[chapter twenty-two]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please. ;-)
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~Jeffy's POV~
"I need your help." I say as I burst into Jimmie's house, minutes before we are due over at Jasmine's for the weekly poker game. I've been freaking out all afternoon - ever since Jasmine visited my office this morning and we, well, didn't talk.
"What's up?" Jimmie says amiably.
"Uh … well, it's sorta embarrassing."
Jimmie smirks slightly, then smoothes his features and gives me a serious look. "Shoot."
"I wanna … uh, I wanna do something romantic."
"For me?" Jimmie says seriously and I glare at him, dissolving him into laughter.
"I'm serious. I mean … I've been out with Jasmine several times, but we've never really … I mean, not really romantic date-type-things." I stutter, sounding like a bonehead.
"Pretty much just full sex?" Jimmie says, and I swear, if he didn't work for me, I'd consider punching him just for making me blush this much. "Sorry. Jasmine and I had a chat this afternoon when she stopped by to break my stereo."
"What did she say about me?!"
Captain High School makes an entrance and Jimmie laughs out loud at me.
"Nothing much. We just chatted. She seemed … worried. About you guys." Jimmie says, and I know he's being sincere.
"Why?"
"She wouldn't say. She just seems to think that maybe you are going to break up with her or something."
"Why would I do that? I like this girl, Jimmie." I moan, sitting down.
"Maybe she thinks she's your rebound." I snap my head up and look at him and he shrugs apologetically. "Well, I can see where she's coming from. I mean, you and Brooke - and she's the first girl you've seen since. Maybe she's afraid you're going to use her and lose her."
"I'm not like that!"
"Does she know that?"
"Well, she has to know by now that I'm not exactly the King of Smooth Dating and I'm certainly no Casanova."
Jimmie considers for a moment. "She's been … teaching you to be a little more … uh, relaxed. Maybe she thinks once you're comfortable in your own skin, you won't need her as a teacher anymore."
"She said that, didn't she?" I ask quietly.
"Um. Yeah. Sorta."
"Dammit!"
"Jeff, seriously, I'm sure you're both worried about nothing. Take her out to dinner somewhere nice, light a few candles, play some Barry White and you're set."
"I want to be more interesting than that. I want to prove to her how much I like being with her."
"Hire a mariachi band and serenade her."
"I don't sing."
"Pull up in a horse drawn carriage for dinner."
"Horses are messy."
"Fly her to Paris for dinner."
"Don't have time off."
"Dude." Jimmie says, standing up. "I'm telling you, Barry White. Let's go - we're gonna be late."
"Will you … you'll help me, right?"
"I got your back, man."
I'll think of something. I will.