JACK
I sat on my bed, looking at my wallet. It had everything I needed inside. My money, cards, the letter, and my memory card from my camera. That’s all I need. Everything else I’m leaving behind. It didn’t matter. I’ll come back one more time to help Ahri move, and that’s it.
Mark my fucking words.
I looked at my messy unmade bed—a very rare sight. I’d watched Ahri sleep for eight hours. Eight. Fucking. Hours. And I swear I didn’t blink or loosen my arms around her once. I’d never felt this way. I knew I’d fallen for Ahri, but it all felt different. The way she felt in my arms, against body, pressed in my heart. She opened up to me. She cried. That’s when I knew she had fallen in the same six-foot-under pit I’d been in for days, possibly weeks.
I’m still nervous about tonight, well, tomorrow morning. I’d decided to bring Ahri home. Her real home. I’m going to change my baby girl's life forever, but she had no idea. That thought sprung a smile on my face, but the thought of explaining everything to Ahri from the beginning to end had me numb. There would be tears and hatred. This time, I was going to hurt her. For lying to her. For then telling her the truth, but passing it off as a one-cent fantasy and dream.
I took a deep breath, but relaxation never came.
Eddy invaded my brain again like a virus, boiling my blood and rotting my mind. I was already planning everything in my head. The violent and nonviolent ways to make Eddy’s sad excuse of a life disappear like it should’ve years ago. I swore if anyone ever dared to lay a finger on Ahri that I’d rip them apart with my bare fucking hands.
I meant it.
He fucking hit her, blackmailed her, and stole from her. And God knows I’m thinking about the worst he could’ve done to Aurora.
I was going to do everything and anything for Ahri. That meant coming out of retirement. Just this once. Just for Ahri. If Ahri tried to kill him—revenge or justice or hatred—then I knew whatever he did to Aurora was worth his life.
Gory Jack was the permanent mood I wanted to stay locked in when I thought of Eddy—him, but I couldn’t. If I did, I might as well have swallowed a parasite and watched it eat me alive. I refused to let that happen. I refused to let Eddy take me away from my baby girls birthday, and she refused to let him do the same. Ahri was obviously in pain, but she wanted her birthday. A day in which Aurora’s and Ahri used to share.
I checked the time.
10:30
The bathroom door creaked open, and Ahri stepped out. Instantaneously, she made a smile appear on my face like it was my job. My heart skipped a beat at her beauty, and all the anger inside of me oozed away.
“What do you think?” Ahri’s spoke in a shy voice, very unlike her.
Ahri wore a tight maroon velvet dress that hugged her from chest to mid-thigh. It showed her chest, the V neck collar ending where her breast did, and the straps were as thin as spaghetti. She wore her black strappy heels, and I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I bled.
Fuck, my baby girl looked drop-dead gorgeous, hot, cute, foxy, sexy…insert all the fucking adjectives in the world here.
She pulled her straight hair behind her ears, her cheeks a little crimson. I liked her wavy hair more. Yeah, I did. It suited her better. She was my beautiful mess, but that didn’t mean she didn’t look less like a Goddess. She wore a little more makeup today, but only around her eyes, putting a thicker layer of mascara and a small wing of black eyeliner at the end.
“Oh.” I grabbed my heart, throbbing and aching with nothing but devotion for Ahrianna Lore. “Oh, Jack likes. Daddy likes a lot.” I bit my lip.
Moving closer to her, I let my hand trail down her waist that dipped in a little then went out to her straight hips. I bit my lip harder and growled when I got her ass in the palm of my hand. Ahri let out a sassy eye roll as she tried her best to bite down her smile.
“I see that you pushed the limits to your club outfit.”
Yummy. A dish of sarcasm with a dash of sass and served with a side of a smirk.
Ahri eyes slowly glided down my body. My jeans slit open at the knees, one showing off my compass star tattoo the other showing off the tip of an Indian headdress tattoo I had on my shin. My shirt was a long sleeve with a V cut, and my leather jacket the same one I’d been wearing on the first night I’d met Ahri. As for my shoes, well, if you haven't figured that out, then you’re shit out of luck.
“Why fix what isn’t broken?” A lonely chuckle left my lips.
“I guess, but I’d still love to see you in that hot pink color you claim you don't mind.” Ahri laughed softly and chewed on her pouty bottom lip.
“I'll find something this week, and I’ll wear it. How about that?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Ahri thought I was joking.
I wasn’t.
She pushed away from me before she grabbed her phone and ID.
“The car will be here in a minute,” I said, talking to my phone and looking at the map.
Ahri added a little spritz of perfume, checked her makeup, and off we went.
The car ride was silent as we went into the city. We didn't need to talk, nor did we need to. The silence between us was perfect, everything that separated us from the world. All I needed was my Ahrianna, her body pressed against mine as we held sweaty hands.
Oddly, we were both nervous. Maybe to confess what we promised each other or maybe because it was odd. Having a moment like we did, then going out as if nothing happened. As if the earth underneath us didn’t collapse as we remained high in the sky, feeling something that involved one small, dangerous word.
Ahri spent most of her time looking out the window. Her forehead was pressed against the tinted windows, and her breath fogged the glass. Her eyes got rounder, her smile got wider, and her dimple got deeper when she watched everything enlarge. The buildings, the lights, and the sounds. I, on the other hand, ignored life as a whole and watched her in bliss. She caught me each time, letting her cheeks show color. But I never looked away.
The club, Gem, was a large gray building with no windows and four lines of people waiting outside. One of those lines held Felicia and two of her friends. Felicia's cousin and best friend from cosmetology school.
I lit a cigarette when they started to talk about their outfits, how long it took them to do their hair and put on their makeup. They complemented Ahri on how sexy she looked, and that’s when my ears perked up.
“Oh my God, you look so fucking hot in that dress,” Felicia’s best friend from cosmetology school said.
Yes, yes she does. But my baby girl always looks fucking hot.
“Your legs go on for miles in those heels,” Felicia cousin said.
I bet I can make that mile end when I take off that dress.
“You should straighten your hair more often, it looks soooooo much better,” Felicia said.
No, Felicia.
Shut the fuck up, Felicia.
Once they talked about things I didn't care enough to listen to, I checked out the environment. The quiet neighborhood, the pinch of weed in the air, and the drunk women and men coming out the club ready to get their one night stand on.
I finished two cigarettes before we got inside. Felicia and the other girls went straight to the dance floor. They enjoy the shitty techno music blasting away their eardrums, the different colored lasers tracing over people’s heads, and the fog machine putting in overtime. But Ahri and I went to the bar.
“Whaddya wanna drink?” I shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Blue Moon!” Ahri held up two fingers.
“I’m going to tell you right now. Those are the only two drinks I’m letting you have. I have a surprise for you tonight. I need you sober!” I shouted.
She looked at me with that sexy bitch face as she tried to figure what my surprise was. She gave up.
“Fine. Just two!”
I ordered her two drinks and paid for them even though Ahri tried to pay for them herself. She still thought I was unemployed, struggling with money, and at a dead end trying to find a job.
But little did she know.
After Ahri chugged both beers like a champ and I smiled like an idiot, we went on the dance floor. Ahri was as amazing at dancing as she was at riding my cock. Hips like woah, moves like a snake, and an ass like a peach grinning over my cock.
After half an hour of dancing and the alcohol fully hitting Ahri. She was left with the same level of darkness and attitude but brought her playful and carefree side out to play. I couldn't help but smile. I wanted the true colors. I want this side of Ahri all the time. Not a care in the world, wearing a velvet dress that felt like a fuzzy peach, and wrapped in my arms Ahri.
I wanted to permanently see that one dimpled smile whenever she’s with me, and only me. I never wanted to see dark circles, sunken cheeks, or violent bruises on her body. I wanted to take care of her because she was my princess and absolutely worth it. Regardless if Ahri didn’t think that way.
Ahri was the real reason fifteen-year-old Jack had such enormous dreams. One day he knew I would find the perfect girl and I would want to give her my all. My everything. I busted my ass for years and years and years, filling my empty time with unethical jobs and saving every penny. I did it all for Ahri. I just didn’t know it.
“Happy Birthday, baby girl!” I shouted in her ear, giving her a neck a little nibble.
“You said that like a hundred times today Jack!” She giggled.
Ahri pressed her ass into my rock-hard cock, laced her fingers together and wrapped them around my neck. She pulled me lower to her hickey from earlier today. I didn't hesitate to suck on her neck on the dance floor. I wanted to give her more. I wanted to pull up her dress, slip my cock out, and fuck her again while everyone watched and saw who she belonged to. But at the same time, I didn't want to show her off. Selfishly, I wanted Ahri for only myself.
Ahri’s hips worked her black magic, and I was going to need another ice-cold water break really soon before I creamed in my pants. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t felt like coming in my pants at least twice in the past half an hour. Ahri always smiled at me when I left the dance floor because she knew. She knew exactly what she was doing to me when she looked back at me with her lustful black eyes, bit her lip and let her ass do all the work. She knew I couldn’t survive with my accidental orgasm record.
“It’s 11:59. One-minute left of your birthday. What’s your wish, baby girl?”
“I don't believe in wishes, Jack!” Ahri smiled.
“Be a dreamer. For me!”
“Fine. I’ll dream like Jack! I want to live in the motherfucking penthouse on the 59th floor of The Bayne Hotel.” Ahri quoted me and laughed. “And I wanna be a bartender who controls the music job.”
“Atta girl. Big and hard!” I kissed her, my tongue swirling around hers as I heard Felicia woohoo next to us at the top of her lungs from a sight she’d wanted to see for a long time.
I danced with Ahri in the smoke and swirling lights, letting this perfect moment be exactly that.
Perfect.
* * *
Felicia and her friend left over an hour ago, but Ahri didn't want to go home yet. We danced in the almost empty club for that hour, and now everyone was gone. It was three in the morning, and the house lights were on, the lasers off, and the fog machine finally got a well-deserved break.
“Give me the darkest beer you have and a water,” I said to Kev, the bartender.
Ahri stayed next to me, completely sober, and in need of water from all the hard work, she’d done on the dance floor. How many times had she almost made me cum in my pants? I’d lost count. But I think knowing the bartender’s name, hometown, and his high school says something about me coming here too often.
“Nice to know you finally want a real drink instead of some water, Jack.” He chuckled, going over to the Guinness tap before he stopped. “You know what. We got a new beer tonight. It’s from a startup brewery company. Wanna give it a try?”
I shrugged, giving him my card. He gave Ahri her water and handed me the purest black beer I’d ever seen.
“Holy shit!” I smacked my lips, the bitter and malty taste calming down my nerves. “What the fuck is this?”
“Grim. They call it Grim.”
“Can I try?” Ahri asked. She took a sip and made a sour face. Yeah, that orange perfumed beer she liked was no match for the bitterness I loved.
“Startup brewery company? What’s the name?” I asked, taking another sip which turned into me inhaling the beer.
The bartender let out a booming laugh. “These guys don’t have one. Called the company, Insert Name Here Brewery.”
I laughed.
“Why?” Ahri asked, looking at my empty glass.
“They said they’d pick a legit name only if we sold out tonight. Kind of taking it like the ‘ok’ sign to open up their brewpub downtown.” He nudged my empty glass. “That’s the last one. You just made the kid’s dreams come true, Jack.”
I laughed. “Well, they’d better think of a fucking name.” I brought the empty glass to my lips to get one last final drop. “What did these guys look like? One of them a blonde with one brown eye and blue eye?”
Ahri looked up at me, knowing very well I asked about Link.
“Not that I know of. Only two guys came in. A white boy with a French accent and the other one a mutt who got all the continents in his blood.”
“Thanks, Kev,” I said with a small dose of disappointment in my voice.
Ahri took her heels off as we made our way to the car.
“Thanks, Jack.” Ahri sighed. She dropped her tired head on my shoulder and hugged my arm.
“For?”
“A really amazing birthday.” She gripped me tighter. “I needed it.”
“It’s not done yet, and it’s tomorrow.” I looked at the Uber directions taking us to The Bayne only ten minutes away compared to Wazowski’s which was a thirty-minute drive.
“Where are we going?” Ahri asked when we entered Golden Ridge.
“The Bayne.”
“Why?” She laughed nervously.
“You’ll see,” I said, letting out a deep sigh.
Ahri didn’t say much. She looked out the window until the driver pulled up to the front of The Bayne on the hotel side. Once the car stopped, I wanted to flee.
I wasn’t ready for my past and present—my future, to collide.
In a fucked up way, I wasn’t worried to tell Ahri about the unorthodox jobs I’d taken. I knew Ahri could handle them, or at least I hoped she could. What I was more worried? The fact that I lied. And I’d lied my fucking ass off. About being the apartment guy, about where I’d been for the past few years, and more importantly about who I was and who I knew, Ahri’s brother.
We stayed in the car for a few minutes until the Uber driver told us we needed to leave. As we stepped out, Ahri’s eyes blew up at the massive skyscraper. My eyes were on Ned, the doorman, ready for me to come inside.
I wasn’t ready.
I walked away from the entrance and went to the cement planter across the front entrance near the street.
“Why’d you bring me here?” Ahri spoke softly looking up at the hotel.
“I have something to tell you. It involves this place. Our new place.”
Ahri laughed. “Our new place? What, are we going to pickpocket a card key and steal a room?”
I smiled and snapped my head back to look up at the top of the building where I lived. “Something like that.”