End of Day (Jack & Jill 1)

Jillian’s legs couldn’t keep up. Her laughter zapped all her energy, so she bent over resting her hands on her knees. “I can’t … b-breathe.” She hackled out of control.

Jackson rested his hands on his hips and walked in circles around her. “That’s not the worst part.”

She shook her head. “No more … my sides hurt.”

“I have to say it. I mean … I don’t think this girl’s normal, but maybe they’re just bred different here in the Midwest because last night’s date could never be outdone. Apparently she’s a big Sesame Street fan so she wore this tight-fitting Big Bird shirt to the bar. She only had one glass of wine but by the time we got to her apartment she was seriously horny.”

Jillian glanced up, wiping tears from her eyes. “Big Bird makes her horny?”

Jackson grimaced. “Not exactly.” He dug his teeth into his bottom lip and looked around for unsuspecting ears. “Mr. Snuffleupagus makes her horny.”

Jillian’s brows knitted and then it hit her. “Oh my god. Your…” she motioned toward his shorts “…is Mr. Snuffleupagus?”

Jackson nodded.

She fell to her knees in the grass—laughing, crying, and hugging her stomach.

“There’s more.”

She shook her head. “No … no way.”

“You know my glasses that you love so much? Well, she wanted to give me, or Mr. Snuffleupagus, head while he wore those glasses.”

Jillian collapsed onto her side and not a single word made it past her laughter that was nearly silent because she couldn’t catch her breath.

“The chick’s messed up, right?”

“Y-you … l-l-let her?”

“She had on the tightest damn shirt I’d ever seen! And she wanted to suck my dick and it’s been a long time since I’ve had a woman’s mouth on me like that, so … yeah, I let her. I was so fucking hard by the time she asked, I think I would have let her add a wig, lipstick, and clip-on earrings to Mr. Snuffleupagus.”

“Stop! Pee … I’m going to pee my pants …”

“The worst part … I’m seeing her again tonight.”

Jillian wiped her swollen eyes and exhaled several slow breaths. “Never and I mean ever have I heard anything so flat-out hysterical. The sad part…” she fought back more giggles “…is I will never be able to do that to a man without thinking about my brother’s penis dressed up like Mr. Potato Head. You’ve completely ruined that for me.”

Jackson held out his hand and helped her off the ground. “Just as well. I don’t like to think about my sister giving some dude a blow job.”

“Way to make it sound completely random, like I’m a total slut.” Jillian jogged to catch up on the run Jackson decided to resume.

“You’re not a slut.” He paused before his next statement. “Have you had any more moments with AJ?”

She pushed out in front a few steps. “Uh, well, I don’t know what your definition of moment is so—”

“Have you had sex with him?”

“Sex? With AJ? I mean we’ve done … stuff, and we sort of … yes. We did it yesterday three times in a row, just … bang, bang, bang and it was so good and the most incredible release and—”

“No, no, no, no, no! Jesus, Jillian! It was a yes or no question.”

“Are you kidding me, Mr. Snuffleupagus? You get dry hump and penis dress-up, but all I get to share is yes or no?”

“So what’s the damage?” Jackson’s voice began to sound labored.

“Bite mark on his pec.” Jillian knew the question and she refused to lie to her brother. First of all, he knew when she was lying, and second, she never wanted to lie to him. Jackson had always been her truth, a litmus test of her sanity. Luke took over that role for a while, but he wasn’t there anymore so she needed Jackson.

“Why?”

“I’m trying to figure out who I am.”

“Then start with who you’re not, which is Jessica Day. She was fucked-up. You don’t have to be. Jillian Knight can be whomever you want her to be.”

Jillian chuckled. “As long as she sells sex toys.”

“Exactly.”

The conversation died when they became too winded to talk.

“Knights.”

Jillian glanced ahead as they neared the entrance to Peaceful Woods. The familiar voice was her uniformed lover jogging toward the entrance from the opposite direction.

“Hey, AJ.” Jackson nodded.

Jillian hadn’t prepared for the awkward-next-day moment, but at that point she knew there was no way around it. She had only a few seconds to react.

“Neighbor.” Brilliant reply.

Jillian had a half dozen names for him, but neighbor wasn’t one. Maybe her subconscious was reminding her the man she’d been very intimate with was in fact her neighbor and that nothing good could come of their admittedly volatile relationship.

“So … I have a lesson in an hour. I’ll…” Jackson played his part as cool as the ninety-degree day “…see you two … uh … crazy kids later.” He continued jogging home.