The Summoner Series - Book One - DUALITY

Chapter 17: Jazzy - The Ship has Sailed

I walked up the stairs towards where the rooms were. It was just a hallway really but there was a door near the end that leads to the roof. I walked to the third door on the right, which was my room. I turned towards the left and opened the door and acted like it was my own room.

Bruce was turned around so his back was facing the doorway. He already had his change of pants on, but he was in the process of taking off his shirt. I took in the view before me. He was scarred up and down his back in irregular patterns. Slashes, whips, spirals, bruises, gashes, arcs, and any number of injuries. But I only looked at them for a short time until I saw his rippling muscles. It was a sight to behold. His skin looked like milk chocolate, but his muscles looked as solid as boulders. I could see every muscle on his back move as he lifted his arms to take his shirt off before he turned to see me in the doorway.

I could see my face go visibly red. "I-I'm sorry," I stuttered, "I thought that this- I mean I knew you were - I mean-"

"It's fine," Bruce cut me off. Thank goodness, or I may not have been able to stop stuttering. "Is there something you needed?"

My mind went blank. I thought of something before I came in here, but since seeing him I lost all thoughts. A thought finally came to me. "I'm sorry, I, uh, I thought that this was my room."

"No worries." He lifted the new shirt up to take a look at it. The shirt was a green with blue stripes. He threw it on with ease. "I'm assuming you want something since you're just standing in my doorway."

I didn't even realize that I was still standing there. I tried to move my legs but they were stiff and jelly at the same time. I needed to think of a reason why I was still there. "I was just wondering..."

"Yeah?"

"...if you wanted to take a look at your tuxedo for the heist."

"Uh, sure. I just changed but if you wanna show me my tux I'd be willing to change into it really quick."

"Yeah, I've got the bag right here." I stepped inside the room and dropped my change of clothes on his bed so I could place the bag on the floor and open the bag up. I pulled out a large shirt and jacket with an equally large pair of black dress pants. "Sorry, I couldn't find a tie in your size. But I hope this fits."

"Thanks." He took the clothes and took a step back. I was still facing his direction. "Turn around, Jazzy."

I quickly turned around as I felt the blood rush to my face again. I've never felt embarrassed or nervous like this before, and if I have it wasn't about someone else. The last time I was this nervous was the first time I put on a heist.

"Alright, you can turn around now." He told me. I turned around to see bruce mostly put together in a suit, minus the socks, shoes, and tie. "What do you think?"

"Uh, I think it would look better with shoes and socks."

"Well, I'm gonna change back into my other clothes, so why bother."

"I guess you're right. I'll leave you be now." I started to walk towards the door.

Bruce called after me, "Your name can't be Jazzy, can it?"

I froze in the doorway, and turned my head around. "And why is that?"

He started taking his jacket off. "Well, I've never heard of anyone called Jazzy, and I'm sure as anything certain that Nocturnus is not his real name, so it's not out of the question that you have a pseudonym, too."

I realized that this was my chance to be enticing. "I guess that's something you'll have to find out." I walked out and made my way to my own room and closed the door behind me.

I took a heavy sigh of relief and started to breath heavily and rapidly. I forced myself to calm down and took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. What in the world did I just do? I've never even attempted to be as flirty as I just was with Bruce. This whole sensation was new to me. I need to take my mind off of this. I need to stab something. I walked over to my window when I heard a knock at my door. I opened it up to find Cain standing in the doorway.

"What do you want, nerd?" I said, still a tad shaken.

"I just wanted to see what my costume was, since I won't be in the limelight like Cece will be, but considering your brain chemistry is all out of sorts, maybe I should come back." I could tell that he was smirking behind his hood.

"Shut up, Cain, you know I'm a professional. I don't have messed up brain chemistry."

"And you know that I can read you like a book."

"When was the last time you read a book?" I hoped this would be enough to get him off my back.

"That's not the point, Jazzy." I guess it wasn't. "The point is that you can't let your emotions get in the way of this job. You came to me, remember? Don't screw this up." He walked away and back down the stairs.

"Stay out of my head, Cain." I called after him.

"I can't help it. I love an interesting story." He called back before he disappeared down the stairs.

"What a weird kid." I disappeared into my room, and jumped out the window, looking for someone to stab around String City.