Challenge Accepted Ch. 07

"So, you're Jenny? It's nice to finally meet you," Jeff says.

Jeff is my younger brother. He's a freshman and sometimes a pain in my ass. But he's my brother, and I'm obligated to be nice to him. Jeff was recruited out of high school to play on the basketball team here. He's not a starter, thank God, or his head would be twice as big as it already is.

"It's nice to finally meet you too," Jenny says. "Josh doesn't talk much about his little brother."

"Little? Hah! I have two inches on shorty over there."

"C'mon Jeff...be polite," I patiently ask him.

"Yeah...yeah...yeah...."

"Why don't you come over for dinner Saturday night?" Jenny asks.

"Saturday? Uhh...can't. I'm going to a party with my buddies."

His buddies? A party? I see how we rate. With an annoyed grunt, I say, "C'mon Jeff, it's just dinner."

"Nope. A guys gotta do what a guys gotta do," Jeff says as he walks away.

God, he gets on my nerves! "I'm sorry, Jenny. We were bound to run into him eventually."

"He doesn't seem so bad. He acts just like I'd expect a little brother to act."

"Wait until you get to know him better," I say discouragingly. Then, dropping my head, I try to focus on my reading.

Next week is finals, and Jenny and I decided to study in the library. It's safer here. If we were at either of our apartments, we'd be too distracted and wouldn't get anything done. While both of us have great GPAs, we need to finish strong to keep it that way. It's getting late, and I'm tired of studying, so I suggest a break.

"It's almost time for dinner," I say. "What do you want to do? Eat out? Cook in? Eat at the dining hall?"

"Why am I always the one making the decisions here...I don't care. You choose."

"Okay. How about we go back to my place, and we can make some spaghetti?"

"Do you have everything we need?"

When I bought groceries for the week, I cheated. I usually cook from fresh ingredients and make my meals from scratch. But I knew the next two weeks would be hectic, so I bought some bottled sauce to make it easy.

"Yep. C'mon, let's get out of here."

Packing up our books and stuff, we leave the library and walk to my apartment. On the way, we stop at the corner market to get some sourdough bread. Can't have spaghetti without garlic bread.

When we walk into my apartment, my roommate, Dave, is with one of his buddies. We decide to make a big batch and share. After dinner, Dave crashes on the sofa to watch a movie, so Jenny and I retire to my room for some quiet time. Jenny skips over to my bed and leaps onto it, landing on her back. Kicking off my shoes, I kneel on the bed and crawl on top of her. She wraps her arms around me, and we make out.

"Ugh, garlic breath," she teases.

"Yeah...you too. But I don't care."

"Me neither," she says emphatically as she pulls my lips down to hers.

After a few minutes of kissing, my jeans get tight in the crotch. Jenny notices this and grinds her pelvis into me. That just makes it worse. I sit up and pull her t-shirt off and then remove her bra. Her tits are the most magnificent things ever! Leaning down, I kiss her neck while kneading her breasts. Jenny moans into my ear and grinds her pelvis into me harder.

"You know, I don't mind the mess if you want to have sex," I say with a pleading tone in my voice.

"Ew! Gross! No!"

Jenny pushes me on my back and unbuttons my jeans before pulling them down around my knees. Next to go are my boxers. Grabbing my cock with one hand, she places her lips over my rod and sucks. She slowly works her mouth downward until she's swallowed me two-thirds of the way. She pumps with her mouth and hand at the same time until my balls tighten. I don't have to tell her that I'm going to come; she can tell by the noises I make, my legs and balls tensing, and because I'm thrusting my cock into her mouth. Then, with a burst, my balls let loose, and I squirt my load into her mouth. Jenny wrinkles her nose when she swallows my cum.

"Bitter, this time."

"Sorry, Babe."

Jenny pulls my boxers back up and then wiggles my jeans until they're around my hips. She stretches out and lies next to me, her head on my chest and her arm thrown across my stomach.

"Where are you going to live after graduation?" Jenny asks.

"Well...I was...uhm...I was going to ask you if you wanted to live together."

Jenny lifts her head and looks at me. She's trying not to smile, but she can't hide that she wants the same thing I do.

"Me? Live with you?" she asks.

"If you want to. I don't want a day to go by when we aren't together."

"Me either," she says, "but I didn't want to just come out and ask if I could move in with you."

"Jenny...can I ask you a question without you freaking out?"

"Probably, but you know me...I pick the most inopportune times to freak out...and I do get a pass this week."

"Uh...yeah...maybe I should wait."

"No, you big chicken. C'mon, what is it?"

"Well...you...me...uhm...we've both said how much we love each other--"

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah...uhm...and we've both said we want to spend the rest of our lives together."

"I know. What's your question?"

"Uhm...well...In your mind, when you think about our future...do you think of us as living together or being married?" GOD! I can't believe I finally spit that out!

"Our future," she says. "I love the sound of that. To be honest, Josh, I've thought of it both ways. You've never said anything about wanting a family, so I didn't know exactly how you meant that we'd always be together."

"Well, in my mind, I picture us together as...uhm...married...but that is so complicated. I don't want to lose you because of all the issues that will come up if we decide to get married."

"Complicated? Issues? What's complicated? I get a dress--a white one if you please--and you get a tux, and we both say I do. What's so complicated about that?"

"God! This isn't really the time and place I wanted to bring this up."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I love you, and I don't want to lose you. I know you've had job offers on the east coast, and I know your family lives in Nebraska. I want you to be with me...here...to live with me...here...and I can't put off talking about this much longer. We'll be graduating next week and have to move on...move out...away from college."

Jenny straddles my waist and crawls on top of me. Then, resting her forearms on my chest, she leans down and kisses me...tenderly."

"Sweetheart, the only way you're going to lose me is if you break my heart and leave me."

"Jenny...Babe..." God, this isn't going to go over well; I just know it. "Jenny...if we get married, we'll be required to sign a prenuptial agreement." I hold onto her tight as I say this to try and contain the explosion that I expect.

Jenny pulls away from me hard and sits up. The look on her face is heartbreaking. It's a mixture of hurt, sadness, and anger.

"A what? Why in the hell do we need to do that?"

Shit! This sucks! "Among other things, to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

"Jenny, Sweetheart. Down the road, I'll be the head of a multibillion-dollar company. If something happens and our business goes down the tubes, you need to be protected from the vultures that will take everything we...uh...I own. You need to be legally separated from the business so that you can't be touched. Any future home we may have, future property of any kind, has to be protected. This isn't a form letter that we'll be forced to sign. It's something we'll work on together to make sure it's right...for you...for me...for the business."

"I don't know a thing about prenups. How are we supposed to put one together when I don't know anything about them?"

"We'll sit down with our family lawyer, and he'll guide us through it. He'll make sure everything is done right, so all parties are protected, in case something bad happens."

"Bad...you mean like divorce?"

"I don't want to go into a marriage with the forethought that it will end in divorce, but it is an unexpected tragedy that happens to some people. So are taxes, death, poor business decisions, and more. These are all things we don't want to happen, but sometimes they do, and this will make it easier to navigate those muddy waters."

"Fuck, Josh! You're serious about this, aren't you? You've thought this all the way through, haven't you?"

"Jenny...it's not you. It's not personal. Anyone that marries me will have to go through this. My parents had to do it, my grandparents had to do it, even my brother will have to do it. It's not because of you. It's because of me."

Jenny crawls off me and puts her back against the headboard. Then, after putting her bra and t-shirt back on, she crosses her arms and asks, "What if you decide not to sign it? What happens then?"

"Well...then I can't be part of the business. I will lose any inheritance that's set apart for me. I will have to start fresh from nothing."

"Would that be so bad? You and me starting from nothing together and building our lives together?"

"Bad, no. Hard, yes. And yes, I know millions of people do it all the time. But, Jenny, just as you want to be an accountant, I want to be part of and eventually run our family business. I was raised for this. This has been ingrained in me. Everything I've worked for is for this opportunity. I would never ask you to leave behind what or who you want to be in life. Please don't ask that of me."

"I'm not, Josh. I'm not. I understand that...it's just...it's just hard to know that any life I start with you will start with a legal document that has the potential to divide us."

"Don't look at it that way, Sweetheart. Look at it as me trying to protect you from anything bad that may happen down the road. Jenny, I love you. I love you more than life itself, but if we're going to make a life together, then we have to do this."

"Shit! Complicated isn't even the right word for what this is. I love you too, Josh, but I can't go into this if you don't trust me."

"God, Jenny! I trust you. I trust you with my life. Have I ever done or said anything to give you the impression that I don't trust you?"

"No...not until this...this prenup requirement."

"This isn't because I don't trust you. If I didn't trust you, I would have never, NEVER, let you into my life. You wouldn't know me from Adam...I'd just be some guy you met at a party a while ago. I do trust you, Jenny, with everything! I love you, and I trust you. The question is, do you trust me? Do you trust me enough to do this so we can be together forever?"

"Yes, Josh. I do trust you...but this...this--"

"This is something we have to do if we want to be together, Jenny. I can't get around it."

"I think I need to leave," Jenny says as she gets off the bed and walks to the door.

Jumping off the bed, I stumble as my pants fall to the floor. Pulling them up quickly, I run after her. "But, Jenny...wait!" It's too late. She's already gone.

Dave is still on the couch, watching his movie. He hits the pause button and looks at me. "Dude...that doesn't look good. Is everything okay?"

Does it fucking look okay? "I don't know, Dave. I don't know." Turning around, I go back into my bedroom and slam the door. On my desk are Jenny's books and study material. She'll be back...she has to come back. Please come back, Jenny!

It's been a long time since I've cried. A really long time, but nothing is going to hold the tears back tonight. I should have never brought up the prenup! Falling on my bed, I curl up and sob. I had one chance in my life to be with the only woman who has made me happy, and I blew it. I have to get out of my apartment...go for a walk, or a drive, anything...I have to leave. I can't stay here and feel this way.

Getting in my car, I decide to drive to my house. My next class is in two days, so I take my books and everything I need, and leave.

When I get to my house, I step inside, and the first thing I smell is Jenny's perfume. Shit! I can't go anywhere or do anything without something reminding me of her. Opening the sliding doors to the back deck lets the sea breeze in. I hope this helps erase the aroma that reminds me of the only girl I've ever truly loved. The sun is already set, so I lean against the railing and watch the stars emerge in the darkening sky. Listening to the surf, I wonder if I've screwed up the only relationship that's ever meant something to me. Maybe this is what we need. To be apart from each other. This is the last thing I want in life, but perhaps this is what we need. Shit!

My phone buzzes...It's a text from Dave.

D: Dude. Where are you? Jenny's here, and she needs her books.

J: Just let her get what she needs. It's fine.

It's not fine. Nothing is fine. Nothing will ever be fine again. I need to talk with someone, someone who understands me. Someone who can help me get through this. Pulling out my phone, I scroll through my contacts and dial.

"Dad...hi...I really need to talk with you. Jenny left me, and I need to talk."

"Where are you, Son?"

"At my house."

"I'll be there in an hour."

"Thanks, Dad."

***************

Dad got here in forty-five minutes. That must be a record. We sit down with a couple of beers, and I tell him what happened. I know I'm not supposed to cry, especially for something like this, but I can't help it. Tears stream from my eyes, and I can't stop them.

Dad initially thinks that Jenny won't sign the prenup because all she is interested in is our money. I remind him of the night they met her and how she was mad at me because she doesn't like rich guys and she had just found out that I was one of them. We talk for a couple of hours, and I'm not sure I feel any better.

"Son," Dad says, "why not call her in a couple of days after she's had time to think about it?"

"I don't know, Dad. From the way she stormed out of my apartment, she was pretty upset."

"Just try it, Son."

Dad has a board meeting in the morning, so he has to leave, but he gives me a big 'Dad' hug before he goes.

As I sink my head into my pillow for the night, I resolve the only time I'm going to spend on campus is for my classes. I also decide to move out of my apartment. I'm done with the whole school scene thing and everything there.

***************

When class is over, I drive to my apartment, and nobody is there. So I send a text to Jeff to let him know that I'm moving out, and if he wants the key, to come and get it now. He doesn't reply, and I don't care. His coach told him that he could live off-campus starting his sophomore year, so I figured the easiest thing was to let him live in my apartment. If he wants to fine, if he doesn't...fine. I don't care.

I don't have much in the apartment, just some clothes and a few belongings. Once I get everything into my car, I drive home. It's quiet and peaceful here. Alice came by yesterday, and I told her that I'm now living here full time, so she went to the grocery store and stocked my cupboards. Pulling a box of mac and cheese from the cupboard, I quickly cook it up, take the bowl out to my deck, and eat dinner. Yeah, it's crap food from a box, but I don't care.

Sitting here by the pool reminds me of being with Jenny. It's been two days, and I'm thinking about her more than ever. What's it going to take to get her off my mind? My phone rings, and it's Esther. I don't feel like talking to her, so I let it go to voicemail.

***************

It's been a couple of hours since Esther called, so I decide to listen to her message. Basically, she wants to know where I disappeared to and why I moved out of my apartment. Wow...news travels fast. I send a text letting her know that I moved out of my apartment because Jenny left me and that I'm living at my house now.

E: Jenny didn't leave you. You left her!

J: What are you talking about? She's the one who stormed out, not me.

E: You and I need to talk. What's your address?

I send Esther my address, and she tells me not to go anywhere, that she'll be here in about an hour.

It's an hour and a half before there's a knock on the door. Esther stands there with her arms folded when I open the door. I invite her in, and as she looks around the entryway, she lets out a low whistle.

"Nice digs, mi amigo."

"What do you want, Esther?"

"OH! We're going to be like that? Okay. Listen up, shithead."

"Shithead? You came all the way out here to call me names? Why are you here, Esther?"

"Because you're an idiot, Josh. And someone needs to tell you that to your face, so you'll realize what you've done."

"What are you talking about? Jenny? Fuck, Esther. We were discussing our future, and I told her about signing a prenup if we're going to get married. She didn't like it and stormed out. That's the short of it. Jenny left me because she didn't want to sign a prenup."

"Jenny didn't leave, you asshole. She needed some air. You're the one who left. Like a fart in the wind, you took off and disappeared. How many times has she tried to call you in the last two days?"

"Fuck. I don't know. Who cares? Again, all she will tell me is that if I love and trust her, we don't need a prenup. I tried to explain to her that we can't be together without one, but she wouldn't listen."

"God! You're an idiot! How can someone as smart as you be so stupid? She's calling you because she's worried about you. I spent all day with her yesterday discussing you, her, the prenup, and who knows what else. I feel like your fucking biographer, having to explain your life story. You have no idea how upset she is over all of this."

I lean back on the couch and try to absorb what Esther is telling me. I don't understand how in the world Jenny and I can get past what has happened. I want to, sure, but I don't know how. At this point, there's only one path to take, and if she won't step into it, then there's no point.

"Call Jenny right now. While I'm sitting here, I want to see you call her," Esther demands.

"Fine, I'll call her, but I don't know what good it will do."

Grabbing my phone from the table, I pull up my recent calls and touch her name. The phone only rings once before she answers.

"Where the hell are you? Are you okay?" Jenny asks.

"I'm fine. I'm at home."

"Which home?"

"The beach."

"Don't you dare move a muscle. I'll be there as soon as I can," Jenny demands and then hangs up.

Pulling my phone away from my ear, I look down at it. What the hell was that all about?

"Well?" Esther asks.

"Uhm...she said she was coming here."

"Now. Are you ready to apologize to her?"

"Apologize? For what? She's the one that said I don't trust her. She's the one that said I don't love her. What did I do wrong?"

"You ran away. You didn't go after her. That tells her you don't love her and don't care enough to fight for her."

"But I did run after her. She was gone and out of sight before I even got to the front door. She's the only thing I've been able to think about. I can't fucking get her out of my head. Everything I do and see reminds me of her. Hell, I keep finding things around here that smell like her. It's driving me crazy."

"Then you need to apologize to her and tell her that you love her."

"I told her that over and over the night she walked out on me."

"Josh. It's simple, do you want her back in your life, or do you want to lose her forever?"

"I want her back."

"Then, damn it! Listen to me and do what I've told you. Suck it up. Be a man and tell her you're sorry."

Esther continues to lecture me, telling me how to fix my screwup. She tells me how Jenny interpreted my words and actions and how she's feeling. Finally, she explains how she clarified the importance of the prenup to Jenny and how I'm locked into it. She's in mid-sentence when Jenny storms into the house.