Page 63 of Little Paper Games
“No way you can what? Trust him? Like him? Fall for him?” Janie supplied. I could hear her smirk over the phone. That bitch.
“Janie, it’s not that simple,” I protested.
“But it is, Kenna. You’re telling me that the man you’ve thought was behind your assault that day bathed you, cared for you, and grieved with you all day yesterday? You think that’s the same man? He wasn’t there the day it happened. Even if somehow, he was behind it, do you think he’s the same person?” Janie sounded emphatic. I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t want anything to do with the conversation anymore.
“I’m going to go, Janie. You just don’t understand. I can’t go there. Not with Jude.” I heard her frustrated sigh, but she let it go and we said our goodbyes. Now to figure out how to get rid of this feeling.
I made my way back downstairs and over to the adjoining door, deciding on the perfect thing to change the way I felt. I rapped hard on the door, and it opened quickly. Too quickly. Almost as though he were waiting on the other side of the door from me.
“Can I come in?” I asked, shaking off the odd feeling. When he nodded and stepped aside, I waltzed into his kitchen with about one hundred times more self-confidence than I actually possessed.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked, eyeing me for a long moment.
“Just dandy, thanks. I thought it best to get right down to brass tax,” I stated, finding the glass jars on his bar top, and setting them on the table.
“Brass tax?” He was looking at me like I was a crazy person. This wasn’t crazy. This was the game.
“Yup, or back to normal or whatever you want to call it. Let’s make it a little more interesting, though, shall we?” I offered, wagging my eyebrows suggestively. The false bravado had better work. I was mentally all over the place.
“Kenna, are you sure this is a good idea? Yesterday —”
“We aren’t talking about yesterday. It’s in the past and it won’t happen again. I’m absolutely sure. Now, I say we both pick one today. Up the ante a little,” I interrupted, not willing to entertain that thought in the slightest.
“I’m not sure you’re using that phrase right,” he murmured, still eyeing me as though he were trying to decipher me.
“I honestly couldn’t care less. Now, draw,” I commanded, fishing a little piece of paper from the jar.
“Kenna —” he began again.
“No, Jude. It was your idea to have this little paper game. Don’t back out on me now like a wimp!” I knew I was being an ass, but I needed to get away from nice guy Jude. I couldn’t really get away from him with all that was going on. So, my best option was to make him less nice guy Jude and more sex god Jude. At least then I was using him, just like he’d used me.
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea, Kenna.” He was trying to reason, but I didn’t want reason.
“Jude, yesterday you said you’d do whatever I needed. Anything to make me feel better. Right?” I pushed.
“Right,” he agreed, extremely hesitantly.
“Then shut up and draw a little piece of paper so we can play this game. That would make me happy.” With a completely feigned smile, I batted my eyelashes. I waited a moment while he mulled it over. Finally, he sighed and drew a piece of paper from the jar.
“What did you draw?” I asked, anticipation starting to pool low in my belly.
“Roleplay,” he stated quietly, his eyes glancing over at me in a completely different way now.
“Well, what do you know?” I held up my paper for him to see. He read it slowly. “Roleplay - Professor/student. Well, looks we drew a match.”
“Yes, I suppose we did.” I let my mind wander over how I wanted to do this.
“Why don’t you go put on a white shirt and a cute little skirt. Get dolled up and meet me back here in a few hours?” He suggested casually.
“Oh, Jude. Sweet, innocent, Jude,” I pandered, walking over to him, and patting him on the cheek. “Who saidyouget to be the professor? Khakis and a polo. I’ll see you in class at 3:00 p.m. sharp.”
He looked at me. His jaw dropped in shock, perfectly silent.
“Oh, and Jude?” I asked, looking over my shoulder as I walked away. “Professor Clarke does not tolerate tardiness. Understood?”
He nodded dumbly as I walked back through the adjoining door. I barely got the door shut before I giggled in excitement. This was exactly what I needed.
The gentle knocking on the door caught my attention, and I glanced at the clock on the wall. 2:55 p.m. Early. Looks like this little role play was going to be off to a good start.
