He looks at my plate and then says, “Are you going to have your peas?”
“Ahh …” I look down at my plate and then shake my head, “No, I don’t like them.”
“I don’t like the lemonade that much. I’ll swap you.”
My mouth drops open. “But you’ve been drinking it for weeks!”
“You gave it to me.”
I quickly take his glass of lemonade and place my plate in front of him, then I get up and pour him a glass of orange juice. “Wait, do you like OJ?”
“Yes,” he nods excitedly. “Very much.”
I place the glass in front of him and then drink the lemonade. When we’re done with dinner and we get up, I nervously ask, “So you’ll be sleeping in my room tonight?”
He nods again before he leaves the kitchen.
I need some alone time to get over the nervous feeling fluttering inside my chest. I have no reason to be nervous around Jack. I run to get my shirt and shorts I sleep in and quickly duck into the bathroom. I take my time in the bath, shaving and washing my hair.
I get out of the bath and towel myself dry and then smear some body lotion on. Midway with my left leg I freeze. Why did I shave? I only shave once a week, because I never cared what I look like before.
I look in the mirror and for the first time ever I wonder how others see me. Am I pretty to them?
~*~
When I come out of the bathroom, Jack’s sitting on the side of the bed. He quickly stands and runs his hands over the front of his thighs. It’s a nervous habit he has.
The first night I slept with him, I found out that he sleeps in the nude. I made him wear boxers the following night.
I walk closer and look over his legs. There are still lots of scabs, but their shrinking every day.
“You’ll be as good as new in no time,” I say and then I throw the covers back. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, Jack. If you want to sleep here then get in, if you would rather sleep in your room then go sleep there. You always have a choice.”
He looks around the room and then says, “Your room is very purple.”
I start to laugh at his statement. “I like purple. Not dark or overly bright, but a soft purple. It’s actually more a violet than a purple color.”
He gets under the covers and moves closer to me. I reach over and put the lamp off just in time, when Jack takes hold of my hips and pulls me right against his body.
“The bed is big. We don’t have to lie so close to each other.” I don’t want him to feel pressured in any way.
He places his chin on top of my hair, and his arms wrap tightly around me. “I like sleeping like this.”
~*~
Chapter Thirteen
Jack~
Over the weeks I’ve fallen into a routine of some sorts. Every day I have brunch with Miss Ella and Sophia. In the late afternoon I have my writing and reading lessons and then dinner with River. I don’t talk to the others much. I get to see Sophia at brunch, so we catch up then.
Sometimes I’ll run into Adam and he’ll ask me how I’m doing, but other than that we don’t talk. I’m glad everyone is leaving me alone.
Today I’m going to make a garden around the side of the stables. I’m busy shoveling my second wheelbarrow of manure, when I hear them again. I can’t help but sneak closer. The other day I discovered a hole I can look through. That way they won’t see me.
They like the spot on the hay. Christopher is busy kissing Maddie. They were the first people I saw kissing. I’ve seen a lot in my life, but never people kissing. I can stare at them for hours when they kiss.
“Jack?” I whip around with fright. Tristan is looking at me with a smile on his face. He knows that I was watching them. I drop my eyes as embarrassment washes over me. I feel like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Tristan points behind him. “The girls need some help carrying some fruits back to the house. Would you mind helping them? I would, but I need to check on Diane. She’s come down with the flu.”
“Sure. I leave the wheelbarrow filled with half a load of manure and go to the piece of farmland they use to grow the fruits.
The women are all standing around a basket filled with all kinds of fruits. Beverly walks towards me, with greedy eyes. I’ve seen that look so many times when I had to satisfy a mistress or master.
“Jack, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” she purrs and it makes the hair on the back of my neck rise. She hooks her arm through mine and before we can reach the others she whispers, “You must be tired of old River. You’re welcome to come keep my bed warm any day.”
I stop and stare down at her. “It’s summer. Why would you need a warm bed?”
She slaps my shoulder and giggles, “No, Silly! I don’t mean that.” She presses her ample breasts up against my chest. “I was thinking we could have some fun.”
Her hand slithers down my abs and then she grabs my cock.
“I’d love to take you in my mouth and make you come, and then you can return the favor.”
I shake my head. I don’t know how to process any of this. Normally I’d strip and let her have her way but everything inside of me is rebelling at the thought. I slap her hand away from me and stumble backwards, and then I turn around and run.
I run as fast as I can and when I pass the kitchen I hear Miss Ella call after me, but I keep going.
I keep going until I hit the stretch of sand. When I stop I find myself standing knee deep in water.
~*~
I don’t know what time it is. I eventually got out of the water and walked over to the chapel. I’ve been sitting here just watching the day go by.
I’m staring up at the sky and watching the stars come out. I hear movement behind me and I swear if it’s one of those women I will kill someone today!
“Jack,” I hear River whisper. My shoulders slump and I let my head hang. Tears flood my eyes and spill down my cheeks.
“Oh, Jack,” she whispers as she sits down next to me, “I’m so sorry that happened to you. Jamie told me. I had Kyle escort Beverly off the property. She won’t be around to do that again.”
The tears fall faster and I grab River. I hold her tightly and let the tears flow. So many things have been done to me but for some reason today’s incident hit the hardest. I realize it’s because I was starting to feel safe here. River makes me feel safe and even Adam in his own quiet manner.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She pulls away and that’s when I see the tear tracks on her cheeks.
“I think it hit so hard because you made me feel so safe and then right in front of the other women she grabbed me. I really didn’t expect it. Why do people do that?”
She shrugs and then says, “You’re a very handsome man, Jack. Some people are forward and they think they can just take whatever they want, that they don’t have to work for it. Beverly is one of those people. She’s tried with almost every man here and if Theo and Kevin weren’t gay, she’d try with them too.”
“They’re gay?”
She nods and then explains, “Yeah, they’re a couple. The people around here think I don’t see them sneaking around, but I do. Nothing happens on this plantation without me knowing.”
I clear my throat and then ask, “So you know about Christopher and Maddie?”
“Yeah, I know. Christopher is good for Maddie. He makes her feel safe.”
“So they’re a couple because he makes her feel safe?” I’m trying to figure out what makes them different from all the other people I’ve seen.
“Yes. He’s very protective of her.”
“Okay,” I say, thinking the information over. I turn to River and ask, “You’re protective of me and I feel safe with you, does that make us a couple?”
She starts to laugh. It’s not her normal spontaneous laughter, but more like a nervous chuckle. “No, Jack. We’re not a couple, we’re friends. Friends also look out for each other.”
I sigh, not understanding any of this. “I’ve been watching them,” I admit.