Journey (15 page)

              “That’s not fair,” I whine.  

              Jenny puts her hands, filled with leaves, just above my head and opens them.  Orange, red, yellow, and brown particles sprinkle down onto me.  Soon after, all three of us are throwing leaves around in the air, creating a mosaic of bright, fall colors that twist and float in the air on their way to the ground.  After a while, we are no longer trying to shower one another with foliage, but instead creating our own show.  The way the wind whips and swirls, taking the delicate leaves with it, is dreamlike, creating the perfect backdrop for wonderful memories.  

When we finish our game, the area looks just as messy as it did when we began the task.  “It looks like we’re going to have to start all over again,” I lament, picking up a rake and gearing up to repeat the task.

Jack takes the rake from me, placing it on the ground.  “Nah, that’s why I hired someone to do it.”

“You hired someone to do this?  Then, why did we just spend the entire day working on it?”

“Because Jenny wanted to.  Plus, it was fun.  Was it not?  Come on, Jenny.  Let’s go inside and start a fire.”

Jenny rolls her eyes while smiling as Jack takes my hand, leading me inside.

“You owe me, big time.”

“I think something can be arranged.”  Jack squeezes my hand.

I build a fire while Jack makes some hot tea.  Jenny pulls out a guitar and begins playing.  

“Is there anything you don’t do, and really well at that?”

Jenny smiles coyly and shakes her head, but continues to play.  As she plays, she begins playing and singing the song I now recognize to be “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and The Heart.  I love this song probably as much as she does now, and hearing her sing it makes it even more special.  Jack’s hand gently slides into the small of my back and he whips me around until I am facing him and we are in an appropriate arm hold for dancing.  Jenny smiles and sings louder, serenading us.  We dance to our personal acoustic concert by Jenny until she stops singing, looking out of the large picture windows and doors on the back of the house toward the ocean.  Jack and I sit next to her.  Jenny places her head on my shoulder, and I place mine on Jack’s.  We all stare at the moon’s reflection on the water as if it foreshadows something, but none of us would have admitted it aloud.

March

Jack

Fall quickly turned into winter, which turned into spring.  The exterior of the house is shaping up, slowly, but surely.  Much of the overgrown brush and bushes have been trimmed, and the landscaper is working on reshaping the hedge maze and replanting the garden.  Journey told me she would be here when I got home so we can start planting the herb garden she wants.  Her car is here, but when I call for her in the house, she doesn’t answer.  I hear a faint splashing sound coming from the back of the house.  When I step outside, I see Journey swimming in the newly resurfaced and cleaned pool, which is also heated, making it perfect for a dip on a cool, spring day.  Naked.  

              As she swims on the surface of the water, her smooth, pert ass peeks out.  The sun’s reflection on the water’s ripples cast an interesting pattern across the rest of her body, making her look ethereal.  She comes up for air, her deep crimson hair falls on her shoulders and just above her pink nipples.  She stands in the shallow end of the pool, closest to me, so that her entire torso is exposed.  Journey wipes the water from her eyes and spots me staring at her.  A coy smile lifts into her lips, and my body responds with heat.  

              “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to join me?”

              It doesn’t take a more formal invitation or any convincing for me to respond by taking off my shoes as I charge toward the pool, throwing pieces of clothing behind me as I travel.  Naked and not caring one iota, I jump into the pool right next to Journey, creating a big splash.  I swim under the water to her legs, and pinch her cheek just before I resurface.  

              Pulling Journey’s naked body against me in the water, I instantly become hard.  Journey responds by pressing her hips into mine and placing my arousal between her legs, just on the exterior of her opening.  The gold flecks in her green irises sparkle as the corners of her eyes wrinkle slightly with her smile.  I keep my hands on her curved hips and bring my face down to hers, nibbling the side her of neck and jaw.  Journey’s head drops back and she elicits a low moan in her throat.  I trace her bottom lip agonizingly slowly with my thumb so that she is rolling her hips below the water just from the touch of my one finger.  

              I move my thumb down her chin and across the front of her neck, pressing a little more firmly as it travels down her esophagus, feeling the ridges and causing her to breathe more erratically.  Continuing on the path, my thumb connects with her sternum and slides toward her left nipple.  Journey closes her eyes and moans deeply.  Keeping my eyes on her face, my thumb presses on her hardened nipple and I circle it with my finger.  She begins moving her hips more vigorously, her body begging me to give her more.  Instead, I continue teasing.  I move my thumb away from her nipple, and place my teeth on the side of that breast, clamping down gently.  She cries out, “Oh!” which garners a growl in my throat.

              My finger moves to her other nipple and gives it the attention it craves.  Journey attempts to kiss me, but I stop her, telling her to remain still.  She continues to squirm with my heat pressing into her.  My tongue creates small circles on her erect nipple, then my teeth graze across both the top and the bottom at the same time.  

              “I want to fuck you,” Journey breathes.  “Please let me fuck you.”

              Moving my mouth slowly to her ear, connecting it with every inch of skin between, I purr into her ear, “So eager…  You have the right idea by asking me to fuck you, but you’re going to have to wait a little longer.  I’m not finished playing with you yet.”

              Journey lets out a frustrated and pleasured moan.

              I bring my mouth to her other breast and hover above it so that she can feel my breath and the charge between our bodies, but not quite touching.  Journey’s body grows heavy in my arms as she is overcome with desire.  I flick that nipple with my tongue and suck on it as I rub my teeth across it.  

              To Journey’s surprise, I pick her up in the water and push her to the side of the pool, lifting her out of the water and sitting her on the edge.  Journey places her hands on the stone behind her to support her body and opens her legs, exposing her slick opening.  She watches me as I spread her lips with my thumb and gently slide it in.  Journey’s muscles contract around my thumb, but she moans in frustration as I hold my thumb still inside of her.  She rolls her hips around, attempting to milk as much contact and penetration as possible, but coming up unsatisfied.  My wet thumb presses into her clit and rubs it ever so slightly.  Journey’s hips lift into the air, signaling that she wants more.  

              “Do you want me to press harder?” I ask.

              “Yes.  Oh my God, yes.”

              I comply with her wishes, causing her to thrust her hips harder into the air.  My thumb continues its contact as I slide two fingers from my other hand into her.  The walls squeeze tight around my fingers, and she cries out, but I don’t move them.  Journey lets out a frustrated whimper.  I enjoy every moment of this tease.

              “Fuck my fingers, Journey.”

              Journey doesn’t respond audibly, but immediately begins rolling her hips over my fingers until she finds a rhythm that is pleasing to her.  She throws her head back, yet again, and her mouth opens.  She moves her hips so that my fingers penetrate her as fully as possible and pulls off of them.  Journey moves harder until she moans loudly as she reaches the peak of orgasm.  After she is fully over the edge, she sits up and pulls my head to her stomach, embracing me.

              She is still breathing rapidly when I lift her and place her over my shoulder.  She squeals and laughs, as do I.  I place her on her back on one of the large chaise lounges and hover my body over hers.  Her mouth remains open, prompting me to cover it with mine and wrap my tongue around hers.  I place my erection just outside of her opening and move it in slightly so that I can feel her lips spread around it.  Journey places her hands on my ass, and pushes me deep into her.  I moan into her mouth and disconnect my lips from hers.  It’s been so long since I’ve been inside Journey and felt her around my cock.  It is positively exquisite.  I am reminded how there is nothing about her body that wasn’t made for me.  

              I look into Journey’s unadulterated gaze.

              “I missed you so much,” she whispers.

              “I missed you too.”

              I thrust into her harder and deeper, and she begins to moan loudly, just as I always remembered her to be.  In the privacy of my back yard, I pump into her as hard as I can.  Journey’s moans turn into screams as she makes the ascent to ecstasy.  She screams out my name, which drives me over the edge with her.  We come down from our high together, and I roll next to her, both of us lying on our backs looking to the blue sky above us.

              “Jesus, Jack, I’ve missed outdoor sex.”

              “Me too.  But boy am I happy to have it back.”

              “You’re too cute.”

“I know.”

Journey

We have arrived in Orlando, Florida for the UCA National Championships.  As promised, Jack, Jenny, and I flew first-class here.  Jack and I are staying in a suite at the Grand Floridian, while Jenny is sharing a room with some of her teammates in the same resort.  Jack has been super patient and understanding regarding the amount of time I’ve spent at work, in practice, and tutoring Jenny.  The tutoring paid off handsomely for Jenny as she aced every one of her mid-terms.  She’s applied to several universities, setting her sights on veterinary medicine.  She's also set to be her class' Salutatorian.

              We put our luggage in our suite, then head down to one of the hotel restaurants to have a cocktail.  The next few days are going to fly by, and I won’t have much time to breathe since the qualifying round is tomorrow.  Tonight, I planned to spend an intimate moment with Jack, then let the hectic days of competition commence.

              “So, tomorrow determines whether or not they will advance to the next round?  Is that the final round?”  Jack sips his white wine.

              “Yes.  The first round was the regional qualifier in Boston, allowing them to come here.  If they don’t advance tomorrow, they’re done in the competition.”  Sitting at the bar next to him, I begin nervously shaking my leg.

              Jack places his large, but soft, hand against the skin on my thigh, helping to soothe my nerves.  His brown eyes smile back at me.  “I know you’re a giant ball of nerves right now, but everything will be fine.  I think they’re just happy for the experience and that they even made it this far.  They’re very talented, and you’ve helped bring it out of them.”

              “They are.  I just increased their confidence and pushed them a little harder so they could add more difficulty into their skills and routine.  But, if you think what they do is amazing, wait until you see the huge co-ed squads and the All-Star squads.  They do elite level stunts that will blow your mind.”

              “Isn’t that exactly what you did?”

              “Yes.  Well, not exactly since the difficulty and bar is raised each year, but yes, I competed at that level.  Basically, what the high school squads are doing now is what I did at the collegiate level at the time.”

              “I’m impressed by all of it.  They’re very lucky to have you.”

              We continue chatting and enjoying one another’s company, as we always do, when I see a familiar face appear at the other end of the bar.  My smile falls, my heart sinks, and my stomach drops.  

              As my body stiffens, Jack’s brows furrow.  “What?” he asks.

              “What the fuck is he doing here?”

              Jack’s head turns to see the source of my disdain, and his face grows cold.  “Is that George?”

              “Foster?  Yes.”

              When George realizes he has both of our attention, a smug expression spreads across his face and he nods, acknowledging our presence.

              “I’m going to go kick him.”  I’m dead serious.  I shove my purse into Jack’s lap. “Hold this.”

              Jack’s arm swiftly moves behind me and around my waist, thwarting my attempt to stand.  “I don’t know if that’s the best idea, especially since the girls are depending on you tomorrow.  Perhaps now is not the time to exact your revenge.”

              “Oh, this isn’t even close to revenge.  I just want to kick him because he has a stupid face.  Revenge is a dish best served cold, and I will lie in wait until I have the right opportunity.”  I polish off the rest of my glass of wine.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, this shoe has a date with his ass.”

              “I appreciate the desire to kick him, I really do, and I must say that this feistiness of yours is incredibly hot, but I really think now is not the time.”

              I sit back in my seat and let out a frustrated exhale.  Just then, the bartender appears in front of us.  “Can I get you guys something else?”

              “Yes.  What’s your name?”  I squint and read his nametag aloud.  “Justin?  So many J names…  Anyway, Justin, can I get a shot of Jameson?”

              “Certainly.”

              As he spins around to grab the bottle of Irish whiskey off of the shelf, I add, “Make that a double, will you?”

              “Journey…” Jack cautions.

              “No.  I’m mad at you.”  I yank my purse away from Jack’s lap and pull out my debit card as Justin the Bartender puts two shot glasses on the bar in front of me.  “Put all of the drinks on this, please.”  I down my shots quickly, then turn and glare at Jack.  

              Jack puts his hands up, signaling that he’s innocent.  “If punishing me means you’re paying everything, then by all means, stay angry with me.”

              I lose the fight to keep my glower.  I begin laughing under my breath, then aloud.  “Arg!  Why do you have to be so stinking cute?  I was trying to stay mad at you.”

              “It’s a gift.”  Jack leans in and sweetly kisses my lips.  

              As our mouths connect, my eyes travel upward, toward something moving in the distance.  Against Jack’s lips, I mutter, “I may have spoken too soon.”

              Jack cautiously turns to see George, still smiling, enter our collective bubble of personal space.

              “Jack, Journey, how nice seeing you two here and back together.  Is it Spring Break already?”  George yuks a pathetic laugh.  Jack’s body stiffens and he places his hand on my knee in a protective way.  “I kid!  I kid!”

              “What are you doing here?”  I spit out.  I refuse to pretend to like him.  

              “Oh Journey, so feisty...some things just never change.”  George eyes the bartender.  “A round of, oh…  SoCo and lime for my friends and I, please.”

              Bartender Justin nods.  “You’ve got it.”

              Jack’s grip on my leg grows tighter.  “That’s really not necessary, George.”

              “Oh, I insist.  I remember how much this little one likes to party.  Anyway, I’m here to support my cousin, Jenny.”

              Justin puts three chilled glasses on the bar.  George directs his speech to Justin as he makes a show of pulling his black AmEx out of his wallet and hands it to Justin.  “This girl, right here, can outdrink any large man.  I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.”

              Justin’s eyes grow larger as I smile meekly.  As Justin steps away to process George’s card, I glare at George.  “I was going to kick you, but Jack wouldn’t let me.  You’re lucky he’s still holding me back.”

              George throws his head back and lets out his stupid, stuck-up laugh.  I also feel the two shots of Jameson creeping up on me.

              Justin returns with George’s card, looking a bit uncomfortable.  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Foster, but I was unable to process your card.

              George’s face falls and his cheeks flush.  “That can’t be right.  There must be something wrong with the card.”

              “I’m very sorry, Sir.  I tried it a few times.  Maybe you can call American Express and see what the problem is.”

Everything that is happening right now is pure comedy to me.  I am immensely entertained.  

Then, Jack does something that I think surprises both George and me.  Jack reaches for his wallet and pulls out a card that is identical to George’s.  I didn’t even know he had a black AmEx, much less have I ever seen him use it.  Mimicking George, he places the card on the counter and slides it across in a grandiose fashion.  

With a wink in my direction, he says, “Just put it on this.”  

If smoke could come out of George’s ears, I think it would.  He is heated.  

Jack places a firm hand on George’s arm, saying, “My treat, old chap.  For old times’ sake.”  Jack coolly hands George his respective glass, then turns away from him to direct his attention to Justin, who is handing him his credit card and receipt to sign.  “This
woman
, right here, my girlfriend, also happens to be a doctor and is the coach of one of the teams here for the cheerleading championship.”  

Justin’s mouth opens in awe.  “Really?  That’s impressive.  All of it.  I’m a pre-med student.”

“That’s awesome, Justin.  If you need a recommendation or help with your application, let me know.  I’ll leave you a business card.”  I pick up my shot glass and say, “To Justin.”  I wink at Jack, who beams back.  I look over to George, still stewing behind his fake smile, and connect my glass to his.  “Cheers!”

Back in our suite, I am tipsy, but floating on cloud nine.  I didn’t want to see George, but if I was going to have to encounter him, I can’t think of a better turn of events to make it worthwhile.

              “I still wish you would’ve let me kick him,” I tell Jack, slipping out of my shoes.

              “I know, babe, but I think things turned out rather well in spite of it.”

              I playfully push Jack’s chest.  “Yeah, yeah…  Why do you have to be so amazingly smart?”

              “I tell you all of the time, it’s a gift.  I don’t try to be so wonderful.  I just am.”

              “Ugh…  Even when you’re conceited, I still can’t help but love you.”

              I stop in my tracks.  Wait.  Hold the phone.  Did I just say that aloud?  I so did.  My amazing tolerance for hard liquor is not what it used to be, and now I’ve gone and admitted major feelings aloud.  I don’t want to be one of
those
people who fret over stating their feelings too early in a relationship or who hem and haw about whether they said the right thing or worry whether or not they’re right for the other person, but Jesus H. Christ, I’ll be damned if that’s not where my mind immediately spirals to.  

              I’m chastising myself inwardly for my big mouth and lack of filter until Jack says earnestly, “I can’t help but love you either.”

              My face along with my entire soul lights up.  “I know this is a stupid question, but humor me.  Do you love me?  Rather, are you in love with me?”

              Jack sits next to me on the bed and brushes my hair behind my ear.  The golden, honey colored specks in his irises shine as he says, “Journey, I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember.  I’ve never stopped loving you, and I never will.  I’m just happy to hear I’m not the only one who is smitten in this relationship.”

              I swallow down the knot in my throat well enough to say, “I am so in love with you.”

***

Last night was not as restful as I had hoped it would be, but it was very much worth losing sleep for.  The dynamic between Jack and I has changed for the better.  We are very connected.

              During warm up for the qualifying rounds, the girls are extremely nervous, and it shows.  They’re falling out of stunts, out of sync on their choreography, and just all kinds of sloppy.  I swallow back all of the emotions that are threatening to take over my logic and call for the girls to gather around.  Jack stayed outside of the room as to not make anyone uncomfortable or more nervous than before, which is fine, but I don’t have him to help me hold it together.

              “Ladies, I know you’re nervous.  I am only collected on the outside, trust me, but you’ve got to pull it together.  Who cares if you come in last?  Who cares if every other squad here is ten times better than you all?  All that matters is that you made it here for the first time in your school’s history.  On top of that, as long as you do the best you possibly can, we will go home our own champions.  So, get the nerves under wraps.  Pretend like we’re just in our own gym with the people who know and love us, okay?”

              They all smile and nod.  I can see massive amounts of pressure suddenly lift off of their shoulders, and we put our hands together for one last cheer and pep talk before they take the stage for the qualifying round.  Jack asks me if I prefer that he stand backstage in the wings to watch with me, or if I rather him sit with the rest of the parents and audience members.  As much as I hated admitting it aloud, I asked for him to stay near.  I knew I would need him to help quell my nerves and keep me upright.  

              Jack stands close behind me with his hands on my shoulders.  My hands grip his tighter than ever and squeeze each time the girls jump or perform a big stunt.  During their cheer portion, I am impressed with how well they command the crowd.  Even Jack yells “Blue!” and “Grey!” on their prompts.  As soon as they hit their final pose, my jumping and cheering causes my body to break free from his hold, and I am charging toward the girls as they exit the stage more excited than I have ever seen them.  I know in my heart, and I think they do as well, that they just gave the performance of a lifetime and have a genuine chance of advancing to the finals.

              My suspicions are confirmed when they announce the squads who advance to the final round.  When I hear, “Kleinert High School from Kleinert, Maine,” the decibel level of the squeals and screams from team members, their parents, and friends is ear shattering.  We all hug in one giant group, jumping up and down, and screaming together.  I cannot even comprehend how jubilant I am.  I am as happy and proud of this group of ladies as if they came in first in the world and won a million dollars.  Their accomplishment is immeasurable and the quantification of it doesn’t even matter to me.