Falling From Disgrace (5 page)

“Really?” he asked, impressed.  “Did you graduate?”

“I did.  Double major in biology and chemistry.”

Jack dropped his fork and sat back in his chair.  “The more I learn about you, Adrianna, the more confused I get.  You have degrees in biology and chemistry from Northwestern University?  Jesus, you must be brilliant!”

Adrianna rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “Hardly.”

“What did you want to do with those degrees, rocket scientist?”

“I wanted to be a pediatrician.” 

Jack noticed the way Adrianna said the words sadly, like it wasn’t something she just gave up on but that had been taken away from her.  When she didn’t offer any more than that he supposed it was information that would come out eventually.

“That’s amazing, Ade,” he told her.  “I hope you go back to pursuing that one day.”

Adrianna didn't want to respond and so she busied herself with cutting up an egg roll.  

"What the hell are you doing?" Jack admonished when he saw her.  "You don't eat an egg roll with a fork!"

Adrianna blushed and told him, "I don’t like to get my hands dirty."

Jack snickered.

"I mean when I'm eating!" Adrianna stuttered, flustered with herself for not hearing the innuendo in her words.  Jack laughed some more. 

"I mean when I'm eating food in the kitchen...oh, shut up, Jack!"

A
fter sharing a cigarette at Adrianna’s kitchen window, she and Jack moved on to her couch where he turned on her television. 

"Oh, go back!"  Adrianna exclaimed as Jack was flipping through the channels.  "
Forrest Gump
is on!"

Jack chuckled but turned back to where the movie was playing and set the remote down, settling into the couch with Adrianna close to his side.  Rather than watch the movie, he watched her, enjoying the way she looked at the television with deep interest. 

Jenny was just crossing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool when Jack noticed Adrianna had tears in her eyes.

"You're really into this movie aren't you?" he asked, putting his arm around her and liking how she snuggled into his side.

"Of course," she sniffled.  "Forrest Gump is the most amazing fictional character ever created.  He taught Elvis to dance, came up with the lyrics to John Lennon's most famous song, and was responsible for Nixon's downfall.  How can you not love this movie?"

Jack leaned down to whisper in her ear.  "I think you might have a crush on Forrest, Adrianna," earning him an elbow in the side.   "Would it turn you on if I talked like him?" he continued to tease. 

"Shh," Adrianna chastised.  "I'm watching a movie."

Jack brushed his lips against the shell of Adrianna's ear, eliciting a shiver from her and then, using his best southern, Forrest Gump accent he said, "Jenny and me was like peas and carrots."

Adrianna burst into giggles, not knowing what was funnier, the fact that a hot and sexy man like Jack was doing a Forrest Gump impression or that he actually did it well.

Before her laughter could subside, Jack continued his torment with adding, "Lieutenant Dan!" 

When she slapped his arm to get him to stop he retaliated by pinching her side, causing her to pull away abruptly in a fit of more laughter.

"Oh, you’re ticklish!" Jack grinned evilly, and went in for the kill, grabbing both of Adrianna's sides and squeezing until she was on her back, squirming underneath him. 

"Stop, stop, please, Jack, stop!" she squealed, struggling in vain to remove his hands from her.   "Not the knees!"

Jack just kept tickling and quoting the movie, throwing in, "Bubba was my best good friend," causing a snort to escape Adrianna.  That made Jack laugh and soon they were a tangled mess of hysterical limbs, the both of them laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.

Adrianna couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much.  When it settled and they lay breathing heavily, Jack on top of her across her sofa, she brought a hand up to cup his cheek.

"W
here did you come from, Loki?" she asked softly, looking into his beautiful eyes.

Rather than get a response, she was rewarded with a small kiss on the inside of her wrist.  The action sent her stomach dancing. 

She moved first, reaching up to pull Jack's lips to hers.  Again, he kissed her in that way that made her forget her name, forget her problems, and forget everything else that existed in the world other than Jack's mouth.  

She pulled away for a second to tell him, "You're an amazing kisser," and then sealed her lips back to his again.

Jack had been pleased when he saw Adrianna's lighter side.  He knew he sounded like an ass doing the impressions but it was well worth it.  Hearing Adrianna laugh was amazing and though he didn't think it was possible, she became even more beautiful when she lit up while he tickled her.  And how adorable was she when she snorted?

He had been told he was a good kisser before but those other times it had no effect on him whatsoever.  For some reason when Adrianna said it he felt his chest swell with pride and he suddenly felt like it was his mission in life to impress her in every way possible.  Fuck that he still didn't know a whole lot about her; he knew she was smart, had a sense of humor, and was sexy as hell when she was turned on.  And damn, if the sounds she made when he moved his hand underneath her shirt didn't drive him crazy.

Now set with a new purpose to see how many sexy noises he could elicit from Adrianna, he pulled her Kermit shirt (adorable as well) up and yanked the cup of her demure, white, cotton bra down.   Jack gave her one more burning kiss and a sly grin before closing his lips around her pebbled bud. 

Adrianna decided that Jack's tongue was without a doubt the most talented part of his body.  The way he kissed was remarkable but when he circled her nipple, then flicked his tongue over it, then bit it,
then
licked it, Adrianna felt as if she was ready to explode.

"God, that feels incredible," she groaned, fisting her hands in his hair.  "Don't stop!"

Jack smiled around her breast and kissed the smooth swell before lifting his head.

"Just a minute ago you were begging me to stop and now you’re telling me not to.  Make up your mind, beautiful girl.”

“This feels better than the tickling, smart ass,” she murmured and pulled his head back to her breast.

Adrianna’s sofa was not large but it was capable enough to hold two sated lovers after they finished having sex.  Jack lay with his head resting on Adrianna’s chest, completely content to spend the rest of eternity coming inside of her and then resting on a pillow comprised of her fantastic tits.  While her fingers scratched his scalp he hummed appreciatively.  Then, back in his perfect Forrest voice he said, “Oh, I feel dizzy.”

Chapter 5

A
drianna saw Jack several more times over the next three weeks and in that time she had more good days than bad.  On her good days, she felt optimistic about their new relationship and happy to have someone in her life.  She hadn’t opened up to him completely, still convinced he was going to cut all ties with her once he knew everything, but it still felt good to share little pieces of herself with someone else after so long.

On bad days, when Adrianna hadn’t gotten enough sleep or was in more pain than usual, she felt hopeless and wondered if she should just call Jack and end it.  She even spent the better part of one day coming up with a story about getting back together with an ex-boyfriend so that Jack would accept her blowing him off.  The thought of not seeing him anymore, though, made her even more depressed, and so she didn’t do it.  She was determined to finally make one positive change in her life.

The pills were still a constant, though Adrianna was careful not to take any in front of Jack.  She always made sure to take them just before seeing him and they didn’t stay the entire night at each other’s places in the evenings.  Adrianna knew he had seen the scar down her back since every time they were together they ended up naked, but he didn’t ask about it and she didn’t offer the information.  The longer she could go without telling him what happened, the better.

On the bad days she would tell Jack that she couldn’t see him, making up fake plans with fake friends if he called.  He would find it odd if she told him the only friend she actually had was Heather, the divorced mother across the hall.  He would wonder why she didn’t keep in touch with anyone from school and that would lead to explanations she didn’t want to give. 

In the time Adrianna did spend with Jack she grew to like him more and more.  Not only was he sexy, he was smart, with ideas and opinions regarding everything from pop culture to politics, and as a business owner he was responsible and discerning.  She loved seeing his silly side and that he was never too self-conscious when it came to making her laugh.  He’d sing to her at the top of his lungs, make goofy faces at her, and quote ridiculous lines from funny movies.   

The night of the Forrest Gump impressions, when Jack was leaving and he leaned in to kiss Adrianna goodbye, she had said, “Goodnight, Forrest,” to which he replied, “Goodnight, Jenny.”  Since then they took to calling each other one half of a famous movie duo to see if they could stump the other one with coming up with the mate. 

So that evening, when Adrianna’s phone rang and she saw it was Jack calling, she answered, “Hello, Farm Boy.”

“Uh,” Jack thought for a moment and Adrianna smiled, thinking she had stumped him.  “Buttercup!  Princess Buttercup,” Jack exclaimed, triumphantly.  “Phew, you almost had me at that one.”

“Should I be concerned that you know
The Princess Bride
,” Adrianna questioned him.

“I have a sister, remember, Maude?”

“I do, Harold.  What’s up?”

“I’m working but the bar is pretty dead tonight.  Thought you might want to come down here and keep me company ‘til closing,” Jack invited.

“Does this invitation include free drinks?” Adrianna probed.  She knew she would be going to see him but couldn’t help but tease.

“Hmm,” Jack said, “I don’t know.  The owner of this dump is kind of a bastard and I could get into trouble for giving the booze away.”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” Adrianna whispered in her most seductive voice.

“You’re on!”

Laughing, Adrianna said, “I’ll be there in about an hour, Cheech.”

“See you soon, Chong.”

J
ack was on the phone listening to one of his waitresses give him some excuse about not being able to make it into work the next day when he saw Adrianna walk in.  She made eye contact with him and he winked at her then watched her take a seat at the far end of the bar.  Whatever Jessica was saying in his ear didn’t register with him because he was distracted by checking out what Adrianna was wearing.  She had on a fitted red top with a short jean skirt and those long legs of hers looked amazing.  Glancing down at her feet he saw she wore a pair of gold, strappy, high-heeled sandals and his jeans became tight in the crotch area.

“Whatever, Jessica,” he barked into the phone, not taking his eyes off Adrianna.  “You need to call around to have your shift covered.”

He turned to greet Adrianna but was thwarted by a customer asking for a refill on his scotch and soda.  After that, he was called into the back because one of his cooks couldn’t find something in the walk-in freezer.  For a slow night he was suddenly being kept busy and it annoyed him.  He wanted to spend time with Adrianna after not seeing her for three days.

Okay, he knew three days wasn’t a long time, but he liked being around her.  She was easy going, low maintenance, and loved sex.  What wasn’t to like about the girl?  In the handful of times they saw each other, they only went out once, staying in at Adrianna’s insistence.  She told him she had a much better time just hanging out at one of their apartments, just talking or watching movies. 

Or fucking, Jack added as an afterthought. 

Not to mention, she wasn’t demanding or clingy.  As a matter of fact, Jack called her most times and rather than see him every single time he asked, she still lived her own life and did things with her friends.  She didn’t make herself completely available to him and he liked that; it made it all the better when they did see each other.  And while she was still reluctant to talk about herself, Jack thought Adrianna was the coolest girl he had met in a long time.  He was sure this was a relationship that would become long term.

Finally, after dealing with yet another problem (the men’s room was out of paper towels) he was able to go to Adrianna.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted, taking her face in his hands and kissing her sweetly.

“Hey,” she blushed, looking around to see if anyone was watching them.  Jack loved how she was a vixen in the bedroom but when it came to just a kiss in his bar she was shy.  He did notice they had an audience of Kelly, the one waitress who was working, and one of the three people sitting at the bar, but he didn’t give a fuck, it was his place.  He was sure though that Kelly would be running her mouth to the entire staff that worked there the first chance she got.  Most of the women he hired had hit on him at some point but he politely but firmly rejected their advances.  Rule number one in any business: you don’t shit where you eat. 

Adrianna felt a little self-conscious kissing Jack in his bar but when she saw a red headed waitress eyeing them with the slightest bit of envy she thought, “Yeah, bitch, he’s mine.”

Wait a minute.  Was he hers?

When he asked about her day she told him that it was uneventful and that she had stayed in, choosing to finish organizing her closet that she had started weeks ago and read. 

“What did you read?” Jack asked her with genuine interest.

Adrianna blushed again, intriguing Jack all the more
. 
“Some trashy, romance novel that made its way to the New York Times’ bestseller list,” she admitted to him.

“Trashy romance?  That sounds a bit like lady porn,” he teased.

“Ugh, it is!” Adrianna cringed.  “I don’t know why I keep reading them, they’re all the same!  Some ridiculously wealthy, hot, young billionaire becomes obsessed with a sweet, young, virgin and she saves him from whatever demons that are plaguing him.  They fuck, fall in love after three pages and then he makes it his sole purpose in life to give her eighty-six orgasms a day.”

Jack looked impressed and said, “I might have to read one of those books.”

He needed to leave her side to take up his post behind the bar and pour drinks but anytime he was idle he went to stand near her. 

“That guy’s an asshole,” Jack huffed after pouring another scotch and soda for the guy hanging out at the other end of the bar.

“He seems quiet, how can you tell?” Adrianna asked appraising the man.  He looked to be in his forties, with thinning hair, and dressed in a smart business suit.  While he nursed his scotch his eyes never left the phone in his hands, reading something on the screen that must have been pretty engrossing.

“He’s drinking scotch.  All scotch drinkers are assholes,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“Is that right?  Can you tell a lot from a person from what they order, Yoda?”

“Oh hell, yeah,” he said.  “Let me enlighten you, young Jedi.  Domestic beer means you have no imagination.  Wine, you’re just as boring but you want to appear classy to those around you.  If you order a margarita, you’re not much of a drinker and probably an insurance agent trying to let loose on a weekend.  Vodka or Rum mixed with anything means you’re most likely underage and using a fake ID, and if you order a martini, you’re a total douche.”

Adrianna couldn’t help but grin at his tirade.  He was just too cute.

“Are there any drinks that don’t make you an asshole or a douche?” she asked. 

“Sure,” he said, leaning down on his folded arms on the bar.  “You drink whiskey, you’re cool.  You don’t give a fuck about anyone or anything and you’re out just looking to have a good time.”

“Is that all?”  Adrianna paused to light a cigarette.  “What about me?”  She gestured towards her gin and tonic sitting in front of her.

“Ah, now there’s a telling drink,” Jack drawled.  “A gin and tonic girl is... comfortable.  She knows what she wants and isn’t trying to impress anyone.”  He leaned further in towards her before continuing, staring into her big, brown eyes.  “She’s fun to hang out with because she’s not pretentious in any way and you’ll always wonder what’s going on in that beautiful head of hers.”

“That’s a lot you can tell about one little drink,” Adrianna whispered.

“There’s one more thing,” Jack said, jerking his head to let her know to come closer to him.  When she stretched across the bar he purred, “She’s fucking amazing in bed,” and flicked his tongue over her earlobe. 

Flushing a brilliant shade of crimson, Adrianna looked at the clock hanging over the bar. “How much longer ‘til closing?”

A few hours later, Adrianna emerged from the restroom, refreshed and refueled.  It was still a half hour until official closing time but the place was empty and Jack had sent the rest of the staff home.  They were the only two left in the bar.

While Jack counted out the register till, Adrianna took her first good look at Loki’s.  She hadn’t been bothered to notice it before, but the place was really eclectic in a funky looking way.  None of the tables, chairs, or barstools matched.  In one corner there was a table that looked like it was from a diner from the fifties, with chrome sides and a glittery red top.  On the other side, there was a round table with a mosaic design in the shape of a tiger.  All the tables in between were different and the chairs were just as diverse.  He had everything from high-back winged chairs to wooden stools.  Around the bar were padded seats with all different types of patterned fabric, solid black to pink with white polka dots. 

Jack came out from behind the bar to find Adrianna standing in the middle of the floor looking around her.

“Quite a varied taste you have, huh?” she asked him.

He shrugged, pulling her into his arms.  “Makes it more interesting this way, I think.  At least there’s something for everyone in here.”

“There certainly is.  You’re set to serve Queen Elizabeth or Larry the Cable Guy in this place.”

Jack chuckled and then leaned down to kiss her.  He wasn’t interested in talking anymore.  He had waited all night to be alone with her and he didn’t want to waste it.  Adrianna had other ideas though.

She kissed him back for a beat and then pulled away to ask, “Where did you get all of this stuff?”

Jack shrugged, “All different places.  I started planning Loki’s almost two years ago and while I was saving the money to open it I started collecting this stuff.  I’d hit flea markets, swap meets, antique stores all over the Midwest just building up my collection and putting it in storage.  Anyhow, here it is.”