THEN CAME YOU

Chapter SIX: No Non-exclusive

Suze

Jesse took me home after we kissed, he didn't try to grope me or anything, and he was very, very respectful of me. He had me home exactly at the hour he had said to Andy. He kissed me again in the car, as a goodnight kiss, and then walked me to the door.

We didn't talk about it, which didn't surprise me all that much. After all, gentlemanly or not, Jesse was a guy and guys don't like to talk about these things.

Or so I thought until I had to seat at tutoring with him on Monday.

I was nervous as hell, naturally, I'm a girl and even a girl as confident as I am can get a little nervous when encountering six feet of hot male after you have kissed him – twice – and it's the first time you see him after. Jesse was lounging on his chair, looking all casual and relaxed, he was wearing dark blue jeans and a collar t-shirt that clung to him nicely –without looking all gayish – and he looked good enough to eat.

I was wearing one of my cute slip dresses – pink with delicate flowers embroiled into it – I had spent a whole selecting my clothes, hair and make up to make it seem as if it hadn't taken me a second… but it was all carefully planed!

Anyway, I got to our usual table at the study hall and sat next to him, ready to open my text book and jump in the intricacies of Spanish 101. But Jesse had other things in mind.

"We need to talk, Susannah." He said evenly.

"Okay…" I said, bracing myself for whatever that would come next.

"About what happened the other day… well, I think it was fun and all but I'm not exactly looking for a girlfriend, you know?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to get attached either." Which was, in all fairness true, I didn't want a boyfriend, I didn't want to subject all my plans to this one other person, I wanted fun… but I also wanted him to kiss me again.

"So I was thinking we could just keep going as we are now… you know, friends."

"Friends…" I said nodding. "Yep that sounds right."

"So… nothing's change? We are where we were last Friday?" He asked cautiously.

I nodded again. "Sure," I said and that was the end of it, we went on as if nothing had happened. He still sat with CeeCee and myself at lunch and helped me with my Spanish homework and all was as it had always been… until my car broke down that day and Jesse drove me home and we ended up making out on his car for full half an hour.

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Jesse

So the friends just friends thing was way out of the question…

However, neither of us seemed inclined to truly commit to one another so we became friends with benefits. We would go on as if nothing had happened at all, and hang out together and make out when it suited us. We weren't exclusive, Susannah made that clear one day when I had interrogated her rather jealously – or so she said – about the way she was talking with one of our fellow senior classmates.

So we weren't exclusive… and still, just a mare week later, when Maria chose to drop by the school, Susannah mounted on a rather jealous fit, even if I say so myself.

"I thought you didn't like her." Susannah spat once I had managed to force Maria into her car and go away.

She was right, of course, I didn't like Maria but Susannah looked rather enchanting with her face all flushed in anger. "She's kin; one must always be nice to the family."

Susannah glared at me and stalked away towards her own car and drove away.

I shrugged, it was Friday, I would see her on Monday. No, actually, it would be that Saturday night… she had asked me to go to this party with her. Her sister was going, presumably with one of his classmates but Slater would be there and she wanted to keep her eyes on it, just in case. One thing I had learned in the time I had known Susannah: She hated Paul Slater.

And she hated that he was courting her sister, Hailey.

Once or twice I had wondered if she was mad that Slater was courting Hailey and not her, but it soon became obvious to me that it wasn't sister jealousy, Susannah really hater Slater. There's a good reason, she said, and left it like that. Slater was trouble, which was clear. He was just the type of guy I wouldn't allow within 20 feet from my sisters, so I understood. And I had agreed to go to said party with her.

I tried to call her later that day, to make sure if we were still going to Heather's for the party, but she was "Washing her hair" Dopey informed me. If not she had "Just ran out to the store." Said the oldest of her step brothers, Jake. Saturday morning Doc answered the phone.

"She's been on a temper all night." He informed it in conspiracy tones. "And this morning was no better. What did you say to her?"

"Never mind that," I said impatiently. "Is she still going to the party at Heather's later?"

"Yeah, we have a meeting yesterday, she's leaving about seven, so don't be late."

I grunted my response and Doc hanged up.

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Hailey

Come here lets go party!

I was so excited, surprisingly none of my brothers had objected me going to the party with Alan McTavish – who was sweet and had been trailing behind me for the last two weeks since I had agreed to go with him to the movies – and Mom and Dad were fine with me going anyway, since Suze and Brad would both be there at the party.

I was in my room getting dressed and checking every last bit of my appearance. Paul would meet me at the party and we would have fun. I did feel a touch bad about ditching Alan but in all truth and fairness, I had never done anything to encourage him or make him believe I liked him as something else than a good friend… no matter how much Doc was already planning the Wedding Breakfast.

"Hey, may I borrow this?" Suze said, coming into my room and snatching a couple of my hair clips.

"Sure," I said… and restrained myself from commenting that she was too old to wear hairclips. I let her be, however. I had long since desisted on the idea of the sociopath I had for sister wearing fashionable clothes and behaving like most human beings.

Alan was there for me at seven sharp, not a second late which was nice compared to how long Paul usually made me wait for him when he had meetings with his Tennis Club.

I was wearing a very cute black slip dress with tiny red rose buds embroiled into it, it was one of Suze's dresses, but she didn't wear it anymore alleging that it had grown too short for her, but it was okay for me since I was good two inches shorter than her. I looked good… and I got enough proof of it when Alan's jaw dropped when he saw me.

I just hoped I would get the same reaction for Paul.

Just as Alan and I left, Suze's 'friend' Jesse came hauling up the front steps. He was wearing black jeans and a bottle green sweater with what looked to be a plain black t-shirt underneath. Not exactly the best party clothes out there but on that guy, everything looked good.

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Suze

Hailey was gone. It was time I left too.

I wasn't too enthused with going to this party, after all I was dateless and quite pissed still with Jesse for being so evasive about the Maria-subject. I put on a denim mini dress and grabbed my favorite sweater and headed out, yelling to mom and Andy that I would be back before my curfew.

Since Jesse and I weren't talking, I was surprised to see him standing on my doorway, looking all Mr. Hot himself.

"What are you doing here?" I asked surprised.

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End of Chapter Six.

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Notes:

Sorry it took so long, I'm trying to get back on track.

Thanks for your patience and I hope you still like this.

All the love in the world plus shipping and handling,

Clavie.