Two Weeks Between Love and Hate

Jillian waved to Jason from her window, smiling like an idiot as she watched him disappear. Her smile slowly fading. Resting her head against the window, she exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Great job Jill. Why don’t you just go offer yourself up on a silver platter again? Might as well have asked him to use and abuse me while I was at it.... But hey, at least he might not lock me up when he go back home...” She frowned deeply as her eyes focused on the faint reflection of herself in the window. “…Why do I want him so badly?”

The recent memory of falling asleep in his bed coming to the forefront of her mind. The feeling of safety and comfort she got while wrapped up with him.

“That’s why…”

Whispering to herself, she closed her eyes for a few moments.

Jillian let out a final sigh, stepped away from the window, and walked over to her bed. She glanced over at the black hoodie Jason had given back and the shirt she’d swiped from his closet. Neither piece really appealed to her right now. Yeah, they were cozy enough, but they lacked that special something she really craved. Arms folded, she mulled over her options. The door opened, and she turned to see June walking in.

Jillian shared a smile with her little sister, who gave a cheerful wave. Using sign language, June asked what was up.

“Oh , I’m on a mission to find a sleep shirt that smells just right.” Jilian said, looking back at the clothes on her bed for a moment. The smaller red head looked puzzled and suggested maybe washing them would help. But she just laughed.

“No, no, it’s not about soap or perfume. I’m after a unique scent. It’s like a rite of passage for us girls. It’s hard to get, but if you do, it means you’ve really made it. I call it the ultimate scent...”

The crazed look in her eye made June squirm slightly.

Jillian paused for a moment, making June curious about what smell could make her sister go to such lengths.

“The Boyfriend Shirt Scent!”

After a brief silence, June rolled her eyes and made gestures that pretty much called Jillian crazy, all thanks to this Jason guy.

“Hey, don’t call your older sister crazy! You just don’t understand the magic of the scent. Oh my gosh, when he gets all sweaty after a run, that’s when his true power is unleashed.”

Jillian got a dreamy look as the corners of her mouth sparkled with beads of saliva, while June watched her with a mix of horror and disbelief. The thought of having to smell someone all sweaty and gross made her inwardly gag.

Jillian suddenly gave June a big hug, and June’s eyes popped open in surprise as she got a whiff of her sister’s scent. She quickly tried wriggle away, trying to get free letting out whimpers of complaint.

“Listen, Junebug, one day you’ll get it. You’ll find someone whose smell you grow to love, as you love them. You will realize that what was once something gross and unpleasant becomes something you miss when it’s gone.” Jillian went on, talking about how great it is to be basked in the scent of the one you care about. Even though just the other day she talked about how men were garbage and how no one would be good enough for her. Luckily, June eventually broke free and took long, gasping breaths of fresh air away from her. She then gestured at her sister with a scowl.

“Well, I love you and I still think you stink.”

Jillian looked puzzled for a second, then sniffed her own shirt.

“Ew, uhh yeah, I definitely need a shower,” she admitted, and June vigorously nodded in agreement.

Jillian decided it was the perfect time for one of her shower-turned-bath sessions. This move wasn’t exactly popular with anyone else needing the upstairs bathroom, but Jillian wasn’t concerned about that. Sitting relaxed in the tub, she scrolled through her phone that was safely tucked into a Ziploc bag to keep it dry. She was mid-scroll when something important hit her. She didn’t have Jason’s number.

“Shit, I wanted to see his outfit for dinner. Damn it, I bet he went all out.”

Jillian had only ever seen Jason somewhat dressed up once, during dinner, when he wore a turtleneck and slacks. It was nice, but it didn’t really give her that fuzzy feeling she was after. When she closed her eyes and pictured him in a sleek business suit and tie, she was surprised to find her mind added a pair of thick-framed glasses to his image.

“Wait...he doesn’t wear glasses anymore. I wonder if he uses contacts?” she thought, and gasped at her next thought, “What if he had surgery? That’d be such a pity; he looked so cute with glasses.”

Her mind drifted back to their high school days, and she couldn’t help but frown as she remembered how she had stomped on those cute glasses a few times in highschool.

Jillian’s head sunk more into the water, letting out a groan as she blew bubbles.

“Ugh, I’m such a hypocrite,” she thought sadly. Thinking about how her teasing could have driven him to get surgery weighed heavily on her mind. In a random moment of inspiration, she thought up a crazy scheme. Writing a text to her mom, she crafted a little white lie.

“Hey mom, can I get Katia’s number? I need her recipe for this amazing breakfast dish she made.” Her mom replied surprisingly quick.

“Sure, here it is. Good luck with your “recipe” sweetie.” It was an odd reply, but she got what she needed.

Jillian quickly added Katia’s number to her contacts and sent her a text.

“Hey Katia! It’s Jillian. My mom gave me your number. Have you guys already headed out for dinner? So excited for you!” She even threw in a few party hat emojis for good measure.

Katia replied almost immediately, “Hey Jillian! Yep, we’ve already left. We’re off to a fancy dinner in the city. I’m excited!”

“Sounds awesome! Send me a pic, will you?” She kept her request intentionally vague.

“Come on, Katia. I know you won’t disappoint me. Come onnnn... Jackpot!”

Katia sent a picture of Jason looking rather intense as he drove, leaning against the window with one hand on the steering wheel, while the other rested on the windowsill. He was all dressed up in a sleek gray suit and tie, with the same fancy gold watch on his wrist.

“Isn’t the view amazing!?” Katia teasingly captioned it with the following text. Jillian couldn’t help but stare, transfixed by how Jason looked in his suit.

“Excellent photo, Katia! You could be a pro photographer. And hey, if you’ve got more pics of the “view” feel free to share them!” She added some winking and drooling emojis to emphasize her point.

The rest of Jill’s bath time turned into a bit of a game, seeing how long she could keep edging herself to Jason’s photo. However, this fun was interrupted by a loud banging on the door that made her jump slightly.

“Jill, seriously, get out! I need to shower and go to bed, and all my shit is in there. You’ve been hogging the bathroom for like two hours!”

It was her younger brother, Reese, sounding more than a little annoyed.

Jill just rolled her eyes and replied, “Calm down, calm down. I’m coming out. No need to get your panties in a knot, ya big baby.”

As she stepped out of the tub, feeling warm and relaxed but not entirely satisfied, she reached for a towel. That’s when they both heard their mom’s voice yell up the stairs in an angry tone.

“Reese, you are going to the optometrist next week!” It was clear she was not in the best of moods.

“That was weird,” Jillian mumbled, wrapping herself in a towel.

She cracked open the door, only to hear Reese and their mom arguing downstairs. She shrugged it off, not really in the mood to dive into that mess. So she headed to her room to change into some cozy PJs. The plain smell of laundry detergent made her let out a small disappointed sigh. Flopping onto her bed, she stared at the ceiling, her mind wandering to Jason yet again. She wondered if he’d been thinking about her at all. She was curious about what he thought about the offer she made him, but she wouldn’t push him. It was his call to make at this point.

Jillian was quickly dozing off as she laid there in her towel. Despite squeezing in a nap earlier, she was still shy of her usual goal of at least twelve hours of sleep. She was just always so exhausted for some reason, and the run only exacerbated the problem. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Hoping for another one of Katia’s photos, Jillian eagerly checked her phone. It was her, but it was mostly just some regular chatter at first. But it took a turn that made her eyes nearly bulge from her sockets.

“What the actual fuck… no way.”

The next morning, Jason was dead to the world as he slept sprawled out in his bed when a knock at his window, not his door, stirred him awake. Rubbing his head with a groan, he barely remembered last night after drinking his fill of beer when his mom had offered to drive them home. It was one of those awkward nights he just wanted to forget. The knocking on the window grew louder.

“Ugh, okay, okay, I’m coming,” he muttered. With all the effort he could muster, he rolled onto his side, slowly got up, and shuffled to his window to open the blinds.

Jillian was outside, flashing a huge smile at him. Jason reached down, opening the window.

“And just what do I owe for the pleasure of this early morning wake up call?” Jason asked sarcastically, letting out a groan of pain, massaging his temples as his brain throbbed in his skull. That was when she looked down, her eyes going wide as her smile stretched even wider.

“Oh please sir, the pleasure is all mine. Thank you very much,” she chuckled. Jason was highly confused until he followed her gaze downward and realized he was completely naked and his dick hung freely right in front of her.

“Fuck, shit!” he exclaimed, scrambling to cover himself with his hands.

Jillian couldn’t stop giggling, her smile wide as she watched him hurry to find some underwear. As he bent over to pull them up, she playfully whistled, making him groan in mild embarrassment. Once his boxer briefs were on, he walked back to the window, but her eyes were still glued to his crotch.

“You know, that’s not leaving much to the imagination, haha. I can still see the outline and everything. Actually, I think it’s a little sexier now ‘cause it’s got an air of mystery around it now. Ooooo mystery diiick,” she laughed a bit harder, obviously enjoying herself.

Jason was definitely not enjoying himself, nor was he in the mood for any of these games. He moved his hands to his temples to try to squash his headache.

“Jillian... seriously, what do you want, make it quick or I’m shutting the window?” He was losing patience fast. With a twinkle in her eye, she reached into her hoodie and pulled out a folded black shirt.

“Well, since you asked,” she began by clearing her throat, sounding like she was at a customer service desk, “I’d like to exchange this for something more me. Maybe a track suit jacket?”

She held the shirt out to Jason, clearly eager for the trade.

“I’m not giving you my track suit,” his stomach churned as he got a little queasy, feeling even more annoyed now. “Besides, it still needs a wash.”

“Don’t you fuckin dare even think about washing it!” Jillian half-joked, half-warned, taking a moment to catch her breath and compose herself. “Look, I think my offer is pretty fair. Just take a look, you won’t be disappointed I’m sure!” she added, offering the shirt to Jason once more.

“Ugh, If I say yes, will you leave me alone so I can go back to sleep?” Jason said with a longer groan. Standing was now making him feel utterly sick as his vision swam like he just got off the tea cups ride from the fair.

“It all depends on whether you’re willing to give me what I’m asking for,” Jillian replied, still holding out for the track suit jacket.

“Fuck, fine. I need to go shopping for new clothes, anyway. I don’t want to wash the same ones over and over while I’m here,” Jason grumbled, finally giving in. He walked over to a hamper and grabbed his red track suit jacket and tossed it to her through the window.

The girl grabbed it eagerly, hugging it tight as if it were her best friend.

“Oh god yes!” she exclaimed, taking a deep breath in, savoring the smell of the well-used tracksuit. She shivered, a wave of excitement running through her.

“You’re so friggin’ weird,” Jason said with a headshake which was a big mistake. His dizziness getting even worse. He would probably be more grossed out if he wasn’t so dead from last night. Taking the folded up shirt from her and tossing it onto his desk before heading back to bed. Jillian watched him, leaning on the windowsill with a smile.

“So, have you thought about my offer from yesterday?” she asked, reminding him of the deal she proposed.

Jason shifted to look at her through half-lidded eyes, pulling the blanket up a bit as a cool breeze blew in from the window.

“Sorry, but I really tried not to think about that during dinner with my mom.” Honestly, it was tough for him not to dwell on it. But he wasn’t lying when he said he did his best not to think about it while he was with her. He was doing well until a certain question popped up. Jillian laughed softly with a playful smile. “I understand, but that sounds like you thought about it at least a little.” He turned to give her a death glare, and she returned a nod, understanding to drop it for now.

“So, got any plans to go shopping today or tomorrow?”

Jillian was still clutching his unwashed track suit to her chest like it was a precious baby. Feeling the massive headache surge once more, he looked up to the ceiling and covered his eyes with his arm.

“I mean, maybe? Are you going to bug me the entire time I’m here?” His tone was sharp, thanks to the pounding in his head. But she was completely unphased by his grumpiness at this point, but she couldn’t resist playing it up. She gasped dramatically and put on a wounded voice.

“Are you saying you don’t want me around? Oh, so cruel, so harsh! Ahboo hoo hoo” Jason couldn’t help but groan at her theatrics. He took a moment, breathing deeply, then moved his arm and looked back at her, pausing mid-thought when he caught sight of what she was doing now.

Jillian climbed in through the window, his jacket now tied around her waist. The sleeves hanging in front of her like tails, almost down to her feet.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, highly suspicious of her intentions. She just smiled at him.

“Just remembered something I gotta do,” she said, licking her soft pink lips as she started strutting towards the bed.

“Jillian...” his entire body tensing at her approach.

“Don’t worry, just stay put; this’ll be all over soon,” she cooed, her voice smooth and flirty. He thought she agreed to give him some more time to think. Why was she suddenly looking like she was about to jump his bones right then and there?

Jillian closed the gap to his bed in no time, soon looming over him. Jason’s surprise morphed into a bit of a glare. Her smirk was the last thing he saw before a phone was put right in front of his face. He blinked, confused, as he stared at the phone, seeing it unlock and light up, revealing a home screen he knew all too well. Squinting at the bright light, he tried to make sense of the situation. Jillian quickly pulled the phone back.

“Thank youuuu,” she sang, tapping away gleefully on the screen.

It all finally sunk into Jason’s thick, tired skull that the woman was using his phone. She had unlocked it using his face recognition.

“Hey! What the fuck are you doing with my phone?” sitting up, he tried to snatch it back, but the woman swiftly dodged.

“Hold on, almost finished,” Jillian mumbled, fingers flying over the screen.

“Jillian, seriously, give it back!” He raised his voice, grabbing her hoodie to pull her closer.

“Just a sec,” she insisted, her fingers tapping at lightning speed, channeling all her texting skills.

“Jillian!” Jason exclaimed, his voice a mix of frustration and this strange amusement he was feeling as he tried to pull her back onto the bed. Jillian, with a surprised yelp, managed to roll away, still furiously typing on his phone. This was the second time in less than a day that they’d ended up in a playful wrestling match over something.

“What are you even typing? Who are you messaging?” Jason asked, stretching out to grab the phone while also holding onto her hoodie to stop her escape. He mainly hoped she wasn’t texting one of his work contacts for some reason. In a move that was almost comical, Jillian pulled her arms and head into her oversized hoodie, along with the phone, like she was a turtle. Using the phone while protected by her outer layer.

“How are you so friggin ‘slippery!?” he shouted, momentarily thrown off by the move. Jillian just laughed.

“I’ve always hated taking medicine. My dad used to have to try and pin me down to give it to me,” she shared, a hint of mischief in her tone.

Jason sighed deeply in his defeat. Moments later, Jillian wriggled out of the bottom of her hoodie with ease.

“And...done. Who’s Pest, by the way?” she asked, handing Jason his phone back while standing in just her bra and sweats. Jason quickly grabbed his phone and threw her hoodie back at her. Finding her chest a lot easier to pry his eyes away from than her butt ever had been.

“Pest is just a pest. And why were you messing with my phone?” he inquired, diverting his gaze from her to his phone screen. It was open to his messages, and he noticed a new text. Curiously, he read the recipient’s name and then the message itself, his expression turning into a confused frown.

Name: “Bootylicious Booty Call”

“Hey Jillian, I can’t wait to bow down and worship your butt, just devote my entire pathetic existence to your wonderful posterior. Like, if I had to put it on a scale of 1 to 10, your butt would be an 11…million! I just can’t help but think about it day and night. It calls to me, and I wake in a cold sweat when I dream about it. Even though your rack may be small, I can only imagine it being perfect as well.

Your biggest fan, -Jason.

PS. Let this serve as permission to text or call me at any time, be it day or night.”

Jason just finished reading the message Jillian sent herself using his phone. He looked up to find her looking pretty pleased with herself.

“Wow, modest much?” he said, shaking his head and letting out a sigh. He quickly changed her contact name in his phone to “Jillian.L” and put his phone aside.

While watching her pull on the hoodie, he asked, “So, what was all that really about?”

It was now clear that falling back asleep after that would be impossible. Her head popped through her hoodie and she gave him a smile.

“You didn’t have my number, so I thought I’d help you out,” she explained, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Thanks, but I don’t remember asking for it,” Jason said, lounging back on the bed and propping himself up with his arms behind him, while Jillian let out a small laugh.

“Well, now that I have your number, it looks like you’re stuck with me,” she said with a wink. He just gave her a strange look with a raised eyebrow.

“I could always block you,” he pointed out, but Jillian just laughed harder.

“If you haven’t blocked those annoying messages filled with I love you’s and heart-eye emojis, I doubt you’ll block me,” she said confidently. But Jason didn’t seem amused by that comment; his frown all too serious.

“She’s... she is a special case,” Jason said, letting out a heavy sigh. Jillian raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his words.

“Oh... Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, her tone serious as well. He shook his head slowly.

“Nah, I’m just hoping she’ll eventually tire of me ignoring her and move on.” She shot him a look that silently called him out for being naïve and he met her look with a slight glare.

“What?”

Jillian just shrugged in response. “It’s just that a lot of things are making more sense lately,” she said, walking back over to the window.

“Anyway, give me a call when you’re heading out to go shopping!” She waved cheerfully and then climbed out of the window, her foot promptly getting caught on the window’s ledge, letting out a small yelp as she fell with a thud.

A few seconds later, she called out, “I’m okay!”

Jason sighed, getting up and walking over to the window to find Jillian sitting on the grass, brushing dirt and leaves off the track suit jacket she pulled off her waist. “Goodbye, Jillian,” he said gruffly.

“Oh, make sure you remember to hang up that shirt I returned.” A bright smile lighting up her face that had a grass stain on the pale skin of her nose. Giving her a strained look, he tried desperately not to react to the cute way she looked up at him. As she sprung back to her feet, she waved goodbye and ran off. She was definitely one of the strangest girls he had ever met.

Glancing at the shirt lying on his desk, he paused for a moment before closing the window and blinds. Approaching the shirt, he slowly unfolded it, only to find a surprise. A pair of red lacy panties were tucked inside, accompanied by a note that read, “I slept in these last night. Enjoy. XOXO -Jill” His eyes widened in surprise as he gingerly picked them up, realizing they were basically a g-string.

“Jesus Christ...” his mind went straight to imagining her wearing them, and his body responded accordingly. Hastily bunching them up and tucking them under his pillow, it was too risky to give in to his urges right now.

“…Maybe later.”