78. Jake tries to make a move on Stella.
1300 Words
John followed Stella as she left him with his mouth open.
" Wait, let me just say, Jake, Jacob Harris. My real name, my good friends call me asshole, others call me Jake. You choose Calloway." He ran to catch up.
" Well, asshole." She started.
" Then we are very good friends to be." He chimed in.
" What, no...you tricked me Jake." She said over her shoulder. She was in a hurry to get away from him.
She felt her leg, it was about to give out. She stopped and stood still.
He bumped into her and she fell onto the rocky path.
" Ouch, dang it!" She said.
He gave her his hand.
She stayed there a moment, assessing the damage. She moved it side to side then, satisfied, she took his warm, strong hand.
" Ok, I think it's fine." She took a few steps.
She had wet her pants though. She looked down.
" Well, that's embarrassing." She said.
He saw her Khakis were all wet between her legs.
" Well, I need to get changed."
She walked into the tree line.
He spoke to her as she changed.
" I once had a spinal cord patient, on the show that is.
She had a catheter, she pulled it out and made a big mess, of course it was just apple juice, it was supposed to be funny.
So, do you have one?"He asked.
" One what?" She yelled.
" Oh, a spinal cord injury." He said with his back turned.
" No, I broke my leg, then re-injured it, and sometimes I lose bladder control, it's quite embarrassing for me, thanks for bringing it up though." She came out clean and fresh.
" I am a TV doctor." he reminded her.
Stella made camp for the night.
Jake looked behind him.
" We only went like a mile." He said.
" Oh, you go on ahead. I have to stop now." She grimaced and sat down.
He looked at her. For some reason, maybe because she was vulnerable looking, he was drawn to her.
He sat down.
" What is for dinner, I got some yak jerk." He smiled and handed her the bag.
" Ah, I don't eat meat." She said as she started to make a fire pit.
" " Want me to do that for you?" He offered.
" Nope, I'm going to try it. I watched some of those shows where they get naked and then they stay out in the wild for weeks." She said.
" I thought you didn't watch TV?" He said.
" Nurse Maple, played by Malek Wilson, made sure that John got fired for s****l harassment, but after she was caught stealing drugs, the good doctor was reinstated. But, no I never watched it." She grinned.
He said," You are really something."
" I know I'm a bit much aren't I?" She laughed.
" Calloway, you married?"
" Your cutting right to the meat of the matter now." She winked.
" I'm very engaged." She said.
He looked around. "I don't see Mr. Calloway around. Do you uh...do you want company in your sleeping bag tonight while he's away?" He offered.
Stella looked up into his dark brown eyes. He was smooth.
" Actually my dance card is quite full right now, thank you sir." Stella said looking at his lips.
He leaned in and licked his lips.
She smacked his shoulder knocking him off balance. A large spider fell into the fire.
He saw it and screamed like a woman," You saved my life."
He was breathing hard.
He stood up and brushed his cargo pants off several times.
" I'm thinking I will go back to my little hut tonight." He started to walk away. He hated spiders.
" Calloway, you coming?" He asked.
She shook her head. " Nope, I'm staying out for the night."
Stella got into her bed roll and put a few more logs on the fire. She looked up at the open sky and started to sing.
The stars at night are big and bright...deep in the heart of Africa...
She was thinking about her mother. How could a mother choose a man over her own loving daughter.
Maybe not loving enough, maybe she was not enough, not worth the effort.
She was deep in thought when she heard someone coming.
It was Jake. " I couldn't sleep, I came back for you, you must be scared out here alone."
" Well, no..I wasn't. I find people far scarier than spiders." She said solemnly.
" Someone hurt you, oh your leg? Was it your fiance?" He pried.
" Sit down Jake, come near the fire." She patte her bed roll.
He sat on the end.
" When I was a little girl, I used to run after my three older brothers.
One time, I hid in the closet, you know spying on them. I got stuck in there.
I couldn't get that door opened. I knocked and screamed for hours.
The next evening my brother David realized that he hadn't seen me since the day before.
My mom and dad didn't even notice. He looked for me everywhere, then he found me that night.
I was sleeping curled into a ball. I had been missing over 24 hours.
That story represents my entire life with my family.
My parents held a vow renewal, they didn't even think to invite me, I found out about it later, my bother let it slip."
" That's rough." He said moving closer.
" I didn't tell you this story to make myself look weak.
I'm here in this place, mostly alone to build up my strength.
I need to learn it's okay to be alone."
" Well, I'm here with you now, so maybe you start tomorrow." He scooted even closer.
" We should get naked and cuddle for heat loss tonight." He suggested.
" You have a wife don't you?" She asked.
" Malek, she is vacationing in Mexico, she doesn't care for wild beasts and large bugs. She likes surf and sand and margaritas."
" Oh, wow. Separate vacations, that's cool. Bet you miss her then?" She said.
" Callawoy, we have different ideas of marriage, we see other people." He admitted.
" Then why even get married?" She was curious.
" We fell in love on a movie set, The last bar stool. Ever heard of it?" He smiled as he touched her arm.
" I have not. I think I want to sleep alone, if you don't mind." She told him.
"Girls don't say no to me." He assured her.
" Well it's a good thing I'm not a girl, I am a woman. I can say no because I am happy in love." She moved her arm away from him.
" I will just give you one little kiss goodnight, then you can tell me to go if you want." He said with his lids lowered.
Stella shook her head. "This is Callaway telling you no, I mean it. Get lost...please."
He went back to sit by the fire.
Stella reached into her bag covertly. She rolled over to go to sleep.
Jake tried to climb into bed with Stella later that night.
He was surprised by a sudden burning in his face as she sprayed bear spray at him.
" Get the hell away from me Jake, I'm not kidding." She yelled.
Jake got angry and groped for her as his eyes were on fire.
" Damn that hurts, s**t, s**t. I need some water. Please!" He yelled.
Stella called Baraka. " This is Miss Calloway, come get this guy away from me, I had to bear spray him."
He responded. " Be right there maam."
- Writer
