Jinxed- Chapter Seven

Jinx and Finn go shopping and have an unpleasant run in with Finn's ex Constance.

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

   

     “I feel guilty shopping while the other writers are doing workshops.” Jinx

 commented, as she perused a rack of designer dresses. This was definitely a full service

 hotel. The Magnolia boasted its own boutique, salon and spa. This was the first time

 she’d been somewhere that had more than a tacky little gift shop, but Lord the prices

 were astronomical. She was trying to think of this as an investment, but how many

 formal events was an agoraphobic likely to attend?

 

     “Ms. Grace thought doing a workshop might be too much for your first time out.

 Besides, you need something appropriate for tonight’s awards gala.” Finn replied from

 the next rack over.

 

     “I can’t believe you agreed to go clothes shopping with me.” Jinx shook her head

 in amazement. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear you were gay.”

 

     “I told you I was sticking to you like glue and you do know better, so my

 manhood remains intact. What do you think of this?”

 

     Jinx watched in amazement as Finn held up a black vinyl ball gown. Yes, you

 heard correctly, a vinyl gown. It was a strapless shiny formfitting vinyl floor length gown,

 with bare lace up back.

 

      “I saw a pair of matching vinyl thigh high boots that also lace up in back earlier

 that would go great with or without the dress. If you catch my drift.”

 

     How could she not, being downwind of his perverted comments and suggestive

 leers? Jinx wasn’t offended. She knew it was just an act. He really didn’t want her or he

 wouldn’t be able to resist when she had all but thrown herself at him. She was trying to

 make peace with the fact that he was just a hopeless flirt and the lecher act was a

 front to distract her from her anxieties. It was certainly working. She couldn’t know that

 nothing could be further from the truth.

 

     At this moment, Finn’s imagination was in overdrive as he mentally pictured her

 in nothing but the black bra and panties from their first night and the thigh high boots. 

 He became instantly hard. Good thing she couldn’t see what was behind the dress he was

 holding or she would think he was a complete and total pervert. Hell, she probably

 already did. He just could not seem to control his impulses around her. He didn’t know if

 it was Jinx that made him behave so out of character or simple sexual frustration. It had

 been a while since Constance. The woman had destroyed his masculinity. He had vowed

 to never let another woman have that power over him again, then along came Jinx and his

 sense of self preservation flew out the window. 

 

      Why did she have to be a writer of all things? Bedding her was not just a personal

 risk, but professional suicide. Was he willing to risk everything to have this one woman? 

 It was beginning to appear a real possibility and that scared him more than anything,

 because it meant that she had more value to him than a sex object. He hadn’t known her

 long enough to feel more than desire for her body. Outside of romance books men just

 didn’t fall for a woman this quickly.

 

     “You are definitely not gay. A gay man would have better taste. Do I look like adominatrix to you?” She yanked the offending garment out of his hands and slid it back 

on the rack, before turning to Finn and noticing the obvious bulge in his Dockers. Her

eyes widened.

 

     “Are you having some kind of sick fantasy about me spanking you and walking

on your back in spiked heels right now?” She demanded, poking him in the chest with a

finger. “Well you can forget it buster. My name is Jinx, not mistress and I don’t do that

kind of kink.”

 

     “You prefer the submissive role then? You can always call me master, I

suppose.” He laughed.

 

     “In your dreams.”

 

     “To be honest, I haven’t slept since I met you, but when I do I promise we’ll be

doing all sorts of kinky things together.” Finn gave her a heated glance.

     “I forbid you to dream about me, Finn Mackenzie. If you can’t have me in

reality, you won’t be having me any other way. You hear?”

 
     “I hear you, but my subconscious has a mind of its own. You may be forbidden

 fruit while I am awake, but dreams have no consequences.”

 

     “Good. Then maybe I’ll kill you in mine.”

 

     “Is there something I can help you with?” An attractive, well dressed sales girl

 with visions of dollar signs dancing in her head interrupted and Jinx flushed with

 embarrassment. How much had she heard of their conversation? Why was it she kept

 getting into one publicly humiliating situation after another since her arrival at the

 conference? When this ordeal was over, she was never leaving the house again.

 

     “I need a dress for tonight’s awards gala. Something…tasteful.” Jinx gave Finn a

 significant look.

 

     A pile of discarded dresses and two hours she’d never get back later, Jinx finally

 found something she could live with. The price was ridiculous and she probably would

 never have agreed to it if she had known how much it cost. Apparently, upscale

 establishments didn’t tag their clothing. If you couldn’t afford a small fortune for one

 teensy dress, you should hang your head in shame and walk right on past the boutique.

 
     At the check out counter, Jinx was mentally calculating whether her next royalty

check would arrive in time to save her from eviction from her home, after spending all

her savings on a dress she would never wear again, when Finn withdrew a lovely

company credit card and paid for everything. 

 

     If he would have told her in advance that the publisher was paying for this little

 shopping trip, she might have bought a whole new wardrobe. Jules deserved no less after

 tricking her into attending this shindig. Some disaster would be waiting in the wings, she

 just knew it.

 

     Speaking of disaster, they ran into Constance on the way out of the boutique.

 The woman was like a boomerang, she kept coming back and smacking Jinx upside the

 head when she least expected it.

 

     “Shopping off the rack, dear?” Constance sneered. “How…tacky.”

 

     “If a six hundred dollar dress is off the rack, I don’t ever want to know how you

 shop.” Jinx shuddered.

 

     “Everything I wear is a custom tailored designer original.” She stated proudly.

 

     “I can see where you might have difficulty finding clothing in your size.” Jinx

 nodded in understanding. “They have plus size stores out there that may be able to help

 with your little problem. There’s no need to pay extra to have clothing let out for you.”

 

     “I am not plus size. How dare you?” Constance sputtered.

 

     “Now that you mention it, it does look like she has gained a few pounds since I

 saw her last.” Finn tapped a finger thoughtfully against his chin.

 

     “You used to tell me all the time how much you loved my body.” Constance flashed

 her ample cleavage, as she leaned toward Finn and ran a finger across his lower lip. 

 “Finn was always partial to a full figured woman., weren’t you Finn? If you ever get

 tired of this one’s boyish figure, you’ll give me a call, won’t you? ”

 

      “Jezebel is more than woman enough for me. Thank you for the offer though. I’m

 sure if you try hard, you can find another poor sucker to take you up on it. As for me and

 you, we’re done.”

 

     Basking in Finn’s praise, Jinx laughed delightedly. This was so liberating, facing

 an enemy without fear and Constance was an enemy. She wouldn’t have chosen it to be

 so, but the woman was clearly dying to get her claws into Jinx. It was time she

realized she wasn’t the only one who could draw blood. 

 

     “Finn! You didn’t tell me you were a chubby chaser. I think that’s sweet.”

 

     “I am not chubby!” Constance turned an interesting shade of red, as she angrily

turned to face Jinx, leaning in close. “Listen up, little girl. I know all about you and your

mental problems. I’m sure it is liberating to go out into the big, bad world with Finn by

your side to protect you, but he won’t always be there. When this is over, you’ll go back

to being frightened of your own shadow and I’ll still be here in the real world. I’ve

been playing the game for years. It’s sad how you don’t realize how out of your league

you really are.”   

 

     Jinx finally lost her cool, her eyes flashing with fury.

     “Lady, you better back up out of my personal space, before you get hurt. You

are right about my mental problems. I’m probably the craziest b***h you ever met and the

last thing you want to do is mess with me.”

 

    Constance paled and backed up a step. At first Jinx thought she had really

frightened her, until she realized her attention was focused elsewhere, on a disturbance at

the concierge desk. 

 

     “You are making a big mistake here, lady. She would want to see me, I can guarantee

you. “ The man insisted running a hand over his greasy, slicked back hair, as if the

gallon of lube he’d applied wasn’t keeping it in place. “I paid a lot of dough to stay in this

dive and the least I could get is a little courtesy. You know what I’m saying.” His voice

rose, echoing across the lobby.

 

     “Can you please keep your voice down, sir? You are disturbing the other guests.”

The woman was flustered to say the least. If there had been a panic button under the desk,

she would have likely pushed it by now.

 

     “What guests? I don’t see anybody.” He scanned the lobby, until his gaze met the trio

lingering outside the boutique.   He smiled widely. “Never mind, babe. I just found who

I was looking for.”

 

     “Connie, baby. Where have you been? I been looking all over for you and they

wouldn’t give me the key to your room. Can you believe that?”   He was by their side in

an instant, throwing a polyester clad arm over Constance’s shoulders. He didn’t look to

be Constance’s usual type. He was loud, obnoxious and a very poor dresser. 

 

     The wide lapelled, polyester pant suit he wore was an ugly shade of brown, with a 

 dress shirt beneath that may have once been white, but was aged a dingy yellow.  His

 eyes were the same brown as his suit, his slicked back hair only a few shades darker. His

 skin was leathery from the sun, with deep lines around his eyes. The man might have

 even attractive once, but he was aging badly, as were his clothes.

 

     “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend…Connie?” Finn asked curiously.   

 
     Constance remained mute, staring at the stranger as if he were her worst nightmare

 come to life.

.

     “She’s just so happy to see me, she’s speechless.” The man offered his hand to Finn.

“Marty Mallard is the name. I can’t believe Connie hasn’t told you about me.” He leaned

forward conspiratorially. “Actually, I can. She likes to keep me her dirty, little secret. 

Don’t you, baby? Well, daddy has been feeling a little neglected lately, so I came down

to see you.”

 

      “Please leave me alone, Marty.” Constance begged. Jinx almost felt sorry for her.

She looked so desperate and her voice was a helpless whisper.

 

     “Sorry, no can do, babe. You and me have things to discuss.”

 

     “Can’t it wait until after the conference? I promise I’ll come see you after.”

 

     He snorted in disbelief.

 

     “I heard you were up for some hoity toity writing award. That’s how I found you.

You’ve been avoiding me, Connie baby and that’s not very nice. Not after all I done for

you. Have you forgotten already?” 

     “No, I haven’t forgotten a thing, Marty. You were supposed to be out of my life for

good after the last time.”   She sounded so tired.

 

     “Sorry baby, you and me aint through. Not even close, but maybe we can work

something out. I have a room. I thought we could have a private little chat. I was going

to surprise you in yours, but this is even better running into you like this. Like fate, you

know?”

     “Cruel fate.” Jinx thought she heard Constance mumble, but if Marty heard he chose

 to ignore the remark.

      

     “Why don’t I meet you later?” Constance suggested hopefully.

 

     “You wouldn’t be trying to avoid me, now would you, Connie?”

 

     “Of course not.” She lied. “I just don’t have a lot of time right now.”

 

    “Well, I’m sure you can make the time for lunch. Maybe your friends would like to

join us?” There was an implied threat in his words.

 

     “My friends?” She gave a brittle laugh. ”These people are nobody to me. We were just

talking shop. Why don’t you and I go up to your room and order in?” Constance smiled

seductively, toying with Marty’s collar. 

 

     “Just like old times.” Marty put an arm around Constance’s waist and they walked off

together, never once looking back.

 

     “What was that all about?” Jinx asked when they were gone.

 

     “I’ll be damned if I know.” Finn shrugged. “I don’t want to either. Constance can

handle herself. Come on Cinderella, it’s time to get ready for the ball.”

 

Reviews

[Natalie Lozano]

Interesting, I'm curious all about Marty but I remember now what kind of character he is. lol It's got my atenttion. I love when Constance get hers. *grin* Oh I found another time you used Forbidden Fruit. We all have our favorite words and things. Like Me I can't seem to write anything without wind in it. Lately anyway. Weird huh? Ok well I hope this helped. Keep up the good work.

[Susan M]

This is a great story and I don't usually go for mysteries. I love the characters - Constance, who was born to be hated, and her ... husband? ... Marty, classically tacky. Other than a few typos here and there, I think you've got a winner. When's the rest coming?