(Author's note: I'm upping the rating on this from a T-rating to an M-rating, because this scene ended up being a little more detailed than a T-rating would allow, plus there will be a fight scene later on; I am keeping both scenes to accurately portray the intense emotions and consequences these characters are going to have after this ordeal is over)
Jimmy closed the apartment door and gingerly tossed his backpack on the couch, followed by his jacket; he leaned against the door and sighed, exhausted. It had been a rough day—it was as if all of his teachers were being sadists and purposefully trying to cram as much school work into his last semester as humanly possible: he already had a physics project due in two weeks, three photography assignments for the yearbook, an English paper due at the end of the week, and fifty algebra problems for homework, not to mention his responsibilities at the Planet. The photographer sighed glanced at the wall clock hanging nearby and groaned; he only had about thirty minutes before Perry would call and chew him out for being late.
"No, Chief, that's not mentholated limburger cheese you're smelling," the teenager muttered as he headed into his room, slowly peeling off his shirt along the way, "that's just what I smell like after my coach felt the need to torture us by making us run laps for fifty minutes in a heated gym."
Jimmy hated gym, especially since it was his last class of the day, and he had to scramble to get home at a decent time so he could shower before going to work. He tossed the shirt onto a pile of laundry shoved in the corner and kicked his shoes off before taking his cellphone from his jeans pocket and putting it on his nightstand before removing his jeans and socks and adding them to the pile of clothes; wearing only a pair of green boxer briefs, the photographer longingly glanced at his bed—the soft pillows beckoning for him to just rest for a few moments—but the teenager knew if he lay down, he would sleep for the remainder of the day; sighing, he headed into his bathroom to get some ointment for his aching muscles.
"I don't think you smell that bad."
Jimmy froze as he recognized the voice, then he slowly turned around to see Linda leaning against the corner on the other side of his room; the photographer's eyes widened in shock when he saw her attire and make-up; two large duffle bags were in the nearby corner. "Linda?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Green's a good color on you," Linda continued, smirking.
Jimmy raised an eyebrow, confused, then glanced down—and realized he was standing there dressed in nothing but his underwear; he scrambled to grab a pillow from his bed and did his best to shield himself. "Wh-wh-what, what are you doing here?" he stammered, blushing.
"I wanted to thank you for the present you gave me," Linda replied, holding up her wrist, showing off the bracelet. "You weren't home when I got here, so I let myself in and waited." She slowly crossed the room, stopping a few inches from him. "I really like it."
"Uh, no, no problem," Jimmy said, his gaze drifting south for a moment, but then he quickly focused back to her face. "But, uh…you could've just…texted me or something…you didn't have to come here…dressed like…like…why are you dressed like…this?"
"Because I like wearing it," Linda replied, amused as she saw his focus shifting downward once more, "and you don't seem to mind, either."
Jimmy quickly looked up, embarrassed. "I, uh, I need to…get ready for work," he replied, trying to maintain his composure. "Perry'll have my hide if I'm late."
"And I need to talk to you," Linda retorted as she edged closer. "I've made my decision." Looking confused, Jimmy opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Linda kissed him full upon his lips. The photographer stiffened and gave a muffled squeak, his eyes wide; after a few moments, Linda pulled back, smiling up at him, his lips still pursed as he started at her in shock.
"Uh, about…about what?" he asked slowly after a few moments.
Linda smile widened. "About us," she replied before gently snatching the pillow from him and tossing it back on the bed. "Much better." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, pressing against him.
Jimmy had dreamt for months of kissing her, her kissing him, ever since he'd met her; his thoughts drifted as he closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the sensation of her lips against his, but it lasted only for a few moments before he came to his senses; he gently grabbed her hands and removed them from his neck, pulling back.
"What's wrong?" Linda asked, slightly annoyed.
"I thought we agreed to be friends," Jimmy said, trying to remain composed. "What happened?"
Linda simply smiled as she gently pulled her hands free. "Ever since I've arrived, I've been so concerned about what other people think that I've allowed fear to dictate my decisions. My feelings for you haven't changed since July, but I've been too scared to say anything." She shook her head slightly as she put her hands on his bare chest, feeling his muscles quiver under her touch; she brushed her fingers lightly against his skin as she moved her hands up to his shoulders. "Last night, I decided to stop being scared." She pulled him close, kissing him again.
Jimmy wanted to protest, but he couldn't think of a good enough reason as he closed his eyes, losing himself, not wanting the kiss to end; his hands hovered awkwardly near her jeans for a moment, his fingers brushed against the denim fabric, before gently squeezing her hips. After a few moments he ran his hands up her back, gently pulling her into him as he wrapped his arms around her back, the kissing growing; some unknown time passed before he pulled back slightly, their arms still around each other.
"That was…nice," he said softly, smiling.
"So, why did you stop?" Linda asked, amused. "I certainly wasn't protesting."
"Because as great as this is," Jimmy answered, "I'm going to be late for work if I don't leave soon; I don't want Perry breathing down my neck as soon as I get there."
"Then just don't go in," Linda said. "Call him and tell him you're not feeling well." She smirked playfully. "Maybe I could rub those aching muscles for you, help you relax; you know I'm pretty good with my hands."
Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows slightly, even as he smiled, blushing a bit. "Uh, wow," he said slowly, chuckling. "This is…a different side to you."
"And you're not complaining," Linda said before kissing him tenderly. "Come on, Jimmy; the Planet will survive for one day without their best photographer," she kissed him again, "and you and can continue celebrating." She inhaled deeply and shot a puff of arctic air into Jimmy's mouth.
Jimmy felt the cold air rush into his mouth and squeaked before pulling back, gasping; it didn't hurt, but it was definitely unexpected. Arms still around her, he stared at her as she smiled flirtatiously at him—and suddenly going to work wasn't that important anymore. "So, uh," he said, the minty cold sensation lingering, "if you give me a few minutes to get dressed, we can go get something to eat…figure out where to go from here."
"I know exactly where I want to go from here," Linda replied, brushing the back of his neck with her fingers, "and it doesn't even require us leaving your room."
Jimmy appeared bewildered. "What do you—" He stopped short when it suddenly clicked in his mind; his smile slowly faded. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Linda shrugged, still smiling, and the photographer quickly let her go and pulled away; he brushed past her, walking over to the window before turning to face her. "Linda, we just went from 'Single' to 'In a relationship.' Don't you think taking that next step now is moving a bit fast?"
"Jimmy, running at Mach 2 is 'fast,'" Linda replied as she stepped out of her shoes and slowly walked over to him. "What I'm suggesting is nothing more than the natural, normal progression of a relationship." Jimmy swallowed nervously as she approached, but he didn't move from his spot. "And I know you've fantasized about us being together like this; I have, too." She cupped her hands tenderly around Jimmy's face before softly kissing him. "Why deny ourselves something we've both wanted for so long?"
Jimmy closed his eyes as she cradled his face, putting his hands over hers, their fingers interlacing as he clung to her. He felt a wave of emotions—anger, rejection, betrayal—wash over him, and he thought back to all the times he'd been hurt by people he thought he could trust, and he felt his body shake, but he forced himself to keep his composure; he didn't want to break down, not in front of Linda. He took a ragged breath and let it out slowly as he briefly squeezed his eyes before slowly opening them; his gaze locked with Linda's as he moved his hands to her face, feeling a sense of peace as he stared into her blue eyes. He gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs before leaning over and kissing her, tender at first, but it quickly intensified, fueled by an emerging passion neither one of them wanted to suppress anymore.
Jimmy moved his hands around Linda's waist, pulling her close, as his tongue invaded her mouth, while Linda wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair, sending a shiver down Jimmy's back; the photographer moaned softly against her lips as he moved his hands down the small of her back, grabbing the bottom of her sweater and yanking it up. Linda raised her arms, pulling back long enough for Jimmy to tug the jumper off and throw it to the floor before she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him as she kissed him hungrily.
Jimmy shuddered, his breathing shallow and quick, his heart pounding, as he felt her black silk bra touch his bare chest. His head swimming, he traced his hands down to her hips, his fingers brushing against the bare skin below her belly button; her heard her sharply inhale, moaning against his mouth. The photographer fumbled clumsily with the button, but he finally managed to pull her shorts down, letting them slide down her legs to the floor. Jimmy got a brief glimpse of Linda black silk panties as she stepped out of the jeans and kicked them aside before the photographer wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him; she tilted her head back as he moved his lips to her neck, sending shivers down her spine as she moaned softly in his ear.
Feeling courageous, Jimmy moved his hands down her hips, brushing the smooth skin of her thighs as he stopped just above her knees; he lifted her legs off the ground, and Linda deftly wrapped her thighs around his waist. Jimmy crossed the room and knelt on his bed, gently laying Linda across the unmade sheets, her head resting on one of his pillows. Caging her with his body, he kissed her hungrily before moving down her neck to her collarbone; Linda whimpered, running her fingers through his hair, as his lips brushed the soft skin just above her sternum.
Suddenly, the chorus of 'Walking in Memphis' belted out from Jimmy's cellphone, breaking the silence; Jimmy groaned and closed his eyes.
"You gotta…be kidding…me," he muttered, panting heavily.
"Who is it?" Linda asked, also out of breath.
"Perry," Jimmy replied, sighing as he rolled off Linda and grabbed his phone, giving her an apologetic expression. "I gotta…take it."
"Just let it go to voicemail," Linda replied, looking annoyed as she propped herself up on her elbows.
"I'll be quick," Jimmy responded, still breathing hard as he leaned over and kissed her affectionately before answering his phone. "Hey, Mr. White."
"You okay, Jimmy?" Perry asked. "You sound out of breath."
"Yeah, I've been achy and sweaty since I got home," Jimmy replied, looking at Linda with a slight smile on his face; she grinned and leaned over to nibble his ear playfully, causing the photographer to sigh softly as he tried to remain focused. "And, uh…I, I'm starting to run a fever, too."
"Are you sure?" Perry asked.
Jimmy closed his eyes as Linda slowly moved her tongue down the side of his neck before straddling his hips, grinding against him; the photographer bit his lips, whimpering softly, as she traced her fingers over his chest and stomach. "Oh, yeah," he said softly, leaning back and closing his eyes as his heart pounded in his chest, his breathing growing more rapid as he slowly smiled. "I'm definitely feeling very hot all of a sudden."
"Great Caesar's ghost, Jimmy," Perry muttered, "not you, too."
"What are you talking about?" Jimmy asked.
"Well, it doesn't really matter now since you're staying home," Perry answered, "but I was calling to let you know Clark wouldn't be here when you arrived."
"Why?" Jimmy asked.
"Apparently, Chloe said Linda's having a bad reaction to some medication, and Clark wants to make sure she's okay."
Jimmy's smile faded as he opened his eyes; he glanced up at Linda as she stared back at him, smiling. "Okay," he said slowly, "well, uh, I'm gonna go now; keep me posted." He hung up and put his phone back on the nightstand, then glanced back at Linda, concerned. "Uh, Linda, I hate to be a mood killer, but why would—"
"I'm not having a bad reaction," Linda interrupted, her smile fading. "I feel just fine."
Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows. "How did you know what we were talking about?" he asked, then he remembered what she had told him last night at the party. "Super-hearing, never mind." He took a deep breath and shifted into a sitting position. "So, why is Clark really on his way to Smallville?"
"It doesn't matter," Linda asked as she leaned over and kissed Jimmy, but stopped when he pulled back slightly; she sighed, annoyed. "What?"
"Clark wouldn't use an excuse like that without there being something really wrong," Jimmy said. "What is going on, Linda?"
Linda snorted mirthlessly. "Typical," she said as she got off Jimmy and started pacing in front of the bed. "I come here to tell you that I'm ready to be in a relationship with you, I even willingly offer myself to you, but as soon as we get going, you suddenly want to talk about Clark."
"I just want to know what's going on," Jimmy said slowly, confused.
"Will you stop interrogating me?!" Linda shouted, her eyes flashing orange.
Jimmy jumped, startled by her sudden outburst; he stared at her in disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something, then he saw her clutch the sides of her head, closing her eyes as if she was in pain; the photographer scrambled to his feet and hurried over, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Linda, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
Linda slowly opened her eyes, breathing heavily. Her eyes darted around wildly before they met Jimmy's, and the photographer saw a look of fear radiating back; she stared at him for a moment before she threw herself at him, kissing him desperately as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Make love to me," she said tearfully, her voice wavering, "please." Jimmy grabbed her shoulders and gently, but firmly, pushed her away from him; she stared at him with a hurtful expression. "Jimmy?"
"Linda, something's really wrong with you," Jimmy answered softly, trying to keep his composure, knowing he was hurting her. "I can't…I'm sorry."
The hurt on Linda's face suddenly disappeared, replaced with a cold expression. "Fine," she said, her voice low, with edge, before blurring around the room; she stopped a second later, fully dressed, standing next to his bedroom door, holding the duffle bags in her hands. "I came here, thinking we could have some fun; guess I was mistaken." She blurred out of the room and apartment, leaving Jimmy to stare at his open door in disbelief.
The photographer suddenly felt his legs shaking as a wave of nausea started building in his abdomen; he eased himself onto the edge of the bed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs; he buried his head in his hands and took a ragged breath, racking his brain as he tried to figure out what had just happened.
(End of Chapter 10)