a good mood; I didn't want to make you mad, especially when you were going to…well, you know…" Annie's voice trailed off.
"Do you think I'm such an ogre that I would get angry because you don't eat meat?" Jack's face creased with consternation. He was concerned that she had such a terrible opinion of him.
"No, no, of course not!" Annie was still dazed with sleep and upset at her inability to explain herself. "It's just, well, I was really nervous and scared, and I didn't want to say anything…"
"How long has it been since you've eaten meat, Annie?"
"Before tonight, almost three years," Annie admitted. "I don't think you're an ogre, Jack. I did try to tell you – a couple of times. I just couldn't get it out in time, and I got distracted, and then you said to eat my chicken, and, well, I did." Her behavior sounded ridiculous, even to her own ears. How did she get herself into these messes? Was he going to be mad at her now?
As he looked at her sitting there in his bed, Jack suddenly had new insight into how difficult it was for Annie to say no. No wonder she let that scumbag into his lab. She couldn't even say no to eating meat when he had insisted. Suddenly, Jack had an idea.
"Annie, we're going to try something," Jack declared with a big grin. "I want you to learn to speak up and say 'no' when you need to. We're going to practice. I'm going to insist that you eat a turkey sandwich, and I want you to say no! Ready?"
Annie twisted the blanket in embarrassment. "No, Jack, that's silly."
"Hooray! You did it!" Jack jumped up and pumped his fist in the air, shouting, "Yesss!" Jack's foolish overacting brought a smile to Annie's face, despite herself. "You told me no! You didn't want to do something and you said no! Good for you!"
"Here's another one! Ready?" Jack made his voice mock stern. "Annie, do you want another spanking right now?"
"No!" Annie shouted vehemently, although she was laughing along with Jack. "Stop it, Jack, you're just being silly."
"Wow! A two-fer, one no to a spanking and one for no more silliness, you're getting good at this."
Jack sat back on the bed and his face got serious. "Listen, Annie. I don't want you to ever feel as if you can't tell me something. I know I have a habit of taking charge and speaking up, but if you ever have something you want to say and I'm not letting you, just say, 'Jack, I need to say something,' and I promise I will shut right up and listen to you. Is it a deal?"
"Okay," Annie murmured, looking down. She felt embarrassed that she hadn't told him earlier she was a vegetarian, and also, that she was still sitting in his bed with no pants on.
"And you've got to learn to say no to other people, too. But you can start with me." Jack rose again and smiled at Annie. "Now, how does a cheese sandwich sound? I have tomatoes and sprouts, or I could make a grilled cheese."
"Tomatoes and sprouts sound great."
Chapter 9
After Jack brought Annie her clothes from the study, she waited until she heard his footsteps going down the stairs. With the quilt still wrapped around her, she headed for the bathroom attached to his bedroom. As soon as she flipped the lights on, her eyes fell on the huge bathtub at the far side of the large master bath. There was nothing Annie loved more than a hot soak on a cold night, and this was the most inviting tub she had ever seen. It was huge, with marble steps leading up it, marble tile surrounding it, Jacuzzi jets, and an elegant golden spout and handles. It was Annie's dream tub.
Somewhat reluctantly, Annie pulled her panties and jeans back on. She wished there was some excuse she could think of for why she needed to use the bathtub. She hadn't had a bath since Christmas break, as the dorm had only showers, and she had never bathed in such a large, fancy tub in her life. As she rinsed her face in the sink and tried unsuccessfully to detangle her hair with her fingers, she kept sneaking wistful glimpses of the tub in the mirror.
Annie cupped her hands under the faucet in the sink and drank some of the water to slake her terrible thirst, and as she did so, she felt like she came to her senses. What had she been thinking? She couldn't take a bath in Jack's house. The very idea was just – well – weird! Creepers! Sleeping for twenty minutes had really left her befuddled. No wonder she never napped. She cupped her hands under the faucet and drank again, both to quench her thirst and in the hopes it would clear her mind and help her to come fully awake.
Suddenly, she remembered that Jack was supposed to go to Europe later this month to receive an award from the International Society for Neuroscience. Maybe she could offer to housesit for him and take care of Sammy while he was gone. Would it be weird to use his bathtub then? She would have to think about it during the daytime, when her thought process was more coherent.
When Annie descended the stairs a few minutes later, she thought she smelled wood smoke. She peeked into the living room and saw that Jack had lit a fire in the fireplace and had brought a tray in there with a sandwich and a bottle of water. She headed toward the kitchen and found him operating some noisy kitchen apparatus.
"Ah, there you are. Your sandwich is ready." Jack wiped his hands on a towel and led her back into the living room. He motioned her to sit in a wing tipped chair in front of the fireplace and put the tray on her lap. He had thoughtfully put an extra pillow on the seat of the chair.
Annie dug into the sandwich with relish while Jack went back to the kitchen. He had cut thick slices of some kind of tangy cheese, and the whole grain roll he served it on was crusty and fresh. He had added tomatoes and sprouts and put tiny cups of mayonnaise and mustard on the plate. Annie was so hungry and the sandwich was so delicious that she didn't bother to take the time to add the condiments. By the time Jack returned, she was on the last bite of her sandwich and had finished most of the water, as well.
"Wow, you were hungry. Can I make you a second sandwich?" Jack set down another tray with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on it.
"No, thanks." Annie stared at the hot chocolate. Whipped cream topped the mugs and it was garnished with thin shavings of dark chocolate. "Did you just make that?" she asked in astonishment.
"Mmm-hmm," Jack murmured proudly. "I picked up all the ingredients on my way home today. I just whipped the cream myself. I like the homemade kind better because it's not too sweet."
"You didn't have to – I mean, I don't need anything so fancy." Annie was slightly embarrassed he had gone to so much trouble for her, but it also gave her a warm feeling inside.
"Well, I remembered that you said last week you
liked hot chocolate." Jack sat on the other chair in front of the fire and picked up his mug.
"So, this is kind of like our after-spanking tradition?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Annie was horrified. How could she have said such a thing? That short nap must have disoriented her more than she realized. She had blurted out several ridiculous comments during the course of this evening, but this was by far the worst! She was positively mortified by her words.
But Jack just laughed and grinned at her with twinkling eyes. "Good idea. I'll get more supplies so we can have some next week, too."
"I didn't mean…" Annie was so embarrassed that she squirmed in her chair, causing the mug on the tray to wobble slightly.
"Easy, there," Jack set his mug down and jumped up to steady Annie's tray. "Here, drink up before it gets cold." He put the mug in Annie's hands, and, just for a moment, their hands touched before Jack sat back down, his eyes still twinkling at her.
* * *
An hour later, Jack pulled up in front of Annie's dorm to drop her off. He had tried to talk to Annie as they sat in front of the fire drinking their hot chocolate, but Annie's embarrassment at having made the 'after-spanking tradition' comment made her quiet and inhibited for the rest of the evening.
Now, she was about to get out of the car, and Jack didn't want to let her go while she was still feeling awkward and shy. He was worried that her self-consciousness might cause her to avoid him, as she had last weekend, and he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. He searched quickly for something to say as she unbuckled her seat belt.
"Listen, Annie, I still feel badly about making you eat that chicken," Jack began.
Annie turned to look at him in surprise. "Oh, that's not your fault. I should have said something. I just…" Annie trailed off, still shy and embarrassed.
"You have to let me make it up to you," Jack said firmly. "Let me take you out to lunch, tomorrow. Are you free?"
"You don't have to do that," Annie began to protest.
"I insist. I'll meet you at the lab tomorrow at noon, if you're free. You pick the place, my treat."
"You really don't have to," Annie continued to protest.
"Yes, I really do," insisted Jack. "I feel too guilty about causing you to eat meat. You have to let me do something to make it up to you. From everything you've told me about yourself, you, of all people, should take pity on me for my guilt and help me to get rid of it. So, what do you say? Lunch, tomorrow?"
Annie had to smile at his persuasive technique. "Okay, see you at noon." She laughed as she got out of the car.
* * *
The next day, Jack stood behind Annie at the counter where they ordered their lunch. Annie had chosen a cute little sandwich shop at the edge of campus that she said was her favorite place. Jack would have preferred a somewhat more elegant location, with linen napkins and soft music, where they could sit down and have their orders taken. But he had told Annie she could pick the restaurant, and she seemed quite excited to be here. Annie ordered soup and a hummus sandwich then turned back to Jack, biting her lip.
"Would you like to split a dessert? They have a really great hot fudge brownie that is out of this world." She looked at Jack hopefully.
"Sounds great!" Jack couldn't help but smile at her expression, and she beamed at him before turning back to the counter to order. Actually, Jack wasn't a fan of gooey, chocolaty desserts, preferring lighter fruit pastries and custards to the overly sweetened stickiness of fudge brownies. But Annie's delight in the chocolate treat charmed him. It wasn't like he actually had to eat much of it. He was pleased just to be able to bring such a simple pleasure to Annie.
The restaurant was almost empty because it was a weekend, and Jack found a table far from the counter where it was quiet and all the surrounding tables were unoccupied. Annie's shyness had returned, now that they were sitting down and waiting for the server to call their number. She had trouble meeting Jack's gaze and thanked him repeatedly for buying her lunch. Jack tried to get her to smile by teasing her about practicing saying no to him some more, and by the time their food was ready, she was somewhat more relaxed and comfortable with him again.
"This place has the best soups. And they always have at least one that is vegetarian or even vegan." Annie began dunking her sandwich into her soup. "I love soup. I think it's my favorite food. One of the best things about winter is that people make soup all the time."
"You can make soup in the summer, too. Have you ever tried making cold soups?" Jack bit into his sandwich.
"Mmm, I don't really cook," Annie said evasively, picking at the crumbs on her plate.
"Oh, soups are easy to make. Maybe we can make a pot together, sometime," Jack suggested.
"Umm, maybe..." Annie replied uncomfortably. She grabbed her pineapple juice and stuck the straw in her mouth, letting her hair fall forward so it covered her face.
Jack quickly tried to change the topic away from cooking, which seemed to make her uncomfortable, and back to something she had seemed more enthusiastic about discussing. "What's your favorite kind of soup?"
"Oh, I like all kinds." Annie looked up at Jack and smiled. "Or at least all the kinds that are vegetarian. I like barley soup and vegetable soup, and lots of the individual vegetables, too, like carrot soup or onion soup. And I like the thick soups, like split pea and bean and lentil. And the cream soups, like broccoli, and cheese, and tomato, and mushroom, and squash and…"
"Okay, I get the picture!" Jack interrupted, laughing. "Are there any kinds of soup you don't like?"
"Not that I can think of, unless you count meat soups." Annie sat back in her chair and smiled at Jack. "Soup makes me feel so good inside – all relaxed and warm and safe. I'm usually a big worrier, but it's hard to feel anxious and uptight when you're eating soup. I wish they served soup more often at the cafeteria where I usually eat."
Jack made a mental note to get some recipes for vegetarian soups before next weekend. "What kind of soup is that you're eating now?" he asked.
"It's vegetarian potato-leek," she replied, gesturing to the white board at the counter where the soups of the day were listed. "Here, try some." Annie held her spoon out to Jack to taste, which surprised him. He wasn't used to sharing silverware with other people.
"Mmm, it's good!" Jack sipped the soup and then handed the spoon back to Annie. It was surprisingly good, as was the hummus sandwich that she had suggested he order. "Do you come here often?"
"No, just once in a while; I found this place my first day on campus, during orientation, my freshman year. My brother had driven me to school and we were looking for a place to eat. Now, we eat here every time he drives me back to school."
"Does your brother always drive you back?" Jack asked as he handed Annie a fork to start on the brownie. "Do your parents ever drive you here?"
"It's hard for my dad to leave the farm. He has to milk the cows twice a day, and my mom would never want to drive that far on her own. Besides, my brother and I are really close."
"Are you close with your other brothers, too?" Jack remembered that she had told him she had three brothers, just like he had three sisters.
"Not really. Toby and I grew up together, almost like twins. My oldest brother, Eric, is six years older, and my younger brother is three years younger than I am. But Toby and I are only nine and a half months apart."
"Nine and a half months! I didn't think that was possible!"
"Well, I was a preemie, at least six or eight weeks early. I was kind of a surprise." Annie laughed. "Actually, a total surprise. After they had Eric, my parents tried for a long time before they had Toby. It took them years to get pregnant with him, and then it was a difficult pregnancy, so the last thing they expected was that my mother would get pregnant again, right away. They had no idea she was pregnant with me until just before I was born. She thought she was just sick and run down from having had Toby."
"Wow!" Jack was thrilled that Annie was opening up and telling him more about herself
. He pushed the brownie closer to her so that she wouldn't notice he wasn't eating much of it.
"Yeah, that's probably why I've always been so scrawny. I was a puny preemie and I've been kind of stunted ever since."
"You're not stunted. You're petite. I think you look great." Jack smiled appreciatively at Annie.
But Annie didn't even hear the compliment. She rested her chin on her hand and looked thoughtfully out the window. "My grandma says that's why I feel guilty about everything, too. She says it's because I felt so guilty about making my mother sick. You know, I almost killed her when I was born."
"They told you that? They told you you almost killed your mother?" Jack was shocked that a family would say such a thing to a child.
"No, of course not, my grandmother came to take care of us after I was born because my mother was too weak and run down to do it herself. Grandma pretty much raised Toby and me because my mother was so sick. One day, I heard them arguing, just before Todd, my youngest brother, was born. I was about three, then, and my grandmother was really angry that my mother had gotten pregnant again because she was worried about my mother's health. She was especially mad at my father, and I didn't understand why. He wasn't the one who had gotten pregnant!" Annie laughed again, still lost in her own world of memories.
"The adults were having a big argument in the living room, and Toby and I woke up from our nap and came down to see what all the shouting was about. They were so upset, they didn't even notice us, but they all seemed to agree that I had almost killed my mother. I started crying and Toby took me out of there. It was years, before he told my grandmother what we had heard."
Jack leaned closer so he could reach over and pat Annie's hand, but before he could touch her, she laughed and said, "Anyway, that's why Toby and I are so close. We used to do everything together. I know most kids fight with their siblings, and we did have our share of fights with Todd, our youngest brother, because he was always jealous of how close Toby and I were. But I can't remember ever being mad at Toby, and he always took such good care of me, from the time we were both babies.
Submitting To Her Professor Page 9
