Chapter 13: Riding a mechanical bull
1 month 3 weeks and 5 days until deadline
Tommy whistled as he made his way down the lair steps. He had been dating Jess for a couple of weeks now and every moment of it was incredible. Sure it was a lot like when they hung out before but this time he got to kiss her and boy did they kiss. He knew she wanted to take it further and so did he sometimes he would leave Jess his body aching with his need for her but he was still afraid it was too soon. Being with Jess never worried him like it did with every other women he had been with, if anything it excited him. He could see their lives together years from now, marriage, kids. He wanted it all and he wanted it all with Jess. There was still a part of him that was scared, scared that he would mess things up, scared that his Arrow life would somehow hurt her but then she would laugh and he realised that he would stop at nothing to keep hearing that beautiful sound.
"Someone's happy." His uncle's voice called whipping all thoughts from his mind.
Tommy froze on the bottom step as he saw Roy standing in the middle of the lair. He really shouldn't have been surprised. Jess was everything to Roy and he wasn't exactly the ideal boyfriend.
"Hey Uncle Roy." Tommy said.
Roy nodded his head.
"I know why your here and I completely understand." Tommy told him.
"I wouldn't want my daughter dating me either but I need you to know that I would never hurt Jess intentionally." Tommy added.
"She means the world to me." He continued.
Roy laughed lightly.
"I know Tommy." He said slowly.
Tommy looked up at his Uncle surprised to find a smile on his face.
"I know you care about Jess but I had to be sure that you wouldn't hurt her and I knew the only way to do that was to see your face." Roy explained.
Tommy relaxed. It was nice to have Roy approval to date his daughter.
Connor turned off his desk light and pulled out his phone to send Tommy a quick text.
Just about to leave the office are you and Jess ready yet? C
Tonight Jenna was taking them to the bar that had the mechanical bull.
Will be ready when you get there. T
"You ready to go?" Jenna's voice called from the door way.
Connor looked up to answer and froze.
"What?" she demanded walking into his office.
She looked incredible. She had changed out of her usual work black skirt and colour shirt for a sinfully red dress. That hug all her curves nicely, leaving little to the imagination and ending just below the knee. Had she always been this sexy?
Connor shook his head. Jenna was his EA and more importantly his friend he should not be thinking about her like that.
He and Jenna were picking up Jess and Tommy on their way to the bar tonight.
"You look ..." Connor stuttered freezing on the appropriate word to describe how incredible she looked.
"Nice." Connor offered.
"Nice?" Jenna demanded.
Clearly nice was the wrong word.
"It isn't very often I get to dress up so when I get the chance I try to make the most of it yet all I get is nice." Jenna yelled clearly upset.
Connor whipped a hand over his face. He didn't know what to say to make this better.
"Jenna." Connor started stepping towards her, but put her hand out to stop him.
"It's fine Connor." She interrupted him.
But it wasn't.
"We need to get going." She added and before he could say any more she turned on a heel and walked out of the room. Connor had no choice but to follow her.
Tommy sat at the kitchen counter with Sara as he waited for Jess to come out of her bedroom.
"You sure Andy will be alright on the streets by himself?" Sara asked.
Tommy felt a little guilt that Andy would be in the streets alone but Andy had insisted he would be fine. Tommy knew his mum and dad were going to check on him at some point but it still worried him a little.
"He said he would, but just in case he isn't my parents are going to check on him." Tommy assured her.
Sara nodded but Tommy could see she was still a little worried so he gently squeezed her shoulder.
"I might check on him before I go to work." Sara mention and Tommy nodded it wasn't a bad idea.
She stood up her mind made up.
"Call me if anything's wrong?" Tommy asked and Sara nodded before picking up her coat and bag.
"Jess I'm off have fun and I will speak to you later." Sara yelled and without waiting for a reply she left.
Tommy sighed. Connor and Jenna would be here soon. He had told Connor they would be ready but now he wasn't so sure Jess had been diving about what to wear since he got here.
"Jess we have to get going." Tommy called looking down at his watch again. Connor hated it when he was late.
"I'm coming." she called.
A couple of minutes later her bedroom door opened and Jess came out looking beautiful. She wore a pair of black leather-like leggings with the same silver heels that she had worn on the bar crawl. She wore a simple silver tank top that hug her breast before falling loosely around her waist and ending just under her bum.
She looked good enough to eat and Tommy really wanted to do just that.
"You look incredible." he told her.
Jess smiled and gently bit her lip.
Tommy groaned and pulled her into his arms. Good she was killing his self-control.
He kissed her hard. Jess kissed him back instantly making little sounds of pleasure that was making him reconsider going out at all.
Tommy's phone buzzing made him pull away and making them both moan in protest.
Please hurry. Think I upset Jenna and now she's not talking to me. C
Tommy frowned. How the hell could he upset Jenna she was one of the most laid back people ever.
Tommy showed the text to Jess.
"What did he do?" she asked.
Jess had only met Jenna a few times but they had seem to get on well when they met.
Tommy shrugged.
"Let's continue this later and go and find out." Tommy suggested.
Jess bit her lip.
"You promise?" she asked.
Tommy groaned again. Dam she was sexy and right now she knew.
Tommy kissed her again quickly because he had to.
Jenna Holiday felt like an idiot and she hated it. She kept telling herself that dressing up had nothing to do with Connor but deep down she knew it was a lie. When he was with Katie she understood and respect that he would never see her as anything more than just an assistant or maybe a friend but now things were different.
Tommy's deep laughter brought Jenna out of her thoughts. She looked over at Jess's apartment building and spotted Tommy and Jess walking out the main door. They looked so happy. Although Jenna had only met Jess a few times she like Jess a lot. Jess made Tommy the best version of himself and she was happy for them.
"Do you think you'll ever be like that again?" Jenna asked Connor.
Once upon a time Katie had done that for Connor.
Jenna looked over at him and he gave her a small smile.
"I hope so." he replied.
Jenna nodded and looked back over at Tommy and Jess. Tommy had stopped to give Jess his coat.
"What about you?" Connor asked and Jenna froze.
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Love for her wasn't simple. Everyone she loved left and after the last time she swore she would never risk her heart again. A tear slide down her cheek.
"Jenna?" Connor's voice called bring her out of her thoughts.
Jenna whipped her tears away before looking over at Connor.
"Hey you ok?" He asked his voice laced with concern.
His beautiful blue eyes looked right into her very soul and in that very moment she wanted to tell him everything.
She opened her mouth to reply when the back door opened and Jess and Tommy slide into the car laughing. Jenna took a deep breath that had been so close. Too close.
"Hey guys." Jenna called her smile in place.
She could feel Connor eyes on her waiting for a reply but she would not be giving him one. It would change everything.
"Hey Jenna." Tommy said pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"It's good to see you again." Jess said with a sweet smile.
"So what did my brother say to make you give him the silent treatment?" Tommy asked.
Jenna looked over at Connor as he pulled away from the curb. Connor shrugged. Obviously he and Tommy had been texting.
"He said I looked nice." Jenna told him. She looked in the review-mirror to see their reactions as she did.
Tommy frowned, while Jess shook her head.
"What's wrong with that?" Tommy asked.
"Exactly." Connor added.
Jenna glared at Connor.
"No girl wants to be told they look just nice." Jess told them.
Jenna looked over at Jess.
"I knew I liked you." Jenna told her and Jess smiled.
"Why not?" Tommy probed.
"Because women always want to look more then nice." Jess informed them and Jenna nodded her head in agreement.
"That's good to know." Tommy mumbled as he looked over at Jess with such love it hurt to look at.
Jenna looked away and wondered if they had said they loved each other yet because clearly they did.
"Plus Jenna looks dam hot so saying she looks nice is just insulting." Jess added.
Jenna looked over the back seat at Jess. If Tommy hadn't said it yet she would.
"I love you." she told her and Jess laughed.
This was going to be fun night after all, Jenna could feel it.
Tommy looked over at the girls who were dancing and smiled. Jess was having such a great time with Jenna.
"You know Jenna looks better than nice right?" Tommy asked his brother.
Even though Jess was it for him he still knew a beautiful woman when he saw one and Jenna was beautiful.
Connor groaned and Tommy looked over at him.
His brother was all out of sorts tonight and Tommy had a feeling it was all to do with Jenna.
"I know, I just kept thinking that she is my assistant and none of my thoughts on how dam sexy she looked were appropriate." Connor explained.
Tommy laughed.
"Jenna is more than just your assistant you know, she's your friend. She wouldn't have sued you for sexual harassment if you told her she looked hot." Tommy told him.
Connor was obviously was having a hard time remembering that Jenna was his friend as well as his assistant.
"You right." Connor told him and Tommy smiled.
"It has been known from time to time." Tommy added and they both laughed.
Connor stood up.
"Where are you going?" Tommy asked.
Connor pointed over to the girls.
"To tell my friend how beautiful she looks tonight." Connor told him, emphasising the word friend.
Tommy smiled and followed his brother over. He really wanted to dance with Jess.
Jess came to his arms willingly smiling as he wrapped his arms round her waist.
"Looks like Connor has fixed his mistake." Jess said pointing towards his brother and Jenna.
Tommy followed her eye line just in time to watch Jenna smile and throw her arms round Connor's neck. Connor smiled and hugged her back. They looked good together.
Jess loved Jenna. She was smart, beautiful and incredible fun to be around. Since they had arrived at the bar the night had been filled with so much laughter. Sara would love Jenna. Jess was going to arrange a girl's night out with them both, she knew she would have a great time with them both.
Connor had seemed a lot more relaxed too.
"So are you ready?" Jenna asked.
The four of them were in the cue waiting for the mechanical bull.
Jess shook her head.
"Nope." she replied it had already thrown three people off since she was in the que.
"How about someone else go before you then, to show you it's not too bad?" Jenna suggested.
Jess nodded she liked that idea. She knew Tommy would go if she asked him too but it looked like Jenna had other ideas when she playfully shoved Connor to the front of the line.
"So I'm going first." Connor said.
"Yeah this is payback for the nice comment." Jenna told.
"I thought you forgave me for that." Connor replied.
Jenna smiled at him. She had but she liked winding him up.
"I have but you're still going first." Jenna said a sweet smile on her face.
Connor laughed. It was nice to see him so relaxed.
Jess looked over at Tommy and he was smiling at his brother as well probably thinking the same thing she was.
She wrapped her arms round Tommy. He looked down at her and kissed her nose as Connor and Jenna continued to bicker between themselves.
"Are you having a good time?" He asked.
Jess nodded.
"All I need to be happy is to be with you." she whispered as she turned her head into his chest.
Maybe it was too soon to say something like that but she relaxed when Tommy's arms tightened around her.
"Ditto." he whispered into her hair.
Connor sighed in relief as he made it off the mechanical bull without falling off. He walked over to Jess has she made her way in. She still looked nervous but not as much as before.
"You can do this." he told her as he reached her.
She smiled at him.
"Thank you for going first." Jess told him, leaning up and gently kissing his cheek.
Connor took her hand in his and squeezed it.
"Remember to have fun." He ordered. Jess nodded before moving past him and over to the bull.
Connor went back to his brother and Jenna. Tommy looked more nervous than Jess was.
"She'll be fine." Connor reassured his brother.
But Tommy's eyes never left Jess as the bull started. Jess was having the time of her life as the bull shoved her forward back up and down, she was laughing all the way until her small frame was flung from the bull.
Tommy was over the fence before Connor could blink. Connor and Jenna followed.
"Baby are you ok?" Tommy asked.
As he gathered Jess into his arms.
"I'm fine." Jess laughed. That didn't stop Tommy from checking her over.
"I'm fine." Jess told him again.
Tommy shook his head before he picked her up in his arms and carried her out.
They stayed for one more drink, alcohol for the others and a soft drink for him before they headed out.
Connor dropped Tommy and Jess off at Jess apartment.
"You staying?" Jess asked her eyes wide in surprise.
"Just to sleep." He told her.
Jess sighed in frustration before getting out of the car calling bye over her shoulder.
"Thanks for a great night." Tommy told them before following her.
Connor pulled away from the curb. It was just him and Jenna again and he remembered that she hadn't answered his question earlier.
"You never answered my question." Connor reminded her.
Jenna looked at him confused.
"You asked if I ever hope to fall in love again I said yes then I asked if you did but you never answered." Connor told her.
In fact he was pretty sure the question had made her cry.
Jenna swallowed hard and looked away from him. She shrugged her shoulders but never answered him.
She remained silent the rest of the car ride. When they pulled up outside her house. Jenna looked over at him. She pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"Everyone always leaves." She whispered and before Connor could question her own it she was gone.
Connor watched as she walked to her front door. He didn't know much about her life or her family and that used to be ok but now he wanted to know everything and he had no idea why.
Hi everyone, firstly I just want to say thank you for reading. I know this chapter is a lot more about Connor and Jenna then it is about Jess and Tommy but it's because their relationship kind of grew on me and I really like writing about them, so I was thinking of when I finish Jess and Tommy's story doing a squeal focusing on Connor and Jenna. Would anyone be interested in that?
Anyway thanks again for reading and have a lovely weekend.
