Locke. Chapter Twenty-one: Between the Shelves

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Chapter Twenty-one: Between the shelves

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We pulled up to one of the nicest restaurants in Addison. Chamberlain’s was delicious and very expensive. I had only been once for someone’s birthday years before. I felt my cheeks heat. “I’m not sure that I’m dressed well enough for here.”

Jasper laughed, looking down at himself after he killed his engine. "If so, then I am definitely not. Don't worry. We're in Texas. You're fine. You look beautiful." 

“Okay.” I flushed brighter. “I mean, actually,” I laughed nervously, “I can’t afford this place.”

He instantly frowned. “We’re not going to go over this again.”

I pouted a little. “This is different.”

He unbuckled his seatbelt and undid mine before leaning over to look at me very seriously. "I'd pay either way since I invited you out," he informed me. "I'm a gentleman first. I picked the place, knowing the price. Don't argue with me. I know you like fish." 

“I do,” I admitted with a small smile. 

“And,” he began, running his fingers under my jaw as he drew me closer to him, “they’re supposed to have some of the best chocolate cake in Dallas.”

“Mm, cake,” I said longingly, making him chuckle before he kissed me. 

He pecked at my lips once more. “My new favorite form of aftercare.” 

We walked inside, his hand on my back. He had a reservation, and when we got to the stand, he mumbled, "Dr. Hale." The little girl standing there was beautiful, thin, and in her early twenties. He didn't even glance in her direction. 

The hostess looked at him for a long second, blinking a couple of times before she looked down at her notes. She looked over at me and then up at him. “Um, yes, sir. Dr. Hale, table for two. Just give us about ten minutes.”

“Thank you,” he smiled. “We’ll be at the bar.” 

Jasper led me over, pulling out the barstool for me like a gentleman. He offered me his hand, helping me up. The bartender looked up from whatever he was doing and smiled at us. 

"Hi! How can I help you?" 

“Hello,” I replied. Going ahead and getting my ID, I handed it to him while I absently looked at the drink menu. 

“Thank you, Ms. Swan.”

“I’ll take a dirty martini,” Jasper added as he sat beside me. “And some of those parmesan fries,” he murmured as he looked over my shoulder at the happy hour specials. “What do you think, darlin? What are you getting?”

I nibbled my lip for a moment. “Can I have a glass of Riesling?” I pointed to the menu.

“Sure,” the bartender answered as he smiled. 

Jasper looked at his watch. "Go ahead and give her two. Happy hour is almost over, and it's cheaper that way." I giggled softly. "What? Are you not going to want a second drink?" 

“Make the second glass the Merlot,” I grinned innocently. “Fries sound amazing. I’m so glad you ordered those.”

He chuckled as he stood, stretching and popping his back. “Fries always sound good. I’m going to wash up first. I’ll be back in a second.” Then he pressed a sweet kiss on my cheek. 

The hostess came into the bar not more than a minute later, looking for us. The bartender didn’t have time to even make one of our drinks. She leaned into me and whispered, “Mrs. Hale, your table is ready.”

“Thanks,” I uttered, looking at the bartender. 

“We’ll have everything brought to you,” he replied quickly. The hostess held up a couple of fingers, pointing out where we were going to be sat in the corner of the restaurant. It was a small round table with a rose and a candle in the center. I sat with my back to the wall, waiting for Jasper to return. 

The waiter came with our drinks, setting them in the middle. I gazed at the menu, trying to figure out what I wanted. I felt Jasper’s fingers on my back as he came around me to sit in the chair beside me. 

“I just got called Mrs. Hale,” I whispered, widening my eyes. 

He chuckled, bringing my left hand up to his mouth to lightly kiss. I had a couple of rings on both of my hands, not one of them on my ring fingers. “So, what are you thinking about for dinner, my lovely bride?” 

“Oh, god,” I laughed nervously, looking away from him. I hated how much I liked it. “You know that you’re getting old when they don’t just assume that you’re on a date.”

Jasper took a long sip of his martini before taking a bite of one of the olives. “That might be the kinkiest roleplay that I’ve ever considered doing,” he said dryly. I giggled into my wine glass. 

“Taking your love of shackles to the next level,” I mouthed in a hushed tone. The waiter came back to the table with the fries that Jasper ordered. He had to hide his dirty smile behind his glass, reaching for my hand underneath the table to give it a quick squeeze. 

“Thank you,” I said pleasantly to the server before he left. 

After dinner, he drove over to the theater not more than ten minutes from the restaurant. Even after Jasper bought our tickets, we still had an hour to kill. So, we decided to walk around the mall that it was attached to. We just sort of strolled together quietly until we reached the massive bookstore in the middle.  

We stopped to look at one another at the same time. “Mm, shall we?” He nodded his head towards it. I nodded as well, smiling brightly. He grinned, putting a hand on the small of my back to lead me inside. 

“Oh, my god! I love bookstores,” I moaned softly once we were inside. 

“One day, I’ll be buying the special editions of your books in here,” he breathed in my ear. Gently, I bumped my hip into him. His hand slid from the small of my back to my ass, pulling me closer to him.

"You're sweet. I hope so," I answered as we moved our way through the shelves slowly. We stopped in a secluded corner, and he pulled me to him in a quick but fiery kiss. His hand slid to my jean's pocket and gave my cheek a good squeeze. "Mmm," I hummed.  

He kissed my neck slowly after as my head fell back. “That doesn’t bother you right now?”

Flushing at his question, I shook my head. I turned so that my back was pressed against his chest. He didn’t stop kissing me though, wrapping his arms around my waist as he pulled me against him. “I’m annoyingly horny right now even though I feel kind of awful. I keep thinking, ‘hm, maybe I could get a quick spanking and give you a blow job,’” I confessed jokingly.  

“I’m down,” he said instantly, making me laugh. I swirled my hips against him.

Drawing away from him, I took his hand and led him to another aisle. “Maybe after the movie,” I flirted.

“Or, maybe, during,” he whispered dirtily. 

“I haven’t given head in a movie in years. Wow, memories,” I mused mischievously. “Going to take me to the family bathroom first and give it to me good first? Please say `yes.’”

He grabbed my ass hard, making me moan very softly. We went to another aisle, him stepping closer to me as he did. We were hip to hip, his lips very close to my ear. “I’ll make you nice and sore, so you feel it throughout the entire movie.” 

I brought him to me for a quick kiss. “Maybe we could find that bathroom now…” 

Pulling me towards another secluded spot again, he brought me into a deep kiss before grabbing me with both of his hands so that I was pressed hard against him. I giggled excitedly against his mouth. One of them slid underneath the back of my sweater, over my tank top. Jasper looked up as if he was actually looking for the restroom when his eyes got massive. 

Two women, one older and one younger who were obviously mother and daughter, were walking towards us. The younger female looked amused while the elder seemed downright psyched. And she was marching towards us with purpose.  

"Jasper Whitlock, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" She thundered. The other beautiful woman sealed her lips shut tightly, trying not to burst into laughter. His eyes got bigger somehow. I had never seen him turn so red.  

“Uh… no. No, Mama, I don’t-” he began to stutter out quickly. 

“Well, it certainly looks like she’s your girlfriend with the way you are loving all over her,” she began cheerfully, turning her attention back to me. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Um, Isabella,” I said in quiet surprise.

She beamed between the two of us. "What a charming name for a pretty girl! How long have you been dating?" She actually took my hand, leaning into me. I took a step back, but there was only Jasper there. His hand went almost protectively to my side to keep me from tripping backward.  

"We're not dating," I repeated, but she obviously didn't believe me. She needed more than that, I realized. "Um, it's our first date, actually." It was almost true. It was our first time that we were truly out in public together.  

This just made her all the more thrilled. “Well, obviously it’s going well then,” she giggled enthusiastically. “I’m Caroline Hale, Jasper’s mother, and this is his twin sister, Rosalie.”

"Hi," the very pretty young woman said to me with a slight smirk. She didn't seem all that impressed with me, but she was undoubtedly amused about what was happening to her twin. "Seems to be going very well there, brother." She eyed where his hand was, and he instantly brought both of his them behind his back as if he had been caught doing something bad. He looked away, pouting.  

“It was…” he drew out sourly. “What are y’all doing on this side of town?”

“Shopping, obviously! Why didn’t you tell me that you were home?” Caroline demanded, tilting her head to the side. Both her son and daughter were at least a foot taller than her.  

He blinked a couple of times. “I’m just in Dallas for the day. I’m sorry.” 

"That's okay, darlin," she cooed, patting his arm. "You obviously had plans. It's a shame that you won't be here long. You should bring Isabella to Sunday dinner sometime soon. And she could join us for church!" She turned her hopeful eyes back to me. "What church do you go to?" 

“Mom,” Jasper whispered, shaking his head. 

“Friendship Baptist,” I stated automatically. 

“And where is that?” 

I didn't expect that question. I knew how to get there, but I wasn't certain of what street it was on. "Oh, gosh. I'm horrible with directions. Um, it's actually not that far from here. That way," I laughed and pointed to the right.  

Mrs. Hale wasn’t going to give me any time to breathe. “And who’s the pastor there?” I realized I was getting tested with her rapid-fire questions. 

I cleared my throat. "Well, actually, the pastor had to retire suddenly because of health reasons. We've had guests for the past couple of months. But my best friend's father is considering taking the job. He's the youth minister," I explained to her as pleasantly as possible. I saw Jasper smile beside me, and I knew instantly that I did well. "Which would be just perfect for him and terrible for everyone else. I've never met a man who enjoyed the sound of his own voice more." 

She laughed at my small talk. "Oh, dear. I know exactly what you mean. So, what do you do? Do you work in the FBI, too?" She looked between her son and me again, eager for any knowledge she could gain.  

“Bella’s a writer, actually,” Jasper finally found his voice. I think he might have been a little intimidated by his diminutive mother.  

“That’s fantastic! What’s your full name? What have you written?” She grabbed my arm with both of her little hands. Caroline might have been enthusiastic about me before, but this had her full attention.

I swallowed. “Um, Isabella Swan.” 

I instantly saw the light go on in her eyes as she connected the dots. “Oh, goodness gracious! Did she write the book that you got me for my birthday?” She asked her son. He quickly nodded. “I just love your work! How exciting! Rose, she wrote that novel that I gave you!” She looked back at her daughter. “Have you read it? You know! The one I gave you last week.” 

“No,” she shrugged. Her mother was unimpressed and at that moment looked exactly like her daughter. All three of them had the same face.  

“Well, you should!” Caroline said fiercely, still holding onto me. “It’s amazing! Isabella is a very talented author.”

“I second that,” Jasper added, rubbing a hand over my shoulder. I reached for it, giving it a quick squeeze as I looked up at him adoringly. He didn’t even know which book she was talking about. He winked before looking up at his mom. “Sorry to run off, but we were going to the movies.” He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “And we’ve already got the tickets. If we want to get popcorn and everything…” He trailed off. 

“Of course!” His mother replied, finally letting go with a pat on my hand. “Well, it was so lovely to meet you, Isabella. Hopefully, Jasper can bring you to dinner soon. I’d love to talk to you more about your books.”

I smiled pleasantly. “I’d love that. It was nice to meet you as well. Have a good night.”

He hugged his mother and whispered something in his sister's ear. She nodded then shrugged, smirking a little at him. We sort of awkwardly waved at each other, giving those weird half-smiles. 

“How quickly did that boner disappear?” I asked sarcastically once we were out of the store. He began to laugh nervously, rubbing his hands over his face.

"There are like fifty malls in this town," he began, looking at me with apparent stress. "I haven't turned into a sixteen-year-old boy that quickly in years." 

I laughed wickedly as he draped his arm over my shoulder. “That was fun.”

 He sighed, shaking his head. Then he smirked. “You’re a smooth liar. She ate that up, by the way.” 

"Well, I've gone to church this year. I didn't completely lie," I joked, but I couldn't hide my smile.  

Jasper chuckled. “She’s in love with you already.” 

I took his hand as it dangled over my shoulder, giving it another squeeze. “She seems really sweet. Your sister is gorgeous, by the way. I didn’t know you were a twin.”

He shrugged. “Mm, we’re not super close. We don’t have a lot in common.”

I glanced in his direction, smirking to myself. “So, how are you going to break it to your mom that I’m not the next Mrs. Hale?” I teased.

He pretended to think for a moment. “Can I just avoid the topic until she starts planning the wedding?” I giggled devilishly. “She has told my father already. I guarantee you.”

“Oh no,” I snorted. “So, do you think that it’ll be a fall wedding?” He swatted me playfully, making me laugh loudly. “Where should we go on our honeymoon?” He hit me twice more. “Definitely a secluded tropical island somewhere. Lots of outdoor fuckery.” 

“Dear lord,” he mumbled under his breath. “Okay. I like that idea. Let’s skip the wedding and find that island. Or maybe a private bathroom.”

There wasn’t one. 

The movie theater was annoyingly busy. I pouted all the way to our seats. We were surrounded by people. He chuckled under his breath. I huffed, putting my head on his shoulder. 

“Later,” he promised. 

As the previews began, my mind started to wander. I thought about the evening and how much fun I was having. I thought that he would be less affectionate, but our time just felt natural. Everything felt familiar with Jasper. Somewhere along the way, I became aware that I hadn’t watched any of the movie at all. I was too focused on the man beside me. Absently, I traced the lines of his blue jeans with my nails.  

Then about halfway through the show, he twisted his fingers with mine. The heat of his hand spread from my palm up my arm. It felt so imitate, different from anything that we had ever done before. The whole night did. I began to wonder if I had actually lied to his mother or not. 

I thought about what Alice said, that I needed to tell him about how I felt. We had made jokes all night, but I didn’t hate the idea of more. More time with him, playing and not. More time like this. 

When the film was over, I instantly felt sad to let go of his hand.  

“What’s wrong?” Jasper asked as we walked back to the car. “You haven’t said anything. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just… thinking.”

He opened the car door for me. “About?” 

I licked my lips slowly, considering my words for a moment. “What are we doing?”

“What do you mean?” He questioned when he got in. Jasper had his keys in his hand but didn’t start the car.  

“What was tonight?” I inquired softly. “Because it didn’t feel like Dom and sub or friends. Or even friends with benefits.” I couldn’t look at him, my nervous stomach twisting.

He sighed, his hands falling to his lap. “I don’t know,” he admitted in a small voice.  

I bit my lip as I chose my words carefully. "I… I need you to know that I love what we do and what we have right now." 

“I do, too,” he promised. 

"But Jasper, I have feelings for you. Real feelings that aren't just sex," I began to babble. "And I've been trying to ignore them, and I can say over and over again that you're just my friend, but it doesn't feel like that." I kept my eyes forward as I stared out the windshield into the dark parking garage. I gave him a moment to say anything if he had something to tell me in return. As the awkward seconds ticked by, I realized how big a mistake I had just made. "I don't want to stop, but I just need you to be cognizant of that," I finished lamely. I closed my eyes and wished I could take it all back.  

"Bella," he began, and I instantly felt tears spring to my eyes, but I pushed them back. I wasn't going to cry in front of him for any reason. "I'm sorry, I don’t-" 

“No. It’s fine.” I shook my head quickly. “Can you just take me home? I’d like to go home,” I begged in a tiny voice. 

“Yeah,” he said hollowly. 

As we drove, I realized that I had done precisely what Edward had. I misread the signs and thought that he wanted more just like I did. I had fucked up, and I hated myself for spewing my emotions like that. This was why I didn't get dates and probably why he didn't want to be in a relationship with me. I gazed blankly out the window, biting my thumbnail. There would be none left by the time we arrived.  

I began unbuckling my seatbelt before he fully came to a stop in the parking lot. I had to get out of the car as fast as possible.  

"Bella," he began again, but I shook my head.  

"No. It's really fine. You're just a nice guy, and I guess I confused that for something else. Because I'm just that fucking stupid."  

“I told you not to call yourself that in front of me again,” he growled. 

My eyes snapped to him, narrowing. "Well, you know what? If we ever play again, you can take it out on my ass." Then I got out of the car, slamming the door. I was hurting, and I didn't care. I would probably never see him again, anyway.  

I didn’t look back, my frustration, anger, and sadness driving me towards my room until I dropped to my bed, the tears finally falling as I smashed my face into my pillow.  

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