All Grown Up

Chapter 23
Hunter

Jo and Sam cooked for the whole bunch. It felt good for Jo to be home, this felt like home. She decided to go for a smoke. She stepped into the cold winter air; flurries were now dancing towards the ground. “Misty, come here girl,” Jo yelled. She heard the dog bark then she was in front of her about to jump but she didn’t

Jo crouched down and petted her, “There’s a good girl.” Jo didn’t hear someone step onto the porch but Misty tensed up, and looked behind her.

“Nice doggy,” Jo heard Zacky’s voice.

“She’s not going to bite,” Jo said, “Unless I tell her to.” Jo straightened up to look at Zacky. He looked tired.

“I wanted to talk,” he said letting Misty sniff him. When she decided he wasn’t dangerous she rubbed against his hand.

“About what?” Jo asked taking a drag out of her cigarette.

“About what happened at the apartment,” he said matter of fact.

“Look, can we just drop it?” Jo said as she stepped down the stairs walking towards the front of the house.

“I don’t want to drop it,” Zacky followed her, with Misty in tow.

“I do,” Jo kicked the stand from the bike and started wheeling it to the back.

“That wasn’t a fluke,” Zacky said.

“It was a mistake,” Jo replied as they both reached the garage.

“No it wasn’t,” Zacky said.

“What do you want from me?” Jo asked as she opened the big doors by hand.

“I want you to talk to me, I don’t want you to push me away,” Zacky said as he pushed the bike into the garage.

“Why do we have to talk?” Jo asked exasperated.

“Because, things can’t just be left happening.” Zacky pushed the bike against the wall.

“Dude,” Jo said.

“Don’t call me that,” he said coming very close to her. She looked up at him and their eyes met, she lost all train of thought she might have possessed before.

“Zacky,” Jo whispered. Her breath fanning him in the face, it was all it took for him to lose control. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, pinning her arm behind her back.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he said letting his lips graze her cheek. “Tell me you haven’t been thinking about this all this afternoon.”

His lips travelled to her throat, she let her head fall back her hair cascading down her back. His lips grazed her throat, then behind her ear and she let out a whimper. Her other hand went to his chest and she could feel his heart beat; it was just as fast as hers.

His head came up slowly, and their eyes met again. Jo’s eyes we’re half open, she was in too much ecstasy to open her eyes completely, she licked her dry lips and his attention went to them. “What do you want Jo?” His breathing ragged.

“I want...” she couldn’t say it.

“What do you want? Tell me and I’ll do it,” Zacky said releasing her arm, but she didn’t move.

“I want you to kiss me,” Jo whispered not even believing it was her voice.

“Your wish is my command,” he grabbed the back of her neck and their lips met, like before fireworks exploded in her head, the earth could of frozen over, the heat inside of her would make them both survive.

She let herself get lost in the kiss, it was a first. She had always been aware of her surroundings but not this time. Next thing she heard was her name being called. “Jo, knock it off,” it was Sam’s voice. When Jo looked towards the door way she saw Sam standing there, “The guys are coming this way.”

Jo pulled away from a puppy face Zacky; she couldn’t believe what she had just done. She had made out with her best friend, but it had felt so right. She wiped her mouth, then Zacky grabbed her hips and hugged her from behind, she pushed his hands away, he only winked and turned around. From the looks of it he needed to adjust himself.

“Hey,” Zacky said to Sam who just stared at his satisfied face. She felt confused, but she would need to analyze that later.

“Dude, where did you guys go?” Jimmy asked walking into the garage with a beer in hand.

Vlad was next, followed by Brian and Johnny. “I was showing Zacky the garage,” Jo said wiping her hands of imaginary substances she needed to do something.

“In the dark?” Johnny asked.

“You guys came too soon, I couldn’t turn on the light in time,” Jo said smiling, when she did turn on the lights everyone was amazed.

“This isn’t a fucking garage,” Brian said looking around.

There were 3 cars, 2 trucks and 5 bikes, each one better then the next. The garage wasn’t actually a garage it used to be a barn, and when the house was bought it was turned into a garage. “Damn,” Johnny whistled as he went to look at the trucks.

“You can say it’s my hobby,” Jo said blushing.

“I have one too,” Vlad said as he told the guys to follow them. They went behind the barn where there was another one.

“I’m excited what’s in there,” Jimmy rubbed his hands together.

Jo just laughed as they walked in and the lights were turned one, there were 3 boats. “My dad’s big on fishing, so I bought him a couple of boats as soon as I could,” Jo said rubbing her hand on the boats.

“This is really cool,” Brian said looking around, there were all sorts of rods and lures on the walls, also tons of pictures of fish. He went and looked at one. “Man who’s the boy in this picture?” he pointed to one of them.

“That would be me,” Jo said realizing how old the picture was.

“You used to be a boy?” Johnny asked going to look at the picture.

“Yes, then I got the sex change,” Jo laughed as they just stared at her trying to figure out if she was serious or not.

“Dude, look at this one it’s huge,” Jimmy called everyone over to another picture.

“Yeah I caught that a while ago,” Vlad said looking around, then his eyes met Jo’s. “Ce ai patit?” What’s wrong with you?

“Nimica,” Nothing Jo answered.

“Nu, ma minti te cunosc,” Don’t lie to me I know you, Vlad insisted.

“Putem sa stam aici in noaptea asta?” Can we stay here tonight? Jo changed the subject.

“OK,” Vlad said, letting the subject drop.

“Ok, that was so cool, even though the only thing I understood was ok at the end,” Johnny said looked from Vlad to Jo.

“Don’t tell me you want to learn Romanian now?” Jo asked, when Johnny nodded she laughed. “Sam’s been trying to learn for years what makes you think you can?”

“I don’t know, but I can try,” Johnny screwed his face up like he was thinking.

“Alright, we’re staying here the night, it’s easier,” Jo said as she led everyone out and shut off the lights.

“Cool, maybe you can tell us some fishing stories,” Jimmy said as he walked away with Vlad. All the boys followed as Jo made sure that everything was closed. When she turned around Sam was waiting for her.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jo said going to the car garage.

“I saw you and Zacky basically eating eachother’s faces off, Jo.” She sounded angry, no not angry concerned.

“We kissed, that’s all.” Jo closed the last door.

“What about Alex?” Sam asked.

“Shit,” Jo said. “That’s who I forgot.”