No One Taught Me This

Jess had been on dates before—but back then, she was the one calling the shots. Jason made the plans, set the pace, and knew exactly how the night would end. Now, she paused at the curb a moment too long, unsure of her footing. Jason would have swaggered into this like it was nothing. Jess, meanwhile, was still figuring out where to put her hands. She slid into the passenger seat of Mark Davidson’s car, fingers laced tightly in her lap, doing her best not to look completely terrified.

“This place is gonna blow your mind,” Mark said with a cocky grin, taking a turn onto a quieter street. “Best jazz club in town. Classy as hell.”

Jess forced a smile. “Sounds great.”

She had no idea what she was doing. She wasn’t into Mark. She didn’t want to be here. And yet, here she was, playing the role Hannah and Olivia had pushed her into. All she had to do was get through the night without slipping up. That should be easy enough. Right?

The jazz club was a sleek, dimly lit place with deep red walls and a small stage where a quartet played soft, melodic tunes. A host led them to a candlelit table near the stage, and Jess had to admit—it was kind of nice.

Mark leaned back in his seat, watching her with that confident smirk. “Told you it was a good spot.”

Jess gave a polite nod. “Yeah, definitely.”

A waiter arrived, and Mark wasted no time ordering a bottle of wine. Jess barely had a chance to protest before their glasses were poured. She took a sip and thought to herself, “Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.”

They made small talk at first. Jess let Mark do most of the talking, which wasn’t hard. He loved talking about himself. He talked about his training routine, his game-day rituals, how many scouts were looking at him for the draft.

Of course, Jess knew all of this already. She had been on the same damn team. But she played along, nodding in all the right places, acting like she was hearing it for the first time. She hated how easily the old muscle memory kicked in—saying the right things, reading a play, pretending to be someone she wasn't. Only this time, the stakes were different.

Then he asked, “So, you into sports?”

Jess hesitated. “Uh… a little.”

Mark grinned. “Yeah? What’s your favorite team?”

Easy question. She rattled off her usual answer.

Mark blinked. “Damn, didn’t expect that. You actually know your shit.”

Jess forced a laugh. “Lucky guess.”

Mark smirked. “What about college ball? You follow our team?”

That was the loaded question. She had been trying to avoid talking about the team all night. So Jess took a sip of wine and replied, “Not really.”

Mark raised a brow. “Seriously? Not even last season?”

He wasn’t going to let it go. She needed to be careful on how she answered. She shrugged and answered showing no interest at all, “I mean… I caught a few games.”

Mark grinned. “Bet you had a thing for Jason Carter, huh?”

Jess almost choked on her drink. She coughed into her napkin, trying to recover. “Uh, what?”

Mark laughed. “Come on. Every girl on campus wanted him.”

Hearing her old name like that, Jason Carter, spoken in the past tense, like he was already gone… it hit harder than she expected. He wasn’t just a chapter she’d moved on from. He was a ghost now. Not remembered, but recited. A story with a clean ending, told by people who never knew how it really ended.

Jess forced a casual shrug. “He was alright.”

Mark smirked. “Damn. Hard to impress, huh?”

“You could say that.”

She took another sip of wine, hoping he’d drop it. But Mark leaned in, lowering his voice. “Between you and me? Carter was an arrogant prick. Talented as hell, but man, he thought he was a god.”

Jess’s grip on her glass tightened. She kept her face neutral. “Yeah?”

Mark scoffed. “Yeah. Guy acted like he could get any girl he wanted.”

Jess forced a small smile. “Didn’t you do the same?”

Mark blinked, then laughed. “Okay, okay, you got me.”

Crisis averted. For now.

—------------------------------

The rest of the dinner went by smoothly. The music was good, the food wasn’t bad, and the wine kept flowing. Jess found herself relaxing, just a little.

By the time Mark suggested heading to the bar for another drink, she was feeling warm and light-headed. But something felt… off. Mark had been fine all night—flirty, a little arrogant, but nothing she couldn’t handle. But now, as they walked to the bar, his hand slid to the small of her back.

Jess tensed. It wasn’t bad, but it was… different. And when they sat down, Mark’s arm draped over the back of her chair, pulling her just a little closer. She tried to ignore it. Tried to act normal. But her instincts were screaming. Then, as she reached for her drink, she felt his hand on her thigh. Jess froze, this was definitely not where she had seen things going. Her brain screamed to move, but her body stalled, uncertain what to do in this new skin, in this new kind of threat. She had no script for this. Just instinct—and right now, that instinct said run.

Mark leaned in, voice low. “You having a good time?”

Her pulse kicked up. She forced a smile. “Yeah. It’s been… nice.”

Mark smirked. “Good. ‘Cause I was thinking we could take this back to my place.”

Jess’s stomach flipped. She laughed, trying to keep it light. “I don’t think so.”

Mark’s smirk didn’t fade. “Come on. One drink, then I’ll drive you home.”

Jess shook her head. “I should get going.”

Mark’s grip tightened—just slightly. “Jess. Relax.”

She struggled to catch a breath. She looked around. The bar was crowded, the music was loud, but suddenly she felt very alone. She felt like she needed to get out of here.

“I should use the restroom,” she said quickly, slipping out of his grip.

She made a beeline for the hallway, heart pounding. She didn’t have a plan. She just needed to get away. But as she reached the hallway, someone grabbed her arm. She whirled—ready to shove Mark off. But it wasn’t Mark, It was Leanna. The tension snapped like a wire. Her breath came in ragged pieces, adrenaline giving way to something closer to tears. She hadn’t even known how scared she was until she wasn’t alone.

Jess gaped at her. “What the hell are you—”

Leanna cut her off. “We’re leaving. Now.”

Jess blinked. “How did you—”

Leanna rolled her eyes. “You really think I was gonna let you do this alone?”

Jess exhaled, relief crashing over her. Leanna grabbed her hand, leading her through the side exit into the cool night air. They walked in silence for a block before Jess finally spoke.

“You followed me?”

Leanna shrugged. “Olivia dropped the name of the club. I knew what kind of guy Davidson was. Let’s say that I had a bad feeling.”

Jess swallowed. “Thanks.”

Leanna shot her a glance. “You okay?”

Jess nodded, but her hands were still shaking.

Leanna sighed. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

And for the first time that night, Jess actually felt safe.