Jim took me by the arm, leading me to the car. He drove to a nearby drive-in, chatting endlessly throughout the trip. I feigned interest by nodding my head and occasionally dishing out sounds of affirmation. To be honest, I had no idea what he was talking about. Trust me, I tried to pay attention, but the words were like a river in my head. In one ear, out the other.
Why oh why couldn’t I be with Mason?
I was already thinking about next week.
“So what’s new with you?” he asked, turning the conversation in my direction.
“Hmm?”
I’d heard his words, but didn’t process them. My mind was muddled with the thought of Mason roaring as he came, those blue eyes owning my soul as he owned me down below.
“You okay? You seem a bit distracted.”
Oh shit, oh shit.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered quickly. “Just thinking, that’s all.”
Jim’s brow crinkled.
“Bout what?”
I took a deep breath.
“The San Nemo actually. We volunteered there today.”
Jim frowned, his features shifting into a tight expression of concern. “Isn’t that the jail? The one with famous prisoners?”
“Yes.”
He looked at me sideways, hands still on the wheel.
“Why would you volunteer there? That sounds crazy.”
Oh no, I was about to have a repeat of my conversation with Mark from two hours ago. How could this be happening? I didn’t want to be here.
So I tried to go easy.
“It’s no big deal, there’s a bunch of us doing it. We’re going to set up a prison newsletter, it’s no big deal.”
But Jim wasn’t satisfied.
“You mean, you’re going to be working with criminals?”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. Hadn’t I just had this conversation two hours ago with a different man?
“Yes, technically,” were my slow words. “But I think it’s worthwhile. We need to give back to the community, and this is my way of doing that. Do you agree?”
But Jim was no Mark. Jim was milquetoast, so eventually, he cleared his throat.
“Well, I think that’s wonderful then,” he commented gently. Of course. That was the nice-guy answer. He was just being polite and avoiding conflict. Do real couples do this? Or do they fight it out?
Thankfully, we reached the drive-in.
“Would you like anything from the snack stand?” the blond man asked.
“Some popcorn would be nice, thanks.”
He nodded and ducked out of the car, jogging over to join the line.
I watched him let a few elderly women cut in front of him. I wouldn’t have said anything either because it seems rude to belittle senior citizens. But still. Jim annoyed me. He was like vanilla pudding, soft and gelatinous. How did we end up together?
With a sigh, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Mason instantly appeared, a tantalizing smirk on those sculpted lips. He beckoned me forward with his finger as he stepped back into the darkness. I chased after him, only to find myself in a bedroom – our bedroom. The mattress was huge. Mason didn’t hesitate to throw me on it. He didn’t ask nicely – he didn’t ask at all. He just took what he wanted, ravishing me hard and fast.
Jim interrupted my daydream by reentering the car, his arms filled with junk food.
He fumbled with the load for a moment before finally handing me a bag of popcorn. A few kernels spilled onto my skirt.
“Oh sorry!” the man wheezed, picking them off my lap. Briefly, his fingers grazed the inside of my thigh. I looked up to see if he had noticed, but incredibly, Jim was completely unaware. Typical. This guy had no balls. He had no testosterone, no masculine dominance.
But still, he was nice.
That counts for something, right?
“There we are. Sorry about that,” the blond man bowed, as polite as ever.
God, just once, I wanted him to stop being such a good guy. It was so annoying. So boring. Being with him was like being stuck in a padded room. Every minute brought me closer and closer to insanity.
“I hear this movie is supposed to be really good,” he prattled. “It has spectacular reviews.”
I jerked.
“Oh sorry, what are we watching again?” I asked.
Of course, he’d told me during the drive, but I honestly hadn’t been listening. How could I, when my head was filled with dirty daydreams about Mason? Even now, he dominated my thoughts, teasing me with his body, asking me why I was with a wimp like Jim when I could be with him instead.
Being with a real man.
That sounded good.
Someone capable of satisfying my needs and desires, making me scream.
“Laney?”
My date cocked his head like a curious poodle. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled, sinking into my seat, tossing a few pieces of popcorn into my mouth. God save me now. But instead, Jim prattled on and on about the film, a chatterbox that went non-stop.
“But as I was saying, I think this remake has great potential to give us this superhero’s untold story. It’s awesome that all these superhero movies are coming out one after another. Makes me feel like a kid again, you know? I used to collect comic books. Even had some limited-edition copies. Green Lantern was always my favorite. I think I have every single issue. Well, except for one, but there was only a few dozen ever printed. One is being sold on eBay right now, but I don’t know if I could afford it. I mean, I could, but then I wouldn’t be able to take you on nice dates.”