Second Chances and Choices

Chapter 13

Lit’l Bit arrived at the Lodging House late the next morning, finding everybody out already. She changed her clothes and walked to the D.C. where she caught up with Mush.
"Where’s Briar?" she asked him.
"She didn’t come home last night. She’s with David," he added, seeing the worried look that passed over Lit’l Bit’s face.
"Oh, okay. Do you mind if I go see her? I’ll meet you at Tibby’s for lunch." She gave him a quick kiss and headed to the Jacobs’ tenement. Les opened the door for her and motioned for her to be quiet when she asked where Briar was.
"She’s still asleep," said Les.
"Is she? I think I’ll go check on her." She patted the boy on the head and went into the bedroom, finding Briar and David in bed together.
"Who would’ve thought goody-goody Jacobs could get you to sleep over," she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Briar stirred, squinted up at her and sat upright, holding the cover to her chest.
"Good morning!" chirped Lit’l Bit.
"What’re you... oh boy!" Briar buried her face in the sheet as Lit’l Bit laughed. Briar’s shoulders started shaking with laughter too and she smiled up at her friend.
"Judging by the state of your hair and the sheets I’d say you were at it... three times?" guessed Lit’l Bit.
"Two times," replied David to the astonishment of both girls. Briar squeezed her eyes shut and Lit’l Bit fell back laughing.
"What time is it?" asked David, completely indifferent about the situation.
"Almost... noon..." gasped Lit’l Bit between giggles. She caught her breath and said, "I’ve got to meet Mush at Tibby’s. See you later." She closed the door behind her and left a very embarrassed Briar with a very amused David.
"Stop smiling!" Briar picked up her pillow and hit him on the head.
Lit’l Bit didn’t stop laughing till she got to Tibby’s where Mush was waiting for her at a table. When he asked what was so funny, she just shook her head and shrugged. Later that night, Lit’l Bit declined from going with the other’s to Irving Hall and stayed by herself in the bunkroom. She was busy writing in her journal when a knock sounded from the door.
"It’s open."
She looked up as Racetrack sidled in. She smiled at him and said, "Where’ve you been? I missed you."
"Me too. Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all." She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he sat down next to her, giving him a long kiss.
"Why didn’t you go with the others?" she asked when they pulled apart.
"Medda’s routine is getting a little old. Besides, I wanted to spend a little time with you," he admitted, brushing his lips over hers.
"Well, you’re here. What do you want to do?" She locked gazes with him and the glint in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
Racetrack leaned over, wrapping his arms around her and capturing her lips in his, letting his tongue slide over her mouth. His hands rested on the front of her shirt as he worked the buttons off and pulled it over her shoulders. She let him get it off then pushed him back till he was on the bed and crawled on top of him straddling him. He pulled her into a kiss as she unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands up and down his chest. He ran his hands down her back, coming to rest at her hips and pushing her down onto him, causing both of them to moan. She worked on getting his pants off, squirming a little when he cupped her breasts in his hands. She pulled away from the kiss and they both stood up and stepped out of their remaining clothes.
Racetrack wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard on the mouth, trying to get her onto the bed but she pushed him down and straddled him again. She took his hard cock in her hand and stroked it till it was all the way up, then lowered herself onto him, digging her nails into his hands as he entered her. Race grunted and tossed his head back as she got him deeper inside her, clenching his eyes shut when she started moving on top of him. He had the sheet gripped tightly in his hands as she rode him hard and deep, but the urgency inside him was building painfully and he grabbed her hips, impaling her in a swift painful motion. She cried out and started to move faster and harder, sweat slicked body rocking with his. She swallowed back a scream as he thrust upwards and shot off hard into her. Her arms gave way and she collapsed onto his chest.
"So much for conversation," she sighed and Racetrack chuckled softly, stroking her damp hair with his hand.
The next night, while Briar and Lit’l Bit sat in the sickroom, someone knocked cautiously on the door; it was Jack.
"What?" asked Lit’l Bit coldly as Briar glared at him poisonously.
"I, uh, wanted to talk to you," he stammered. "Alone."
"Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Briar," said Lit’l Bit simply.
Jack shot Briar a look before turning to Lit’l Bit. "Look, I wanted to say I’m sorry and I was a real jerk..."
"Only a jerk?"
"Briar, stay out of this." Jack took a deep breath and tried to remember the rehearsed speech. "I really miss you and I want you back."
Lit’l Bit nodded approvingly. "Not bad, don’t you think so Briar?"
"Looks like the incompetent Cowboy finally took his brains out of storage," said Briar with a sweet smile at Jack. "Are you going to except his apology?" she asked as though Jack wasn’t there.
"I’m not sure. He did act like a moron."
"And an idiot."
"Not to mention a jackass."
"Okay, okay! I get the picture!" cried Jack. "I was wrong. So am I forgiven?" he looked at Lit’l Bit hopefully.
"Hmmm..." She looked thoughtfully at the ceiling for a few seconds. "No."
Jack’s face fell. "No?"
"No."
"Why…why not?"
"Oh where do I begin? One, you had this whacked out idea in your head that I was your little plaything and I couldn’t have a life of my own. Two, you acted like a stupid, jealous caveman who was protecting his possessions. Three, you called me a whore."
"I said I was sorry!" he argued.
"Sorry is not gonna cut it Jack. You’re gonna have to work for my love," she sighed dramatically.
"Good luck," said Briar in a mock sincere voice.
"Work for her love? What the hell does she mean by that?"
Jack lay back on David’s bed and pressed the pillow over his eyes.
"She means, show her that you care about her. Sacrifice something dear to you," replied David as if the answer was so obvious.
"Davie, you read way too much girly romance shit," said Jack, his voice muffled by the pillow.
"I’ve heard that before," said David with a laugh.
Jack sat up and looked at him. "Yeah? From who?"
"Briar. She hates ‘girly romance shit’."
Jack then lay back down and chuckled. "Sacrifice something dear to me? Like what, chop off my arm?"
"Well, you embarrassed her, so the least you could do is sacrifice your pride."
"You’re talking in riddles, Dave."
"Make an idiot of yourself."
"Ooohhh."
"Am I interrupting something?"
The two boys looked up as Briar came into the room, exchanging dirty looks with Jack before turning to smile at David.
"You ready to go? We’re supposed to meet the others at Medda’s," she said.
"Yeah I’m coming. Jack, why don’t you tag along?" asked David.
Jack looked at Briar then back at David. "No, thanks. I’ve got to figure out how to make an idiot of myself." He sighed and got off the bed.
"That won’t take long," Briar called after him. "You’ve already mastered the art of being an idiot."

Back at the Lodging House, Lit’l Bit was playing poker with Mush, Racetrack and some of the other guys, kicking their butts, when Jack came down from the bunkroom and cleared his throat loudly.
"Can I have everybody’s attention?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly and his cheeks coloring.
"What’s he doing?" Lit’l Bit whispered in Racetrack’s ear. Race just shrugged.
Jack looked around the room at the expectant faces then dropped suddenly to one knee, put his hands over his heart and gazed at Lit’l Bit, looking like a love struck puppy.
"My love, I pray that you forgive me and find it in you to take me back, for I cannot live without thy smiling face and divine beauty. I shall indeed perish if I cannot have ye. Kind maidens bestow upon me thy great kindness and forgive my sins. My love is pure for you alone, a love that flows from the innermost depths of my heart, and the heart you carry with you for I have none anymore. My love, my life, my Lit’l Bit. I love you."
Jack finished the speech with a dramatic sigh and bowed his head. Lit’l Bit’s lips were pursed as she tried very hard not to burst into giggles. The others however roared with laughter, Skittery actually fell off his chair and Racetrack was wiping tears from his eyes. Jack looked up, his cheeks fiery red and shifted his gaze to Lit’l Bit.
"Well?" he asked hopefully.
"Tell me Jack," she began, swallowing the laugh that kept bubbling into her throat. "Did you write that yourself?"
"Yeah, I did," he admitted.
She couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into hysterical laughter, doubling over in the chair. Jack stood up and frowned.
"Do you forgive me? I made an idiot of myself for you, you know sacrificed my pride." He studied her face carefully.
She stopped laughing for a minute and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Well, that was something Cowboy," she admitted. "Nice try, but no cigars." She smiled up at him.
Jack opened his mouth to say something then shut it with a snap, turned on his heel and stormed back up to the bunkroom again.