JOLIE
Was it possible for Ben to want her?
Jolie realized her fascination with him was completely immature. Because she wasn't interested in anyone enough to experience a crush before she met Ben, the intensity of what raced through her body and mind left her with no doubt that this was her first encounter with 'puppy dog love'. No one guessed her feelings, but Tish would surely see right through the emotions Jolie worked unsuccessfully to hide.
"Don't blow things out of proportion," Jolie chided herself often.
Her eyes hadn't deceived her. His response to her affected all of the senses she struggled to suppress. That was the reason she attempted to play off the fire coursing through her flesh when she was in his presence. After all, he was a grown man and she was still in high school.
Maybe something she said embarrassed him and that's why he blushed. Jolie told herself.
"I don't think that's so bad. I can inspire you too, but I insist you must inspire me as well." He chuckled and tapped the tip of her nose.
"How can I inspire you? You have your own law practice, a nice house, and a really cool Mercedes. Although I've always wanted a Porsche, all I have is my ten-speed. But your car is so cool." She rambled on wondering how she could possibly inspire a successful person like him.
"Since I met you, my house is now a home. When I first purchased this place, I had no idea what I would do to make it more livable and more like me. Your ideas have helped me transform it into a castle fit for a king." The smoldering deep tone moved stealthily from her ears to the core of her being. It stoked embers that made her sweat from the warm tingling sensation stirring a foreign pulse between her thighs.
When he smiled at her, Jolie feared she would melt. How and why she felt that way was unclear to her, but he always managed to make her desire nothing more than to be right next to him. As sweet thoughts raced through her mind, Jolie was overcome by the urge to dart out the front door before she did or said something stupid.
Craving him was wrong.
No one had to tell her that she shouldn't desire the closeness she imagined when his words stroked her secret places. Her emotions left her feeling a raw kind of wetness as their constant interactions exposed desires in a way she never knew existed before she met Ben.
Jolie was afraid Tish would ferret out the truth if she dared hang around her friend following the multiple occasions she spent with him. She wasn't ready to face the judgmental tongue lashing she was sure to receive from her friend because of the fully grown white man who had claimed so much of her time.
As her mind contemplated the newfound experiences she had enjoyed and the hormones continuously demanding control of her body, Jolie fought desperately to reign in the desires of her flesh before she allowed her mask to slip. Even with her constant silent reminders to be careful, there was no denying that Tish was Tish after all, and she missed nothing.
"You, horrible little wench. You're in love." The words flying out her friend's mouth were hurled at Jolie as if they were sure-fire accusations with the power to put the guilty to death.
Well, that wasn't actually true, but she didn't want anyone to know that she had fallen hard for a grown man. Jolie knew it would be one hundred percent unacceptable if people knew she was in love with a thirty-five-year-old white man.
No matter how she tried to plead her case, everyone would assume the worst. From the moment it became common knowledge, people would make accusations that she was a whore and worst of all a "white man's whore". Everyone would believe they were already having sex even though she was still a virgin. No one would ever believe that Ben had never once made a move to bump, graze, lean, or do anything inappropriate towards her.
He always maintained his distance and never once tried to get her to enter any inappropriate place in his home. Of course, she had been inside his house, but he always busied himself away from her in the beginning. Later, he just tried to stay on the opposite side of the room. So in truth, nothing unsavory ever happened between them.
Of course, there was that one time when he got too close while they were removing some carpet. His hand grazed her boob but it was an accident. Jolie in no way believed he was trying any funny business because Ben instantly turned lobster red and finally insisted he would take care of removing the carpet himself. As her mind reflected on her deceit, she forgot her interrogator was still present.
"Who is he?" The harsh tone pierced through her thoughts. She glared at her friend and made a useless effort to stand up to her accuser by staring her straight in the eyes as she prepared herself to lie like a rug.
"Just because you're boy crazy doesn't mean everyone else is boy crazy, too. I'm focused on making money and going to college." She told the truth but used that truth to cover a lie.
"You think you are so slick. I know you better than you know yourself and guess what? I already saw it in your eyes. Whoever you keep daydreaming about is pulling on that ice-cold heart of yours. But for some crazy reason, you think you can hide it from me. I'll go to the party with you. I think the answers to my questions will become all too clear at that party of yours." Her friend smiled and flicked the tip of her nose.
Why in the name of chocolate-covered cherries did she invite Tish? She just set loose a bloodhound in the same room with the prey. It never crossed her mind that Tish would catch her so quickly. That's the very reason she hadn't hung out with her friend in a while because she was afraid everything would bubble its way to the surface. Since she'd opened her big fat mouth to include her friend in the social event, Jolie feared all would be revealed anyway.
Jolie was by no means an actress but this situation required that she should deliver a Grammy-worthy performance or risk being completely exposed.
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TALK OF THE TOWN
The small party turned into a city-wide social event.
Once word got out that Stephen Benjamin Collier Esquire was hosting a soiree in honor of the much talked about young artists and the art department for the local high school, the heads of every local business decided to join in the efforts.
Business people expressed a desire to have their names associated with the boon surrounding the talented youngsters in their town.
Many of them made sizeable donations to fund the art department with a valiant effort culminating in a sizable scholarship drive for the local heroes.
The financial elite could never fully comprehend how their charity would impact the lives of disadvantaged students. In truth, they saw all of it as an opportunity to be associated with something that would bring positive attention to their businesses. Often leaders made contributions not because they wanted to help, but because they gained far more than they ever gave.
The students involved had no idea of those factors and probably wouldn't have cared one little bit, as long as they received the support they desperately needed to get out of their poe-dunk town and away from the limited options of small-town life.
Spring was one of the most inspiring times of the year. It was also the best time to hold an event that was sure to generate attention on a grand scale. The movers and shakers most certainly would use this as a chance to step out in their latest and greatest fashions. Many of the prominent women in the town were able to represent their wealth by attending social gatherings adorned in Versace, Gucci, and Prada.
This was a time for the elites to shine and what better occasion than at a spring party centered around the arts?
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JOLIE
Before her special day, Jolie asked Ben if each artist could bring some of their works to be auctioned with the idea of investing the proceeds in their college funds. Ben discussed the idea with several business owners who quickly jumped to it as they glowed over his brilliance.
Of course, everyone thought Ben was the person responsible for the inspirational attributes of the party, but that wasn't the case.
Jolie was the one who realized the arts were an important part of any school and putting together the right kind of fundraisers was the best way to keep the money flowing. Who would imagine a seventeen-year-old senior in high school had the business sense to incorporate an auction with a soiree? Her work wielded the power to move those who were well off and encourage them to donate to a worthy cause.
The more Jolie and Ben put their heads together, the more buzz was generated.
The party was an elaborate art show slash gathering. It started as a small get-together with a few friends. Because of the many opportunities for attendees to gain good publicity, it grew into something bigger and more important for the youth residing in Loveall.
As word got around town and to the surrounding areas, influential people began to discuss the possibility of making it an annual activity to support talented youth in their schools.
Those discussions even branched out to include the sponsoring of other local artists who might be included in future gatherings. Band and choir departments made it into those conversations as potential recipients of donations momentarily.
Yes, Ben was the one who conceptualized it, but the many creative layers were simply not his doing.
Imagine how surprised others would be if they learned it was the mind of a minor, Jolie, to be exact, who was responsible for encouraging nearly the entire business district to support a cause they had never considered before the young woman envisioned it.
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