“She would love it. Our cook, Estella, usually minds her while I’m at practice, but Estella’s mom isn’t well. Our housekeeper, Ramona, can’t stay that late into the afternoon. She’s a nutcase, but we love her.”
“Is she the redhead? I met her. She’s a riot. I think we should all have a Ramona in our lives.” Not to mention a housekeeper. But someone as well off as Jessie probably assumes everyone at Glen Heights has well-orchestrated household staff to run the show.
We share a warm laugh, and his shoulder bumps mine, sending a jolt of lightning through my veins and electrifying my heart. Our eyes lock for a moment, and the smile glides off both of our faces.
“Dude.” Rachel socks him in the arm, effectively jarring us both out of the moment. “This chick is like totally cool.” She wraps her arm around him, beaming over at me like a proud parent. “She’s like taking me to the mall and shit just to hang out.” She hikes up on her LA Gear tennis shoes and plants a sticky kiss to his cheek that leaves an imprint the color of dried blood. “I think like we should totally name our firstborn after Janet.”
Janet? Who the heck is Janet?
“Who me? It’s Jennifer,” I say, but Rachel has repositioned herself to cover his body, pulling his face to hers, and I refuse to look.
“Hey, Jen—” Jessie appears by my side just as I take a seat between Connie and Heather. “Thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” It comes out curt, far less kind than it should have.
Heather growls up at the Greek god before us. “You like seriously owe her big time.”
Jessie ticks his head to the side, looking from her to me. “Don’t worry.” He licks his lips in a quick revolution, and that one sweep of the tongue is enough to send an entire litany of not-so innocent thoughts sailing through my mind. “I know just how to repay her.”
Jessie’s earthy warm eyes hook to mine, and a moment thumps by as the rest of the students, the classroom fades to nothing.
I could think of a few ways he could repay me, none of which are about to happen anytime soon.
* * *
Rachel is anxious to get her “one-on-one date” underway. No matter how many times I ask her not to reference it as such, she insists on tagging it that way. Thursday, after school, we pick up Jilly in my Samurai and head to the Glen Heights Galleria. Heather is working a shift at Contempo Casuals, so for sure we’ll be dropping in there. Also, the bookstore is a must. If anything can keep poor, lonely, motherless, and from what I can gather fatherless, Jilly company, it’s lots and lots of books. Yesterday, Jilly and I just hung out, did our homework, and watched TV until Jessie came home. There was an after-school special on highlighting the perils of illegal drug use, which I deemed quasi-educational, so I let Jilly watch it with me. Then, after, I helped heat up their gourmet frozen dinners. Jessie insisted that he knew his way around a microwave, but I wanted to help. Not that I really know my way around a microwave. My father just bought us one for Christmas, so we’re pretty new to the magical heating wonder ourselves, but still, Jilly begged me to stay for dinner.
Jilly pulls me back just as the three of us are about to enter Glen Heights shopping pièce de résistance. “Why is she here?” she snaps. Her tiny frame hunches over as she snarls back at Rachel. Jilly has a mean streak a mile wide that I can attest to, and I’ve known her for less than seventy-two hours.
“She’s sort of—” I pause a moment, trying to assess how much information is appropriate for Jessie’s little sister to glean.
“She’s sort of one of my brother’s whores.” She folds her arms tight across her chest, demonstrating that she understands perfectly well what and who Rachel Torres is.
“Okay, you’re right.” I cringe because I so was not supposed to say that. “But don’t repeat that ever again. And he’s sort of ridding himself of his whore collection.” I sag into her a moment. Jilly is sharp as a thumbtack. She’ll catch on eventually, so I might as well go with the truth. “Jessie has decided to narrow it down to one girl.”
She sucks in a breath, slapping her cheeks with the epiphany. “One girlfriend? My father is going to disown my brother.”
I make a face at the thought. It’s most likely a reality, but still, so bizarre and twisted. Who roots for their son to sleep around?
“Yes, just the one.” We watch as Rachel runs screaming into an entire gaggle of big-haired blondes. “That’s the way it should be. Why in the world would your dad kill him for that?”
“It’s against his religion. He says monogamy is for fools who like to get their hearts stomped on by a steamroller. I heard him say something like that just the other day.”
“Oh?” Crap. No wonder Jessie is so emotionally twisted. He’s been brainwashed by his father. I’m sure their mother would roll over in her grave if she knew the sexual misconduct going on at the Fox residence. And what kind of example does that leave for poor little Jilly? “Well, it’s not true,” I’m quick to refute. “Monogamy makes the world go round. Falling in love with just one person is beautiful, and it’s the way it should be. But I wouldn’t tell your dad just yet if I were you.” I shuttle her along toward Rachel before we lose her altogether.
“Why’s that?”
“Because I’d hate to get fired so soon in the game.”
“Hey”—she pulls me back a second—“if my brother is auditioning these skanks, why do we have to babysit her?”
A smile tugs on my lips, but I won’t give it. I’m glad Jilly doesn’t feel like I’m the one babysitting her. And juxtaposing her maturity level to Rachel’s, I’m guessing she’s assessed the situation just right.
“Because your brother, in his infinite wisdom, is letting me decide between his two favorites, Rachel and Tess.”
“Wait a minute.” She cocks her head to the side, a tiny dimple goes off in her left cheek, and I can see the slightest trace of Jessie in her. “If he’s the one looking for a girlfriend, why is he letting you decide?”
“I don’t know. I guess he trusts my judgment. Men are like that. They like to let women make the big decisions, then take the glory for themselves. Trust me, all those great presidents we’ve had? I bet it was their wives who have kept this great nation of ours from self-imploding.”
“I’ve no doubt you’re right.” She taps her toe to the ground as if contemplating this. She’s so darn adorable, and that smile finally breaks free on my lips. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you pick yourself? Hate-chel and Puss are nothing but ho bag skanks that smell like a pile of shit on fire.”
“Jilly!” I laugh with the reprimand. “This is what Jessie wants. I’ll tell you what. You can help me decide.”
“Me? Really?” Her entire face opens with delight. I’m betting Jilly doesn’t get to make too many decisions on her own.
“Yes, really. Come on, let’s get this show on the road.”
“Oh, this is going to be fun.” Jilly skips ahead. “Oh, Rachel! Guess what? Jennifer said I could help her decide which one of you gets to win my brother!”
Rachel’s eyes widen with horror. There’s a serious fear brewing in her as evidenced by that frozen look of terror on her face. I’m guessing they’re not nearly as close as Rachel suddenly wishes they were.
We head into the mall and straight for Contempo where Jilly has Rachel acting as her own personal assistant—barking out orders at her, making her mine the racks for her tiny, hard-to-find size.
Heather comes over with her neon green mesh lace top and hot pink tights under her pencil skirt.
“You look totally professional!” I offer her a quick hug. I’ve seen Heather on the clock for many years now, but prior to this, it was all at fast-food restaurants. This is her first real job where she actually has a say in her wardrobe. We’ve always loved Contempo, so when Heather scored this job, Melissa and I took her to Taco Bell to celebrate.
The navy and white checkered carpet in here has always made me a little dizzy, and if I rock on my heels, it makes it feel a
s if the room is spinning. Dexys Midnight Runners starts through the speakers with “Come on Eileen.”
“Thanks.” She plucks at her skirt while examining her clothes. “So, how’s the experiment so far?”
We look over to where Jilly excitedly tosses an armful of merchandise into Rachel’s arms.
“His little sister is helping me decide.”
Heather wheezes out a laugh. “This is panning out to be a thing of beauty.” She holds up a pair of silver earrings the size of a credit card, each with a pink watery gem pressed into the center. They have an old-world flare, far from the everyday hoops we’re accustomed to. “And these would look beautiful on you. You can wear them to the dance. My treat.”
“No, I’ll buy them.” Normally, I wouldn’t. They’re way too fancy for me and my casual wardrobe, but Heather is so sweet she’ll pick them up for me as a gift, and I’d hate for her to spend any of her hard-earned, much-needed money to help me. I know for a fact she gives most of her paycheck to her mom.
“But I’m the one with the discount.” She takes them back and places them onto the counter. Her features smooth out for a moment. “You just take care of you. ’Kay?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I glance over to where Jilly barks an order at Rachel, and for whatever reason, Rachel clucks like a chicken. Me thinks Jilly is enjoying her rise to power just a tad too much. And it’s pretty obvious Rachel would lay an egg just to win Jessie—with her luck, it would be a golden egg.
“Don’t you see?” Heather stands shoulder to shoulder to me as we observe the bizarre spectacle. “For some twisted reason, fate has paired you together with Jessie Fox, right at the home stretch of your senior year. Jennifer, like don’t just stand here and let that head-jutting, arm-flapping chicken fly right into Jessie’s lap.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Tell him neither of those idiots is the one for him. Tell him he should try you on for size. I mean, I’ve hung out with him. He’s at Russell’s house all the time. He’s surprisingly nice and not at all what I imagined him to be like. I can’t really see him with anyone from his hickey harem. But, I can see him with you.”
My heart sinks straight into my stomach. It’s funny. I was thinking the very same thing.
“He’s not looking for someone like me.” I blink back unexpected tears. “Besides, he requested those two by name.” I shrug. “Look, senior year isn’t a total bust for me. And at least this way I get to fulfill my fantasy of getting Jessie to at least notice me. The fact that he left this in my hands is a really big compliment.” Or so I keep telling myself. “It’s not bothering me at all.” My cheeks flame bright with the lie.
Heather steps in with those large doe eyes of hers, that sad look on her face that lets me know she feels sorry for me. “Just know that when this whole nightmare is over, Melissa and I will be there for you.” She pulls me into another quick hug.
“I know.”
Before we leave, Jilly racks up a brand new wardrobe to the tune of $1,659.15. Conveniently, she has no way to pay, so Rachel tosses it onto her very own credit card. I gulp just watching Heather ring up the mammoth transaction.
Rachel huffs out of the store with steam coming from her ears.
“Just between you and me”—Jilly leans in—“I don’t think she’s the one for my brother. You still get my vote.”
We hit the bookstore, and I take in the magical scent, pet the glossy spines of the new paperbacks, and I can’t help but smile.
At least I have Jilly’s vote.
* * *
On Friday, the Glen Heights basketball team played Norris High, losing thirty-four to seventy-six. I picked up Jilly and shuttled her to the game where she out cheered the cheerleaders with her enthusiasm alone. It was nice watching Melissa wield her pom-poms once again, but it was an out-of-body experience watching Jessie move across that court, his biceps redefining themselves every time he had the ball, his alabaster skin slicked glossy with sweat.
After the final buzzer sounds, he comes over with his hair sticking to the back of his neck in tiny ropelike formations, his face peaked with color and sweat. Jessie smiles with his whole person as he ruffs up Jilly’s hair that I spent an hour curling and spraying down with a bottle of my Aussie Sprunch. It bounces right back into shape once he’s through with his brotherly assault, proving the fact it’s pretty much indestructible at this point.
A boombox from the back blares the Thompson Twins “Doctor! Doctor!” bolstering the already jovial mood in the gym.
“Thanks for bringing her.” Those lucent, coffee-colored eyes of his latch on to mine, and my stomach bisects with heat. There’s something penetrating about the way Jessie looks at me that makes me feel as if I’m the only girl in the world.
Tess hops over with her dark hair perfectly layered and permed. She wastes no time in smacking Jessie with her frosted lips as Rachel jumps him from behind, throwing him off balance a moment.
“Atten-hut!” Jilly calls, and both Tess and Rachel jump to either side of Jessie and stand at military attention. It’s safe to note Jilly has gone off the rails with her thirst for power in the quest to find her brother the perfect mate. Yesterday, after we got back from the mall, she had Rachel make a sandwich out of canned cat food and eat it, then forbade her to speak in anything but meows for the rest of the evening. A part of me is damn glad I’m not in the running. Pet food never was my thing.
“Jilly.” Jessie shrugs as if pleading with her to ease up.
“Don’t Jilly me,” she sasses back. “Nobody wants to see their brother get his bones jumped in public. Jennifer”—his sister barks my name so loud I sit up at attention myself—“show these skanks how a nice girl hugs a boy.”
“What?”
Heather nudges me in the ribs. “You heard the girl. Hug him.” Her eyes crinkle with pleasure. I look over at Melissa, and she’s picking her jaw up off the floor.
“Sure.” I hop to my feet, and my eyes rake up Jessie’s panting chest. That wall of steel, otherwise known as his body, dwarfs mine entirely. His eyes are hooded over, and the slightest smile tugs on his lips, but he’s too egotistical to give in because he’s loving the attention. A part of me wonders if he paid Jilly to embarrass me like this. Never mind that, Heather probably did. I knew I should have let her buy the damn earrings.
I reach up, wrapping my arms around his neck, hiking up on my tiptoes, and my foot slips, causing me to crash right into him. He’s quick to grip me. His arm circles my waist as his strong fingers press into my side, sending off an alarming sexual response that shatters throughout my body in shock waves. Jessie Fox is hot and sticky, and, oh my dear God, my hands are gripping the back of his beautiful slicked neck. My heart starts in on cardiac arrest. The intense heat from his skin radiates over me, essentially melting me to his person, and I can’t seem to let go. Don’t want to. My eyes meet up with his, sheepishly, and an apology gets trapped in my throat. I’m holding Jessie Fox right here in the gym at Glen with both Tess and Rachel at rapt attention, and I still haven’t gotten my eyes clawed out.
A grin blooms on his face. He bows his head toward mine, and my lips part involuntarily.
“I have a surprise for you,” he whispers right over my mouth, and I die a thousand beautiful deaths on the inside.
“Like what’s that?” It comes out breathy, very Marilyn Monroe to my horror, and for a brief second, right here in his arms, I do feel like a sexy siren.
His brows furrow as the smile glides off his face as he steps aside to reveal a tall, lanky, all too familiar boy. “Danny Potter, meet Jennifer Barkly.”
Crap. Just what I didn’t want—an equally sweaty and panting member of the Glen Heights basketball team that happens to not be Jessie Fox.
“Nice to meet you.” I carefully dismount from Jessie’s body, words and actions I only once knew in my dreams, and frown as I shake Danny’s hand. Amy Brineman stands behind him looking a little vexed by the entire situati
on, and I shake my head at her just enough to let her know it’s a false alarm.
“Hi, Amy.” I give a nervous shrug. I’d better let her in on my ruse, and quick. My faux Danny Potter crush isn’t worth losing a friend over. Now, if it were Jessie we were feuding over, Amy’s friendship might be in peril. I give her a wink as if I’ve just said the joke out loud.
“So we should go out some time.” Danny opens cold with the exclusive invite.
My mouth rounds out in horror as I look to Heather and Melissa for help, but it’s Jilly who looks as if she’s swallowed a hornet’s nest.
“Who the heck is this bozo?”
“Jilly,” Jessie says it low like a warning. “This is Danny—Jennifer’s special friend.”
Kill me.
“Are you going out with him?” Jilly looks both affronted and hurt.
“Um”— I glance back at Amy who seems rather indifferent at the moment—“just as friends. I mean, we don’t really know each other.”
Tess bounces out of her military trance. “You should totally like double date with Jess and me!”
“And me!” Rachel is quick to insert herself in on the group date.
“Sure.” Jessie leans back, his arrogant smile curls up at the tips as if watching me squirm were his new favorite sport. “How about a movie?” His eyes narrow to Danny’s as if the two of them had somehow hit an impasse.
“A movie sounds great.” Danny flicks the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. “Tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow night.” I jump a little, but mostly from the fear of suddenly, and quite publicly, dating Danny Potter.
Tess and Rachel each land an arm over Jessie’s shoulder, and for some reason, this inspires me to do the same to the sweaty, lanky blond next to me.
Jessie and I exchange a brief glance.
Neither of us bothers to smile.