“That’s so weird. I wonder what changed,” was Tina’s reply when I told her about Jack taking me out horseback riding. Of course, I left out a few details. Namely the sexy times we had in the cabin afterwards.
“I guess he was just really glad that I stopped him from getting in trouble with the cops and probably the University as well.”
“Yeah. But still, most people if they’re assholes to begin with will always be assholes.”
“True. I guess he’s realized that our parents are going to get married in a few months so I’m here to stay. I don’t really know,” I answered, shrugging. And the truth was, I still didn’t know. There were so many secrets behind Jack’s bad boy veneer, and I knew I wasn’t coming close to discovering any of them.
“Well, since he’s not the biggest douchebag ever, I want dibs on him, seeing how hot he is.”
I burst out laughing. “Absolutely not. He’s going to officially be my brother in a few months, he is off limits.”
“Fine,” Tina replied, giggling. “But if he has any equally hot friends that you can meet now, you have to let me know.”
“Not a chance, I’m keeping them for myself,” I replied, sticking my tongue out at her. “Meet your own group of super hot guys.”
Before Tina had a chance to reply the professor came into the room and immediately demanded silence to begin the lecture. Tina and I rolled our eyes at each other, seeing as it never took longer than fifteen seconds or so for the whispers to die down, her reaction was completely overblown, but whatever.
After class we were at the gym with Annie, where I filled her in on the previous days’ events as well, when I suddenly got a text.
“Oh, Jack wants to catch up for dinner later,” I told them as I read the text and replied “sure, you pick the place.”
“Well I’m actually glad that you’re getting along with him now. He was definitely making your life pretty hellish before, so it’s good that he’s cooled it and you can have a real relationship now. I mean, he’s still your brother, so he’s still going to annoy you, but honestly, I can’t imagine life without my brothers, as annoying as they are. I’d still much rather have them than not.”
“We’ll have to see how long this truce between Jack and I lasts then. I’m still not convinced that he isn’t going to change his mind and decide he hates me tomorrow.”
“No, he won’t. I bet it’s because of that douchebag Oliver. When he found you, his protective instincts reared. Even if you’re not his real sister, you’re still family now, and I think that made him realize that.”
“You’re probably right, Annie, I told her. Anyway, I’m going to have to make it a quick dinner because I am totally going to be back home for The Apprentice later.”
“I can’t believe you like that show.”
“Hey, I’m American. The worse the reality TV, the more I’m automatically going to like it. Besides, hating all the contestants and wanting them to fail is half the fun.”
Annie rolled her eyes and turned up the difficulty on her elliptical while Tina laughed on the other side of her.
* * *
Instead of heading home after the gym I showered there, then got dressed and went to meet Jack for dinner.
Our first real date.
It wasn’t like it was my first date ever. But the way I was super nervous about it, it might as well have been.
It was stupid to be so nervous about a date. I knew it was. And was it really a first date when you’d already had sex with the guy twice? Maybe the horseback riding was actually our first date. These thoughts and more passed through my head as I overanalyzed everything at the same time as trying to stay relaxed and not completely freak out about it.
What was wrong with me?
As soon as I saw Jack, already waiting for me at the little pub we decided to have dinner at – a nice, casual place for a brother and sister to meet after class – all my fears vanished. He was leaning back in a booth, checking his phone, a beer already in front of him, not a care in the world. A single wisp of perfect hair fell across his forehead, which he absentmindedly brushed away with a finger, and my legs began to feel weak as I remembered the pleasure those same fingers brought me when they rubbed against my naked skin.
“Hey,” I greeted him, sliding into the booth opposite, and he shot me one of those grins that just made my insides melt with desire.
“Hey,” he replied. “I had other plans, but they got messed up, so I figured maybe you’d want to have dinner.”
“You figured right. So what’s good here?”
“Everything. Seriously, I know it looks like every single other pub here, but there’s a reason we’re here for dinner at 5:30 like we’re eighty years old. In two hours this place will be absolutely packed.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“That’s because you haven’t been here for long enough. Mention the Green Dragon Inn and everyone will know what you’re talking about.”
“Well that’s good to know that I’m the only person being kept out of the loop.”
“Don’t take it personally, you’re just new.”
Just then a waitress came by with a couple menus.
“Can I get you a drink as well?” she asked me, and I ordered a vodka and diet coke.
“So, tell me what New York was like,” Jack asked when the waitress left.
“It was good. I love the city. I’d like to go back, I think, once I graduate. My mom wanted me to come with her to England. I think she’d have been too lonely without me, to be honest. You know, a face from home sort of thing. New York is great. It’s actually a lot like London. Very vibrant, very active. The city that never sleeps, you know? But London is different in a way. It’s a lot more… considered. New York is crazier. London is like the sister city, but wearing a nice suit. If that makes sense.”
Jack nodded.
“Yeah, it does. I get it. I think I’d like New York.”
“I think you would too. So now spill: what is it that you really do when you’re not working? How do you seemingly know everything about everything around here?”
“That’s an easy one to answer. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I make it my business to know. Plus, when people buy pot from you, they figure you can keep their secrets.”
“Wait, you’re a drug dealer?” I mean, I knew my brother was a bit of a badass, but this was a complete surprise.
“In a way. I mainly just do favours for friends. If someone wants to buy from me, they have to be referred from someone I know and trust.”
“That’s illegal!”
“No shit,” he replied with a grin. “I hope that doesn’t turn you off.”
Was it bad that it did the opposite?
“Why the disrespect for the law?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t think it’s a good law. People should be able to get stuff to help them relax. I have other reasons, too, but you’re not getting those out of me.”
“Why not?”
“Way too personal this early in the relationship.”
“Fine. Fair enough. Though I don’t really see how you can have personal reasons to be a drug dealer.”
Jack grinned at me. “You know, the first day we met, at my dad’s house for that dinner, I saw you and I instantly thought “doormat with a low self esteem”.
“Well thank you, you sure know how to make a girl feel welcome,” I retorted.
“Little did I know that you’re just the opposite. You’re a little firebrand.”
“I’m not sure I’d go that far, but thank you.”
“So where’s your father?” Jack asked out of the blue.
“That’s pretty personal too. But he was never part of my life. We’ll leave it at that.” I wasn’t sure I wanted Jack knowing about my mother’s blackmail, about the fact that my father was presumably some big Hollywood hotshot, and I had no idea which one.
Just then the waitress brought over our food, and we started digging in, the conversation turning to much more light-hearted subjects.
I explained to him the concept of The Apprentice, he told me it sounded like shit, I told him that was the point, he still didn’t understand the point.
He told me about the best spots in town to get a drink, to get a meat pie for lunch, what pubs to avoid because the Neo-nazis had a tendency to hang out there, who to talk to if I needed some pills to stay focused during exams. You know, normal stuff.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed and we were still sitting in that booth, talking like we’d known each other for years. I began to realize that my attraction for him wasn’t just physical. Sure, he was basically a Greek god, like Michaelangelo had sculpted his features out of marble himself, but there was more to him than that. My brother was a bad boy with a heart. The longer we talked, the more I began to realize that was true.
He wasn’t just a soul-less douchebag, as much as I’d thought that when I first met him. In fact, I actually kind of liked him.
Eventually we decided to head home.
“I’ll drive you, it’s on my way,” Jack joked, and I giggled. The guy could be pretty funny when he wanted to. I suspected that behind the mediocre academic achievements lay a brain that was actually far more intelligent than he wanted people to know.
I followed him back to one of the campus parking lots, where his bright Lamborghini sat, absolutely the star of the show surrounded by old Toyotas and the odd Mercedes, bought no doubt by some rich parent. Much like Jack’s Lambo.
Climbing into the passenger seat, I immediately got a kick out of it. I’d never been in a car like this before. Pressing a button, the engine roared to life, and Jack gunned it into reverse. I’d barely had time to put my seatbelt on, and now I was clutching the side of the seat, hanging on for dear life.
We were so low to the ground it felt like we were basically on the ground. Everything felt so much faster from here, and I noticed people staring as we drove past.
Until we left the city Jack drove fairly conservatively. I didn’t blame him. With a ton of drunk college kids around, who knew what would happen. As soon as we got on the road back over to his father’s place though, he let the car go. We sped up, and I was far too scared to look at the speedometer, but I knew he had no respect for the speed limit.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I felt on the edge, the absolute limit of life, and I realized just how fun the car was.
At the same time as being super speedy, it was also the most comfortable car to ride in. The suspension took care of any little bumps in the road, and if it wasn’t for the fact that we were going mach a million, I would have probably never been more comfortable in a car in my life.
“Woooo!” I cried out as we took a sharp corner, the G-forces acting on my body forcing it to the side.
Jack grinned at me as he pulled up to the driveway. Still going incredibly fast, way faster than I thought was safe, he gunned it straight at the house. I grabbed the dashboard, terrified, when suddenly with a spin of the wheel Jack turned the car sideways and we drifted to a stop.
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed when I finally realized we were still alive.
“Enjoy that?” Jack asked.
“You know it!” I replied. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime, Jules,” he replied, pretending to tip his hat.
I got out of the car and went into the house. I went up to my room, knowing his was just so tantalizingly close, and when I heard him come in ten or fifteen minutes later, it didn’t take long before I got the courage to go over to his room and knock on the door.