VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY – Chapter 5
Author's Note: I'm so sorry that it's been so long between updates. We do plan to complete this story. Thank you for reading and staying with it!
Once again I'd like to thank my good friend "Summer39" for her invaluable contributions. I couldn't bring you this story without her.
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Looks the same as always. Mark thought to himself as he pulled his red convertible sports car into the gravel parking lot beside Jill's diner. It had been several months since he'd been there. Although everything appeared to be just as he left it, Mark knew he was only trying to fool himself into thinking that nothing had changed. Truth was that within the past day his world had turned completely upside down. Between finding out that Princess was seeing someone else, to preparing to embark on an unusual mission where they had to act as husband and wife, Mark felt at times that his thoughts and emotions were spinning out of control! He was grasping to find something, anything that was still the way it had always been. Right now, he wanted to believe that returning to Jill's Place was like coming home.
As he walked into the diner, he was greeted by the most amazing scent of grilled burgers, pan fried bacon, and homemade apple pie. Well, one thing was certain, at least Jill's Place hadn't turned into a vegetarian health food joint while he'd been away!
It did seem quieter than usual though. The sound of the jukebox was normally drowned out by the constant clatter of dishes and hum of conversation, but today he heard the tune clearly. The lunch crowd had thinned out and only a few customers lingered behind.
"Well hello stranger!" a voice called out to him.
Mark turned to see Jill drop a cloth she was using to wipe down the counter to run over and wrap her arms around him.
"Do you greet all your customers this way?" Mark asked as he returned the hug.
"Only the ones as good looking as you!" Jill laughed and gave him a mischievous wink.
Over the years Mark and Jill had developed a teasingly flirtatious friendship. Mark knew it was all in fun especially since she seemed not so much interested in him as in finding out the details about his relationship with Princess. He'd always made sure that he revealed as little as possible, but he knew that Jill wasn't blind. She was aware that there was more going on between him and Prin than a simple friendship.
"Look at you!" Jill exclaimed as her eyes took in his conservative attire and newly trimmed hair, "What's the story with the new style? Did you get a new job, or maybe join the young Republicans?"
"Ummm…..I guess you could say I've got a new job." Mark replied. It wasn't exactly a lie, and it did give him an easy way out of a long and complicated story that he obviously couldn't share.
"So, I guess that explains why you haven't been around here so much," Jill stated as her eyes narrowed, "Or could there be another reason?"
"Nope," Mark replied as he put his hands in his pockets and shifted his feet uncomfortably, "Just burning the midnight oil at the new job!"
"Well then, I guess that makes you even more happy to have a break. Congratulations on the cruise! Couldn't have happened to a nicer couple!"
"Umm, Jill, Princess and I are not exactly a couple." Mark clarified.
"So you say!" Jill said with a wink.
Mark began to open his mouth to issue yet another denial when his eye caught a vision of loveliness descending the staircase from the loft apartment.
She was a dazzling image in pink and white. For a moment Mark wondered if perhaps he was dreaming. The dress Princess was wearing was equally as discreet as his clothing. The skirt of her dress skimmed her knees. Her cashmere cardigan sweater with its pearl buttons did not reveal an iota of skin. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail which hung over one shoulder. Her face had very little make-up, but the natural blush of her cheeks and the sparkle of her deep green eyes was all that was needed to accentuate her beauty.
He was at a loss as to why her angelic appearance captivated him so. Maybe it was because he was expecting to see her as he always did at Jill's, in the short mini skirt and clingy white blouse of her waitress uniform. But here he was, once again faced with unexpected, and this time his mind had turned it into a pleasant surprise.
"You look…great!" he said finding himself at a loss for words.
"And you…," she replied with a similar look of surprise her eyes, "I can't believe you actually cut your hair!" she exclaimed as she reached out and gently ran her fingers from the top of his head down to the nape of his neck.
"I….," Mark wanted to say something, but instead the two simply stared deeply into each other's eyes as if no one else existed.
"There you are!" a voice called out from behind them.
Suddenly, a chill went through Mark as he felt the warmth of Princess' touch drift away.
"You must be Mark!" the voice continued.
Mark blinked and realized a tall blonde man was standing beside Princess, with one arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him, and the other reaching out to offer a handshake.
"I'm Jeff…Prin's boyfriend," he clarified.
Mark suddenly felt like he'd been doused with a bucket of ice water. So much for unexpected surprises! He thought to himself.
He reluctantly reached out to grab Jeff's hand and received an enthusiastic and hearty handshake in return. It took all Mark's strength to resist the urge to crush Jeff's fingers! Sure the man was about two inches taller than him and based on the size of that bicep straining against his shirt sleeve was an obvious fan of work outs. Yet there was no doubt in Mark's mind that if push came to shove, he would come out on top. He returned a forced smile and issued a silent challenge. Buddy, you have no clue who you are dealing with!
"I'm so glad to finally meet the last of Prin's brothers," Jeff stated as he flashed a brilliantly white smile.
"Brother and sister, huh?" Mark questioned as he glanced towards Prin. "That's an interesting way to describe our relationship."
Princess shot Mark a look of warning indicating that he should play along with this story.
"Oh, I know that you aren't her real brother," Jeff attempted to clarify. "Prin told me about how you, Jason, Keyop, and Tiny grew up together in the orphanage. That must have been pretty tough. I'm glad Princess had friends she could depend upon to see her through that time". He looked lovingly at Princess and pulled her closer to his side.
"Yeah, it's sharing tough times that bring people closer together," Mark replied as he stared at Princess, silently remembering the times they had been there for each other and hoping that she would do the same.
"I completely agree," Jeff returned. "Prin told me that her brothers are very protective of her. I want to assure you as I did the others that I have nothing but the best of intentions when it comes to my relationship with Princess. I'm hoping that over time I'll earn your trust just as I've earned hers," he explained as he held her hand, gently nuzzled up to her face, and placed a kiss upon her cheek.
Ugggh!….Mark was never a big fan of public displays affection, but even this relatively tame example between Princess and Jeff made him feel like he wanted to hurl!
"Princess, I think it's about time we hit the road," Mark said impatiently.
"By the way Mark, I really appreciate you covering for me like this," Jeff stated.
"Covering for you?" Mark answered, his blue eyes narrowing with confusion.
"Well you know that Princess asked me to join her on the cruise as soon as she found out she won, right?"
Obviously Princess had chosen to take another detour in the story they planned as a cover for the trip. She once again gave Mark a pleading look to follow along.
"Yeah, right," Mark answered as he folded his arms across his chest, raised one eyebrow, and curiously waited to hear how Princess managed to pull off this deception.
"Unfortunately, my final thesis is due this week," he explained, "Been working on it for the past year and can't get any leeway on the deadline."
"Tough luck, pal," Mark replied as he faked a sympathetic pat to Jeff's shoulder.
"Of course I wasn't too happy about Princess going on this trip alone. You know how some guys go on these cruises just looking to pick up women. I wouldn't want her to end up in any uncomfortable situations if you know what I mean?"
"Oh, sure…sometimes those guys just won't take no for an answer," Mark commiserated.
"So when she offered to take one of her brothers along instead, it seemed like the perfect solution! I knew she'd be in good hands with one of you watching over her."
Mark couldn't believe how easy he had it! Obviously if this guy was dumb enough to believe the "brother/sister" storyline that Princess fed him, Mark would have no trouble snatching back Princess right out from under his nose.
"Trust me, she will be in good hands," Mark replied as he gave Princess a wink and slapped Jeff once again on his shoulder, this time just a bit harder than necessary.
"You just focus finishing that essay," Mark continued. "Wouldn't want to keep you from graduating and getting a job out here in the real world."
"It's actually a thesis," Jeff clarified, his voice taking a slightly defensive tone as he moved closer to Mark "And I already have a job. Speaking of which, what is it exactly that you do?"
"Uh…well, I'm sure that you guys could talk about your jobs all day, but we have a boat to catch," Princess said as she stepped in between them. She knew she had to cut further conversation short to avoid the risk of conflict.
"Is this everything," Mark asked as he glanced down at the suitcase and makeup bag on the floor beside her. He couldn't wait to get the hell out of there!
"Oh, I forgot my purse!" Princess exclaimed as she turned to head up the stairs to her apartment.
"Honey, while you're up there, can you grab the book that I left on your nightstand? I need it for my class next week," Jeff called out.
Her nightstand? As in the nightstand by her bed?
Before he had time to fully digest the idea of Princess in bed with another man, Jeff's voice interrupted him.
"I'll take this out to the car for you," he said to Mark, "Looks a little heavy. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself before your big trip."
Jeff reached forward with one hand and easily scooped up the rather large suitcase, his other hand slapping Mark on his shoulder…. just a bit harder than necessary. Hmmm…maybe this guy was starting to catch on.
As Mark watched Jeff walk out of the diner, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Mmmm….hmmmm….Now that's what I call a prime piece of Grade A man. Nice, tight, and well proportioned. I'll bet you can bounce a quarter off of that behind!" Jill exclaimed.
"Oh Mark did you say something?" she continued, finally breaking her admiring gaze.
Without out saying a word, Mark stormed towards the door, swung it open, and raced out to the parking lot, leaving Jill holding her hands over her mouth in an attempt to suppress her laughter.
"Hey you forgot this," Mark called out as he strategically tossed Princess' make-up bag into Jeff's abdomen, practically knocking the wind out of him.
After taking a moment to recover, Jeff moved closer to Mark and began speaking in a hushed, yet firm tone.
"I didn't want to say anything while Princess was here and get her upset, but I sense that there there's some tension between us. Care to explain?"
"I really don't have time to explain," Mark said as checked his watch, then stepped aside and began opening the trunk of his car, "Maybe you can ask your girlfriend about it someday."
"Mark, I get along fine with Jason, Tiny, and Keyop. They're great guys. I'd like for us all to be friends…for Princess' sake," he reached out his hand in a gesture of peace.
Mark had to reluctantly admit to himself that Jeff seemed to be a nice guy. Under any other circumstances they probably could be friends, but in this case there was no chance in hell that he could ever be buddies with anyone claiming to be Prin's boyfriend.
"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen, Joe." Mark said, deliberately ignoring Jeff's outstretched hand.
"Its Jeff," he clarified with a sigh, "Look we don't have to be best pals. I'm o.k. with that. I'd just like to make sure that we are on the same page regarding Princess."
"And what page is that?" Mark asked impatiently.
"Princess hasn't filled me in on all the details, but before she and I started dating I know that she was involved with someone who hurt her a great deal emotionally, so much so that she hesitated becoming involved with anyone else at all. She doesn't like to talk about it. I don't even know the guy's name. It took awhile, but I think she is finally over it and she's moved on. She's happy. We're happy together. Do you get what I'm saying? If you're really her friend, you'll want what's best for her."
Mark felt a twinge of regret knowing that he had been the cause of Princess' pain. True, what he had done in the past was wrong, but he couldn't begin to doubt himself now. He knew that he and Princess belonged together. He couldn't give up. He would make it up to her.
"For the record, I know Princess very well, and believe me I only want what's best for her too," Mark replied as he placed the suitcase in the car.
"Do you?" Jeff asked skeptically, "What she and I have together is solid; nothing is going to change that. Not even this cruise. Do you understand?"
"I understand perfectly, but what makes you think that you're what's best for her?"
Just as Jeff was about to reply, they turned to see Princess walking towards them.
"Oh just toss that makeup bag on the front seat," Princess interrupted.
Jeff wasted no time in returning to Princess' side and wrapping his arms around her.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," he stated as he reached up to touch her cheek and brush a loose strand of hair away from her face, "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Princess said shyly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with Mark looking on beside them.
"Soon we can have our own romantic getaway. Maybe make even more plans for the future. You know how I feel about you and I think I know how you feel about me. When you come back I want us to talk about how we can make this work; no interruptions. I'm ready to commit myself to you. I'd really like to see where this relationship can take us Princess. I care about you so much."
Princess was speechless, stunned yet touched by the honest and direct proclamation of his feelings. Clearly Jeff was someone who wanted to be in her life and share his with her; offering her so much more than Mark ever did.
As he watched on Mark became livid. He slammed down the trunk and shouted out, "Hey Prin! We need to leave before we get caught in traffic! Say your goodbyes to Jack and let's jet!"
Princess reached up to plant a small kiss on the side of Jeff's mouth. Jeff seeing a seething Mark behind her turned his head and surprisingly parted Princess' lips with his own. He cradled her face as his mouth plundered hers deeply. Princess yielded to this sudden burst of passion which she had never seen in Jeff before as her arms encircled his neck. Jeff's hands slid sensuously from her face down to the small of her back, hugging her closely to him. Mark's mind screamed upon seeing this level of intimacy between them, his hatred for this man growing by the nanosecond. Jeff had staked his claim in right front of him!
Suddenly remembering that Mark was behind her, Princess pulled away from Jeff's embrace, but never the less the kiss had left her breathless. Seeing her reaction, Mark cursed violently under his breath, turned on his heal and got into the driver's seat.
"Enjoy yourself beautiful," Jeff stated as he escorted Princess to the convertible, and she stepped inside.
"I want you to have a good time. You deserve it," he said as he closed the car door. Princess returned a smile.
"By the way Mark...the name's Jeff."
Mark snorted as he put on his driving gloves.
"I take it we'll be seeing each other again," Jeff spoke in a challenging tone, his brown eyes full of even deeper meaning.
Mark put on his shades as he shifted the car into first gear and smiled wickedly, "I look forward to it."
"By the way...Jeff," Mark enunciated the other man's name as he put his arm around Princess and hugged her close, "... I'll see to it that Prin has one hell of a time!"
A feeling of panic seized Princess as her eyes ping ponged between Jeff and Mark.
Mark slid his glasses down and looked directly at Jeff, "Understand?"
A look of realization came into Jeff's eyes that Mark may have been the man in question, but before he could respond, Mark stomped on the accelerator, kicking up a trail of dust and gravel, leaving poor Jeff in a cloud of smoke.
To be continued! Thanks for reading!