Mr. Fixit

by Lauren Landish

  I shake my head. “No... I'd rather go home alone than do that. I thought... I thought when I came here I'd be willing to do it, to scratch an itch, but seeing him like that... Fuck him, I'm nobody's Call-Me-Later Girl.”Professor Henderson nods, his face grave. “Do you know why I invited both you and Jake?”

  “He's the soon-to-be superstar quarterback, and I'm in your class?”

  The Professor shakes his head, that disapproving smile coming back to his lips, but he speaks before I can offer something else. “No. Actually, him and Luke are the only members of the football team I've invited, and I don't invite even a fraction of my students. No... I invited you both because I wanted to pull off a bit of magic I rarely get to see, and one that requires a lot of luck, more than just what my skills can create. I've seen the way he looks at you, both tonight when you two were teasing each other, but also when you two have been in class together. Remember the sonnet I assigned at the beginning of the semester? No other student listened as attentively as he did when you read yours aloud. If he listened to me and his other teachers half as closely as he listened to that sonnet, he'd be much better off academically than he is.”

  “So what are you saying, Professor? You think you're some sort of matchmaker?”

  The Professor shakes his head, turning to go. “A good magician can't reveal all to his audience, or else the magic is broken. For now, I think I'll go find your friend.”

  “She'll be happy to know that. May I ask why?”

  The Professor turns back, that strange small smile on his face again. “Sometimes, the greatest magic is when the magician can work the magic for himself. It's been a long time, but perhaps I should take that chance again. Good evening, Cassie. I look forward to seeing you in class Friday.”

  The Professor leaves, and as he goes back into the ballroom, only to have Nina come down the stairs a moment later, her hair and costume mussed but a happy expression on her face. “Cassie? What are you doing here?”

  “Being very confused,” I reply. “What are you doing?”

  “Going for refreshments. I have found... entertainment for the evening, but the room lacks water, sadly. The man I'm with is rather... tied up right now, and I'm being nice. Tell me, have you and Jake...?”

  “No, that's what I'm confused about. The Professor...” I start before clamming up. For some reason, it just doesn't feel right to repeat what Professor Henderson told me. “I just don't want to be a notch on Jake's belt, that's all.”

  Nina nods, and stops, leaning against the railing of the stairs. “But you're fine being a notch on someone else's belt? I don't know much about American football, but for Jake to make a play, it takes at least two people, right? He throws the ball, and the other person must catch it.”

  “Uhh, yeah, why?”

  “What happens if the ball is misthrown?”

  “The receiver has to adjust, or else the throw isn't completed. Or a player on the other team might intercept it.”

  “I see. And tonight, I watched you two before finding my... friend. I would say that Jake's throw was a bit off. So, the question now, Cassie, is are you going to adjust and snag him... or are you going to let another player catch his pass? I'd love to talk more, but I have to go get some drinks.”

  Nina makes her way down the rest of the stairs, heading for the kitchen. Considering some of the things she said just now, I wonder what all she's getting up to, but then again, she looks like she's enjoying herself.

  In fact, almost everyone is enjoying themselves except me. I feel torn apart on the inside, and I know why. I want him, but I told him no. Guys like Jake, they're not used to being told no. For some guys, that makes them chase all the harder, but for others, they just drop it and move on. In high school, Jake was definitely the second type. His dance card wasn't empty all that long either, usually just a few days before another Sally or Kelly or Jessie or whatever was on his arm.

  And I told him no, not just once, but twice. And it doesn't even make sense. I came here knowing, hoping, this would happen.

  I need to find Jake. But in this house, with a couple dozen rooms, where the hell do I find him?

  It's Halloween, a quiet, powerful voice that sounds a lot like the Professor says in my head. Trust in the magic.

  Chapter 6

  Jake

  The music is throbbing louder than the last time I was in the ballroom, and I come in through the side entrance. Looking around, I can see that the group that's still dancing is definitely more intimate, there's a lot of grinding and sweating going on in the middle of the room right now.

  That's not what I want. Instead, I turn and go to the bar, where the girl behind it gives me a look of recognition but says nothing as I look over the drinks. “Got anything stronger than champagne?”

  “We do, sir. What would you like?”

  “Fuck it, I'm in Louisiana, got a bourbon?”

  The bartender nods silently and pours me a tumbler with a finger of bourbon in it before adding about twice that amount in either club soda or tonic water. Fuck, I hope it's just soda, I hate tonic. “Enjoy.”

  “Thanks,” I reply, turning around and finding a chair. I sit down, watching the rapidly developing orgy in the middle of the dance floor, sipping at my drink. It's smooth, smoother than I thought it'd be, and I wonder just what type of bourbon Professor Henderson has. I see him out of the corner of my eye, he's holding the hand of the curvy nurse I'd seen earlier, and I can tell by the looks on their faces that they're not going to be in the ballroom much longer. In fact, if I had to say, the girl nearly looks entranced as she looks into the Professor's masked face. The man's got skills, and good taste, too.

  I see someone approach and I smirk as Luke wanders over, his sheet stained with... well, honestly I don't want to fucking know what all is on that sheet right now. “Hey Luke, you look like you've had fun.”

  Luke sits down, his eyes the only thing visible as he studies me. “And you look like you're not. What's crawled up your ass? It's fucking Halloween!”

  I toss back the rest of my drink and study the tumbler, angry for some reason. There's no comfort in this drink, the alcohol's just going to numb me, and right now I don't want to be numb. I throw the glass, hard, watching as it shatters against the wall like a bomb, and thankfully nobody's nearby. The group on the dance floor doesn't even miss a beat, I doubt they heard it over the music, but Luke's half-out of his chair in concern. “Whoa! What the fuck's wrong?”

  I sit back in my chair, depression washing over me. I reach up and yank out my stupid porcelain fangs, part of a costume that right now I don't fucking want. “What's wrong, Luke? Simple. I want what I seemingly can't have.”

  Luke hums, sitting back in his chair, too. “Don't we all? But what is it you want?”

  I sigh, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Cassie.”

  Luke's head jerks toward me, and I can tell that under his sheet he's surprised. Surprised, and more than a little drunk. “Cassie? You mean that cheerleader girl from earlier, Cassie... what's her last name?”

  “Cassie Barnett.”

  Luke snaps his fingers, nodding. “Right, someone told me that. Yeah, she was totally fucking hot. So what's the problem?”

  I shrug, leaning back more until the front legs of my chair lift off the floor. “She turned me down, that's all.”

  Luke snorts dismissively. “Who the fuck cares? Fuck her, move on. She's a nerd anyway. There's a lot of girls here tonight.”

  I'm out of my chair in a flash, grabbing Luke under the arms and shoving him deep into his chair until the back slams into the wall I'm so pissed off. “Fuck you! She's not a nerd, she's just smart!”

  Luke's obviously had a few drinks. He should have pushed me away, but instead he brings his hands up, blinking. “Whoa bro, I wasn't trying to start shit. I'm just saying... she was hot as fuck though. The glasses with the cheerleading skirt? Fuck, although I woulda preferred a lie... lie... librarian! Yeah, that's it. Anyway, I was just trying to make y
ou feel better. Fuck, just tryin' to be a friend.”

  I let Luke down, stepping away. “You're right, my bad. Just... I dunno, man.”

  “Well, let me ask you somethin',” Luke says, his voice slurring a bit more. “Are you Jake motherfucking Axton or not? Are you the guy who's taking the starting job next season or not?”

  “You know I am,” I reply, a small smile coming out. Luke, drunk or not, is a good teammate. “I want the job.”

  “And you're going to get it. You want this girl? Fuck, go get her, dude! Do what it takes to get her!”

  Luke's words lift my spirits, and I nod, smoothing my vest. “You're right. So what are you going to do?”

  “Bunch of us are gonna go try out the big room upstairs. I'm getting hot underneath this stupid fucking sheet.”

  “Well, just keep it on until I'm out of the room, okay? I don't need to see your nuts.”

  Luke laughs, wobbling off back to the dance floor without replying, just waving his hand in farewell. I watch him for a second, and I think about what he said. Luke's right, even if in his drunk ass state he missed a few things. The reason I've been able to step up, to get reps with the first team offense, is because I've played to the LSU system. I adapted, I wasn't just the same player I was at LaFitte High. I had to grow, to become more.

  Maybe that's what I need to do with Cassie, too. It's scary, but then again, this is Halloween. Isn't Halloween all about being scared?

  Chapter 7

  Cassie

  My search takes me through the kitchen and dining room, back outside where the moonlight is still pale although there are some clouds starting to build up. Jake's not here, and I turn to leave. I see a doorway on the other side of the deck, and from the lights I can see bouncing off the glass and shining onto the wood I guess it leads to the ballroom. I head over, looking inside, but I don't see Jake. There's a group of about fifteen or so people leaving though, maybe he's in the middle of them. I go through one of the doors just as the DJ says he's wrapping it up, and puts on a mixtape. It's quieter than what he's been playing, more mellow, and the few remaining dancers move closer, not so much sexual as intimate. I look around, desperate suddenly to see Jake's face when I see a flash of white and black over by the door. I look...

  “It's you,” Jake says, crossing the room to me and taking me in his arms. He doesn't kiss me, he just holds me, pulling me against him tightly. “I thought you'd left, I wasn't sure what happened. Where have you been the past hour?”

  “Hour?” I ask, surprised. “I just... wait, why are you hugging me?”

  Jake lets go, taking hold of my hands. “Cassie... come on. There's some things I need to get off my chest.”

  This isn't the same guy who I literally showed my ass to. It's not even the same Jake who came outside, apologetic but still mostly cocky. Instead, this is a Jake I've only seen a few times ever. I saw this side of him the first time our junior year in high school, when he led LaFitte High to the state championship, and then again senior year when we were knocked out at the state semifinals. The last time I saw it was during the third game of the season, after our starter went down with an ankle sprain. We were down ten points, but he still managed to lead LSU to two touchdowns, the last one coming with only four seconds left to keep our season alive. This is Jake in his rawest form, no cockiness, no front. This is the man I've wanted to see look at me for all these years.

  I nod, pointing to the foyer. “Out there. Or someplace quiet.”

  Jake's eyes light up and he leads me through to the foyer, which is strangely deserted. Jake looks around, then nods to himself. “This is good. Cassie... you're not the only one with a crush.”

  “Who?” I ask, my heart tightening in my chest. “Who is she?”

  “You,” Jake says quietly, not letting go of my hands. “Since about halfway through our sophomore year. Yeah, I dated around, but I don't know if you noticed I never really kept a girl all that long.”

  I'm too dumbstruck by what Jake just said to form words, so instead I nod. I noticed. I thought that perhaps he was gathering names for his black book or something, the rumors about what Jake got up to with his girlfriends were pretty fucking impressive.

  Jake sees me nod, and he seems sincere. “The fact is, Cassie, I broke it off with most of them because they weren't what I was looking for. Thing is, I knew it before I even started with them.”

  “But why me?” I ask. “I was so head over heels for you, I'd have had a heart attack if you'd have even talked to me.”

  “I didn't know,” Jake says. “Plus, you know how high school is. I'm not like you, Cassie. I'm barely passing classes right now, and I'm going to get my grades up next semester to be able to hang onto my academic eligibility so I can be the quarterback everyone wants me to be. I'm not smart like you. But seeing you here tonight… I'll be damned if I let someone else take what should be mine.”

  “What should be yours, huh?” I reply, his words sending a thrill through me. I've wanted to be his for a long time now.

  Jake blinks, then smiles when he realizes I'm not mad. He glances at the spiral staircase. “I don't want to just bang you or fuck you, Cassie. But how about we go upstairs, and we see what happens? I... I'm trusting in the magic tonight.”

  I look over and nod. Holding his hand, we climb the steps slowly, Jake being a gentleman and leading the way, his eyes not leaving mine as we enter through what looks like a trap door to a room that shouldn't exist. There's no door except what we came through, and the furnishings are impossibly tailored to us. There's a large mattress in the center of the floor covered in silk sheets that are the exact same shade of blue as my skirt, and pillows the same color as Jake's vest. The room is slightly rounded, like the stairs that lead up to it, and the space is lit by soft lights, by what look like oil lamps that ring the room in six different places. It honestly feels like a private meditation room, or a prayer room if this place were part of a church. “What is this?”

  “The Professor said there is magic in the night... maybe this is our magic,” Jake whispers, turning to look at me. “Can't you feel it?”

  I look into his eyes and nod, letting myself feel it. Maybe I'm just fooling myself, maybe there is actual magic in the air tonight, but it doesn't matter. I reach up to take off my glasses, but Jake stops me, shaking his head. “Don't. Cassie, I've always thought your glasses are one of the sexiest things I've ever seen a girl wear. Leave them on. For me.”

  I nod, letting my hand fall to the side. Instead I step forward, getting up on my tiptoes as Jake draws me closer, closer. Oh my God, we're actually going to do it, we're going to kiss... three years of wishing, and my fantasies coming true in less than an inch...

  His lips are strong but silky soft, and at the first touch I feel something inside me twist, painful for a moment before releasing, and my hands go around his neck, pulling him in deeper. His hands rest on my waist for a minute as we just explore each other, the feeling of our bodies close, the soft taste of his lips on mine. I let my eyes close as his hands dip below my belt to my skirt, running over the curves of my ass and cupping them, making me moan into his mouth and our tongues come out, caressing and tasting each other. He's got a smoky flavor, I think he's had something besides champagne and beer tonight, but he's not drunk at all. I feel drunk instead, drunk off the feelings of his tongue in my mouth, his lips on my lips, and his right hand rubbing my ass and lifting my leg up to run a hand under my skirt, groaning when he feels the skin of my hip and the naked flesh of my ass under the skirt. “Cassie...”

  “Jake,” I whisper, opening my eyes to look into his. He wants me, I want him... but I have to know. “Wait.”

  He stops immediately, and I smile, not letting go of his neck as I look into his face. “Jake... I need to hear you say it. I need to hear... this isn't going to be just one night. I can't be a box you tick on your list of things to do at LSU. Please.... I'm better than that, aren't I?”

  Jake nods, his hand coming up from my ass to my
waist, pulling me fully against him, his strength nearly superhuman. “This isn't a conquest, not as a box to tick, as you put it. I should have done this already. You should have been the girl on my arm all these years, my prom date even. You should be... you will be the girl who wears my jersey on Saturday for the game.”

  “You're talking... you're talking like...” I whisper, moved.

  “Like I'm playing for keeps?” Jake asks, and I nod. He pulls me tighter, picking me up in his powerful arms and lifting me so we're eye to eye, barely an inch between us. “That's because I am.”

  He kisses me again, our lips crushing together as I surge into him, pulling his head tight to mine as I let myself go totally. Three years seeing him and wanting him, and he's here in my arms, holding me like I weigh barely a feather. I want him, I want him now, I want him tomorrow... I want him for the rest of my life. Our tongues wrap around each other as I feel him turn and kneel down, still holding me close as he lays me down on the bed. It's perfect, soft enough that I feel like I'm on a silky cloud without too much give, instead I'm supported just right as he pins me down, our hunger giving an edge to the tender kisses. We're both feeling it, and when he sits up, gasping for air, I bite my lip, nodding. “Jake?”

  “Yes, Cassie?”

  “I want you.”

  Jake smiles. “I want you, too. Can I ask you for something?”

  “What?” I ask, sitting up and reaching for the buttons on his vest.Actually, it's more of a request. Can you leave the skirt on? That skirt with those glasses... you're fucking hot.”

  I smile and nod. I get his vest off just fine, but the frilly front of his shirt does nothing but piss me off, and in a fit of frustration I tear his shirt open all the way to his waist, peeling it back and getting to my knees. His chest is beautiful, the skin perfect and I lean in, kissing the hard muscles and licking his nipples, not knowing why but know I want to taste this man. His skin tastes delicious, slightly salty and tangy from the warmth and sweat, calling out to a deeper part of me, a part that feels like its waking up for the first time in my life. Jake hisses and groans when I bite his left nipple, pleasure in his voice. “Oh, fuck... Cassie, yes... fuck, I love it.”