New Girl in Town

I appreciate everyone's patience. I'm going to take a bit of a break from New Girl, work on the next Grayson story then polish off New Girl with chapter 25. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Thanks to Devir for all the editing work.

****

Saturday

"Is my lazy, good for nothing, grandson out of bed yet?" Jake's grandfather said loudly as he walked into the house.

"Dad, he's been up since six," Jake's mom stated. "Don't talk bad about your only grand baby."

"Hey, Pa," Jake greeted him with a smile as he hopped into the living room. "How are you?"

"Fair to middling," he answered with a wink. "Are you about ready to get this show on the road?"

"I am but mom says that I have to eat half a horse before I can go out with you because if we're looking at cars we won't be home anytime soon," Jake answered.

"That is true," he nodded. "Who knows where our day might take us while we're out looking. I promise you that we'll stop whenever we hit water, be it the Atlantic or the Pacific."

"You two, I swear," Jake's mom shook her head. "Would you like some coffee, dad?"

"Now that you mention it," he nodded. "I could use a fill up if you're pouring."

"I am," she nodded. "Come into the kitchen while Jake eats something since I was informed that he needs to keep his strength up this weekend."

"Oh?" Jake's grandpa asked. "Do you have some big plans with Jessica today?"

"We're heading over to Staci's tonight," Jake answered. "Well, I think Jess is over there already but she's coming by to pick me up when I let her know that we're done."

"Ah, so I should keep him out as late as possible then? Keep him well out of trouble," Jake's grandpa grinned.

"That would just get him in more trouble," his mom laughed. "You and him both and you have a birthday coming up. If you get on Jessica's bad side she may not make you those cookies that you couldn't get enough of at Christmas."

"Looks like we're on a time limit then, Jake," he stated with a serious tone. "Pack that breakfast to go and let's get on the road because I am not missing out on those cookies!"

"I'll make sure that she and Sarah make you a batch," Jake assured him. "Maybe Jess and Roxie with Sarah on quality control."

"When are we getting cookies?" Jake's dad asked as he joined them in the kitchen.

"Possibly in a few weeks," Jake's mom answered. "If Jessica feels up to it that is. Are you waiting for your dad here or is he meeting y'all at Mr. Fishel's?"

"He's meeting us there," Jake's grandpa answered. "So if we're ready we can get on the road."

"Let me put dad's coffee in a thermos and Jake?" she looked at him.

"I'm getting a water from the fridge along with a couple of protein bars for the road," he said.

"And we'll stop some place for lunch," Jake's dad assured her as she poured another thermos of coffee for him. "I know Jake needs his strength for tonight."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Jake asked.

"Because Jessica is right," his dad smiled, "you're fun to mess with."

"Ha Ha," Jake shook his head. "Can we get going now or would Pa like to take another shot at me first?"

"Ah, I've got all day with you, Jake," his grandpa said then took a sip of the coffee. "Now let's go see about finding you a car. We can't have you going all the way out west on nothing but your good looks and intelligence. I doubt that you'd make it out of Tennessee if that's the case."

"Man, it's going to be a long weekend," Jake sighed. "First y'all then tonight I'll have Jess, Staci and Bobby too!"

****

"Here they come now, dear," Jake's mom told Jessica as the pair sat together in the Gibson's living room. "Honestly they're earlier than I imagined."

"Me too," Jessica said. "I wonder if that means it's good news or bad?"

"Jake didn't give you a hint when he texted?" his mom asked.

"No," Jessica shook her head. "He just said that they were on their way back."

"I guess we'll have to pry it out of him then," Jake's mom joked as they heard the car doors shut outside.

Jessica got up from the sofa and opened the door as the men reached the porch.

"Uh oh," Jake's grandpa said when he saw Jessica. "Jake is in big trouble. I told you that you aren't ever supposed to leave a pretty lady waiting, Jake."

"He's fine, Pa," Jessica smiled then hugged him in greeting. She had been told to call him that when they met at Christmas. "I'm a bit early anyway."

"How are you feeling, Jessica?" Jake's grandpa asked. "How's that wrist of yours coming along?"

"It's good," she answered. "I've got a call with the trainer from UCLA on Sunday. Kind of a progress report sort of thing and she'll let me know more once she's looked over the stuff from my doctors here but so far it looks good."

"That's great news," he enthused.

"How about you guys? Do you have any news?" Jessica asked. "Did Jake find a minivan to his liking?"

"We found a real nice one but I couldn't talk him into pulling the trigger on buying it," Jake's dad joked. "Something about not enough cup holders or he wasn't a huge fan of the floor mats."

"It's been like this all day," Jake sighed.

"Poor baby," Jessica said as she ruffled his hair. "He gets it at school, he gets it at home. There's nowhere he's safe."

"True," Jake nodded.

"Oh show her the car already," Jake's dad chided him.

"I guess that I have to," Jake sighed.

He started to pull out his phone but Jessica shook her head and pointed toward the couch.

"Sit first, please," she told him. "I'm sure that you've been on that leg of yours too long already today."

"It was mostly riding from place to place," he said but took a seat anyway. "I promise that I didn't walk that much."

Jessica looked at Jake's dad for confirmation and got a nod in response.

"We didn't let him walk a whole lot but he wasn't able to elevate that leg of his very much while we drove around," he told her. "He could do with some lounging around so he doesn't swell up."

"You heard your dad, Jake," Jessica said as she pointed toward the sofa.

Jake almost opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it when his mom shook her head at him. She and Jessica made him a stack of pillows to elevate his leg then got him settled. He took out his cell phone and handed it to her.

"Here's the ones we looked at," Jake said.

Jake's mom sat down with Jessica on the love seat so she could see as well.

"Oh this one's nice," Jessica said.

"Yeah, that was the first one we looked at," Jake said. "We were a little late on her though. A couple of guys had beat us there and made an offer."

"The seller said they were brothers," Jake's dad said. "Said they needed the trunk space or something like that. Damn shame because that baby was the best maintained car all day. Sixty seven Chevy Impala and she looked like she just rolled off the factory floor."

Jessica looked again at the black Impala then swiped to the next pic. A nineteen seventy trans am appeared and Jessica frowned slightly.

"Don't like that one?" Jake asked.

"It's just really white," Jessica said. "Not that that's a bad thing per se but I just can't picture you in it."

"Yeah, I couldn't either after looking her over," Jake agreed.

Jessica swiped to the next pic and her eye went wide. The pic was a Mustang. Well part of a Mustang at least. Her front end looked immaculate but as Jessica swiped through the pics Jake had taken she saw that it didn't have a passenger door or trunk lid. The rear end needed tail lights and some other work from what she could tell.

"She's a nineteen seventy Boss edition," Jake told her. "She needs some work but..."

"She's gorgeous, Jake," Jessica said. "Or she will be once she's fixed. You all can do that can't you?"

"That we can," Jake's grandpa answered. "We've already started making calls to find what we need to get her road worthy again."

"So another Mustang huh?" Jessica teased. "I thought you were done with

beasts

. What happened?"

"Well I couldn't let you be the only one with a Mustang could I?" Jake grinned. "She's kind of dinged up like I am so I thought that it would be kind of like therapy to work on her."

"I think so, too," Jessica nodded. "When do you get her? I want to see the lady that's going to be taking up my man's time."

"We made arrangements to pick her up tomorrow afternoon," he answered. "Dad and I are meeting Mr. Fishel there with his rollback."

"You're welcome to come with us too, Jessica," Jake's dad said and Jessica nodded.

"I'd like that," she said. "You probably need help to keep Jake in line."

"Hey, that's my only grandson you're talking about," Jake's grandpa joked.

"That's how well I know him, Pa," Jessica stated with a laugh.

"That you do, sweetheart," he chuckled then glanced at his watch. "I should be getting back home. If I make it back in time I might have a say in what's for supper."

"And we should be heading out as well," Jessica said. "We can't be late to Staci's or she'll send out the troops to track us down."

"Text her and tell her that I need to pack a bag first," Jake said.

"No need," Jessica said as she reached beside the couch and pulled a duffle bag out. "I took the liberty of grabbing what you'll need for the stay over."

"With my supervision," Jake's mom added.

"With your mom's supervision," Jessica echoed with a grin. "We made sure that you have everything that you could possibly need."

"Like a hacksaw to cut this thing off with?" Jake asked.

"I couldn't smuggle that past your mom," Jessica stated while Jake's mom shook her head.

"Concentrate on healing and less on how to get out of your cast, Jake," his mom told him. "Just remind yourself that it's only a couple more weeks until your check up and then we'll know more about when it can come off."

"It had better be before spring break," Jake said. "I don't want to sit on a plane with this thing on for six hours or so."

"It's just over five hours for a direct flight," Jessica stated. "I've checked already."

"Of course you have," Jake chuckled. "Since you and mom have everything ready to go, I guess that we're going."

"We'll see you guys at church Sunday morning, correct?" Jake's mom asked.

"We'll be there," Jessica assured her.

She hugged Jake's parents and his grandpa then Jake followed suit as they headed out the door.

****

"Five hours on a plane huh?" Jake asked as Jessica drove them to Staci's house. "Whatever will we do on such a long, long flight?"

"I plan to look for places that we'll want to visit in and around the campus, Jake," Jessica answered. "You aren't joining any mile high club on this trip. Are you forgetting that we're going to have at least one chaperon with us?"

"Part of me is trying to," he said. "Are you sure that I still need to be punished, Jess? I mean I'm in this cast and all and..."

"I'm in a cast too so you'll get no sympathy from me on that front," she stated then smiled. "Okay, you'll get a little sympathy but you have to learn that looking at Somer's ass has consequences."

"Is it just Somer's ass that got me in trouble or would any ass get me the same punishment?" Jake asked.

"Oh, are there other asses that you've been looking at, Jake?" she asked. "Who would they be, hmm?"

"I never said there were others," he said. "I was asking a hypothetical question."

"Uh huh," Jessica smiled. "I think that someone just talked themselves into a more severe punishment."

"Me and my big mouth," Jake sighed. "This might be the worst weekend ever."

"Second worst," she amended. "Maybe."

Her wink gave Jake a glimmer of hope that his punishment would end before the weekend did.

****

"Hey, there you guys are," Staci said as she opened the door for Jessica and Jake. "Come in out of the cold and give me hugs!"

She hugged Jessica first then turned to Jake.

"The boys are waiting for you by the fire pit," she told him. "They want to know if you chose a new beast yet. Bobby says he's drowning you in the hot tub if you bought a minivan so fair warning, Jake."

"I didn't but I think that might be the only way I'll be getting into the hot tub tonight," Jake joked.

"That's what you get for being a bad boy, Jake," Staci teased. "Now give me a hug then head out to your boys while I get Jess upstairs and changed."

"Changed?" Jake asked.

"Bathing suit, Jake," Jessica winked. "Well, technically a bikini but you know what I mean. See you at the hot tub."

"Worst weekend ever," Jake sighed.

"Second worst," she called back over her shoulder as Jake went outside to join the guys.

Ray and Bobby looked up as they heard Staci's sliding door open then both gave Jake a wave as he hobbled over to them. Jake noted that Ray wore one of the comfy robes while Bobby was in normal leather bombers jacket and jeans.

"There he is," Ray commented.

"Finally," Bobby added. "I thought you and Jess had bailed on us."

"Dude, we're early," Jake said. "Nice to see that you're all dressed up for this party, Ray."

"I was told that this was sort of the official attire," Ray said. "I have it on good authority that you and Bobby here are going to be way over dressed very shortly."

"Yeah, he's not wrong, Jake," Bobby said. "I was teased the whole ride over by Mary Beth about how she was debuting her new swimsuit tonight and what a shame it was that the hot tub has a four person capacity limit tonight."

"I knew I was out," Jake said as he nodded toward his cast, "obviously, but I thought that you might have stood a chance to hop in. You brought your suit didn't you?"

Bobby nodded as he poked at the fire with the poker that he held.

"It's upstairs in my bag," he said. "Doesn't sound like I'm going to need it but it is here just in case."

"It's not a speedo like Ray here wears is it?" Jake chuckled. "I don't think my eyes could take it."

"Hell no," Bobby stated as he looked at Ray. "Man, if that's our punishment I think that I'm seriously going to consider being single again!"

"I don't wear a Speedo," Ray said. "Jake is just messing with you."

"I hope he is otherwise I'm going to lose my lunch when you take off that robe, Ray," Bobby said.

"I think that Jake is just trying to distract us because he knows that he went out today and got himself a mom mobile and he doesn't want us to tease him mercilessly over it," Ray said.

"Tell me you didn't, Jake," Bobby said. "Don't make me poke you with this thing."

He waved the poker in the air for affect as Jake took a step back.

"Careful with that thing," Jake said. "I'm not exactly light on my feet at the moment."

"Think I can brand his cast with this thing, Ray?" Bobby asked as he stuck the end back into the fire. "That would look pretty bad ass."

"The plaster will probably melt," Ray answered. "Might be worth the try though. See how high Jake can hop while you try and set him on fire."

Jake pulled out his cell phone and opened his photo gallery. He scrolled to the right set of pics and thrust the phone at Bobby.

"Here," he said. "See for yourself and put the poker down. I'm not entirely sure that I trust you with fire around me."

"Yeah, I don't trust me either," Bobby chuckled but he put the poker aside and took Jake's phone.

He looked at the first pic then showed it to Ray.

"You got another beast," he smiled.

"She's not a beast yet but she has potential," Jake answered.

He started to explain about the work that would be required but was interrupted when they heard the sliding door open again. The guys turned and saw all three girls there. They wore similar robes to the one that Ray wore.

"I think that's our cue, boys," Ray smiled then turned and started to walk toward the hot tub.

Bobby and Jake followed him over while Jessica pushed a chair over to where a couple of lounge chairs were set up close to the hot tub.

"Jake, this is your seat and you can put your leg up on this chair," she told him. "It needs to be elevated to keep the swelling down."

"He's going to have other problems with swelling, Jess," Staci giggled.

"You don't worry about that, Staci," Jessica said as she helped Jake get situated on the lounger. "I'm taking care of this swelling and I'll take care of any other swelling that may happen to Jake."

"You heard her, Jake," Staci smiled. "You just let Jess know about anything that swells up on you and she'll take care of it."

"You're impossible," Jessica shook her head.

"You love it," Staci called back. "Now that you've got Jake situated get back over here."

"Bobby, your chair is right there with Jake," Mary Beth pointed out.

Bobby started to sit but Jake stopped him.

"Can you move the heater a little closer before you sit down?" he asked him. "I think we might get a little cold all the way over here without it."

"You boys can cover up with these," Jessica said as she nodded at Staci and Mary Beth.

The girls all reached for the ties that held their robes closed and pulled them loose at the same time. As they started to pull them open, Ray jumped in front of Jake and Bobby and yanked open his robe which obscured their view of the girls. He held it open and shook his chest at the guys while the girls howled with laughter.

"Yeah, this is punishment for sure," Bobby commented as he cast his gaze to the sky to avoid Ray.

"At least it's not a Speedo," Jake sighed as he shook his head.

He looked around his chair then raised his hand.

"Yes, Jake?" Ray asked as he continued his spastic movements.

"I'm missing a vomit bucket," Jake commented. "I need it as soon as humanly possible."

"Don't listen to them, baby!" Staci shouted. "Keep shaking it for us! The view looks great from back here!"

Jake looked over at Bobby and chuckled.

"How do the stars look, Bobby?" he asked.

"Just great, man. Tell me when," Bobby gestured in Ray's direction, "that is all over with."

"I think that's good enough, Ray," Jessica told him.

"Good," Ray commented as he dropped his robe and stepped down into the hot tub. "I was getting a bit cold out here."

"I hear water," Bobby said. "Is it safe now?"

"Pretty much," Jake answered him. "Unless the girls have another surprise for us."

"Oh we do," Jessica grinned, "but it's safe enough for you to look now Bobby."

"I think it's a trap but whatever," Bobby commented as he lowered his head. "Ah, good. That's over now."

"Yes, you survived, Bobby," Mary Beth told him. "Here's your reward. Wait? Is it a reward or still punishment?"

"Probably a little of both," Jessica answered. "Are we ready?"

Staci and Mary Beth nodded at her then all three let their robes fall to the deck. The guy's eyes all went wide at the feminine flesh displayed before them. Jake and Ray both ogled the small bikini that Mary Beth wore while Bobby's eyes jumped from Jessica to Staci until Jake let out a low whistle.

"Wow," Bobby said as he looked at his girlfriend's exposed body. "You look gorgeous. You all do."

"Aw, thanks, Bobby," Ray chuckled. "I knew that you loved my show."

"Dude, not even," Bobby commented then looked over at Jake. "I don't know about you, Jake, but I feel duly punished from that dance we just sat through."

"You'd think so wouldn't you, Bobby," Mary Beth said as she stepped down into the hot tub. "Sadly, you don't get to decide when the punishment due is paid."

He watched as she took a seat and leaned her head back, a soft moan escaped her lips as the warm water and jets started to work on her tense muscles.

"It's going to be a long, long night," Bobby sighed as he sank back into his lounger.

"'Fraid so, Bobby," Jessica answered as she walked over to where the two boys sat.

She covered Jake with her robe and gave him a smile as his eyes wandered over her exposed body.

"You look really good in this," he told her. "Have I told you that before because even if I did it bears repeating."