Taking a Chance by Eviant Page B

surprise on her face. "Um, no...I'm here until 6pm, but
thanks for the offer."
    "How about
after you get off work?"
    She shook her
head. "Sorry, I have plans."
    "Tomorrow
then," he pressed on.
    "It just
wouldn't be a good idea."
    Was that regret
on her face that he saw? He wasn't going to give up that easily,
but he would leave her alone for today.
    He nodded at
her. "Bye, Janey."
    He noticed her
disgruntled expression at the nick-name and just grinned, walking
out of the library and back into the rain.
    *****
    It was three
days before he could go back to the library. He was going to wear
Jane down.
    "Not today," he
said as he walked back out of the library several hours later after
being rejected again.
    He went every
day he was available and she wasn't threatening a restraining
order, so that was a good thing.
    Two months
later, he escaped from the heat and humidity of the summer into the
refreshing air-conditioner, only to find his Janey at the front
desk instead of the research desk. She was wearing a bright pink
tank top that was holding in her tiny, barely-there breasts. The
air-conditioner was making her large nipples stand out, however,
and he noticed that the boy in line was enjoying the view while
Jane's eyes were on the screen. He wanted to growl that those were
his, but he figured Janey wouldn't appreciate a show of
ownership.
    She looked up
when it was his turn in the line.
    "Fine, Jacob,"
she said in a defeated tone.
    "Fine?" he
replied, hoping she meant what he thought she meant.
    “ You’re as tenacious as a fucking bull-dog. One date. Got
it?”
    He tried not to
smile too big, but he was jumping up and down inside. Though it was
rumored that he was the romeo of the senior class, they were just
that--rumors. Sure, he had a one-night stand every now and then.
But he wanted something real. He wanted Jane.
    “ What time does your shift end?” he asked. He didn’t want to
take the chance of her changing her mind.
    She looked at
her watch. “Now, but...”
    “ Great!” he said, “Let’s go. Although, I think iced-coffee
would be the best choice.”

Chapter 3
    Jane waited for
her mind to start protesting, but she felt her body gathering her
things and following him out the door. She felt her hand enveloped
in his and immediately yanked it back, glaring up at him.
    “ Let’s get one thing straight, big boy,” she said as sternly as
she could get her voice to work, “no touching.” She expected that
this would turn him off and she would be free.
    “ Okay,” he said.
    Okay?
    He held the
door for her as they reached the near-by coffee shop. Though they
had only walked a short distance, her tank was sticking to her and
she could feel her hair frizzing from the humidity.
    They ordered
their drinks and chose a table under a fan. He seemed to sense her
reluctance to share, so he told stories about growing up in
Charlotte and setting up play-wrestling matches with his three
brothers. He was the youngest and had several nieces and nephews,
which he showed her pictures of from his cell phone.
    “ Did you grow up here?” he asked.
    She felt
uncomfortable with the attention being back on her. She didn’t
socialize much and she had always hated being the center of
attention.
    “ No, I grew up in South Carolina.”
    “ Really, where?”
    “ Just a tiny town that I’m sure you’ve never heard of,” she
replied evasively. Even thinking of “home” brought back memories
that she didn’t want to deal with in public.
    *****
    Jacob noticed
the pain and apprehension in her eyes when she mentioned home. He
wanted to take her hand, but remembered her ‘no touching’ rule.
    “ Let me make you dinner,” he said suddenly.
    “ Why?”
    He bit the
bullet and reached over and took her hand. She tried to jerk away,
but he he held her hand gently, but firmly. “Because I like you,
Janey, and I want to spend more time with you,” he replied
softly.
    Her hand
relaxed, but she stared at it with a look he couldn’t