Perfect – Ed Sheeran
JACKSON
Sarah cornered me after feeding me an amazing dinner, followed by cheesecake. “I need a huge favor.”
I should have known this was too good to be true. Sarah calling me out of the blue and offering me a home-cooked meal made me wary. I thought I’d ride it out, because how often was I going to get her famous cheesecake on a weekday, no strings attached? I guess I was right.
“Okay, what do you need?” I was still savoring the tangy sweetness of her dessert.
“Homecoming is this Friday, and I’m short one chaperone. I’ve asked everyone I can think of. I need you to do this. Please?” She used her puppy dog eyes on me, and my defenses weakened.
“What exactly does a chaperone do at one of these dances?”
“You know, the usual. Be there, keep the kids in line, help with the final setup, and stay till the end, lock up. Nothing much.” She was powering on like a real mother, ticking things off at top speed, and smiling.
“The usual?” The sarcasm was heavy as I raised my brows. It wa
s lost on her. She was sure she’d already won me over.
“Yes, nothing major. I knew I could count on you.” When exactly did I give in?
“Jane will be so pleased.”
This piqued my interest. She didn’t mention the woman I’d been obsessed with since I moved back. Heck, the woman I’d spent most of my adult life obsessed with. Ainsley only ever held my attention for a very short time.
“Jane will be there?” I tried for light and uninterested, but the grin on Sarah’s face said she wasn’t fooled.
“Why, yes, she will be one of the chaperones on Friday night. I bet she’ll be happy to have some company. Graham Hamilton, the drama teacher, will be there as well.”
At the mention of that guy’s name, the skin on my neck heated up. I still remembered the way he had his eye on Jane.
“Will he now?” I mumbled under my breath, but Sarah didn’t miss a beat. She grinned, clearly aware of Graham’s interest in Jane.
“And Eva Baker, one of our math teachers, is also going to be a chaperone. Thanks again for doing this, Jackson. I owe you one.”
“Just one?” I raised my eyebrow and gave her a dirty look.
“Just the one. Don’t pretend to be so put out by this setup. We both know you’re excited to spend the night with Jane.”
“So what time do you need me at school? They still have these things at school, right?”
“Yes, it’s at the school gym. You know where that is, right? Working there, and all?” Now who was being sarcastic?
“Don’t be a smartass!” I chucked a pillow at her, but her reflexes were good, and she ducked in time.
“I’ll text you all the details,” was all I heard before a pillow smacked me right in the face. She still had excellent aim.
I walked into the gym on Friday night at a few minutes to six. Alice Watson, a senior on the dance committee, walked up to me, and in a slightly inappropriate, flirtatious way thanked me for being one of the chaperones tonight. The place had been transformed into a mass of lights, stars and moons, completely in style with the “To the Moon and Back”theme.
About a minute after my arrival and Alice’s giggly chatter, I spotted Jane walking in with that douche bag and a woman I supposed was the math teacher. My eyes zoned in on the form-fitting dark green dress she wore. It hugged her in all the right places. I gulped as she looked up and awarded me with one of her killer smiles. Her warm gaze was trained on me as she walked over. I was so focused on her, I almost missed the look that Graham guy gave me. His jaw tightened, and his brow creased. He was pissed. Good!
“Hey, Jackson.” Jane stopped a few steps short, unsure how to proceed. I didn’t miss a beat. I stepped up and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. Oh, man, she felt even better than she looked. The moment ended too soon when Jane pulled back and tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear.
“You look beautiful.” My eyes roamed over her once more, taking her all in. The compliment turned her cheeks an appealing shade of pink.
“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced.” The drama dude walked up to us and held his hand out to me. I didn’t feel like talking to the dork, but I could play nice—for Jane.
“I’m Jackson Wright, Sarah’s brother.” I shook his hand, and in a split decision, draped my other arm around Jane. “And a very close friend of Jane’s.”
I felt her shift at my words, but she didn’t correct me. Graham’s brows bunched together as he sized me up. Instead of backing down, I drew her even closer to me–in case he didn’t get the message loud and clear.
“I’m Eva Baker, the math teacher.” Eva stepped in between Graham and me, easing some of the tension and extending her hand. She had a lovely smile, and as she shook my hand, she winked at me and gave me an encouraging smile. I liked her instantly.
“Mr. Hamilton,” Alice interrupted, giving me another one of those inappropriate smiles. “We need you to help us with the music system. Something’s not right.”
“Sure thing.” His answer was directed at Alice, but he glared at me. Finally he turned and headed off toward the DJ.
“I’m going to see if they need my help.” Eva made a quick retreat but gave me another warm smile before turning and following the others.
“Thanks, Eva.” Jane pulled loose from my arm and turned to me.
“What the heck was that all about?” She glowered. My face split into a wide grin. This woman was beautiful when she was angry.
“What?” I asked. But Jane wasn’t fooled. Especially when a laugh escaped.
“You know what I mean.” She swatted me playfully. “You shouldn’t mess with him like that.”
“Why? Do you want this guy chasing you?” My heartbeat picked up as I waited for her answer.
She took her time.
“No,” she hushed me, “but that doesn’t give you the right to mess around.”
“Hey.” I waited for her to look up at me. “Take it from another guy, that one has a thing for you.”
“I know,” she whispered, turning away as she admitted it out loud. Why would she find it so hard to say aloud? “But what was all of that ‘close friends’ stuff about? You’re going to give him, and everyone else, the wrong idea.”
“What kind of idea?”
Jane squirmed, looking anywhere but at me. “You know what I mean.” Her squirming and fidgeting drew me even more to her.
“That’s exactly what I want him to think,” I exclaimed, surprising even me. Jane’s head popped up. Her eyes locked with mine, the questions written all over them. She didn’t voice them but furrowed her brow in confusion.
“Ms. Hartford, we need you for a minute.” Alice was back, and her timing couldn’t have been worse.
“Sure.” Jane blinked away the daze and astonishment, leaving me standing there feeling like a fool.
JANE
Tonight was a whirlwind of sorts. First off, there was the typical drama of getting the last-minute stuff done on time. Then there was the problem with the sound system. Luckily, Graham stepped in and fixed it. He used that often enough for the school plays and drama classes, so he was really good at getting it to work. But what really threw me tonight was Jackson and his weird behavior.
Last time he saw Graham, he wrapped me up in a hug, but I never thought much of it. Jackson always showed me affection. At least, in the “friends” kind of way. Hugs, slinging his arm around me, holding my hand, that kind of stuff. I’d never read much into it–I’d never allowed myself to hope too much.
Tonight, he pulled it again. But then he made it clear that we were “close friends,” whatever that meant to him. And when I called him out on it, he admitted that was what he was trying to do. His behavior was giving me a headache.
“There you are.” The object of my obsession sneaked up, startling me.
“Here I am.” I recovered and offered him a small smile. I wasn’t sure wha
t he was up to.
“This chaperoning stuff is hard-core.” Jackson rubbed his neck and released a long breath. Tonight was a night of running around and chasing kids out of places they shouldn’t be.
“Have you forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager?”
Jackson’s lips curved in a slow grin, and I saw recognition light up his face as he remembered some of the stuff he pulled as a kid.
“That was different.” He shifted and rubbed his neck again.
“Sure it was.” I shook my head and decided to let him off the hook.
“Did you check the restrooms?” I questioned Jackson as I scanned the hallway once more.
“I checked each wing and circled back here.”
“Great, let’s go back in.” I led the way into the gym.
“Bet you didn’t imagine this was what your Friday night would be like when you signed up for this,” I said, fanning my face as I was hit by the heat of all those bodies swaying to the music.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this wasn’t exactly how I imagined it.” Jackson looked down at me. The heat in his eyes turned my knees to mush.
“What did you imagine?” I gulped, my voice low and breathless under his intense gaze.
Jackson’s eyes didn’t leave my face. His hand grasped mine as he led me out to the dance floor. “This,” he muttered as he pulled me close, “is what I had in mind.”
The soft sounds of a familiar tune played in the background, but my gaze was trained on him. His fingers laced in mine and drew me nearer. His touch ignited that slow, burning fire. It surprised me how much his caress still affected me.
His hand brought me even closer, and I pulled in a sharp breath. We were so close, each part of him was touching me, but I didn’t have it in me to pull back. His warmth, his scent, all of it drew me in and kept me rooted in his arms. I was lost, swallowed up in Jackson’s presence. The students around us stared as we joined them on the dance floor. Some even started to catcall, but none of it mattered, because I was lost in the moment. I felt a low rumble in his chest, and my heart rate went wild being held this close to the man I once loved.
“You are so beautiful,” Jackson breathed out, but I was too distracted by the wild beating of my heart to respond. I held on to him as he swayed our bodies to the slow, melodic tune. I let myself fully enjoy this moment. The feel of his fingers laced between mine, his heart beating slow and steady under my other hand, the pressure of his hand on my lower back, his warm breath on my skin. My eyes closed as I soaked it all up.
Jackson leaned down, and the intensity written on his face made my heart still. His eyes dipped down to my lips, and I felt the longing build. My lips tingled, imagining his lips pressed against mine. I licked my lips in anticipation. Jackson’s eyelids hooded in desire.
Before mine fully closed, a loud crash sounded to our right, forcing us apart. We both snapped to attention and turned to see one of the seniors on the ground, with the punch bowl on the floor, several other students holding their phones and capturing the moment. Poor guy was covered in punch.
I couldn’t believe I’d almost lost myself in Jackson’s arms on the dance floor. No way would it be acceptable for the English teacher to get caught kissing a chaperone on the dance floor.
Still, my lips burned with the heat of almost touching his. I’d almost given in, letting go of all the reasons holding me back. Was I ready to give in? Was I ready to let my lips kiss another man?
I headed over to the mess and started calling out instructions to get it sorted out. Time for me to get my head clear of these physical longings.
The dance was over, and all the cleaning up for the night was done. I was impressed with Jackson. After our almost kiss, I’d expected him to pull back with feelings of regret. I mean, that’s what history taught me—right? But instead, he stepped up. He helped me clean the mess, and in between it all, he kept seeking me out and giving me this look. One that seemed to say he wasn’t done with me. The thought both thrilled and terrified me.
“Thanks for all your help, Ms. Hartford,” one of the students called out as she headed off to her car in the lot.
“That was some dance.” Jackson crept up behind me as I unlocked my car and threw my bag in.
“Sure was. This chaperoning business isn’t for the fainthearted.” As the last car drove off, it hit me. I was here all alone with Jackson. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and averted my gaze. My cheeks burned, remembering his lips almost touching mine.
“No, it isn’t.” Jackson moved even closer, and my whole body reacted to his nearness. I felt my heart beat faster, and as he leaned in, my head clouded with the fragrance of bergamot and sandalwood that was so typically him. He reached out and grasped my hand in his. One touch, and I felt myself slipping again as he drew me gently to him. I zoned in on his lips. Imagining what could have happened earlier forced that slow burn in my stomach to return. The look he gave me let me know I was not the only one stuck there.
“I still can’t believe those kids ruined a perfect moment.” His voice was barely above a whisper, clearly affected. He laced our fingers together and pulled me closer, if that was possible. His other hand snaked around me, drawing me flush against him. As he looked down at me, I could feel his warm breath tickle my skin, causing goose bumps to erupt.
“You seem to be recovering all right.” My words sounded confident, but my voice was barely above a whisper. Jackson’s hand brushed my cheekbone and found its way down to cup my face. My knees felt weak as my heart went wild in my chest. My hand clutched his shirt, craving some strength. His erratic heartbeat under my hand and his shallow breathing betrayed how affected he truly was. The warm look he gave me urged me to look back into his eyes. What I saw there was a reflection of all I was feeling right now.
His lips dipped down to mine, a mere breath away. He waited, giving me the chance to pull back. His eyes bored into mine, urging me to give him permission. Feeling the sparks around us, the shivers running down my spine, I closed my eyes and leaned in, giving him all the permission he needed.
And then I felt it. His lips met mine, and I melted against him, reveling in the moment. He took his time, exploring me, using the softest of pressure, teasing and tasting me. He pulled back slightly and looked me in the eye. Seeing only disappointment at having the contact broken, he captured my lips once more. This time, our mouths met in a hungrier push and pull. My lips parted as a soft moan escaped, and my knees went weak. Feeling the car up behind me, I leaned into it, hoping for some strength to hold me upright. His lips captured my bottom lip, and he tugged gently. My body responded. The butterflies in my belly took flight as I felt the goose bumps erupting.
“Jane,” Jackson breathed out.
My hands moved to hold on to him as my knees gave out. His hand found its way in my hair, and I felt his fingers tangling in the long strands as he massaged my neck. His other hand pinned me in place as it held onto the car. He pulled me close once more before his kiss turned soft and feathery. He started to move away, and I wanted to protest and pull him back. I wasn’t sure my heart would survive, though. Reluctantly, I released my hold on him.
“We better call it a night,” he whispered, taking my hand again and lacing our fingers together. Jackson kissed my hand, not breaking eye contact as he did.
“Good night.” He helped me in the car. As I buckled up, he bent in. My heart fluttered, hoping and fearing he would kiss me again. I wasn’t sure my heart could handle another one of those.
“Good night,” I responded, finally finding my voice.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” He squeezed my hand and stood to the side as he watched me drive off.
Who could have guessed that tonight would end with an electrifying kiss from Jackson Wright? I’d dreamt of this all through high school, and now it’d finally happened. I didn’t know what was next.
Twelve Years Earlier
Someday – Sugar Ray
JANE
My parents were taking me up to New York City this weekend to get me settled into my dorm. Ever since my letter of acceptance to Fordham had arrived, we’d all been on cloud nine. My dad especially was proud of his baby girl and kept mentioning to anyone who would listen how I got accepted to their school on a full ride scholarship in the teaching program.
I was thrilled at the prospect of moving away from home and starting something new. Sitting in the car, leaving Bellebrook behind me, made the reality sink in even further. The nervous excitement from before threatened to turn into dread.
Saying good-bye to Sarah was hard, but she was off to NYU and was convinced we’d see each other all the time. With travel times of about an hour between each campus, I wasn’t so sure, but it was a comforting thought.
“You packed your extra towels I laid out last night?” Mom asked for the third time since hitting the highway. She did that when she was anxious.
“I did,” I replied, biting back a sarcastic retort. Mom didn’t need my attitude today.
“You ready for this?” Dad looked at me through the rearview mirror, the lines on his forehead more pronounced. His mouth formed a tight line, pulling down at the corners.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” The mixed emotions bled through my answer, causing Dad’s eyes to meet mine again.
“You know we’re only a phone call away, right? We can be there in an hour,” Mom pointed out as we reached campus. We’d had this conversation before, but she felt she needed to stress it again.
“I think I remember how to dial your number.” I couldn’t help ribbing her a little.
“All right, Ava.” Dad took her hand, unlocking the grip she had on her other one. “I think we’ve gone over all the important stuff. She isn’t a baby anymore.” He patted her hand and sent me a wink. He was dealing with the upcoming separation better than Mom, it seemed.
“No, I guess she isn’t.” Mom turned to me and gave me a small smile.
“Let’s get her settled, shall we?” Dad waited for Mom to give him the okay, before opening the door and getting hers.
The Songs of You and Me Page 12
