Guest Writer- Jodi MacArthur

Jodi MacArthur has a standing invite from me to write for the NOT anytime she damn well pleases. It is easy to run out of superlatives when describing Jodi's work. Creative, imaginative, whimsical, and captivating are but a few descriptors and these don't even scratch the surface. No one writes better horror than JodiMac and her literary, non-genre work sings effortlessly as well. The piece below is a fine example of what the woman does with relationships, emotion and dialogue. It doesn't get any better.



Sexy Hot Score
by Jodi MacArthur


Hollinger jeans slid like silk against his hips every time he switched poses. His ripped six-pack quivered under hunky chest muscles, holding poses minutes, or was it hours at a time? Jessica didn't know, but she did know that Jacque was an absolute dream. She wanted him, and she was sure he wanted her.

It was that intake of breath when she walked by wearing Sexy Frequency (Hollinger's new cologne), it was that slow lift of his pressed full lips that she knew - knew was a secret smile, which made her walk so close. So close their skin almost touched and the heat. Oh, the heat between their flesh could catch flame. Who knew what could happen in that shadowy hall between mall and store….

"Jessica, he's so not into you okay? Alright? He's not sniffing you, he's like holding in a cough. Can't you tell by that look on his face? Geez."

Elenor ran her red fingernails through spiked blonde hair then fumbled at the diamond studs that lined her earlobe.

"Ellie, if you’re so sure why don't you go ask?" Jessica smiled and inspected her own red nails, then frowned. One was chipped.

"It's Elenor, duh? And if you're so sure of the 'heat' between you two, why don't you go ask?"

Jessica snapped her head up and glared at Elenor. Stupid, all those stupid secrets she had shared only the night before while reading Redbook magazine, and scribbling on one of those 'How Hot Are You?’ quizzes, which reminded her.

"Well, Ellie, I recall you didn't rank too high on the Sexy Hot score."

Elenor folded her arms and legs in sync and huffed.

They both stared ahead, watching Jacque slowly lower his arms from behind his head and fold them in front of his chest, just below his fine toned pecks.

Jessica was about to mention this to Elenor when he thrust hips forward. They both burst out laughing.

"He so did not just do that."

"Oh yeah, he so knows we're watching…"

Elenor sat forward on the bench, cupped her hand and whispered, "Hey Jess, check it out, he wears boxers."

"Silk or cotton?" Jessica asked.

"To the right or left?"

Jessica slapped Elenor on the shoulder. "You are so naughty. We should find out."

They both collapsed on each other laughing, letting their Victoria's Secret bags full of lingerie and cosmetics fall to the ground.

"Okay, okay, stop, stop! My hair is perfectly straight and silky. I don't want him to see it ruffled."

Jessica stood up and flipped her hair back.

"How do I look?"

"Oh my g, no way."

"Yeah, so way…where's that new lipstick?"

Their blonde and brunette heads poked together sifting through the pink and white bags searching…searching… until Elenor shrieked, "Here, I found it. Now sit back down and let the expert do the work."

"Yay!" Jessica faked a quiet handclap, and then dropped her lower jaw, pursed her lips.

Elenor traced Jessica's lips with the Vixen Red lip liner, hesitated, looked at Jacque, thought for a minute, smiled, then went back to lining Jessica's lips again.

"Oh, weird…" said Jessica. "I just so felt that go up my nose."

"What? You know I'm artist, girl. Now relax…"

"M'kay." Jessica squeezed her eyes shut again and pictured Jacque in her mind. His broad smile, his smokey green eyes lighting up when she spoke to him, called him by name, whispered in his ear…

"Beautiful, hot, sexy woman." Elenor pulled away and tilted her head this way and that, her black and pink bracelets jingling as she waved her wrists. "Are you really going to say something?"

"Yeah, this time I will…" Jessica feigned a frown."What's wrong, Ellie?"

Elenor looked down, straightened the collar on her white blouse and pulled down, bringing the V between her breasts deeper.

"What if he likes me instead? I mean, I am blonde, and I might've scored low on the Hot Sexy score, but I'm much smaller framed than you are."

"Oh my g, Ellie, I can't believe you're saying this." Jessica jumped from the bench and pointed. "You're just jealous because he likes me. He wants me and you know it!"

A gang of guys wearing hipster, low jeans and baggy t-shirts chuckled as they walked by.

A guy with a fro said, "Yo, wassup, ladies. Allow me to solve a problem here?"

Fro guy smiled from ear to ear, and scowled when he heard both girls say, "No!" at the same time.

Fro guy and his homies walked on and both girls were collapsing into each other's arms once more.

"Did you hear him, Jess?"

"Can you believe he thought we'd go for that?" Elenor stood up and yanked on her blouse again, then straightened the wrinkles out of the fabric. "Jessica, I'm coming with you. If he wants you, I'll let him to you, but if he wants me, you let him to me. Deal?" She stuck out her hand.

Jessica cocked her head to the side and smiled a perfectly delicious smile. Red liner traced up one nostril. "No deal. He's mine." With that, she stood, flipped her hair back, and walked the carefully practiced model's sway towards Jacque.

She watched his face as she approached, and yes, there it was again, that soft inhale, that half perched smile. Oh, mama, he's was looking at her now, those bedroom eyes piercing her right down to her lusting red-hot soul.

"Hey." She smiled the smile she had practiced over and over at home in the mirror.

He smiled back, his grazing eyes moving down to her mouth. "Hi, Jessica."

Her heart melted at his deep voice saying her name, her name. He did want her…she knew it. Wait, how'd he know her name?

"And is…Ellie your friend?" He nodded his head to someone standing right behind her.
Jessica frowned and turned. There was Ellie grinning like a stupid barbie doll with perfect round circles where her cheeks flamed bright red.

"Hi, Jacque, nice to meet you." Elenor stepped in front of Jessica and shyly held out her hand.

Jacque's smile lopsided and he lifted a finger to his mouth tapping on one side, looking from blondie to brunette, then gave his hand to Elenor.

Jessica watched their hands shake and her stomach dropped, then tightened. She would win. "Um, how do you know our names?"

Jacque lifted his perfectly shaped eyebrows and put his hands on his hips. "I was wondering how you knew mine?"

"Oh, the store manager told us!" said Elenor.

Jessica rolled her eyes at Ellie. She turned to Jacque. His eyes had found her full shaped mouth again. "So how do you know-"

"Jessie and I have to ask you something! Swear you'll tell - promise!" Elenor folded both hands together in pleading position.

"Umm…" Jacque stared at Jessica, the peculiar red line drawn from lip to nostril. "Tell you ladies what. I'll answer you one question. Then I've got to get back to work." He raised his arms and flexed.

Both girls ogled.

Sweat broke out on Jessica's forehead. She really didn't feel like asking anymore.

"Okay, ask him Jess."

She hated Ellie, hated her.

She could feel the blood leaving her face; she clenched her fists together, then folded her arms around her self.

Jacque took a step closer and leaned down fully into her face. "Well, what is it?"
His deep voice slid down her body like hot massage oil causing her blood to race. She could smell his cologne…the Hollinger's brand. Ooohhh…. She licked her lips.

He smiled.

"Cotton or silk?" Jessica whispered.

Elenor leaned in close, wanting to hear the exchange between the two.

Jacque placed a hand on each of the girl's shoulders and leaned in. They looked like a football team relaying plans.

He glanced at Jessica. "Red."

Then at Elenor. "Silk."

Then at Jessica. "Thongs, same place you got yours."

Jessica and Elenor exchanged confused looks. "You're gay?" They both shrieked in unison.

Jacque smiled and folded his arms behind his neck and shrugged with a half loped smile. "Sorry, ladies."

Jessica stomped her foot and turned. “Come on, Elenor, let’s go.” She grabbed Ellie by the wrist and pulled her back to the bench. As she collected her pink bags, she turned to see Elenor smiling at Jacque. She looked at him.

He raised an eyebrow, met Jessica’s eyes, then pointed at his lip, his nose.
“What’s he doing?” Jessica asked.

"Oh, um, I don't know... let's so get out here." Elenor grabbed at Jessica's purse.
It was too late. Jessica had already pulled out her compact and examined her face in the mirror. "I hate you, Ellie! Oh my g, I hate you!"

“You always take the cutest guys away. It was my turn.”

“I get the most guys because I rank higher on the Sexy Hot score!”
“If he wasn’t gay he’d like me.”

Jessica turned and looked at Jacque, temporarily smitten. He shifted his hips. His eyes sparkled with amusement. “I think he still wants me.”

“Girl, he faked gay to get away from you,” Elenor said.

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“You suck.”

“You suck more.”

Both girls hissed. Jessica threw Elenor’s pink bag in the trash. Elenor snatched up Jessica’s new lipstick and threw it as hard as she could. A lady cried out.

“I am so going to twitter this.”

“Me too.”

“Hey!” yelled a security officer as he ran towards them through the crowd.

Both girls grabbed their purses and flew from the bench, leaving Jacque behind.

Jacque grinned and scratched two more marks in the back of the Hollinger sign.