| A MATCH OF WILLS PART 7 �Kasey, Kasey, get up,� Jenna said shaking his shoulder. �Kasey, it�s 7:30. You have to get up to go to the shop and I have to go to work.� He rolled over in her bed and rubbed his eyes. Isn�t she ever going to let me wake up with her in my arms? he thought to himself. �Come on, Kasey, rise and shine,� she said standing at the edge of the bed. Jenna was already dressed and ready for work. �Hey,� he looked at her through his sleepy eyes. �What are you doing ready already?� �I got up at six for a run, lazy head. Now come on. I�m gonna be late,� she turned and picked up her bag of dance clothes. �And you have to get to the shop.� She watched him stretch out and get out of bed. Am I dreaming, or is Kasey Kahne waking up in my bed, naked, she thought, a smile crossing her face. �What are you smiling at,� he asked pulling up his boxers. �I�m just thinking that there are probably a million girls who have dreamed of you rolling out of their beds naked in the morning,� she said walking over to him and kissing him. �And here you are, rolling out of mine.� �Mhmmm,� he said putting his arms around her waist. �Why didn�t teachers look as good as you do when I was in school, Miss DiBenedetto?� �It�s a good thing I teach Kindergarten then,� she said pulling away from him. �Now come on, you have time for a bowl of cereal with me.� He pulled his shirt and pants on and followed her into the kitchen. �Lucky Charms, okay?� she asked taking the box out of the cupboard. �I told you I was a Fruit Loops kind of guy when I first met you,� Kasey said sitting at the table. �Well, when we�re at your house, we can have Fruit Loops. But here,� she said putting a bowl down in front of him, �we eat Lucky Charms.� Did I just go too far? she thought, realizing that she implied that there would be other nights. Jenna figured he didn�t notice because he was busy shoveling his mouth full of cereal. �Easy, there is a whole box.� He looked up from his cereal bowl, spoon midway to his mouth. �Sorry. I am just used to being in a house with Kale and he always ate all the cereal up.� �So what is on tap for the number 9 team today,� Jenna asked. �Well, I have to meet with Ray and the team to go over some logistics. And then Ray and I have some sponsor stuff to do. It�s gonna be a crazy day. What about you?� �I have school until 3:10, obviously, and then I have to teach upper-level ballet from 3:30 until 5:30.� �You teach ballet, too?� �Yeah, what did you think? That I just knew how to shake my ass in a club and taught that to my students?� she stood up and put her bowl in the dishwasher. �I am a classically trained dancer, Kasey. Ballet, jazz, tap, you name it, I can teach it. I just so happen to really like hip hop and stuff.� He stood up and put his bowl in the dishwasher as well. �I didn�t think that. I just can�t picture you in a tutu.� �You don�t wear tutus all the time, Kasey, just for performing. And then only sometimes.� Jenna shut the door and looked at the clock. �Get your ass moving. My class starts at 8:15.� They walked out of her condo and down to the parking lot. �Nice Durango,� she said to him. �Yeah, all the Dodge guys get one.� �Must be nice, she said unlocking her door with the keyless remote on her key chain. "Must be nice? Isn�t that a Lexus SUV you just unlocked� Kasey asked, seeing the lights on her pewter SUV blink. �I thought teachers didn�t make a lot of money.� �Kasey!� Jenna said laughing. �Not that it any of your business what I make, but I am very good with my money and plus my father is a CFO of a soft drink company and knows a lot about investing.� �So Daddy bought the Lexus?� he teased her. �Shut up! I have to go.� �Okay,� Kasey said, pulling her in for a kiss. �Have a great day with the kids.� �And you have a great day with the guys doing car stuff.� She got into her car and waved to him as she drove away. He stood in the parking lot, watching until her car disappeared down the street. Jesus, Kahne, he thought to himself as he started up his truck. What are you getting yourself into? *********************************************************** Jenna looked at the clock. �Alright girls we have less than ten minutes. I�ll do the routine once with you and then we�ll call it a night.� She walked over to the stereo and started the music. Positioning herself in the front of the eight girls, she checked their positions in the mirror as the overture started. �More turn out, Katie. Jess, watch your arms, they look sloppy. Five-and-six-seven-and-eight.� Jenna danced with her students, watching them in the mirror as they performed the piece she choreographed for the spring showcase. Look at them, she thought to herself, they all feel just like I did at their age about dancing, I can tell by the way they move. �Control in the fuettes, ladies! I need to see you hit each one.� They finished up until the point she taught them. As Jenna walked over to turn the music off, she heard one of them squeal and the others start chattering. �Ladies!� she raised her voice �You know you are to remain quiet until I review your performance!� But the chatter continued. �Ladies!� she yelled turning to face them and her attention was drawn to the window where they were all looking. Her face lit up. Kasey! �Miss Jenna, is that Kasey Kahne? Would he give me his autograph?� Erica, the squealer asked her. �Now, girls, please turn your attention back to me,� Jenna said, finding it hard to draw HER attention away from him. She knew she couldn�t criticize any of them with him standing there. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass a bunch of teenage girls in front of a guy they all thought was so cute. Especially these girls, who really admired her. �I am so proud of you all. You look beautiful and really caught on to the part we learned tonight. Great job!� They beamed and snuck glances back at Kasey to see if he heard them. He flashed them his lopsided grin and they all got huge smiles on their faces. �And yes, Katie, that is Kasey Kahne and I�m sure he�ll sign autographs for you.� That�s what you get for interrupting my class, she thought, but she knew he wouldn�t mind. �You are dismissed.� She never saw them rush our of that studio so fast. She turned off the power and could hear them all talking to him at once. �Mr. Kahne, my boyfriend just thinks you�re the greatest.� �Mr. Kahne, I saw you race at Charlotte last year.� �Mr. Kahne I was so mad when Tony Stewart spun you out at Chicago.� �Mr. Kahne, are you dating Miss Jenna?� �Alright, ladies!� Jenna said walking out before there were any more questions of that sort. �I�m sure Mr. Kahne can�t stay for very long, so don�t attack him like a pack of vultures.� She hung back while he signed autographs for the girls. The school being so close to Mooresville, all the girls were familiar with Kasey and NASCAR. She laughed as one of them pulled out her camera phone and had one of the other girls take a picture of her and Kasey. �Miss Jenna, can you take a picture with all of us and Mister Kahne with my phone? I can email it to all of you later.� She smiled, realizing she was just as giddy when he was around as they were. �Sure, Shelby. Gather around him.� Slowly the girls trickled out, a few of them calling their friends as they were leaving. �You�ll never guess who just showed up at my dance class� Kasey Kahne! I think he�s dating my dance teacher!� Jenna knew her face turned bright red when she heard that one, so she leaned down and started unlacing her toe shoes. �Quite a group of girls you got there, Jenna,� Kasey said. �Owww,� she winced as she removed the dance slippers. �Yeah, they�re a lot of fun,� she said standing backup. �You just made their year!� �What can I say? I have the Backstreet Boy demographic cornered.� �But what are you doing here, Kasey?� �Well,� he said shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. �We took a break for dinner and I was driving back to the shop and thought I�d stop by and see you.� �Kasey, this is twenty minutes away from your shop,� Jenna said and his face started to color. �Yeah, well, I just needed to drive for a little. Clear my head. And I was close so I stopped in.� But you�re the one that�s clouding my thoughts, he wanted to tell her. �Regardless, I�m glad you stopped in. And I think that I just became eight girls� favorite teacher.� �You were probably already their favorite, Jenna.� She swatted his arm. �You�re full of it,� she said. �Come on. I have to get some stuff out of my office.� They walked through the studio area and down the hall to her small office. She flipped on the lights of the main dance office and led him back to her own. �So this is where you work?� he said sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. �I really don�t spend too much time in here. I am in the classroom most of the day and the studio in the evening, but I use it to get some work done in.� She picked up a stack of papers of her desk and felt his arms wrap around her. �Is everyone gone for the night?� he whispered into her ear as he nibbled on her earlobe. �Kasey,� she said turning around to face him. �I�m all yucky from dancing all afternoon.� �I think you look sexy,� he said kissing her neck. �And I like this little skirt thing you have on over your dance thingy.� �It�s called a �leotard�, Kasey,� she said, her head rolling back as he kissed her collarbone. �Well, you look good in it. But you look even better out of it.� ***************************************************************** jennastar21: Hey there! I REALLY need to go out tonight after this day I�ve had! kkahne410: Yeah? I can�t wait either. These next 2 weeks are going to be insane for me jennastar21: With Frank out, this office has fallen apart. This temp sucks and nothing is getting done. I just got off the phone w/ the company we order costumes from and they don�t know if they can put a rush on our order and the costumes might not get here in time for the spring review. And somehow I got stuck w/ fighting w/ them b/c Frank isn�t here. kkahne410: That�s b/c you�re the biggest bitch! jennastar410: Fuck you! kkahne410: That�s for later! ;) jennastar21: Ass! I better go get some work done or I�ll never get out of here! It�s already 8:15. I�ll meet you @ your place @ 10-ish, then? kkahne410: Yep. A bunch of the guys are meeting us there. Kale is DD tonight because he is still on his antibiotics. Pussy! jennastar21: That was mean! You�d better be thankful he�s trying to get better b/c your ass is going to need him well for Daytona in 2 weeks!!! kkahne410: Go get your work done so we can drink our faces off tonight! jennastar21: K. Later! J kkahne410: Bye jennastar21 has signed off Kasey stared at the screen of his computer shaking his head. He and Jenna spent almost every night together for the last five weeks. Both of them had extremely hectic schedules. He was at he shop from early morning until about eight every night, sometimes there for over twelve hours. But most nights, he�d call her on his way home and go to her place or she�d meet him at his. She�d been to the shop a few times and met some of the guys and they were all as smitten with her as he was. Kale was her biggest fan. Some days Kasey would wake up and the two of them would be eating breakfast together. She even talked him into going on one of her AM runs with her, but Kale decided it wasn�t for him. Kasey smiled remembering the first time he�d woken up and she was still in bed with him. She�d just flown back in from New York the night before and was exhausted. When he awoke to his alarm going off, he was surprised at the feel of her body up against his. They�d been sleeping together regularly for two weeks at that point, and he had yet to awaken with her in his arms. He loved snuggling with her when they went to bed. She always ran her fingers back and forth across his belly as she tried to fall asleep and the nights that he spent without her, he laughed when he realized he was doing the same thing to himself. It had become so comforting to him, he couldn�t fall asleep without it. They never talked about where this all was headed. And he wasn�t sure he was ready for a relationship. He liked things the way they were between them and didn�t want to scare her away by bringing anything up. Why fix it if it ain�t broke, he thought to himself. It was 8:30 when he looked at the clock on the wall. They guys wouldn�t be there for another hour and it wouldn�t take him that long to get ready. He figured he�d catch up on what was going on in the sports world and went to espn.com. The main story was about Rick Scott, the running back from the New York Giants who was having an awesome year. Kasey clicked on the link and read more. �What he fuck?� he yelled at the screen. There, accompanying the article, was a picture of Rick Scott in a suit with his arm around a beautiful woman: Jenna. There was no date or caption to the picture, and Kasey had no idea when it was taken. He opened Google and did a search on �Jenna DiBenedetto�. The sites that popped up were ones he expected; Dean�s CAPA website, her sorority alumna chapter, an old site listing her as a Christina Aguilera backup dancer the summer she was on tour, and a few articles from her college�s alumni newsletter. Nothing. He clicked on the menu and did and image search and slammed his hand down on the mouse when he saw what loaded onto his screen. There were more pictures of Jenna with Rick Scott. Some were at bars and others were of her standing watching him at practices and games. There were pictures of her with other players on the Giants, their arms around her and her sitting on their laps. �She�s nothing but a fucking pit lizard!� he yelled looking at all the pictures. �All I�m interested in is having a good time.� Her words were ringing in his head. He closed the browser window and stomped of towards the shower. �Kasey, what the fuck are you doing?� Kale yelled from down he hall. �Nothing!� Kasey yelled as he shut the door and turned on the shower. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His blue eyes looked like ice and his jaw was clenched tight. He stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over him. She got me good, he thought to himself. She�s probably laughing her ass of because she can add Kasey Kahne to her list of conquests. He showered and when he got out he was stunned that he�d been in there for over a half hour. He threw on a new pair of jeans and a blue button down and put some gel in his hair. �Dude, what were you slamming around here for earlier?� Kale said walking into his room. �Nothing,� Kasey said grabbing his wallet and keys and walking down the stairs. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. �Kasey,� Kale said watching him pop the top of and finish nearly the whole thing in one gulp. �You can�t bullshit me. Now what the fuck is wrong?� �I told you, Kale,� Kasey said finishing off his beer and grabbing two more. �Nothing.� The doorbell rang and Kasey walked out to answer it. Kale looked at his brother�s back and could see the tension there. Something was bothering Kasey, but Kale knew he wasn�t going to get it out of him anytime soon as he heard their friends coming in the house. ********************************************************** �Hey, Kale,� Jenna said as he opened the door for her. �Hey, Jenna, you look great!� She had on dark low-rise jeans with a black belt accentuating just how low her pants were slung and a black tube top that exposed a few inches of her tanned midriff. Her tall black stiletto boots still only brought her up to about 5 foot 5 and her long silver earrings caught the light when she moved her head. If anyone can get what�s bothering him out of Kasey, it�s Jenna, Kale thought. He closed the door behind her. �Kase is in a really pissy mood and has probably drank about six beers in the last half hour. Any idea what�s wrong with him?� �None,� she said heading towards he living room where everyone was gathered. �But I�ll see if he�ll tell me.� �JENNA!� the guys yelled when she walked into the room. That is, all of them but Kasey. He just glanced at her and turned his attention back to the TV. �Hey, Kase,� she said as she walked over to him and popped a beer that was sitting on the coffee table. �Hey,� he said, never taking his eyes off the TV. Okay, Jenna thought. Kale is right, he IS in a pissy mood. �Alright, ya�ll,� Kale said. �Let�s roll out!� ************************************************************ Kasey sat at the table and watched Jenna throw back a shot with two of his friends. I can�t fucking believe her, he thought draining his beer. He�d had more than he cared to count at this point. �Hey Kasey. Where�s Jenna?� Amy had just walked in and saw him siting by himself. �Fuck if I know,� he said and went up to the bar for another beer. Amy walked over to Jenna. �What�s up Kasey�s ass?� she asked her best friend. �AMY!� Jenna squealed and threw her arms around her in a hug. �Guys this is my best friend, Amy.� �Yeah, I met them before, Jen. You�re fucking wasted!� She knew something was bothering Jenna when she was this drunk. �Come on, you�re coming with me to the ladies room.� Amy dragged Jenna by her arm to the restroom. �Jenna, seriously, are you and Kasey fighting or something? You�re both completely hammered!� �Oh, Kasey�s being a fuck head!� Jenna told Amy, her voice slightly higher than usual. �I don�t know what the fuck his deal is. He won�t even fucking talk to me, that fuck!� �Okay, Jenna. He�s a fuckhead.� Amy could see that talking to Jenna was no use. She was stubborn and when she got in one of her moods, watch out! �I need another drink!� Jenna said and walked out of the bathroom. Amy followed. �Jamie!� Jenna yelled and ran up to a guy at the bar Amy wasn�t too sure, but she thought he was a driver. But she did recognize the guy who�d just hugged Jenna. It was Dale Earnhardt Junior. �Hey there, lady!� Junior said as he pulled away from Jenna. Amy noticed that he kept his arm around her waist. Amy knew that Jenna met him in New York and that she�d hung out with him a few times with Kasey. She also knew that Junior was a known womanizer and from the look on his face, he was definitely attracted to her best friend, regardless of whatever it was going on between her and Kasey Kahne. Jenna pulled on Amy�s arm. �Junior, Jamie, this is my best friend Amy Jakeman. Amy, meet Jamie McMurray and NASCAR Nextel Cup Champ, Dale Earnhardt Junior.� �Nice to meet you,� Amy said. �Let�s get you ladies some shots!� Junior said and signaled to the bartender. �I don�t think so, but thanks anyways,� Amy said. She saw Kale siting at the end of the bar and he flagged her down. �Jenna, I�m going to go talk to Kale.� �Okay,� Jenna said and wiggled her way in between Jamie and Junior at he bar. Boy is she in rare form, Amy thought as she sat down on the newly vacated barstool next to Kale. �So do you know what the fuck got into my best friend?� she asked him. �Or your brother, for that matter.� Kale shook his head. �Kasey was stomping around the house earlier and wouldn�t tell me what was wrong. And Jenna was fine when she showed up at our place, but Kasey barely said two words to her.� He watched as Jenna clinked together shot glasses with Junior and Jamie. Kasey isn�t going to like that too much! he thought. �You do know that she is totally in love with him, right?� Amy asked. �Yeah, and he is butt-crazy in love with her, too. But he�ll never admit it.� �Neither will she,� Amy said. �Jenna is so hung up on having fun and being independent. She grew up with her mother depending on her father for everything and swore she�d never be like that. And she saw me fuck up my life because of my ex-fianc�. She�s so stubborn.� �No wonder her and Kasey get along so well. He is, too.� Amy and Kale watched as Jamie and Junior followed Jenna to the table Kasey and his friends were siting at. Jenna sat down next to Kasey and Junior swooped into the seat next to her. �Kasey is fuming, I know it,� Kale said. �You heard about what Junior said about Jenna in New York, didn�t you.� �Nah, Jenna didn�t tell me much. She just said he asked her to breakfast and was checking her out during aerobics class.� Kale told her the story Kasey had told him. �Does he think he is god�s gift to women?� Amy, asked, disgusted. �Yeah,� Kale said. �And that is because nine out of ten women he meets throw themselves at him. And he doesn�t like that Kasey has such a big female following. And Kasey isn�t too keen on Junior either. He thinks he is way too cocky and is still pissed that Junior spun him out at Richmond before the Chase last year.� Amy laughed. �I have no idea what that last part means, but I do understand my best friend. And that rivalry is all the ammo she needs to reek havoc when she is pissed. We�d better get over to that table.� They left their seats at the bar and joined the group at the table. Jenna and the guys were in a lively conversation and Kasey was sitting there, not really paying attention and drinking his beer. �Oh my god! I love this song!� Jenna exclaimed mid-conversation. �Kasey,� she said pulling in his arm, �please come dance with me.� Kasey lifted his beer to his mouth and looked at her sideways. �I don�t wanna fucking dance, Jenna.� Everyone at the table looked at him. They all know he had a temper and had seen him pissed before, but were surprised that he took that tone with Jenna. Amy saw the look in her friend�s eye and knew what was coming. �Jenna,� she said trying to stop her but it was too late. �Junior, whatta ya say? Wanna come dance with me?� Jenna said standing up and turning to Junior. He chest was right at his face level and she flashed him a suggestive grin. �Right behind ya,� Junior said standing up and following her out to the dance floor. Everyone watched them walk away and then turned to Kasey. He stared straight ahead, away from the dance floor and drank his beer. Jamie broke the silence first. �Everyone ready for Daytona?� Kasey rolled his eyes at Jamie and pushed himself away from the table. �Anyone need another beer?� he asked. A couple of he guys said they did and he walked off. Amy and Kale exchanged a look. Kasey stalked p to the bartender and ordered the drinks. He let his eyes wonder to the dance floor. Jenna was facing Junior and was rolling her hips to the music, her arms moving down her body from her head to her ass. Junior was unable to take his eyes off her, just moving back and forth to the music. �Hey, you�re Kasey Kahne,� a blonde said coming up to him at the bar. He turned to her. �Yeah, I�m Kasey Kahne.� He grabbed one of the beers off the bar and took a drink. �Oh my god! I love you!� the blonde squealed. �I can�t believe I am talking to you.� He looked at Jenna and Junior on the dance floor. Jenna�s back was now turned to Junior and she was moving her hips side to side seductively and looking over her shoulder at him. God, she�s beautiful, Kasey thought. �� so are you here with someone?� he didn't catch what the blonde was saying, but he could guess. �Yeah, I�m here with my friends. I should take them back their beers.� He walked off towards their table. ��And I have to work early in the morning,� Amy was saying. �So I have to go. I just came to check on Jenna. I know she�s been having a bad week at work and I wanted to make sure she was okay.� �Hrmph,� Kasey grunted, drinking his beer. �She looks to be doing fine to me.� Junior had Jenna around the waist and she was laughing up at him. Amy stood up. �Kale, you have my cell if you need me. She can be a real handful when she is this drunk. Don�t hesitate to call. Bye everyone.� And she walked out of the club. Jenna and Junior walked back over to the table. Kasey's back was turned to them and he didn�t see he look on Junior's face as he stared at Jenna�s ass. But Kale did. �I think Amy had the right idea. We should all go, too.� He and Kasey and their friends stood up. �I�ll see everyone later,� Jamie said and walked over to Junior. �Let�s go man.� Junior looked down at Jenna. �You leaving with these guys? You can stay with me and McMurray, you know.� Kasey slammed his empty beer bottle down on the table and walked towards the door. Jenna looked at Kale but he just shrugged. �Thanks, Junior, but I am gonna go with them. My car is at Kasey�s. Bye,� she said as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek and turned to Jamie and did the same. She put her arm through Kale�s as they walked out of the club behind the rest of their group, except for Kasey who had already walked out. �I definitely didn�t want to stay with them, Kale. Just so you know.� �I know Jenna. And before we get outside, I don�t know what is going on with you and Kasey, and I don�t even know if you know, but I think you are both acting like assholes.� �Yeah, Kale,� Jenna said. �Me too.� ******************************* ********************************** Kasey didn�t say a word the whole way home. Jenna sat in the Durango and talked with his friends, but kept stealing glances at him. Kale stopped in front of their place. �I�m gonna drop these guys off at Brian�s, Kase, and they�re gonna pick up Mark�s car tomorrow morning.� �Whatever. See you guys later,� Kasey said and got out of the truck and slammed the door. Jenna�s temper boiled. �Let me the fuck out of this vehicle right now.� And she climbed over Mark and slammed the door behind her. �Shit man,� Brian said watching her stalk up the driveway. �I don�t know who I�d hate to be more right now: her or Kahne.� �Well, we don�t have time for you to decide, � Kale said, putting the Durango into drive. �I have a feeling I am going to have to do some serious crowd control tonight.� ********************************** **************************** Kasey saw Jenna storming up the driveway behind him and left the door open when he walked inside. She caught up to him and slammed the door behind her. �What the fuck is your deal, Kahne?� she yelled grabbing his arm. He looked her in the eyes and smiled. But it wasn�t the smile Jenna loved to see on his face. His eyes were and icy blue and she felt his anger towards her. �This,� he said and pulled her forcefully up against him thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She pushed him away. �What the fuck?� she said angrily staring at him. �What, Jenna?� Kasey said with the sneer still on his face. �Don�t feel like fucking my brains out tonight because I�m not Dale Earnhardt Junior? Come on, baby, I can pretend for you. That�s one thing we haven�t tried yet,� he said reaching out to her again. �Don�t you fucking touch me!� she said, not backing away from him. �Or would you rather me pretend to be Rick Scott?� he said standing centimeters away from her. �Rick Scott?� she questioned. �Yeah, Jenna, Rick Scott. You know him, don�t you? Or do you just forget their names as soon as you jump out of their beds? Maybe it wasn�t you or Daddy who bought the Lexus, after all.� �I don�t know what the fuck you are getting at Kasey, but you�d better just cut to the chase right now,� Jenna said, her temper rising. He reached out and stroked her arm, only it was more sadistic than seductive. �Come on, Jenna. Don�t play stupid. That�s not your game, now is it?� She stood planted to the ground, not backing away from him like she knew he expected her to. �So you got tired of Rick, and probably a few of his other teammates, and moved on to us NASCAR guys. Or were there baseball players in between? I guess you had your fun with me and now it�s Junior�s turn, huh?� �Fuck you, Kasey,� she said staring at him and shaking her head. �Oh, baby, you already did that within hours of meeting me, remember? Or does it all just blend together in that pretty little head of yours. But like I said, I can pretend to be Rick Scott or Junior for ya. Or maybe some basketball player, even.� �You know what Kasey?� she said breaking away from his grip. �Maybe if you�d taken the time to get to know about me instead of ripping my clothes off and fucking me every time you saw me then you would know that Rick Scott and I- No. You know what? Never mind. I guess it doesn�t matter.� She picked up her purse and walked towards the front door. �I�m nothing but a whore to you anyways. So fuck it.� She flung open the door. Turning to him she said, �It was fun while it lasted, but I�m just not having fun anymore. Ciao.� And she slammed the door behind her. ********************************************************* BACK HOME NEXT |