CHAPTER TEN.
“What are you going to wear?”
On the other end of the phone, Penny went straight for the practical. Desiree smiled, then looked into her wardrobe in despair.
“I don’t really have anything that isn’t black.”
“Really.” Penny’s voice was deadpan.
“Fuck off. I know I wear a lot of black. It’s just that today I don’t feel like it.”
“What about that red top you have?”
“I was wearing it the other day at the markets when we ran into each other. I don’t want him to think that I only own one set of casual clothes.”
“But it is the only set of casual clothes you own that aren’t black.”
“I know.”
“Then it’s going to have to be black, love.”
“Shit.”
“Do you have time to get over to my place and desecrate my wardrobe?” Penny’s offer was sweet, but Desiree couldn’t see herself being caught dead in any of Penny’s cutesy little dresses.
“Thanks, Pen, but I’ll see what I can manage.”
“Alright, but remember the offer is there.”
“Okay, thanks babe. Gotta go.”
Desiree grinned. Penny was the sweetest thing in the world. Desiree had no idea how they had ended up friends, they were so completely different, but there you had it. Perhaps it was a matter of opposites attracting, or maybe Lydia sat between them, so there was a kind of bridge or something. She didn’t know, but she didn’t have time now to work it out. She had to dredge through her wardrobe to come up with something that wasn’t too goth. She would have spent some time wondering about why she was less enthusiastic about her black clothes these days, but she didn’t have time.
Half an hour later, she thought she had hit on a reasonable ensemble. It was still black, but with short sleeves on the shirt, which was a kind of Victorian-rockabilly mashup with a high collar and a frill down the front, teamed up with a long, flowing skirt that pulled up at the front to about her knees via some threaded ribbons, she figured she was showing enough skin to offset the black. She opted to go without loads of black makeup, instead just putting on some eyeliner and a touch of mascara, and some bright red lipstick. She threaded a pair of big gold hoops through her ears, and attached a gold cuff to the upper two holes in her left ear. A red necklace lay a splash of colour at her throat. A silver anklet chattered around her ankle, and her usual charm bracelet completed the look. All in all, regarding herself in the mirror, Desiree was quite happy with what she saw.
Pushing her feet into a pair of high red heels, she glanced at the time, and realised she should be out the door. With one last look, Desiree picked up her purse and ran out of her house, locking the door on her way through.
The bar in Subiaco was busy, and Desiree scanned the crowds for Jack, her stomach fluttering. It took her a minute or two to locate him, during which time she had to fend off the comments of two other guys. It was okay. Being tall and thin and, well, unusual, she was used to it.
She found him seated at a table in the beer garden outside. Smiling in relief, she hurried over to the table. He stood up when he caught sight of her.
“Hi. Wow, you look amazing.” He kissed her on the cheek and her face flamed. Despite her height, and her heels, he was still taller than her. She liked it.
“Thanks.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“Uh, yeah, a Little Creatures Pale would be great.”
As Desiree sat at the table, Jack excused himself and went to grab their drinks.
He returned very shortly with two pints, placing them carefully on two coasters before sitting himself down beside Desiree.
“Cheers.” He picked up his drink and clinked it against hers. They both took a sip, their eyes on each other.
Jack put his drink down. “I have a confession. I was sitting here thinking you wouldn’t show.”
Desiree pretended to be offended. “I always keep my appointments. I thought you wouldn’t be here.”
“Ah, but here I am.” He opened out his hands as if presenting himself, and Desiree laughed.
“Yes, here you are.”
They chuckled quietly, then silence descended. Desiree picked up her glass again and took another gulp. She had no idea what to say next.
She didn’t really do dates. She was more of a grab ‘em, kiss ‘em and tumble into bed kind of girl. It had always worked in the past, but Desiree knew she didn’t want to go that way with Jack. She wanted to talk to him, to get to know him, to work him out on an intellectual level, before they went and got all intimate. It felt very alien to Desiree, but at the same time, kind of thrilling.
“What are you thinking about?” Jack’s voice brought her back to earth and she laughed uncomfortably.
“I’m not sure that I want to tell you.”
“Try me.” Jack’s steady gaze held her and she felt safe.
Safe? That’s weird.
“I was thinking how much different to my usual dates this is.”
“How so?”
“Well, usually, there would be less talking and more kissing.” Desiree kept her eyes on Jack, wondering how he would react.
One of his eyebrows flew up. “Oh.” He considered for a moment. “Is that what you want? Because I’m happy to kiss you…”
“No.” Desiree threw him a small smile. “It’s not. I like talking to you.” Then she realised what she’d said and hurriedly backtracked. “Not that I don’t want you to kiss me. I do. Very much. But it’s not necessary. Yet.” She sat back in her chair, face flaming. “Fuck this is hard.”
Jack chuckled. “Do you do that a lot?”
“What?”
“Cuss?”
“Cuss. You mean swear? Yeah, I guess I do. Is that a problem?” She scanned Jack’s face anxiously, and was relieved to find he looked amused rather than censorious.
“No. Not at all.”
They sat silently for a few more moments, taking sips of their drinks and surreptitious glances at each others’ faces. Finally, Jack spoke.
“Okay. You asked for it ma’am.”
He leaned over, took her face in his hands, and kissed her. It was soft and subtle, but Desiree’s senses swam as she took in the feel of his big hands on her face, his smooth lips against hers, the brush of a tiny bit of stubble across her cheek, and the sight of his lashes coming down over his bright blue eyes. She closed her eyes as well and gave herself over to the feeling of the moment.
He pulled away slightly, and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’ve been wanting to do that for quite a while.”
Desiree was dazed. She could only look into his incredible eyes, and open and close her mouth like a fish. Jack smiled, amused. “I see I’ve rendered you speechless, ma’am,” he said, leaning back and giving his Texan twang full swing. “Looks like I still got it.” He breathed on his fingernails and rubbed them against his chest, as if he was polishing them. Desiree laughed, her trance broken.
“Oh, you definitely got it. And by ‘it’, I mean my lipstick all over your face.” Desiree grabbed a tissue out of her bag and tried to wipe the lipstick off Jack, with limited success. “Well, there will be no doubt what you’ve been up to tonight.” Jack winked and smiled, that damn dimple causing Desiree’s belly to flip again. “You should probably go see if you can get the rest of that off.”
“Later.”
After that, the conversation seemed to run much more smoothly. Perhaps, Desiree reflected, they needed to get that physical barrier out of the way, so that they could open up to each other. She found Jack incredibly easy to talk to, charming and attentive. Their drink segued into dinner without a hiccup. Jack took her to a nearby gourmet hamburger joint, where the hamburgers were so big, Desiree could barely pick hers up, let alone wrap her mouth around it. “And they say everything is bigger in Texas…” she muttered, giving in and cutting the burger in half.
Jack laughed. “I gotta admit, that is one enormous burger. But ours in Texas are even bigger. In fact, that’s one of the first things I noticed about Australia when I got here. The food servings are much smaller.”
“You mean they’re normal instead of heart-attack-waiting-to-happen?” Desiree picked up her now maneuverable burger, and took a bite. It was delicious - generous toppings of chicken, bacon and avocado along with loads of salad.
“I’m not sure you could call that monstrosity normal,” Jack indicated her burger, “but I have to admit, it’s probably more normal than some of the ones I’ve eaten in Texas.”
Jack concluded by picking up his own massive burger and taking a bite, making half of the insides fall out. His comical expression of consternation made Desiree chuckle.
“Need a knife and fork? Or maybe a bib?” She raised one cheeky eyebrow.
Jack just shook his head. “If you don’t mind me using my fingers…” He picked up a piece of lettuce delicately with his fingers, popped it in his mouth, and made to clear the rest of his plate in the same way.
Shortly thereafter, Jack sat back in his chair, one hand resting on his stomach. “Yes ma’am, that was definitely more than a normal burger.”
“I don’t think I’ve eaten that much in… ever.” Desiree blew out a breath. “Perhaps we should take a walk or something? To push the food down.”
Jack pulled out his phone and looked at the screen and his shoulders dropped. “I’d love to, but I have to go rescue the babysitter from the kids.”
Desiree was surprised at how disappointed she was. “Well, maybe you could walk me back to my car?” Jack agreed, and as they paid and left the restaurant, he took her hand in his. It was the most natural thing in the world, and Desiree was amazed. She wasn’t getting heart flutterings or anything, it was just that it seemed, well, right.
They walked back toward their cars, taking their time, and still talking, about the things they saw in the shop windows, the people they saw on the streets and in the pubs and restaurants, and about themselves.
Jack asked, “What’s the story with the bracelet?” He touched it gently.
Desiree looked down at her charms and smiled. “Its my accomplishment bracelet. Each time something happens in my life, I get a new charm. See? This one is a mortarboard, from when I finished uni, I have an eye of Ra, for when I got my first tattoo - which just happened to be an eye of Ra, the theater masks are for Penny and the shoe is for Lydia - they are my best friends. And this one, the little sportscar, is for when I bought my first brand new car.”
Reaching the carpark, Jack asked Desiree which car was hers. Desiree pointed out her little sportscar, a low, black MX-5. Jack raised an eyebrow. “Nice car,” he commented nonchalantly.
“Matches my bracelet charm,” she replied with a smile. “That’s Trudy, my baby. What do you drive?”
“Well, I have to fit three kids in my car, so I’m embarrassed to say it’s a sensible sedan.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. I’m sure when I have kids, I’ll have to trade Miss Trudy in. Although I love her so much, maybe I’ll forgo the kids.” Desiree was joking, and she could see that Jack knew it. However, a shadow crossed his face. He hesitated.
“Maybe it’s too early to talk about this, but I wanted to know what you think about family.”
“What about family?”
“I have three kids, Des. I need to know you’d be good with a built-in family.” He looked at his hands, which were fisted together. “I don’t really want to subject them to someone who will make them feel abandoned or unwanted. They get enough of that from their mother.”
“Oh.” Desiree’s thoughts tumbled. She wondered if she should tell Jack about her dysfunctional youth, her hatred of her father for his many indiscretions, and her broken relationship with her mother. She had briefly mentioned her childhood when he was at parent teacher night, she wondered if he remembered.
“It’s just that, I’m not sure someone with loads of issues would be good for my kids. I just want to make sure you’re all good.”
Desiree plastered a bright smile on her face, ignoring the churning of her stomach and the screaming of her conscience. “Not a problem. I get why you would want to know that. And you can count on me.”
Well, at least you didn’t out-and-out lie to him.
He smiled, relaxing. “I figured you’d be alright, considering you’re a teacher.” He tentatively took her hand. “I’ve had a great time tonight, Des.”
“Me too.”
“We should do it again.”
“We definitely should.”
Desiree didn’t want the evening to end, and she could tell that Jack didn’t either. She stepped forward and kissed him on the lips before turning to her car to unlock the door.
Jack spun her back to face him. With his hands around her shoulders, his gaze bored into Desiree’s. Then he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She found herself with her arms around his hips, being crushed against his substantial chest. She sighed in bliss, and was rewarded with a waft of Jack’s scent - some kind of masculine aftershave, but also Jack’s own personal musk. She leaned her head on him, happy to be encircled in his arms.
Far too soon, Jack loosened his grip, but it was only to draw Desiree back far enough so that he could kiss her. It wasn’t a chaste, controlled kiss like the one at the bar. This one was hot with restrained passion. Desiree opened her mouth, and Jack reciprocated. She used her tongue to lick along his lip, then invaded his mouth. He was quick to join in, their tongues dancing a sensuous tango. Desiree felt her head spinning. She didn’t think she had ever been on the receiving end a kiss like this. It wasn’t the kiss itself - she’d had plenty of French kisses in her life. No, this was something else entirely. The connection that she felt with Jack was extraordinary. Although this was only their second kiss, it felt like she belonged there, that she had been kissing him forever in this way. That they were experienced in the dance.
Jack pulled back, breathless. “Desiree,” he breathed. “You’re really something.” His cobalt eyes devoured her while his fingers trailed over her lips, over her jaw and down her neck, feathering on her decolletage. A small groan escaped her, and his hands reluctantly returned to her face. He kissed her again, but this time Desiree could tell he was trying to finish up the evening. And although she couldn’t think of anything that she wanted more than to draw Jack back into that amazing, spinning dance, she let him kiss her gently before he let her go.
“I really do have to go.”
“I know.”
“When can I see you again?”
“Give me a call and we’ll work out a time, okay?”
“Sure.”
Desiree turned back to her car and unlocked the door. This time Jack didn’t stop her, but when she got into the car and shut the door, she wound down the window and he leaned on the window sill. Desiree leaned over to plant a quick kiss on him before she started the engine. Trudy thrummed to life, and Jack’s eyebrow raised. “She’s got a great purr on her. A bit like her Mama.”
She laughed. “We are two of a kind, she and I.”
“I can see that. Sleek and sexy, but with power under the hood.” Jack winked and Desiree smirked at him.
“You have no idea, mister.”
He chuckled gently before kissing her one more time, and whispering, “Bye.”
“See ya.”
Jack stood up, and Desiree put Trudy in gear, driving away. Out of the rear vision mirror, she watched Jack until he disappeared, swallowed up by the Hay Street traffic.