Chapter 11: Driving Lesson

7:15am Monday morning

Ima

Ima anxiously tapped her thumb on the steering wheel of her white 2009 Lexus IS, as she sat outside the courthouse, waiting for them to open at eight, so she could get that assault charge dropped. She made sure to show up bright and early, after the not so friendly visit Jax paid her, at her home last Friday night.

It was nearly an hour after the whole altercation at TM, when Jax showed up at her apartment, using his irresistible charm to convince her to let him in, only to flip the script once she did. Snatching her up by the throat as soon as she shut the door, and slamming her into the wall, telling her that she knew better than to call the police out to the shop, and pressing her to get Elise's charge dropped before things got real ugly for her. He also told her that if she didn't keep their little exchange to herself, that she could consider herself as good as dead.

Knowing some of what Jax was into, and the lawless lifestyle he lived, Ima knew he wasn't bluffing, and swore to him that she would take care of that charge first thing Monday morning. So there she was, keeping her word, as if she had a choice.

Ima looked in her rear view mirror, and fumed at how much makeup she had to cake on her face just to cover up her black eyes, bruised nose, and busted lip. Not only that, but she never realized how hard it was to suck dick with a split lip, until she had to film with one.

She wanted revenge for what Elise had done to her, but knew that would be difficult, with Jax being so protective of her, so she decided to wait it out, and get her back when the time was right. Without Jax knowing she had anything to do with it.

"This isn't over, hoodrat." Ima quietly muttered as if she was talking to Elise, before looking at the time on the radio clock, and sighing impatiently when she saw that it was only 7:20. She mentally kicked herself for showing up so early, as she was just ready to get this whole thing over with.

Elise

After school the same day:

"I still can't believe we got A's on our assignment. The highest grade I've ever gotten in English is a C… You know, since I'm always working, and barely at school." Jessica gushed on our way out of Mr. Price's class, and headed down the hall towards the school's exit.

"I really lucked up being partnered with you, because I probably wouldn't have even thought about doing that assignment without you pushing me to work on it. Jax was right the other day, when he said you're probably the best friend I've ever had." I was already beaming listening to everything Jess was saying, but my face lit up even more, when she said that Jax had been talking to her about me.

"Jax said that?" I asked, and Jess nodded.

"Said you're a good influence on me, and that a friend like you is hard to come by. Basically telling me what I already knew." Hearing that he spoke so highly of me, caused me to smile to myself as we moseyed along with the flow of the other students.

"Oh, and speaking of my brother, he told me to tell you that he's been trying to get a hold of you since yesterday, but you haven't answered his calls or replied to his texts." She added, and I nodded, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, that's because my dad has my phone. He's had it since I forgot it in his car on friday, and after everything I pulled this weekend, he decided to keep it for good."

"Oh yeah! I forgot to ask you how things went when you got home…"

"Better than I expected honestly. I mean I thought they would try to confine me to my room and force me to do homeschool, but it seems like they've finally come to their senses, and realized that disciplining me is starting to become a lost cause, now that I "think I'm grown"." I said, doing air quotes with my hands as we finally exited the building.

"So they've finally decided to treat me as such, and now I'm without a phone, need to find my own way to get from point A to B, and need to find a job, so I can buy my own shit. I was actually gonna go walking around town after school today, to see who's hiring."

"Walking in this heat? Are you crazy? Come on. I don't have to be at work until six, so I can drive you wherever. And besides, I think I know someone who might need some help." Jess insisted, and I went along with it, walking side by side with her to her car.

"And you said you could be here everyday after school til close?" Gemma, who was leaning up against her desk, asked, as Jess and I sat on the sofa in her office.

"Yes, and any time on the weekends. Then after I graduate, I'll be available any time as well." I eagerly responded, hoping that she would schedule me for as many shifts as possible, so I wouldn't have to be at home as much.

"Sounds good, sweetheart. The pay will be ten an hour, 25 hours a week, and then 40 when school ends, and you'll get paid every week. If you wanna help me close today, I can put you in the payroll system and show you how to clock in." She suggested, and I nodded.

"Yeah let's do it." I smiled, excitedly standing up, and following Gemma around her desk.

"There, now you can stop guilt tripping me into working the office for you without pay. Now if my assistance is no longer needed, I'm going home to chill out before work." Jess said to Gemma, as she stood up and started for the office door.

"Thanks Jess!" I called after her, and she shot me a smile.

"Don't mention it." She said back, before walking out.

During my first few hours at work, Gemma showed me the ropes. Everything from checking in walk in customers, and greeting others over the phone, to sorting through, and categorizing paperwork. Once she felt like I had it down, she told me that she needed to make a run, and left me to run the office by myself. I was currently elbow deep in sorting through a pile of old receipts, when I heard the door swing open.

"Welcome to Teller-Morrow I'll be with you in just a second…" I said, picking up a small stack of receipts, and setting each of them in the pile that they corresponded with alphabetically, before looking up with a smile.

"How can I help y-" I stopped when I realized Jax was standing there, looking confused. "Don't look so surprised, Prince Charming." I grinned.

"Can't help it. Shit I was convinced your folks killed you when you got home, since you haven't responded to any of my texts or calls from yesterday and earlier today." He said, and I sat back in the chair, smiling coyly at him.

"Well don't I feel important! Jess told me you'd been trying to get a hold of me, but I didn't know you blew my phone up." I playfully murmured, as Jax coolly slid his hands halfway into his pockets.

"What do you mean you didn't know?"

"I mean pops has had my phone since last week, and has decided to keep it after this weekend, so there was no way I could've known you were contacting me. So if you were wondering, that's why I'm here. Working so I can buy a new one."

"You work here now? Like on a schedule?" He asked, walking around the desk, and leaning with his backside up against it.

"Mhm. Just got the job today. Gemma's giving me 25 hours a week, and then more once school ends."

"So it looks like I'll be seeing you around more often then."

"Looks that way. You lucky bastard!" I smirked, when the office door came opened again. Jax and I both looked to see Chibs poke his head inside.

"Hey thea, lass." His scarred cheeks tugged into a warm smile, that I affectionately returned.

"Hey, Chibby."

"Jacky boy, we gotta go. Kozik ran into some trouble up in oak town. Said a shipment of ours fell into the wrong hands." He urged, and Jax sighed shaking his head.

"Aight, gimme a minute." He tiredly instructed, and Chibs nodded, shutting the office door.

"What ever happened, doesn't sound good." I spoke up, and Jax just shook his head.

"Yeah, it never is. Hey what time are you off?"

"I'm here till close, how come?" I asked, as Jax stood up and headed over to the door.

"I'll be by then to pick you up. I'm bringing my truck so I hope you're ready for that driving lesson. See you at nine?" His voice raised in question, and I smiled, nodding without hesitation.

"Nine it is. Don't be late… Jacky boy." I jested, causing him to smile as he ducked out of the office. That's when I stood up and walked up to the window, watching him jog over to where the others were waiting on their bikes. He got on, putting his helmet and glasses on, before firing up the engine, and pulling out right after Clay.

The rest of the guys followed suit, and I watched until the last son left my sight. I didn't know what they were going to do, but my gut told me it wasn't good, and that Jax most likely didn't want to, but was only going along with it because of his obligation to Clay. All I could do was shake my head in pity for Jax, before going back to work.

The next five hours seemed to drag by, as business was fairly slow, and most of it was spent, sorting and filing paperwork. When Gemma got back, she made it known how impressed she was by how quickly I caught on, and how well I had done on my own. She even bought me dinner, in exchange for doing such good work.

It was well after closing time, and I was putting some papers away in the filing cabinet, when headlights flashed into the office. I didn't think anything of it until Gemma, who was sitting at her desk, questioned whether something had happened to Jax's bike, that forced him to drive his truck. I stood up to see Jax parking his truck and shutting it off.

"Nah, he brought his truck, so he could try teaching me how to drive, since I don't know how. What time is it?" I asked Gemma, and she squinted at the time on her computer.

"9:33, how come?"

"Because he's late." I responded, kicking the cabinet closed, before going into the mini fridge, and grabbing my soda from dinner. Then I stepped out of the office, and leaned on the red post just outside the door, glaring at Jax as he hopped out of the truck.

"You're late!" I announced, as Jax stalked over to me.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Guess I put more than I could eat on my plate today, but I hope you won't hold it against me though." He smiled apologetically, before gently grabbing the back of both my arms, and planting a soft kiss in the middle of my forehead, that basically turned me to mush on the inside. I looked up at him, and sucked my teeth, upset that I couldn't stay mad at him.

"I guess I won't. Not this time anyway." I grumbled, playfully rolling my eyes.

"Jesus Christ you two. Get a room!" Jax and I looked up at Gemma who stood in the office doorway with an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth.

"I have a room in mind, but my mom's standing in it. Might make shit awkward, if you ask me." Jax jokingly shot back, as he pulled a lighter out of his pocket and reached in to light his mom's smoke. She chuckled and shook her head, as she inhaled.

"Between you and your sister, I can't decide who's mouth is smarter. Get outta here, and be careful you two."

"Love you mom." Jax laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before turning and throwing an arm over my shoulder.

"Ready darlin'?" He asked, and I nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Gemma?"

"After school, same time, sweetheart." She confirmed as we started to walk over to his truck.

Jax drove us to an empty lot at some park, where the lights were still on, and we switched spots. I was now buckled up in the driver's seat of his truck, with my hands placed at ten and two on the steering wheel, awaiting his instructions.

First, he had me adjust the rear view, and side mirrors, so that I was able to see out of them. Once I did that, he showed me how to put the car in park, drive, reverse, and how to tell what gear it was in. Then it was time for me to drive.

"Aight, now that we got the basics out of the way, go ahead and back out of this spot." Jax instructed, and I put the truck in reverse like he taught me. I accidentally took my foot off of the brake too fast, causing the car to jerk backwards, and I quickly put my foot back down, before bashfully looking over at Jax. He just laughed.

"Here, let me help you." He scooted in the middle seat, and reached out to put his hand on my right knee. His touch sent a jolt of electricity directly to the pit of my stomach, giving me crazy butterflies.

"Just slowly ease your foot off of the brake, and let the car back up on its own."

"Like this?" I asked, trying to focus on the fact that I was supposed to be driving, as opposed to the unwholesome thoughts that tried to creep into my mind.

"Like that. See, you got it." He praised, before releasing his hold on my leg, but remaining next to me in the middle seat, and placing his arm around the back of my headrest.

"Now carefully turn the wheel to your right, and press the brakes again, when you've fully turned out of the spot." I did what he told me.

The next step was pretty much common sense, so I took it upon myself to put the car in drive, switch my foot from the break to the gas, and gently press down, making sure not to press too hard.

"Look at you. I didn't even have to tell you what to do."

"This is light work. I would've been driving if I knew it was this easy!" I boasted in excitement as I drove through the parking lot, only going about ten miles per hour. Jax had me hit my left blinker, before making a left turn into another parking spot, and finally stopping. I repeated this a few more times, until the park lights shut off, and Jax told me to park, since I wasn't experienced enough to drive in the dark, with just the headlights on.

"Well that was fun while it lasted." I sighed, putting the truck in park for the last time, and sat back in my seat.

"Don't worry, I'll take you driving again. Next time we'll get out in traffic during the day, and see how you do." He said, reaching up and turning on the dome lights, so it wasn't so dark. This is when my eyes landed on the cupholder, and the can of soda I grabbed before we left.

I reached out for it, only to feel that it was empty when I picked it up, but I was sure there was something in it the last time I set it down. So I looked up at Jax, who couldn't wipe the smirk off of his face, telling me all I needed to know.

"The whole soda, Jax? Really?" I crushed the can up and tossed it at him. He started to crack up when I missed, but some of the residual liquid managed to land on him.

"Ahh, don't be like that, sweet cheeks? I can always buy you another soda. You got it all over my cut!" He laughed, slipping out of his cut, and holding it up to see the droplets of soda left behind by the can. He grabbed some paper towels out of the glove compartment and started wiping down his vest, and I threw myself back, in my seat, and shook my head, thinking about my drink.

"I can't believe your fat, greedy ass drank it all, and didn't even think to ask." I ranted, as Jax set his cut to the side scooted closer to me. He threw his arm around my neck, and I glared up at him, as he stared down at me with a smile in his eyes.

"Do you have to name call? Outlaw bikers have feelings too, ya know?" He jokingly carped, but I just squinted at him, fighting back the smile that threatened to creep up on me. Jax's right brow rose in mischief when he saw that I wasn't moved.

"So you're not gonna laugh, huh? Not even a smile?" I shook my head, trying with everything in me not to show any signs of amusement.

"Okay, guess I just gotta get it out of you another way." He said, and before I could ask what he was going to do, he reached out with both hands, repeatedly pinching both of my sides, sending me into a fit of laughter.

"There it is! I knew I could get a laugh outta you!"

I pleaded, pushed, and pulled, trying to get him to stop, with no success, for at least a minute, before Jax grabbed my thigh, and slid me onto my back in the seat. The whole time still tickling me with his other hand. Now he was in between my legs, drilling into my sides, and I was trying to push his hands away, but too weak from laughing, to make a difference.

By the time he finally stopped, I was still laughing, and sniffling trying to pull myself together. I brought my hands up to my face, wiping away the tears that fell from my eyes in the midst of everything, only to look up, and see Jax hovering directly above of me, staring intently into my eyes. I could see that he wanted to kiss me, as his eyes briefly flickered don to my lips, but I got the feeling that he didn't want to feel like he was pressuring me to do anything.

"We should probably get you home, sweet cheeks. Don't need your old man sending a search party out for you again. It's a school night too, and-"

"Shut up, and kiss me already!" I cut him off, wrapping my hand around his goatee, and pulling his face in closer to mine. His lips collided with mine, and I brought my foot up, to press the dome light, cutting it off, and closing my eyes, as we continued on kissing.

A/N: The shit really hits the fan in the next chapter, so stay tuned. It's about to get GOOD HONEY!!!