Fleckless

Chapter two ***

Back at Wall Street, Sally cried her eyes out. She wondered how life could take such a toll on her. As an English Literature graduate and a successful novelist, she had written five romantic novels, all of which were bestsellers. Her career was thriving, but her love life was a mess. She had even written books on 'how to maintain relationships' despite her inability to find a great man. They all seemed to leave, leaving her as lonely as ever. She had hoped it would be different with Jake, but here she was, seated on the floor with only a bathrobe to cover herself, her eyes puffed up. She had the body of a goddess with fair skin that turned pink under the sunlight. Her hair was silk blonde, matching her emerald eyes. She was only twenty-six, but love was what she craved most. Her body shuddered under the cold floor, forming goosebumps on her skin. She spent her next hours crying her heart out until she finally curled herself to sleep on the concrete floor. On the other side of town, Jake was dragging his half-dead, half-awake body to his favorite bar. He thought he could drink away his pain. Jake walked with his head down, shoulders slumped, and eyes fixed on the ground as if carrying the world's weight on his shoulders. He had a blank expression as if he was lost in thought. His breath came out shallow and heavy. People passed by him, dismay written all over their faces. They mumbled to one another, pointing towards him, but he couldn't hear them. He could not feel anything around him, including the cold breeze that brushed his skin. Even though it was warm, he was shivering. He had long forgotten about his car parked at the hospital entrance. His eyesight had become blurry, and he felt the tears threatening to fall. Soon enough, J&M's bar came into view. It was a secluded area, and only 'big" people were allowed in. It was a place where you needed an ID to get in. There was already a line, and it was only noon. He stumbled to the front of the line. Being a regular, the bouncer let him in without a second thought. Immediately he walked in, he felt the familiar stench of whisky. The DJ played one of his favorite songs, "No Peace" by Sam Smith. Great, to add to my pain, he whispered to himself. Jake didn't bother checking his surroundings. Instead, he went directly for the bar top. Took out a stool and sat next to a pretty girl. The bartender raised an eyebrow for him, it was their way of greeting, then went back into making his drink. Two shots of gin with three ice cubes, just the way he liked it. He slid the coppa glass to him. Jake held onto it before it passed him. He circled his finger on its rim, lost in thoughts. The brunette seated next to him trailed her fingers on his forearm. A smile passed across Jake's features, his eyes never leaving the circle of his fingers on the glass. Seeing that Jake hadn't moved her fingers away, she became bolder and turned to face him. Blue sapphire eyes burning with desire stared straight at him. Jake subtly adjusted his body position to better understand the woman. Pink glossed lips, small and inviting, gazed at him. She was seductively biting her lower lip. This small action was enough for Jake to squirm in his seat. Looking at those lips, he wanted to grab her, put her on his shoulder, and carry her back home. He thought she looked too pretty to be stared down by drunkards in such a lousy bar. The brunette placed her hand on his thigh and slowly traced circles. Bold and cunning. He enjoyed her tease and decided to play a game of his own. Jake neither turned nor showed any acknowledgment. She was becoming anxious. A pout formed on her lips making her appear cute like a little bunny. The brunette grabbed Jake's chin with her long purple nails, forcing him to face her."Hey, handsome! You seem out of place. Wanna head to mine?"Jake reached for a cigarette and lit it, masking his emotions. The brunette gazed at him curiously as he took a drag from his cigarette, inhaling the smoke and holding it in before exhaling. After a moment of conversation, silence fell between the two individuals. The woman waited for Jake to say something, but a couple of minutes had passed and he remained quiet. Feeling defeated, the woman stood up to leave. Just as she turned, Jake firmly grabbed her hand, holding her in place. "The night is still young m'lady. Care for a dance?" Jake's hoarse voice came through.Jake finally looked into her eyes. She left in a daze; they were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't utter any words and hesitantly nodded. She was lost in thought, reminiscing about his oceanic eyes locked onto hers while they were intimate. Mentally scolding herself, Lizzie tried to regain her focus. This was a complete stranger, and she was already thinking about sleeping with him. Maybe it was due to the several shots of tequila she had earlier with her friends before they vanished. The wetness in her panty was a validation that it wasn't the alcohol thinking, her body wanted him. Jake stood up and led the brunette to the dance floor, where he offered his hand and she accepted it eagerly. The song then changed to 'Dance for You' by Beyoncé. It was perfect timing. Lizzie swayed her hips to the rhythm of the music, and all the men in the club turned their attention to her. She was fucking beautiful. Her black lace dress hugged her body perfectly, accentuating all her curves. He admired the petite woman in his arms; her head fit perfectly on his chest as she was shorter than Jake.Lizzie thought about how perfect this guy was. He was the type of man who would make you a cup of coffee every morning if you asked him to. The man who appears at your door late at night, holding your favorite book and a cup of tea in one hand. He leads you into his car. The car is warm and cozy, and there's a blanket waiting to cover you up, knowing you're always cold. As Lizzie reflects on her past, she wonders how she couldn't have realized from the beginning that her ex was the kind of person you meet at a bar, have a good time with, and then disappear from each other's lives without even knowing each other's names. Yesterday, she caught her fiancé in bed with someone else on the eve of their wedding. Devastated, she called off the wedding. She cried all day until her friends convinced her to leave the house, telling her that getting out and being around people would make her feel better. She would not have met this attractive stranger if it were not for her friends. She reminded herself to thank her friends the next morning. The man before her had the most beautiful eyes, yet they held some sorrow and pain. She wanted to know the story behind it. She massaged the back of his neck, working her way up into his hair. Jake groaned as Lizzie pulled his hair, earning more groans. "You don't know what you're getting into, little girl." She looked at him, smirked, and pulled his hair tighter. Jake chuckled, loving her fierceness.Jake leaned in close and spoke in a commanding tone, "Come with me." This made Lizzie shudder. As she looked up, he was already walking out the door. She followed him outside, but the cold breeze made her shudder. She regretted not carrying a jacket. As she looked to her right, she noticed a group of men smoking pot. She didn't want to draw attention to herself, so she held herself, looked down, and continued walking. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind with strong hands. Lizzie felt fearful, but her heart eased when she turned around to see his deep blue eyes. He kindly removed his jacket and placed it on her shoulders before extending his hand to her. Lizzie took his hand without hesitation. They walked silently until arriving at the parking lot. He then led her to a dark alleyway. Jake pinned the girl to the wall and began kissing her neck as she whimpered. "Did your parents never tell you not to follow strangers?"Jake looked at her questioningly. Without waiting for a reply, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her small hands tugged at his hair while his lips worked their magic on her neck. He was grabbing in all the right places. Lizzie wanted more. She had never felt so alive. She lifted his head and pressed her lips to his, tasting the remnants of bourbon in his mouth and strawberries in hers. He devoured her mouth. The kiss started soft but quickly became passionate and hungry as if they needed each other to survive. Their tongues met and entwined. They explored each other's mouths. Lizzie's hand reached out to his pants and started unzipping them before he stopped her. He kissed her shoulder, sucking on her neckbone. It would leave a nasty scar, but that was tomorrow's worry."You got a car?" Lizzie was taken aback by the sudden question about her car. Despite her confusion, her body began to involuntarily whimper. After nodding her head, he straightened up and left her feeling cold. He motioned for her to lead the way. As they approached the baby blue Range Rover, she guided them towards it and unlocked the doors. Jake took the keys from her and courteously opened the passenger seat for her. She stepped inside quietly and he fastened her seatbelt before closing the door and heading for the driver's seat. He started the engine, gave her a boyish grin, and drove off.The drive was quiet, and Lizzie couldn't bear the silence. She decided to start a conversation. "May I have the pleasure of knowing the driver's name?" Lizzie had encountered many men, but none had made her as nervous as the one before her. Jake chuckled. This surprised Lizzie. Jake laughed heartily and stole glances at the adorable girl beside him. She playfully slapped his arm, and he asked, "What?" She couldn't believe this man. He made her heart race and still found a way to make her smile."You allowed a stranger to touch you and drive you home without knowing him. He could be a serial killer for all you know." Now this made Lizzie laugh. "If that's the case, then I must be a mad scientist taking you to my lab for a crazy experiment."This girl was fearless, funny, and crazy. Jake dove into the den despite knowing it was a terrible idea, his heart swelling for her. "Jake. Jake Adams." "What?" she said, wiping the tears away. Silence fell between them. "You should smile more. I like you this way, unlike the depressed guy I met at the club." This caught Jake by surprise. He hadn't realized that he hadn't smiled the whole day. He suddenly realized that he had lost his family and felt conflicted about being in a car with a young woman. Despite this, he found peace in her presence and considered changing his ways. He turned to face her, taking in her youthful energy. A sense of guilt overcame him as he contemplated involving her in his troubled life. Despite his reservations, he couldn't seem to resist her. Suddenly, her phone beeped, and she glanced at it before quickly turning it off. It was the first time he had noticed that she even had a phone. He couldn't help but feel sad at the thought of her receiving a message so late at night. Who could be texting her at this hour, unless she had a boyfriend? Surely it was wrong to ask, so he turned his attention to the road ahead. Nobody spoke for a while. He imagined she had fallen asleep until she said, "Lizzie Pepperman." He thought it was a beautiful name. He promised himself to drop her off at her house and then depart. Lizzie lowered her car window, letting in the chilly air, causing her to shiver. He raised the window and turned on the seat heater to warm her. She involuntarily moaned as the heat felt good against her bare back and thighs. The soft moan from her lips was enough to make Jake's cock twitch. He desired her greatly. Suddenly, he felt too warm and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his chest. Lizzie couldn't help but stare at the snack in front of her. She imagined running her hands down his chest. "Like what you see?" he questioned, chuckling. Even though she knew he was teasing her, she loved it. And God, did she want him. She couldn't wait to return to her place and do several things she had in mind for him. Lizzie knew he would be thinking about her for days to come. She gave him the benefit of the doubt and turned her attention to the darkness outside. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but it felt right in all the wrong ways. Her life was a complete mess, and she couldn't help but feel guilty for dragging an innocent man into all her problems. Something told her that there was no ending to this. She was feeling terrible. At 26 years old, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life lacked direction, particularly when she compared herself to friends who seemed to have it all figured out. Unlike them, she loved going with the flow. At one point, she thought her life would be perfect as she was to marry the man of her parents' dreams. He was accomplished, wealthy, and intelligent, yet he ultimately revealed himself to be unpleasant. Despite discovering what Brad did on their wedding eve, her parents still supported him. They held no love nor sympathy for her, as vivid in the threatening messages she received from them. All she ever wanted was love and support from her parents, but as an only child, she never received it. A tear rolled down her cheek. A hand wiped away her tears, bringing her out of her sad thoughts. Lizzie was unaware that she was crying until that moment. She turned to face the person beside her, who then put his arms around her. They remained in that position for some time, without speaking. Eventually, she pulled away from the embrace and saw they had parked in front of her door.