He woke up still dreaming he was chasing her down the beach, tripping in the dark on driftwood, screaming her name to come back. He rubbed his eyes but couldn't shake the desperate feeling of the dream. Why must he wake up every morning thinking about Jess? At least today he didn't wake worried she had moved out during the night, disappearing, before he ever tried.
She sliced strawberries and sprinkled them over her cereal. She hummed a little made up song and smelled her tea before sipping it. The warmth coming through the loft windows reminded her the white sundress she chose today would be perfect if not just a little bit too revealing for this weather. Maybe she should grab a cardigan before class.
She made coffee for Nick and set out a bowl for his cereal. As soon as she did it she picked it back up and put it away. This was becoming way too common and he was gonna catch on now, if he hadn't already. She forced herself to sit and eat and think about her class today and the geography lesson they were doing on the world.
Nick showered in the hottest water he could stand. He tried to wake up but his body but he wanted to return to his constant Jess dreams. It was becoming an obsession. He needed to simply hook up with someone else and get some of this sexual tension out. There was that woman at the bar the other night he remembered with the black tank top? She was overtly flirting with him. Maybe she would come back in. Anything to end the fuckin agony he felt being around Jess all the time.
He dressed in the bathroom putting on the black shirt Jess told him he looked good in. Now why did he grab that this morning? Bad choice Nick, he thought. Maybe he ought to change into sweats and go for a run thinking that might be exactly what he needed.
He saw her walking towards him in the hallway and froze, paralyzed by the sight of Jess wearing an almost see thru dress backlit from the sunlight in the living room. He could see the curve of her lower breasts and the dip of her flat stomach going down to her undies. He felt himself getting wound up when he saw the space between her thighs before they curved to her hips. He tried to reach down and casually adjust himself before she noticed and smiled up at him.
"Morning Nick" she said passing by with the smell of vanilla and soap hitting his nose.
She looked at her cardigans fumbling through the stack not noticing their colors as she kept picturing Nick with his wet hair and slightly angry face just now. In that damned black tshirt too! He looked so frustrated sometimes. She never understood why he was always so grumpy in the mornings. He made her feel kind of out of breath when he looked like that. All rumpled and scruffy. This was getting a bit out of hand and it was time to find a distraction before she did something stupid.
They both arrived at the front door at the same time. Jess now wearing her pink cardigan over her dress carrying her lunch and book bag. Nick in his sweats and running shoes. Standing there waiting for the other one to grab the door handle, they both awkwardly lunged for it at the same time. Nick's hand landed on hers.
"Are you kidding me?" she says out loud pulling her hand away from the door.
"What" said Nick acting as though his hand had been shocked, rubbing it.
"Oh, not you Nick, I am just a bit jumpy this morning" she said while shaking her head back and forth. "Wait, are you going for a run?"
"Yeah, I thought I would"
"OK, that's different" she said.
Nick, feeling defensive now, all wound up with her in that dress, walked through the door without saying another word to her. He took the stairs leaving her alone in the hallway, a little more than confused.
Jess locked the door and headed to school telling herself she simply didn't need that in her life. Nick Miller didn't even notice her, never said good morning and is such a grumpus!
Nick started a slow jog knowing he hadn't run in quite awhile. He purposely started thinking about Jess in that dress and the way it dipped down between her breasts and how soft her skin looked. Heat rushed to his face from running and hormones... he let it as he quickened his running pace. He thought about how the other night, when she got out of the shower, she smelled like girl and spring and clean and he wanted to take her towel off and push her back into the water. He couldn't stop the flood of memories now. Watching her exercise or brush her hair or simply make tea had been driving him crazy for weeks. He was running faster now passing block after block. Practically out of breath, his lungs beginning to protest, he needed to slow down but he couldn't. Seeing her thighs through that dress today and she made him coffee and she smelled...he ran as fast as he could until he literally collapsed on some grass and stared up at the sky as he caught his breath. He had to find a way to get over Jessica Day before things became worse than this.
Jess watched happily as her class painted their paper mached globes with properly placed continents. She briefly thought about that morning. Nick had been acting weirder than normal and also looked hotter than hell. She decided to text Cece and ask her advice. Meanwhile, her student Darian needed some guidance before his globe hit the floor.
"Oh Darian, could you move your globe away from the edge" she yelled quickly before watching it fall to the ground with a loud thud.
Nick walked back to the loft and realized he did feel better. If he simply cleared the pipes, showered and ate breakfast, he would be good to go. Damn though, Jess looked ridiculously good this morning he chuckled to himself as he walked up the stairs to the loft.
It was locked. Jess had locked the front door. Jess had locked the fuckin door! Oh my god, he was locked out with no phone or way in. Shit. "Are you kidding me?"
Well, he certainly was not gonna ask Remy for help and he knew none of the neighbors. Winston and Schmidt offices were across town. Without a phone, he realized he was going to have to walk to Jess's school. Damnit, he thought. I don't need this. I don't want to see her again.
Jess sat on her car eating her carrots and peanut butter sandwich. Cece and her were texting back and forth about all the ways Jess could release this angst she was having over Nick. She thought maybe a painting class or a bird calling club might be in order. Cece thought maybe a vibrator or a one night stand with a stranger. She leaned back on her car soaking up the sun wondering where she would buy a vibrator when he walked up to her.
"Hey Jess".
She nearly squeeled out loud. What the heck was Nick doing here?
"Hey Nick, did you run here?"
"You locked me out of the loft this morning after I went out running."
"Oh, Nick, I am so sorry, I didn't even think about it."
"What are you doing out here" he said noticing her chest as she climbed off the hood of her car.
She gathered herself hoping she looked OK and smiled up at him "just eating a snack texting Cece. Um, my keys are in my room. Lets go get them."
He stared at her unable to manage more than a smile. He feelt so foolish around her these days. She walked ahead of him leading him back into the school. The kids were at recess right now so her classroom was empty.
Nick felt so big walking the hallways covered with construction paper flowers and backpacks hanging on pegs. The smell of glue and chalk and old sandwiches permeated through doors as they walked by.
"Hey Jess, did you get that art schedule I left you?" said Vicki, the new 2nd grade co-teacher.
Vicky is cute and sweet but Jess always feels like she is a woman after bigger and better things. On cue with Jess's thoughts, Vicky looked up appreciatively at Nick. Jess thought he looked pretty chiseled this morning with his sweaty hair and tight tshirt. Unfortunately, Vicky noticed as well and Jess's heart broke off a tiny fragment. She had no claim on him though. None whatsoever. She also noticed Nick smile back at Vicky. Damnit, why was this bothering her!
"Yeah, I got it last week" Jess said. "Thanks."
Nick reached over with his hand and introduced himself "hi, I'm Nick, Jess's roommate."
Vicky slid her hand over to him and continued to hold his gaze as they shook "I'm Vicky, nice to finally meet you."
Nick looks perplexed at Jess wondering why this woman knew who he was.
"Come on Nick, my kids are due back from recess in a few" she said before Vicky got another chance to touch Nick.
Nick and Vicky smiled at each other a goodbye and he turned and entered Jess's classroom. Nick looked around and could see all that Jess did during the day... The math charts and art projects in the corner, the pet lizard she brought home for Christmas break, the fabric cars she cut on the dining room table...it was adorable. This was her other life away from the loft and he longed to sit in the beanbag chair and watch her all day. The sound of her desk drawer opening smacked him out of his daydream.
Jess lifted her purse out of her desk and as she did, the strap broke dumping all of the contents onto the floor. "Dang it, not again".
Nick bent over to help her gather chewing gum and a fuzzy troll head, pencils and change. He looked at her purse with the broken strap and took it from her. He opened her desk and grabbed a paper clip, shoving the end thru the belt buckle strap of the purse, twisting the ends together.
"Here, not a permanent solution but it'll get you there for a bit." He smiled at his ingenuity and for the first time today, neither deny a long stare into each others eyes.
"Thanks Nick" she stuttered out completely blown away by the softness in his eyes, the small smile at his lips. Why can this man not be like this in the morning? Why is he so grumpy and yet this kind to her right now?
Nick stared at her without blinking. She is so beautiful today that he couldn't breathe around her. Those big blue eyes, her classroom filled with cute Jess projects, her smile right now...he had to get out of here or he would do something stupid.
She handed him the key to the loft and he turned to leave the room running into a desk along the way. Turning back towards her one last time, taking a deep breath he said "um, by the way, nice dress Jess". He smiled shyly looking at the ground and walked out of her room.
Jess felt her face heat up. She smiled a huge smile and looked down at her feet. He noticed.
Nick walked through the parking lot with a bit more bounce in his step. He woke up sad and confused and now he felt energized and maybe even a little peppy. He was glad he had told her he liked the dress because that is what roommates would do. He heard his name being called and turned to see Vicky walking up to him.
"Hey" she said breathless semi jogging up to him. Dang, he was cute, she thought. "Um, Jess said you are a bartender."
"Yes, I am" answering with caution. Nick knew when a woman was flirting and this one had all the lights flashing around her smile.
"Well, I am organizing this charity event for the school art program. It's a silent auction, black tie affair and we need a bartender. Would you be interested?"
Realizing her interest was purely for a bartender, he shuffled his feet thinking about it as quick as he could. Jess talked all the time about how art really brought out her kid's emotions and helped them share how they felt. The arts were important to her. He would do it for her then. "Sure, I would love to help out."
"Great, that would be great". She paused a bit longer and then said that she would find out how much it paid.
"Why don't I just donate my wages to the program. I know how much art means to Jess and anything I can do to help, well, that would be my pleasure." He was surprised at how smooth that came out.
"Well that would be very nice of you" she said slightly taken aback by his mentioning of Jess.
He turned and walked out of the parking lot wondering if he should have asked Jess if it was Ok. Maybe she wouldn't want him at her school function. He should make sure to ask her later after work.