Stephanie Meyer own Twilight, I don't. If I did I'd be rich. Anyway when we last left Jacob and Nala things were starting to get interesting.
July
I had settled into a pretty regular routine by the time July rolled in. I worked, decorated my house, hung out with Leah or Emily and avoided my budding feelings for my boss with a vengeance. The last few weeks seemed to be the busiest time in the shop. Jake and the guys had a steady stream of cars to work on. The day before the Fourth of July we were in the shop working. I had greeted a bunch of customers and the phone was ringing off the hook. Apparently people like to have their cars worked on before they went away for the holiday weekend. There was some festival going on tomorrow. I noticed there were a few more people than usual walking around town. The guys in the shop were in a great mood. Everyone was excited about tomorrow's cookout. Every year, Jake closed the shop on the Fourth and hosted a big bonfire and barbeque on the beach for his employees, family and friends.
I had just printed out the invoices for the week and I was walking towards Jake's office. The door was closed, which wasn't uncommon. I knocked and opened to door. I was startled to see my boss in all his shirtless glory. I thought my eyes were going to bug out of my head. Sweet Jesus! He was beautiful! He was in the middle of changing t-shirts when I busted in the door.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have knocked." I stammered looking down at the floor.
"You did knock, it's my fault for not locking the door," he replied as he pulled the shirt down over his torso. He didn't seem to be ashamed of being caught without a shirt on. I looked back up into time to see everything. I could have sworn that happened in slow motion. I had no idea he was so damn cut. His abs and that other muscle that looks like a "V" were impressive. He didn't have a six pack; it was more like an eight pack! His russet skin shined like a new penny in the light. I was stuck in the spot I was standing in. I was so caught up in the moment, I wasn't even aware that he was talking to me.
"What did you say?" I asked
"Are those the invoices?" he asked again.
"Oh yeah," I replied sheepishly "I'll just put these on your desk,"
"Thanks," he replied taking them out of my hand.
"No problem, I'll be at my desk if you need anything," I said
"I know where to find you," he replied.
I walked out his office and sat at my desk. This man was gonna give me a heart attack before I turned twenty two.
The rest of the day was uneventful. We finished the work for the day and closed for the evening. After locking up, Jake walked over to me.
"You're coming to the barbeque tomorrow, right?"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything."
He stood there shuffling from one foot to the next. I sat there in my car waiting for him to spit out whatever he was gonna say. My couch and TV were waiting for me at home.
"Hey are you hungry? I mean do have any plans for tonight? " he asked rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
Was he asking me out?
"No, I don't have any plans. Why?"
"I was gonna grab a pizza, did you wanna come with me?"
"Sure, lead the way. I'll follow you." I said.
"OK," he replied.
We arrived at the local pizza shop and sat down in a booth by the window. The place looked like a typical small town pizza place. They actually had the red checkered table cloths and little red candles on each table. Jake said they had pretty good pizza here. Considering there wasn't a Taco Bell, KFC or McDonalds for miles around, this was as good as it gets. We could order beer there, which was a plus. It wasn't that crowded, but there were other people eating and talking. The place felt really cozy. I gazed out the window, looking at cars pass by. The waitress came over to take our order. She was native with long black hair pulled up in a ponytail. She had large brown eyes and long eyelashes. She looked really familiar. As usual, everybody noticed Jake first. She talked to him for a minute and turned to look at me.
"Nala Clearwater, is that you?" she asked.
"Yup, it's me," I replied trying to remember her name.
"It's me, Jamie Smith, we went to school together. We both were in Mrs. Jones' class. Oh my goodness it's so good seeing you."
I remembered Jamie. She was the only one that didn't give me the pity stare after my dad died. We would have been best friends if I stayed on the rez.
She told me that she was waiting tables and going to school part-time at Port Angeles Community College. She had to take a break when she had her son Ryan. She showed me a picture of an adorable two-year old with chubby cheeks. We chatted for a few minutes and she took our orders.
Jake ordered two large pies, one with pepperoni, sausage, and ham and a plain one. I chewed on a breadstick as we waited for the pizzas.
"How does it feel to be back?" Jake asked
"Good. I mean it feels strange at times. I haven't seen most of these people since I was eleven. I'm glad to see my family. My mom didn't acknowledge my Quileute side when we left. I think it reminded her too much of my father. I grew up only identifying with my black side. I didn't even notice it until I was in middle school. The girls used to tease me saying I was stuck up cuz I was mixed."
"Kids can be cruel. I know I got teased a lot when I started growing. I was all limbs. They used to whisper that I was taking steroids," Jake said
"Well, there's so much I don't know. So much I wanna know. That's the main reason I came back."
Jamie came back with our pizzas and we started to eat.
"So what's this I hear about you being Chief?" I asked.
"It's not as grand as it sounds. It was my birthright. It's not like I had to battle for the title. My Granddad was chief long ago. My dad didn't want to take the title and the counsel was giving us all a hard time about no one leading the Tribe, so I took it. I basically have an office that I listen to land disputes, keep track of the birth and death certificates and if there is ever some official Quileute business, I'm your man."
He was so humble about the responsibilities he had to take on. He was his dad's caretaker, chief of our tribe and business owner. All at the tender age of twenty six.
"How do you do it?" I asked.
"Do what?"
"Stay so level headed? You do so much for everybody. Who do you lean on?" He smiled at my question and started blushing.
"I have really good friends and dad has always been there for me. The old man has some great advice. Especially when I get 'too big for my britches'," He said imitating his dad.
"Well you make it look so easy,"
"It's not, and there are times I doubt myself but I know that everybody's depending on me and it makes me work even harder."
"Yeah, I know how that feels."
Jake told me about what it was like after he came back. How hard it was to go back to school and get his education. He told me that the boys and Leah won some kind of scholarship to continue their education. The Platt Foundation awarded the guys with full scholarships to any school of their choosing. He also talked about the programs he started at the tribal school to help the kids finish high school. We finished eating and then said goodnight.
The next day, I drove out to First Beach. It had rained all week but this morning we were blessed with a sunny, cloudless day. The grill was going and four tables were overflowing with food. Aunt Sue had taken charge of cooking. Every family contributed something. Charlie was manning the grill with Billy's help. It was nice to see him again. We talked for a while. He said I looked a lot like my mother. Soon everyone started arriving. Sue shooed us away to "go have fun" I grabbed my blanket and put it on the sand. Leah came over a followed suit. The guys had decided to play football. Isaiah was in high demand today. He was on Jake's team, which consisted of Jake, James, Isaiah, Seth, Embry, Quil and Brian. The other team was made up of Sam, Jared, Paul, Davis, two guys from the other shop and Jose.
"Hey, you guys have an unfair advantage!" Jared shouted.
"I'm just playing for fun," Isaiah replied.
"You're alright man. Jay's just mad cuz he's getting ready to lose," Seth stated.
"Ha! We'll see," Jared shot back.
Leah got up and walked over to Seth.
"You watch my man out there guys, if he gets hurt I will fuck you up," Leah said calmly.
"Damn Lee, we're not gonna let anything happen to him!" Seth shouted.
"Just making sure," Leah said in a sugary sweet voice.
"I swear to God, she is so damn creepy!" Seth said loud enough for us all to hear.
"I heard that!" Leah called back. We laughed.
They played shirts versus skins. None of the girls in attendance complained about that. We all cat called from the side lines. I must say the guys did look awesome without shirts. They played for a while running back and forth along the surf. It was fun watching them. We made a bet that Jake's team was gonna win. Leah was talking to Kim and Seth's date Julie. She was showing off her four carat diamond ring. They were excited to hear about their impending wedding. Leah and Isaiah were planning to marry next April in a lavish ceremony. She was complaining that the paparazzi had already started taking their pictures in and around Seattle. It was the small price to pay since Isaiah's career was taking off. He was getting a lot of lucrative endorsements. We talked about her moving to Seattle permanently in the next year. She would teach one more year at the tribal school before she and Isaiah moved into a house. I stretched out on my blanket and felt the sun on my skin. I didn't notice that I fell asleep until I heard Aunt Sue say the food was ready. I heard the guys pushing their way to the tables. I grabbed a plate and sat back on my blanket. Jake and Isaiah walked over with plates piled high with food.
"Do you mind if we join you ladies?" Jake asked
"Nope, have a seat," I said
"The games over guys, you can put you shirts back on," I said
"The weather is awesome today, there's no way I'm putting a shirt back on," Jake said
"OK, but I just wanted to let you know Seth's date is staring pretty hard at you," I said pointing to Julie who was trying her best not to get caught staring.
"Is that so? I'm gonna clown him all day about that," Jake said winking.
"Aww, he's never gonna live that down," Leah said.
"Y'all are funny," Isaiah replied.
"See where I get it from? We wouldn't clown so hard if he didn't bring so many bimbos around us," Leah said
"She's not that bad," Jake said.
"She thought the Titanic was a war! Who the hell would think that?"
"That's random. How did you guys get on that topic?" Isaiah asked.
"We were talking about movies and I said my favorite director was James Cameron. She asked what movie did he make, and I said Titanic. Then she said "Wasn't that a war?" I said shaking my head. The guys laughed.
"Yeah he's got himself a real prize there," Isaiah replied.
"She won't last long, they never do." Leah stated.
"Why?" I asked
"He always dumps them after a month or two. Nobody has made it past that point."
We ate, then a short time later; Leah and Isaiah excused themselves to take a walk. That just left Jacob and me.
We both were quiet for a while. I was looking out at the ocean just enjoying the day.
"You are gonna stay for the fireworks, right?" Jake asked
"I wouldn't miss that. I love fireworks."
"Well I'm gonna go help the guys set up the bonfire. We're gonna make s'mores when it starts getting dark. Hopefully the weather will hold up for us. Save me a spot on the blanket."
"No problem," I replied.
Watching the guys set up the bonfire was interesting. They all seemed to work together as one. It was always like that here. My Quileute family was going about things as they normally would. I think that's what I missed. There wasn't much of my family left outside of this close knit community. I sat up on the blanket and wrapped my arms around my knees. The sun was setting giving off a pink hue in the distance. I couldn't think of anywhere else I wanted to be right at that moment. I looked over at the bonfire, now roaring to life. Its bright orange flames were lighting up the now semi-dark beach. I looked over at Jake and as our eyes met, he smiled at me. The people around us started gathering sticks of driftwood to put marshmallows on them. I saw Emily come over with a huge basket of marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers. It was s'mores time. I got up from my spot on the blanket and dusted the sand off my shorts. I walked over to the group and took a spot near Seth. He was showing his date how to roast the marshmallow without them falling into the fire. I grabbed some from a nearby bag and started making my own. The scent of chocolate and toasted marshmallow filled the air. I started making my s'mores, when Jacob came over and sat next to me.
"Hey, are you sharing?"
"Nope, you gotta make your own," I replied laughing.
"That's messed up." he grabbed the bag and put five marshmallows on a stick.
"You're gonna burn them, that's too many to keep an eye on."
"Sweetheart, I am the king of s'mores making," Jake boasted as he put his into the fire.
"OK, your highness, we'll see."
A few seconds later, Jake pulled out his semi burnt marshmallows from the fire. Two were perfectly roasted. The other three were burnt to a crisp. We laughed as he put them in his mouth and quickly spit them out, burning his tongue in the process.
"You're supposed to put a square of chocolate and the graham crackers on it, before you shove flaming hot goo in your mouth," I said laughing at the goofy expression on his face. Not to mention he had sticky marshmallow on the side of his face.
"Oh, yeah I forgot that part," he replied.
"You've got marshmallow all on the side of your face."
He rubbed his face with his hand, only to move the goo further up his cheek.
"Did I get it?"
"Nope," I said grabbing a napkin I took his face in my hands and wiped the remainder of the marshmallow off his face. His skin was so soft and warm, it was hard to concentrate. He looked at me and it felt like his eyes were burning their way into my soul. I wanted to stop touching him. It felt way to intimate. I wished he would stop looking at me like that. I finished and stepped back.
"Thanks," he said
"You're welcome. Now let me show you how it's done."
I made a few s'mores and we ate and talked. Soon our conversation was interrupted by the sounds of fireworks being shot into the air. We sat there and looked at the fireworks turn the night sky bright. I knew right then and there that my feelings for Jacob were growing into something else. I didn't want it to. It's not that I didn't like him; I just didn't want to like him.
I left the bonfire shortly after the fireworks display. After saying goodbye to my cousins and friends, I made it home in a matter of minutes. I took a shower to wash the sand off and threw on some boxers and a tank top. Then, I turned on my mp3 player which was hooked up to my speakers. I set it on shuffle and went into the kitchen to make some popcorn. Ironically, Donnie Hathaway's "I love you more than you'll ever know" came on. It was my parent's favorite song. They would play it on the old record player and dance in the living room. I was so embarrassed when they did that. Now, I would give anything to see that again. I said a silent prayer hoping that somewhere in heaven they were still dancing to that song. A knock on the door jarred me out of my thoughts. Nobody came to visit me this late. I walked to the door and looked out. Jake was standing on my porch. I opened the door smiling.
"Hey neighbor, I was wondering if I could borrow a cup of sugar," he said.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"You left your sunglasses. I was just bringing them to you."
"Thanks, I was looking for those. Hey come on in I was getting ready to watch a movie."
"You're not watching some touchy feely chick flick are you?"
"No, I'm watching Star Wars. It's been my favorite since I was a kid."
"Alright, I'll come in."
He walked inside and started admiring my photos.
"Is that you?" He asked pointing to a picture of me smiling with a toothless grin.
"Yeah, that's me. I was seven in that picture."
"Cute."
"Thanks, I have some pictures that I painted all around the house." I said pointing to the large landscape painting that hung in the dining room.
"Wow, is there anything you don't do?"
"I can't bake, I suck at math, I don't sleep, I bite my fingernails and I'm told I steal covers," I replied. He laughed.
"Let me see what else you've done,"
I showed him the sketch I did the night we talked on Sam and Emily's porch.
"This is beautiful," he said.
"Thanks. Come on, I'll get the popcorn and we can get this movie started."
I put the popcorn in a huge bowl and grabbed some sodas. We sat on opposite sides of the couch and I turned the movie on.
We sat there and talked for a while and soon turned our attention to the movie. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep. I slowly awoke to look around. The movie had ended and the main menu screen of the DVD was repeating. I looked around and noticed that I was lying on a pillow which was on Jacob's lap. There was a throw draped over my legs. I felt so warm and safe, but I still wondered how I got into this position. Last thing I remembered was sitting facing him on the couch with my legs tucked under me. We sat close to each other but I think I would remember resting on his lap. I spent a few minutes just listening to him breathing. We were so comfortable, I hated the thought of moving. However it probably would be difficult to explain this in the morning. I shifted a bit which caused him to move his arm so that it was now draped over my waist. His fingers were touching my exposed skin. He mumbled something in his sleep. It was a name, I couldn't make out. He leaned over and lightly kissed my forehead. I rolled over on my back as his hand moved up my shirt tracing the skin on my stomach. His eyes opened and he looked at me. I froze in place, unsure of what to do next. He gave me that look again. Just like when we were at the bonfire, I didn't want to give into that look. It made me feel too vulnerable. I knew I was fighting a losing battle though. My hands reached up and caressed his face. He smiled at me as he pushed my hair away from my face. He grabbed my hand and kissed the palm. I sat up and faced him. He ran his fingers through my hair and brought me to his lips. His lips were so soft. I kissed the top one, drawing it into my mouth with a soft bite. He growled with desire pulling me closer to him. The pillow on his lap fell and I straddled him, running my fingers through his hair. He placed soft kisses on my neck and collar bone. I moaned softly as my hips moved in circles on his lap. His hands were under my shirt running all over my skin setting it on fire. I helped him out of his shirt enjoying the beautiful sight of his bare chest. He slid my tank top off exposing a black satin bra. I was so glad I had the good one on. I kissed him on the neck allowing my tongue to trace the curve to his ear. As much as I wanted to take this further, second thoughts began to creep in. I liked him, but in less than six weeks, I'd be on my way to California. There was no way I'd responsible for breaking his heart a second time. My hormones were gonna be pissed at me. I stopped kissing him and slowly got off his lap.
"Sorry about that. I got carried away," I said
"It's okay so did I," he replied looking sheepish.
"I'm embarrassed, can we go back to the way it was before?"
"You mean pretend we aren't attracted to each other?"
"I don't know?" I shrugged "You're my boss and I just molested you on my couch."
"I know, I was there," he stated. I laughed at his little joke.
"It's not funny. What are we gonna do?"
"What do you want to do? We can go on and act like this never happened. We can deny our feelings for each other if it will make you feel better."
"Please, don't take it the wrong way. I really want to, but I don't want you to get hurt."
"Don't worry about me, do what you feel is right for you."
"Well, can we just call it a night? I need to clear my head."
"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow," he said kissing me on the cheek as he grabbed his shirt and walked out my front door.
I knew I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. After a cold shower I went to bed confused. I didn't want to feel anything for him, but I did. This is so not what I expected when I came home. Could I just carry on like I didn't enjoy the way his hands felt on me? I liked every moment of it and wanted to do it again. Stupid hormones. I haven't been in a relationship since high school. Sure I've dated a few guys in college, but nothing serious. It had been a long time since I had sex with anyone. My ex-boyfriend Chris was the first and last. He wasn't worth mentioning, since he cheated during most of our so called relationship. I vowed to never let anyone get as close to my heart as he did. I hoped to keep it that way for as long as I could.