heart.
“Let’s sit over there,” Shannon said, while nodding to a table on the opposite side of the room.
“You don’t want to sit with your girlfriend?” Hayley asked, noticing the conspicuously empty seats at Jackie’s table.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Shannon said a little harsher than she’d intended. “We’re just sleeping together.”
“ Ooookay,” Hayley replied in a sing-songy ‘whatever you say’ voice.
As the pair walked to their table, a voice rang out, “Hey, guys! Over here!”
Groaning, Shannon turned towards the voice and plastered a grin on her face. “Oh, we didn’t see you guys!” She led Hayley over the table, the taller blonde looking more and more amused by the second.
Shannon glared at Evan and placed an exaggerated kiss on Jackie’s surprised lips, as if trying to mark her territory.
Stacey once again gagged and rolled her eyes. “Get a room.” Stacey was a surly, professional, cut-throat woman, who rarely made friends in the orchestra, but had taken an instant liking to Jackie. She admired Jackie’s talent and respected her professionalism. That didn’t mean that she wouldn’t have a little fun at Jackie’s expense every once in a while.
As lunch continued, Shannon was either awkwardly quiet or making inappropriately negative comments in Evan’s general direction, Jackie furrowing her brow in consternation at every instance of the uncharacteristic behavior. Sensing the tension between the two women, Evan and Hayley unsubtly made up excuses to leave. As they stood up from the table, Stacey made no attempt to leave, as well. Evan tapped her on the shoulder and gestured to the door.
“What? I’m eating!” Evan nodded his head towards the door, this time a little more forcefully. “Fine, I’m coming!” Looking towards Jackie, Stacey added, “Apparently I’m not allowed to eat, because you and your girlfriend are having ‘issues’.”
“So, wanna tell me what that was all about?” Jackie asked, once the other three had left.
“What what was about?”
“Oh, come on. You were passive aggressively exact ing some sort of revenge on Evan. What the hell did he do?”
Shannon grumbled something under breath.
“What? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I saw his hand rubbing your back and he was whispering in your ear. I just thought that maybe…maybe you were sleeping with him, too.”
“When the hell did you thi nk I had time to sleep with Evan? In all the spare time I’ve had not in rehearsal and not in your bed?” Jackie raised her voice slightly, a bit insulted by the implication that she just falls into bed with everyone.
“Sorry,” Shannon winced, realizing how her comment sounded.
“Were you…jealous?” Jackie asked, her voice softer and laced with a touch of amusement.
“No. No! I just…you’re a llowed to do whatever…or whoever…you want.”
“Excuse me?”
Realizing she may have overstepped, Shannon offered Jackie a small conciliatory smile. “Am I your girlfriend? We’ve never had the conversation, but Stacey said it, and I don’t want to keep wondering if I should be mad when other people flirt with you or rub your back or whatever,” Shannon rambled.
“Yeah!” Jackie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, her mouth widening into a brilliant smile. “Evan and I are just friends, honey.”
“Okay. Good! ”
Jackie grinned. “You’re such a dork,” she whispered affectionately, capturing Shannon’s lips in a languid kiss.
“S o, admit it, you were jealous,” Jackie said, breaking away and leaning her forehead against Shannon’s.
“No, I just don’t like other people touching what’s mine,” Shannon replied playfully.
“It’s okay. Jealousy is really sexy on you.”
Seven
Jackie paced back and forth on the tile floor, muttering in Spanish and running her hands through matted curls.
“ Jackie…” Shannon attempted to get her attention. “Jackie!” she tried a
“Let’s sit over there,” Shannon said, while nodding to a table on the opposite side of the room.
“You don’t want to sit with your girlfriend?” Hayley asked, noticing the conspicuously empty seats at Jackie’s table.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Shannon said a little harsher than she’d intended. “We’re just sleeping together.”
“ Ooookay,” Hayley replied in a sing-songy ‘whatever you say’ voice.
As the pair walked to their table, a voice rang out, “Hey, guys! Over here!”
Groaning, Shannon turned towards the voice and plastered a grin on her face. “Oh, we didn’t see you guys!” She led Hayley over the table, the taller blonde looking more and more amused by the second.
Shannon glared at Evan and placed an exaggerated kiss on Jackie’s surprised lips, as if trying to mark her territory.
Stacey once again gagged and rolled her eyes. “Get a room.” Stacey was a surly, professional, cut-throat woman, who rarely made friends in the orchestra, but had taken an instant liking to Jackie. She admired Jackie’s talent and respected her professionalism. That didn’t mean that she wouldn’t have a little fun at Jackie’s expense every once in a while.
As lunch continued, Shannon was either awkwardly quiet or making inappropriately negative comments in Evan’s general direction, Jackie furrowing her brow in consternation at every instance of the uncharacteristic behavior. Sensing the tension between the two women, Evan and Hayley unsubtly made up excuses to leave. As they stood up from the table, Stacey made no attempt to leave, as well. Evan tapped her on the shoulder and gestured to the door.
“What? I’m eating!” Evan nodded his head towards the door, this time a little more forcefully. “Fine, I’m coming!” Looking towards Jackie, Stacey added, “Apparently I’m not allowed to eat, because you and your girlfriend are having ‘issues’.”
“So, wanna tell me what that was all about?” Jackie asked, once the other three had left.
“What what was about?”
“Oh, come on. You were passive aggressively exact ing some sort of revenge on Evan. What the hell did he do?”
Shannon grumbled something under breath.
“What? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I saw his hand rubbing your back and he was whispering in your ear. I just thought that maybe…maybe you were sleeping with him, too.”
“When the hell did you thi nk I had time to sleep with Evan? In all the spare time I’ve had not in rehearsal and not in your bed?” Jackie raised her voice slightly, a bit insulted by the implication that she just falls into bed with everyone.
“Sorry,” Shannon winced, realizing how her comment sounded.
“Were you…jealous?” Jackie asked, her voice softer and laced with a touch of amusement.
“No. No! I just…you’re a llowed to do whatever…or whoever…you want.”
“Excuse me?”
Realizing she may have overstepped, Shannon offered Jackie a small conciliatory smile. “Am I your girlfriend? We’ve never had the conversation, but Stacey said it, and I don’t want to keep wondering if I should be mad when other people flirt with you or rub your back or whatever,” Shannon rambled.
“Yeah!” Jackie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, her mouth widening into a brilliant smile. “Evan and I are just friends, honey.”
“Okay. Good! ”
Jackie grinned. “You’re such a dork,” she whispered affectionately, capturing Shannon’s lips in a languid kiss.
“S o, admit it, you were jealous,” Jackie said, breaking away and leaning her forehead against Shannon’s.
“No, I just don’t like other people touching what’s mine,” Shannon replied playfully.
“It’s okay. Jealousy is really sexy on you.”
Seven
Jackie paced back and forth on the tile floor, muttering in Spanish and running her hands through matted curls.
“ Jackie…” Shannon attempted to get her attention. “Jackie!” she tried a
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