Jake spent the next hour explaining her situation with her Mom and the desperate attempt she made to get her attention by coming to Rawley. She also told Hamilton about how it hadn't worked, yet. But that lately thanks to him, she was thinking that being here all summer might not be such a bad idea.
"So can you forgive for lying to you all this time?" {Please let him say yes.}
"I should be mad as hell at you, but right now, I'm so relieved that I'm not gay - I just can't be mad." Grinning wickedly, he took Jake's hand and laced his fingers with hers. "I do think that you should make it up to me though."
"Oh, really? And how am I supposed to make it up to you, anyway?" {This could be fun.}
Raising a perfectly arched eyebrow, he gave her a lusty smile. Leaning back on the bed, he pulled her down with him and said. "You'll think of something."
Jake tried to open the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to attract attention to her room. Seeing no one in the hall, she motioned to Hamilton that it was safe. It was getting late, Hamilton needed to get home, but neither of them felt like explaining what he had been doing in Jake's room all evening. Hamilton passed Jake at the door and mouthed a silent "good night" before heading off down the hallway. Jake watched him walk away.
{That's about the best-looking backside I've ever seen.} She smiled, thoroughly appreciating the view she had.
Her appreciation quickly turned to embarrassment as she saw Hamilton reach around and pat himself on the behind just to remind her that he could still hear her thoughts. She closed the door then balled her fists and pounded the air in frustration.
Hamilton was already there when Jake arrived for Finn's class the next day. {What no little Rawley girls to escort around today?}
Hamilton chuckled to himself, somewhat amused with the jealous tone of Jake's thought. He turned to her and smiled as she sat down next to him.
"Hi, boy."
"Hi, boy." {How am I gonna sit next to him for a whole hour without touching him?}
Turning his head so Jake wouldn't see him, Hamilton smiled again. Was it possible that she had forgotten he could hear her thoughts? He decided not to remind her just yet and see what she would think about during class. It was a dirty trick, but he just couldn't resist.
Finn arrived and started his lecture. At first, Jake was able to concentrate on Finn and her thoughts revolved around the material he was covering. But Hamilton couldn't pay attention. This was the first time they had been in public together since he discovered she was a girl and he was having a very hard time concentrating on anything except what was under Jake's shirts. He was even able to ignore the thoughts from the other girls in the class. He was disappointed that it was so easy for her to pay attention when he was right next to her. He decided to 'remind' her that he was there. First he checked to see if anyone was looking in their direction, then he quickly ran his fingertips down the outside of her thigh.
Jake's heart skipped a beat when she felt his touch. {What is he doing? We're right out in the open?} She shot him a look that clearly said "are you insane?"
Hamilton just grinned for a response and then pretended to be interested in the book in front of him. Jake took the opportunity to study him for a moment.
{I swear I have never seen a guy this beautiful before. There just aren't words to describe those eyes. Every time he looks at me with those intense, blue eyes, I just melt.}
Hamilton fought hard not to smile or give any indication that he knew what Jake had just thought. This was what he wanted to hear. He looked away from Jake and noticed that another girl was looking at him. Clearing his mind of his own thoughts for a moment, the girl's voice appeared in his mind.
{He even has sexy ankles! I love it when guys wear running shoes with no socks. Shows off their legs so well. And HE has legs to show off.}
He looked back at Jake and saw that she was staring at him. He flashed her a brilliant smile.
{Hummmmm. What an incredible smile.}
He leaned towards her and quietly growled his trademark "GRRRR".
{I love it when he does that; it's sooo sexy. Sends shivers down my spine every time.}
Then he leaned back on his elbows and stretched out, confident now that Jake had completely lost interest in Finn and his lecture.
{God, what a body! I'd like to strip him down and spend hours tracing every single curve of those muscles.}
He crossed one ankle over the other.
{Oh, bare ankles. I love bare ankles.}
He pretended to reach into his pocket for something, causing his shorts to slide up on his leg revealing more skin.
{And legs. He has such great legs.}
Totally enjoying this little game, he deliberately licked his lips.
{Oh god, don't do that! I want to kiss those lips right now.}
He did it again.
{That is so inviting. How long before we can be alone again?}
Hamilton was so wrapped up in what Jake was thinking, that he forgot his original plan not to remind Jake that he could hear her thoughts. He discreetly held up 2 fingers and mouthed the words "two hours".
Realization hit Jake like a linebacker. The sharp, deep breath she inhaled was loud enough for the entire class to hear. Finn stopped talking and looked right at her.
"Is everything alright, Mr. Pratt?"
Jake's face turned bright red. "Ah...yeah...sorry Finn...there was...a bug." Immediately realizing how 'girlie' that sounded, she added, "it bit my leg." {I am going to kill you!}
Hamilton was dying. He wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. He felt terrible for embarrassing Jake in front of the class, but the look on her face when she remembered his gift was priceless. He was going to pay dearly for this later, but it had been nice to hear her think about him that way. He needed to know she was as caught up in the heat between them as he was. Cautiously, he looked at her, she was still bright red in the face and he was positive that there was steam coming out of her ears.
{I am going to kill you!}
The minute class was over; Jake took off. Hamilton walked casually until he was away from the rest of the students, then he ran after Jake. By the time he caught up to her, she was almost to the dorm.
"Jake?" {Keep walking, don't answer.}
She kept walking.
"Jaaake..." He put on his best "puppy dog" face, hoping to soften her. {Not gonna work puppy boy.}
Still no answer. They were inside now and she was heading straight for her room. He followed in silence. She unlocked her door and walked in. He followed quickly; afraid she would close the door in his face. Turning to face her, he was greeted with a solid punch to the arm. A very solid punch...
"Ow! Hey." He jumped back out of reach.
"You!" She was fuming. "That was totally unfair." {I hate this so-called gift.}
"Jake, I'm sorry. It was mean and I shouldn't have done it. I just...I...I couldn't resist. When you came in and thought about touching me, I was surprised that you didn't seem to remember that I'd hear you. Then I got curious about what you really think about." He moved to stand behind her and put his hands on her hips. She was still fuming, but made no effort to move.
"I'm sorry." He planted a warm kiss on the back of her neck. {You should be, that was totally unfair.}
"Very sorry." He kissed behind her ear. {I'm still mad. It's gonna take a lot more than that to make up for that stunt.}
"It's just that I loved what you were thinking." He put a trail of wet kisses down her neck. {I'm embarrassed, too. You heard everything and then everyone in class thought I was nuts or something.}
"You shouldn't be embarrassed. It was an incredible turn on for me to know you thought about me the way I think about you. I have no idea what Finn said for the entire class because all I could think about was you." He sucked at her neck and slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, caressing the few inches of skin not covered by the corset. {I'm still mad.}
"You're not playing fair, you know." Jake stated, trying not to moan. {Mmmmmm.}
"I know. I promise I'll never do that again." He moved to the other side of her neck. {That feels so nice...wait...I'm still mad.}
"Damn straight you won't. After today, I won't forget again." {I won't be that foolish.}
Slowly, he moved around her, still planting wet kisses along her neck. {Oooohhh, that is so not playing fair.}
When they were face to face again, he gently pressed his lips against hers and waited for her reaction. She paused for a moment. {Do I really want to stay mad or enjoy the few minutes we have left before practice?} She opened her mouth to his and eagerly accepted his kiss.
Jake broke away from their kiss and looked over Hamilton's shoulder at the clock.
"We have to go. We have like five minutes to get to practice." {Like sitting in a boat will compare to this.}
"Practice? This is the only practice I'm interested in." He replied trying to kiss her again.
She dodged his lips. "Sorry, boy, but Finn thinks otherwise and unless you want him asking your father why you weren't at practice..." {That could be an interesting explanation. Where were you today, son? In Jake's room making out, Dad.}
"Good point." He let her go and they headed for crew practice.
On the way to the dock, they passed a pretty blond girl. When they were a safe distance away from her, Hamilton broke out laughing.
"What?" {What now?}
"She thought you were cute."
"Oh, god. This just keeps getting better and better." Jake couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice. {Just what I need now is some chick coming on to me.}
"I thought I was surprised by you, can you imagine her reaction?" Hamilton was both amused and aroused at the thought of Jake kissing a girl who thought Jake was a guy.
{I'll bet he's just loving the thought of that!}
Practice was uneventful. Jake was successful in her attempts to keep her thoughts focused on rowing and Hamilton was more than a little disappointed that she could sit right across from him, yelling "stroke", and not think "private" thoughts about him. He was pouting as they walked away from the dock.
"Hi, Hamilton!" The giggled greeting came from behind them. Jake and Hamilton turned to see Megan and Samantha from Finn's class. Both girls were wearing bikinis and carrying inner tubes, they had obviously been in the lake.
{Subtle, ladies, very subtle.}
"Oh, hi." Hamilton smiled, more at Jake's thought than the two girls.
{He's so cute. Maybe I can convince him to join us.} Hamilton smiled at Samantha.
{I wouldn't mind seeing him with that shirt off all nice and wet.} Then he smiled at Megan.
"This is Jake, he's in Finn's class, too." {What are you doing? If you don't get us out of this soon, I'm leaving.}
"Hi, Jake." They answered in unison.
"Hi." Jake replied tersely and then looked away self-consciously. The two girls had great figures and were obviously enjoying showing them off. {I really don't want to be here right now watching them flirt mercilessly.}
"So, Hamilton, wanna come join us in the lake? The water's beautiful today." Samantha asked hopefully. {Please say yes.}
Hamilton looked at Jake. {You'd better not even consider it, pal.}
"Thanks, but we were just gonna go grab dinner." Hamilton struggled to speak without laughing. {That's better.}
"Maybe some other time then." {Darn.} Megan batted her eyelashes at Hamilton before the two turned around and went back to the water.
Jake looked at Hamilton. He had the most impossibly smug smile on his face. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" [Of course, he enjoyed that, Jacqueline. They were flirting with him while wearing bikinis. He'd have to really be gay not to enjoy it.}
"Noooo, not at all." Hamilton was biting his lip now, trying not to laugh.
Jake studied him for a moment. He looked incredibly sexy standing there biting on his lower lip, but his ego had received enough attention for one day. They needed to do something neutral for a while. "I believe you mentioned dinner."
His smile slipped a bit. "I just said that to get rid of them. You mean we can't go back to your room?"
{Your ego might not fit through the door right now.} "Maybe later. Dining Hall or the diner?"
"The diner sounds good. Do you want to change first?"
{Change?} Jake looked down at the Rawley sweatpants and matching sweatshirt she wore for crew practice. {What good will it do me to change? I still have to look like Jake.}
Hamilton lowered his voice and tried to get Jake to look him in the eye. "I like the way Jake looks." {Yeah, right.}
"Look, let's just get out of here, ok?" Jake asked. {Away from bikinis, water and all the other summer things I can't enjoy right now.}
"Let's go." Hamilton started walking, then stopped. "I forgot, I have to get my wallet from the house."
Jake patted the small, nylon bag in her sweatshirt pocket. It was just big enough to hold her keys, a credit card and a couple of tampons. "Don't worry about it, I've got it covered." {Emergency backup.}
"Jake, I don't want you to pay..." {Men...}
Jake cut him off. "Hamilton, the Dean is at your house. I've had enough drama for one day. Can we please just go?" {I don't want to be any closer to the Dean than I have to.}
A light bulb clicked on inside Hamilton's head. "That's why you got so nervous the other night at my house. OK. Let's go. I'll get the next dinner then."
They walked to her bike in relative silence. Jake tried to focus her thoughts on the trees around them and not give Hamilton any indication that something was bothering her. The ride to Friendly's was equally silent. Jake was concentrating on the road and Hamilton just enjoyed the ride. This time there was no dilemma on his part as to where his hands should go. He held her firmly around the waist and kept his thighs tightly pressed against hers.
The walked in and chose a booth in the back corner.
Jake looked over the menu. "I'm starving." {What do I want to eat?}
Hamilton looked up at her with a devilish grin. "Me, too. But what I'm hungry for isn't on the menu."
Jake cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? And what exactly is it that you're hungry for?" {I'll bet I know the answer to this.}
"To go back to your room and pick up where we left off before practice." He said quietly, his lowered voice adding a husky, sexy tone.
"So, you're telling me that when you told those girls we were going to go eat, what you really meant is that we were going to go make out?" {Hamilton Fleming 101. Lesson One - Code Words.}
"Something like that." He grinned.
The waitress arrived to take their orders. When she left, Hamilton and Jake sat in silence for a moment.
"Oh my god, that's too funny," Hamilton blurted out, laughing.
"What are you talking about?" {There's no one here but us, what's so funny?}
"The song."
"What song?" {Now he's really hearing things.}
"Jake, listen to the music." He pointed to the speaker mounted in the ceiling tiles above their booth. "It's kinda appropriate for my current situation."
Jake listened closely to the music.
When you close your eyes and go to sleep
And it's down to the sound of a heartbeat
I can hear the things that you're dreaming about
When you open up your heart and the truth comes out
You tell me that you want me
You tell me that you need me
You tell me that you love me
And I know that I'm right
Cuz I hear it in the night
I hear the secrets that you keep
When you're talking in your sleep
She still wasn't quite sure the connection Hamilton was making. She waited for him to explain.
"Rawley picks up this great 80's music station from Boston. I like to listen to it, sometimes. This song is Talking In Your Sleep by the Romantics."
"Are you telling me that you talk in your sleep?" {He's losing it.}
"No, silly. But does the line 'I hear the secrets that you keep' mean anything to you?" He smiled as if he had just delivered the punch line to a great joke.
Jake thought for a moment and then laughed. "Yeah, I guess it does." {It certainly does.}
Jake looked around before whispering. "You know, I really don't like this gift of yours. I hate that you know what I'm thinking. It gives you an unfair advantage and makes me have to censor everything I think." {Who knows how much you heard before you told me?}
The waitress came back with their hamburgers, shakes and baskets piled high with fries. When she left, Hamilton stretched his leg out under the table and brought it up against Jake's. She sighed. {That's so sweet. I wish I could be in your lap right now.}
They couldn't hold hands in public, but he wanted to make contact with her in some way. "Trust me, Jake. I haven't been enjoying this. It's really annoying to have all these unwanted voices and thoughts in my head. I don't want to know what every girl on campus is thinking. Especially not when I hear them say things like I'm cute, but yet, not one of them has ever bothered to talk to me before. And I certainly never wanted to hear my mother think about sex!"
Jake burst out laughing at the look on his face as he remembered those thoughts. "Oh, my god. Was she really thinking about sex and you heard it?" {That is so funny!}
Hamilton gave her a playful kick under the table. "It was NOT funny, Jake. I don't want to know what kind of lingerie she's planning on wearing in bed at night! That is just way too much information for me..." He shuddered at the mental image of his parents having sex.
Jake was still chuckling over his discomfort when the bell over the diner door signaled new customers. They both looked to see who was coming in.
"Oh, no." {What are they doing here?} It was the two girls who had been flirting with Hamilton down by the lake, now changed into short shorts and tank tops. They seated themselves at the far end of the counter, allowing a clear view of Hamilton.
Jake rolled her eyes. {I think I just lost my appetite.} Hamilton bit his lip again to keep from smiling. He wasn't used to all this attention from girls. He'd spent years being ignored by the female students at school. And he had to admit, it felt good to see Jake acting a little jealous. His feelings for Jake had been so overwhelming and confusing, it was reassuring to know how she felt.
Jake watched as the two girls stared at Hamilton from across the room. {Would you like binoculars, ladies?} Hamilton for his part, did his best to ignore them and pay attention to Jake. {Not that I like this, but I can see their point. He is gorgeous.}
Hamilton gave Jake a shy smile and whispered "thank you" to her unspoken compliment. "You're pretty cute yourself."
Jake was just about protest his compliment when she heard "Hi, Hamilton" and looked over to see Samantha and Megan standing at the end of their table.
"Uh...hi. Samantha. Megan. What are you doing here?" {Yes, what are you doing here?}
"We got hungry after you mentioned dinner. So we decided to come here and have desert as well. Didn't know we'd run into you..." Samantha gave Hamilton a sexy, flirtatious smile.
{Oh, come on. That chick couldn't be any more obvious if she held up a sign!}
Jake watched as Hamilton chatted with the two girls. She couldn't help but compare herself to them and she didn't like what she came up with. Both girls were wearing denim shorts and sandals that showed off their long, suntanned legs. Their white tank tops stood out against more tanned skin and clung to their curves. Jake glanced down at her bulky sweatshirt. {No curves here. And no tan for me this summer. A bathing suit is out the question. Why doesn't he just go join them? At least that way I don't have to watch this.}
She watched as Megan flipped her long, brown hair off her shoulder and unconsciously ran her fingers through her own short hair. {I want long hair. And shorts. And bathing suits. Why am I here again? Oh yeah, that's right - to get my mom's attention. The same Mom who still hasn't figured out that I'm attending an all boys school. Yeah, great plan, Jacqueline.}
Hamilton was trying to juggle the conversation with the girls, their thoughts and the thoughts he was hearing from Jake. This situation was obviously making her uncomfortable. Even though they hadn't finished eating yet, now was probably a good time to leave.
"I'm sorry, you know, I just remembered I was supposed to help my Mom out tonight. We should really get going." He motioned for the waitress and asked her to pack the rest of their dinners to go.
{Thank you!} Jake breathed a sigh of relief. They collected their take out containers, paid the bill and said goodbye to Samantha and Megan. As soon as the door closed behind them, Hamilton started apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Jake. I had no idea they would be here."
"Hamilton, it's not your fault. You shouldn't have feel guilty because pretty girls happen to like you and want to flirt with you. I got myself into this mess, not you." {Besides, I can't argue with their taste. If I weren't supposed to be a guy here, I'd have been flirting with you from day one.}
"Jake, you did flirt with me when you were supposed to be a guy! You even kissed me and turned my entire world upside down." Hamilton teased as they walked to her bike.
Jake smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah, that's right." {Like I could ever forget that kiss.}
"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we take dinner back to your room, throw a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic? We can turn on some music and lock the door..."
The hopeful look on his face made Jake feel better than she had all night. "Sounds like a plan." {That's amazing. Girls falling all over him and he wants to go have a picnic with me.}
"So can you forgive for lying to you all this time?" {Please let him say yes.}
"I should be mad as hell at you, but right now, I'm so relieved that I'm not gay - I just can't be mad." Grinning wickedly, he took Jake's hand and laced his fingers with hers. "I do think that you should make it up to me though."
"Oh, really? And how am I supposed to make it up to you, anyway?" {This could be fun.}
Raising a perfectly arched eyebrow, he gave her a lusty smile. Leaning back on the bed, he pulled her down with him and said. "You'll think of something."
Jake tried to open the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to attract attention to her room. Seeing no one in the hall, she motioned to Hamilton that it was safe. It was getting late, Hamilton needed to get home, but neither of them felt like explaining what he had been doing in Jake's room all evening. Hamilton passed Jake at the door and mouthed a silent "good night" before heading off down the hallway. Jake watched him walk away.
{That's about the best-looking backside I've ever seen.} She smiled, thoroughly appreciating the view she had.
Her appreciation quickly turned to embarrassment as she saw Hamilton reach around and pat himself on the behind just to remind her that he could still hear her thoughts. She closed the door then balled her fists and pounded the air in frustration.
Hamilton was already there when Jake arrived for Finn's class the next day. {What no little Rawley girls to escort around today?}
Hamilton chuckled to himself, somewhat amused with the jealous tone of Jake's thought. He turned to her and smiled as she sat down next to him.
"Hi, boy."
"Hi, boy." {How am I gonna sit next to him for a whole hour without touching him?}
Turning his head so Jake wouldn't see him, Hamilton smiled again. Was it possible that she had forgotten he could hear her thoughts? He decided not to remind her just yet and see what she would think about during class. It was a dirty trick, but he just couldn't resist.
Finn arrived and started his lecture. At first, Jake was able to concentrate on Finn and her thoughts revolved around the material he was covering. But Hamilton couldn't pay attention. This was the first time they had been in public together since he discovered she was a girl and he was having a very hard time concentrating on anything except what was under Jake's shirts. He was even able to ignore the thoughts from the other girls in the class. He was disappointed that it was so easy for her to pay attention when he was right next to her. He decided to 'remind' her that he was there. First he checked to see if anyone was looking in their direction, then he quickly ran his fingertips down the outside of her thigh.
Jake's heart skipped a beat when she felt his touch. {What is he doing? We're right out in the open?} She shot him a look that clearly said "are you insane?"
Hamilton just grinned for a response and then pretended to be interested in the book in front of him. Jake took the opportunity to study him for a moment.
{I swear I have never seen a guy this beautiful before. There just aren't words to describe those eyes. Every time he looks at me with those intense, blue eyes, I just melt.}
Hamilton fought hard not to smile or give any indication that he knew what Jake had just thought. This was what he wanted to hear. He looked away from Jake and noticed that another girl was looking at him. Clearing his mind of his own thoughts for a moment, the girl's voice appeared in his mind.
{He even has sexy ankles! I love it when guys wear running shoes with no socks. Shows off their legs so well. And HE has legs to show off.}
He looked back at Jake and saw that she was staring at him. He flashed her a brilliant smile.
{Hummmmm. What an incredible smile.}
He leaned towards her and quietly growled his trademark "GRRRR".
{I love it when he does that; it's sooo sexy. Sends shivers down my spine every time.}
Then he leaned back on his elbows and stretched out, confident now that Jake had completely lost interest in Finn and his lecture.
{God, what a body! I'd like to strip him down and spend hours tracing every single curve of those muscles.}
He crossed one ankle over the other.
{Oh, bare ankles. I love bare ankles.}
He pretended to reach into his pocket for something, causing his shorts to slide up on his leg revealing more skin.
{And legs. He has such great legs.}
Totally enjoying this little game, he deliberately licked his lips.
{Oh god, don't do that! I want to kiss those lips right now.}
He did it again.
{That is so inviting. How long before we can be alone again?}
Hamilton was so wrapped up in what Jake was thinking, that he forgot his original plan not to remind Jake that he could hear her thoughts. He discreetly held up 2 fingers and mouthed the words "two hours".
Realization hit Jake like a linebacker. The sharp, deep breath she inhaled was loud enough for the entire class to hear. Finn stopped talking and looked right at her.
"Is everything alright, Mr. Pratt?"
Jake's face turned bright red. "Ah...yeah...sorry Finn...there was...a bug." Immediately realizing how 'girlie' that sounded, she added, "it bit my leg." {I am going to kill you!}
Hamilton was dying. He wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. He felt terrible for embarrassing Jake in front of the class, but the look on her face when she remembered his gift was priceless. He was going to pay dearly for this later, but it had been nice to hear her think about him that way. He needed to know she was as caught up in the heat between them as he was. Cautiously, he looked at her, she was still bright red in the face and he was positive that there was steam coming out of her ears.
{I am going to kill you!}
The minute class was over; Jake took off. Hamilton walked casually until he was away from the rest of the students, then he ran after Jake. By the time he caught up to her, she was almost to the dorm.
"Jake?" {Keep walking, don't answer.}
She kept walking.
"Jaaake..." He put on his best "puppy dog" face, hoping to soften her. {Not gonna work puppy boy.}
Still no answer. They were inside now and she was heading straight for her room. He followed in silence. She unlocked her door and walked in. He followed quickly; afraid she would close the door in his face. Turning to face her, he was greeted with a solid punch to the arm. A very solid punch...
"Ow! Hey." He jumped back out of reach.
"You!" She was fuming. "That was totally unfair." {I hate this so-called gift.}
"Jake, I'm sorry. It was mean and I shouldn't have done it. I just...I...I couldn't resist. When you came in and thought about touching me, I was surprised that you didn't seem to remember that I'd hear you. Then I got curious about what you really think about." He moved to stand behind her and put his hands on her hips. She was still fuming, but made no effort to move.
"I'm sorry." He planted a warm kiss on the back of her neck. {You should be, that was totally unfair.}
"Very sorry." He kissed behind her ear. {I'm still mad. It's gonna take a lot more than that to make up for that stunt.}
"It's just that I loved what you were thinking." He put a trail of wet kisses down her neck. {I'm embarrassed, too. You heard everything and then everyone in class thought I was nuts or something.}
"You shouldn't be embarrassed. It was an incredible turn on for me to know you thought about me the way I think about you. I have no idea what Finn said for the entire class because all I could think about was you." He sucked at her neck and slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, caressing the few inches of skin not covered by the corset. {I'm still mad.}
"You're not playing fair, you know." Jake stated, trying not to moan. {Mmmmmm.}
"I know. I promise I'll never do that again." He moved to the other side of her neck. {That feels so nice...wait...I'm still mad.}
"Damn straight you won't. After today, I won't forget again." {I won't be that foolish.}
Slowly, he moved around her, still planting wet kisses along her neck. {Oooohhh, that is so not playing fair.}
When they were face to face again, he gently pressed his lips against hers and waited for her reaction. She paused for a moment. {Do I really want to stay mad or enjoy the few minutes we have left before practice?} She opened her mouth to his and eagerly accepted his kiss.
Jake broke away from their kiss and looked over Hamilton's shoulder at the clock.
"We have to go. We have like five minutes to get to practice." {Like sitting in a boat will compare to this.}
"Practice? This is the only practice I'm interested in." He replied trying to kiss her again.
She dodged his lips. "Sorry, boy, but Finn thinks otherwise and unless you want him asking your father why you weren't at practice..." {That could be an interesting explanation. Where were you today, son? In Jake's room making out, Dad.}
"Good point." He let her go and they headed for crew practice.
On the way to the dock, they passed a pretty blond girl. When they were a safe distance away from her, Hamilton broke out laughing.
"What?" {What now?}
"She thought you were cute."
"Oh, god. This just keeps getting better and better." Jake couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice. {Just what I need now is some chick coming on to me.}
"I thought I was surprised by you, can you imagine her reaction?" Hamilton was both amused and aroused at the thought of Jake kissing a girl who thought Jake was a guy.
{I'll bet he's just loving the thought of that!}
Practice was uneventful. Jake was successful in her attempts to keep her thoughts focused on rowing and Hamilton was more than a little disappointed that she could sit right across from him, yelling "stroke", and not think "private" thoughts about him. He was pouting as they walked away from the dock.
"Hi, Hamilton!" The giggled greeting came from behind them. Jake and Hamilton turned to see Megan and Samantha from Finn's class. Both girls were wearing bikinis and carrying inner tubes, they had obviously been in the lake.
{Subtle, ladies, very subtle.}
"Oh, hi." Hamilton smiled, more at Jake's thought than the two girls.
{He's so cute. Maybe I can convince him to join us.} Hamilton smiled at Samantha.
{I wouldn't mind seeing him with that shirt off all nice and wet.} Then he smiled at Megan.
"This is Jake, he's in Finn's class, too." {What are you doing? If you don't get us out of this soon, I'm leaving.}
"Hi, Jake." They answered in unison.
"Hi." Jake replied tersely and then looked away self-consciously. The two girls had great figures and were obviously enjoying showing them off. {I really don't want to be here right now watching them flirt mercilessly.}
"So, Hamilton, wanna come join us in the lake? The water's beautiful today." Samantha asked hopefully. {Please say yes.}
Hamilton looked at Jake. {You'd better not even consider it, pal.}
"Thanks, but we were just gonna go grab dinner." Hamilton struggled to speak without laughing. {That's better.}
"Maybe some other time then." {Darn.} Megan batted her eyelashes at Hamilton before the two turned around and went back to the water.
Jake looked at Hamilton. He had the most impossibly smug smile on his face. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" [Of course, he enjoyed that, Jacqueline. They were flirting with him while wearing bikinis. He'd have to really be gay not to enjoy it.}
"Noooo, not at all." Hamilton was biting his lip now, trying not to laugh.
Jake studied him for a moment. He looked incredibly sexy standing there biting on his lower lip, but his ego had received enough attention for one day. They needed to do something neutral for a while. "I believe you mentioned dinner."
His smile slipped a bit. "I just said that to get rid of them. You mean we can't go back to your room?"
{Your ego might not fit through the door right now.} "Maybe later. Dining Hall or the diner?"
"The diner sounds good. Do you want to change first?"
{Change?} Jake looked down at the Rawley sweatpants and matching sweatshirt she wore for crew practice. {What good will it do me to change? I still have to look like Jake.}
Hamilton lowered his voice and tried to get Jake to look him in the eye. "I like the way Jake looks." {Yeah, right.}
"Look, let's just get out of here, ok?" Jake asked. {Away from bikinis, water and all the other summer things I can't enjoy right now.}
"Let's go." Hamilton started walking, then stopped. "I forgot, I have to get my wallet from the house."
Jake patted the small, nylon bag in her sweatshirt pocket. It was just big enough to hold her keys, a credit card and a couple of tampons. "Don't worry about it, I've got it covered." {Emergency backup.}
"Jake, I don't want you to pay..." {Men...}
Jake cut him off. "Hamilton, the Dean is at your house. I've had enough drama for one day. Can we please just go?" {I don't want to be any closer to the Dean than I have to.}
A light bulb clicked on inside Hamilton's head. "That's why you got so nervous the other night at my house. OK. Let's go. I'll get the next dinner then."
They walked to her bike in relative silence. Jake tried to focus her thoughts on the trees around them and not give Hamilton any indication that something was bothering her. The ride to Friendly's was equally silent. Jake was concentrating on the road and Hamilton just enjoyed the ride. This time there was no dilemma on his part as to where his hands should go. He held her firmly around the waist and kept his thighs tightly pressed against hers.
The walked in and chose a booth in the back corner.
Jake looked over the menu. "I'm starving." {What do I want to eat?}
Hamilton looked up at her with a devilish grin. "Me, too. But what I'm hungry for isn't on the menu."
Jake cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? And what exactly is it that you're hungry for?" {I'll bet I know the answer to this.}
"To go back to your room and pick up where we left off before practice." He said quietly, his lowered voice adding a husky, sexy tone.
"So, you're telling me that when you told those girls we were going to go eat, what you really meant is that we were going to go make out?" {Hamilton Fleming 101. Lesson One - Code Words.}
"Something like that." He grinned.
The waitress arrived to take their orders. When she left, Hamilton and Jake sat in silence for a moment.
"Oh my god, that's too funny," Hamilton blurted out, laughing.
"What are you talking about?" {There's no one here but us, what's so funny?}
"The song."
"What song?" {Now he's really hearing things.}
"Jake, listen to the music." He pointed to the speaker mounted in the ceiling tiles above their booth. "It's kinda appropriate for my current situation."
Jake listened closely to the music.
When you close your eyes and go to sleep
And it's down to the sound of a heartbeat
I can hear the things that you're dreaming about
When you open up your heart and the truth comes out
You tell me that you want me
You tell me that you need me
You tell me that you love me
And I know that I'm right
Cuz I hear it in the night
I hear the secrets that you keep
When you're talking in your sleep
She still wasn't quite sure the connection Hamilton was making. She waited for him to explain.
"Rawley picks up this great 80's music station from Boston. I like to listen to it, sometimes. This song is Talking In Your Sleep by the Romantics."
"Are you telling me that you talk in your sleep?" {He's losing it.}
"No, silly. But does the line 'I hear the secrets that you keep' mean anything to you?" He smiled as if he had just delivered the punch line to a great joke.
Jake thought for a moment and then laughed. "Yeah, I guess it does." {It certainly does.}
Jake looked around before whispering. "You know, I really don't like this gift of yours. I hate that you know what I'm thinking. It gives you an unfair advantage and makes me have to censor everything I think." {Who knows how much you heard before you told me?}
The waitress came back with their hamburgers, shakes and baskets piled high with fries. When she left, Hamilton stretched his leg out under the table and brought it up against Jake's. She sighed. {That's so sweet. I wish I could be in your lap right now.}
They couldn't hold hands in public, but he wanted to make contact with her in some way. "Trust me, Jake. I haven't been enjoying this. It's really annoying to have all these unwanted voices and thoughts in my head. I don't want to know what every girl on campus is thinking. Especially not when I hear them say things like I'm cute, but yet, not one of them has ever bothered to talk to me before. And I certainly never wanted to hear my mother think about sex!"
Jake burst out laughing at the look on his face as he remembered those thoughts. "Oh, my god. Was she really thinking about sex and you heard it?" {That is so funny!}
Hamilton gave her a playful kick under the table. "It was NOT funny, Jake. I don't want to know what kind of lingerie she's planning on wearing in bed at night! That is just way too much information for me..." He shuddered at the mental image of his parents having sex.
Jake was still chuckling over his discomfort when the bell over the diner door signaled new customers. They both looked to see who was coming in.
"Oh, no." {What are they doing here?} It was the two girls who had been flirting with Hamilton down by the lake, now changed into short shorts and tank tops. They seated themselves at the far end of the counter, allowing a clear view of Hamilton.
Jake rolled her eyes. {I think I just lost my appetite.} Hamilton bit his lip again to keep from smiling. He wasn't used to all this attention from girls. He'd spent years being ignored by the female students at school. And he had to admit, it felt good to see Jake acting a little jealous. His feelings for Jake had been so overwhelming and confusing, it was reassuring to know how she felt.
Jake watched as the two girls stared at Hamilton from across the room. {Would you like binoculars, ladies?} Hamilton for his part, did his best to ignore them and pay attention to Jake. {Not that I like this, but I can see their point. He is gorgeous.}
Hamilton gave Jake a shy smile and whispered "thank you" to her unspoken compliment. "You're pretty cute yourself."
Jake was just about protest his compliment when she heard "Hi, Hamilton" and looked over to see Samantha and Megan standing at the end of their table.
"Uh...hi. Samantha. Megan. What are you doing here?" {Yes, what are you doing here?}
"We got hungry after you mentioned dinner. So we decided to come here and have desert as well. Didn't know we'd run into you..." Samantha gave Hamilton a sexy, flirtatious smile.
{Oh, come on. That chick couldn't be any more obvious if she held up a sign!}
Jake watched as Hamilton chatted with the two girls. She couldn't help but compare herself to them and she didn't like what she came up with. Both girls were wearing denim shorts and sandals that showed off their long, suntanned legs. Their white tank tops stood out against more tanned skin and clung to their curves. Jake glanced down at her bulky sweatshirt. {No curves here. And no tan for me this summer. A bathing suit is out the question. Why doesn't he just go join them? At least that way I don't have to watch this.}
She watched as Megan flipped her long, brown hair off her shoulder and unconsciously ran her fingers through her own short hair. {I want long hair. And shorts. And bathing suits. Why am I here again? Oh yeah, that's right - to get my mom's attention. The same Mom who still hasn't figured out that I'm attending an all boys school. Yeah, great plan, Jacqueline.}
Hamilton was trying to juggle the conversation with the girls, their thoughts and the thoughts he was hearing from Jake. This situation was obviously making her uncomfortable. Even though they hadn't finished eating yet, now was probably a good time to leave.
"I'm sorry, you know, I just remembered I was supposed to help my Mom out tonight. We should really get going." He motioned for the waitress and asked her to pack the rest of their dinners to go.
{Thank you!} Jake breathed a sigh of relief. They collected their take out containers, paid the bill and said goodbye to Samantha and Megan. As soon as the door closed behind them, Hamilton started apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Jake. I had no idea they would be here."
"Hamilton, it's not your fault. You shouldn't have feel guilty because pretty girls happen to like you and want to flirt with you. I got myself into this mess, not you." {Besides, I can't argue with their taste. If I weren't supposed to be a guy here, I'd have been flirting with you from day one.}
"Jake, you did flirt with me when you were supposed to be a guy! You even kissed me and turned my entire world upside down." Hamilton teased as they walked to her bike.
Jake smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah, that's right." {Like I could ever forget that kiss.}
"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we take dinner back to your room, throw a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic? We can turn on some music and lock the door..."
The hopeful look on his face made Jake feel better than she had all night. "Sounds like a plan." {That's amazing. Girls falling all over him and he wants to go have a picnic with me.}