Page 69 of In Her Own Way
“Good.”
“Have a few more messaging conversations with her, Jessica,” Rachel said in the background. “Watch for those red flags and trust your gut before deciding to share your phone number.”
“Do you two know something I don’t know?” All this talk about red flags. It had never come up before.
“We always want our people to be safe,” Rachel said. “And listen, you can always block her number or even change yours if it goes sideways.”
“True, true, Ma’am,” Jessica said. “I haven’t felt any red flags. Only green ones. And I think she’s genuine in her contrition.”
Lisa laughed. “English teachers and their big words. I think I’ll use that one in my next Murial story. I’ll call it ‘Murial’s Contrition.’ I’ve started a new story, by the way. And, hun, I think you should be cautious and not give her your real name. Use your initials or something.”
“Good ideas,” Jessica said. “Tell me more about Murial’s new mishaps.”
And from there, the conversation took on a less urgent tone. Jessica excused herself after a while and sat down for dinner, wriggling a piece of string to entertain Misty. She’d been neglecting her little furball recently and felt bad about it.
She reopened theKinksapp.
Daddy Vic:Fantastic news about the project. Do you work at a school? I used to work security in an elementary school, a couple of them, actually. I loved the kids and the work. I’d like to get back to that. And thanks for taking a chance on me, JB. What kind of pub? Share what you feel comfortable sharing. I’m not digging for info. I’m just interested in you.
“Oh? Is that right? She’s interested in me?” Jessica said out loud to the cat. “She didn’t mean itthatway, Misty. Did she?” She shook her head. “No, no. I will not be thirsty.”
Jessica sent a message back, giving her a brief summary of the literary magazine project and the deadlines she’d set for herself.
Juicy_Babe:So I’ve never done a lit magazine before, but I’m actually excited for it now.
Daddy Vic:You’re owning it, instead of merely doing it for someone else. Oh, wow. Epiphany…I think I need to come to terms with my shit for myself and not for anyone else. I mean, I truly was sorry, but my initial apologies to B weren’t entirely from my heart. Everyone expected it, but I hadn’tyet fully processed it all. I need to…I don’t actually know what I need.
Juicy_Babe:Daddy Cheese needs to forgive herself.
The return message didn’t come right away, but Jessica didn’t get angsty. She simply put the phone down on the couch and opened up her school laptop. She found a nice template to make a flyer announcing the lit magazine and began filling it in with details and deadlines for student submissions of short literary pieces and artwork. She’d send it over to KC later, who would critique it and add her thoughts. “Clear and manageable deadlines,” KC had advised while they sat on the bleachers.
A message popped up on her phone. Oh, shit. Daddy Vic had sent her phone number and a message to call if she felt safe doing so.
Jessica didn’t hesitate. She tapped in the digits.
“Hi,” came the gentle voice. “Juicy_Babe?”
“Yeah,” Jessica said. “You can call me JB, okay?”
“JB for Juicy_Babe?” Daddy_Vic asked.
“Yes, but those also happen to be my real initials.”
“Clever,” Daddy Vic said. “I’m Victoria or Vic. Either is fine. Thanks for taking my call. Or, should I say, thanks for calling me.”
Ahh, she was nervous. Jessica admitted to herself that she was, too.
“I love finally getting to hear your voice,” Jessica said, and then almost choked. Okay, how freaking forward was that? Thirsty much? Jee-suz. She covered it by adding, “How are you feeling? I can’t imagine what being tased is like. There’s, like, no permanent damage, is there?”
“It’s so nice to hear your voice, too, actually,” Victoria said. “I’m okay today. Tasing seizes up all your muscles, so I’m a bit sore, especially in the leg that took the direct hit. But I’m fine.Thanks for asking. And thank you for listening to my sob story and letting me talk it out with you. Not many would have the patience, and I’m kind of new to all this.”
“New to sharing your feelings?”
Victoria chuckled. “Yeah.”
“I’m a good listener.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind my meanderings in all of this?”
