Chapter 13
on her front porch, staring as Fane retreated to the Henrys'. She wanted to call him back, didn’t want to spend a second without him. Get a grip, woman. She took a few deep breaths, trying to clear her mind, and when she did she noticed the subtle scent of woods and spice. Strange, but the scent called to her, comforted her, like she could wrap herself in a blanket of it.
She took one last look at the Henrys' house and turned to go in.
“Mom,” she hollered. “I’m back in.”
“Okay, the girls took some brownies upstairs. Are you okay? Need to talk about anything?” her mom asked.
“No, I’m good,” Jacque told her. “Oh, there is one thing. Fane asked me out on a date for tomorrow night. That okay?”
Lilly looked at her daughter, trying to decide if she thought it a good idea for her daughter be with him. After all, she did know who and what Fane was, not that anyone else knew that. Although, she was beginning to think that Fane might suspect something.
“Yeah, that’s fine. You two know what you’re going to do?”
“Not yet,” Jacque answered, then went upstairs to give the latest news to her two partners in crime.
Jacque opened her bedroom door to find Jen and Sally lying on her bedroom floor, happily munching on the brownies Sara had brought over.
“Soooo, did he confess his undying love for you and ask you to run away to his Romanian castle?” Sally asked in a wistful voice.
“Oh my gosh,” Jacque said sarcastically. “How did you know?”
“I’m just good like that. Ya know, with the knowing the future and what not,” Sally answered.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re a real gypsy,” Jen told her.
“So, do we have to beat it out of you or are you going to confess willingly? ‘Cause you know I’m into the whole torture thing, it’s how I roll,” Jen said, sounding absolutely sure of herself.
“Well, he told me that we had things to talk about but that tonight wasn't the night to do it. He wanted to talk to his father first, whatever that means. Then he asked me out on a date, and then he leaned in close to me…” Jacque started to explain, but Jen interrupted.
“He kissed you?! Was it good? Were his lips soft? Were his lips closed or were they slightly parted like he might want to wrestle with…” Jen asked rapidly, not even taking a breath.
“Step back, Don Juan. Don’t even finish that sentence, let me,” Jacque scolded.
“Well, if he didn’t kiss you then lie to me so I can live vicariously through your pretend love life,” Jen told her with a pout.
Jacque ignored that comment and continued with her story. “So he leaned in close and at first I thought he was going to kiss me, but then his head went slightly to the right and his mouth was right next to my ear. He blew on my neck.”
“Why?” Sally asked confusedly.
“I know, right? I don’t know. I do know I nearly grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him myself. He must have been blocking his mind from mine because I didn’t pick up anything.”
“Wicked,” Jen said, looking thoughtful.
“Did you say ‘yes’ to going out on a date with him?” Sally asked Jacque.
“All I got to say is if she said no, she might not want to go to sleep tonight, ‘cause I’m going to dye her hair blonde to compliment her on being a dumb ass,” Jen told them.
“Uh, Jen. You’re a blonde,” Jacque pointed out.
“No, not really. God just got it wrong and it was too late to change once He noticed.”
Sally shook her head and said, “Sometimes, Jen, I really worry about you.”
Jen didn’t say anything more.
“Well, put away your hair dye you overreacting freak. I said yes. I asked him what I should wear and he said just something to be comfortable riding a motorcycle. Just when I was going to tell him I didn’t have a helmet, he said not to worry – he had already bought me one!” Jacque told them.
“Yummy,” Jen said. “Confidence is so sexy.”
“You think anything is sexy,” Sally retorted.
“Not true. Guys driving those hybrid cars are so not sexy,” Jen told her.
“Is she serious?” Sally asked Jacque. “I mean, who thinks of stuff like that?”
“I've found that if you just nod your head while she’s talking, she eventually wears herself out,” Jacque said with a smile.
“Oh, and then when he was walking to the Henrys' he turned and blew me a kiss and told me to have sweet dreams, that he would be dreaming of me!” Jacque finished.
“Oh, that is so freaking romantic!” Sally exclaimed as she rolled over onto her back, kicking her legs in the air and squealing.
Jacque couldn’t disagree, but it also felt surreal. She had to admit he'd successfully gotten her to stop thinking about Trent. How could she when this gorgeous Romanian hunk was claiming she was his – whatever it was he called her.
“Yeah, it’s romantic,” Jacque said. “But there's definitely the proverbial other shoe that's going to drop sooner or later.”
“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic,” Jen told her. “Maybe he’s the one, you know, like in those romantic movies where a person has one true soul mate. I mean, he can talk to you telepathically, so it could happen.”
Jacque couldn’t argue with Jen’s assessment of the situation. Anything is possible at this point, she told herself.
Jacque found herself stretching and yawning. She looked at the clock on her phone and saw that it was eleven thirty. Man, she didn’t realize how late it had gotten. They'd been having such a good time playing games that time had flown.
“I’m gonna crash, ya’ll. Here are your blankets,” Jacque told them as she handed them out.
“Yeah, you’d better go to sleep. You need to look your best. Bags under your eyes just doesn’t say, 'Hey, throw me on the floor and take me',” Jen said.
“Yes and that is so the look I was going for. How ‘bout I just wear fishnet stockings with thigh-high boots and a sheer bra? Do you think that would look too desperate?” Jacque asked innocently.
“I’m just sayin'.” Jen shrugged her shoulders.
Jacque walked out of her bedroom shaking her head. She headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on the tank top and boxer shorts she had left there the night before. When she took off her shirt, she turned around and held out a hand mirror to look at the marks on her back and neck.
She realized as she studied it that the markings on her neck looked like they would actually fit into Fane’s like a puzzle piece. As Jen would say, “Wicked,” Jacque muttered.
She felt a shiver go down her spine and quickly shoved on her tank top before realizing it wouldn’t cover the markings on her shoulders. The last thing she needed was her mom to see them and start asking questions, especially since Jacque didn’t have any answers. She brushed her teeth and washed her face and darted across the hall to her bedroom. Going to her closet, Jacque took off the tank and Jen saw the marks for the second time. Almost if talking to herself, she said, “This is really happening, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so, sweet girl. There’s nothing to do but go with the flow or sink fighting the current,” Sally said, using her best Mary Poppins voice.
Jen looked at her and narrowed her eyes, “If you bust out in ‘Just a Spoonful of Sugar’ I’m going to duct tape your mouth closed.”
“You really should seek help for that temper of yours. You know, they have medicine that would help,” Jacque told her, trying to sound gentle as if talking to an unruly child.
Jen simply flipped them both the bird and changed into her sleep clothes.
Jacque turned off the lights as they all lay down to sleep. They were quiet for awhile, but just as Jacque was drifting off, she could feel the waves of worry coming off of Sally.
“Sally,” Jacque said. “It’s all going to work out, remember? We’re all too stubborn to accept any other outcome.”
Sally didn’t respond so it was quiet again. Then Jacque spoke up once more, “Jen, seriously. You didn’t have some smart ass comment right when we needed it?”
Jen was quiet. Jacque and Sally seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for their outspoken friend to work her magic.
Jen finally answered, “I was thinking about the game we were playing tonight and about the one where the answer was tires on your vehicle. When Fane said he had two, I so wanted to ask him if they were big.”
And just like that the atmosphere lightened and the three girls laughed until they had tears. Of course, Jen could never stop at just one perverted or smart ass comment, so when they had all caught their breath she added, “Jacque, you could always throw your friends a bone or, heck, even just a kibble and find out for us.”
“Is that all you ever think about, Jen?” Sally asked in exasperation.
“What, how big Fane’s are? Good grief, no. I think about other things,” Jen defended.
“Anything not pertaining to the opposite sex, or for that matter sex itself?” Jacque asked sarcastically.
Jen started to open her mouth then abruptly shut it. Looking at nothing in particular, thinking, she finally answered, “Nope, huh-uh. Don’t think so.”
They all broke out in laughter again until they finally drifted off to sleep.