Fantasy Man Pt. 08

"Thank you. I'll be careful. And thanks very much again for letting me stay here. You've got a beautiful home."

"Thank you," Ollie said. "I'll leave you two be." He looked like he might say something else, but backed out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Jessica wrapped an arm around Corbin's waist. "You're doing great," she told him.

"I hope so. I think your brother's testing me."

"Oh, definitely," Jessica said. "He probably wasn't joking about you buying him beer, either, so be careful."

"Won't get a sip from me," Corbin said. He took her hand.

"I love you," Jessica said.

"I love you too."

They kissed one more time, a long, passionate thing, and Jessica finally snaked away from him. Corbin heard her speak to her mom and dad down the hall, then shout down to her brother to have a good night. Corbin folded back the blankets and rested on his back, sure he wouldn't be able to sleep on the stiff pillows, but falling into dreams of being on the road again in just minutes.

He woke only once in the night, a slim moment of time when he padded down the hallway to go to the bathroom. When he passed by the bannister leading downstairs, he saw a figure standing at the window downstairs, a robe around her shoulders. Kimberley. She was shaking, as though she were crying silently. Corbin hurried back to his room and grabbed his shirt off the floor, but by the time he got back to the bannister, Kimberley had vanished elsewhere in the house. After realizing he might be bordering on too creepy if he tried to sneak through the house at night to find out if she was okay, he reluctantly returned to his room.

In the morning, he woke to a silent house. When he peeked in on Jessica, she was still sleep on her side, wrapped up in a powder blue blanket and a pile of sheets. Her childhood room was adorable. One wall was another shade of blue, brighter and vibrant, and trimmed in white. Along the opposite wall, a diamond-patterned collage board hung above her desk, full of photos, ticket stubs, medals, and other memories. So many stories yet to tell each other. There was a pleasant warmth to that.

He let her sleep, and headed back to his bedroom to grab a change of clothes and his toiletries. Hoping that he wasn't cutting into the Nakamuras' morning schedule, he hurried to the bathroom to take a quick shower and brush his teeth. Feeling more awake, he remembered Jessica's words about not leaving the bedroom a mess and spent a few minutes in there tidying up before heading downstairs in fresh jeans and a tee.

He found a half-full pot of coffee in the kitchen, still piping hot, and dug around in the cupboards until he found a mug with a diner logo on the side. He poured himself a cup, found some cream in the fridge, and added a dollop.

The double doors leading to the backyard opened, and Ollie poked his head in. "Corbin, good morning."

"You too," Corbin said, raising his mug. "Hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all. Our house is your house this week. Grab your shoes and your jacket if you'd like to join me."

Corbin thought it was more of a request than a question, and hurried to do so. He pulled on the jacket and slipped on his shoes at the back door before stepping out, mug in hand.

It was chilly, but not so windy as it had been the day before. Ollie sat at a wrought-iron patio table, a mug and a tablet in a leather case in front of him. He gave Corbin an unreadable smile as the young man sat down across from him.

"Trying to pretend that winter isn't here," Ollie said.

"At least you can see your grass. We were building snowmen Friday evening," Corbin said.

Ollie tapped his tablet. "Weather report doesn't look good for the week. I think we'll have plenty of the white stuff here too. Might not even be able to travel this weekend."

"Let's hope we can," Corbin said. Then he scratched the back of his head. "Ah, not to mean that it isn't pleasant being here, but you know, for school and... yeah."

Ollie chuckled. "Yes. I understood." He stared in the vague direction of a bird feeder at the edge of his property. "About that. School. What's in the cards for you there?"

"This semester and next, I'll be focused on core classes."

Ollie nodded. "Certainly. Let me be clearer. What are you thinking of doing, long-term? Your major, your career?"

"My advisor and I have been talking about that. I really like the work I do at the gym, so something like that, hopefully. Right now, I'm leaning towards a degree in physical training or nutrition and exercise."

"There's a degree in that?" Ollie asked.

"There is," Corbin said. "Either way, I'm probably going to go for a business minor, something I could use to maybe make my way to management someday. Or maybe even run my own gym, somewhere down the line."

"That's smart," Ollie said.

"Either degree should help me get my foot in the door somewhere else, if I need to. My advisor says there's good money in hospital dietary work."

"I imagine there would be," Ollie said. "I'm not trying to get under your skin. But Jessica has a good future ahead of her. A good plan."

"No, I understand," Corbin said, picking up his coffee again. "You want to make sure no one's going to be holding her back."

"And the both of you, in college together. That wouldn't be easy, financially. It's my understanding you're already living together."

"Yes sir," Corbin said, feeling about an inch high.

"And if you were to continue seeing each other, how would you go about contributing to that?"

And there it was. Corbin tried not to let anything show, not his irritation, not his nervousness. He sipped his coffee and finally said quietly, "I am only a freshman. Right now my focus has to be on finishing out this year and my work-and-learn program so I can live off campus next year. What happens over the summer and beyond, I don't know. I'll be finding some kind of work, but what that is, I'm not sure. Like I say, I like working in the gym, so if I can, I'll find something similar. If I can't, all I can do is promise you, I'll be trying."

Ollie studied Corbin for a long moment, then nodded. "Good answer."

* * *

The Snaketip Park wasn't named because of actual snakes, though there were plenty of non-venomous snakes around the area in warmer weather. It was so named because of the switchbacks and snaking trails coiling their way to the summit of a small, scenic mountain.

The low, easy angles were deceptive. After nearly an hour and change of climbing, only Corbin and Andrew weren't winded.

"God, I really need to work on my cardio," Jessica muttered.

"Piggyback ride?" Corbin asked her, grinning over his shoulder.

"Shut up or I might take you up on it."

He stopped and knelt slightly. Jessica cracked up and jumped on his back, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Corbin grabbed onto her hips as she kept on cackling.

Kimberley glanced at Ollie and he said quickly, "Ohhhh no. I don't want to be taken off the mountain by stretcher."

She smacked him, and Andrew called back, "Smooth, Dad!"

They had passed handfuls of other people coming down the paths but no one was at the summit. It leveled out to a flattened observation area. The incline was so gradual there was no need for barriers - anyone who fell would likely roll a few feet and that was all.

"Your ride is complete, madam," he said, kneeling to let Jessica hop off his back.

She swatted his butt. "Good horsey." Then, leaning up and whispering into his ear, "Might have to ride you again later."

He blushed at that, trying pointedly not to look back to see if her family was staring.

The observation platform gave them a great view of the city and the long stretch of rolling grasslands and low mountains around them. Corbin and Jessica took a few pictures together, then he took some of their family for them, and a lone hiker at the tail end got a great picture of them all together, with Andrew now riding Corbin's back in a surprise piggyback ride that nearly bowled him over. The cameraman caught them at just the right moment, Corbin looking like he'd just been punched in the gut, Andrew raising one hand in a peace gesture.

Going down was much faster than coming up, and afterwards, to kill time before they went to dinner, they decided to drive around Norrell and take in some sights. This devolved quickly into a "tease Jessica mercilessly" session, and with her brother and her boyfriend sandwiching her in the backseat, all she could do was squirm and protest good-naturedly.

With his hand cupped in front of his face and breathing like he was an airline pilot, Andrew said, "And if you look to your left, that's where Jessica Nakamura, so graceful, so skilled, decided to take up skateboarding to impress a boy."

"It was not to impress a guy!" Jessica said. "I got really into those trick videos."

"What was his name?" Ollie asked from the driver's seat. "It was... ah..."

"That would be Deacon," Andrew said, still talking like an airline pilot. "The dumbest of dumb names."

Jessica sighed. "He had really cute bangs."

"Bangs that ended with you getting two thousand, three hundred, forty-one stitches," Andrew said.

Jessica smacked his knee. "Thirteen, but close."

"Ohhh, is that the scar on your leg?" Corbin asked.

Andrew made a finger gun out of his fist and pointed it at Corbin. "Pew pew. Bullseye."

Minutes later, they cruised by a high school as Jessica was telling Corbin about her extracurriculars. He stared at her, not the building, and grinned.

"I can't believe I'm dating a cheerleader."

"Ex-cheerleader, but... yes."

"Like with the skirts and pompoms and...?"

She leaned her head back, rubbing her eyes for effect. "Yes."

He shivered pleasantly. "Love you more and more every day."

That was a fun afternoon and evening, though Corbin tensed up whenever he interacted with Ollie. Jessica noticed but didn't know what to think of it or do. She assumed it was just the usual tension between a boyfriend and a father, and hoped it would work itself out over time. She couldn't expect everyone to become best friends in a week, much as she might wish they could.

Cathy's took up a lively spot on a corner downtown. The stone and brick exterior's gloomy look was offset by the cheery interior, with cherry-colored booths, a matching bar, and low hanging conical lights that cast the place in warm hues.

The place was packed. Apparently it being the weekend before a major holiday, a lot of people with family back in town had the same idea as Jessica. They found a booth near the back of the restaurant and slid in after they tossed off their gloves and jackets.

"Jessica!" a woman called out from the bar. Jessica glanced back and grinned.

"Hey Cathy!"

She hopped out of the booth. Cathy, her aunt, was a short, vivacious woman who always seemed to be smiling. Her love of food left her with some extra pounds but she carried them with an effortless grace, as though she were a ballerina. She pushed through the crowd, ignoring calls for more drinks in her haste to get to her niece.

They embraced, and Jessica held the other woman for a long minute as Cathy eyed Corbin up and down appreciatively. "This is the guy?"

"He is," Jessica said. Corbin slid out of the booth as she made introductions, and Cathy wasted no time grabbing him in a hug too.

"It's so nice to meet you," Corbin said.

"You too, hon." She pushed back and eyed him. "You're not some jerk like the rest of her boyfriends, are you?"

Andrew snickered at that, and Ollie, exasperated, said, "Cathy!" but she ignored them, staring pointedly up at Corbin.

He smiled. "I hope I'm not."

"Good! I have knives and I sure know how to use them."

"Then I'll have to try even harder to keep her happy."

Cathy's stern expression melted into a warm smile. "I like that. Be back in a second to get your orders."

When she whirled away into the mass of hungry and thirsty customers, Corbin and Jessica sat back down. Jessica took his hand and squeezed. "Cathy's always been more of a friend than my aunt. She was..." Jessica looked up at her parents and blushed. "Before I told my parents I was bi, I was really scared. I told Cathy first, and she was my rock."

"She seems great."

"She really is."

Cathy came back a few minutes later, and after they ordered a bevy of sandwiches, wraps, and appetizers, Corbin asked her to bring him the bill when it came time. She gave him an inquisitive look. "What bill?" Then, without waiting for a response, she asked Jessica, "You're coming to Grandma Marilyn's for Thanksgiving, aren't you?"

"Of course," Jessica said, then looked at her dad for confirmation. It was their traditional spot to do the big family dinner. He nodded.

"Good." Cathy looked at Corbin and said, "I can interrogate you there."

Corbin chuckled. "I'll look forward to it."

* * *

After dinner, they came back to the Nakamura household just in time to get in away from the newly falling snow. Corbin nearly forgot to take his shoes off and probably would have if Jessica hadn't caught his hand.

He smiled sheepishly at Kimberley behind him and said, "Sorry. I'm trying to remember."

"You're doing great," she said. "It took me months of dating Ollie before I got used to it. His mother, Marilyn would give me these looks that made me feel like she was a scrub brush and I was being scoured."

They settled in the living room to watch a movie. Jessica ran to grab a blanket for her and Corbin, and snuggled into him on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her, trying to stay chaste and good, but she obviously had other ideas and idly slid her hand to his hip, giving his cock tiny flicks and taps through his jeans as they watched a Melissa McCarthy comedy. By the time it was over, Corbin was about ready to throw Jessica over his shoulder and take her up to their bedrooms, the rules be damned.

Instead, as Andrew took over and switched to a TV comedy, Jessica kept up a quiet stream of conversation with her parents, all the while keeping up the erratic teasing. They talked some about her grad school plans for the following fall and the last classes she'd be going through that year.

"We wanted to come down for graduation," Kimberley said. "If you don't mind us horning in on your life for a few days."

Jessica's hand slipped away from Corbin and she sat up. "Of course. That would be great."

"We could stay in a hotel or-"

"Mom, Mom, no, stay with us, please."

There was some unspoken context there, some wound being healed that Corbin wasn't a party to. He watched Kimberley melt just a little bit and smile. "Thank you. That will be nice."

"And what about spring break?" Ollie asked. "Any plans?"

"We're going to go up to Corbin's parents' place for the week," Jessica said.

"Oh? That should be fun," Ollie said. "I'm sorry we're dividing you two at Christmastime. Had you been together just a few weeks earlier, we could have added you to the travel package pretty cheaply."

Jessica and a small army of her family were traveling to a family-friendly resort in Mexico over Christmas. The plans had been in motion since that spring, and despite Corbin and Jessica wanting to be together, it was a fun opportunity for her and something she was looking forward to.

"No, hey, it's cool you all get to do that," Corbin said. "And hey, when we've made our millions, maybe we'll go to the Bahamas or something like that."

Ollie's smile was natural and far less forced than it had been all day. "Now that's a plan."

Later, when everyone split up to go to bed, Corbin and Jessica kissed outside her bedroom. "I'm so going to get them to change their minds about us sleeping together," she groused. "I can't do a week of this."

"I should say something sweet like, 'we get to be together the rest of our lives after this,' but honestly, same," he said. "I miss you even when we're just across the hallway from each other."

She looked down the hall, then leaned up and whispered in his ear, "Stay awake until midnight. That should be early enough."

"Early enough for what?" he whispered back, but knew damn well what she was talking about. She pinched his butt and he groped hers. Louder, he said, "Have a good night. Love you."

"Love you too." She winked, and sashayed back into her room, dropping her pants as she went. She looked back over her shoulder and gave her butt a pat before closing the door on his hungry face.

Corbin rested in bed, his phone set on silent, and texted his own family for a bit. His mom wanted to know every detail about the vacation so far, especially when it came to Ollie and Kimberley and their approval of him. He chuckled quietly to himself about that, and tried to assure her it was going as well as could be expected. Ollie's talk that morning had been harsh, but in his shoes, Corbin would have probably given himself the same questions. Oliver wanted to make sure his daughter was safe and secure. That was fair, but he still felt like he was losing a battle.

He thought too about Pamela Windsor, the gorgeous professor he wanted all semester, and who Jessica was trying to get him to hook up with. If he could manage it before Christmas break, he got whatever he wanted out of the relationship with Jessica. If he didn't, she got the same thing. There was no doubt in his mind anymore they wanted the same thing - to be together forever - but he had a fun idea in mind if he won.

Time was not on his side, though. Around Halloween, Corbin slept with Dr. Windsor's close friend and colleague Dr. Rosamund Madison, perhaps the most beautiful woman on campus. The situation had been wild - at a sex party attended by college students and professors, Dr. Madison blindfolded and tied Corbin to a bed and fucked him silly with Jessica right there in the room cooing them both on. It had been intensely erotic, especially the before-and-after, when Corbin and Jessica made love too.

Ever since then, in Dr. Windsor's class, she would occasionally give him an odd look here and there, sometimes amused, sometimes querulous, always no longer than a few blinks. Corbin had yet to figure out how to approach her or hit on her, aside from a few comments after class between the two of them. He had to act soon, though. Just about a month until Christmas break.

Could he do it? He wasn't sure. She might report him to the administration, or it might affect his grade, but the reward so greatly outweighed the risk he knew with calm certainty he was going to try. He just had to figure out an opening.

Christmas. What to get Jessica? Another question to think about. Jewelry was always a possibility but he wanted to get her something more personal. They meant to hit an antique mall that day but it was closed due to illness. If they made it that week, maybe he could get an idea of what she might want there. The thoughts melded together, Christmas gifts, Dr. Windsor.

Corbin blinked.

That was it. That was his in.

The thought hammered in his skull. Using Christmas as an excuse to drop in on Dr. Windsor was paper-thin but sometimes paper-thin was enough. He'd slept with a department store clerk at the beginning of all this with Jessica with far less of an in than he had with Dr. Windsor. Either this worked or it didn't, but it was his big shot.

So excited, he browsed his phone for ideas for a suitable gift for both his girlfriend and Dr. Windsor. He figured out the latter in less than five minutes. For Jessica, for the moment, he was still stupefied when she pushed the door open with the pads of her fingers and stepped towards the bed. He lifted the phone and aimed its dim light at her.

Jessica. In her cheerleader skirt and top.

"Holy..." he breathed, nearly too loud.

She quieted him with a kiss, and reached into the blankets covering his lap. He slept in the nude that night, knowing she was coming to him, and her fingers wrapped around his hardening cock.