Chapter Thirteen (You And Me)

Previously, on "Heat":
Ch. 12 (Superman)
-Luke was not able to resist Natalie's charms.
-Not only did he kiss her but he also spanked her
 while she repeated, "I screwed your best friend".
-Consumed in anger, he ended up hitting her during the act.
-He even asked if she did certain things with Brad.
-Reluctantly, she admitted that Brad gave her pleasure.
-After it was over, Luke pushed her to leave.
-Natalie assumed she would stay the night and get back 
together with him.
-To her surprise, he explained that it was just sex.



Location: Little Corsican Bistro
Date: Friday, 11/4/2011
Time: 8:10 p.m.

The cool autumn breeze brushes past Nate's arms, causing him to follow the sounds of the rustling trees scattered throughout the most popular restaurant in town.  He looks at his watch, growing even more anxious, trying to control the shaking of his leg under the table.  Every minute or so, his eyes dart towards the front entrance, only to find his heart sinking at faces he doesn't recognize.  More and more, he wonders if she's going to show up.  He thinks about Luke's advice when it comes to girls: wait a few days to call.  Did he listen? No. In fact, he just met her a few hours ago outside of Mike's Cornerstore.  Instead of securing her phone number, he seized the moment and asked if she had any plans tonight.  She said no.  He asked if she'd like to have dinner with him.  She actually said yes, to his surprise.  Now here he is, sitting alone, stomach in knots as he waits....and waits.

There's a faint rumble of vehicles passing by on the bridge hovering next to the bistro.  It's a pleasant distraction from the millions of thoughts going through his mind: the intense dispatch that he and his brothers just dealt with earlier this afternoon, his inner debate on keeping the glasses or wearing contacts as he stood in front of the bathroom sink, getting ready for this date.  He never really cared before.  If a girl really likes him, she'll like him no matter what (according to his mom).  But there's something about this particular girl that made him want to put his best foot forward, especially when she wouldn't escape his thoughts on the way home.  This time, it mattered. With Jessica, it was more: it is what it is.  Jessica. The thought of her brings on a slight pang of guilt.  

So we had sex.  It's not like we're exclusive, Nate reassures himself as he scans the entrance again.

"What day is it? 
And in what month?
This clock never
Seemed so alive
I can't keep up 
And I can't back down
I've been losing
So much time"



His heart skips a beat at the fleeting glimpse of mahogany hair obstructed by a few bodies entering and leaving.  Could that be her? As soon as the crowd disperses, there is no doubt in his mind as she briefly stands by the entrance, looking around.  The moment their eyes meet---despite what seems like miles in-between---she smiles and walks in his direction.  Clearing his throat, he stands up and mindlessly straightens out his shirt before greeting her.  She's actually here.  Nate still can't believe it.  He already mentally prepared himself for the possibility of being stood up, which he has experienced once.  

He can't look away.  As she approaches him, a light breeze gently ruffles her hair, exposing even more of her classic features, enhanced by the royal blue dress that hugs her curvy body perfectly.  Not too short, not too long...just right.  He loves the way the empire waist makes her breasts look even more supple, and he imagines what they would feel like in his hands.  As her hips sway, his eyes pick up on the shimmer of the crystal beads clinging to the bottom of her dress, practically whispering at him to glance at her legs.  He would love to trace them with his...

Nate suddenly catches himself.  He takes a deep breath and instructs his facial muscles to maintain a smile, hoping she won't pick up on his prolonged gaze...or suggestive thoughts.



Despite his attempt to move his legs, his feet insist on planting themselves on the ground, as if that's the only way to stabilize the erratic movement of his pulse.  Within seconds, she is a mere foot away from him, the corner of her eyes crinkling into a soft, but radiant smile.  This just absolutely makes him want to scoop her up in his arms and let the sweet, floral scent of her perfume linger on his nose.  But he's afraid of being too forward.  Now that she's here, he doesn't want to do anything to mess it up.  Her eyes deepen into a steel blue as she says, somewhat breathlessly, "Hi Nate."

"Hannah...you made it." Just the mere enunciation of her name makes him swallow, making his voice seem hushed.  It almost feels that way anyway.  Despite the ebb and flow of people, humm of voices, movement of limbs and clatter of forks on plates, they all fade into a blur in her presence.  

She subtly studies him, from his black relaxed fit jeans, dark striped shirt, freshly trimmed beard to his impossibly short crew cut, which bring out his strong jawline and pale blue eyes.  Meeting his devouring gaze, she briefly looks away before replying, "Sorry I'm late.  I couldn't figure out what to wear."

"Oh, really?" Nate is awestruck, feeling a cloud of thick air escape his lungs.  She wanted to look good for me? Me??

She laughs nervously, as if she wishes she hadn't said a thing. "Yeah..." 

"Well...you look beautiful." He smiles, using this as an opportunity to absorb the whole sight of her again, before focusing on her eyes.

"Thank you...you look great." The way she says it, with a slight nod, eyebrows arched, as if to verbalize what she's been thinking all along.

"Me? Um...yeah, thanks. Wait, I didn't mean it that way." His usually deep voice starts to falter, abandoning some of his confidence as he tries to regain his composure.  Now he's a bubbling idiot, like Jake, who is usually the shy one around women.  What makes it worse is that the harder Nate tries, the more nervous he becomes, at least around Hannah.  All he can do is helplessly watch his mouth continue to make a fool of itself, muttering, "Like I know or something. More like surprised...you know what I mean. Okay, I'm just gonna stop talking."

"It's okay, I know what you meant." She gently squeezes his forearm, trying to appease him, while her eyes maintain their gaze, not wavering one bit. "And you got contacts."

The heat of her hand on his forearm is disarming, catching him off guard.  Her ability to see past his apprehension, and reach out with a touch, allows him to relax a bit.  All he can say is, "Kind of..." 

"I can really see your eyes." 

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Definitely.  So..."

"So...are you hungry?"

"Starving..."

"All of the things
That I want to say 
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where
To go from here"



Relieved to finally be able to sit down and talk to her, Nate takes a deep breath as he examines the fresh lettuce, chopped onions and thick slices of tomato sitting atop a thick, perfectly seared patty.  As he covers his lap with clean linen, he briefly scans the bistro to see if he knows anyone. There are several couples having an intimate dinner, one family, some having what appears to be a business meeting, while the rest are a mixture of friends congregated at a large table.  As ecstatic as he is to be here with Hannah, a part of him knows why he's a bit uneasy.  Not only did he frequent this place with Jessica, it's also her favorite restaurant.  At the same time, Nate wanted to take Hannah to the best place in town, with it's romantic and intimate atmosphere, on top of a gorgeous view of the bridge.  He can only hope that his ex stays out of his radar tonight, hopefully long enough for him to determine how this date ends. 

When his attention returns to Hannah, who is sitting beside him, she's taking a bite of her hot dog.  Smiling, he asks, "How's your Chicago dog?" 

Carefully tucking the kosher pickle spear, tomato wedges, chopped onions and pickled pepper inside the bun, she takes another bite before declaring,"I love it, it's my favorite."

"Mine too." He can't wipe the smile off his face as he watches some of the toppings fall off anyway, nearly landing on her breasts, almost ruining her lovely dress.  The way she's hunching her upper body away from the hot dog, holding it from a safe distance as she takes a bite, reveals a lot.  Not only does she have a healthy appetite, but she's not afraid to get messy.  Nate is even more intrigued with this redhead, as he tries not to think about the sexy way she's holding the hot dog in her hand, wondering if she would allow him to lick the mustard stains off her dress, if any conveniently landed on the royal blue fabric.



Pausing for a moment to wipe her hands and face with linen, Hannah watches Nate meticulously spread the mayo over the toasted sesame bun, then squeezing ketchup on top of the patty before completing the assembly.  "I haven't tried the burger here," she says, watching his mouth clamp down on the bun, liquid dripping on the plate, as he takes a bite. "How is it?"

"Pretty good." He sets the saucer-sized burger back down on the plate as he carefully chews.  "Juicy, for sure."

She clears her throat.  Her eyes hide behind her thick, black lashes as she continues to watch him, biting on the tip of her index finger with her head slightly tilted.  A timid smile forms on her lips, radiating all over her face like private thoughts leaking against her will.  In the faintest whisper, almost like a muffled moan, she asks, "Like...medium rare juicy?"

Nate can feel heat smoldering at the back of his neck, slowly traveling to his face.  The way  she's sitting there, like an innocent schoolgirl he just wants to corrupt. The word "juicy" painstakingly oozing out of her mouth like melted caramel.  He starts to wonder exactly how "juicy" she is right now, under the table, under her dress. If she's even wearing panties.  He looks directly into her eyes and whispers, "The best type of juicy."   



Location: Bridgeport Acres Fall Festival
Time: 8:30 p.m.

Jake savors the crisp evening air as he takes a deep breath, knowing it was a quite a struggle for him earlier during the dispatch that sent two victims to the hospital.  It seemed like an endless torture to have to deal with the heat and merciless flames, as well as the smoke that penetrated all the rooms in the house like an invasive cancer.  He can still hear the cries of the man trapped, his heart feeling gutted, knowing he'd have to live with the guilt if he failed to help him.  Then to have to watch Luke carry an unconscious man out of the building, knowing time was running out, made him realize how dangerous the job is.  

After checking on Luke to make sure he was okay, he left the firestation to go home and take a shower.  To his surprise, Jamie called to see if he wanted to go to the fall festival.  He happily accepted her invitation, knowing he could use the company...and a much-needed distraction from such an intense day.  
     
"I am sooo kicking your butt, Blondie." She teases, giving him an evil look while guarding her blueberry pie like an unfed doberman.

"Yeah, yeah, Brunie," he retaliates, secretly fascinated by the change in her hair color.  The last time he saw her---which was the first time they met---she was blonde.  He called her Blondie too.  As much as they hit it off, he was bummed that she wasn't a brunette.  He has a weakness for them.  But now that she's here, with her cappuccino hair glittering under the incandescent street lamp like summer lightning bugs, he finds himself a bit...breathless.  Her earthy satin tube top shows off her mocha skin even more, creating a striking contrast against her blue-gray eyes.  Jake reminds himself that they're just friends.  After all, would such an exotic-looking creature really go for him? To snap himself out of his daydream, he adds, "You can't even finish a slice."

Her eyes narrow in contempt, as if she's hurling imaginary arrows towards him, hoping to hit one of his eyeballs. "What, 'cause I'm a girl?" 

"No, 'cause you're laaaaame." In case she didn't hear, he undulates his neck and adds a scowl with the word "lame".

"Shut up! You just wait." Her fingers wiggle in anticipation like a linebacker waiting for the snap, just itching to get her mouth on the pie.

"La la la. Can't hear you, too busy whoopin' your---"

DING! The time goes off.



Trying to cram as much of the blueberry filling in his mouth, Jake nearly chokes when some of it floods his throat before he can even swallow. This is a lot harder than it looks. He can already feel the gooey filling cling to his face, some of it creeping inside his nostrils.  Still he continues to nip at the crust, chewing quickly before taking a mouthful of the blue goo again.  As a cheap attempt to psyche Jamie out, he looks at her and says, "You're getting fuuuller...fuuuuuuller!"

"Shut up and eat your pie!" She snaps, flashing him an I'm-gonna-punch-you-look, before she buries her face in the round aluminum pan.

He bursts out laughing, watching a piece of crust fly out of his mouth.  The way she said that, so unexpectedly, with her face covered in blue goo, made him forget how to swallow. Now completely distracted from what he's doing, he searches her eyes and whispers, "Well damn...."

She lifts her head up, turns to her side and catches him staring at her with this look she can't describe. "Jake, you are such a perv.'

"Well, you're the one that told me to shut up and eat my pie. Who's the perv now?" He smiles as he watches her cheeks turn bright red in front of him.  This may be the first time he has seen her blush.  She's normally feisty with never-ending comebacks, but seeing her like this, all flustered, is absolutely endearing...and sexy.  There's something about this girl that's bringing him out of his shell.  He can be himself around her.  There's no pretense.

"You know what?" 

"What?"



Without a word, she dives back into the aluminum pan.  Any second now, she's going to come up with a snappy comeback.  She always does.  Jake has never met a more competitive woman than Jamie, and that's one of the things that drew him to her.  She challenges him, and she's not afraid to get down with the boys.  She's probably cooking up a smart-ass comment, Jake tells himself as he returns to his pie, which is half-eaten, with blueberry goo dripping on the edge of the container. But she doesn't respond. It's almost eerily quiet.

"Brunie?" He asks, lifting his head up.  

Still no response, just crickets calling out to each other under the clear night sky.  She won't even look in his direction, not even to come up for air.

Jake swallows, wondering if he went too far with his jokes.  Nate does this all the time, and not once does Jake remember his brother getting slapped.  At least not to his knowledge.  Is there some sort of method in making pervy comments work? Like some type of timing? Is there a handbook on how not to offend women? He can't shake this strange feeling when Jamie remains silent, ignoring him, and he wishes he never "went there." Softly, he asks, "Are you mad?" 

"No, but I just whooped yo' butt!" She bellows, twisting her head from side to side, with her hands on her hips. "In yo' face, Blondie!"

"Whaaat?? Oh, hell naww!" Jake throws his hands up, feeling completely duped.  

"Yeah, that's right! Who's lame now?" Even when she's gloating, she's still endearing.  

"Whatever, I want a rematch!" He looks at his half-eaten container, compared to hers, which looks like it's been licked dry.  Not one trace of blueberry anywhere.  

"Pfffftt! Lame!" Now she's pointing at him, causing people passing by to look in their direction.  If there's one thing Jake learned about this brunette, she can dish the trash talk. And back it up. "This dude is laaaaame!"

"I am sooo getting you back."

"Hey Blondie."

"What?"

"Laaame!"

"There's something
About you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does
Is beautiful
Everything she does
Is right"



After wiping the blueberry goo off their face, they decide to find a quiet spot to relax.  The pumpkin patch is perfect, where they can sit against the pile of hay, like their own little bunker.  It gives a great view of the festival booths, allowing them to people-watch, but they still have their own privacy from the crowds, which they've had to deal with most of the night.  Now that it's almost 9 p.m., the place is starting to empty out.  As they watch the booth attendants close up their area, Jamie murmurs, "Ugh, my stomach's starting to hurt."

"Hah. That's what you get." Jake leans back against the hay as he rests his hands on his knees. This is the third time he found himself sitting next to Jamie (the other two times at the hot tub in InSomniac where they first met and when she was beating him in Knockout at his apartment).  Now that he thinks about it, this is the second time he lost to her! 

"I think I ate that pie too fast." She clutches at her belly, groaning.

"You should have taken your time. You know, licked it around the edges first." He doesn't even know how that came out of his mouth.  Too late now.  All he can do is brace himself for her reaction, and he's savoring every second of it.

"You know what?" In an exasperated breath, she turns to him, shaking her head.

"What?" 

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that."

"Hear what? The licked around the edges part?"

"No, the part where I called you laaaaame."

"Haha. Whatever. You talk a lot of crap for a girl."

"Hey, you started it." She pauses, studying him for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "By the way, you still have pie on your face."

"I thought I got all of it." Just as he lifts up his arm to wipe his face, she stops him.

"No, don't do that. You'll stain your shirt." She opens up her purse to grab a napkin, whispering, "Here, hold still." Gently, she wipes his chin and the area around his mouth.  When the tip of her index finger grazes his lower lip, his heart stops, causing him to suck in his breath.  She must have felt it too because at that moment, her eyes automatically flew to his, holding them captive, along with this buzz of electricity weaving through the spaces between their bodies.

"Thanks..." He manages to say, trying but unsuccessfully to look away.

All of the remnants from the teasing earlier have abandoned her face as she replies, "You're welcome..." 



 All of the booths are closed now.  Most of the lights are turned off.  The handful of people milling around are headed to their cars to go home.  Jake knows they should probably get going before they get kicked out, but he can't peel himself off the ground...or Jamie's side.  This is the first time they've ever been alone, even if it's at a public place.  The thought of having her to himself, with no one else around, brings butterflies to his stomach.  In the stillness and silence of the night, along with golden maple leaves shaken loose by a gust of wind, landing on the soft grass, they both seem to be lost in their thoughts, as if they are both afraid to call it a night.  Jamie wraps her arms around her knees, pulling them even closer to her breasts.

"Are you cold?" Jake asks. If he felt the chill in that gust, she must have felt it for sure, and she's wearing a tube top.

"I should have brought my jacket." She continues to look straight ahead, hugging herself, as if she's afraid to meet his gaze. "I didn't expect it to get this chilly tonight."

"Why don't you scoot closer to me? I'll keep you warm." Jake holds his arms out, even surprised at himself for such a bold suggestion.  

"You're up to something." Resting her chin on her knees, she looks at him suspiciously.

"No, seriously. I'm not up to anything."

"I swear, if you grope me or do anything funny, you're dead."

"Pffftt. Don't flatter yourself." Hehe. Good one, Jake. 

 With a faint sigh, she eases into his arms until her back makes contact with his upper body. Instinctively, he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close, as she relaxes and leans back against him, the back of her head resting on his shoulder.

Silence.

"Brunie?" Jake asks quietly, aware of her soft face against his, lost in her scent.

"Hmm?" She mumbles, sinking into his warm body even more.

"I had a really good time tonight."

"Me too, Blondie."

"And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes
Off of you"

*Copyright 2013 Lyn C.S.*
---------------------------------

"You And Me" by Lifehouse
Video by:  LifehouseVEVO