Free My Body-Mine by Blakely Bennett Page B
Authors: Blakely Bennett
hear the question.” His expression told me he had an idea where my thoughts had strayed.
“ Working on a scene for your book?” Chase asked, raising his eyebrow s .
“ That was the question?” I asked, but glanced over at Parker for confirmation. She shook her head.
“ No, actually I asked if you’d join us next week at Jazzed for Blues Café. It’s not far from here and friends of ours are playing next Saturday night,” Chase said.
My emotions all in a knot, I felt it best to nip his aspirations in the bud. “I’ll have to check with Marcello. I don’t know if he has any plans for us next weekend.”
Deflated but not defeated, Chase said, “Well, I do hope I get to see you again.”
The evening had turned out better than I imagined but it also left me churning over what to do about Chase. Did I want to see him again? Not even an option within my current circumstances, the prospect seemed stupid even to contemplate.
As I drove back to Marcello’s, I anxiously wondered if he’d be home and whether or not we could resolve the issues between us.
I entered the house with some trepidation, wondering if Janice would be there. I hoped it would just be Marcello and me.
“ How was dinner?” he said, sitting in his usual spot on the couch.
Settling in next to him, I said, “Ultimately not as bad as I thought. Rather uncomfortable at first but it got better. Andre seems like the perfect match for Parker and I enjoyed seeing them so happy together.”
“ And the friend he brought?”
“ He seemed somewhat forward but also interesting.” I shrugged my shoulders. “They want me to go out with them next Saturday to hear friends perform at a jazz club.”
“ And what do you want?”
“ I told them you might already have plans for me,” I said.
“ I approve of that response but it doesn’t answer my question.”
“ I feel rather ambivalent.”
“ Hmmm, I think you should go. You need to spend time with friends. Just remember our contract and that you are used to men, not boys.”
“ What’s that supposed to mean?”
“ Jane, don’t play naïve with me. You’re a gorgeous woman. Any man—no, every man—would consider themselves lucky to spend time with you. I doubt, however, that someone your age could handle your needs.”
I blushed, at a loss as to what to say.
“ Did he seem taken with you?” Marcello sipped his scotch as if not at all invested in my answer.
“ Taken? I’m not sure I’d use that word but he did flirt with me. He seemed like the naturally flirtatious type.”
“ Did he flirt with the waitress?”
“ No, but—” I said, shaking my head.
“ Or Parker?”
“ Well, no … What does it matter, anyway?” I leaned toward him. “I’m not interested,” I said.
“ Are you sure about that?” He inclined his head, his eyes boring in like an X-ray into my heart.
“ I thought things were progressing well for us,” I said. “That is, until today, where I’m left with a lot of questions.”
“ About what’s going on with me and Janice?” Marcello asked.
“ That and the house.”
Marcello’s head snapped in my direction. “What house? This house?”
“ The beach house. I went by there today.”
“ For what purpose?” I should have known that the news wouldn’t be welcome, but Marcello’s raised volume startled me.
“ We can explore my motives another time, Marcello. I’d like to know what the heck is going on. Why did you tell me Luke put the house on the market? All of our stuff is still there, minus the few boxes you and Janice brought here for me.”
“ He asked me to extract your personal belongings so I did.”
“ That doesn’t explain what you told me when you visited me in the stress unit. I found no ‘For Sale’ sign.”
“ I thought it would be easier for you to move on if that were the case, and he was definitely considering it. He mentioned possibly selling the house the last time I went by there.”
“ You are
“ Working on a scene for your book?” Chase asked, raising his eyebrow s .
“ That was the question?” I asked, but glanced over at Parker for confirmation. She shook her head.
“ No, actually I asked if you’d join us next week at Jazzed for Blues Café. It’s not far from here and friends of ours are playing next Saturday night,” Chase said.
My emotions all in a knot, I felt it best to nip his aspirations in the bud. “I’ll have to check with Marcello. I don’t know if he has any plans for us next weekend.”
Deflated but not defeated, Chase said, “Well, I do hope I get to see you again.”
The evening had turned out better than I imagined but it also left me churning over what to do about Chase. Did I want to see him again? Not even an option within my current circumstances, the prospect seemed stupid even to contemplate.
As I drove back to Marcello’s, I anxiously wondered if he’d be home and whether or not we could resolve the issues between us.
I entered the house with some trepidation, wondering if Janice would be there. I hoped it would just be Marcello and me.
“ How was dinner?” he said, sitting in his usual spot on the couch.
Settling in next to him, I said, “Ultimately not as bad as I thought. Rather uncomfortable at first but it got better. Andre seems like the perfect match for Parker and I enjoyed seeing them so happy together.”
“ And the friend he brought?”
“ He seemed somewhat forward but also interesting.” I shrugged my shoulders. “They want me to go out with them next Saturday to hear friends perform at a jazz club.”
“ And what do you want?”
“ I told them you might already have plans for me,” I said.
“ I approve of that response but it doesn’t answer my question.”
“ I feel rather ambivalent.”
“ Hmmm, I think you should go. You need to spend time with friends. Just remember our contract and that you are used to men, not boys.”
“ What’s that supposed to mean?”
“ Jane, don’t play naïve with me. You’re a gorgeous woman. Any man—no, every man—would consider themselves lucky to spend time with you. I doubt, however, that someone your age could handle your needs.”
I blushed, at a loss as to what to say.
“ Did he seem taken with you?” Marcello sipped his scotch as if not at all invested in my answer.
“ Taken? I’m not sure I’d use that word but he did flirt with me. He seemed like the naturally flirtatious type.”
“ Did he flirt with the waitress?”
“ No, but—” I said, shaking my head.
“ Or Parker?”
“ Well, no … What does it matter, anyway?” I leaned toward him. “I’m not interested,” I said.
“ Are you sure about that?” He inclined his head, his eyes boring in like an X-ray into my heart.
“ I thought things were progressing well for us,” I said. “That is, until today, where I’m left with a lot of questions.”
“ About what’s going on with me and Janice?” Marcello asked.
“ That and the house.”
Marcello’s head snapped in my direction. “What house? This house?”
“ The beach house. I went by there today.”
“ For what purpose?” I should have known that the news wouldn’t be welcome, but Marcello’s raised volume startled me.
“ We can explore my motives another time, Marcello. I’d like to know what the heck is going on. Why did you tell me Luke put the house on the market? All of our stuff is still there, minus the few boxes you and Janice brought here for me.”
“ He asked me to extract your personal belongings so I did.”
“ That doesn’t explain what you told me when you visited me in the stress unit. I found no ‘For Sale’ sign.”
“ I thought it would be easier for you to move on if that were the case, and he was definitely considering it. He mentioned possibly selling the house the last time I went by there.”
“ You are