When Hearts Collide (Complete)

~ Chapter 17 ~

                “What are you doing here?”

                “I wanted to talk to you.  The kid’s aren’t home and I thought, I mean if you don’t mind or don’t have plans.”

                “No, Jackie, you’re fine, come on in.”  He stood back and allowed her to come in and he had to swallow hard.  She was once again in his home.

                “Thanks.”  She walked in and looked around laying her purse on the kitchen table.  “You made it look very homey.”

                “Thank you.  I might like to decorate a bit.  Want anything?”

                “A water please.”

                “Sure.  Go ahead and have a seat Jackie, make yourself at home.”  She nodded and sat down while he grabbed two bottle waters.  He handed her one as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch.  “What’s on your mind?”  She cracked the bottle open and took a long drink.  

“Thank you again, for whatever you said to Sam.”

                “It really wasn’t much of anything.”

                “What did you say?”  He took a sip as he smiled at her question.

                “I told her how I was a 14 year old boy who had been left alone and an ex convict was on the loose and he had showed up at my place.”

                “Oh my God, was that true?”

                “No way, my mom had someone watching over me until I was 16.  But I figured she needed a good, real scare to stop fighting you.  There was an ex-con, who was on the loose in my teen years, but he wasn’t dangerous; he was in for stealing.”

                “That is…too funny.”  She laughed and finished off her water.  “Well, thank you.  She sure has hell wouldn’t have believed me if I told her something like that.”  He shrugged at that.

                “She might have.  But she is one strong willed young lady, so she gets a joy out of fighting with you.”

                “Reminds me of her dad in that way.”

                “May I ask what happened, Jackie?”  She licked her lips and played with the label on her water bottle as she thought over his question. 

                “He was a jerk?”  She smiled and pushed her hair back as she looked at him.  “He was a total charmer when we started dating, was funny and wanted me to feel like a queen.  But once he had the ring on my finger, he lost the charm.  I’m not the type of woman who likes someone to ignore them, so I started going out with friends and he didn’t like that, so once again he started paying attention.

                “But when Sam was born, he stopped.  In fact, in the way of being a parent, it was more along the lines of when he wanted to only.   When Sam turned one, I told him about wanting my own bar and he thought I was crazy.  Well, when he was working, I had someone help me watch Sam and I got my business license.  I already had my bartending license; in fact, he met me in a bar that I was working at.

                “Flash forward two years, and he learned I had gotten my degree and he was pissed.  We had a major fight and that’s when I realized we did a lot of that.  And after we made up, I found out I was pregnant with Dylan.  After two months, I finally told him and that’s when he told me he was seeing someone else.  He was cheating!  So, I filed.  Once everything was settled, I put my degrees to use and got this.”

                “And he’s still a jackass?”

                “Big time.  Has no problem putting me down, or putting his kids in second place.  His current girlfriend is 20, I believe, and some model for one of the stores at the mall.”  Bobby rolled his eyes at that.  “I had put on weight with Sam.  And between going to school and taking care of her, I didn’t have a lot of time for me, you know?”

                “Yeah, but you birthed a baby, he should have understood.”  She lifted a shoulder to his comment.

                “After Dylan, I lost a lot of weight, but I still got way too many curves and he often tells me that.”

                “No Jackie, you don’t have a lot.  You fill out in all the right parts and it gives you lush curves, not fat like he likes to think.  Not that he has any room to talk.”  She blushed as she pulled her lip between her teeth and he had to fight the groan back.

                “Thank you.  So, you heard my sob story, what about you?  What really happened?”  Bobby laughed and finished his own water.

                “I was the typical playboy, slept around and didn’t really care?”

                “Was?” she asked with a raised brow and he knew she would get a kick out of this.

                “Yeah, was.  Seems I got this one hot ass lady in my veins and I can’t seem to shake her hold.  I try to kiss another woman and I can’t seem to make anything happen.  So, until this damn spell she has on me goes away, I’m guessing I’m going to be a one woman kind of guy.”  She ducked her head and he reached for her chin and slowly lifted her head up.  “And I kind of like it actually.” 

                “You do?”  He nodded at her simple question.

                “I do.  Anyway, back home there was this motorcycle gang and they were pretty dangerous.  And the chick I decided to sleep with was the leader’s old lady.  He caught her giving me a ride and he was pissed.  And since no one gets to touch her, he wanted my head; erm, well both of them.  My buddy told me and he thought I should leave.”

                “What, you didn’t think you should have?”

                “I don’t think it was all that serious.  Or, well, that was until I heard what happened to the last guy who touched her.  She never said she was married nor was there any ring, not even a tattoo.  I steer clear of married ladies.  Those are big NO’s on my list.”

                “You have a list of rules for people you won’t sleep with?”

                “Yup, and I try very hard to stay to it.”

                “So, what do you like?  Younger?”

                “Sure, I did sleep with an older woman once.  She was a sweetheart and not so bad in bed, but she wasn’t what I was into.”           

                “Did she teach you anything?”  He thought that over and slowly shrugged.

                “What a tongue bar feels like on my d**k and how I liked it.”  Jackie laughed and he couldn’t help but stare at her.

                “Okay, so no married women and no older women, what else is a major turn off?”  He licked his lips and thought about how to answer that.  He hadn’t wanted to lie, but he knew the words would hurt her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

                “Honestly, kids were usually a deal breaker for me.”

                “Just to sleep with someone?”  He nodded and watched as she tilted her head to the side, and he could see the question in her eyes.

                “Then why are you so into me?  I’m older, I have kids and I may not be married, but I was.”

                “That is the million dollar question and I can’t answer you.  All I can say is that I really am.  And for the first time, Jackie, not just for a screw.”  His hand cupped her cheek and she looked at him.  “I really want to get to know more about you and see where this all leads, aged be damned.”