Nine
V ini sighed as she pulled the hair tie from her braids. It had been a long day, though she remained strangely energized. Maybe it was because Jessica had shown up again for the third day in a row with the flimsiest of excuses about observing Vini work. Aiden hadn’t even bothered to comment on Jessica’s presence, especially when Vini brought him a coffee from the new café that had recently opened up in town. Winning him over had never been that difficult, not in college and especially not now. Not that she could talk. She had been won over damn near the day she and Jessica had met.
Normally, Vini would have been annoyed to have someone so close in her space. She occasionally had students from the high school come to the garage and learn about car maintenance, but even then, there was always a moment when she had to deal with getting used to them being there. She hadn’t felt that way with Jessica, and it was blowing her mind. There were even times when she needed space from her sisters, but she found herself craving Jessica’s familiar warmth each day. It was as unnerving as it was enjoyable.
“I’m home,” she called out, her mind still preoccupied with the conundrum that was Jessica and the low-key arousal Vini always seemed to get when she was around. They hadn’t yet had a repeat of the office incident, but they had taken to driving off for lunch and spending time fogging up the windows in Vini’s old truck. The fact that they hadn’t been caught yet was a miracle. Clearly some deity was watching over her, keeping her from hearing an earful from Ava about who Vini decided to fraternize with. Ava generally didn’t make it a point to interfere with Vini’s life, but she was always overprotective when it came to her lackluster romantic entanglements. Not that there had been very many. Still, this thing with Jessica was something that was wholly Vini’s, and she was loath to share any information about it with either of her sisters.
Dani popped her head through the doorway that led to the kitchen. “It’s about damn time. Go wash up so we can eat. Food’s ready.”
“Sorry,” Vini replied before ducking into the half bath in the hallway. She quickly scrubbed her nails to remove any lingering oil and bits of dirt under them. She usually did this before leaving the shop as well, but Dani was always adamant about her washing up again when she got home. It was annoying as hell, but given she worked in medicine, Vini usually gave her a pass.
Hands newly washed, Vini walked into the kitchen. Everyone was there already, which was a surprise. Ava had taken to eating dinner with Grace more often than not, but now that she thought about it, she did remember Jessica saying something about her and Grace catching a movie.
“About time you showed up,” Ava remarked before reaching for her plate. “I almost told Dani that we needed to start without you.”
“Rude,” Vini replied. “I would have called if I wasn’t going to show up. Unlike someone who just flits in and out whenever she feels like it.”
Ava arched an eyebrow. “I have a girlfriend. Of course I’m not always going to be at home.”
“And I have a life.” Vini grabbed her own plate and started serving herself. “I have things I might be doing as well. You could always call if you think I might not be around.”
Dani cleared her throat as Ava’s mouth opened no doubt to retort. Ava paused before rolling her eyes and digging into her food. Vini forced herself not to roll her eyes, but she did snicker softly when Dani smiled. Beside her, Jordan was shoveling food in his mouth like he hadn’t eaten all day. Dani’s gaze followed hers.
“Slow down, Jay. We have plenty of time before we need to head out.” Dani shook her head. He looked up at her before nodding and swallowing the wad of food in his mouth. When Vini asked Dani what that was all about, she chuckled. “There’s a new librarian that started an evening e-sports class at the library. Jordan signed up at school, and the first session is today at seven thirty.”
Jordan nodded quickly looking like the world’s most hilarious bobblehead. “Only ten kids could join, and I was picked. They talked about even starting a team to play for real.” His excitement was infectious. Vini had never really been into video games even at his age, but she had never seen him so enthusiastic about something and didn’t want to put a damper on his joy.
“That sounds awesome,” she replied not having to fake her excitement for him with how wide he was smiling. Even Ava’s lips were turned up in a small smile as he launched into the games he hoped they would play. None of it was familiar, but if it had him this happy, then clearly it was worth it.
Dani turned back to Vini and pointed a fork at her. “I heard you had some excitement at the shop this week too.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you,” Dani replied before scooping up a forkful of turnip greens. “Tony popped into the clinic today for a checkup and told me all about the Mercedes guy.”
Vini shrugged. It had been a few days since then, and the guy hadn’t returned so she figured all was well. “Not much to say there. He was an ass, but nothing we couldn’t handle.”
Dani nodded. “She also told me you had a new cutie with you that she hadn’t seen before.” Vini froze. She had introduced Jessica to Tony, and they had chatted briefly before Tony had hauled the guy and his car away. There hadn’t been any indication that Tony was more curious about Jessica than she was about anyone else. Then again, it wasn’t often new people popped up at Vini’s shop.
Of course, that would be the moment Ava decided to pay attention to them again. “What new cutie?”
Vini took a silent breath and prayed to whoever was listening. “There was no new cutie. She met Jessica when she came by.”
Ava’s expression didn’t change, but Vini knew that didn’t mean anything. She was a teacher. Remaining expressionless was something she was trained to do. “And why was Jessica at your shop? I thought we decided to stay away from her.”
“ We ,” Vini said, “didn’t decide anything. You were talking, and I let you. Who I hang out with is my own business.”
Their dad chose that moment to speak up. “Well, if she’s a friend of yours, you should invite her over here so we can meet her.” He didn’t look up from his food, so he missed Vini’s wince and Dani’s smirk. Inviting Jessica to the Williams’ household seemed like a recipe for disaster, but he clearly didn’t get that memo because he continued. “Thanksgiving is in a week, and we already invited Grace. What’s one more mouth to feed?”
Ava frowned. “We don’t even know her.”
“All the more reason to invite her,” Dani replied. “Plus, she’s here to visit Grace. How are you going to invite her friend for Thanksgiving and not her? That’s so uncouth.”
“The hell did you just call me?” Ava asked voice rising.
“Girls,” Richard interrupted, his voice pitched the same way it always was when he knew there was about to be an argument. Vini bit her lip to keep from smiling as Ava and Dani stared at one another a beat longer before looking away. He turned to Vini. “Let her know and see if she wants to join us. It’s good to see you making new friends. I worry about you always being cooped up in the shop by yourself.”
Vini warmed at his concern but pushed back. “I’m not alone. Aiden is there pretty much every day.”
He nodded. “True, but you’re so young. Maybe it’s a good thing for you to be hanging out with someone else that isn’t an employee. Most kids your age are out traveling and seeing the world beyond their hometown. I don’t want you to feel like you missed anything.”
“Dad,” she whined, not wanting things to move into the direction it always did when he mentioned her not having as much of a social life as he wanted. Vini knew he worried about her, but she was fine. Sure, she didn’t hang out with too many people outside of her sisters, Aiden, and occasionally Tony and her wife. But she was fine with that. If she ever felt pent-up, she could always head up to Atlanta and be more social then.
“And anyway, Jessica is at the shop because I am tutoring her on car maintenance. Nothing more, nothing less.” That seemed to satisfy Ava more, because she nodded. It aggravated Vini that Ava thought she had any say in who Vini spent her time with, but she didn’t feel like getting into it. It was no one’s business what she and Jessica did.
“Just...be careful,” Ava said looking pointedly at Vini. “I’m sure she’s nice, but it wouldn’t be smart to get attached when she’s just passing through.”
Vini brushed off her words and changed the subject. There was nothing to be careful about. This thing with Jessica and her wasn’t long-term. It was just something fun for now to pass the time before Jessica flitted off to her next destination and Vini got back to the norm of everyday life.
Vini was ready to pull out a braid or two. Fridays were usually busy, especially when it was before a holiday, and today was no different. Many of the usual suspects from town had scheduled their oil changes in advance to prepare for heading out of town for the upcoming holiday, but a few hadn’t, leaving them with too many cars and two few hands. Aiden’s off-key rendition of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” wasn’t helping. Dolly didn’t deserve to have her song butchered nor did Vini deserve to be subjected to it.
“Fucking hell. Someone put him out of his misery, please.”
Vini almost banged her knee on the car bumper in front of her when Jessica’s voice came from right next to her. She glanced over her shoulder with a glare. “I’m going to put a bell on you so I can hear you next time.”
“Oh, sounds kinky,” she replied, not sounding at all repentant for nearly giving Vini a heart attack. “Make sure it’s purple. That’s my favorite color.”
“Just for that, I’ll make it black like your soul,” Vini countered.
“You say the sweetest things.”
Vini straightened as she shook her head. She wasn’t really angry. Not with how damn pleased she was to see Jessica in the first place. Jessica hadn’t come by the shop yesterday, and Vini had wondered if that meant she’d lost interest. Vini found cars interesting, but she knew not everyone did. She covered her excitement at Jessica showing up by grabbing the closest rag and wiping her hands.
“What are you doing here?”
Jessica held up a bag. “Figured I would bring you guys some lunch. Grace mentioned a really good diner in town that Ava’s friend owns, so I went by to check it out.”
“Did you say lunch ?” Aiden piped up from the other side of the garage. Vini would have told him to go back to work, but now that he had stopped singing, she was in a much better mood. Aiden quickly rushed over, holding out his hands and making a grabby motion. “If that is a sandwich from the best diner in town, I will love you forever.”
“Not that you aren’t cute, but penis isn’t exactly my thing.” Jessica opened the sack and pulled out a smaller bag and handed it to him. Aiden danced around like a kid who just found his favorite comic, and Vini couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I guess that means it’s lunchtime,” she replied, not the least bit upset about stopping now. She held out her hand. “I’m assuming you brought one for me as well?”
“I did, but I thought we could take ours to go and enjoy some sunshine.” Jessica glanced at Aiden. “Unless you’re too busy.”
She probably should have said she was swamped with work given the number of cars in the garage and waiting outside, but she was helpless in the face of Jessica’s hopeful expression. Besides, taking breaks was necessary, especially when it came to eating. She tried not to look too eager when she told Aiden she was going to step out for a bit, but she knew from his knowing expression she hadn’t covered it well. Still, a few minutes later, she and Jessica were headed down the road, the bag of food sitting on the console between them.
“So where did you want to head to? There’s a small park not far from the main square that shouldn’t be too crowded right now.” From the corner of her eye, Vini could see Jessica watching her, and for a moment she wished she was telepathic so she could sneak a peek at her thoughts. Jessica looked ahead again before answering.
“Is there anywhere we can go to just park and be alone?”
Vini swallowed hard. That sounded like a wonderfully terrible idea. They never seemed to keep things casual when they were alone together. It wasn’t that Vini didn’t want to be alone with Jessica. It was that she did. Sneaking around should have been off-putting, and yet that didn’t explain why she found it so damn addicting. She shouldn’t be able to recall a few places that fit that description perfectly, and yet she didn’t hesitate to turn the car in the direction of one such place.
Neither one of them had come outright and said they were keeping things quiet, but she knew Jessica hadn’t mentioned their trysts to Grace. If she had, Grace would absolutely have told Ava who wouldn’t have let Vini out of her sight. Vini didn’t know Jessica’s reasons for keeping things super down-low.
When Vini glanced over, she found Jessica once again looking at her. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jessica replied. “Just wondering if we are headed toward town or...”
Vini didn’t wait long to confirm. “No.” She slowed and turned down a dirt road. Not many cars came down here. It was a path mostly used by ATVs and bikes, but Vini’s truck could handle it. She had spent many a time driving out this way when she was younger and needed to be alone. The road grew bouncier, and Vini couldn’t help but smirk when Jessica grabbed for her hand squeezing it tightly until the road evened out again and the ride smoothed. Vini slowed to a stop under the cover of large trees, their branches reaching out and hiding the truck under shadow.
“You couldn’t have warned a girl?” Jessica asked with a raised brow.
Vini smirked as she put the car in park and cut the engine. “Where’s the fun in that?” Jessica shook her head, but her smile didn’t wane. She gazed out the window for a moment before fixing her gaze back on Vini.
“So you come here often?”
“Used to,” Vini replied looking around at the familiar outcropping of trees. They weren’t that far from town. In fact, if she drove through the field, she would reach the edge of her friend Jane’s land.
“Alone or cuddled up with someone?”
The question sounded nonchalant, but it still had Vini warming at the thought that Jessica might care. She pushed the center console up leaving only an empty seat between them. “Jealous?”
Jessica looked at her for a moment before unbuckling her seat belt and moving across the space. With each inch that disappeared between them, Vini’s heartbeat sped up until she was sure the thrumming sound would fill the cab of the truck. When Jessica’s hand finally reached her, Vini almost fell into her orbit.
Their lips met with a hunger that couldn’t be settled with food. Vini had never been particularly needy when it came to touch like this, but she was quickly finding herself lost without it. She gripped Jessica’s shoulders as if afraid she would move away leaving Vini unsatisfied.
“You know, I never actually brought anyone here for this,” Vini whispered when they separated briefly. It was a confession that cost nothing but gained her everything as Jessica smiled and pulled her in again.
Jessica’s lips pressed and pressed again leaving Vini dizzy with arousal. The air grew damp with their kissing until the window behind Jessica’s head started to fog. Vini didn’t doubt her own was the same, and a thrill ran through her. She really hadn’t brought anyone back here for hooking up. There were places around town that her friends and classmates had utilized at different times as a make-out spot, but Vini had never been particularly interested. That had all changed now. She wanted to take Jessica to each place and make memories that would live in her fantasies after she was long gone. There was only so much time. She wanted to do everything.
When Jessica’s hands gripped Vini’s belt, she pulled away. “You okay with taking this further?”
Vini’s head was full of stuffing. She didn’t know what further meant to Jessica, but she wasn’t going to say no if it got her more pleasure. “Anything you want.”
Jessica’s smile was sharp, but she didn’t respond. She shifted, getting her knees on the seat before guiding Vini’s legs up to the seat as well. Shoes were discarded, and between one kiss and the next Vini found herself bare-assed in her truck for the first time. There would have been a slight chill in the air if not for the heat between the two of them. Vini should have felt embarrassed being left in only her work shirt while Jessica was fully dressed, but it was thrilling. Illicit. All the things Vini had never had before.
“Are you going to take yours off too?”
Jessica leaned over brushing her lips over Vini’s heated cheeks. “Maybe. If you’re good.”
“Haven’t we established that already?” Vini asked before cupping Jessica’s cheeks. They were flushed slightly and made Vini want to touch. Before she could pull Jessica back into a kiss, she shifted down Vini’s body. With wide eyes, Vini looked around. She knew they were alone, but if anyone happened by, they would know exactly what was going on. “What are you... Here?”
“Yes, here,” Jessica replied as she shifted Vini’s legs up onto her shoulders. The cab wasn’t as comfortable as a bed, but it was wide enough. Vini reached up and gripped the door behind her. “I brought you lunch, and now I will have mine.”
Vini opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, Jessica’s tongue laved her pussy lips, parting them slightly as it slid up toward her clit. A squeak was the only noise she could make even as the sensation washed over her. Vini was no virgin, but before Jessica, sex had been few and far between. It had been years since she had done anything more than solo, so having someone so clearly dedicated to getting her off was new, hooking her in and not letting go.
“Fuck,” Vini breathed out as she reached out and brushed her thumb over Jessica’s cheek. She could only hold on as Jessica repeated her motion, tongue slipping deeper between the folds of Vini’s pussy as if trying to rearrange her from the inside.
Vini’s breaths came faster as she followed Jessica’s rhythm. Wet slurping sounds filled the cab, interspersed by Vini’s moans of pleasure. She reached her other hand down to grip one of Jessica’s squeezing tightly with each wave of pleasure that crashed over her. When Jessica’s tongue darted over her hole, she hitched a breath only letting out when she was breeched. That slide in was debilitating, and Vini couldn’t stop herself from arching into it and groaning deep. She tossed her head to the side ignoring the dull pain from thumping it against the door when a finger entered along with it.
“There you go, baby,” Jessica exhaled hot breath hitting Vini’s cunt and making her twitch. “Just enjoy it.”
“I am,” Vini panted. “Fuck, I am.”
“Love it when you curse,” Jessica said her voice full of amusement and barely contained heat. It had deepened and slid over Vini’s skin lighting her up and pushing her arousal higher. Jessica’s normal voice wasn’t particularly deep, but now when it was full of want and barely contained desire, it was music to Vini’s ears. When Jessica leaned back in, pressing her tongue deep again, Vini cried out softly before clutching the back of Jessica’s head as she tried not to come apart.
Time meant nothing. Daylight could have passed completely and Vini wouldn’t have noticed. All she knew was heat and slick pleasure as Jessica ate her fill, her tongue pressing along with her fingers until Vini didn’t know what it was like to be empty. When those wicked fingers twisted, Vini clenched and sucked in a breath. As much as she wanted to hold on, there was no way to fight her release when Jessica’s other hand came up and her fingers brushed across Vini’s engorged clitoris.
Back strung tight as a bow, Vini lost all sense of meaning. All she could hear was the muted sound of her own cries over the rush of blood in her ears. When she finally collapsed back against the seat, it took her a moment to realize she had closed her eyes at some point. Her face was dotted with sweat and Jessica was no longer down between her legs but instead leaning over her while whispering how good Vini was and how sexy she sounded when she came. If not for having just had her brain leak out of her ears, Vini would have been able to say something sweetly sensual in response. Instead, her mouth chose that moment to send it all crashing down.
“My dad invited you to Thanksgiving.”