Chapter Nine #3
He looked at his keychain. The key to the Prius was gone. In its place was the fob for the Subaru.
Weakly, Jem got in the car. He reached into the glove box. The ownership papers were in there. Jem’s name was on them and on the proof of insurance.
“Oh my God,” he said again, staring.
Then he put the papers back in the glove compartment, locked the car, and went back upstairs. If he didn’t have to bus to Tori’s, he didn’t have to leave yet. But he did need to go into his apartment and breathe into a paper bag for a minute.
Okay. First things first. Practical matters. He texted Tori and let her know not to wait for him.
Then he went to the window and looked out. The Subaru was still there.
River gave him a car.
River gave him a car?
Why would he do that? Aside from the obvious fact that he’d lost his mind.
Well. There was one way to find out.
Jem’s phone had found its way into his hand. He hit Call.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
“River.” Jem sounded breathless to his own ears. “Did you buy me a car?”
“Noooo,” River said. “I had that one just lying around the garage, taking up space where I could have been parking a Porsche.” He paused. “Do you not like it?”
A strangled noise escaped Jem’s throat. “River, I—why?”
“Because I wanted to. Because—”
“Because I took this job so I could afford to fix my car,” Jem realized. His knees went on strike and deposited him in his recliner.
River’s temporary silence told him he’d guessed correctly. “Is it—I wanted—”
Jem waited. He couldn’t form words anyway.
“I like you,” River finally said. “And I want to have sex with you. I hope that’s not too forward.”
“Um,” Jem said. He glanced at his watch—shivered as he remembered how it felt when River put it on him—and tried to gauge how much time he could devote to this conversation before he’d be late for work. “No, I… I appreciate the frankness.” So did his dick.
“And I know I’m paying you, and that makes everything complicated. But now you have a car either way, so you can quit if you… if you don’t want to….”
Fuck it. Jem palmed his dick through his pants and then popped open the button. “River.”
“Mm-hmm?”
“I’ve been hard since I read your note. You gave me a car and all I can think is you should fuck me in it.”
River’s breath rushed out in an audible gust. “Name the time and place, sweetheart.”
“Later,” Jem promised fervently. “But now I have to go, uh, take care of a situation so I can go to work, you monster.”
“I could help you with that,” River offered lowly.
“I will definitely be late if you try. But I’ll think of you,” Jem promised.
“You can tell me about it later,” River suggested.
“Oh my God. Bye, River.”
Jem hung up and went to deal with his problem.
But having a car did make his life easier.
He made it to the school early, which was both a blessing and a curse, because it meant Tori had time to corner him before they had to be in their classrooms. She slung herself down into the seat next to him in the teachers’ lounge and leaned forward with her head propped on her hands. “Good morning, bestie.”
Jem met her eyes and told himself not to flinch. “Hi, Tori.”
“Did you have a good weekend?”
“It was all right.” If you like fancy parties, private concerts, and bathroom hand jobs, it was pretty great. “Except for the movie. That was weird.”
“Mm-hmm. I saw some of the pictures online.” She tapped her blue-painted nails against her cheek. “That’s a nice watch. Is it new?”
“Mm-hmm,” Jem echoed. He wasn’t giving her anything. If she wanted to interrogate him, she could ask outright. Instead of offering anything else, he reached for his coffee mug.
Tori narrowed her eyes. “So did River give you a ride this morning?”
The coffee tried to go down the wrong pipe. Jem put the mug down and coughed, avoiding Tori’s gaze. He kept his head down when the fit passed, taking slow, shallow breaths, gradually pulling in more air until he could be sure he wouldn’t start coughing again.
When he looked up, Tori’s eyebrows had retreated to her hairline.
Jem cleared his throat. “In a manner of speaking.”
She tilted her head. “In what manner of speaking, Jem?” Her voice stayed light, but it held an edge. She might be a Flat Tires fan, but Jem knew if it came down to it, she was ride-or-die for him.
And honestly, he could use someone to talk to about this, and his options were limited. He glanced around furtively, wary of the school gossip vine, then leaned over the table and lowered his voice. “He gave me a car.”
“Excuse me!?” Tori hissed. Though she kept her voice quiet, the tone drew attention anyway, and she stood up from the table. “Okay, come with me, we need another venue.”
Arguing would get him nowhere. Jem let her drag him across the hall into the music room and waited for her to close the door behind her. She leaned against it, eyes wide, and said, “He gave you a car?” Then she took a moment to collect herself and followed that with, “How good are your blow jobs?!”
Jem’s face went hot and he dropped his head into his hands and collapsed on one of the plastic orchestra chairs. “I mean I think they’re pretty good, but uh, River wouldn’t know.”
There was a beat while Tori processed this. “He gave you a car and you’re not sucking his dick.”
“And the watch,” Jem said. “Also the outfit I wore to the premiere and, uh, a Taylor Swift album. Oh, and he’s having the Prius fixed.” Though Jem would probably sell that now, he guessed. He didn’t have two parking spots.
“Jesus,” Tori said. “If you’re not fucking him, maybe I should. My kid’s gonna need a college fund.”
He slumped further. It wasn’t difficult; the chair was sized for children. It barely hit the middle of Jem’s back, so when he flopped his face toward the ceiling, he felt a little like an upside-down starfish. “See, I haven’t, uh—I haven’t gotten him off, but….”
“Okay, wait.” Metal chair legs dragged against the ugly carpet of the music room floor as Tori pulled one around to straddle backwards. “He’s paying you, buying you presents, and giving you orgasms?” She shook her head. “My mom was right. I should’ve been a sugar baby.”
“Hilarious.”
Tori reached out and prodded his foot with the toe of her shoe. “Hey. What’s going on in your head? Talk to me.”
He exhaled gustily. “I don’t know! I mean, I like him. Like I really—he’s a whole mess, he needs so much therapy, but he’s kind and he’s generous and I think he really—”
Tori waited. When Jem didn’t immediately continue, she prompted gently, “He really what?”
“I think he’s lonely,” Jem said quietly. “I think he really needs somebody.”
He knew she’d pick up on what he didn’t say.
Jem’s need to be needed was a documented phenomenon.
His mother had needed him, once upon a time, when it was just the two of them, but then she married his stepdad; his father had only needed him when Andrew got hurt.
In college he and Tori needed each other, but she had Ivy now. As she should.
His kids needed him, but it wasn’t enough.
“Jem,” Tori said, in that quiet way like her heart was breaking. “You can’t just—”
“Can’t what?” he challenged.
“Can’t just—fall in love with some guy because he needs you.”
Yes, I can. I’m already halfway there. “Why not? People fall in love for dumber reasons.”
Her expression went stormy. “I just… I don’t want you to get hurt. I wish you’d set your standards a little higher, you know? I mean, what happens when he doesn’t need you anymore?”
Jem would go back to his life, nurse his wounds for a little while, fill the void the best he could with work and friends, and just… move on. “The same thing that happens when anyone doesn’t need me anymore.”
“Jem.”
“I’m a grown man, Tori. I know what I’m getting into, okay?”
Tori didn’t look happy about it, but she didn’t argue. “Fine. But I’m laying in a supply of Ben & Jerry’s.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“Okay.” She nodded once, and then her demeanor changed completely. “So. The orgasms.”
Fuck. His face went hot again. “It was just the one.”
“Mm-hmm. And?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “I mean, it was definitely the hottest bathroom handy at a Hollywood party I’ve ever had.”
“You little slut!” she squealed. “I’m so proud of you. You needed that.”
“Jesus Christ, could you make up your mind about my sex life?” he laughed.
“Fuck off. I contain multitudes. And so do you, apparently. Never thought you’d be the type.”
Yeah right. “You absolutely did,” Jem said. “You signed me up for this. You’re basically my pimp.”
“Okay, well I didn’t think you’d be so good at getting unreciprocated orgasms.” She paused and furrowed her brow. “Actually I’m not sure I should be proud of you for that.”
“Believe me, I tried to return the favor,” Jem muttered. “I mean, you saw the dress, right?”
“I did see the dress. If I had smaller tits and more disposable income, I would own the dress.” She leaned back a little, assessing. “So like, is it the semi-public factor that did it for you, or was it something else?”
“Oh my God. Okay.” Thank God he could talk about this now, because he felt like he was going crazy. “So there’s this cover band playing, right? And they start singing ‘Boyfriend.’ You know. The one where Dove Cameron is convincing some girl to leave her boyfriend—”
“Because she’s better in bed and all her clothes would fit, yeah. Hot.”
“Yeah, well. Imagine grinding to that song and all you can think about is how this guy whose hands have been all over you all night paid for everything you’re wearing. And that’s apparently something you’re super into.”
“Oh my God. You’re like, the world’s most natural sugar baby.”