Jake and Darcy, Part Five

I’m awakened from my reverie as I make a left off of Taunton Boulevard into Jen’s development. There are dozens of these little developments littering the area, hidden amongst the pines of Medford Township. The area is fairly rural, and is a nice contrast to Cherry Hill and areas further west as you take Route 70 to Philadelphia.

I’m just pulling into Jen’s driveway when the front door opens and Jen emerges with a backpack in her hands. I turn down the radio and go to shut the car off but she waves me off, like she always does when I pick her up.

She’s never said anything to me about it, but I suspect she does this to avoid contact between me and her parents. I did meet them once, and they were polite, if cool. Her father was nice enough to me, making small talk about the Phillies and my job at Flannigans, as he recognized me from his stops there to get gas. The thing about him is his eyes. They are very dark and bright, and never seem to be connected to his features. Even though he smiles, it’s hard to tell what he really thinks.

Jen’s mother was definitely not impressed, nor happy, with my sudden entrance into Jen’s life. We had been out a couple of times, and nothing else had really happened. Of course, her mother assumed that I was out for only one thing.

Not that I wasn’t, but I don’t think her mother understood how disassociated I had become from the town at large, and how much I appreciated having someone to talk to. I also think that Jen’s mom caught me checking her out.

It’s not what you think.

I went to school with this guy, Jim Hasel. He was that guy that was shaving in fourth grade. Of course by high school, he was considered the authority on girls and dating. One thing that he said always stuck with me, and it was this nugget of wisdom: “Always check out a girl’s mom before you get serious with her, because that’s what you are buying down the road.”

So I guess I never understood why he was dating a girl whose mom was pushing 250. Not that it wasn’t good advice, so I checked out Jen’s mom when I met her.

She is an attractive woman in her early 40’s. Dark hair and blue eyes, and still in shape. She has a nice body, thin, but not that thin that makes women looked washed out after a certain age, like their skin is straining to contain what’s inside. If this is what Jen was destined to become, there were worse fates that I could contemplate.

Jen comes around the front of the Chevelle and gives me a wave and a half smile. Jen has dark hair, like her mother, but eyes that run the gamut from a soft warm brown to pools of black depending on the light. Only recently had I come to really appreciate what an incredible body she had, as she often dressed in clothes that were one size too big for her.

The few times we had gone out, she dressed slightly differently, jeans that fit her, t-shirts that were just a little low cut, or sundresses when it was hot. I’ve always been partial to sundresses, there’s just something about them that has always caught my eye.

Even though she doesn’t know it, Jen’s wearing my favorite sundress, a yellow one with a muted floral print. Her hair is down, and in the light of a late summer day, she looks stunning.

My windows are down, and Jen puts her hand on the passenger side door and bends down. She has that half smile that kills me, and she tilts her head just slightly.

“Hey, Jake.”

I know she’s daring me to take my eyes off of hers and look down her dress. I know it, and can’t stop myself. I can just make out the top of a lacy white bra.

“Hello, Jake.”

I spin my head around and whack my head into the top of the car door.

Mr. Serrano is standing by the driver’s side door. I move to get out of the car.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Jake, I just wanted to say ‘hey.’” He extends his hand.

“Hi, Mr. Serrano, how are you?”

“I’m good, Jake, and yourself?”

“Good, sir.” His eyes aren’t smiling, though the rest of him is. Great, now he’s seen me check out his wife and his daughter. Hopefully his mother’s coming into town soon so I can complete the trifecta. I feel like such an asshole.

“Ok, dad, the movie’s at 9, so we have to go.”

Jen got in the car while I was talking with her dad. And while he was figuring out ways to make my body disappear. She has that sweet innocent smile on her face. You know the smile, all girls have it. That completely guileless smile they pull out to show you that there is nothing but virtue in their heads and hearts, when the opposite is probably closer to the truth.

“Ok, guys, have a good time. Curfew’s midnight, Jake, don’t let her fool you.”

“No problem, sir, I’ll have her home by quarter of.”

“Good man, talk to you later, Jake. Love you, sweetie.”

“Love you too, dad”

With that, I pull out of the driveway and drive down the street. Jen’s looking in the side mirror, back in the direction of her house. We come around a curve and I stop at the end of her street, and get ready to make a right on Taunton.

Jen reaches over and guides my face into hers. She kisses me. We’ve kissed before, but this is different. After a few seconds, she pulls away.

“So what did you think?”

“Of what?”

She throws her head back and lets out a deep laugh.

“Of my bra. I totally caught you looking down my dress.”

One of the things she has inherited from her dad is the ability to separate her eyes from her expression. She’s smiling, but there’s something different in her eyes. I decide to change the subject.

“Did you order the tickets?”

“About that, yeah, we’re not going to the movies.”

“Ok, where we going then?”

“Take a left.”

I switch my blinker, check traffic, and make a left on Taunton.

“Ok, where to next?”

She leans over and whispers in my ear.

“Carranza.”