15. Pit Stop
FIFTEEN
PIT STOP
Flynn
Jackie’s hair is a tornado in the wind.
I love it.
She asked to put the windows down and now she’s fighting to wrangle her hair with both hands.
“You sure you don’t want me to put the windows up?”
“No, no. I got it.” She finally seems to anchor it to the side of her head in one hand, her elbow propped on the car door. We speed by NASA on the way to her apartment, the breeze off of Clear Lake whipping through the car. “What kind of car does Ian drive, do you know?”
Her interest in her co-worker, even if it is about cars, dims my good mood. “A Tesla S P100D.” I might not like Ian, but even I have to admit, the man has a sweet ride. Zero to sixty in two point five seconds.
“That’s a mouthful,” she says.
I snort, thinking about the mouthful I’d like to give her.
“What? What’s so funny?”
Well, there’s no way I’m telling her that . “Uh, I was thinking about orbital resonance.”
“Really?” She does a little bounce on the seat, looking pleased.
I laugh, my mood restored. “Don’t sound too excited—I don’t really remember what it is. To me, though, orbital resonance is a mouthful. A Tesla S P100D is just a sweet-ass ride.”
“I can see that.” Her head tilts back, exposing the long and slender neck I love. She’s so damn sexy, loose wisps of hair dancing around her face.
“How much does a car like that cost, you think?”
There goes my mood again. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m thinking it may be time to upgrade.”
My jaw clenches for a moment before responding. “Ian’s Tesla will run you about 135 grand.”
“Seriously?” She sits up in her seat, one fist still locked around her hair. “Ian must be loaded.”
I find myself wanting to snap, “Not as loaded as me,” but I don’t.
One, because I’m not five years old. And two, I’d hate myself if I resorted to trying to win Jackie’s affection with money.
And then there’s also the fact that if I did tell her I was a millionaire a few times over, she’d ask why I downplayed the ranch earlier.
So I swallow it down, along with the unease I feel.
“You and Ian…?”
A gust of wind whips some of her hair into her face, and I can’t see her expression. “What about us?”
Us. Thank fuck for the strength of my Boss’s steering wheel, otherwise it would’ve snapped in my fists by the time I pull into her apartment complex. “He called you ‘hon’ the other day.”
“He did, didn’t he?” Jackie purses her lips. “I meant to ask him about that.”
I park in Jackie’s still vacant spot.
“I guess I should’ve driven my own car back. I didn’t think of that,” she says.
I try not to harp on the fact that she didn’t answer my question about Ian. “All part of the plan. This way you have to come back to my place later.”
She blushes, and I watch as shades of red travel down her neck and between her breasts. Damn.
Mood restored.
I lean over and kiss her neck, nibbling up to her ear. “You going to invite me in this time?” I ask.
“Hmm? Oh. Sure, of course. But I should warn you, the girls were over last night before we went out and they kind of exploded clothes all over the place.” We exit the car and round the front. “It looks like my own personal gamma-ray burst,” she grumbles.
I grab her hand as we head for the stairs, smiling. “Gamma-ray burst?”
“Extremely energetic explosions. They’re the brightest electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe.”
I let her go ahead of me on the stairs, ‘cause I’m a gentleman, not because I get to look at her ass sway. “Extremely energetic explosions?” I ask, eyes glued to the bottom of her dress. “Yeah, that sounds like Rose.”
My joke has her throwing a smile over her shoulder as we reach the top of the stairs.
One leg on the landing, the other behind her on the last step, ass cheek slightly visible at the hem of her dress, sex hair thrown over one shoulder, glasses perched on her nose, and a wide smile — and I swear to God I almost throw her to the ground right there.
Thankfully I’m just struck dumb, and Jackie continues on her way to the door, keys in hand.
Watching her at the door reminds me so much of that first ride home, where I wanted to do more than just kiss her cheek, but refrained, knowing then that this girl was more than just a hook-up.
I lean forward and cage her, wanting to be closer to her.
The lock clicks with the turn of her wrist, but instead of opening it, she rotates in my arms.
“I’ve never had a guy in here before.” She adjusts her glasses, looking so damn innocent I have a hard time not feeling like the big bad wolf. I have a harder time not liking it.
“Is that so?” Fuck you, Ian , I got here first.
“Yeah. I don’t really... I mean I haven’t...”
“Jackie?” I lean in and lightly rub my nose against hers.
“Yes?”
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I dip my head lower, brushing her lips once before increasing the pressure.
I take my time, savoring her, letting my tongue make small, leisurely strokes between kisses.
I wait until her hands move away from her sides and bunch into my shirt before pulling away.
While her eyes are still closed, I reach around her and turn the knob, swinging the door open.
“Let’s get you inside and changed so we can get to Boondoggle’s on time.” And so Ian knows she most definitely does not want to bone him, ‘cause she’s boning me.
Her eyes flutter open with a smile. “Okay.”
In the apartment, I immediately notice the couch and how it’s ten times cooler than mine. And I could totally see that kitchen table in my breakfast nook.
Jackie walks across the small living space to another door, bringing my attention back to her. “I won’t be long. Make yourself comfortable.”
“Will do.”
I take my time wandering around the apartment. With how small it is, it doesn’t take long.
I hear water running and I have to take a few deep breaths after imagining Jackie wet and warm under the spray.
Looking to distract myself, I walk over to look at several frames leaning against the wall.
I flip one and then another forward, tilting my head sideways to read what turns out to be various degrees.
Mostly from Stanford University, but there are also quite a few NASA certificates and awards.
These should be hung up. I look around at the limited wall space, angry that she doesn’t have a spot for her accomplishments.
They should be prominently displayed, a testament to all her hard work.
I automatically think of the alcove in my foyer.
It’s a space the decorator said would be good for a small office.
Jesus , I’m already moving her in with me in my head. Get a grip, man .
Carefully, I lean the frames back against the wall and step away.
Besides the cool couch and kitchen table, everything looks like it came straight from a garage sale or college dorm. I’m about to park myself on the sofa when I hear voices from where Jackie had disappeared. Not too proud to snoop, I lean on the wall next to the door and listen in.
“So, I was thinking of my Converse, jeans and maybe one of the new tops you brought.” There’s a thud. “Sorry, I dropped the phone. Hold on, let me put you on speaker. I can’t go through all these clothes with one hand,” Jackie says.
There’s some shuffling and then my sister’s voice comes through. I mentally roll my eyes. Rose doesn’t need to be put on speaker to be heard.
“What is it with you and Converse?” Rose asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you dress like a kid.”
“Chucks are cool,” Jackie insists.
“Chucks?”
“Yeah, that’s what Converse All Stars are called—Chucks. After basketball player Charles Taylor, who wore and sold the shoes. A lot of basketball players wore them after that, as did athletes in the Olympics. Even soldiers sported them in basic training during World War II.”
“Why do you know all that? Never mind, don’t answer. You know everything.”
I want to slap my sister for that remark, especially when Jackie remains silent.
“I’m sorry,” Rose says. “I’m being a bitch. I’m just trying to figure out why you wear, despite their interesting history, what are now considered high school boy shoes all the time.”
Jackie’s voice sounds small at first. “They aren’t high school boy shoes.” Another pause. “Okay, maybe they are, but they’re cool. There are photos all over NASA of John Glenn wearing Chucks during astronaut training.”
“Sometimes I wonder how crowded your brain must be.” Rose sighs. “Anyway. John Glenn’s heyday was before you were born. Why this obsession? It’s like you want to live and dress like a 1960s dude.”
“I like NASA and its history. Nothing weird about that.”
“You are crazy stupid smart. I don’t get it. You could be designing an interstellar satellite, making millions in the private industry, or inventing a freaking time machine. Why this obsession with NASA?”
Jackie mumbles something and I press my ear to the door.
“What?” Rose asks.
“‘Cause my mom loved it, okay?”
“Wait. What? I thought your mom...”
“Yeah, she died after I was born. My dad never really talks about her, but when I was little, I found all this NASA stuff she collected. News clippings from the time of the space race, astronomy books. Turns out she was a big space nerd. She would chart stars and once even went to Florida to watch a launch. She was a real NASA geek.”
“Oh.”
“So, when I got older I started reading about the Mercury 7 and all the Apollo missions. I loved the idea of space being the last uncharted territory.” There’s more shuffling.
“It was the one topic my dad would talk to me about that wasn’t about his research or my grades.
And… I don’t know, I guess I think my mom would have thought me working at NASA was cool too. ”
“Yeah, Jackie. I’m sure she would’ve.”
I had to strain to hear my sister. For once she’s speaking at a normal decibel level.
Jackie sniffs, and that’s all I can take. I stride into the room.