Neighbor is Bad News

Episode 4: Domestic

Jenna felt utterly defeated as she was given a quite stern lecture about properly being a dishwasher and making sure that all cookware and plateware were properly sanitized. Regardless, Lonnie had the best patience with her but she knew that her facade of being a domestic abuse victim may start to wear thin.

She had broken a few plates here and there and eventually she had been able to move to the front counter where she could start taking orders and serving drinks. "You are a hard worker even though you have cost us quite a few cups and plates." Lonnie had told her and she had come to realize that the older woman had a thing of taking in those who need it the most.

In all honesty, she seemed to be a miracle worker as some of the females who worked in the diner were victims of some sort and even some of the cooks. Some may barely speak a few words of english but she felt that they were great people. They were nice to her and accepted her of her defaults.

Jenna wondered if Lonnie knew that she wasn't being forthcoming with her but she never prodded more. She paid her a fair amount for the work that she did and was never angry when she had ruined supplies, there was the stern talking to of course, but nothing more.

Lonnie almost reminded her of a mother who was taking care of their young, and Jenna felt a pang as she thought of her own family at home. She missed her family and even though she had the temptation to call- with her mother's number in the dial screen- she never pressed the call button because she knew that as soon as she would call home, they would somehow find her.

Instead, on the semi-cool night, she had grabbed her fold up lounging chair and went to sit outside in the dark, staring up at the evening sky. The breeze that she had felt on her skin was welcoming and she had to remind herself that the reason that she ran away from home was for this. A semblance of independence when all she was was the sheltered mobster's daughter.

Jenna felt the need to prove not only to herself, but her family that she was a person who could choose things for herself without the aid of her family and they couldn't do anything to make her marry into the mob life.

The mug of coffee that she held in her palm was cool as she looked at her phone staring at the number that she dialed again. This time it was her sister's number but she knew that she couldn't press the one button that would take it all away.

She was lonely.

Jenna felt a tear fall down her cheek as she went and looked on her sister's social media and was brought back the memories of being at home. Even though she was an adult, she didn't feel like one.

She had no real background, no real job experience, and no education other than some high school diploma. She couldn't cook, she barely learned what cleaning was and doing her own laundry. Jenna was in reality a useless adult.

Her chest hurt and she wondered if maybe her family missed her or if they saw that her running away from home meant that they had decided to disown her. Nothing on her sister's social media showed anything different and her profile was on private.

Sniffing, she abandoned the mug of coffee and stared at the stars that she could try to see past the lights of the complex. They were so pretty and she never thought to stop and stare at what was beyond her world.

"Maybe you should turn your porch light on if you're going to be out here. You almost scared the s**t outta me." She heard a deep voice call and turned her head to see Cade lighting up a cigarette.

"I like it this way." She said turning her head back to look at the sky. "You okay? You don't seem to be your usual spunky self? What no smart remarks?" He asked as he took a puff and blew out the smoke into the air.

She didn't reply as she watched him watch her. "I guess your girlfriends like the taste of kissing an ashtray." She said. He laughed and put the cigarette out. "I could stop anytime. I just like the idea of being able to."

"Oh?" She asked knowing the feeling of just because she could, she would. "I know the feeling, but sometimes I think just cause I could doesn't mean that I should."

"You're right. By the way, I don't have girlfriends. I have flings, and what would you know about kissing ashtrays?" He teased her but Jenna didn't rise up to the bait. She did not have the energy to.

"What's wrong? Really, the quiet person act doesn't turn me on one bit." he asked her as he moved from his railing that overlooked the other side of the complex to the one that faced hers.  He leaned on it and she could see that he wasn't wearing his glasses but he was wearing a dark t-shirt.

"You're so vulgar, how is it that you attract so many females." she stated rhetorically. She could see why without having to ask, he could be a good looking guy if only he would get rid of his beard. But she had to admit that the beard gave him a rustic, badass look with his shoulder length hair that he had half up and sleeve tattoo. If girls were into that, he was more than willing it seems.

"Some women like a guy who can take charge and take no bullshit. Let me guess, the type of guy that you would like is someone who is like a prince in shining armor, who would open the door for you and make you an honest woman, am I right?" He asked her.

Jenna thought about it but all she could say was, "I'm not sure, I never really thought about what I like."

"What kind of guys have you dated then?" He asked her putting his hand over the other as he leaned closer to the railing. "I didn't." She said and at his confused look, he said, "You don't look like the easy type. So strict family?" he asked.

"Kind of. Hell, the last time I had a kiss was what a year ago. When my family found out about that, they decided to have me home schooled until I graduated." Jenna laughed thinking back to when she was caught to have kissed a boy at school.

"Wow, that's pretty depressing, so you never had a great kiss?" He asked her and Jenna looked at him. "Who said it was bad?"

"I do, you never kissed a real man." He said laughing. She glared at him and looked away. He was right, the next person she was supposed to be kissing was her future mob husband and she could only gag at the idea of kissing someone way older than her and most likely crusty.

"I'm not really looking to date right now. I don't know anyone that I'd like to try it with anyways. I don't know much about the area." She said thinking what it would be like to kiss an experienced person. She was still a virgin after all. "Who says you need to date to make out?"

"Right, you offering?" She joked and he stood up before he climbed his railing and moved to jump over to her balcony. He landed with his feet on her balcony before standing before her. "I can show you what a real man feels like." He told her and Jenna lost all traces of humor. His eyes watched her in the dark and she couldn't make out what exactly he was looking at.

He moved towards her and bent over so that his hands were trapping her in the chair that she was sitting in. "All you have to do-" He whispered as he moved closer to her face, "-is tell me no." He moved closer and she could feel his hot breath as he was mere centimeters away from her lips.

She couldn't say anything as his lips touched hers and he had wonderful soft lips as they moved against hers. As she got over her surprise, she felt something inside her shift and a tingly sensation started in her stomach.

In that moment, he grabbed her up from her chair and pulled her against him and Jenna had gasped from the sudden movement. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she felt any semblance of control slip away from her as he took her mouth in a frenzy.

A moan had escaped her lips and his hands reached from the small of her back, lower to the curve of her buttocks before she felt him push her against him as he went and lifted her up. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and she felt that he was moving her. "Wait- what are you?" She gasped from his lips as she noticed that they were inside the apartment and he had dropped her on the couch.

"Didn't want anyone to see us." He said as he moved again to kiss her and she felt his body crush against hers as his hands went under her shirt. His cold fingers touched her stomach and she flinched from the cool touch. His kiss was doing something to her that she couldn't fathom yet she felt a surge of excitement.

His hands moved higher and she felt his fingers touch the underside of her breast. "Wait." She pushed him and he stopped. "What?" he asked her as he sat up to move away from her. "What happened?"