A Father's Advice Goes Unheeded (Part Five)

As the couple looked at each other in the dim light of the wine bar, Liana tracing circles around the stem of her glass while Jackson thrummed the tabletop with his fingertips, a tension settle over them like an early morning mountain mist. If either of them knew what the other was thinking and feeling, the hesitant, uncertain facades they presented to each other would have shattered in a burst of excited chatter. But they didn’t know and it was all so new that starting was clearly the hardest part.

Liana sipped her wine and Jackson cleared his throat. He opened his mouth but no words came out as he dropped his eyes to his lap. When he lifted them again, he found Liana’s eyes shining, cutting through the dimness like a light bulb, and Jackson’s spirits rose, sensing a thought had struck her.

“Was this the first time a girl has ever kicked you in the balls?” The way she asked had her sounding surprised but also genuinely curious.

Jackson nodded, struggling to meet her eye as the question caught him off guard.

“Wow,” Liana said in response with a slight shake of her head. “That surprises me.” When Jackson’s eyes flashed, she chuckled. “I don’t mean it like I’m surprised because you’re a jerk or something. I’m more surprised because you’re a grown man now and have lived a bit of life. I guess I always assumed it was some kind of right of passage or something like that for a guy. You know, to have his nuts kicked up his throat by a girl,” she said with a smirk.

From out of nowhere and with a confidence he certainly wasn’t feeling, especially in light of Liana’s haughty grin, Jackson heard himself blurt, “Guess this was my right of passage.”

Liana laughed. “Mid-twenties and you’ve behaved well enough to this point that no girl has ever felt compelled to slam her foot in your groin. Amazing.” Her eyes danced but there was a cloud of doubt just under the brightness.

“Guess so,” Jackson said with a shrug of his shoulders while maintaining a look of sheer innocence.

Ignoring his little act, Liana clasped her hands and pressed them to her chest. “Well then, I’m glad to be the first to pop your cherries. Huh.” She tilted her head. “No wonder you didn’t even attempt to defend yourself. You totally weren’t expecting it all.”

Jackson shook his head, frowning slightly at Liana’s gloating about being the one to, quote unquote, pop his cherries.

“It probably explains why you got so mad, too. And why you were stupid enough to come after me.”

Looking away from her, Jackson pondered the truth of what Liana was saying. It stung him a little.

“So how are you feeling now?” Liana asked, her eyes coaxing him to be honest.

After a momentary silence, Jackson answered. “I really don’t know. I’m still kinda mad about the whole thing but then I keep thinking about what happened in bed later and I can’t help thinking there’s a some kind of correlation there. But it doesn’t make any sense.” He looked at Liana with pleading eyes, like maybe she had the answer.

“There probably is,” she said, “though, for the life of me, I can’t imagine why.”

“What do you mean?”

Liana shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno. I guess it’s just that it looks like it hurts so bad. I’ve seen guys suffer through broken bones or blown out knees with complete stoicism. But I’ve never seen a guy who didn’t crumble into a convulsing mess after a girl kicks his balls really hard. It seems like it’s the most debilitating pain ever, even if you’re into the whole pain and pleasure thing.”

“I can’t disagree with the first part,” Jackson said, hoping the dim light veiled the color draining from his face. He rubbed his forehead wondering if he should try to explain it to Liana as she sat there looking so expectant. “You would not believe how much it hurts,” he finally said, his voice thick like admitting it was just as painful.

Liana shook her head. “Probably not. You’re right.”

“I – ,” he began before stopping to take a deep breath. As he did, a funny little grin popped onto his face. “I shouldn’t be telling you this is what I should be saying.” Liana tittered good-naturedly, but leaned in to show her interest was piqued. “Ah, what the hell,” Jackson said and took a sip of wine for encouragement purposes. Liana merely shrugged innocently when he said, “Now don’t go getting a big head over this.”

“I thought it hurt bad the first time and I was so shocked that it took me a second to get my senses back. And when I did, I was pissed. You ever get hit and immediately want to strike back because it made you hurt?”

Liana nodded.

“Well, it was like that, but worse. There was something deeper that bothered me, beyond just the pain of being struck. Now I’m realizing that it was because you’re a girl and I shouldn’t be able to get hurt so bad by a girl. It added an element of embarrassment for sure.” Jackson could feel his face flushing again just remembering how he felt, but he pressed on. “But when you kicked me the second time, everything – all the emotions, the pain – was far, far worse. I should’ve been angry, and maybe deep down I was, but all I could do was worry that I might literally die. I’ve never experienced such terrible pain like that. I didn’t even feel embarrassed in the moment. I was just so completely focused on staying alive.”

As he spoke, Liana’s eyes slowly widened before her mouth fell open. Her unladylike expression was as much a result of what Jackson was saying as it was the way he looked as he spoke. He seemed almost resigned – beaten, even. It was like he believed it but couldn’t believe it at the same time. His emotional torment tugged at the caring side of Liana and, without realizing it, she slipped her hand over his. “Wow. That’s awful,” she said softly.

Jackson perked up at her touch. “So you feel bad now?” A smile played on Liana’s mouth but her eyes took on a somber hue making Jackson feel like she was pitying him.

“I do feel a little bad about how distressed you seem to be. But,” she said when his face brightened, “I still don’t feel bad about what I did.” Liana paused and looked Jackson straight in the eye. “It felt good to kick you in the balls. Really good.”

This time it was Jackson’s jaw that went slack.

“I’m sorry, Jax,” Liana said, trying to placate him. “I guess just like I’ll never know how bad it hurts, you’ll never understand what a pleasure it is to do.”

Suddenly, there was a sound like clicking and whirring inside Jackson’s head as his brain switched gears. It was a pleasure for her? What did that mean? Though he wasn’t done relating his side of things, necessarily, he just had to know more. Besides, it kind of let him off the hook, not having to confess how scared she’d made him or admitting that she could’ve beaten him to a pulp and there was nothing he could’ve done about it. “It’s a pleasure?” He asked, making his incredulity obvious.

Liana’s smile reached up to her eyes taking on an almost dreamy quality. “Yes! It’s the most amazing feeling. To have a guy crumble helplessly at your feet because you kicked him,” Liana’s smile nearly split her pretty face as she savored her words, “right in his balls!”

Jackson swallowed hard at the pure joy in her tone. It scared him how happy she sounded but it also intrigued him. He took another sip of his wine using all his concentration to keep the glass from shaking in his trembling hand. As he set his glass back down, Liana leaned in and he could feel the heat coming off her in her excitement.

“Can I confess something,” she whispered. Before he could even give his assent, Liana was already talking. “I love it when women kick men in the balls. It’s the ultimate in girl power and there’s nothing like seeing a woman standing stall and proud with a man at her feet holding his sore nuts. Of course, it’s ten times better when I do it. All that power rushing through me and the thrill of hurting a man who, let’s be honest, is way stronger than I am. Mmmm,” she purred, licking her lower lip. “That’s why I can never be truly sorry.”

Could he simply disappear into the dimness? Jackson wondered as he subconsciously squirmed in his seat. This girl was cray-zee. And yet, he found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He felt compelled to stay even if it meant getting burned. A voice whispered above the roiling seas of his emotions, Just listen to what she has to say. You like it don’t you? As his heart beat faster, Jackson realized it was true. Whether he would admit it or not, this was turning him on. Without thinking he blurted, “Does it turn you on?”

Liana’s mouth closed and she leaned back, surprised by Jackson’s forthrightness. “You know what? It does turn me on.” For a few moments, Liana let her head fall back as she stared up at the ceiling. “I’ll admit,” she finally said, looking back at Jackson, “I do find myself a little hot and bothered if I see a guy get kicked or if I kick him.”

Imagining Liana getting worked into a hot lather because she kicked a guy sent a zing of sexual excitement all through Jackson. He wanted to know more but didn’t know what to ask. Finally he settled on what he really wanted to know. “What turns you on the most?”

It was such a broad question that Liana wasn’t sure how to even answer. Did he mean what did she like to do most? Or what was the best thing about it? A mental image popped into her mind. “How about I put it to you this way with a little word picture,” she replied.

“I’m all ears,” Jackson said, leaning in.

“I really like it when a woman knows her man has been cheating but he doesn’t know that she knows. I see him waiting for her as she walks up to him, calm and collected, maybe smiling even. He reaches out his hands to take her into a hug, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. Instead of slipping into his embrace, she knees him in the balls as hard as she can. I love the determination on her face as she tries to make his balls hurt as much as they possibly can.”

Jackson wasn’t going to lie to himself. Even he thought it was hot to see a cheating guy take one in the pills from a pissed off girl. He nodded in understanding.

“I think it turns me on because there are so many things all wrapped up at once. There’s the clear power dynamic, but there’s also an element of justice. It’s just right, ya know? He broke her heart so she broke his balls. Even the physical act is erotic. She looks so graceful as her knee swings forward in a smooth, unbroken motion until it smashes his balls, while he looks so uncoordinated and ridiculous as he clutches so desperately at his nuts, doubled over until the pain is just too great and he has to fall to the ground. It’s also great that she can just walk away feeling good but all he can do is lay there awash in the agony she put him in.” For a moment, Liana’s eyes went distant as if she was lost in ecstasy. When they slipped back to Jackson, she asked, “Does that turn you on, too? What are you thinking?”

In a hoarse, thick voice, a result of the raging desire spurred by Liana’s enthusiastic but eloquent descriptions, Jackson whispered, “I’m thinking we need to get out of here. Can you close the tab?” He asked, slipping Liana some cash before waving his hand over his lap. “I don’t think I can walk just yet.”