The Great White Hope {Jack White}

Chapter 9 Red Polish

After lighting his cigarette, Jack took a long drag letting the smoke fill his lungs. He had hidden himself in the bathroom from the house  guests who were now sitting in the living room with Meg watching some godforsaken TV show.

Sitting on the covered toilet, Jack thought about dinner. He had discovered so much about the awkward teenage girl he had taken such a great interest in.

She had her moments of comedy, telling a joke at the right time and with perfect delivery. She literally had Meg and Hannah cracking up about the stories from her high school. She also asked tons of questions, but not in the interrogating kind of way. Just like she generally wanted to get to know you and was interested in you. She had great conversation, despite the fact that she was so nervous that he had been at the table with them.

Jack didn't really participate in the conversation, rather he watched her with great curiosity. He was well aware that he was staring at her creepily, but he couldn't help it.

She had showed up at their house, dressed in some kind of gothic inspired preppy attire, and she looked so damn beautiful Jack could barely contain himself. She had on this burgundy lipstick, knee high socks with heeled oxfords and some pink and beige golf sweater with this tiny black skirt. Her usually bushy and curly dark red hair was hanging loose and kept out of her face with a dark headband.

He didn't know what was happening to him. He felt he was just becoming a regular old horndog, and he had always prided himself in being able to see and love the  inner beauty of a  woman, not just her outer appearance. He didn't know KoJo well enough to be so sexually attracted to her.

Just as he was imagining peeling off that little black skirt of KoJo, a tiny knock on the door sounded.

"Is someone in there?" KoJo's soft voice said from behind the door.

Jack froze, closing his eyes and bracing himself to face her after what he had just done to her in his head. He let out a sigh and stood up from the toilet after putting out his cigarette in the ashtray sitting on the bathtub.

"Hold on", he said, and then cringed at how agitated his voice sounded.

Geez this girl must think I am grouch, Jack thought.

He swung open the door, revealing a doe eyed KoJo who looked oh so intimidated.

"Sorry, lemonade always makes me pee and this is the only bathroom Meg pointed me to and if you need to continue to use it I can totally wait its no problem, I just needed to pee really bad and...."

Jack stared at the girl rambling on. She was so adorable and nervous that he couldn't help but burst out laughing in the middle of her rambling.

"Sorry, sorry", he said quickly, realizing how rude that may have seemed and composed himself.  

She probably thinks I hate her, Jack thought to himself.

"Its all yours" Jack said before brushing past KoJo and heading to his room. He hoped she didn't think he was too brash, he just wasn't one to brush things up or really pay attention to how he said things.

He went into his bedroom and closed the door breathing out a heavy sigh. He had just laid on his bed, when there was  a quiet knock at the door. He wondered if it was KoJo and rushed to open the door to find out.

Instead, to his disappointment, it was Meg.

"Hey Jack, Hannah wanted to know if you would show her and KoJo your guitars in the attic? She wants to learn to play", Meg informed.

Really?, Jack thought. Hannah didn't seem that interested in music.

"I think KoJo wants to learn the drums though" Hannah piped up from behind Meg.

"Yeah sure. I will meet you up there" Jack said. He closed the door and leaned his back against sighing.

He was not ready to teach KoJo the drums. He remembered teaching Meg the drums. Sliding behind her on that tiny red stool had lead to some heated love making sessions back when they were together.

He couldn't necessarily do that with KoJo, for one thing Meg and Hannah were around and two, KoJo was a minor and he could go to jail.

Jack sighed and peeled off his red shorts. He put on his boxers and then his red pants, hoping it would provide some protection against her skin. He also pulled on a white t-shirt so his bare chest wouldn't be exposed, and also maybe hedge against a racy heart which he knew would occur being so close to KoJo.

Why did she want to learn the drums?

Jack bound up the steps to the attic and was met with giggling and excited girls. He was glad Meg had made friends with these girls. SHe was always kind of popular, but she seemed to really connect with KoJo and Hannah, something Jack knew was hard for her to do.

"Hey Jack is this the guitar you use on stage?", Hannah ditzily asked picking up his red and white Airline.

"Yes, which is why you are not going to touch it ever again" Jack said taking the guitar from her. He went into the closet and pulled out an old children's guitar and handed it to Hannah.

His eyes then searched the room for KoJo, whom he found staring at him in a corner. He motioned for her to sit at the drums and she immediately obeyed.

"How are you going to teach them both at the same time" Meg asked. She was comfortably perched on a chair he had re-upholstered months ago munching on some cookies she had made earlier that week.

Jack didn't answer instead he stood in front of Hannah and positioned her hands on the guitar. "I am not going to teach you the basics, I am just going to teach you how to make music okay?"

"I'm okay with that" Hannah said. "Teach me oh great master musician!"

Jack smirked and rolled his eyes while Meg and Hannah both snickered at Hannah's playfulness.

He went on and taught her a simple chord so she could play.

"So just keep your hands here and strum like this" Jack said once he was done.

"Okay KoJo", Jack said. "You'll just do basic drum beats."

Taking a deep sigh, Jack scooted his long body behind KoJo on the drum seats. He immediately recognized how tiny she was and how his long limbs completely engulfed her. She fit neatly into the concave of his body. His heart was racing at the contact.

"Okay KoJo just position yourself like this", he said somewhat shakily shifting his body so KoJo would follow.

He placed his rough, alabaster hands over her smooth and soft brown ones, and tapped the tom tom repeatedly.

"Hit the bass drum with your left foot please", he said softly into her ear and she began to hit the bass drum.

A little off, Jack thought. He noticed KoJo had taken off her shoes and her socked foot was desperately trying to control the petal.

"Here", Jack said hopping up from the seat and kneeling down. He took hold of her calf, noticing how long her legs were and placed his free hand on the sock where her toes were.

KoJo giggled at the contact and Jack held back a laugh, noticing the fact that she was also ticklish.

He peeled off the sock, revealing her beautifully formed foot. He took note of the red toe nail polish and how it looked glorious with her brown skin, and unconsciously bit his lip. He couldn't believe his favorite color was the beautiful toes of one of the most gorgeous women he had ever beheld.

"Its easier to do this barefoot", he informed looking up and staring directly into her dark brown eyes.

He noticed that she gulped and nodded. He let go of her leg and stood saying, "Now try."

Finally, Jack thought. Perfect rhythm.