Jess dragged herself from the couch and stood in the bathroom studying the jagged line that was forming across her forehead. Vi bounced in and watched her with interest then pointed to a tube of concealer lying on the counter. Jess took the suggestion and began applying makeup. Vi saddled herself up on the Formica and smiled.
Jess opened her mouth as she applied mascara, but the grin ate at her until she finally paused, glancing at Vi. “What? You look like you’re up to something.”
“Wanna go dance?”
Jess thought even the way Vi bit her lip and cocked her head to the side when she was up to no good, was cute. She squashed the bit of jealousy that threatened to ruin her otherwise decent mood. “Excuse me? I probably have a concussion. Dancing can’t be good for head injuries.”
Vi touched Jess’ cheek. “Yeah I know, but with a lot make-up and a hot outfit, your head will make a complete recovery. I’m sure of it.” She hopped off the counter and leaned out the door, and then lifted a paper bag so Jess could see. “I even ran to my apartment to get clothes while you were asleep. Let Momma Vi cover up that boo-boo for you,” she said, taking the pressed powder from Jess’ hand.
Whatever trouble she got in with Vi would be tremendously better than spending another night watching reruns and eating on the couch. Vi didn’t remind her of her mother, but she did make an excellent sister. She worked on Jess like her favorite pet project, and when she was done, Jess felt ready to reveal herself to the world. They left the apartment on foot and headed down Bourbon.
The Cat’s Meow was full, and an overflow of people stood in the road, drinking and dancing. Jess saw the couple again, the one that always appeared when she least expected. As they approached the bar, the girl was leaning against the brick façade. Her face reminded Jess of a porcelain doll, her eyes hooded and her lips just a tiny dimple beneath her nose. The man leaned over her protectively, his blond hair peeking out from beneath the baseball cap he wore. Their eyes were on Jess, but she never quite felt they were looking at her. She was entranced, by the way they moved and the hushed voices that rose from their lips. Not for the first time, she wondered if they were real or part of her imagination. No one else took notice of them, ever.
Vi abandoned her to drag Rory onto the dance floor. Jess swept her gaze around the room and felt her heart take a dive into her stomach. She had hoped they could forego a run-in with Justin and his brothers for one night, but there he was, propped against the bar surrounded by a gaggle of women. It was revolting the way they fawned over him. Couldn't they see he wasn’t that special? He was talking to Lathan, his brother who Jess had never met, but only seen at Dez’s. He didn’t seem to notice the attention from the girls around him. Jess rolled her eyes, disgusted by the display. But something prevented her from turning away.
Restless, Jess pushed her way through the crowd, unsure of precisely where she wanted to go. She hoped in the sea of people she would blend, and Justin wouldn’t see her. No such luck. He spotted her immediately and motioned for her to join him. Her middle finger itched to gesture a friendly hello, but she kept it at her side. She didn’t want to cross the room just because Justin beckoned, but she was moving towards him, anyway. She stopped to talk to Vi, and then her feet betrayed her by moving to the bar near him.
“Hey Jess. How ya doin’?” His voice carried over the music without effort. His eyes were soft and his demeanor sweet.
His mood was new to her, and she thought it maybe masking an ulterior motive. “Fine Justin. How’re you?” She looked around the room searching for an alcove or closet where she could hide.
He laughed easily, and she swung her gaze back to him. The strange scent, of honeysuckle and something else, clung to his white button down. Maybe, it was orange blossoms. Jess wasn’t sure, but the scent was comforting and his smile made hating him difficult. He looked almost shy standing against the bar with his full attention on her. But, Jess knew he wasn’t timid and wondered what he was up to. “I’m good.”
If Jess had been introduced to him on this night, she would have believed he was the happiest person she’d ever met. He was more at ease, his hands in his pockets, his face soft, and the change made her relax. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Get your butt on the dance floor, Cher.”
Under his spell, Jess couldn’t wipe the grin from her face. She smiled, until her cheeks ached, and she felt like a teenager. Women stared from the edge of the room. Being the center of his attention, causing those women to, so obviously envy her, made her delirious. They danced, not like a couple who could actually dance, but like idiots who were demonstrating the best moves they had learned at a college kegger.
Jess found herself drawn to this new side of Justin. She hadn’t expected it, and seldom did people surprise her. His cheeks were pinker than she remembered, and his lips redder. She loved the look of his pale skin against his chiseled jawbone and the dark hair that fell on his neckline. He made her feel she was the only person in the room; he didn’t even respond when Rory yelled at him over the music.
The song changed to something slow, and the crowd thinned, moaning their discontent with the music. Justin pulled her close pressing his hand into the small of her back. The room swirled as she stepped into his arms, so she laid her head against his chest and breathed in his scent. The air that left her lips came out in a visible fog, but she wasn’t cold.
Justin’s lips moved against her hair. “Having fun, Lucky?”
“I thought you weren’t gonna call me that anymore.”
“Maybe, I’ve forgiven you.” His lip pulled down on one side, and Jess was sure he had let go of the annoyance he’d felt, when she’d been attacked, in The Quarter.
She buried her face back into his chest and finished the dance.