Second Chances and Choices

Chapter 2


That night, Jack arrived at the Lodging House and spotted Briar reading in the lobby, her legs draped over Skittery’s lap. Racetrack had, as usual, started up a game of poker and had Kid Blink, Lit’l Bit and Dutchy with him.
"Had trouble selling, Cowboy?" asked Briar without looking up from her book.
"Unlike you, I don’t bribe people with blow jobs," he snapped quickly.
"No, you switched to hand jobs, right?"
Lit’l Bit cleared her throat loudly and shot Briar a look she chose to ignore.
Not only did Briar’s remarks make Jack’s blood boil, but her nonchalant tone and ‘I couldn’t care less’ manner drove him insane.
"Those are your specialties, Briar," he tried again.
She just laughed eyes still in her book. "You know it!"
Jack clenched and unclenched his fists then started up the stairs. Kloppman stopped him.
"Wait a minute, Jack. I need your help with something," the old man motioned for him to come down.
"Why me?" whined Jack.
"Cause you’re the only one strong enough," replied Kloppman. "I need you to clean out the basement."
"Why can’t Snoddy? He’s stronger than I am."
Snoddy cleared his throat and showed Jack his hand, which was wrapped in a bandage. "Got into a fight," he shrugged.
"The whole basement? I can’t do it alone," Jack groaned.
"Somebody can go with you," said Kloppman. "Briar, how about you?"
Now Briar looked up from her book. "What? Me? You want me to go help him?"
"It could be just what the doctor ordered," whispered Lit’l Bit.
"Yeah right!" scoffed Briar. She swung her legs off Skittery’s lap and went over to Kloppman’s desk. "You can’t send me down there with him!" She pointed at Jack.
"Watch me," said Kloppman simply. "Clean out that basement and both of you don’t have to pay next week’s rent."
Jack and Briar exchanged looks and exasperated sighs. "Fine," said the two in unison.
"Hey, who knows?" said Lit’l Bit as Briar sat down to pull on her boots. "Maybe spark’s will fly."
"Believe me, Lit’l Bit, pigs are gonna fly before sparks do," said Briar getting up.
"If you hadn’t opened your big stupid mouth I wouldn’t be down here," snapped Briar as Jack unlocked the basement door.
"Put a cork in it Blondie, this isn’t my idea of fun either," said Jack.
The stairs creaked beneath them till they got to the basement and Jack hung his lantern up. "It’s gonna take the whole night to clean this up," groaned Briar when she spotted the mess.
"It’s gonna take longer if you don’t shut up. Now get to work." He handed her a piece of cloth and she got to work on the cobwebs that lurked in the corners. Jack took off his vest and started shifting a pile of boxes on top of each other. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around letting out a yell.
"What is your problem?" Briar frowned at him. She was holding a black spider in her hand.
"Are you crazy?" snapped Jack, his heart beating furiously in his ribcage. "Put that thing down!"
"Afraid?" Briar moved her hand closer to him.
"No, they just give me the creeps, okay? Just let it go." He waved her away and she shrugged, putting the spider back on the floor.
Jack went back to working on the boxes in one corner while Briar took the boxes in the other. He looked over at Briar and saw that a box was about to fall from the pile right on top of her.
"Watch it!" he shouted pushing her aside and pinning her against the wall as the box toppled over.
"You okay?" he asked.
Briar coughed then looked up at him. "Yeah. Fine." She noticed how close they were and pushed against his chest.
"Back to work," she said.
"Hey look at this," said Jack motioning for Briar.
"What?" she asked peering over his shoulder.
"It’s a picture of somebody’s parents." He showed her a very old and faded picture.
"Who’s?"
Jack shrugged. "Beats me. The guy looks a lot like my dad."
"Who do you take after?" asked Briar.
"My mother, I guess. What about you?"
"People say I look like my mom," said Briar getting back to her corner.
"What’d you mean?" asked Jack.
"She died when I was three years old." She picked up a box but Jack put a hand on her wrist.
"How?" his brows knitted together.
Briar nodded. "Scarlet Fever. It doesn’t matter." She shifted her hand away and starting lifting again.
"You don’t talk about your parents much," Jack commented getting back to his own work.
"There’s nothing to talk about."
He turned towards her. "Do you miss her?"
Briar shook her head violently. "No." She walked clear across the room away from him.
They didn’t talk anymore and soon the work was all done and both were very tired and covered with dust.
"At least we don’t have to pay the rent next week." Briar put a hand over her mouth to stifle her yawn and started up the stairs with Jack at her heels. She jiggled the doorknob but it wouldn’t open.
"What’s wrong?" asked Jack.
"The door won’t open," replied Briar.
"Of course it won’t open," said Jack. "You have to use the keys. Dumb blonde." He shook his head.
"Okay, smart-ass where are the keys?" she whirled around to face him and put her hands on her hips.
"They’re with me." Jack smiled calmly and patted his pockets. "Uh, I think they’re with me. Uh oh."
"Uh oh? That’s not what I wanted to hear Jack!" shouted Briar. "You left them outside didn’t you?"
"Uh…"
"Great! Just great! We’re stuck!" Briar shoved him aside and went back down the stairs.
"This is all your fault you know," said Jack leaning against the railing.
"What? Are you out of your mind? How the hell is this my fault?" screeched Briar.
"If you weren’t yapping so much I wouldn’t have forgotten the keys," Jack said matter-of-factly.
"Oh give me a break! That’s the lamest thing I ever heard!"
"It’s the truth."
"Truth my ass! You’re just too stuck up to admit you made a mistake!"
"Don’t you start!"
"Why not? You got us trapped here! I should be allowed to do something!"
"Of all the people in the world I have to get stuck here with you!" snapped Jack leering at her.
"And it’s always been my dream to get you in the dark damp basement for the night!"
Jack smirked. "I always knew you liked me."
Briar let out a barking laugh. "You’re unbelievable!"
"That’s okay. I can understand how you’re attracted to me." He tossed his hair and Briar grabbed her stomach and doubled over.
"Ugh! You’re making me sick! We got to find a way out of here," said Briar. She looked around the basement but there really wasn’t anything they could use to force the door open. There were just piles of boxes and a few old sheets and lanterns. Just then she spotted a small window and elbowed Jack to get his attention.
"Maybe we can climb out through that," she said pointing to the window.
"It’s worth a shot."
They got under the window and Jack laced his fingers together. "I’ll give you a boost and you can crawl out," he said.
"You know, I’m perfectly capable of giving you a boost!" said Briar.
"Fine boost away!"
Briar laced her fingers and bent her knees. She strained her shoulders to lift him as he stepped into her hands.
"Putting on a little weight, Cowboy?" she grunted.
"Can we try it my way now?" said Jack jumping down. He lifted Briar up and she grabbed at the windowsill.
"Got it?" called Jack.
"Almost," replied Briar.
Jack pushed her further upwards so she could get a better grip. "How bout now?"
"Yup. I got it… Oh no."
"What?"
"It’s locked."
Jack groaned and lowered Briar down. "Now what?"
Briar dusted her hands off and looked up at the window then at the door. "Now nothing. We wait till somebody realizes we’re missing."
"How long do you think that’ll take?" asked Jack.
"Beats me." Briar sighed. "We better get some sleep." She patted Jack’s chest and he winced. Briar noticed this and frowned. "What’s wrong?"
"I had a little run in with Oscar. I think he gave me a couple of bruised ribs."
"Are you okay? Why didn’t you say something?" Briar asked concerned.
"It’s nothing," Jack shrugged.
"They could be broken," said Briar. "Let me take a look."
"No really…"
"Don’t be such a baby. Come on."
Briar put her hands on his shoulders and made him sit down. Jack’s eyes grew wide as she got on her knees and started unbuttoning his shirt. She peeled it off and gently touched the bruises on his chest and he winced again.
"Sorry," said Briar. "Do they hurt a lot?"
"Sort of," said Jack.
Briar started gently prodding his ribs. When she got to his left side, Jack let out a cry. "It’s broken," she said looking up at him.
"Are you sure?" asked Jack.
"No, but it should be wrapped just in case." She stretched and got a sheet from one of the boxes and ripped it in half. She threaded it under Jack’s arms and around his back. She could feel his heart beating fast and she knew he was blushing, just like she was. She made sure the sides of the sheet were tucked in before smiling up at him. "How’s that?"
Jack didn’t say anything. His eyes were locked with hers and a strange feeling had settled in his stomach. Suddenly, Briar felt his warm breath against her cheek as he softly brushed his lips against hers. A tingle ran through her body as they kissed and Jack’s hand pushed her hair off her shoulder.
They pulled apart and Briar smiled shyly. "I would’ve settled for a thanks, you know?" she laughed quietly.
Jack kissed her again. "Didn’t anybody tell you never to settle?" his whispered. As he leaned in this time, Briar wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Still connected at the lip, Jack got off the crate he was sitting on and got on his knees in front of Briar. They kissed; slow intense kisses and Jack felt the strange feeling in his stomach move south.
Briar’s eyes flew open when she felt his hands upon her shirt. She pushed them off and tried to pull away.
"Jack?"
"MM.?" Jack kept his lips locked with hers.
"Jack!" she took his face in her hands and looked him in the eye. "We can’t do this," she said slowly,
Jack frowned. "What’s wrong?"
Briar sighed and got up. "I don’t know. It’s just…"
"What?" asked Jack, getting up too.
"It’s too weird," said Briar.
Jack laughed. "What’s so weird about it?" He sauntered towards Briar, backing her into a wall.
"It just is! I mean, we hate each other remember? We…"
Her voice was silenced as Jack took her lips in his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed his body against hers.
Briar’s doubt faded as he brushed his fingers against her hip, she pressed her hands flat on his chest, feeling the heat his body was giving off. Jack smiled inwardly and brought his hand up to Briar’s breast, this time she didn’t push him away. Her mind fought to regain control but with little victory.
Briar tangled her fingers in his hair as he shifted his warm mouth to her neck, his fingers now working on her shirt buttons, easily getting through them and giving her skin the attention of his mouth. He stopped suddenly and brought his lips back up to hers. As they kissed, Jack brought her slowly to her knees and lay her down on her back, undoing the clasp on her bra at the same time.
Once he got on top of her he pinned her arms at her sides, wanting to take control, and started kissing her neck, moving lower to her collarbone till he got to her breast, taking it into his mouth. She strained against the grip he had on her arms but he was too strong. His tongue and lips created such pleasure that she moaned quite loudly. When he moved to the other breast, he released one arm but not for long.
Jack untied the rope he wore around his waist and got it around Briar’s wrist. She tried to sit up but he pressed his lips on top of her own and brought her back down. They were by the stairs so Jack managed to suspend one of her hands to the rail. Briar pushed him off and tried to pull the rope off her but Jack straddled her again and suspended her other hand.
"What’re you doing?" she hissed and her eyes grew wide when she saw his horny grin.
"Relax," he whispered pressing his lips into her ear. He trailed kisses down her neck and got her pants off, his groin aching with need now. Briar gasped as he quickly got her underwear off too. Briar tossed her head back and cried out in pain as he thrust two fingers in her, pumping them in and out rhythmically. He crooked his fingers inside her, hitting her pleasure spot.
Jack pulled himself up her body again and they shared a heated kiss. Jack got his pants off and got between Briar’s legs. His cock was hard and throbbing as he entered her, letting out a cry, but he didn’t let that stop him and thrust his entire length into her.
Jack started thrusting hard and deep, his cock hitting her pleasure spot over and over. He came with a shudder and didn’t stop thrusting till all his cum was in her. He collapsed on top of her, both of them panting and slicked with sweat.
"Briar, that was…" Jack panted.
"Weird?" Briar whispered.
Jack laughed quietly and pulled out. He leaned over and untied Briar’s wrists. "Sorry about that," he said lamely.
He woke up later that night and noticed that Briar wasn’t next to him like she was before. He sat up and saw her sitting on the stairs, fully clothed again.
"Couldn’t sleep?" he asked sitting down next to her.
"You were kicking." She rested her head on his shoulder and he laughed. "What’re we going to tell the others?"
"They wouldn’t believe us anyway," said Jack.
The door above them creaked and Lit’l Bit and Skittery stood in the dim light looking down into the basement.
"About time you came looking for us!" cried Briar jumping up and running up the stairs.
"What happened?" asked Lit’l Bit.
"Jackass forgot the keys outside," said Briar cocking her head towards Jack.
"If Blondie here hadn’t been yapping like a parrot…" said Jack standing up and getting to the door.
"Lose something, Jack?" said Skittery, eyeing Jack’s bare chest.
"Accident," said Jack. "I’m going to bed. Good night."
Skittery shrugged and followed him up the stairs.
"Accident?" asked Lit’l Bit, raising her eyebrows at Briar.
"I’ll tell you in the morning," whispered Briar and she started up the stairs with Lit’l Bit behind her.