Read Possessing Jessie for Free Online

salesman had talked with her awhile. “Automatic or four on the floor?”
    â€œFour on the floor!” Jessie knew that Jason, who would drive any car anybody would let him get his hands on, had loved to shift gears. Said you could get massively more control that way.
    â€œThat’s the sports package, then. Which color?”
    Jessie opened her mouth and shut it again, struggling within herself. She liked the gold car. She knew Jason would have wanted the black one.
    At that moment she overheard someone whisper, “Is that a boy or a girl?”
    Anger burning, she knew she had to be Jason. “Black!” she yelled. “Do they have leather interior?” Jessie herself would have preferred plush–the gold car had a sort of grayish-violet plush that was to die for–but she couldn’t be herself.
    They had leather. Charcoal. Electronically adjustable seats and windows, super lightweight aluminum-alloy wheels, rear spoiler, Bose stereo, and CD player. It was all settled within minutes after Jessie, as Jason, had condescended to stroll over, take a look, and give her okay, even though the sticker price made her blink. Mom got out her checkbook, and the sales guy led her inside the dealership to sign papers. She was in there for maybe ten minutes while Jessie hung around outside. The people who had been staring went away. Nobody spoke to her.
    Mom came out with a NISSAN bag full of papers, leather-bound owner’s manual, colorful pamphlets. She gave Jessie a frail smile. “I’d like to go home now, Sweetie. I feel as if I need to lie down.”
    All Mom had to do was look fragile, blink her eyelashes, and almost anybody would do almost anything for her, including Jessie. This had been true for as long as Jessie could remember. Already a salesman was calling the insurance company, getting them to arrange pickup of the rental car. All Jessie had to do was hand over the keys. Another salesman backed the Z-car out of its tight parking space, pulled up, and stopped in front of Jessie as if he were bringing Cinderella her carriage. The man got out, tried to smile as he looked at her with too much white showing around the rims of his eyes, and gestured her into the driver’s seat almost with a bow.
    Jessie took her time, adjusting the seat the way she liked it, leaning back a little, and positioning the steering wheel low on her lap, while she studied the instruments. In the passenger seat, Mom yakked, “I’ve never bought such an expensive car in my life! And it was so easy! Just choose the car and give the people the money!”
    â€œI bet you never bought a car before at all,” Jessie teased.
    â€œWell, I guess that’s true!”
    Turning the key in the ignition, feeling the smooth hum of the Z-car buzz through her body like a soothing massage, Jessie reached for the stick shift and remembered almost as if it didn’t matter that, speaking of things people had never done before, she had never driven a four-on-the-floor.
    But it was okay. She’d let Jason do it. His presence was with her, kind of inside her, like an instinct. With his guidance, she pressed the clutch, shifted into first gear, eased out the clutch, and the Z-car slid off as smoothly as a black python.
    Mom exclaimed, “My, Sweetie, you do drive nicely!”
    Jessie grunted.
    â€œWhat would you like for supper, Honey?”
    â€œDunno. Later.” Jessie could hardly wait to drop Mom off at home and take the new car out by herself. Supper? Forget it. Homework? Ditto. For once in her life, she could skip homework. So what if her grades slipped a little? What would anybody do to her, hang her by her thumbs?
    â€œYou’re going to take your new toy for a spin? Have fun, darling, and be safe” Mom sang as she got out in front of the house.
    The Z-car purred like a big black cat as Jessie drove through town. It growled more like a black lion as she reached a country road and