By the time Jared was six years old, his parents knew he had a unique ability. At first, they were worried that he would turn into some sort of idiot savant, much like the character Dustin Hoffman portrayed in the movie 'Rain Man'.
Early on, they had taken him in to be examined by several Doctors. Jared had remained quiet, shy and aloof, giving some credence to that prognosis and assumption. Yet, as time passed, and as Jared grew, he proved everyone wrong. He was intelligent enough to have seen and taken the wisest choice possible to keep himself from being treated as some sort of freak, a human Guinea Pig for scientists to pick a part and examine.
After all, Jared had the unique ability to read minds.
It wasn't as though he could read everyone's mind, or worse, be bombarded with multiple conversations taking place whenever he went to the grocery store with his mother. It didn't really work like that. It was more like tuning in to a station on the radio. Sometimes Jared would hear something inside his head, crisp, clear and distinct. Within seconds he could pinpoint where the thoughts were coming from. Other times, he would get what seemed like a faint buzzing in his ear. If he was curious about it, Jared could 'tune' the buzzing he was hearing until the thoughts came to him just as clearly as those times he seemingly stumbled into them. He had tried on numerous occasions to 'dial' into the thoughts of his parents or friends. But there again, he was never successful in being able to do that. It just happened. But whenever it did, as long as he held onto that channel or frequency as he came to think of it, he could clearly hear whatever that person was thinking as though they were actually speaking directly to him.
He'd been lucky as well as wise with his physicians. Even at an early age, Jared learned to keep much of what he could do to himself, no matter how tempted he had been to try and exploit it, or show it off as some kind of magical trick to amuse his friends with. By the time he had reached his teenage years, he had seemingly lost the ability to be able to read anyone's mind, though his family had come to think of it as more intuitional rather than anything paranormal. Which is exactly what he wanted them to think of course. Even when he had known their intentions, things he could have easily sidestepped, Jared often marched boldly on as though knowing nothing of what their plans were for him. Particularly in chores that he found distasteful, which he could have easily pawned off onto his older sister, or younger brother.
The hardest thing for Jared to overcome was temptation. Throughout high school, he could have on numerous occasions used his gift, his ability to make school that much easier. But he was smart enough to know, that there was always a suspicion, always the nagging wonder if he was doing that. And as such, Jared had to be extremely careful about what he did with whatever information he heard or learned from. For the most part, it became simply another tool to help him learn. But if he benefited unfairly by the use of specific thoughts he happened to overhear, he would most often in those cases purposely sabotage that advantage, especially with regards to any tests he was required to take.
Jared was intelligent enough that he needed to appear average, even if he knew he was anything but.
By the time he had graduated high school, ranked well within the normalcy of most of his class, he began to re-think his position regarding his ability. After all, he did want to be successful without appearing as though he were overly so. But even more importantly, though he wasn't interested in settling down or getting married, he certainly was interested in meeting women that would like him for who he was, and not for what he was.
He had dated little if hardly at all. Most of the girls he had been with or taken out, thought of the silliest, or most stupid things whenever they were with him. If anything, it was an emotional, mental turn off. Far more mature at his age than most, even the girls who were supposedly more mature turned out to be nothing more than mental fluffs of candy-cane thoughts that dissipated into insignificance as far as Jared was concerned. And as such, he formed few if any real significant relationships with anyone.
Jared was reasonably handsome. Though even in this he had often downplayed his more striking features. He had a full head of thick dark auburn hair, emerald green eyes, and at just under six foot, kept himself physically fit enough that he could boast of a tight 'six-pack' stomach though it was a rarity that anyone ever saw him in this fashion.
Initially his intention had been to attend college. Like any kid however, his newfound freedom in being legally of age and out of his parent's direct control, caused him to put that future goal temporarily on hold. Jared decided he wanted to travel a bit, see the world...have some fun.
He soon moved out of his parents home, located a cozy, yet affordable apartment and began working as a waiter at a small outdoor café where the food was good and the tips made working there certainly worth his while.
He had just finished seating three very attractive women, all as he guessed to be in their late twenties or early thirties when he picked up on one of the woman's thoughts. Patiently waiting to take their drink orders, he stood by as they casually glanced over the wine and liquor menu. He had asked each of them if there was anything in particular that they liked, or that he could get them. Having said that, a millisecond later he heard the tall good-looking brunettes thoughts as he stood beside her, and while she continued to look intently at menu, not even glancing in his direction.
"What I'd like, is for you to bury your face inside my pussy," she'd thought, much to Jared's secret delight as he stood there tuned directly into her thoughts. "Or maybe, follow me into the bathroom and fuck my brains out while waiting for our lunch to arrive," she added to herself smiling at him almost smugly.
"I'd like a gin martini for starts, then a nice Caesar Salad," the brunette told him, handing over her menu a moment later.
Jared reached for, taking the menu from her, but doing so in such a way that his hand lightly touched hers in the taking. He smiled at her disarmingly so, having practiced that particular look in front of the mirror on more than one occasion. The brunette smiled back, almost blushing at him when she did.
"Oh if you only knew what I was thinking," she told him still smiling.
Jared took the rest of everyone's orders, no other thoughts coming to him except for those of the brunette. And as he had learned so long ago, once he was tuned into her particular frequency, he could hear everything she was thinking. Only distance, or purposely tuning her out would eventually break that connection.
"Could you tell me where the restrooms are?" she asked.
"Follow me," Jared replied courteously, going so far as to stand behind her taking her chair as she stood excusing herself to her friends.
"I'll be right back," she said with a wink smiling at them.
As though they were somehow reading her mind, one of the other women quipped almost suggestively, "I'd be careful if I were you Jared," she began, having obviously noticed the name badge he was wearing. "It's her Birthday, and if we know Janice, she just might be making a birthday wish with your name on one of the candles if you know what I mean."
Everyone had a good laugh over that while Janice, as he now knew her to be, stood up 'pooh-poohing' the girlish tease from her friends.
"Debra, you're so horrible!" she exclaimed with an accusatory remark.
But Jared noticed she was smiling even more broadly as she finally stood up and began to follow him through the restaurant back to where the restrooms were located.
As they entered the interior of the café, Jared spotted Jenny one of the other waitresses. As they were a close-nit little group, everyone got along very well, so it was no real concern when he stopped briefly by Jenny on his way back towards the bathrooms.
"Hey Jenny, do me a favor?" he asked.
"Sure Jared," she said with a wide-open smile.
"Would you mind turning in this lunch order for me? And then take their drinks out to them? I'm gonna take my ten minute break now," he told her quickly, and in doing so, letting Janice know as he did that he was suddenly 'available' though she wasn't aware of his true intentions yet of course.
"This way," Jared said turning back towards her.
