Lost Video Island

[Jackaroo]

Disclaimer: apart from Emily, the characters used are not mine. I ripped – or, say, borrowed – them from J.J. Abrams, ABC, and the lot.

Rebound Girl

Part One

“Hey.”

A good-looking brunette sat down next to Jack at the bar and smiled at him. Startled from his thoughts, he glanced aside. He gave her a polite smile and a “hi” in return, but then he continued staring at the glass of whiskey standing in front of him. It’d stood there for fifteen minutes, maybe more, and he hadn’t been able to decide whether or not he was going to drink it. Either way, he didn’t want company.

“Is that a double?” the girl asked, referring to the whiskey.

“Yeah,” he mumbled.

“So - are you gonna drink it?”

She sounded amused, and he guessed she’d been watching him for some time before deciding to walk over to him and tell him to get over himself and finish his friggin drink. He turned to her to answer; “I don’t know. Why? You want it?”
He didn’t sound friendly, exactly, but that hadn’t been his intention. He wanted her to leave him alone. She either didn’t get the hint, or ignored it.

“No – you look like you can use it, yourself.”

That was exactly why he thought he shouldn’t drink it. Drinking away your problems was too easy – and once you got the hang of it, you’d forget you should actually deal with them.

Jack wondered what this girl wanted from him, and snorted, “Well – thanks.”

Their eyes met and he saw hers smile along with her lips. He couldn’t help but appreciate her bluntness and shook his head with a smile – a bit more of an honest one. Apparently, she’d ordered a drink for herself before she’d come over to him, because the bartender put down a glass (Bacardi-coke?) in front of her. As she nodded a thanks to him, Jack took a closer look at her.

What was he doing here?

She caught him and smiled again.

“Emily.”

“Jack.”

“Well, hi, Jack. Pleased to meet you.”

She giggled and he figured she was drunk. But somehow, he didn’t mind her company that much, anymore. She was nice.

Emily raised her glass and motioned him to do the same.

“To getting drunk with strangers,” she said. He nodded in agreement and drank.

* * *

An unsure amount of time later they were standing outside, waiting for a cab. Jack felt a bit light-headed and enjoyed the feel of Emily’s head against his shoulder. She was having a laughing fit over something – he didn’t know what, exactly, but the sound of her laughter and the shaking of her body against the arm he’d put around her made him smile broadly and feel giggly, himself.

Jack was glad she’d come sit next to him. It hadn’t been just the booze that’d enabled him to not think – or at least, think a bunch of a lot less – about Sarah tonight. Emily’d distracted him by teasing him about what she said to be his gentleman-ness, by telling stories about the strange people that would wander into the tattoo/piercing shop she worked at, and by imagining vividly what would happen to any patients of her were she a doctor. She had comic talent, for sure. And she didn’t mind him not telling her half as much about himself as she told him. When she’d asked, “So, why does one go to a bar, by oneself, on a Saturday night?” and he answered, “To be reminded of all the reasons to not get any tattoos” she just giggled, said “I’ll convince you, yet,” and moved on to another anecdote.

Emily caught her breath and looked up at him. Her eyes were as deep brown as his were, and he was caught in them so much he wasn’t even conscious of his own stooping a bit to put his lips to hers. She answered him directly by parting her lips for him. With their eyes closed, they forgot about the world around them; her arms around him, his hands sliding from her shoulders to her lower back.

They both jumped at the sudden sound of the cab’s horn that warped them back to reality. He tasted blood from her biting his lip in the shock of the noise. Slightly embarrassed, they got in the cab and gave the driver directions. Her house was on the route to his so it figured she’d be dropped off, first. Emily snuggled against him, resting her head against his right arm and putting her hand on his knee. He put his hand over hers.

It was a quarter-of-an-hour drive, and Jack knew that in those fifteen minutes he’d have to decide what to do once they got to Emily’s house. She might ask him to come inside, to spend the rest of the night together, and then – and then what? What did he want – what did he know to be the right thing to do?

When they arrived at the apartment building she lived in, he wasn’t sure, yet. But she was, apparently, because she got out her wallet and said to the driver,

“Can you wait here for a minute? My good Sir Knight here will bring me all the way to my doorstep. Right?”

Jack paid for the cab ride up to there and was dragged out of the car by Emily. He followed her inside, and saw her push the button that’d take the elevator to the 9th floor. The doors shut and up they went. She pushed him against the back wall and stood on her toes to kiss him. He kissed back and forgot his doubts for a moment. She was beautiful. He lifted her up and put her down to sit on the armrest bar. She brought her legs apart so he could stand in between them, his crotch against hers. She giggled as she felt he was getting hard. They breathed into each other’s mouth as their hands explored each other’s backs, sides, hips, a**es, legs.

The elevator went ping and the doors opened. Jack moved to get out, intending to carry her to her apartment, but Emily whispered in his ear, “I live on the fifth floor. My mistake.” She felt for the button panel with one hand as she kept a tight grip on his jacket with the other.
The doors closed again and the elevator went down. On the fifth floor, he did carry her to her door and set her down in front of it. She had to rummage through her purse to find her key, and as Jack watched her this thing that everyone would have recognized as typically Jack happened in his head. When she’d opened the door and flung her arms around his neck to kiss him and move inside together, he pulled back. In part cursing himself for coming all this way with this; in part cursing himself for not being able to just let himself go for one night.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” he sighed, shaking his head.

“What?” she was disappointed, puzzled. “Why?”

“Because,” he took a breathe… “I… you’re too nice to be a rebound girl.”

“Rebound girl?” she said unbelievingly. Then she started to laugh – equally unbelievingly.
“Jack… I’m not exactly looking for a long-term-relationship, either.”

She looked at him and her laugh subsided as she saw he wasn’t laughing, yet looking guiltily.

“You’re serious, aren’t you? My goodness, Jack – how much booze does it take to get you to loosen up? Did you never hear about ‘seizing the day?’”

He snorted with a smile. She tugged at his sleeve. “Come on.”

She was beautiful. He was excited. She didn’t ask for anything after tonight. He’d been told to let go of Sarah. There was no one he’d have to justify himself to – no one but himself. He should be able to deal with that.

He let her lead him into her apartment and kicked the door shut behind him. Absorbed in each other, they found their way to the bedroom and in the dark kissed, touched, felt, tugged at clothes, and lost themselves in each other.

* * *

Chapter 2 and 3 are done. Let me know if you want me to post.

[Jackaroo]

Rebound Girl

Part Two

Bit of insight on Jack and Emily as they wake up next morning.

They hadn’t closed the curtains, and sunlight woke Jack up. He and Emily had fallen asleep in half-embrace; he lying on his back and she snuggling up against him. Her arm lay across his bare chest; his arm supported her neck as her head rested against his shoulder. He didn’t remember any sheets, but they were pulled up to cover half of their bodies now.

Staring at the ceiling, he wondered what he’d gotten himself into. Day after. Headache. Deep breath.

He could simply leave. That’s what she’d said, right? “Seize the day;” no consequences; no strings attached. Get up, get out, and get on with life.

There were two things that made it hard to leave.
First, there was the fact she was lying half next to and half on top of him. The chances of her not waking up were small.
And second. She really was a nice girl, and he wasn’t sure he wanted this to be just a one-night thing. He rubbed his eyelids and temples with his fingers and took another deep breath.

Sarah and he weren’t even officially divorced, yet. He’d signed the forms yesterday – after which he’d driven around and ended up in the bar – and it wouldn’t be long before he’d receive some confirmation letter, or whatever. He hadn’t wanted to divorce so soon. That would just make it so… real. He’d tried to believe that it wasn’t too late – that she could and might still take back her decision, and they could both get a chance to make it up. He’d forgive, and she’d win his trust again. He still loved her, and he had reasoned, cried, and shouted. He’d reminded her of the vows they’d made – ‘forever.’ But she’d said it was too late, that she was in love, and that she was sorry.
All they had to do to make their vows undone was sign some paper. And that – if it was that easy, than marriage and vows were just… a lie.

He looked at Emily as he felt her fingers move across his chest. She was awake, and he brushed the hair that hid her face back.

Last night – that’d been real. It’d been fun. And he could credit the alcohol for part of it, but Emily deserved the credit much more.

Day after. There should be regrets. More than he felt, right then. He smiled.

* * *

The first thing Emily became aware of when she woke up was how light it was in her bedroom. The second thing was the man that lay in her bed with her, his chest going up and down regularly under her arm. She lay silently for a while, feeling and listening. When he sighed and she realized he was awake, she raked her fingers through his chest hair and looked up at his face. He looked back at her and a faint smile crept across his face. She gave him a warm one in return.

“Good morning,” she said softly but cheerfully.

“Hi,” he said in a morning-voice.

“You’re still here.”

She couldn’t help but sound surprised, since she was surprised.

“Most guys sneak out as soon as possible.”

It was out before she realized it. Just great – tell a guy he was one out of many. That would make sure he’d get away as soon as he could.
It was the way she lived her life and she refused to judge herself or be judged by anyone else for it. Someday she’d meet Mr. Right and fall in love, but she was determined to enjoy her freedom until that would happen. And the guys she brought home with her were the same - just looking to have some fun.

But this guy was different. She’d known that since she’d first seen him sitting there by himself at the bar, so… lost. He’d never gone home with anyone before, that was crystal. Emily’s guess was he’d been married and just got divorced, or something. In any case, he was having a hard time about a break-up. Poor guy.

She reminded herself she was not looking for a charity project, and so it was good if she scared him off.
But on the other hand, last night had been more than just ‘fun.’ She’d felt safe with him – comfortable was the right word – and she’d had to watch out not to tell him too much about herself. And what he’d said – “You’re too nice to be a rebound girl” – had gotten to her more than she’d like to acknowledge to anyone, including herself. Neither did she want to acknowledge she was, in fact, glad he was still there.

What she’d said either didn’t get through to him, or it didn’t matter to him, because he answered with a smile; “You’re practically lying on top of me – how do you suppose I’d sneak out?”

“Hmm… good point,” she said. So maybe she shouldn’t be that surprised.

As she moved to lie a bit more comfortable (still using his arm for a pillow) she could see it all coming. Jack would not just go home and forget about this – about her. If she’d give him her number, he might actually use it. And – crap – she might say ‘yes’ if he’d ask her out.

He sounded insecure, “I should’ve?”

“What?”

“I should’ve sneaked out?”

She shook her head. “No… no – this is fine.” Warm smile.