Enigma Page 7

  “Sorry to bother you again, but are you Jack Jones from Eastwood High?” she asked excitedly, and bent down to reveal her unnatural cleavage.”

  How would she know that he was Jack Jones? I thought.

  Jack smiled awkwardly. “Yes, I’m Jack Jones, but I’m not at Eastwood High anymore.”

  The girl giggled and Jack smiled at her. My palms began sweating and my heart pounded. I tapped my foot, waiting for Jack to look my way, but he only shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I placed my bag on my lap, pretending to look for something, and kept my eye on him.

  He attempted to turn away from her again, but she grabbed his shoulder and whispered, “Pleased to meet you, Jack Jones. I’m Chanelle.”

  I laughed aloud, and she turned and glared at me. Her name was so typical.

  “Nice to meet you, Chanelle. Keep the pen,” Jack said, and then looked down at the floor.

  I could tell that he wanted to end the conversation, but she grabbed his shoulder again.

  “Thanks. Please, let me buy you lunch. I’d like to do something to thank you.”

  “That’s not necessary,” he said.

  “Maybe not, but I would still like to go to lunch with you. Once the word gets around that you’re attending Long Beach University, every girl will want to go to lunch with you, Jack Jones.”

  I rummaged through my bag and gritted my teeth. Chanelle’s bony hands were still wandering over Jack. I wanted to tell her that he was off limits, but Jack beat me to it.

  “Thanks for the offer, Chanelle, but I don’t think my girlfriend would appreciate me going to lunch with you,” Jack said quietly.

  Silent revenge. Jack dented her ego and polished mine. He looked at me as I pulled out my cell phone, and smiled. Chanelle looked horrified that she’d been rejected, but surprisingly, she persisted.

  “Girlfriend? What girlfriend? Jack Jones doesn’t date. Everyone knows that. Feel free to ask me out when you break up with her. Oh, I mean if you break up with her. And don’t forget that I asked first,” she said.

  “I don’t think that’ll happen. Like I said, I have a girlfriend now.”

  Chanelle’s eyes narrowed. “Well, Jack, if you ever need, you know, a night off, here’s my number,” she said, extending a piece of paper that was wedged between her bony fingers.

  I bit my lip and through pure rage, threw my bag on the floor, walked over to Jack, and straddled him like he was about to get the best lap dance of his life. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss, tightening his hold on me, and when I came up for air, Chanelle and everyone else around us looked stunned.

  Still straddling Jack, I smiled sweetly at Chanelle and said, “For your information, my boyfriend and I will not be breaking up, and he won’t be joining you for lunch, either.” Then I took the piece of paper out of Jack’s hand, crumpled it up, and threw it in her lap.

  Chanelle sat open-mouthed with the piece of paper in her lap. Jack smiled at me and I felt empowered.

  “Good luck, whatever your name is. You obviously don’t know Jack Jones as well as you should.”

  I ignored her; I wasn’t going to allow her to strip me of my pride, so I decided to wait until later to ask Jack what she meant. I had no idea what had come over me; I’d never behaved like that before, and would’ve normally been mortified at bringing so much attention to myself, but I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. After all, I was only claiming what was rightfully mine.

  Jack’s football coach was standing at the front of the class. “Excuse me, Miss. Please take your seat,” he said. “You can finish making out after this meeting.”

  There were a few snickers, but I didn’t care. I wrangled off of Jack’s lap and sat in my chair. I crossed my legs and Jack placed his hand on my thigh. I leaned into him and we smiled at each other. I was a moth to his flame and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on him.

  When the meeting was finished, Jack and I walked out hand-in-hand, and I felt like everyone in the room was watching us. They were probably wondering why such a good-looking guy would want to date a plain girl like me. I wondered the same thing, but I did look good in the bikinis I’d bought, so maybe it was time I gave myself a little more credit.

  We walked to the parking lot and I put my bag in the back seat. When I turned around, Jack pinned me to the car and kissed me with profound passion. His lips pushed against mine and I couldn’t help but get lost in the moment. I wrapped my arms around his neck while inhaling his delicious scent, and he ran his hands down my sides. There were a few other students in the lot, but I didn’t care. I ran my hands underneath his T-shirt, finally getting to feel his toned chest, and he felt better than I’d anticipated. His fingers discreetly caressed the curve of my breasts, and having his hands on me made me go weak at the knees. We continued to kiss and with my eyes closed, I imagined that we were alone in his bedroom, and I was about to give myself to him.

  Jack gently pulled my hands out from underneath his shirt. “We should head over to the locker rooms; my game starts in an hour and I have to warm up first.”

  I giggled. “I can warm you up,” I said as my fingers teased his belt.

  “As much as I’d love to warm up with you, I really do have to go and get ready.”

  “I’m glad that everyone knows I’m your girlfriend, but your parents will probably find out about us now. Long Beach is like gossip central. I thought we were supposed to be a secret?”

  “I don’t care anymore. I can’t keep us a secret from anyone any longer.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I can’t be near you without wanting to talk to you, kiss you, and touch you. It would drive me crazy not to be able to do things that normal couples do.”

  “Jack, I’m worried. If your parents find out, they’ll send you away. We can’t be separated; you’re the best thing in my life.” The thought of never seeing Jack again sent my heart racing. Jack pulled me into him and kissed my forehead.

  “I want you to come over for dinner on Saturday, and then you can meet my parents. I’m going to introduce you to them as my girlfriend. They used to have a hold over me, but nothing they say or do will keep me away from you. Nothing, you hear me?” he said.

  Meeting parents was a big step in any relationship, but I already knew that Jack’s parents wouldn’t like me.

  I held Jack’s hand and looked in his eyes. “What did Chanelle mean when she said that I don’t know you as well as I should?” I asked.

  Jack shrugged his shoulders. “We have to hurry; I’m going to be late for the game. You still want to go, don’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why don’t you take your shirt off? A body like yours should be flaunted.”

  Jack began undoing the buttons on my shirt and exposed my camisole. I would normally feel too self-conscious to show off my curves, but I took off the shirt and threw it over my shoulder, watching him smile as he observed my body. I pulled him into me and ran my hands through his hair, but was disappointed when he kissed my lips and said, “I have to go and warm up before the game; Coach will be pissed if I’m late. My jersey is number ten. I’ll be looking out for you in the bleachers.”

  Reluctantly, I let him run into the locker room. As I walked up the bleachers, I managed to find a good seat to watch the action. Although I’d only been to a few of Brett’s high school football games, I had a good idea of what the sport was about—enough to make conversation for a few minutes anyway. Sipping on my soda, I waited for the game to start. The bleachers were filling up quickly, and I was enjoying the excitement buzzing around me—until Chanelle and her minions sat in front of me.

  Chanelle turned and looked at me, her minions following suit. “White really isn’t your color; you need a much darker color to compliment your pale skin. I thought with a daddy like yours, you’d at least have access to a tanning bed.”

  I looked at my camisole and although she was right, I had to stand my ground. After living with Heather for so long,
I knew how to handle a girl like Chanelle.

  “My father doesn’t promote using tanning beds. You must have met him; did he do your boobs?” I asked, and smiled when one of her minions covered her grin.

  “My breasts are perfectly natural, thank you.”

  “Oh, sorry,” I said, and took a sip of my soda.

  The stadium was getting louder and to compensate, so was Chanelle.

  “So what did you do to him then?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “How did you tame a guy like Jack Jones? With his reputation, it seems almost impossible,” she said, and looked out across the field to where Jack was standing.

  “I think you have the wrong Jack,” I said confidently.

  Loud music played, and the cheerleaders came out, ready to get the crowd going.

  “I thought you were a cheerleader. Why aren’t you out there?” I asked.

  “I hurt my ankle, but don’t worry, I’ll be cheering for the next game.” She winked at me and I turned away.

  I stood up and clapped, joining in with the excitement and choosing to ignore Chanelle. When the game began, I was glued to Jack’s every move. He was an amazing player, and with his secret strength and speed, I wondered how he managed not to step over realistic boundaries when he ran and threw the ball.

  With the game over and Jack’s team winning their first game of the season, I waited for Jack outside of the locker room. Soon, he emerged wearing a pair of shorts and had his T-shirt tossed over his shoulder. He grabbed me and kissed my lips, but I didn’t reciprocate his excitement.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Before I had a chance to respond, a flurry of cheerleaders wearing outfits that didn’t leave much to the imagination, walked past us, each one brushing their hand against Jack’s naked arm as they said goodbye to him. I turned and walked away.

  Jack caught up with me. “What’s wrong, Kate?”

  I shook my head and pulled him around a corner where we could be alone for a few moments.

  “I need to know something,” I said, putting my hands in my pockets.

  “Anything.”

  “Why does Chanelle keep talking about your reputation and how I don’t know you as well as I should?”

  “Everyone has a past, don’t they? But our future is what matters here,” he reasoned, placing his hands on my hips.

  “You’re entitled to have a past, but the people who’re about to play a big part in your future should know about it. I felt like a complete fool earlier.”

  Jack took a step back. What was he hiding?

  “I’m sorry Kate; I thought it would be better for you not to know, but I was wrong. If you want to know everything, I’ll tell you everything,” he declared.

  “Go ahead, I’m listening.” I folded my arms across my chest and felt my anger subsiding.

  “I’ve done stuff I’m not proud of, Kate. Ever since I met you, I feel like I’ve changed for the better. You give my life true meaning and stability.” He looked away from me. “I’ve been in trouble—”

  “Wait! Stop. Can you leave out the details?”

  Jack sighed. “I was thrown out of high school for breaking rules.”

  Part of me felt relieved that he hadn’t exposed something terrible—not that being thrown out of school was good.

  “What did you do?”

  “I drove a car into the school. The car was totaled.”

  “Were you drunk?”

  “No.”

  “Then why’d you do it?”

  “I was just screwing around. I didn’t mean to damage the car. It was a reckless mistake.”

  “Is that it?” I asked.

  “No. I was always in trouble, thriving on the popularity it gave me. There were a lot of parties, drinking, and . . . there were a few girls I was involved with too.”

  I held my hand up to stop him. I could deal with the whole bad guy thing and the partying, but I certainly didn’t want to hear about the girls he’d been involved with. Jack leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets and concern in his eyes, waiting for me to respond. He’d been honest, and I was relieved to know the truth, so I decided to put him out of his misery and kissed his soft lips.

  He smiled and his shoulders relaxed. “So can the past be left where it belongs?”

  “It’s already forgotten,” I reassured him.

  We headed for my car when Jack stopped and looked at me.

  “Wait a minute. I’ve confessed my past. Now it’s time for me to get some dirt on you.” He raised his eyebrows, waiting.

  “Sorry, there’s no dirt to dish; I’m a good girl.”

  “Nothing?”

  “No. Can’t you see the halo above my head?”

  Jack laughed and we walked off.

  I hadn’t lied about being a good girl. I’d always gotten good grades and never got into trouble. But since arriving in Long Beach, I’d changed. Could I blame my erratic behavior on raging hormones or Brett’s rehabilitation? Or was I jealous of Heather’s success? Whatever it was, I couldn’t continue behaving this way and risk losing control of myself.

  That just wasn’t me.

  CHAPTER 10

  Today was the dreaded day for me to meet Jack’s parents.

  But before we dropped the bombshell that we were dating, Jack and I decided to go to the beach for a while.

  Unsure of what to wear, I riffled through my shopping bags, which still lined the wall, and chose the white bikini with the black tulip print.

  I quickly put all negative thoughts about Jack’s parents and the dinner out of my mind, and slipped on the bikini, which made me feel good. I threw a white sarong around my waist and ruffled up the corner to expose my left thigh in an attempt to look seductive.

  I pulled down my hair, casually pushing up the front with a pair of gold-trimmed, designer sunglasses, and picked out a suitable outfit to change into for dinner with Jack’s parents. When I had everything I needed, I went next door to get Jack. He’d told me that his parents were out all morning, so I knew it was safe.

  I relaxed against the wall, exposing my left leg, and tried my best to look sexy. I checked my reflection in the sliding glass door. My hair looked good and my makeup was subtle.

  Within minutes, a woman abruptly opened the door, and stood before me with a bemused expression on her face. Her graying hair was tied into a braided bun, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her hairstyle highlighted her cheekbones, and her eyes were a faint gray color. She was dressed in a long, unusually patterned, emerald dress.

  Looking at my reflection again, I cringed. I was standing in front of her in a white bikini. I folded my arms over my chest.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice low and unwelcoming.

  I tried to cover my exposed thigh while still placing my arms over my low cut bikini. My heart was racing, and if there had been an eject button on the bikini, I wouldn’t have hesitated to push it.

  “Hi, I’m Jack’s friend, Kate. I live next door.” The woman stared at me suspiciously. “We-we’re supposed to be going to the beach before I come over for dinner.” I felt like a child seeking approval.

  She screwed up her freckled face. “Oh yes. I forgot we’d be having a dinner guest, but I wasn’t expecting a cheerleader. When Jack said a friend was coming over, I just assumed it would be someone from his football team.”

  “Oh, I’m not a cheerleader.”

  I prayed for the ground to swallow me. I felt so stupid and uncomfortable in the bikini as Jack’s mother looked me up and down. And where was Jack? I wasn’t ready for any more questioning.

  “Jack is expecting you then? I’m Lindsey, Jack’s mother. Come in,” she offered and reluctantly ushered me toward the back of the house. I followed her, desperately trying to fix the sarong so it would cover more of my leg while still covering my cleavage, but I was fighting a losing battle. Reluctantly, I opted to expose my thigh.

  “Jack is by the pool. Go through th
e French doors on the right. Please tell him that I forgot my purse. I’m off to the store now and won’t be gone long. I hope you like pasta,” she said, and swung her straw purse over her shoulder.

  I took a deep breath. “Pasta? Yes, I like pasta. Sounds great,” I said too enthusiastically. I smiled at her, cringing inside as she casually walked away with a look of disapproval in her eyes.

  When she was gone, I opened the French doors and as I stepped outside, my sarong caught one of the hinges. I tugged to release it, but the delicate material tore, and the white sarong floated down to the ground in tatters. Cursing myself, I looked up to see Jack watching me from the other side of the pool.

  “Kate, how’d you get in? I’ve been listening out for the doorbell.”

  “I didn’t get a chance to ring the doorbell! I was half-naked when your mother let me in!”

  Jack looked confused. “She went to the store for pasta half an hour ago.”

  “She forgot her purse. She’s gone now, but said that she wouldn’t be long. I think she hates me already, Jack. I hardly look like good girlfriend material with my nipples poking out!”

  He laughed and his eyes settled on my chest. “You’re so dramatic, but incredibly sexy. Definitely my idea of girlfriend material.”

  His words were flattering, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Lindsey’s tone and her disapproving eyes.

  “Stop it, Jack. I’m so embarrassed! I really wanted your parents to like me, especially your mother. Now I’ve ruined my chance. First impressions always stick.”

  “There is nothing not to like about you, Kate. Remember that this is all new for them. My mother was probably just surprised. I’ve never had a girl over for dinner before.”

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here before your mother comes back,” I said, grabbing his towel and wrapping it around me.

  As Jack walked past me, he grabbed the towel and ran off with it. I laughed while chasing him, knowing there was no way I would ever catch him.

  The sun was blazing and the beach was crowded. Jack spotted some of his teammates and they ushered us over to them. I’d hoped that we could spend some time discussing how we would tell his parents that we were dating, but Jack was pleased to see his friends, so I decided to make an effort to fit in.