Page 86 of Steel & Jenna
Mr. Zarin had finally gone back to work after nearly an eight month absence. Having Jack and Jenna around the house would also help Lilly, as she would be starting fourth grade next year. It seemed like the smart financial and emotional decision. Since Jack was legally Lilly’s guardian, he couldn’t just move away either, even though no one who knew them would consider it abandonment.
When Jack and Jenna had approached Mr. Zarin about living with him, they’d offered to pay rent. Mr. Zarin had waved the offer off. The man didn’t get emotional about much these days, but Jenna could see the relief on his face about them choosing not to leave Port Townsend just yet.
As Jenna did a final twirl in front of her mirror, she felt a pang of excitement and sadness. Without Mrs. Zarin, Carolyn, or her own mother, Jenna had had to get ready for her prom without assistance. Other girls in her dorm were getting together to do their own hair or had hair stylists come in to help get them ready. But Jenna had not gone that route.
Her ice-blue dress had cost enough. But it wasbeautifuland Jenna wanted to look her best for Jack. Her hair had been in curlers for most of the day to achieve her desired look. She kept her jewelry simple with a pair of pearl earrings, a double-line pearl necklace, and a butterfly brooch at her cleavage.
When they learned their individual school proms had landed on the same night, Jack had left the choice of which one they would attend up to her. Jenna had chosen hers to give them a weekend away together. She had even rented a room at a nearby hotel from the ballroom where her prom was being held, since Jack couldn’t stay overnight in her dorm room with her. It was a bit of a splurge but Jack said he had a surprise for her and it was one of the last times she would get to spend her father’s money. With what they were planning on doing all weekend long in the hotel room, Jenna felt petty satisfaction and no guilt for booking the hotel.
The man was in Dubai with his new fiancée and hadn’t spoken to Jenna in over three weeks. Jenna had even sprung for the photographer’s deluxe package when she’d bought the prom tickets and had every intention of mailing a photo of Jack and her to her father.
Carolyn would have been proud, Jenna thought morosely. It had been over a year and still there had been no word from her sister.
Jack would be arriving soon. Since he couldn’t come up to her dorm room, Jenna was going to meet him in the lobby with her overnight bag. They were taking his truck to the hotel, which was going to stand out like a sore thumb amongst the family and rented limos. Jenna didn’t care—she loved that truck.
Jenna passed other girls in the hallway on her way down to the lobby. No doubt they saw her overnight bag, but it wasn’t like there was a way to hide it. Half of them had schemes of how they planned on losing their virginities that night anyway, so they had no room to judge. One girl had even been overheard telling her group of friends that she’d poked holes in her rich boyfriend’s condoms so she would get knocked up and he would have to marry her.
All of them looked down on Jenna for one reason or another. Her last name, her refusal to stoop to their gossiping level, her orange hair, her insistence that she had a boyfriend none of them had met… Yet, they all wanted what she had. They were tricking their dates into sex or pregnancy, they were planning on fucking guys who weren’t even their date for the evening, or they were planning on telling their date that they were in love with them. All the drama and the heartache that were stereotypical for a prom.
For all their glamour and glory, Jenna was likely the only one who could walk into prom with her head held high and the man she loved on her arm. That security, knowing there was nothing anyone could do to separate the two of them, gave her the confidence to face the cruel stares and backhanded remarks that they would no doubt be subjected to tonight.
There was even a rumor that Jenna had hired an actor to play her ‘boyfriend’ tonight.
Down in the lobby, Jenna made her way through the crowd of girls waiting for their dates to arrive and the dates waiting on the girls upstairs. The variety of dresses around the sea of black suits was a bit intimidating. Jenna hoped Jack liked her dress.
Before stepping outside, she put on her coat. April nights could still be chilly in Seattle and Jenna did not want to spend her first weekend away with Jack sick in bed. It was bad enough her period fell on this week, though she was lucky enough that Jack didn’t care. Jack was a rare man who understood that her period and symptoms were out of her control. It had been embarrassing the first time she’d had to deny him sex because she was on her period, but Jack had surprised her by not caring. Obviously oral sex was out, but he was not disgusted or put off by her monthly visitor in any way.
The way she viewed it, it was better to have her period on her prom night than it was on her wedding night. Even if Jack didn’t care,shestill did. Prom could come and go. It would be a fun night, but not one that would rank high on her list of memories. Herwedding night, though? No, she wanted that to beperfect.
Jenna only had to wait about five minutes by the front doors before she saw Jack’s truck in the line of limos and town cars. Though he always told her to wait until he arrived before stepping outside or for him to open the door for her, Jenna picked up her overnight bag and headed out to greet him.
She saw his scowl through the windshield when he spotted her,but it only made her smile. He put the truck into Park where he was down the sidewalk and then got out to meet her.
Fuck, he was gorgeous. He was wearing the same black suit Chief and Mrs. Cunningham had bought him for Mrs. Zarin’s funeral. Jack bought a white tux shirt with vertical ribbing that fit him like a glove. Once she had her dress picked out, Jenna also purchased him an ice-blue bow tie, cummerbund, and pocket square to match. Jack had planned on buying those too but his version of “ice-blue” and Jenna’s were two different things and Jenna had ended up having to buy him the correct coloring.
“Naughty,” he grumbled in greeting. He wrapped an arm around her waist before bending down to claim his kiss. “You know better than to come outside like that.”
Jenna’s grin only widened. “I got impatient to see you.”
“Fuck, baby, you have no idea.” His next kiss was quicker and then he was ushering her towards the passenger door. “Do you have everything you need for this weekend?” he asked as he helped her inside.
Once she was settled with her skirts situated, Jenna turned to look at him. “I have you. That’s all I need.”
“Fuck, Jen, you can’t say things like that. Not when I have to wait twenty-five more days to make you mine.”
“I’m already yours,” she told him honestly. “I’ve been yours for years, no matter what the government says.”
He leaned in, ignoring the fact that the cars in front of them had already started to move and he was holding up the line. “You are beyond beautiful and beyond special. I am the luckiest man on earth that you chose to be with me.”
A horn blared behind them. Jack did not move a muscle.
Jenna leaned in, her lips inches from his. “One hour.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s in an hour?”
“I’m giving you one hour to get our pictures and dance our asses off before I am taking you up to our hotel room and riding you to orgasm.”
Jack’s entire body shuddered. “Fuck, baby. Talk like that and I won’t make it an hour inside that ballroom.”
