Chapter Five
(A few days before Halloween - which is important in the next chapter, but not this one.)
Mimi stared up at her ceiling, listening to Rory breathing softly in the bed across from hers. She was having the hardest time falling asleep, spending the last thirty minutes tossing and turning restlessly. Perhaps it was because Rory's words from earlier in the evening were still echoing in her head.
Jason, Mimi and Rory had gone to Salem Place, and while Jason was getting them drinks from the Java Cafe, Rory had pointed something out to Mimi. She had said something to the effect of, "Don't you think it's weird that a guy like Jason hasn't been out on a single date since school started?"
Mimi had just shrugged it off at the time, not really thinking anything of it. But, now as she lay here in her bed surrounded by darkness, she was starting to think that Rory was right. It was weird. Jason had never had a problem getting girls before, that was for sure. But, since starting college he had not asked a single girl out on a date. And, if any girls had asked him out, he must have refused them.
She tried wracking her brain to think of any time that Jason might have been spending with a girl, but didn't come up with anything. All of his spare time was spent with Mimi and Rory, and they had even started getting Nick to come out of his shell a bit. And, it wasn't that there was something wrong with Jason. He was funny, attractive and sweet, just the kind of guy any girl would go for.
*Sweet? Did I just call Jason sweet?* Mimi groaned softly and shook her head. That wasn't exactly a word that normally got associated with him. At least it didn't used to be. But, the summer had changed him profoundly. Oh sure, he was very much the same in many ways, but the qualities that had made him so detestable before had all but disappeared entirely.
Mimi rolled on to her side. She didn't want to keep doing this. Lying in her bed at night, trying to sleep, but instead thinking about Jason. Night after night, she would close her eyes and see his face. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to deny that she was attracted to him as each day wore on.
Her stomach growled and Mimi took it as a sign to get out of bed. Anything to keep her mind off of Jason was a welcome distraction. She quietly slipped out from underneath her covers and went to the tiny fridge that she shared with Rory. Of course, it was empty. Nothing edible to be found anywhere. She quickly rummaged in her desk drawer and found a handful of change.
Mimi quietly slipped out the door, doing her best not to wake Rory. She padded down the dimly lit hallway in her bare feet. There were still lights on in some rooms, as it wasn't too late and many students were still up studying. She made her way into the lounge and stood in front of the snack machine, trying to decide between a package of twizzlers or a bag of pretzels.
She was nearly startled out of her skin when she heard his voice not far behind her. "Hey! Meems!"
Mimi turned to face Jason and had to lean against the glass of the snack machine for support. He was grinning at her like a fool, just inches away, wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist. Her hand gripped the edge of the machine in shock, and her green eyes grew as wide as saucers.
His hair was still wet and somewhat tousled, giving him a sexy boyishness that made her knees shake. Unconsciously, her eyes traveled downward as a stray droplet of water made it's way from the top of his perfectly sculpted chest down lower. Her eyes followed its journey intently as it made it's way down his tanned and toned abs, past his belly button, landing at the place where the towel met his waistline.
"Miiiiiimi..."
She could have let her eyes stay there all day if he hadn't of been calling her name. *Oh God in Heaven. Mimi Lockhart, don't you dare think about what's underneath that towel.*
Finally, she shifted her gaze, staring up into his green eyes that seemed to be burning like fire as he observed her observing him. "Meems... Whatcha doing out here in your pajamas?"
Mimi's mouth was wide open, and Jason tapped her chin to close it for her. He grinned lopsidedly at her and gave her a warning. "Don't leave your mouth open, Meems. You might accidentally swallow a fly."
Mimi nodded slightly, but no words came to mind. She finally held up her hand with the quarters in it and smiled awkwardly. The words that she spoke next, she realized later, would probably go down in history as the goofiest utterance since Jennifer Grey said 'I carried a watermelon.' to Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing'.
"I have quarters." Mimi cringed, her inner self wanting to slap her outer self silly as soon as she spoke the last syllable.
Jason nodded and laid his hand over the change in her hand. "Yes, yes, you do. I have change as well, but it's back in my room."
Mimi laughed loudly and nodded, attempting to play it off like she was trying to be nonsensical on purpose. "Ha ha ha. Yeah, I just thought you should know. See, I don't need your change, because I have my own."
*It's not working, Mimi. He probably thinks you're high and you're just out at the snack machines because you have a case of the munchies. Try something else, Mimi. ANYTHING else.* Her laughter faded and she looked up at him more seriously.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're naked under your towel?" Her eyes widened immediately, wondering how it was possible that her mouth became completely disconnected from her brain. She threw head back and smacked it against the glass softly. The voice inside her cursing her out for her complete lack of cool. *Damnit Mimi, get it together. It's just Jason. Who is naked, and wet, and... Oh my God.*
Jason still kept his wicked grin plastered on his face and nodded. "You know, I have tried and tried to take showers with my clothes on, but somehow I just don't get that fresh and clean feeling like I do when I take showers in the nude."
Mimi smiled slightly and nodded, the scent of his soap mixed with his shampoo making her slightly dizzy. There was nothing in this world quite like a guy who smelled clean and fresh. "Oh Jase... You are funny. Have I ever told you how funny you are?"
Jason nodded and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, sure. You're funny too. Are you feeling funny tonight, Mimi? You haven't been sniffing Nick's paint thinner or something, have you?"
Mimi laughed again and shook her head. If she could just keep her eyes from looking at his bare chest, she would be all right. "No, no, no... I'm fine. I came out to get a midnight snack, so that's what I'm doing. What about you?'
In her mind, she was nodding proudly at herself, even though her gaze didn't change. *Nice going, Meems. Get yourself back on track.*
"I was working out kind of late, and I needed a shower. So, here I am."
"Yes, here you are. And, here I am."
Jason smiled sweetly and motioned towards the direction of his room. "I'm glad you're here actually. I wanted to show you something."
*I swear to God if he wants to show me what's underneath that damn towel, I will pass out.* She shook her thoughts away and raised an eyebrow curiously. "Show me what?"
"Stay right here. I'll be back in a minute."
Mimi nodded and watched him go. She turned around and lightly banged her head on the glass of the snack machine, hitting it one time after each word. "You... are... such... an... idiot."
She sighed softly and threw her quarters into the machine, quickly pushing the buttons for the twizzlers to drop out. Never had she felt like such an idiot before. But, then again, rarely had she been just inches away from a nearly naked man. A man who was her friend. A man who was so gorgeous it should have been outlawed. At least out of fairness to other less gorgeous men.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason hurried back to his room trying not to laugh out loud at how obviously flustered Mimi had been. He went in to his room, where Nick was busy typing something up on his computer. Nick looked up at his entrance, his wavy brown hair in disarray as usual, and tried to figure out why Jason was grinning the way he was.
"What's up with you?"
"Mimi..."
Nick rolled his dark brown eyes and went back to his computer screen. "Not surprised."
Jason changed into a pair of shorts and threw his wet towel into the laundry bin. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nick sighed and shook his head. "You two are like... the very definition of 'unresolved sexual tension'."
"And what makes you think that Picasso?"
"It's obvious. You are totally in to her, and she is totally in to you."
Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head in denial. "She is not. Mimi is not into me.
He paused for a second to think about it. Of course, after the little display in the lounge, he might have to have second thoughts about that last statement.
"Yes, she is. And, don't think I didn't notice that you didn't deny being into Mimi."
"Well, I'm not into her either. Believe me, man." Jason shook his head again, but he was lying to his roommate. Since the day she had rammed into him at the bookstore, he was hopelessly addicted to her. And, addicted was the only word he could use to describe it.
"You know, I may be the quiet, artsy guy who doesn't get out much. But, I know enough to see what you don't. You want her, and she wants you. So just get it over with before you both explode from all the tension between you."
Jason picked up the small cardboard box that was sitting at the edge of his bed and headed towards the door. "We're just friends, Nick. And that's it. We're not going to have sex. Sex will only ruin it."
*No matter how much I wouldn't mind knowing Mimi more intimately, I can't bear to ruin our friendship.*
As Jason walked out the door, he heard Nick shout towards him. "It wouldn't ruin it, Jase! Maybe it would only make it better!"
Jason kept shaking his head as he walked down the hallway towards the lounge. He couldn't help being attracted to her. She was exactly the kind of girl he needed and wanted in his life. The kind of girl he should have been dating a long time ago. Dating Jan for so long was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He wasted too long with her, when he could have been with someone like Mimi.
Mimi was sitting on the couch in the lounge chewing on the edge of her red twizzler. How could he possibly resist being amazed by the way her heart shaped lips pursed together over that piece of licorice? She was beautiful, sexy and downright intoxicating and the best part was that she didn't even know it.
Jason sat on the couch next to her, and put the box in his lap. He had failed to put a shirt on, and Mimi looked at him awkwardly. He hadn't even been thinking, and he hoped that she wouldn't be too uncomfortable, especially considering what had happened just minutes ago.
Mimi shook off her awkwardness, trying to remind herself that it was only Jason. It wasn't like she had never seen him without a shirt on before. She smiled at him and looked at the box in his lap curiously. "So, what did you want to show me?"
Jason lifted the lid and grinned at her. "Well, you're always asking about my summer vacation, so I thought I'd show you the pictures."
He handed her a stack of pictures and Mimi began flipping through them quietly. Proof positive that Jason and Josh Masters had indeed spent their summer performing volunteer work across the country. She paused for a moment and then looked up at him.
"I still can't believe you did all this. Even with the pictures in my hand, it amazes me."
"Me too, really. I'll tell you something... The first day, we were at this home for children who have been taken away from their parents. They were abused, abandoned, born drug-addicted or with fetal-alcohol-syndrome, all kinds of horrible things. I didn't want to do any of this, no matter how much Josh begged me. So, I refused to get out of the car."
Mimi's eyes widened and she chuckled with surprised. "You stayed in the car? The whole time?"
Jason shook his head and found another picture in the stack, holding it in his hand lightly. "No, I didn't. I had to go to the bathroom at some point, so I went inside to use the bathroom. And, that's when I saw this little girl."
The picture in his hand was of Jason kneeling on the ground next to a girl of about seven years old with curly blonde hair, blue eyes and a bright smile. "I can't even explain it, Meems. It's like, no matter what horrible things happen in their lives, kids are still kids. They have yet to grow up and learn about things like blame, guilt, depression. This girl, Maya, she was physically abused by both her parents, until the state took her away from them. But, she played and smiled and laughed like any normal seven year old. It's really amazing."
Mimi sighed softly and tilted her head to look in his eyes. "You... You amaze me. Really."
Jason smiled sweetly at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Her lips were slightly parted, soft and warm, crying out to be kissed, and Jason wanted nothing more to answer the cry. But, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet, anyway. Mimi sighed and snuggled into him, resting her head on his bare shoulder, the heat of his skin burning her through his clothes.
She felt so safe there. Perfectly at peace. It was as if his arm was created for the sole purpose of holding her tightly, and the curve of his shoulder was perfect for her head to gently rest upon. They sat there for at least an hour, looking over pictures as Jason told her more stories of his travels. Showing her exactly how he had made his journey from the Jason she knew in high school to the Jason she knew now.
It started getting late, and Mimi quietly drifted off to sleep in his arms. She looked so beautiful and calm, and Jason refused to disturb her. He gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to her room. He practically tiptoed across the floor, doing his best not to wake Rory up. He laid her on her bed and pulled the covers over her. Her head was resting on her pillow, her hair spread on the pillow around her.
Jason brushed a stray piece of hair off her face and smiled at her. She looked like an angel when she slept, so fragile and perfect. He leaned over her and tenderly planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Good night, Meems."
Jason stood and quietly left her room, heading back to the lounge to get his box of pictures. Mimi sighed in her sleep, and quietly muttered a response. "Good night, Jason..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Like I could write a story with a co-ed dorm and NOT have an obligatory "hot guy in towel" scene. Heh heh.
(A few days before Halloween - which is important in the next chapter, but not this one.)
Mimi stared up at her ceiling, listening to Rory breathing softly in the bed across from hers. She was having the hardest time falling asleep, spending the last thirty minutes tossing and turning restlessly. Perhaps it was because Rory's words from earlier in the evening were still echoing in her head.
Jason, Mimi and Rory had gone to Salem Place, and while Jason was getting them drinks from the Java Cafe, Rory had pointed something out to Mimi. She had said something to the effect of, "Don't you think it's weird that a guy like Jason hasn't been out on a single date since school started?"
Mimi had just shrugged it off at the time, not really thinking anything of it. But, now as she lay here in her bed surrounded by darkness, she was starting to think that Rory was right. It was weird. Jason had never had a problem getting girls before, that was for sure. But, since starting college he had not asked a single girl out on a date. And, if any girls had asked him out, he must have refused them.
She tried wracking her brain to think of any time that Jason might have been spending with a girl, but didn't come up with anything. All of his spare time was spent with Mimi and Rory, and they had even started getting Nick to come out of his shell a bit. And, it wasn't that there was something wrong with Jason. He was funny, attractive and sweet, just the kind of guy any girl would go for.
*Sweet? Did I just call Jason sweet?* Mimi groaned softly and shook her head. That wasn't exactly a word that normally got associated with him. At least it didn't used to be. But, the summer had changed him profoundly. Oh sure, he was very much the same in many ways, but the qualities that had made him so detestable before had all but disappeared entirely.
Mimi rolled on to her side. She didn't want to keep doing this. Lying in her bed at night, trying to sleep, but instead thinking about Jason. Night after night, she would close her eyes and see his face. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to deny that she was attracted to him as each day wore on.
Her stomach growled and Mimi took it as a sign to get out of bed. Anything to keep her mind off of Jason was a welcome distraction. She quietly slipped out from underneath her covers and went to the tiny fridge that she shared with Rory. Of course, it was empty. Nothing edible to be found anywhere. She quickly rummaged in her desk drawer and found a handful of change.
Mimi quietly slipped out the door, doing her best not to wake Rory. She padded down the dimly lit hallway in her bare feet. There were still lights on in some rooms, as it wasn't too late and many students were still up studying. She made her way into the lounge and stood in front of the snack machine, trying to decide between a package of twizzlers or a bag of pretzels.
She was nearly startled out of her skin when she heard his voice not far behind her. "Hey! Meems!"
Mimi turned to face Jason and had to lean against the glass of the snack machine for support. He was grinning at her like a fool, just inches away, wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist. Her hand gripped the edge of the machine in shock, and her green eyes grew as wide as saucers.
His hair was still wet and somewhat tousled, giving him a sexy boyishness that made her knees shake. Unconsciously, her eyes traveled downward as a stray droplet of water made it's way from the top of his perfectly sculpted chest down lower. Her eyes followed its journey intently as it made it's way down his tanned and toned abs, past his belly button, landing at the place where the towel met his waistline.
"Miiiiiimi..."
She could have let her eyes stay there all day if he hadn't of been calling her name. *Oh God in Heaven. Mimi Lockhart, don't you dare think about what's underneath that towel.*
Finally, she shifted her gaze, staring up into his green eyes that seemed to be burning like fire as he observed her observing him. "Meems... Whatcha doing out here in your pajamas?"
Mimi's mouth was wide open, and Jason tapped her chin to close it for her. He grinned lopsidedly at her and gave her a warning. "Don't leave your mouth open, Meems. You might accidentally swallow a fly."
Mimi nodded slightly, but no words came to mind. She finally held up her hand with the quarters in it and smiled awkwardly. The words that she spoke next, she realized later, would probably go down in history as the goofiest utterance since Jennifer Grey said 'I carried a watermelon.' to Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing'.
"I have quarters." Mimi cringed, her inner self wanting to slap her outer self silly as soon as she spoke the last syllable.
Jason nodded and laid his hand over the change in her hand. "Yes, yes, you do. I have change as well, but it's back in my room."
Mimi laughed loudly and nodded, attempting to play it off like she was trying to be nonsensical on purpose. "Ha ha ha. Yeah, I just thought you should know. See, I don't need your change, because I have my own."
*It's not working, Mimi. He probably thinks you're high and you're just out at the snack machines because you have a case of the munchies. Try something else, Mimi. ANYTHING else.* Her laughter faded and she looked up at him more seriously.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're naked under your towel?" Her eyes widened immediately, wondering how it was possible that her mouth became completely disconnected from her brain. She threw head back and smacked it against the glass softly. The voice inside her cursing her out for her complete lack of cool. *Damnit Mimi, get it together. It's just Jason. Who is naked, and wet, and... Oh my God.*
Jason still kept his wicked grin plastered on his face and nodded. "You know, I have tried and tried to take showers with my clothes on, but somehow I just don't get that fresh and clean feeling like I do when I take showers in the nude."
Mimi smiled slightly and nodded, the scent of his soap mixed with his shampoo making her slightly dizzy. There was nothing in this world quite like a guy who smelled clean and fresh. "Oh Jase... You are funny. Have I ever told you how funny you are?"
Jason nodded and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, sure. You're funny too. Are you feeling funny tonight, Mimi? You haven't been sniffing Nick's paint thinner or something, have you?"
Mimi laughed again and shook her head. If she could just keep her eyes from looking at his bare chest, she would be all right. "No, no, no... I'm fine. I came out to get a midnight snack, so that's what I'm doing. What about you?'
In her mind, she was nodding proudly at herself, even though her gaze didn't change. *Nice going, Meems. Get yourself back on track.*
"I was working out kind of late, and I needed a shower. So, here I am."
"Yes, here you are. And, here I am."
Jason smiled sweetly and motioned towards the direction of his room. "I'm glad you're here actually. I wanted to show you something."
*I swear to God if he wants to show me what's underneath that damn towel, I will pass out.* She shook her thoughts away and raised an eyebrow curiously. "Show me what?"
"Stay right here. I'll be back in a minute."
Mimi nodded and watched him go. She turned around and lightly banged her head on the glass of the snack machine, hitting it one time after each word. "You... are... such... an... idiot."
She sighed softly and threw her quarters into the machine, quickly pushing the buttons for the twizzlers to drop out. Never had she felt like such an idiot before. But, then again, rarely had she been just inches away from a nearly naked man. A man who was her friend. A man who was so gorgeous it should have been outlawed. At least out of fairness to other less gorgeous men.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason hurried back to his room trying not to laugh out loud at how obviously flustered Mimi had been. He went in to his room, where Nick was busy typing something up on his computer. Nick looked up at his entrance, his wavy brown hair in disarray as usual, and tried to figure out why Jason was grinning the way he was.
"What's up with you?"
"Mimi..."
Nick rolled his dark brown eyes and went back to his computer screen. "Not surprised."
Jason changed into a pair of shorts and threw his wet towel into the laundry bin. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nick sighed and shook his head. "You two are like... the very definition of 'unresolved sexual tension'."
"And what makes you think that Picasso?"
"It's obvious. You are totally in to her, and she is totally in to you."
Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head in denial. "She is not. Mimi is not into me.
He paused for a second to think about it. Of course, after the little display in the lounge, he might have to have second thoughts about that last statement.
"Yes, she is. And, don't think I didn't notice that you didn't deny being into Mimi."
"Well, I'm not into her either. Believe me, man." Jason shook his head again, but he was lying to his roommate. Since the day she had rammed into him at the bookstore, he was hopelessly addicted to her. And, addicted was the only word he could use to describe it.
"You know, I may be the quiet, artsy guy who doesn't get out much. But, I know enough to see what you don't. You want her, and she wants you. So just get it over with before you both explode from all the tension between you."
Jason picked up the small cardboard box that was sitting at the edge of his bed and headed towards the door. "We're just friends, Nick. And that's it. We're not going to have sex. Sex will only ruin it."
*No matter how much I wouldn't mind knowing Mimi more intimately, I can't bear to ruin our friendship.*
As Jason walked out the door, he heard Nick shout towards him. "It wouldn't ruin it, Jase! Maybe it would only make it better!"
Jason kept shaking his head as he walked down the hallway towards the lounge. He couldn't help being attracted to her. She was exactly the kind of girl he needed and wanted in his life. The kind of girl he should have been dating a long time ago. Dating Jan for so long was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He wasted too long with her, when he could have been with someone like Mimi.
Mimi was sitting on the couch in the lounge chewing on the edge of her red twizzler. How could he possibly resist being amazed by the way her heart shaped lips pursed together over that piece of licorice? She was beautiful, sexy and downright intoxicating and the best part was that she didn't even know it.
Jason sat on the couch next to her, and put the box in his lap. He had failed to put a shirt on, and Mimi looked at him awkwardly. He hadn't even been thinking, and he hoped that she wouldn't be too uncomfortable, especially considering what had happened just minutes ago.
Mimi shook off her awkwardness, trying to remind herself that it was only Jason. It wasn't like she had never seen him without a shirt on before. She smiled at him and looked at the box in his lap curiously. "So, what did you want to show me?"
Jason lifted the lid and grinned at her. "Well, you're always asking about my summer vacation, so I thought I'd show you the pictures."
He handed her a stack of pictures and Mimi began flipping through them quietly. Proof positive that Jason and Josh Masters had indeed spent their summer performing volunteer work across the country. She paused for a moment and then looked up at him.
"I still can't believe you did all this. Even with the pictures in my hand, it amazes me."
"Me too, really. I'll tell you something... The first day, we were at this home for children who have been taken away from their parents. They were abused, abandoned, born drug-addicted or with fetal-alcohol-syndrome, all kinds of horrible things. I didn't want to do any of this, no matter how much Josh begged me. So, I refused to get out of the car."
Mimi's eyes widened and she chuckled with surprised. "You stayed in the car? The whole time?"
Jason shook his head and found another picture in the stack, holding it in his hand lightly. "No, I didn't. I had to go to the bathroom at some point, so I went inside to use the bathroom. And, that's when I saw this little girl."
The picture in his hand was of Jason kneeling on the ground next to a girl of about seven years old with curly blonde hair, blue eyes and a bright smile. "I can't even explain it, Meems. It's like, no matter what horrible things happen in their lives, kids are still kids. They have yet to grow up and learn about things like blame, guilt, depression. This girl, Maya, she was physically abused by both her parents, until the state took her away from them. But, she played and smiled and laughed like any normal seven year old. It's really amazing."
Mimi sighed softly and tilted her head to look in his eyes. "You... You amaze me. Really."
Jason smiled sweetly at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Her lips were slightly parted, soft and warm, crying out to be kissed, and Jason wanted nothing more to answer the cry. But, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet, anyway. Mimi sighed and snuggled into him, resting her head on his bare shoulder, the heat of his skin burning her through his clothes.
She felt so safe there. Perfectly at peace. It was as if his arm was created for the sole purpose of holding her tightly, and the curve of his shoulder was perfect for her head to gently rest upon. They sat there for at least an hour, looking over pictures as Jason told her more stories of his travels. Showing her exactly how he had made his journey from the Jason she knew in high school to the Jason she knew now.
It started getting late, and Mimi quietly drifted off to sleep in his arms. She looked so beautiful and calm, and Jason refused to disturb her. He gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to her room. He practically tiptoed across the floor, doing his best not to wake Rory up. He laid her on her bed and pulled the covers over her. Her head was resting on her pillow, her hair spread on the pillow around her.
Jason brushed a stray piece of hair off her face and smiled at her. She looked like an angel when she slept, so fragile and perfect. He leaned over her and tenderly planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Good night, Meems."
Jason stood and quietly left her room, heading back to the lounge to get his box of pictures. Mimi sighed in her sleep, and quietly muttered a response. "Good night, Jason..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Like I could write a story with a co-ed dorm and NOT have an obligatory "hot guy in towel" scene. Heh heh.