He closed his eyes as she showed him just how much she yearned for him. How ravenous her hunger for him was. It was an amazing feeling. Otherworldly.
Ding.
Jayson opened his eyes. The ding was notification that an instant message had appeared. Jess had come back.
He looked at the screen, and his smile fell away. It wasn’t Jess. It was Debra from his Network Administration class. Another neglected woman yearning to be satisfied. He had numerous photographs of her in his phone. She was no Jess, but until he had the woman of his dreams in his arms, she would do. At least until he was tired of her, which, with Jess’s presence, would be very, very soon.
He sat forward and read Debra’s message.
Jayson ... r u thre? My husband’s gone. I’m in need.
He clenched his fist. Debra had disturbed Jess from being able to get him to the point of no return. He was in need too. He typed, I’m here and I wnt 2 gve u the real thing.
Mmmm. I wnt tht sooooo bad.
Thn let me gve it 2 u.
I’m ready! Whn?
Tonight.
Tonight???
Yeh. Tonight. I’m in town.
In town???? Whre? Here in Houston?
Yeh. I had a business mtng this mrng.
U should hve told me sooner.
I was busy all day. I nvr had a chance 2.
Ur here!!! I’m in shock.
In 2 much of a shock 2 let me gve it 2 u?
No! But ... I can’t. I don’t hve a babysitter.
Hve u ever fckd in the backseat of a car?
Lol. It’s been awhile.
I hve an Esclde. Blck wth extrmly tinted windows. R u in a house or an apt?
A house. Why?
U’d b within earshot of ur kids if I came and prkd acrss the street.
Ur insane. I hve neighbors.
Ths is the ultimate dare 4 u, Deb.
Jayson waited as Debra contemplated doing what he knew she was going to do. What they all did.
I can’t believe ur here! Whn do u leave?
Tmrrw mrng. 7 am.
U only came 4 1 nght?
1 nght only.
When r u going 2 come bck?
Not 4 a lng while.
Another few seconds of contemplation.
How dark r ur tints?
It’s like looking in2 the nghttme sky w/out the moon, the stars, or the clouds. Drkr than pitch blck.
Hmmm.
R u in need, Deb?
Yessss.
Well, I’m here.
Yes u r.
Send me ur addrss.
OK.
Jayson put her address into his phone as she sent it over.
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
I can, Jayson thought. He typed, I’ll b thre in 30, and then logged out of the messenger and leaned his head back. Debra wanted the real thing. He did too. He looked at Jess’s photo again. In due time. It was destiny.
He got up to get ready for his backseat adventure.
Chapter 4
“So how are your classes going?”
Jess flatlined her lips and moaned.
“That bad, huh?”
She rolled her eyes and released a stressed breath. “Prior to three weeks ago, on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst, that bad was a fifty. Now, since I’m caught up with my assignments, it’s at about twenty.”
“Ouch.”
Jess raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, ‘ouch’ is an understatement. I swear, Melissa, I wish to God I didn’t have to worry about paying back for my classes right away by dropping this semester. The stress and frustration are killing me!”
Melissa gave her an apologetic half smile. “I’m sorry,” she said sympathetically.
Jess frowned. “So am I.” She took a sip of hot coffee she had sitting in front of her, wincing when the hot liquid hit her lips.
Melissa drummed long, pink-colored fingernails on the top of the marble countertop of the island they were seated around. “That really sucks that they wouldn’t let you withdraw for the semester without penalty.”
Jess sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “It was my fault. If I would have only read the e-mail from my advisor properly ...”
“Yeah, but still ... you only missed the deadline by one damn week. You work full-time, you’re a wife and a mother. You have a full schedule. They could have bent the rules just a little.”
Jess shrugged again. “Maybe, but if they bend them for me, then they’d have to bend them for everyone else.”
Melissa sucked her large teeth and waved a bangle-covered hand dismissively through the air. “Oh, please ... I doubt if anyone else in that class has the kind of schedule you have.”
Jess cocked her eyebrows again. “I don’t know. They might. There are people from all walks of life in class.”
Melissa sucked her teeth again. “Well, I’m sure they don’t have the same responsibilities.”
Jess raised a shoulder.
“Have you reached out to your instructor for help?”
“I have, but he’s not very helpful at all.”
“What about your classmates?”
“What about them?” Jess asked, staring at her friend.
“Don’t you speak to them?”
Jess looked at her friend. They’d met twelve years ago at Audrey Cohen College in the city. Jess had been a freshman. Melissa, a senior. They had Speech 101 together, a requirement for the communication degree they were both working toward. Though from different backgrounds—Melissa, a white female from the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Jess, born and raised in the projects of the Bronx—they had similar personalities and had bonded instantly. Over the course of their friendship, they helped to open each other’s mind to different things. Jess credited Melissa with helping her see that there was a world that existed past the projects that consumed its residents, while Melissa owed her mentally tough, no-nonsense attitude to Jess’s constant battle against the naivety that used to define her. Twelve years strong, they were best friends and sisters who’d been there for each other through the best and the worst of times.
Melissa was a half-Greek, borderline Amazon female, with a large hooked nose, slanted blue eyes outlined with too much eyeliner, and thick lips that spread wide like Julia Roberts when she smiled. Slightly overweight, she was attractive but had a tendency to conceal her beauty by wearing too much makeup in the constant quest for a flawless appearance.
Jess studied her sister-girl as Melissa waited for Jess to answer. Did she speak to anyone in her class? She had never hesitated to confide in Melissa before. When she needed an ear to divulge information about drama in her life, it was Melissa she went to. When she’d made the decision to drop out of college, Melissa had known long before Jess’s parents had. Melissa’s ear and ability to keep secrets had always been something Jess counted on, but never before had she had a secret of this caliber: chatting and a fulfilled dare with a classmate she’d never seen or met.
Jess knew that Melissa loved Esias like a long-lost brother, and no matter how she would try to divulge what she’d done, she was positive that Melissa wasn’t going to take it well. She shook her head. “Not really.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I thought you said you use AOL messenger in your class?”
Jess nodded. “We’re required to have it, but I don’t communicate with anyone outside of posting discussion questions and answers.”
“Why not? One of them might really be able to help you.”
“I’m not into chatting,” Jess answered, thinking of her lengthy exchanges with Jayson.
“Who said anything about chatting? I’m talking about reaching out for help.”
Jess resisted again. “I’m just not comfortable with talking to someone I’ve never met or seen.”
“But don’t you speak with your instructor who you’ve never seen?”
“That’s different.”
&
nbsp; Melissa laughed. “Girl, you’re crazy. I’m talking about sending someone a message for assistance, not to hook up.” She laughed again.
“So ...” Jess said, studying her closely, “I guess you are into the chat phenomenon?”
“Chat phenomenon?” Melissa said, her eyes opening wide. “The word online doesn’t exist without the word chat.”
Jess took a sip of her tea, shrugged again, and said, “You know how I am when it comes to computers.”
Melissa sighed. “Yes, I do know. I was shocked when you told me you were going to start taking online classes.”
“I wanted to go back and finish school. I just couldn’t do it and be away from the kids. Online was just sensible.”
“And you’re still the only person in the world without a Facebook page!”
“It’s enough for me to be online for my classes. I don’t have time to be on Facebook. I don’t need it anyway.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “Not me. I live on Facebook. I’ll probably need therapy soon.”
Jess shook her head. “That’s sad,” she said, laughing.
“No, what’s sad is that you won’t reach out to a classmate for some help.”
Jess shrugged.
Melissa shook her head, and then pushed her chair back. “Do you want a refill?”
“I’m OK,” Jess replied.
Melissa rose from her stool, walked around the island, and went to the other side of her large kitchen to refill her mug with the word Diva in bold letters printed on it.
Jess took a moment to glance around the kitchen, something she always did when she visited. Black marble countertops, stainless steel, state-of-the-art appliances, marble tiles, cherry-wood cabinets, all accentuated by rich sepia-colored walls and large windows giving way to an abundance of sunlight. It was a kitchen Jess would have loved to have had. And maybe had she not decided to quit school to focus on a modeling career that she never really had the dedication for, she could have gotten her degree, gotten a high-paying job in the media, and had what Melissa had. But, of course, had she gone down that road, there would have never been a happy-hour party to attend; she and Esias would have never met; and Jeanette and Jasmine wouldn’t exist. Life as she knew it would not exist.
She smiled and let go of the fleeting what-if thought, and looked up at Melissa as she came back to the island big enough for four.
“So ... since you mentioned the word chat ... I’m curious ... is that something you do often?”
“Only every time I’m on Facebook,” Melissa said, sitting down.
“With friends or strangers?”
“Both. But more with strangers. Friends get on my nerves sometimes.” Melissa laughed, then took a full sip of coffee.
Jess shook her head. “You’re crazy!”
“Hey ... I’m single and have no man at the moment.”
“Still ... with strangers?”
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, girlfriend.”
“No, thanks. I have a husband to chat with.”
Melissa drank some more coffee and hmmm’d over the rim of her mug. “How is Mr. Esias doing?” she asked, putting down her mug.
“He’s good. Just busy.”
“Anything close to happening with his music?”
“He’s been working with some local rap group. He says he’s got some really good tracks.”
Melissa nodded. “Good. I can’t wait to hear them. That’s one talented man you have, and sooner or later, something’s going to happen for him.”
Jess gave a half smile and tried not to let it show that she’d been feeling as though later was going to come before sooner. She drank some of her coffee. “So, anyway. . . I still don’t see how you can chat with strangers.”
“It’s just chatting, Jess.”
“Still ... there are a lot of predators out there.”
“It’s not like I’m sending them pictures or my address, girl. Calm down. It’s just harmless conversation to pass the time.”
“Still ...”
“If you didn’t have your sexy husband at home to keep you company, you’d be chatting too.”
Jess shrugged. “I don’t know. But I really doubt it.”
“Trust me ... you would.”
Jess raised her eyebrows, took another swallow of coffee that was now lukewarm, and then looked at her watch. “I have to get going,” she said, grabbing her purse. “I told Shirley I’d be there by seven to get the girls. Plus I have a seminar tonight.”
Melissa smiled. “OK, but next time you visit, stop and get the girls first. I miss my godchildren.”
Jess rose from her stool. “I will.”
“I’m glad you came by. I miss seeing you.”
Jess smiled. “I miss you too. It’s just with work, the kids, school—”
“You don’t have to explain anything to me, sis,” Melissa said. “I’m proud of everything you’re doing.”
“Thanks. I’m proud of myself.”
They hugged and planted kisses on each other’s cheeks.
“Go and get your study on and reach out to one of your classmates,” Melissa said as they walked to the front door.
Jess shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll leave the chatting to you.”
A few minutes later, Jess sat in the front seat of her minivan and thought about her conversation with her best friend, particularly one thing Melissa had said. That she chatted but never sent out pictures to anyone.
She sighed and turned the key in the ignition, and as she pulled away from the curb, she looked at herself in her rearview mirror and said, “You’re such a hypocrite.”
Chapter 5
Wow! U r gorgeous.
Jess smiled. She had tried. On the drive from Melissa’s to pick up the girls from aftercare. On the way home with the siblings arguing in the back. At home while she prepared dinner. As they ate, as the girls bathed afterward, after she tucked them in with good night kisses, and right before she logged into her seminar and the AOL instant messenger.
She had tried.
Told herself that she wasn’t going to speak to Jayson anymore. Promised herself that she wasn’t going to seek him out again, and that if he sent her a message, she wasn’t going to respond. Things had gone too far. She’d gone too far. She had to put an end to it. She was married. She had a family. That’s what was important. Work, family, school; she had no time for games she had no right playing in the first place.
So she had tried.
And before she could accept that she had failed miserably at trying, she typed, Thank u. Sorry I had 2 run out the way I did.
No aplgy needed. I knw why u had 2 go. It’s cool.
Glad u weren’t upset.
Not at all. The only thng I was, was speechless aftr I saw ur pic.
Jess felt her cheeks redden, and she looked down as though Jayson were standing in front of her and she wanted to avoid his eyesight. Her conscience told her to pay attention to the seminar and not Jayson’s flattery. She needed to listen. She was falling behind again as she focused less and less on her professor’s voice and instructions, and more on Jayson’s words, which she found herself eagerly waiting for more and more.
Focus. You sent the picture, but it’s not too late. You can step off this broken path and go back to the one leading you to safety. Don’t respond. Close the window. Exit out of the messenger. Focus on finishing school. Not on a man who has no face.
Keywords: no face.
Since sending her picture, she found herself wondering what Jayson looked like. It was another thing she tried not to do, but she couldn’t help it. He had a sexy personality that came through in his messages and as much as she didn’t want to, she tried to put together an image to match his words. Tall, short, fat, skinny, light, dark; bald or with hair. He said he was a brotha with no woman and no kids; he never stated his age though. Could he be old?
What does it matter? her conscience chimed in. You don’t need a face. A face makes him real, and you
don’t need that. Log out of the messenger!
Jess raised her head, cleared her throat, poised her fingers over the keys of her laptop, and paused as her heart began to race.
Do. Not. Make. Him. Real.
Heart thumping, heat inside of her rising, the sound of the jazz playing softly from her iPod disappearing, Jess typed: Thanks again. I don’t get 2 say the same thng though.
A moment of hesitation came. A moment in which she could have chosen right over wrong. But that moment quickly passed when she hit Enter.
Seconds later, Jayson responded.
Wht do u mean?
I mean I don’t hve a pic 2 admire.
I see. Is tht a dare 4 me?
Don’t play, her conscience pleaded.
Maybe, Jess typed. I mean I did fulfill a dare 4 u.
Yes u did, and I’m apprctng ur beautiful eyes rght now.
Jess felt her cheeks redden again. Thank u
So is that my dare? U wnt a pic?
Jess cleared her throat and tried to deny the truth. Yes, she typed.
Wht kind of pic?
Loaded question, Jess typed, thinking of their last conversation.
Lol. I’m not scared.
Hmm.
Bring it.
Lol. Ur crazy!
So wht kind of pic?
Hmm ... Same kind I sent u.
My face?
Yes.
OK. Wht’s ur cell #?
Jess’s heart was beating so heavily her body shook. Crazy, she thought. Absolutely and positively insane. It wasn’t too late for her to get off of the ride. She’d stretched one foot across the line, but her other foot was still on the side of right, even if it was just barely settled on the tips of its toes. Still time to say never mind, to say that while she enjoyed their conversations, she couldn’t go any further because it was wrong. Jess took a slow breath, and on a very extended exhale, sent her number to Jayson.
Truth or Dare Page 3
