Sleeping With The Enemy

Chapter 7

"What do you wanna eat?"
You.
Jessica thought as she stared back at Jay.
I could eat you.
"Uhm... Look you don't have to do this, you know! I have already been a bother." They were walking towards the food court of the complex.
"Yeah you have been a bother!"- he admitted.
He heard her gasp. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. He was about to apologize but when he turned to her she was gone! Panic started to creep in. He turned and he saw her. She was marching toward the door. He caught up to her.
"Are you insane?"- he caught her by her upper arm.
"You are hurting me!"- she glared at him. He couldn't help but notice her blazing blue eyes. They were hypnotizing. He stare at them for ages.
"If you go out there they will come back for you or you will just attract other dangerous people. Plus..." He took a moment to let his eyes roam her body his gaze lingering on her waist and hips. His gaze did things to her insides. "You are hard to miss!"
She didn't want to let him see that his words got to him. "Let go of me, you idiot!"
His eyes darkened, for a moment she thought he was gonna hit her. And when he let her go she flinched.
"I won't hurt you but since I was the last person seen with you, I might get accused of kidnapping you."
"No one saw us that would be willing to testify."
He let out a laugh. "Look around you. People are staring at us and not just people but our school mates."
She looked around and realized that people were staring at them. She saw familiar faces that were looking right at her with questioning eyes.
"I didn't know this was a hang out place for our peers."- she resorted trying not to pay attention to the glares and stares.
"Well, you are white so you wouldn't know. Let's go I like Mcdees and that's what we are gonna eat."
He started walking back toward the food court. But she stood still.
"What is it now?"- he was annoyed now, she could see that.
"Why do think they are staring?" She couldn't help but ask. Her insecurities were getting the better of her. She didn't look at him although she could feel his eyes on her.
"Well, the people we don't know are staring cause you are white and I am black, it's not something we see everyday in the Vaal Triangle. And then the people we know are wondering why I am with you when your brother told me to stay away."- he shrugged.
"That's all?"- she asked. She didn't know what she wanted to know what she wanted the answer to be.
"Oh and then the guys are just envious."
She looked up at him and realized he was close now, too close. That happened a lot with them and she didn't complain...
"Why?"- it was barely a whisper. The smell of him blocked her senses.
"I'm with the prettiest girl in the complex"
It hit her like a cricket bat. Suddenly she was hot and the January whether just added insult to injury. She could feel her blood rushing to her cheeks. She shivered and let the waves travel through her body. Gosh, what was he doing to her! She couldn't take her eyes off him.
"You think I'm pretty?" She bit on her lower lip, her nerves getting the better of her.
He did it again, stared at her like they weren't in public. That gaze would be the death of her.
He let out a groan and took her by the hand. "Let's go eat before I do something I will regret."
She smiled a bit. So she wasn't the only one losing control.

They were seated and eating in silence. The last thing he'd said to her was, "what are you having?". She'd answered him.
"So which subjects are you doing?"
"All the Sciences. I want to be a doctor. What about you?"
"Commerce Subjects, I wanna be a CA!"
"Oh"- it was a whisper. He couldn't help but smile in anticipation of her response.
"Oh?"
She stopped eating and looked at him. She looked conflicted and then that defiant look came about again.
"I have never been a a fan of the dog eat dog world. I heard how ruthless accountants can be."- she sipped her fanta.
"We've met a lot of accountants?"
"Not really!"
There was a moment of silence.
"Is that what you really wanna be, an accountant?"- she had to ask.
"Yeah, I am first in my grade in accounting so why not?"
"I don't think that's a good reason to follow a career! I mean, you seem to love soccer more than accounting."- she told him.
"So you have seen me writing an accounting test??"- he raised an eyebrow. His eyes glittered with amusement. It made smile.
"No, but your voice seems to fade when you speak about being an accountant and when you play, well your passion for soccer blazes the field."
He laughed then, whole-heartedly. The frequency of the sound radiated toward her and she loved it. Loved the way his smile reached his eyes. Loved his smile. Loved him...
"Your passion for soccer blazes the field?"- he quoted her. "That was creative of you."
"I write poetry during my spare time."- she told him and ate her fries.
That made him laugh even more. She just stared at him.
"You are serious?"
"Yep!"
"Well that's a first"
She was about ask him to explain but a guy who was passing by greeted him.
"Jabulani, batho bantse bao natal!"-
The switch to their indigenous language meant she couldn't listen on and Jessica had the feeling that the guy was doing it on purpose. He didn't like her or maybe he didn't like that she was with Jay. Because she couldn't understand a word they were saying she just blocked their voices out. She scanned her surroundings. They had decided to sit the food court instead of McDonald's. Actually she decided that they should sit here. He wanted a place that was discreet where people wouldn't stare. But she wouldn't have it. She wanted people to talk, "Let them talk!"- she'd told them. She'd walked off with her tray in her hands and she could feel his eyes on her legs. She'd seen the emotion in his eyes before she walked off she couldn't put a name to it but she liked it.
She looked at him now, he was laughing at something she guessed he'd told him. Gosh he was beautiful! His profile was amazing and it took her breath away. More than anything he liked his eyes, but only when it reached his eyes.
"Jessica!"- someone was calling her. She snapped out of her trance and realized he'd finished talking. Her cheeks turned pink from embarrassment.
"Are you okay?- he asked.
She cleared her throat, "pssshh, I'm fine! Why would you ask that?"
"You were staring at me again."- he stated with an ease to his voice that bothered her. His lips curled up. He knew!
She bowed her head in shame. She couldn't do anything else.
"You don't have to be ashamed of it. Most girls can't resist my charm although I normally don't get this reaction from white girls"
"Wow, you are ridiculously arrogant."-she was genuinely shocked.
He gave her a lazy smile and said, "I'm a Zulu man... I can't help it."
"More like boy!"
He laughed then. She'd never get used to this, his company.
"Oh, I'm not a boy" he smirked and his eyes were wickedly sinfully. "I can prove it."
Did he mean...? Oh he was naughty!
"So your name isn't Jay?"- she asked trying to avoid where this conversation was going.
"No! What black South African parent would name their black child, Jay?"
She laughed then, "you are right, that doesn't make sense!"
He smiled back at her. "Jabulani, what does it mean?"
"Be happy!"- he took a sip of his drink.
"Be happy" she repeated "so why didn't they call you happy?"
"Excuse me?"- he asked. He'd heard her, she knew that for sure. But for some reason he pretended otherwise.
Happy, the mention of her name must have unsettled him.
"She told me her name meant I am happy in English so everyone started calling her happy."- she informed him.
" White people pronounced her name horrifically, that's why she uses the name happy!"
The statement made the atmosphere awkward. A reminder of the racial lines can be crossed. This made her mission to get him to want her that much harder.
"Just like that poem!"- she whispered to herself.
"Just like that poem!"- he agreed "only the white man isn't the one who gave the black girl the name of convenience"
His tone was light and his face emotionless. He didn't seem bothered but she knew better. My name, the name of the poem. It was about a woman with a name that meant a lot to her but was too hard to pronounce for a white official so to make things easier for himself he gives her a name he can pronounce, Maria.
" Perhaps, we should go." She didn't wait for him to respond she stood up from her chair and walked toward the door.
He'd offended her. The guilt started to creep in and he hated himself for it. He hated himself for caring so much that he'd feel guilty. He didn't like the girl, no really he didn't like her. Well at least not in a manner that would see their brief meetings turning into something more... Jay looked over to her. She occupied the seat next to his in the car. She sat straight, her hands on her thighs and her head held up high. But there was a certain glint in her eyes that showed she was hurt. And before he could stop himself he said it, "I'm sorry!"
She turned her head to look at him, the movement so quick he expected a wave of anger to wash of her face. But to his surprise she was calm and her expression was that of surprise. "It's okay. I didn't mean to get offended so quickly and if anything I should be thankful for everything you have done for me today." And yesterday, the voice in her head added. It was hard not to remember what it had felt like to be in his arms and his lips... The memory made her shiver.
"I acted like an ass back there. I don't know what came over me and you don't need to apologize for everything just 'cause I helped you. What I did for you in town was what any decent person would do."- he told her. He wasn't used to her politeness. Well most women he meet were black and they weren't rude they were just... Assertive. Too assertive actually! If this had happened with Happy or any other the would have been fire.
She smiled and his heart softened, " I will stop apologizing then."
"Where do you live?"- he asked her, he had a feeling he was close.
"I forgot!"
He frowned, "you forgot where you live?"
"No, I meant I forgot what had happened today. Maria must be worried sick. Being with you made me forget everything..."
Oh... She didn't think that part through. And by the smug look on his face he wasn't gonna let it go.
"So, I make you forget everything huh?" He winked at her
Yes, you do. You make me wanna lose everything! "No! I just meant that...that..."
"Mhmmmm??"
"Look maybe you should drop me off here. It's the corner of my street. If Dylan sees me with you he will freak."
"Yeah, we avoid that altercation!"- he agreed and they both exited his car.
He walked around to her. She couldn't help but admire his physic. His slow, purposeful strides. His Ora of confidence amazed her and demanded attention from every human being.
"So here we are..."- he gave a lazy smile.
"Yep, here we are..."- she wanted to slap herself for that response.
Silence.
"Well, thank you for everything and I'm sorry..." The words faded as he raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh... Damn it! I said I would stop apologizing didn't I?"
He laughed. "Yeah you did! Today wasn't so bad, it was great. I might get grounded since I took longer to run my errands but... It was worth it!"
She couldn't help but smile. They'd had the most awkward encounter ever and nothing special happened but somehow it was... Great!
"Well okay then, see you in Monday." She started to walk away.
"Yeah, see you!"
She was walking way from him and he getting in his car. But something was eating her up inside... A question, she had to have answered.
"Wait!"
He'd opened his door he was about to get in and stopped.
"What?"
She walked up to him so close to him. "Why did you kiss me?"
"Er... What?"
"You heard me, why did you kiss last night on the field?" At that moment she had the kind of courage that not many people had and the ones that did she envied them for it.
"I don't know. I...I..."- he was confused as confused about all this as she was. Well to be honest she wasn't confused about anything! She knew what, no who she wanted...
"Well?"
He looked her in the eye and the confusion disappeared. "I wanted to and at that point I could only see you and I wanted only you. Which is weird 'cause I hadn't even noticed you before but somehow I knew it was you on that field. So I kissed you, you with your pinks lips, generous lips, blonde hair and you are not black at all!"
She hadn't expected that. "I... Er..." - now it was her time to stammer.
"I still want to kiss you..."- he said huskily. She looked up at him and their faces were now inches apart. And he closed the small distance.
When their lips touched sparks flew. It wasn't slow, it wasn't romantic, it was pure animal instinct. They were devouring each other. His hands drifted to her her waist cupping her bottom. She whimpered against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her feet left the ground, literally.
He loved the taste of her, like vanilla. He couldn't get enough of it and he his grip on her tightened. Pulling her body into his. How was going to stop when their lips moved perfectly together. When he wanted her like he was a man who hadn't had water in days and she was a glass of it. He wanted her with everything he had and no he couldn't deny it. And he wouldn't!
"What the hell?????"
He'd recognize that voice anywhere. It haunted his nightmares.
They stopped and he heard Jessica wince at the her brother's voice. And she used his body as a shield and he suddenly had an urge to protect her from anything... Or anyone!