Two Weeks Between Love and Hate

“Hnnnggg! Yeah, take it all. You know you love it!!” Luis groaned out, his dark tan skin glistening with sweat.

With one last thrust, he released inside of Jillian before collapsing onto the slender redhead beneath him. He wasn’t by any means in the best of shape as he gasped for breath. Overweight, with a slight paunch that squished against her. Warm breath blew against the pale, freckled skin of her neck as he panted. Her fiery orange curls fanned out around her head as she lay beneath him, her sunken eyes gazing up at the mirrored ceiling. Looking at the large man atop her, her scrawny arms and legs splayed out as she let Luis have his way with her for the first time in weeks. In her eyes, she resembled a skeleton, and he was a boar that rutted against her when he decided he had the time.

Luis placed a few rough kisses against her neck.

“You always get me off so quick, baby. You must really love my cum,” he murmured with a heavy chuckle, his accent heavily Hispanic. It used to be so charming.

It was bullshit. She didn’t even move, and all she got was about two minutes of him grunting and groaning atop her before he finished. As he sat back on his knees, admiring her overly slender frame, he couldn’t help but compliment her while sweat dripped from his forehead. His fingers traced along her thighs and hips that had retained the last bit of fat she had on her body. While her tiny chest would barely fill an A cup, and the skin was sunken between each rib. One of the most disturbing about her was her horribly concave stomach.

“Mmm, I can never get over how sexy you always look.” He smiled with perfectly straight teeth that shone through his thick, slightly graying black facial hair. Moving off the bed, he took some wipes from the bedside table. Promptly cleaning his shaft, then started getting dressed.

“Are you seriously leaving right away again?” Jillian asked, rolling over. Her expression was a grimace that hadn’t changed since his arrival. A few years ago, she would have been all smiles each time she saw his face. Now he was only a reminder of who and where she was.

Luis chuckled lightly. “Si, unfortunately. I’ve got a meeting in half an hour, and then a bunch more plans after that. It’s a busy day, chica. I will be by tomorrow.” He said with a smile Jillian knew all too well.

It had become the norm for him to abandon her while giving empty promises. The solitude had finally led to her growing some backbone.

She scowled even deeper at him.

“That’s bullshit, Luis! You promise that every time you leave! Just like you’ve been promising for the last six months that you’d take me out! I’ve been stuck in this... this prison! For almost a year, and you barely drop by once or twice a month anymore. If you don’t want me around, just give me some cash and let me leave! I know you have other girls! Just… let me go.”

The redhead was now sitting up on her knees, anger creasing her tired looking features. Luis wasn’t too happy they were having this conversation, again.

“Come on now, what kind of prison comes with your own chef, a pool with a hot tub, any dress you could dream of, and all amenities a woman like you could want? You’re sounding pretty ungrateful again, chica,” he retorted.

The last time they had this conversation she wasn't prepared for his response, but now she had all the fuel she needed to keep it going.

“A chef who only makes what you approve, dresses I can’t wear anywhere because I’m stuck here, and no internet. You are right, this isn’t a prison. This is a fucking insane asylum and I’m the only patient! Is this what you call love, Luis? Because to me, it feels a lot more like—” Jillian was stopped before she could finish.

He had reached out and grabbed her face, squeezing her jaw. Luis’s grip tightened around her, his voice cold and threatening.

“You seem to have forgotten who you are, bitch. You belong to me, and I can do whatever the fuck I want with or to you.” He sneered, pushing her back with such force that she fell back onto the bed, letting out a small cry of surprise.

“You think the outside world is so great? Just what skills do you have to offer, hmm? Do you think anyone would give two shits about you the moment you step outside these walls? You are just some used up woman that can barely care for herself and have nothing left of value. You’re nothing without me, Jill. Nobody would look twice at you if you were a corpse on the street. You’re beautiful to me, so I keep you here, chica. But living here is a privilege, and I can make your stay as pleasurable or as miserable as I want. Any. Time. I. Want. You’d do well to remember that Roja,” his tone made it perfectly clear. He wasn’t exaggerating at all. Jillian looked into his cold eyes, eyes that told her he would sooner have her dead than let her go.

Despite the chilling threats, Jillian still glared at him, her eyes blazing with defiance. But Luis just smirked back.

“This is why I can’t get enough of you, chica. You’ve always got that fire in your eyes, always ready to snap back, no matter how much I try and break you. I’d love to stick around and try again, but I do actually have a meeting this time.” He leaned in as if to kiss her, but she turned away, dodging his lips. Luis was not amused. Grabbing her face, he forced her to look at him, and planted a forceful kiss on her lips. Jillian tried to push him off, but she was far too weak.

When Luis pulled away, Jillian bared her teeth at him and gave him the hardest slap she could. It didn’t even make him flinch, but his retaliation was instantaneous. With a heavy backhand that sent her reeling, she let out a wail of pain, falling back down to the bed. She held her cheek, the intense sting and ache in her jaw. Luis stood up from the bed, fixing his clothes, and gave her a heated glare.

“Maybe some solitary for a while will make you open your fucking eyes, bitch. Wake the fuck up. It’s been years. You should be used to this, but it’s always something with you. Next time you decide to bite the hand that feeds you, perhaps I will simply take yours. Maybe then you will learn.” With that last threat, he turned to leave. Luis headed to the door, but paused to look back at the woman.

“I still love you, baby. Remember that I’ll always be your Papi,” he said almost sweetly. “Whether you like it or not.”

He left the bedroom and quickly made his way out of the house. There were always two guards on duty, monitoring the large property with their schedules constantly changing. The rule was strict: if one messed up, both would face consequences. Luis wasn’t just harsh; he was incredibly clever, too. He knew other men couldn’t be trusted around his property, especially his women. After the first time he caught one of his guards trying to run away with one of his girls, he made sure none of them were left without another person to watch the other. Disposing of bodies was always such a hassle. When he didn’t have time to prepare, at least.

Jillian was lying on her side, tears rolling down her cheek while her face throbbed with pain. It felt like he had dislocated her jaw with his strike. She laid there for about an hour before finally managing to sit up and get out of bed. She walked over to the large sliding glass door that led to the backyard. A reflection of herself in the glass showed she had a large red mark that covered almost half of her face that was already swollen badly. The bastard didn’t hold back at all with his backhand.

The entire property was enclosed by a 12-foot stone wall, topped with razor wire—a recent addition since her last attempt at escape. It had been months since she tried to get away last, but she was determined that this next time would be the last. She was resolved to get out, no matter what, or she would finally take the easy way out…which had been so tempting lately.

Three nights later, the moment Jillian had been waiting for finally came. Peering out the front window, she recognized the two men starting their shift at the entrance gate. Jillian had packed her bag with everything she could carry, including a bunch of jewelry that would be her escape funds. She’d carefully wrapped it in a shirt to avoid having it rattle together. She’d forced herself to throw up every dinner since Luis’s last visit. So she was in a constant state of hunger, though she was more than used to the pangs of an empty stomach. For a long time, she suspected Luis had been having her food spiked, making it difficult for her to stay awake for more than an hour past dinner. He had crossed too many lines, too many times, and this time, she was ready and just waiting for her moment.

In the middle of the night, she quietly slipped out of the bathroom window. It was a tiny rectangle that was almost too small for a person to get out of. Every other window and door had alarms tied to them. Her lithe frame was just barely able to climb through. Her bag had a harder time fitting than she did. Dressed in all black, she made her way to the front gate, her tight clothes hugging her bony curves. Barely peeking up at the guard shack, she found one fast asleep, head slumped forward and feet up as he sat in his seat. The guard seated next to him, who was probably meant to stay awake while they took turns napping, was quickly fading as well. It wasn’t much longer before he, too, was asleep.

After waiting for ten minutes to be sure, she approached the gate. Like with the bathroom window, it didn’t seem possible to squeeze through the narrow bars of the gate. She couldn’t fit through them when she first moved in. Now though, she was only momentarily stuck, before she wriggled through. Squeezing her bag through as well, she quickly made her way down the hilltop community, passing by several lavish mansions.

Jillian made her way into the city, deliberately avoiding the first few gas stations she came across. In the past, she sought help from the clerks there and it had backfired miserably; she’d been duped into believing the police were on their way, only to find herself being driven straight back to the compound. A different attempt. She managed to get on a phone and call the cops. That attempt turned out even worse as the responding officers were on Luis’s payroll, as well. After being roughly arrested under false charges and a night in a cell, she ended up right back where she started. It felt like Luis had thought of everything to prevent her escape. She couldn’t understand his motives; he treated her like garbage, yet held on to her with an iron grip, refusing to let her go in any way. She couldn’t even talk to her friends or family since she had been with him.

Jillian finally escaped the city and had been on the run for nearly a week, doing everything she could to stay off the radar. She had kept details about her family a secret from Luis. It was the one caveat to their relationship that she kept out of his greedy hands. He knew she was from Colorado, but that was about it. He paid for her to travel to wherever while he was still playing the nice guy and didn’t get too much information out of her when they would talk online. It was partly out of shame that she never shared with or about her family. She didn’t want them to know the depths she’d lowered herself, just to please him.

After a long arduous journey, she finally ended up back at her childhood home, with only a single piece of jewelry and fifty bucks to her name. The anxiety that coursed through her as she stood there made her tremble. For years, Luis had convinced her that her family would never welcome her back because of the things she had done, what she had become. She didn’t even know if her family still lived in this house, which only increased her anxiety. Now, as she stood at the doorstep that used to welcome her every day, her body and clothes worn-out. She was about to discover if all the things Luis had told her about how her family would feel were true or just another lie he told to keep her obedient. Her hand approached the door slowly, shaking uncontrollably before finally knocking.

“Jillian!” someone yelled, snapping the conked out redhead awake.

With a loud snort, Jillian sat up and blinked herself awake, mumbling, “Hmm, huh, wha?” She scanned her surroundings with sleepy eyes.

“You dozed off while helping June with her math. She couldn’t wake you up, so she came to get me. Everything alright, hun?” Ginny asked, peering down at her daughter who was pushing herself up from the table she had been sleeping on, while trying to wipe the grogginess from her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just some weird dreams keeping me up at night lately,” Jillian yawned loudly.

“How about you go take a little nap? I’ll take over here. You’ve been a big help lately, sweetie. You’ve earned a rest,” her mom suggested, planting a kiss on Jillian’s head.

She was feeling pretty spaced out as she stood up from the kitchen table, thanking her mom. She even managed a quick hug for her little sis before struggling upstairs. Once in her room, she flopped onto her bed, and shut her eyes. But nope, sleep just wasn’t happening anymore.

“Why is it that I can fall asleep at a table but not my bed?” She grumbled. Grabbing her phone, she started scrolling through social media. Jillian couldn’t have her own real account, so she lurked on fake ones just to keep up with what people were posting. But even that got old fast. Sighing, she wondered what she could do to entertain herself. Like a lightning bolt, an idea struck her. Quickly opening her messages, she found the message she’d sent to herself from Jason’s phone. With a smile, she started texting him.

“Hey there, how are you?”

Jillian kept it simple for now. She didn’t want to seem too eager. There she was, lying in bed, staring at her phone, watching the time tick by, hoping he’d reply soon. After what felt like forever, little typing bubbles finally popped up. Anticipation slowly bubbled up inside of her. This was their first real text chat, and she really had no clue how he’d come across in messages. But when his reply finally came through, Jillian remembered one very important thing about him she’d somehow overlooked: He was a guy.

Jason: “I’m doing well.”

Jillian facepalmed, realizing she shouldn’t have expected anything different. Lowering her expectations, she replied to his text.

Jillian: “Well, that’s good, I guess. What’re you up to now?”

Jason: “Working out.”

Jillian: “Oh, are you at the gym?”

Jason: “Nope, in my room.”

Jillian: “You have weights at home? I must’ve missed them.”

Jason: “Nope, I don’t need weights.”

Jillian: “Hmm, sounds weird. How does that even work?”

She sent this message with a mischievous grin.

Jason: “It works just fine, thanks.”

Jillian: “It sounds like you’re just being cheap or lazy by not going to the gym. If that’s the case, just say so.”

Jason’s typing bubble came up and down multiple times as he seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say. She giggled slightly as she watched it, before the bubble finally just stopped. Raising a brow, she wondered if he really wasn’t going to respond. Or maybe something even better was coming instead.

About ten minutes later, Jillian’s phone pinged with a new video, and that same mischievous grin spread across her face.

“God, you are so easy, Jason,” she chuckled, licking her lips as she tapped on the play button.

Jason had propped his phone up against the wall on the floor to film himself. Backing up from the phone after pressing play.

“Alright, I’m gonna show you how you can get muscle mass without weights or fancy, overpriced gym equipment,” he announced in the video.

Jillian quickly muted the sound, not really interested in the preamble he’d prepared. It left her to simply enjoy the view of him, shirtless and already glistening with sweat. He wasn’t lying when he said he’d been working out. His muscles were shining under the room light. He lowered himself to get into the first position, still talking mostly, it seemed as he tried to show her the proper way to do everything.

“Mmmm, fuck,” she murmured, her hand trailing down her body absentmindedly. She waited until Jason finished explaining and started doing push-ups before unmuting the video.

“Two sets of ten. One, two, three...” Jason’s grunts accompanied the increasing numbers as she started teasing her body in time with his movements.

Jillian groaned as her hand slipped under her waistband and panties. Her fingers pressed against her clit, rubbing in slow circles. As he continued counting higher, his grunting became longer and more pronounced with each rep. Jason suddenly switched to different exercises as she watched.

“Keep going, don’t stop.” Jillian encouraged, like he could hear her. The pace of her breathing increased as she continued to rub at the sensitive pearl.

“Now, two sets of ten mountain climbers,” Jason announced in the video.

“Oh yeah, baby, let’s climb that mountain. I’m almost at the peak!” Jillian cried out softly, pushing her fingers harder against her drenched slit, gasps growing more desperate as she did. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and really went for it, rubbing vigorously. Just as she was about to reach her climax, the video abruptly ended as he finished the small set of workouts and his grunts had stopped.

“Shit, fuck!!” she exclaimed, fumbling with the phone, trying to restart the video with one hand while trying to keep herself on the edge with the other. When another text popped up from Jason.

“If you want help getting into shape, you know where to find me.”

Jillian let out a groan and a small whimper of defeat. "Later," she quietly reminded herself.

She knew the workout she was actually craving at the moment. It was surprising how quickly her feelings shifted from anger and sadness to longing to cuddle on the couch with him again. Just with less beating around the bush and fighting, of course. It seemed like something always interrupted her from getting off when it came to Jason. He really hadn’t been on her mind much lately. Between worrying about Luis and keeping busy with June, it kept thoughts of him at bay. She pulled her hand from her pants and quickly replied to his text.

“I think you got enough muscle for the rest of us, but thanks for the video. ;)”

She would be putting the video to good use soon enough. She just needed to figure out how to make it repeat and cut out some of that pesky talking.

Jillian put her phone down and cleaned her hand with a tissue. She took a deep breath, trying to relax, thinking that was the end of their conversation. But her phone buzzed again.

“You really should try to fit some light exercise into your day.”

She raised an eyebrow at his message.

“I’m actually trying to gain weight, not lose it,” she responded.

“Muscle is heavier than fat. No better way to gain than to work out. I bet you’re just lounging around in bed right now anyway. There’s plenty of daylight left to get some work in.”

His message hit a little too close to home for her to simply ignore it.

Jillian growled a little and sat up, ready to get this texting match on the way.

Jillian: “Just so you know, I’ve been helping around the house a ton and with my little sister’s homeschooling.”

Jason: “Oh, so you’re doing that right now?”

Jillian: “I just finished, so I’m taking a break. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

Jason: “Are you lying down in bed?”

Jillian: “None of your business!”

Jason: “That’s a yes.”

Jillian growled at his persistence.

Jillian: "Not everyone’s obsessed with working out. Some of us are just regular people that live NORMAL lives. Why don’t you go do more of your stupid exercises instead of bugging me?"

She tried her best to send a glare through her phone screen.

Jason: “Done with that. About to jump in the shower,”

Jillian couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Jillian: “Pics or it didn’t happen.”

She watched the little typing bubbles pop up and disappear a few times. When Jason didn’t reply after five minutes, Jillian figured she’d teased him enough and settled back, planning to watch the video he had sent her again while in the tub after trying to nap again.

As she was getting ready to drift off to sleep, her phone buzzed again. With a frown, she absentmindedly unlocked her phone, still on Jason’s messages. She was greeted by a photo of Jason standing in front of a bathroom mirror, wrapped in a towel low on his waist. His skin looked fresh and moist, hair still damp.

The following message read, “Is this what you meant?”

Jillian couldn’t help but giggle as she stared at the picture for a moment before replying, “Mmhmm, I certainly believe it happened now. Thanks.” She added a winking emoji then rolled over, grabbed Pillow Jason and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

“Was that too much? Maybe I came on too strong too soon? Why did I feel so compelled to send that and why did it feel exciting to do so!?” Jason fretted as he laid on his bed, still wrapped in just a towel. Finally, Jill texted him back, followed by the winking emoji. He couldn’t help but feel a bit underwhelmed.

“That’s it?” he thought, disappointed, furrowing his brow before closing his eyes for a moment. Since talking with her earlier that day, his thoughts had been consumed with the memory of the time they’d spent on the couch. The sensation of her lips on his, the way her tongue felt in his mouth—it was all he could think about anymore. He needed to talk to someone about it or he was going to lose control and end up making a fool of himself. Opening his phone again, he quickly hit Marco’s contact and his friend’s number was dialed.

The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. The sound of shuffling papers was all he heard before Marco’s voice spoke up.

“Marco here.” He sounded a bit annoyed.

“Sup dude, is everything good?” Jason asked, trying to be cautious.

“Oh shit, it’s you Jason. Haha thank god, my bad. Thought you were someone else trying to make me stay late again. Angie’s always pulling that last-minute bullshit. What’s up, homie?” Marco’s tone was much lighter now.

“Not much...” Jason said shortly. There was an awkward pause before Marco chimed in again.

“Allllll-right, if you don’t have anything else, I’m gonna hang up and try to focus on getting the fuck outta this place,” he said, laughing a bit at his friend’s hesitance.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s cool, man. I won’t hold you up, sorry.” Jason said weakly.

“Haha, dude, the fuck? I’m just messing with you. You sound like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Don’t worry, I can dodge through the rush and talk,” Marco said, trying to lighten the mood as he picked up the stack of papers from his desk and shoved them in his bag. Jason let out a held breath before speaking up.

“I was actually hoping to get some more advice from you.”

“Ah, more advice for your lady friend, eh? Did you try any of the other things I told you last time? Accidentally bumping into her and then acting like it didn’t happen? What about promising her anything she wants?”

“She is not my lady, and no, I didn’t do the bumping thing. That sounded too stupid. I did the other, though.” Jason remembered how that idea did technically work. Though when he was asking for advice, he was really looking for a way to simply stop fighting so much with her. Now he was possibly hoping for a completely different outcome.

“Haha, what did she ask for when you promised her whatever she wanted?” Marco asked, eager to hear the details.

“She made me give her a ride at the park.”

Marco was silent after Jason spoke, trying to figure out if there was a second meaning to that. The awkward silence was broken when Jason decided to simply move on.

“It actually ended alright, really. We both fell asleep under some tree and she was in my lap when I woke up.”

“Very nice, very nice.” Marco added.

“Yeah, but she was saying another guy’s nickname in her sleep when I woke up.” There was another long silence, as he could almost feel his friend cringing on the other end.

“Puta Madre, you just can’t catch a break, can you?”

“Eh.” Jason tried to brush it off, but he remembered the awful feeling when he heard her say it. “Oh, but as we were going home, she almost broke down when I told her that she was saying it in her sleep and that she basically hated the dude. After that though she… she made me an offer…”

“Oh? An offer you say? Do tell, girlfriend.” Marco said with a chuckle. Jason told his friend about the deal Jillian had offered and everything about it. Marco gave a small whistle.

“Wow, so you two are fuckin’ now… wait, why did you need advice again?” His voice taking on a confused tone.

“We are not as you say fuckin’. I didn’t accept her offer, I-” Jason was quickly cut off.

“You didn’t accept the offer!?” Marco stopped to mumble a few swears in Spanish, maybe a few prayers for his idiot best friend. “Why exactly? Was this not about you wanting to sleep with this girl?”

Jason grit his teeth, he was trying to be serious for once and his best friend was devolving his feelings into lust.

“No Marco, it was never about that. If you would just stop and think with something other than your dick for fucking once, you might understand!” Jason snapped suddenly. A long silence filled the line and regret started to set in.

“Marco, I didn’t mean.-”

“No… you are right, I’m sorry man…I haven’t been taking this seriously. You are my best friend and I will help you anyway I can. Please, continue.” Marco’s heartfelt words made Jason pause again.

“I am sorry too. I have just dealt with a lot in the past few days and my anger got ahead of me.”

The two talked a bit more. If nothing else, neither of them wanted to lose the other as a friend. It made making up a quick process.

“So… we good?” Jason asked.

“Haha, yeah, we good, homie. Drinks are on me when you get back. But tell me, what happened? I am listening for real now.” With Marco bringing them back to the topic at hand, Jason let out another heavy sigh.

“So a bunch of shit happened, I told her I would think about the offer, I didn't refuse or accept. Things were going pretty well… Until,” Pausing again, he groaned and rubbed the back of his head.“We ended up getting into a really bad argument a few days ago. She asked me something a bit too personal and… well, I didn’t handle it as well as I could have,” Jason tried to explain.

Marco thought for a moment in silence. “Okay, so what? Things are super awkward now? If things are that bad and you are still fighting, it would probably be best just to cut your losses. Might save you some grief,” Marco suggested.

“I… well…” The two words were all his friend needed to hear.

“Ahhh, heh I fuckin’ knew it. You really are into this girl, aren’t you?” The shit eating grin on Marco’s face was obvious in his voice.

“Fuck you, dude! I…Uggh, okay, so maybe I just find her more interesting than other girls, so sue me.” Jason tried to defend himself, but Marco just laughed some more.

“Yeah, mmhmm, real interesting, I’m sure. Haha, it’s all good, man. I am honestly happy to hear you are finally coming to your senses. I was starting to worry you were smooth like a ken doll.”

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, not sure why he was still talking to a sex crazed idiot. Even after their little heart to heart, it didn’t change who Marco actually was.

“So, how far did you two go? What was it you two fought about?” Marco said, unaware of how anxious Jason was about sharing more details about that night.

Jason took a moment to regain his courage before diving back into his story. “So we were just hanging out on the couch and watching a movie.”

“Oooo, movie date, did you pretend to yawn and put your arm over her?” Marco cut in with a laugh, leaving Jason to let out a frustrated groan.

“Dude, shut up, just let me finish. Things were going surprisingly smooth, and it was really calm and comfortable. We had just got back from doing some shopping and that wasn’t too bad either.”

Marco was finally leaving the office, quite confused by his friend’s constant flip flopping with this girl who less than a week ago he hated, but kept quiet this time.

“Anyway, we’re on the couch, and next thing I know, she is on my lap and we start making out,”

He left out the whole, learning to kiss part. This caught Marco off guard and nearly causing him to stumble.

“You made out with her?! Do you even remember how to kiss? Haha how was it, man?”

Unaware of Jason’s backstory, Marco was mostly joking. He figured his friend was just picky when it came to women, but he had every right to be selective about who he slept with.

“Fuck you, Marco. See if I help you the next time you get crabs.” Jason spat back defensively.

“Ouch…Dude, not cool. You brought a bazooka to a knife fight. I was just joking. I am seriously happy for you.” Jason let out a sigh and scratched his neck, feeling a little bad again.

“Sorry… But, well, it was...” Jason paused, knowing this was his one shot to get it off his chest. “It was fucking amazing.” He confessed, eliciting another round of laughter from Marco.

“Haha, atta boy! The Florida girls here just don’t cut it for you, huh? Had to go back to the old bone zone to get back into it,” Marco exclaimed, laughing loudly, much to the annoyance of a few others around him, though he couldn’t give two shits about who he was annoyed at this point. His best friend had just got some for the first time since he knew him.

“Once again Marco… not about sex. Now shut the hell up, it’s not even that big of a deal,” Jason couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“So, then what?” Marco prodded eagerly.

“So she’s on my lap while we are kissing, she just dives in with her tongue and grinding her hips into my lap. She's moaning and.-” Jason continued, but Marco interrupted once more.

“And thennnn? Handy, BJ, Vag…aaaanallll perhaps? Come on, spare me the girly shit and spit it out,” Marco demanded, laughing, but his joke got some disgusted looks from people nearby.

“Really, dude? You’re fucked in the head. We were in the living room of my mom’s house. Haha but we didn’t do anything past kissing,” Jason said, leaving out what happened with his hand. For some reason, thinking about sharing those details made him feel oddly possessive.

“Whaaaaat? After all that teasing and grinding, nothing happened? What is the world coming to? Or more like not coming.”

Even with the dirty joke, his voice was full of disappointment. Jason was only a little surprised that Marco was saying all this so loudly in public. He was pretty sure he heard the sound of a checkout scanner in the background.

“The pizza delivery guy showed up and the mood just disappeared,” Jason explained.

Marco let out a sigh. “Man, that’s sooo fucked. She could’ve at least given you a handy while you played with her tits or something?” Suddenly, an old woman’s voice came over the phone.

“Excuse you!” she exclaimed, sounding upset.

Unperturbed, Marco turned and promptly responded to the old lady, “Fuck off, ya old bitty, I’m on an important call!... Sorry, go on?” he said, smoothly coming back to the conversation.

Jason was cringing badly at the last fifteen seconds he heard over the phone. Marco was… well, Marco was Marco. There was no other way to put it.

“Well, as I was saying, the moment was gone, so we just went back to hanging out on the couch and watching TV. But then she asked me about some stuff that I don’t think I can even tell you and I just wasn’t ready to explain…I got all worked up, too worked up, and I kinda overreacted. She left super angry, and I didn’t see her for three days after. Then just today I bumped into her again. She texted me a little while ago, but it still feels kinda tense,” Jason said, finally getting to the point the entire conversation had been leading too.

“So now you’re wondering how to deal with this situation?” Marco tried to clarify. Jason murmured in agreement, giving Marco a moment to think.

“Well, it depends. Do you actually like like this girl, dude? And I mean, actually like her. Not just with your dick?” Marco’s tone was unexpectedly serious despite the casual words.

“I’m not sure... I mean… honestly, I have never really liked a girl in this way before. I can at least say that I would like to see her again… Maybe even kiss her if it feels right?” Jason felt his face warm, he couldn’t believe he actually admitted that aloud. Trying to make sense of Jason’s feelings, Marco took a moment, before suddenly getting an idea.

“I got it. I think I know how you can figure everything out, and make all that pesky tension go away,” barely containing his excitement as he spoke.

“Alright, what’s the plan then?” Jason asked, his curiosity piqued.

“You’re gonna love this. It’s simple but genius. Ready? Mini-golf!”