An Interview with Mr. Ex

Chapter 5: When We First Talked

Chapter 5: When We First Talked

(Flashback - two weeks after the conversation between Jade and Jared)



Jade and Megan were in the cafeteria, and Jade was eating one of Megan's homemade meals. Today it was a cheesy chicken roll with a side of crispy fries, and Jade was thankful that she didn't have to eat the wilted lettuce they served in the cafeteria. Mrs. Lewinsky also fed Jade whenever she could and so Jade's stomach was not constantly on grumbling mode, but still... she had always liked food and would one day want to eat anything and everything she wanted without counting on her penny. For now, she had to be content with Megan's five star rated food and Mrs. Lewinsky's homemade food.

"And?" Megan wagged her brows. Jade couldn't understand how Megan could talk an entire monologue with that single word.

"What?" Jade looked at the frustrating girl in front of her. In those two weeks, Jade had become accustomed to Megan and her gossipy nature and her friendly smile and her infuriating little remarks. The remarks had always been about one tall, agile, blondish boy wonder, Jared Wilson. And maybe Jade was always staring, but... does she have to point it out?

"You are always staring at him." Megan said, her eyes twinkling in excitement. "When you think no one is looking at you, but it is so obvious, darling. Oh, oh, do you have a crush on him? He is handsome. Do you need me to ask around about him?"

"I am not staring at him, I don't have a crush and no, you don't have to ask around for his information. He is just a jerk." Jade said, her voice usually so low wasn't as low anymore. But it was only in front of Megan and Megan had noticed it too and she liked it. She liked Jade, she liked how smart, intelligent and bright she was, she also liked how shy and innocent and kind she was. Megan had never had many friends, but somehow she knew she and Jade would be friends, the kind of friends you would have for life.

"You are staring at him. But you know, he is not a relationship material—he is the kind of guy you would want to have a one night stand with. Hot, sin, sweaty s*x without any real ties."

Jade went scarlet and she felt like she was burning from the inside out. Jade's breathing hitched, her lips trembled and she covertly stole a look in Jared's direction and was surprised to see he was staring at her the same time. Her thundering heart almost stopped. s**t. Caught red handed. She turned away from him so fast her neck made a strange crick sound.

Not noticing the stolen glances full of fire, Megan went on with a smile. "He offers kisses for money... like a kissing booth. A peck for one bucks, a kiss for a fiver, and the more you pay, the more time you gets... Do you get the gist of it?" Megan said with a flirtatious laugh and pretended to fan herself.

Jade choked on the orange juice she was drinking. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked at Megan to see whether she was actually telling her the truth or this was just another game. "No, I am not lying. I heard that he had never dated anyone because he didn't want to be distracted."

"He told that to me." Jade said with a small frown on her lips. Looks like he is such a pretentious jerk!

"Yes. And if anyone looked at him with interest, he would tell the girls that their curiosity would die if they could just kiss him once and be done with it. It is almost altruistic, isn't it? The twist is...you need to pay for that one kiss. I heard he even have a personalized menu card describing the varieties of kisses, with cost, time and whatever." Megan wagged her brows teasingly as she turned to look at Jared with interest in her eyes. "Do you think it might be true? He is definitely hot, but would anyone be interested to pay him for a kiss?"

Jade shook her head no. "That is just plain stupid. I mean- it sounds outrageous." Jade said as she studied the handsome guy. He sure did look like someone had taken years to perfect the art of making perfect man to create him exactly like every one of a woman's wet dream, but money for kisses! That was just definitely atrocious. People and their incessant need to exaggerate everything!

"What? I also heard that he is one hell of a kisser... like some girls swooned after he kissed and had to be waken up with water on their faces." Megan went on with a smirk.

"I have heard of true love kisses waking up princesses from the slumber. Never heard of one that puts girls in a coma."

Megan put a hand on her heart and gave a dramatic sigh. "Be still, my heart. The lady has spoken more than two words. Huzzah!" She cheered and pushed her hand in the air. "And not a coma... just a temporary haze." Megan said. "And these girls who had paid for his kisses... they said it was actually worth it, worth every penny and they are all willing to pay more for the second kiss, a lot more, you know, but he would never kiss a girl twice. If he ever changes that rule, he will definitely become rich in a day. I also heard-" Meg started and stopped when she realized Jade was shaking her head with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What?"

"For someone who has been here only for seventeen days, you do hear a lot."

"You offend me, Jade Leone Thompson. You hurt my poor heart. But yes, I have big ears. They are particularly very attuned to good gossips, but I know not every good gossip is true..." Megan defended herself and Jade laughed softly at her antics and realized she loved talking with Megan, bantering with her.

Jade loved to sit and talk with Megan. She loved that she didn't feel so lost or alone anymore. Megan was in most of her classes and Megan relentlessly followed Jade everywhere. She always sat next to Jade, and even when Jade had purposely avoided taking a seat next to Megan for the first few days, when Megan was already in the class, Megan would stand from her seat and move next to her. And after a few days, Jade had accepted that Megan wouldn't simply walk away or desert her. After that realization, Jade had started to take the seat next to her, as well, whenever Meg was first in class and, after a few days, they had started to walk together from the classes. She even knew Megan's middle name was something no one would ever dare to say out loud, unless they want to lose a tongue.

Jade loved having a friend.

Is that what she is?

Yes. Yes. I want a friend. I want her to be my friend. I want to be her friend.

Having a friend was strange, different, but Jade liked it. Rosa and her Gute Nacht was getting kind of boring for Jade, and the other girls in the house always looked at Jade like they detested or envied Jade or something. One time she even heard one of the girl telling other that Jade was such a stuck up because she was studying in the university while they were all working for their livelihood, which was so far from true and Jade had silently said it was not like that and the two girls had given her a scornful look before they walked away.

"Now that you have called me a busybody, and done it so subtly... can I continue with the story? Do you want to hear more of the story or not?" Meg looked indignant and Jade signed her to go on. It was not like Meg would stop even if Jade said no. But of course, Jade didn't want to say no. She was more curious than the cat who got killed by it.

"Go on, but I believe half of what you are saying is fabricated, anyways." Jade said with a smile and Megan shrugged.

"Who cares... So he has rules. No touching unnecessarily, no tongues, no coming anywhere near him if you are sick. Also he never kissed a same girl the second time, because then it would become messy. He probably doesn't like messy things and emotions are messy. He looks so cool and frigid, like everyone else is a little beneath him or something. He is so full of hubris, no, but still it is kinda mysterious, you know. I love mysteries." Meg said with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "I love a good puzzle."

"I would rather save my fiver for my dinner. Why waste it on a kiss?" Jade said and Megan's mouth went into an 'O' before she shook her head.

"My God, have you ever kissed anyone?" Megan searched Jade's face.

Jade choked again. This time on her own spit. No, she hadn't kissed anyone in her life—kissing Lee on his cheeks when they were just five didn't count. It was before her parents died and Lee was her childhood friend. But after that, no, no kisses. She dare not kiss anyone.

Of course, some guys had tried to ask her out for a movie, a coffee, back when she was in high school—she was not really bad looking and so they had looked and smiled and talked—but she was just too timid, too afraid to even talk back. She had just turned around and walked away as if they were all on fire and they had never tried again to talk or ask her for a movie and that was the pathetic history of her dating life.

"No," Jade said, and Megan shook her head.

"That is why you don't appreciate the power of an amazing kiss. Kisses are usually good, but to kiss someone who actually knows how to kiss like a professional..."

"So there is a professional kisser? Like professional athlete, professional cook? Do you think it is a viable way to make some pretty cash? Can one earn enough money by becoming a professional kisser?" Jade looked at her friend, her voice and face almost emotionless.

"Wow, you do have a lot of questions, Jade. Did you think about it a lot?" Megan blinked and smiled. "When you talk, you are actually pretty funny, but you don't laugh even when you are joking and dude, it works. Like whoa! Packs a pretty punch." Jade looked at Megan with narrowed eyes and Megan raised her hands. "It is a compliment, I promise and we should rectify this situation with you and your 'never been kissed lips'. You know, if you want your first kiss to be an amazing experience... we can even pay the master of kisses..." Meg wagged her brows, her eyes shining in mischief, as she pointedly looked at Jared Wilson. Jade didn't turn and look back at him in fear that she might actually start thinking about what Meg was saying. That would be just plain tasteless and stupid.

"No thanks." Jade whispered.

"Okay. But if you ever change your mind, I can even lend you some money. I have enough to buy you two hours."

"Two hours of kisses? Won't I die of..."

"Oh, and you will be going to heaven." Meg said in a breathy voice and Jade laughed.

"You are insane and I need to go. My next class is on the other side of the building."

"Bye. And think about what I said."

"I am not thinking." But of course, she was. She was thinking about his lips, which looked too soft, too pink— does he use lip balms and glosses and scrubs?—and she was thinking about how it would feel just to touch them. Her fingers pricked and she felt ridiculous.

Jade walked past Jared's table, he sat closer to the door and there was no way she could have bypassed him—she wanted to avoid him, of course—and her traitorous eyes were riveted on his face, especially on his lips. His chiseled, beautiful face. It was art. It was something God had sculpted after spending a whole night thinking about how to place everything in the exact proportion. A masterpiece. No wonder girls wanted to kiss him.

And he kissed for money? She thought with a small frown. She was so busy staring at him she had actually walked right into the wall. It hurt... She flushed a bright red when he caught her staring and then bumping into the wall. His lips pulled up in an amused smile.

She turned around and left.

She was putting her books inside her locker, when she realized she wasn't alone anymore. He was standing too close to her that she could smell him around her. He smelled faintly of fresh lemon and of morning dew. He smelled like December nights and golden sunrays. He smelled like he could make you forget yourself when you are around him. Just the smell of him was enough to make her delirious.

And she was scared of that. Of course, she had looked at boys, but she had never thought about kissing them. She had never thought about actually paying someone for a kiss. She wasn't that desperate, was she? Maybe I am.

It is all Megan's fault. She is the one who put these ridiculous notions in my head. Jade shook her head as if she was dispelling these compelling thoughts in her head.

"So how much do you have?" He asked, his eyes twinkling in mirth. He looked at her as if he knew what she was thinking right at that moment.

Jade went rigid as she took a step back from him and her body hit the cold steel of her locker with a thud.

Money? Why is he asking me for money? She thought as her eyes followed his every movement.

"Do you have fifty cents?" He asked.

"But she said a dollar-" Jade stopped halfway and he looked at her, confused.

"What are you talking about?" He asked and she shook her head as if to say nothing. "Give me a quarter if you have, I need to buy a breath mint."

"For?"

"Oh, come on. It is not like you are lending me a thousand bucks. I will return your money, don't worry." Jared said as he looked at her with his captivating grey eyes. His fingers were playing with his dark blonde locks and Jade's fingers itched to do the exact same thing.

"Okay," she said as she opened her backpack, pulled out her purse and handed him what he had asked for. "Here." She mumbled.

He turned the fifty cent around and around before looking back at her, his eyes unreadable. "Thanks. Oh, and Jade... for fifty cents, you will only get a fist bump." He said with a mysterious smile as he turned and left, leaving her gaping at his back.

Insolent jerk. I won't even waste a dime on you!

___