Part 10
�Yo, Kale,� Brad, one of the guys on Kasey�s crew, called Kale over to where he and a bunch of the other guys from the shop were standing. �Did you know about this?�
�What�s up guys?� Kale said joining he group. �Know about what?�
�Junior�s feature in this month�s Maxim,� Jared said. �Kasey�s going to be pissed.�
�So what? Junior�s always in magazines, man. Ain�t no big deal,� Kale told them. �And besides, Kasey doesn�t care about that. He�s been in the points lead the whole month of March, and that�s all that matters to him.�
�Nah, dude,� Brad said, handing Kale the magazine, �he�s gonna flip when he sees this.�
�What,� Kale said, flipping the pages, �does Junior talk shit on him? He really won't care. You know how Junior is. He just-�
Kale stopped flipping mid-magazine. �Fuck! When did you get this?�
�I just got it today, man,� Jared said. �My buddy is on Junior�s crew, you know, and Junior gave them some issues before they hit the stands next week.�
�I told you he was gonna flip the fuck out, Kale,� Brad said. �Is he coming in today?�
�Nah, he�s still sick and the team doctor ordered him to stay at home for another two days at least if he even wants to think about racin� this weekend.�
�Well, you�d better let him know about this now before he finds out from someone else,� Jared told him. �You can handle him best.�
�Shit,� Kale said pulling his keys out of his pocket. �I�m taking this with me. I�ll try to get back, but I don�t know.�
He rolled up the magazine and walked out of the shop.
�Man,� Brad said, as hey all looked at the door. �Kale�s a brave guy. Kasey is gonna go ape shit.�
*************************************** ****************************
�Kale, is that you?� Kasey called from the couch. �Could you bring me some more cough drops from in the kitchen, please? And a glass of juice?�
�Sure,� Kale said. �You sound like shit!�
�I feel like shit,� Kasey said flipping through the channels. �What are you doing home? What�s going on down at the shop?�
Kale handed Kasey the bag of cough drops and a glass of orange juice. �Nothing much is going on, really. Everyone was asking about how you were feeling.�
Kasey took a sip of his juice and winced as it burned his throat going down.
�You gotta drink more than a sip, Kase. You know the doctor said to drink plenty of fluids and get vitamins.�
�Thanks, Nurse Ratchet,� Kasey said, lying back down on the couch. �You know I always get sick around March and April. Fucking sinuses man!�
�Yeah,� Kale said. �And I know that you�re always a pussy about it, too.�
�Fuck you, Kale!�
�Naw, I�m just messing with ya. You gotta get better soon,� Kale told him, trying to decide the best way to bring up what he had to. He decided just to get it over with. �There�s something you gotta see, man.�
�Oh yeah, what?� Kasey asked his younger brother.
�Here.� Kale pulled the rolled up magazine out of his pocket and handed it to Kasey.
�Is this the new Maxim?� Kasey said, taking it off Kale. �I thought they didn�t hit newsstands until the second week of the month. Mine should be coming in the mail next week. Why did you buy it?�
�Just flip to the middle section. There�s a feature on Junior.�
�Oh yeah?� Kasey said looking up the feature in the index. �He�s such a media whore.�
Kale watched as Kasey flipped to the page where the spread began and his face drained of color even more than it was when he got there.
�Fuck,� Kasey said under his breath.
Under the headline �King of the Road� stood Junior with his hat on backwards and black Oakley�s. He was standing with his feet spread apart and had his hand was on the bare back of a woman who�s was front was pressed up against him, her right leg in between his. She was wearing nothing but a pair of black hot pants with the word �Junior� scrolled in red across the butt and a pair of black stilettos. Her hand was grabbing onto his red shirt and her face was tipped up looking at him with her lips partly open as he smirked at he camera.
�That�s Jenna,� Kasey whispered to himself.
�Yeah, dude,� Kale said. �That�s definitely Jenna.�
Kasey flipped through the next couple of pages looking at the pictures of Jenna and Junior. In every one, she was topless, although you could only see her bare back and his hands were somewhere on her body.
�She looks good,� Kasey said, not taking his eyes off the magazine. �Good for her for getting in Maxim.�
�Kasey, you okay?� Kale asked.
�Yeah,� Kasey said, closing the magazine. �She made her choice the night of the 500 when she walked out that door with Junior.�
�You made that choice for her, Kase.�
�I didn�t make any choice for her, Kale. Jenna�s a big girl and she makes her own choices. She�s the one who chose to leave with him.�
�But you pushed her away, man.�
�But I didn�t push her into Junior�s bed. She didn�t have to walk away from me and go right to him,� Kasey said.
�You don�t know that she slept with him, Kasey,� Kale pointed out.
�Oh yeah? Did you see those pictures, Kale? Why would Maxim put some random girl in their feature spread? She�s nobody, just some teacher from North Carolina. Why would Junior want her in those pictures unless she was fucking him? And her bare tits are pressed up against him, Kale! Look at his face and the way he�s looking at her and the way she�s looking at him.�
Kale opened up the magazine Kasey threw on the coffee table. �She isn�t looking at him the way she looks at you, Kase.�
�What is it with you, Kale?� Kasey said. �Why can�t you accept that fact that whatever was going on between me and Jenna is over? She�s fucking Junior.�
�That�s just another excuse. It�s convenient for you to pin it on that. Don�t forget, Big Bro, you ran to Mandy right after you fought with Jenna. I know she didn�t go running into anyone�s bed because I was there. And according to Amy, Jenna didn�t go out with anyone up until the 500 either. But you? You got back together with Mandy. And Jenna met her! So what if she had sex with Junior! You�re still fucking Mandy on a nightly basis.�
�But it�s Junior, Kale!� Kasey said sitting up on the couch. �And she is posing with him in print.�
�And that�s so much different then her seeing Mandy kiss you on TV after the 500 and every other race Mandy tags along to?� Kale said angrily. �Junior�s a fun guy and he is totally into Jenna. Why shouldn�t she be with him? There was no one in her life tying her down.�
�But I was in her life, Kale,� Kasey yelled. �Fuck, man!�
Kale knew that if he pushed the issue enough, Kasey would eventually crack. He knew that Kasey kept everything bottled in and needed to get it all out.
�She came into my life and it was like everything changed. I�d go to the shop and hardly hear what the guys were talking to me about because I was thinking about her. And when I was with her, I didn�t think about racing unless we were talking about it. I couldn�t afford that, man. You know that.�
Kasey stood up and started pacing in front of the television. �I haven�t been able to sleep through the night these past few months. And when I get in that car, you wanna know the reason I�ve been running so well? It�s because I get so pissed at myself for letting her get away, Kale, that I just go. All my aggression just comes out and I use it. And I say to myself �If I can win this today, Jenna�ll come back to me.� Pretty gay, huh?�
�So just call her!�
�I can�t,� Kasey said. �I can�t give her what she needs. The only time I ever see Mandy is when she comes here at night. I don�t have time for a relationship.�
�Just keep telling yourself that man, and then maybe you�ll start to believe it,� Kale said. �Go ahead and settle for what you have going with Mandy. I always looked up to you when we were growing up because I thought you were so brave, Kasey. You took risks and you moved away from home to do what you loved. But sometimes, just sometimes, you�re still that little boy who was too scared to jump off that rope swing at Nana and Pop�s cabin so you ran onto the woods and watched everyone from up in a tree. You're running into the woods with Jenna, Kasey.�
Kasey looked at his brother. �I�m glad your life�s so perfect that you can criticize mine, Kale. How about doing us both a favor and just stop with the Dr. Phil bullshit.�
Kale stood up to go to his room. �Fine, Kasey, but remember, you asked for it. I won�t bring her up again.�
********************************************************
�Jenna?�
�Oh my god, Junior!� Jenna said into her phone as she drove home from work. �Thank you so much for dropping off the magazine at my office today!�
�No problem,� Junior said. �You look unbelievable in it.�
�Aww, thanks, but they can do some pretty amazing things with an airbrush you know.�
�Naw, I was there, too, remember? I don�t think they needed the airbrush for this one.�
�I can�t thank you enough for thinking of me,� Jenna said. �That was a pretty awesome thing for you to do.�
�Hey, no problem. Think of it as my way of saying thank you for night of the 500.�
�Shouldn't I be the one thanking you for that Junior?� she said as she pulled up to her condo. �I just pulled into my lot. Can I call you later?�
�Sure thing, Sweetie!�
�Bye!�
Jenna flipped her phone shut and noticed that Amy�s Jeep wasn�t there. She was dying to show her the pictures. Frank in the office told her they were enough to make him consider changing his lifestyle they were so great. Junior dropped them off to Frank while she was teaching class and by the time she was done, everyone in the dance department had seen them. Frank couldn�t keep anything to himself.
She walked into her place and sat on the couch. She flipped to the feature and had to admit that they really were great pictures. She really owed Junior for getting her on the shoot. Jenna thought about the night she spent with him.
�I�m bout ready to get out of here, it�s been a long ass day,� Junior said to Jenna. �Whatta yak say? You wanna come with me?�
Jenna had been so pissed at herself for honestly believing that Kasey missed her that she didn�t think twice about it. �Sounds good to me.�
She went into the back room to grab her things and said her good-byes to the other girls and some of the guys who were still there. Junior led her out to the parking lot.
�I guess I should call a cab, huh?� he said to her.
�No,� Jenna said. �I only had two drinks this whole night and I drove. There�s no need to call a cab.�
She and Junior got into her Lexus and she followed his directions towards his place.
�So, what�s going on with you and Kahne?� Junior asked her.
�Absolutely nothing,� she told him. �He�s with Mandy now.�
�You can�t bullshit a bullshitter, Jenna,� he said looking at her. �That boy is crazy for letting you get away from him.�
�How do you know I didn�t let him get away from me?� Jenna asked him.
�Because you�re a smart girl,� Junior said. �You wouldn�t let that happen.�
Jenna didn�t say anything. She was unsure as to where he was headed with all of this.
�Boy�s gonna make mistakes, Jenna. He�s young and worked so hard to get to where he is now, he isn�t thinking straight. That�s a lot of pressure for a kid. Especially when your Daddy was the king of NASCAR.�
�Kasey�s dad is the logging business, so I take it we�re talking about you now.�
�I know what he�s going through Jenna. I�ve fucked up a lot of things in my life. You think I like being thirty and one of the biggest playboys around? You think I don�t want to have someone to come home to every night instead of someone new every weekend?�
Junior turned to look at her. �I had my head so far up my ass when I started cup racin�, Jenna. I wanted to prove to my Daddy that I was good enough and I wanted to prove to everyone else that I wasn�t just a name. I didn�t have shit handed to me by my dad. He made me work for it, and he was right to because everyone else handed everything to me because I was his kid. Had he not made me work hard, my head would�ve been ten times bigger than it was when I started out. Make a right here, mine�s the first on the left.�
Jenna pulled into Junior�s driveway.
�Come on,� he said opening the door.
She wasn�t sure whether to go with him or not, but she figured he had some sort of insight to give her and she wanted to hear what he had to say. So she got out of the car and followed him into his home.
�Want a drink?� he asked her, turning on the lights in the kitchen.
�Water is fine,� she said and he pulled two bottles out of the subzero fridge and motioned for her to follow him into the living room.
�The kid loves you, Jenna and he�s just too scared to fuck up his life right now to be with you.�
�Thanks, Junior,� she said pissed off. �So I�d fuck up his life, huh?�
�Calm down,� he said. �I don�t think you�d fuck up his life. Can you imagine working your whole life to get somewhere and then you finally get there and it is so unreal that you�re scared it is all going to go away? That�s what he�s feeling right now. He has to make the most of this. He�s not a rookie anymore. He's just like the rest of us. There�s going to be a new phenom now. What�s gonna make him special unless he wins?�
Jenna sat there quietly sipping her water.
�In a way, I was lucky because of my name. Even if I sucked, people would still remember my name because of my Daddy. Being the Intimidator�s son is a double-edged sword. Hell, I didn�t even win Rookie of the Year!�
�You didn�t?�
�Nope. But like I said, I had that name going for me. Kahne is making his own name. The kid�s good, but he�s gonna always think he can be better.�
�I understand that. I really do,� Jenna told him.
�Do you?� Junior asked. �When I started in the Cup series, I met a girl. She was awesome, Jenna. We had so much fun together and she just got me, you know? No one had ever understood me like she did. But I fucked it up. I pushed her away. I told her my career was too important to me and I had to focus on racing. And I had myself convinced that that was true. I believed that for a long time. So I focused on racing and I found comfort in random women. I figured I had the best of both worlds. These women don�t want shit from me, Jenna. They�re happy just telling their friends they fucked Dale Earnhardt Junior.�
Jenna didn�t know what to say to him. She was almost embarrassed that he was drunk as hell and pouring his heart out to her.
�About a year ago, I was reading the newspaper and saw her picture. Her wedding announcement. And even though I hadn't seen her in years, I started crying. I wanted that to be me getting married to her. I wanted to be the one who spent the rest for my life with her. I realized that even though I was winning races and getting the best sponsors, my life was empty. I don�t know if things would have worked between her, and me I really just don't know. But it was my fault that we didn�t try. Even if it wouldn�t have worked out, I could have had one more day, month, year of something special with her. And I�ve been waiting ever since to find someone special.�
Junior turned to her. �Jenna you�re beautiful, and you know that. And I�d be lying if I said I didn�t want to rip those clothes off you and take you right here on the couch.�
�Junior,� she said reaching out to him, �I want-�
�No,� he said, grabbing her hand. �Don�t say it because if I hear it, I might not be man enough to do the right thing. You sleep with me, Kahne�ll never get over it, and I�m not going to let my horniness, or yours, get in the way of what I see between the two of you.�
Junior pulled her into his arms and she laid her head on his chest. �I�m not saying for you to go running to him, Jenna. I don�t know what happened between the two of you exactly. I just want you to know that he does love you. And it�s your choice as to what you�re going to do about it. You can sit around and wait for him to realize what it is he�s doing, or you can just leave it up to fate.�
�You believe in fate, Junior?� she asked.
�I believe in a lot of shit you wouldn�t think I would.�
�Thank you for telling me all this. But I�m not going to sit around and wait for Kasey.�
She told Junior about Rick Scott and the promise she made to herself. �I�m not going to depend on someone else for my happiness. There are some things that I am realizing now, like how much I miss performing and stuff, and I want to get back into it. I need to do it for me.
�You�re an awesome person, Jenna,� he told her. �A truly awesome person.�
She smiled as she looked at the pictures of them and recalled his words. Since that night, she and Junior had become pretty tight. He called her just about every night to tell her about his day and she would tell him about hers. He was a good friend and a lot different than she thought he�d be like.
When Neil called her to tell her that Junior told Maxim he wanted her to pose with him in his shoot, she couldn�t believe it. When she called Junior to thank him, he told her that this was his gift to her. He knew she wanted to get back into performing and he thought that maybe this would give her a push in the right direction.
�Thank you, Junior,� she said to his picture.
****************************** *****************************
�Neil Maxwell, speaking.�
�Neil, it�s Jenna.�
�Well, hello, Miss Maxim. And to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call? Are you finally calling to tell me the truth about you and Dale Junior? Did you really think I�d buy the he�s-really-sweet-and-all-we-did-was-talk-that�s-it routine? Tell me all the juicy details, Darling.�
�Sorry, to disappoint you, but that was no routine. I really didn�t sleep with him. Not that I didn�t want to.�
�Well, at least I know you haven�t lost it all if you can admit that you wanted to.�
�Neil,� Jenna said, �there is something I really want to talk to you about.�
�Oh my god! Did you get knocked up? Do you need money for an abortion? You know I only lend friends up to $500, but if you need more, I can-�
�Neil! Calm down. I�m not knocked up!�
�Oh thank the lord, because I don�t think I could have really let you go through with that. Whew!�
�Well, I don�t know if you�re going to let me go through with this either.�
�What is it? You know I�m the drama queen in this relationship, so just spit it out!�
�I wanna come to New York.�
�Well, of course you can come to New York. You can crash at my place for the weekend, no problem.�
�No, Neil,� Jenna told him. �When school gets out at the end of May I want to come live there, in New York.�
She paced in her living room, waiting for his response. �Neil, will you say something.�
�Do you know how long I have been waiting to hear you say that?� he squealed into the phone. �Oh my god, Jenna, what made you decide to do this?�
�A lot of things. Mostly dancing with The Pussycat Dolls and being in Maxim. And Dale Junior. We talked about being scared of things in your life. And he told me that he wanted me for that shot so that maybe I�d do something about my desire to perform again. And he was right Neil.�
�How come when I tell you these things you don�t listen to me, but you�ll listen to him. Wait. I�ve seen him, I know why.�
�I have experience now to fall back on if it doesn�t work out for me, Neil. If I would have dropped out of school and pursued a career in New York, I wouldn�t have had that. But now I do. And I want to take a chance.�
�So you�ll stay with me until you see if this is what you want.�
�Neil, I can�t expect you to do that.�
�Jenna, I want to. You�re going to be a guest, not a boarder since I refuse to allow you to pay me, in my home for as long as you need. Remember when I first met you and tried my hardest to get you to forget about Ohio University and come to the City? I knew that you weren�t made for spending you life in a classroom with kids. You were made for the stage. And it isn�t like I don�t have the room. You can live in the guestroom. Oh my god! We can go buy all new linens and paint and do it up for you! I�ll call my interior designer now and get some swatches sent up here. I�m thinking amethyst.�
�Neil, hold on!� Jenna said laughing. �I have to make sure I can get someone to sublet here and make sure this is what I want to do. And I don�t even know if I�ll be able to get a job once I�m there.�
�Honey, you have the best fucking agent around! I could have a job lined up for you before you even got here and no one would even have to see you!�
�Let�s not take it that far.�
�What are Kitty and Biffy going to say about this?�
�I�m a big girl, Neil. What can they say? Did I tell you that my mother has talked of nothing else since the spread in Maxim came out? She is a celebrity at the club and all the other women are just fawning all over her. She is such an attention whore.�
�Well, now we know where you get it!�
�Why thank you, Darling. Oh shit, here comes Amy now. I�m going to talk to her about this. Wish me luck.�
�Luck! Love ya!�
�Love you, too!� Jenna said as she flipped her phone shut.
�Amy, I have something really important to talk to you about!� Jenna yelled as her roommate came in the condo.
�Hey, Jenna, what�s up?�
�Amy, I have to talk to you. I�m going to New York! I�m moving- Oh, hi, Kale,� Jenna said as Amy walked into the living room with Kale right behind her.
�Did I hear you correctly,� Amy said. �Did you say you�re moving to New York?�
Jenna shot a glance at Kale as he and Amy stared at her.
�Jenna, did you just say that you were moving to New York?� Amy asked again.
�Yes. I�m moving to New York. In May. When school is over,� Jenna said looking at her best friend.
�I don�t now what to say,� Amy said, shaking her head in disbelief.
�How about �I�m so happy for you�? Or �When did this all happen�?�
�Or how about, �What the fuck are you thinking�?� Amy spat out.
�Amy-�
�Stay out of this, Kale!� Amy said turning on him. �She hasn�t thought this through.�
�Yes I have!� Jenna said angrily. �I�ve thought about this every night since I was a little girl! I�ve wandered about this every night since I started college: What if I hadn�t gone to college? What if I�d taken a chance? Well, I�m not going to think �What if?� anymore. I�m doing it.�
Amy sat down on the couch and Jenna sat down next to her.
�Amy, I�m going to do what makes me happy. I need to know,� Jenna said tearing up. �I know my life is bigger than this. Bigger than being a god damn schoolteacher. There is nothing holding me back from doing it this time. I have my degree, I have experience, but I don�t have the satisfaction of knowing whether or not I could make it.�
�What am I going to do without you, Jenna? You�re going to get wrapped up in your career and forget about me,� Amy said through her tears.
�Stop it, A, I can�t let you cry alone and you know that. I�d never forget about you. You�re my best friend. My sister. And I love you.�
Kale stood there watching the two friends cry and hug each other. One would break into a sob and say something that sounded like a bunch of gibberish to him and then the other would reply in gibberish and start crying harder. �Um, guys, this �Steel Magnolias� shit is really making me uncomfortable.�
They both started laughing.
�Oh, Kale!� Jenna said getting up to hug him. �You are too cute.�
�Aw, thanks, Jenna. You know how to make a guy blush,� Kale said.
�Kale, please don�t tell anyone about this,� Jenna said looking into his eyes.
�Are you going to tell him?� Kale asked.
�You have to let Kasey know, Jenna,� Amy said.
�I don�t have to let him know anything,� Jenna said. �I need time to think about that, okay you guys. Kale? Please, just don�t say anything.�
�It�s not my place to say anything, Jenna, whether I agree with you or not. So you can trust me. But for the record, I think you should talk to him.�
�If I talk to him Kale,� Jenna said, looking at him with fresh tears in her eyes, �I might not be able to leave.�
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�I�ll be right back, Mandy,� Kasey called from the hallway. �I need to run to the shop.�
�Okay, Kasey. I�m just reading the newspaper online,� Mandy called to him.
She listed for the door to slam and the Durango to pull out of the driveway before she made her move. When she got there Kasey was in his email and she told him that she wanted to check something out. She knew he wouldn�t sit and read over her shoulder, and that call from the shop couldn�t have come at a better time. She didn�t think she�d have a lot of time to snoop, bit his being away gave her more than enough time.
She closed out the browser window and scrolled through his inbox. Nothing. She was just looking at an email from his mother when she heard a �ding� that indicated he had a new message.
Jackpot! she thought to herself when she saw it was from Jenna DiBenedetto titled �Tonight�. She opened it up:
Kasey~
Surprised? I bet you weren�t expecting an email from me. And what I am going to say is going to surprise you even more.
I�m sorry for waiting until the last possible minute to so this, but I went back and forth deciding whether or not to even tell you: I�m leaving tomorrow afternoon. I�m moving to New York.
I don�t even know how long I�m going for! Hopefully, something will work out for me and this won�t be temporary. I�m staying with Neil for the summer and by July, I�ll make my choice to stay and get my own place, or to come back to Charlotte. They will hold my job at Dean�s until August first.
Can you believe it? I�m actually doing it! I�m scared to death, Kase. I�m sure you know the feeling. Hell, you picked up and left home at 18,not knowing what your future held! But this is something that I have to do. I have to see if this is what my life is supposed to be.
I can�t leave here without tying up all loose ends. And I tied them all up except with you. I�ve never been as happy as I was from December until February. Running into you in New York before the banquet was the best thing to happen in my life (and not just because I had sex in a dressing room in Barney�s�)and I will be forever changed because of you. Thank you.
I don�t know if you�re reading this and rolling your eyes or if you�re screen is blurry because of your tears like mine is right now, but I want to see you, Kasey. There are some friends, including your brother, who has become a permanent fixture on my couch, coming over tonight, Wednesday, for a get together before I leave. I would love for you to come. Even if it is just for a minute so I can look at those baby blues before I get on that plane�
~Jenna
Mandy rubbed her temples. She was fuming from Jenna�s email. She�d figured Jenna was some girl Kasey�d bedded one drunken night. She didn�t realize he�d seen her what must have been pretty regularly for two months.
So that�s what Kale was talking about when he told me to ask Kasey what he was doing in New York before I got there, she thought. Well, Little Miss Skank, Kasey won�t be coming to your little get together tonight. I�ll make sure of that.
�Oops!� Mandy said as she deleted Jenna�s email. �Guess he�ll never know you�re gone.�
********************************* ************
�I can�t believe you�re going to New York!� Marissa exclaimed when Jenna sat down next to her on one of the patio chairs. It was a beautiful May night and everyone was outside around the pool. �You�re really doing it!�
�Yep,� Jenna said sipping her wine. �Am I fucking crazy or what?�
�Oh, you�re definitely crazy,� a make voice said behind her.
�Junior!� Jenna jumped up off the couch and hugged him. �And Jamie! Thank you so much for coming!�
�Couldn�t let you leave without saying good bye,� Junior said.
�Go help yourselves to the beer and stuff. It�s all in the condo, but everyone�s out here,� Jenna told them.
She was so happy that all these people came to see her off. Besides Amy and Kale and Marissa, pretty much the whole dance department and most of her fellow teachers had shown up. Some of Amy�s friends from UNC were there and some neighbors she�d become friends with came as well.
If only I could take my mind off the one person who isn�t here, she thought.
�Hey, beautiful, why the long face?� Kale said coming up next to her.
�Funny you should be the one to ask that Kale.�
�He�s not here? Did you really email him or did you just say that to get me and Amy off your back?�
�Would I be sitting here jumping out of my skin every time I heard a car pull in if I hadn�t emailed him?� Jenna said.
�Touch�!� Kale laughed.
�Junior and Jamie are here,� she told him.
�Yeah, I saw them heading for the beer when I came out here.�
Jenna heard her favorite Postal Service song, �Such Great Heights�, come on the stereo. It reminded her of Kasey.
I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles
In our eyes are mirror images and when
We kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes like
Puzzle pieces from the clay
True, it may seem like a stretch, but
Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled
Head when you're away when I am missing you to death
�You take care of Amy for me, okay?� Jenna told Kale. �If you hurt her I�ll cut your fucking dick off.�
�Ouch! Why do I believe you when you say that?� Kale said.
�Because you know that she�s my best friend in the whole world and no one is ever going to fuck her over like Robert did again if I have anything to do with it.�
�Don�t worry about her. I�ll keep her safe.�
�I know Kale, I know,� Jenna said, standing up to go mingle. �I�m gonna go be a social butterfly now.�
�Okay,� Kale said. �And go easy on the wine! Nothing sucks more than flying with a hangover!�
She turned and winked at him and joined a group of her fellow teachers.
�Your brother here?� Junior asked Kale as he sat down across from him.
�Nope,� Kale said. �Where�s Jamie?�
�He�s talkin� to Marissa. And Kasey is a fuckin� idiot for not being here, man.�
�I know. I�m so tempted to call him and tell him to get his ass over here. But it�s his choice, man.�
�I know,� Junior said. �I thought about calling him, too. But of he�s gonna be like this, then it�s better that she not see him.�
�You lookin� out for Jenna�s best interest with that shit or Junior�s?� Kale asked, taking a sip of his beer.
�I ain�t gonna lie to you, Kale. Jenna, man, she�s one awesome girl and I�d be lyin� if I said there wasn�t some part of me that wishes she dug me like she digs Kasey,� Junior told him. �But this is good for her to be leaving and if he was here, she�d have an even harder time leaving than she is now.�
�Kale, I need your help for a sec,� Amy said coming over to where he and Junior were sitting. �Hi, Dale. I�m Amy Jenna�s roommate. Well soon to be old roommate. We met in February.�
�Yeah, I remember. How you doin�?�
�I�ll be much better after Kale comes and taps the new quarter barrel. I don�t now how Jenna can stand working with all these men who are more girlie than I am!�
Junior laughed and drank his beer as they walked away. He watched Jenna float between different groups of people that were congregated around the party. Kahne, you really fucked up this one, he thought to himself. And he walked in to Jenna�s to get another beer.
********************** *********************************
�Shouldn�t you be getting to bed soon, young lady?� Junior said as he came up behind Jenna.
She�d just said goodbye to her Brad Pitt clone secretary, Fank. It was nearly two AM and he knew her plane left in less than twelve hours.
�Hey!� she said sipping he arm through his. �I was hoping you were still here. I said good bye to Jamie and Marissa, but I didn�t see you.�
�You think I�d let you leave and not say good bye?�
�Yeah, not like some people,� Jenna said.
�Kahne�s an idiot, Jenna,� Junior said. �I can�t believe he didn�t come.�
�Yeah, well, maybe I�m the idiot for even thinking he would. Let�s sit by the pool.�
Junior sat down on one of the lounge chairs, his legs out stretched on either side of the white plastic and Jenna sat in between his legs, leaning back on him.
�Look at that sky, Junior. Tomorrow, I�ll be looking at it from my new home. That is if I can see it through all the smog.�
�You�re gonna love it in New York.�
�I�m scared,� she whispered.
�I know,� Junior said putting his arms around her in a hug. �But don�t be.�
�Easier said than done. What if this is the wrong thing?�
�What if it�s the right thing?�
�How will I know if it�s the right thing?�
�You�ll know.�
The two of them looked up at the stars and sat in silence with their own thoughts. Jenna felt Junior's body tighten and next thing she knew, he was leaning his head down to her, kissing her. When she kissed him back, he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss.
Jenna repositioned herself so that she was facing him, her knees on the ground in between his and the lounge chair, his hands tangled in her long hair, hers stroking the back of his neck under the brim of his backwards ball cap.
His mouth traveled across her jawline and down to her neck. He kissed the hollow of her neck, tasting her sweet skin. He began stroking her breast through her shirt and she ran her hands down his arms, covering his hands with hers and pressing them harder onto her body.
Junior leaned his head back and looked at her. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were shut. Seeing Jenna�s hands on his over her own breasts made him hard. He didn�t know how he was going to stop this.
�Jenna,� he said, removing his hands from her body and titling her head down so that she�d look into his eyes, �if we�re going to stop, we need to stop right now, before this goes any further.�
He could see her desire for him as he looked into her green eyes. �Come on,� she said and she took him by the hand into her condo.
Jenna lay Junior down against the pillows on her bed so that the top half of him was in a sitting position the bed and straddled his hips. He watched as she lifted her shirt over her and reached up to undo the front clasp of her bra.
�Jenna. I ��
�Shhhh,� she said leaning down to kiss him. �I want this.�
He rubbed circles around her nipples with his thumbs. When she leaned back, he cupped her breasts in his hands and brought his mouth to her nipple, lightly flicking his tongue against her and then sucking with a firm pressure that made her gasp. Junior brought her breasts together with his hands and moved his mouth back and forth between her nipples, his stubble scratching her soft skin.
Jenna brought her hands up to his. �Oh god,� she moaned.
�Shhh,� he said, his warm breath ticking her, �Your roommate will hear.�
He rolled her over and planted a trail of kissed lower down her body. He nipped at her hipbone that was exposed by the low rise of her jeans and pressed his fingers into them as he kissed her stomach.
Junior�s hands worked at unfastening her jeans. �Let me taste you, Jenna.�
He eased her jean off her hips and tossed them on he floor. His thumbs wound into the string waistband of her panties as he planted warm kisses on her through the silky fabric. He tugged at her panties just a bit and exposed the top of her clitoris. Junior sucked in his breath as he saw that she was completely waxed and he put his hot mouth against her. Jenna�s hips raised slightly off the bed as his tongue heedlessly flickered over her sensitized flesh, his stubble-roughened cheek against her sensitive thigh.
�Junior,� she gasped. �Let me touch you. Please.�
He eased back up her body and lay next to her. Jenna kissed him as she unbuckled his belt and slid one hand into his jeans, the other unfastening them. He groaned when her hand closed around him. She opened his jeans and pulled his boxers down just far enough to expose his cock. With one hand still around him, she brought the other one up to her mouth and licked it before placing it on him, moving up and down the length of his shaft.
�Oh, god, Jenna,� Junior moaned and slipped his fingers into the side of her panties, stroking her wetness before inserting two inside of her.
They stroked each other until Junior slid his fingers out of her and removed her hand from him. �If you keep touching my dick like that, I�m gonna come. And I�m not letting you leave without having sex with you.�
Junior rid her of her panties and took off his jeans and boxers as well. �Please tell me you have a condom somewhere,� he said to her.
Jenna wanted to scream as she remembered that all of her stuff was packed up, including the condoms she kept in her nightstand. He looked at her face and swore under his breath.
�Wait!� Jenna said. �My purse. I always have condoms in my purse.�
Junior� eyes followed Jenna around the room as she went to her purse and opened it up. �Ta-da!� she said holding up the foil packet she found, and came back over to the bed opening it.
He took the condom out of her hand and rolled it down onto himself. He lay down on top of her, bracing himself with his arms on either side of her head and guided himself into her. As he began to thrust, Jenna ran her nails up his back, digging them into his shoulders when he drove into her harder.
Junior kissed her from her collar bone to her mouth as her hips rose up to meet his thrusts, her hands pressing into his back urging him deeper inside of her.
�I�m gonna come,� he said into her neck.
�So come,� she said, clenching her muscles around him, knowing it would bring him over the edge.
He moaned as he came inside of her, his thrusts slowing down with release. Jenna ran her hands lightly up and down his back.
Junior looked into her eyes as she smiled down at him. �Jenna, I�m sorry. I want you to feel good, too.�
She kissed him lightly on the mouth. �I do feel good, Junior, believe me. When will guys ever learn that a woman doesn�t always have to have an orgasm during sex for it to feel good?�
�Never,� he said, pulling out of her. �But this guy is going to make sure you have one when you�re with him, sex or not.�
He slid his hand down her body and slipped his fingers into her. �You�re so wet,� he said, licking her clit and pressing his fingers into her walls, twisting them as he moved in and out of her. Junior kept that hand inside of her while he used the other to alternate rubbing and licking her until she began to shiver underneath him. Jenna gasped as an orgasm ripped through her and he watched her, smiling, as her muscles twitched around his hand.
�Thank you,� she said breathlessly as he lay back down beside her.
�Anytime,� Junior said as he pulled Jenna into his arms. �Anytime.�
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