The Other Side - Chapter 9

"The Other Side - Chapter 8" 

Jake burst out laughing, slapping his hand on his knee. Becky, who had just entered the small living room of the house, raised one eyebrow. Jim just shook his head and laughed along with the movie star.

"And then when she got up she was so disoriented she just kept saying, 'the grapefruit, the flying grapefruit' over and over again!"

Jake bent over, holding his sides as Jim finished the story. Becky almost dropped the tray full of water glasses as she ran over to Jim, furious.

"I can't believe you told him the story about when I got knocked out by that grapefruit! What kind of friend are you?"

Before Jim could be melted by the rays of death coming from Becky's eyes, Delany emerged from the bedroom. Just as Becky anticipated, it had been two hours since she and Jake arrived at the house and Delany was finally ready to go eat. That didn't end up being such a problem though - it gave Becky and Jake a chance to clean up from their African adventure. Not to mention that Jim and Jake had been getting along so well Becky wondered if they wanted to leave at all. Flippantly, she thought they could just stick around and pop in a movie, but she decided that was not the way to show someone all there was to see of Africa.

Taking Jake's rental car, the two couples went to a dinner and dance hall in the heart of Sulima. Becky confessed to Jake during the ride that it wasn't necessarily her place of choice but it did have an amazing atmosphere.

"But, it is Delany's favorite place, so it's worth keeping her happy. Plus, it might be kind of nice to get back into our culture for a bit. This is the place where most of the Americans in Sulima hang out. It makes for an interesting collision of cultures."

Jake laughed. “That’s fine with me. I’m sure Delany has excellent taste.” He winked at Delany in the rear-view mirror and flashed a killer smile.

Delany flipped her blonde hair, which she had curled into ringlets. She beamed at Jacob putting a hand over her heart. "Oh, Jake! You're too sweet!" She turned to Jim and gave him shove, her eyes narrowed. “See? The movie star thinks I have style.”

Jim groaned. “Thanks a lot, Jake, now I have to try to convince my girlfriend to keep loving me instead of you.” The car filled with laughter.

--

It wasn’t long before Becky pointed Jake to a parking spot. Becky and Delany leapt from the car. They chatted merrily as they linked arms and trotted off to the entrance. Jake exited the vehicle and pushed the button on the key pad to lock the Porsche.

“The girls love to dance,” Jim said, shaking his head as he watched them walk away.

Jake nodded and stood next to Jim. “Yeah, Becky already showed me what she can do.”

The two men paused before following the girls, opting to enjoy the view. Delany had gone all out, wearing a purple skirt that flowed to just under her knees and a black halter top. Becky was dressed more conservatively with a pair of jeans that fit her like a dream and a white tunic length tank that sparkled with every move she made. She wore her wavy hair loose, allowing it to swing down to just below her shoulders. A number of colorful handcrafted bangles adorned her left wrist.

Gorgeous… The word flew into Jake’s mind before he even knew it was coming.

“You like Becky, don’t you?” Jim questioned, nonchalant, still watching the girls walk. Jake, however, was not fooled. It was obvious how much she meant to Jim.

“Very much,” Jake said, without hesitation, unable to tear his eyes from Becky. “I will never be able to thank her enough for helping me – whether she intended to or not.”

Jim nodded and then finally turned to look at Jake. “I suppose at some point we have to stop staring and actually go after them, wouldn’t you say?”

Jake grinned. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

The boys crossed the street. They flashed their passports and were allowed to enter. Even though it was still light outside, the restaurant/club was dark. The hazy cigar smoke air filled the room, causing the flashing lights to look blurred. For this, Jake was thankful. When he heard that they were attending an American tourist area he was afraid of being recognized, but with this lighting that was unlikely. Jake heard the interesting music which reminded him of hip-hop and African mixed. The dance floor was equally mixed, a wash of light and dark skin tones in a mixture of vibrant colors. Jake soaked in the atmosphere.

Now, this is my type of place.

----


For the first time since Becky Edwards had met Jacob Jones she felt like he was leading her. Probably because he was.

Becky did her best to keep up as Jake spun her around in a circle, his hands on her hips, their feet and bodies moving to the fast pace of the Afro-Techno music. She couldn't help but feel out of her element, but with Jake's guiding hands she wasn't completely lost. ...Yet.

"Spin, Becky!"

"Ahh!" she cried, twirling around in a circle, Becky bumped her shoulder into his and collapsed into laughter, unable to find the beat again. She could hear Jake's laughter in her ear as he found her hips and got them back on track.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you I was a champion dancer." He smirked.

Becky snorted. "Right. You may be good, but you are not champion. I mean yesterday I -" Becky looked up to laugh at him but hesitated as he filled her entire range of vision.

Wow, he's really close. It suddenly occurred to her how she could feel his leg against hers, his fingertips on back and his breath on her ear.

She took a deep breath - this had been happening to her ever since they got into the club. The four of them sat down to eat, and it seemed every time Becky looked up from her plate she would find Jacob staring at her. Or he would start talking and she would completely forget to keep eating, instead opting to watch how his lips moved. Jacob Jones was taking over her senses and she couldn't even remember what the rest of her sentence was going to be. Thankfully, Jacob didn't notice her sudden lack for words as the beat of the music slowed and the song changed. He pulled away from her slightly.

"Come on, this one should be better. It's a little slower. You're sticking with me, right?"

Becky bit her lip but nodded, trying to keep her heavy breathing to a minimum. She could handle traditional African dance but this stuff often threw her for a loop. Maybe it was because their bodies had to be so close... She cast a glance over to Delany and Jim who were dancing in their own little world. She was glad they weren't alert enough to notice how close Jake and she were getting.

Becky felt her hips being pulled closer to his as he moved her to the rhythm. She focused her attention back to the dance and placed her hands up on his shoulders. Jake nodded as she took over the motions of her own hips.

"Yeah, yeah Becky, that's perfect. You've got it."

Becky shivered as his whisper brushed at her ear. He moved his hands from their leading position to around her waist. She felt him press lightly on her inner back, causing a tingle to run up her spine. She nodded to his comment.

"Hey, is everything all right?" he asked suddenly, taking notice of how she wasn't looking up into his face. Instantly Becky lifted her chin and opened her eyes.

"Oh yes, everything is..." Becky lost herself again and the beat changed just enough to give Jacob an excuse to pull her into him again. She felt her emotions go into overdrive.

Why am I reacting like this? Maybe it was the heat in the building; maybe she was full from supper, or...

Maybe it's the way Jacob Jones is looking at me right this very second.

Becky couldn't breathe as she looked up and found his green eyes staring intently into hers. She had to say something; she had to finish her sentence. But with that look and the way he was holding -

Jacob dipped his head and grazed his lips softly over her forehead. Becky instinctively pressed her hands against his chest. She wasn't pushing him away, she was feeling his body under her fingertips... A moment later she felt his lips again on her temple and she trembled in his arms.

"Jake..."

She didn’t even realize she said his name, until he loosened his grip and pulled away. Becky caught the look of regret on his face. But she didn't want him to feel regret for that. Not at all.

"I'm sorry Becky, I -"

"No, don't be. You didn't do anything wrong, I just..." Becky bit her lip. The club was sweltering. She fanned her face with her hands, trying to calm herself down. "I could use some air."

Jacob nodded, "Do you want to get out of here? You've had a long day."

Becky felt her heart start to race. "That's probably a good idea. Let's find Jim and Del."

Jake nodded in compliance. Becky led the way, not sure if she wanted to ignore, or appreciate, the way he kept his hand on her forearm to prevent losing her in the crowd. They found Jim and Delany entwined at the edge of the dance floor, barely aware of the people around them.

"Hey, guys, we kind of want to take off," Becky said, tapping Jim on the shoulder. "We're both pretty exhausted from this morning."

Delany stopped dancing and looked over at Becky with a pout. "But I don't want to go!"

Jake shrugged one shoulder as Becky looked back at him. "Well, hey, maybe they don't have to go? The hotel is within walking distance isn't it?"

Becky nodded, "Yeah, I suppose we could do that - but..."

Jake dug into his pocket and gave Jim the keys to his rental. "You two can use that to go home. Becky and I will just hang out for a while and I can take her home in Chris' car."

Jim took the keys and Becky caught a look of sudden suspicion in his eyes. "So you're going to walk back to his hotel?"

"To get his car, Jim." Becky said quickly, but looked over at Delany to avoid Jim's inquisitive gaze. "Unless you want to come - remember?"

"No, we do not want to come." Delancy said quickly. She raised her eyebrows at Becky. "We want to dance. Have fun, kids."

Becky grabbed a hold of Jacob's wrist and quickly dragged him out of the club, eager to avoid any more of her cousin's looks. That was not what this was - was it?

--

Becky burst out of the door and took a moment to stand outside and breathe the air that was cool compared to the club. Jake appreciated it too - although the air was thick with humidity, it was at least clean and clear.

"I don't know many people who would just hand off a Porsche to an almost stranger." Becky said, raising one eyebrow. She looked around, oriented herself, and started walking toward the hotel.

Jake shrugged. "Well, when Porsche offers you a lifetime supply so long as you are in one of their commercials, they just don’t seem as special."

Becky whistled. "You have to be kidding me - so you have a bunch of these sitting at home?"

Jake shook his head. "No, I take them on a one by one basis. And I always have one waiting for me wherever I go. Haven't you wondered how I have Porsches in Sierra Leone?"

"Yes, but I thought it was rude to ask."

"I suppose it probably would be - not that I would notice." Jake smirked. "It doesn't really matter if they get ruined or stolen, I'll just get another."

Becky's eyes narrowed to a glare. "Isn't that wasteful?"

Jake paused for a moment before responding. "Yes, it is. But it's the life I have - at any rate, Porsche decided to do it, not me. I don't even like driving them anymore."

Becky kicked at the dirt as they walked. "I suppose it just doesn't feel special anymore when you have as much as you want of something."

"Yeah, it's kind of like, only having your favorite food to eat for the rest of your life."

Becky groaned. "Please, don't even mention food to me. I am so full."

Jake laughed, "You didn't seem to mind when we were dancing!"

She gave him a look from the corner of her eye. "Why - do you think I couldn't follow the beat? I felt like my stomach was all over the place."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure! It was because you were so full, that's why couldn't keep a beat, I understand!"

Becky gasped and swatted Jake across the chest, but he saw a grin on her lips. "Of course, that was exactly it!"

They were quiet for a moment, walking easily but purposefully toward the hotel. The sun had long since set and even though they were in the city it was still wild enough to smell the fresh air and see the stars above their heads. Jake couldn't help but love how the ocean air in Sierra Leone smelled different from the ocean air in California.

Jacob looked at Becky slyly, trying not to let her notice that he was staring. Her hair had frizzed out a little from the humidity. She had her head tilted up slightly, looking more at the sky than at the road in front of her.

Jake's voice was low. "You're amazing, you know that?"

She cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Jake hesitated, startled. He hadn't really meant to say it aloud, and now he had to explain himself. "It's just... you are so forward. I mean, that's not the word. You have ambition. Gumption!"

Becky snorted. "Gumption? Ok, grandpa!"

"Oh, come on. I'm trying to give you a compliment here."

Becky laughed aloud and reached to give his hand a quick squeeze. "I know, I'm just messing with you. I think I know what you are trying to say. Thank you."

Jake captured her hand as she tried to pull it back and tangled his fingers in hers. Becky looked over at him and they caught eyes but said nothing. Jacob's heart was pounding. Holding hands, they walked in silence. The hotel was in their sight when suddenly, there was a rumbling above their heads.

"Oh no, if that was thund -"

Another rumble sounded and Becky looked over to Jake, her eyes wide. "Run!"

Just as the words escaped her lips, the rain was released. The two burst forward into a sprint as the water rushed down from the sky. Jake could hear Becky's laughter beside him as the rain pelted them, instantly soaking them through. The already rain-soaked ground filled with puddles which Jake completely forgot to leap over, soaking himself even more.

It only took them minutes to reach the overhang of the hotel but it had been enough. Becky stood in front of Jake completely drenched, her long hair sticking to the sides of her face like limp spaghetti. Jake grinned and shook his head like a dog, causing her to screech as he pelted her with water.

"Oh come on! It's not like you aren't already wet!"

Becky laughed looked down at herself, then looked at him, and laughed again. Jake barely even had a chance to see the mischievous glint in her eyes before she had grabbed his wrists and pulled him out into the rain again.

"Hey, what are you -"

"Catch them!" Becky cried, putting her arms out to her sides and throwing her head back. She opened her mouth and closed her eyes, shouting out numbers as she distinctly caught raindrops.

Jacob couldn't even participate in the activity; he was too busy watching Becky. She was drenched - her hair plastered to her face, and her white shirt clung to her body in a way that - Jacob shook his head. She was unlike any girl he had ever met. She was playing in the African rain, catching the drops... without even registering what he was doing, Jacob grabbed her around the waist.

"You're supposed to catch the rain drops, not me -"

Before she could finish her sentence, Jacob covered her mouth with his. Electricity shot through him. Her face - wet and warm - pressed against him. Her hands went to the back of his head, and their kiss deepened as Becky moved her lips against his. Her wet body formed to his as he pressed her to him and every thought rushed out of his mind except that he wanted Becky as close to him as possible. His tongue flickered across her lips - but another rumble of thunder sounded, causing Jake to pull back from her lips.

"Come on," he said, pulling her out of the rain again. "Let's get you dry."

Becky nodded and followed him into the hotel.

----

Becky bit her lip as she emerged from the bathroom, feeling her cheeks flush as Jacob's quiet laughter filled the room.

"Well, that shirt doesn't fit you."

Becky looked down at the gray button up shirt she had donned over one of Jake's white tank shirts. The sleeves of the shirt went well past her hands. But what was probably even worse was the pair of boxers she was wearing as her bottoms. They were blue, silky, and had yellow rubber duckies floating all around.

"I really thought you were going to comment on the boxers first."

Jake grinned and lay back casually on the hotel bed. He had donned a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt which, being his, fit him perfectly. "No, I think those fit pretty nice!"

Becky glared, catching a look at herself in the mirror. She looked like a little girl who had just emerged from her daddy's closet. Quickly, Becky scurried across the room and leapt onto the empty bed. She crawled under the sheets, taking salvation in their cover.

"Well, I tried on other pants but everything fell off…fatty.”

“Hey!” Jacob exclaimed, pretending to be hurt. Becky didn’t believe him for a second.

“Why is it that we keep getting into situations which requires us to put on other people's clothing?" Becky asked, feeling much more comfortable as she snuggled under the blankets. She propped her head up on one hand and looked at Jake across the room.

Jacob's eyes looked devilish. "Well, if these situations involve you getting into my boxers, then I'm willing to have a few more...ack!" Before Jake could even finish his sentence, Becky had chucked the hotel pillow across the room at his head.

"I knew you were going to say something like that! You are such a male!" She couldn't help but laugh. "What in the world am I going to say to Delany and Jim when I walk into the house like this? Thank God my parents are on safari, I would be so dead."

Jake tossed the pillow back to Becky and walked over to sit on her bed on top of the covers. Jake had rehearsed what he was going to say to Chris all the way up to the room, but when they got there, the joining door was closed and locked. Chris must already be asleep. Becky was glad. If she had to explain what happened, she probably would have burst into Broadway song.

That kiss outside in the rain... Becky pushed it out of her head. She turned so she could look at him. Her heart skipped a beat when she found him watching her.

"You're a good girl, aren't you?"

Becky leaned back on her elbows, raising one eyebrow. "Yes, you could say that - but what do you mean?"

Jake shrugged. "Nothing, I don't mean it in a bad way. I just remember when my mom would be ecstatic if I came home before midnight."

"Oh, so you were one of those. Or, you are one of those?"

Jake shook his head. "No, neither. I never did anything wrong, I would just lose track of time. Heck, half of the time I was with Karlee just watching movies with friends. And, come on, there's no way for me to rebel now. Well, not without destroying my life forever anyway."

Jake flopped down in the space next to her, his nostalgia gone. Becky looked down at him thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you could just do everything wrong and be kicked out of Hollywood, could you?"

He snorted. "Well, kind of, except I would also lose all my money because of a broken contract, lose any chance at every getting a job again anywhere, and still have the press hound me for years and years and years..."

Becky laid her head down on the pillow next to his, making their eyes level. Her heart pulled when he didn't even look up into her eyes. "It's so funny... well, not funny but... the instant you start thinking about Hollywood and your life, you get so sad. I don't know how you can live like that."

Jake shrugged, still not looking up. "I barely am."

Becky found her hand in the extra-long sleeve and pulled at Jake's chin just enough so she could look him in the eyes. "I may not know anything about what you have to go through, Jake, but I know that you are strong to have survived this long. You have the toughest job around and to not love it... well, that takes something more than I could ever know or ever have." She bit her lip and smiled. "That takes some gumption."

Jacob's eyes searched hers. "Becky, I -"

"Shhh, it's my turn."

Becky leaned forward, closing the gap between their lips. Like the kiss on the porch, and the kiss in the rain, this kiss filled her entire body with something she couldn't even explain. Her body warmed, head to toes. Becky leaned down on Jake, putting full pressure on his lips. Jake's arms encircled her in a way that had already become familiar. Her hair, still wet, brush across his cheek as she hovered above him.

Becky halted the kissing, searching his eyes. Without a word, Jake moved to crawl under the blankets next to her. For a moment they didn't move, until, gently, Jake reached for the top button of her shirt. Instantly, their lips were together again and Becky pulled the covers over their heads.

"The Other Side - Chapter 10" 

Madame