Loving Charley

by Casey Peeler

  Before we know it, we are approaching campus. A few cars are back on campus. Grabbing some of the bags, we make our way upstairs.

  Caroline is standing in the hallway. “Charley, you aren’t leavin’, are ya?”

  Crinkling my nose up, I have no idea why she would say that. “Huh?”

  Pointing to Cash, she says, “Helllooo, you brought backup with ya.”

  “No, silly! He drove me back. He can’t get enough of me, ya know?” I wink.

  “Well, make sure you keep the noise down tonight!” As I roll my eyes, we walk into my room.

  Chapter 13

  Once the car is unloaded and we have spoken to the Kluft girls, we make ourselves at home in my room. Cash takes a seat on my bed, and I snuggle into him. We don’t say anything, and we wake to the sound of knocking on my door.

  “Come in,” I say. “Hey, Georgia! Whatcha up to?”

  She totally ignores how comfortable Cash and I are. “Oh, we were thinkin’ about going out tonight. Since Hank’s is not open, we thought we might try that new bar that just opened in town. I think its called The Board Room.”

  “That’s fine with me, if Cash’s good with it,” I say as I look at him.

  “Whatever you want, Char-coal.”

  “I take that as a yes, so Charley, let’s be ready around seven to grab a bite to eat.”

  “Sounds good.” Georgia leaves, and I relax a little longer in Cash’s arms.

  Realizing that we probably need to do something besides be laid up on each other, I roll and face him. “I think we need to get ready,” I say as I press my lips to his. As I back away, he grabs the loops of my jeans and pulls me back to him. I smile on the inside and outside as we take a few minutes to get lost in each other.

  As things begin to heat up, I feel Cash start to pull away. “Cash Money, please don’t pull away from me.” He takes it upon himself to kiss me with loving force. I know why he let up, but it’s not easy on a girl to say the least.

  He pushes my hand to the side of my face. “Char-coal, I’d never pull away from you, but I told you before that we’re waiting.”

  “But, it’s over with Dylan. It’s done.”

  Cash pushes himself up on one arm. “Charley, it’s not over. You know we have to go to court over this. Regardless, I told you I’m waiting for our wedding night.”

  “Well, damn, I just keep thinkin’ one day you’re gonna give in to me.”

  “I will one day, and that one day will involve a wedding dress that I’m gonna be ready to rip to shreds.”

  “Promise me you won’t do that because I’m afraid to even think about the price tag on one of those! How about let’s get ready to find something to eat? I heard that place has food, too. Maybe everyone will just want to eat there.”

  “I’m just along for the ride,” he says as gets up and kisses my lips. “Let’s go see what the plan is.”

  He helps me up, and we walk to Tori’s room. Everyone is in there as usual.

  “‘Bout damn time!” Tori exclaims.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Oh, ya know! Y’all come in, and the next thing we know, you’re MIA for hours!” she says with a smirk.

  “Whatever, y’all! It’s not like that… right, Cash Money?”

  “You got that right, Char-coal, but ain’t nothin’ like holdin’ you in my arms.”

  And the entire room goes “Awe.”

  Shaking my head, I reply, “So, I was thinkin’...”

  “Oh, shit! She’s thinkin’ again!” Hayden says. I shoot her an are you kiddin’ me look. “What Charley? The last time you started thinking we ended up seeing Cash and his fine ass beating that mofo to a pulp!”

  Swallowing really hard, I try my best not to react, not to let my emotions get in the way. As I start to speak, Cash Money takes control, and I can’t thank him enough, or maybe I can later!

  “Y’all, Char-coal did what she thought was right. Yeah, it got a little messed up, but anything involving Douchebag Dylan is goin’ to be jacked up. I’m just glad we were all there,” he says as he places his hand around my waist, and I let my head meet his shoulder.

  “Anyways!” Anna says. “Let’s get our party on! What’s the game plan?”

  “That’s why we came in here. We wanted to see if y’all wanted to make a night there. I heard they have some kick ass shrimp and grits!”

  Both Hayden and Anna have a disgusted look on their face. “Hey, don’t knock it till ya try it!” I reply. “Y’all wanna be ready to roll around seven?”

  “Hell to the yeah! There isn’t going to be anything bored there tonight!” Tori exclaims.

  Hayden starts to laugh, and we all know where this is going. “I can think of a few things that might be stiff as a board!” We all shake our heads and go our separate ways to get ready.

  Once we are back in my room, I stare at my closet. I have no clue what I want to wear. As if he’s reading my mind, Cash walks up behind me, grabs a pair of Rock N Roll Cowgirl jeans that are completely worn in all the right places and a one-sleeved coral shirt. He pairs it with my new Ariats.

  “Here ya go,” he says. “This is what I want to see you in, and I’m all that matters.”

  Acting like I’m going to take the clothes from him, I go to grab them, but instead, I push him onto my bed. It’s time to leave Cash like he’s been leaving me. I slowly crawl on top of him and kiss his neck and then give a little nibble on his earlobe. When a low moan escapes his lips, I know I’m on the right track. He goes to place his hands underneath my shirt, and I get chills as his tough hands touch my skin. I realize this might not have been the best idea. I slow my movements, but Cash has other ideas.

  With his hands on my skin, he rolls me to where this is now his game… and I like it. We spend the next twenty minutes exploring each other, but never crossing the line. If this is that good, I can only imagine what having him completely will be like.

  We realize we need to get ready, but we hold each other for as long as we can. I give him a brief kiss before pulling away to take a quick shower. When I return, Cash is dressed and ready to go. Hot damn. He’s standing there in a pair of jeans that hug his ass just right and a worn pearl snap, and I’m instantly rethinking this going out idea.

  “See somethin’ ya like?”

  “Maybe?” I smirk as I walk to my desk, turn on Cole Swindell’s new album and start to put on my makeup. Cash begins to sing, and when he’s right behind me, he bends down, sweeps my hair to the side, and places one tender kiss on my neck. Every nerve in my body is on alert, and chill bumps react on my skin. “What was that for?”

  “Is that answer still maybe?” I shrug my shoulders and grin. “Well, let’s just see later.”

  After I finish getting ready, we load up the Love Machine and make our way to The Board Room. Our ride to The Board Room is nothing out of the ordinary. Hayden is her crazy self. We laugh and enjoy being back together. We don’t talk about what happened that night, and I’m glad. I’m ready for some good food with great friends and dancing with the man of my dreams.

  Chapter 14

  We arrive downtown on two wheels, giggling, and starting the night off right. What’s even better is that there has been little alcohol consumed by anyone, and we are still our crazy selves.

  Cash guides me out of the Love Machine and takes my hand as we walk up the street to The Board Room. When we enter, the smell of Southern comfort food tickles my nose. The lighting is dim, and people stare at us as we walk inside.

  “Um…y’all, is this place supposed to be fancy or something?” Georgia asks.

  “Nah, they just aren’t prepared for us. That’s all,” Hayden states confidently as she makes her way to the hostess.

  After waiting for a booth to be cleared, we are taken to a back corner in the restaurant. It’s hidden away, but we can still see everything around us. There is a DJ setting up not too far from us, families eating a quiet supper, and several couples on dates.

  We each take
a moment to look over the menu. They have anything from burgers to filet mignon. I know that shrimp and grits are what I will enjoy tonight, and a ribeye is in Cash’s future. The waitress approaches and takes our drink order and brings out a basket of bread. Everyone grabs a piece.

  Once our order is taken, we sit back, relax, and enjoy being together. Hayden gives us a play-by-play of her crazy adventures while at home on break. I swear, I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when she was little. I bet she stayed in trouble.

  The food arrives, and we dig in. It’s fantastic. As we all finish, we sit and watch as families leave, and the young crowd begins to arrive at the bar. By nine, the place is crawling with people. Most are young, but there are a few men and women that undoubtedly are single and looking for a good time.

  Knowing that this might be our last night out with the swim season being at its peak, we are going to let loose, and I’m glad that they only guy I’ll be dancing with is my Cash Money. When the music begins to play, we try to refrain from being the first ones on the dance floor, but that’s a lost cause. As soon as the first beat drops, Hayden is out there acting a fool for the entire bar to see.

  “Ya know, I’d never have picked Hayden as one of your friends,” Cash whispers.

  Laughing, I answer, “I know, but I wouldn’t trade her crazy ass for the world!”

  About that time, I see someone approaching us. It’s Joe. Cash extends his hand, they shake, and he takes a seat with us.

  “Hey, Joe. Whatcha up to?” I ask.

  “Nothing much. The lacrosse guys just figured we’d go out, and when I saw the Love Machine outside, I knew we were in for a fun night.”

  “You know us too well! Have you talked to Piper?”

  His face turns bright red. “Jackalope Joe! Is there something you’re not telling us?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I will have to say that girl is something else… and I’ll leave it at that.”

  Cutting my eyes at Cash, I know exactly what that means. Piper has Joe wrapped, and she’s not going to let him loose if she can help it. I can’t blame her one bit. He’s a good one, and if I didn’t have my Cash Money, he would definitely be at the top of my get-to-know list.

  “Well, I just wanted to say hey. I’m sure I’ll see ya on the dance floor in a little bit.”

  “Wait! Let’s send Piper a pic. You think she’s back yet?” We send a funny group shot with a message wishing she was here before Joe goes to hang out with the guys.

  After Joe leaves, Cash and I sit and enjoy being together. Little by little the dance floor continues to get packed. Cash and I have had a good time sitting here, but now it’s time to shake what my mama gave me. Taking him by the hand, I pull him from the booth, putting a little more emphasis on my hips as we make our way to the dance floor.

  As we reach it, I turn around and face him. “You know you’re killin’ me, right?” he whispers.

  “I don’t want to kill you, but I might want to make you want me just a little bit more.”

  “Char-coal, that ain’t possible, but I plan on enjoying every minute of it.”

  Smiling, I look him in the eyes and brush my lips against his. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I sway my hips to the beat of the music, and he follows along. Whoever said white boys can’t dance sure haven’t seen Cash. He doesn’t even need liquid courage. With each song, we become more in tune with each other. Everyone around us has disappeared, and we are now the only people I see. That is until Katy Perry comes through the speakers. I’m brought back to reality with the sound of Hayden and all my friends singing at the top of their lungs, and I have no choice but to join in.

  Cash stands at the edge of the dance floor with Joe as they watch. He has a huge grin on his face with his arms crossed, and Joe does the same. It’s kinda funny how things worked out. Not only do I have the man of my dreams, but my best friend has hers as well.

  When the song ends, we continue to dance like we would at Hank’s. Every guy in the room is watching us, and we all enjoy it a little too much. As guys start to approach us to dance, I decide I might need to find Cash Money. That’s when I feel hands touch my hips that aren’t his. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Tucker, the fine ass baseball player. He smiles. I turn to face him and excuse myself, but he doesn’t let go of my hips.

  “Tucker, I’m with someone,” I say as I point to Cash.

  “Oh, well, I just thought since you and Joe are a no, maybe we could pick up from where we left off at Hank’s.”

  “I’m sorry, but if you want someone fun to dance with, both Georgia and Caroline are single and fun.”

  “Okay, but I just thought we had something.”

  Tucker and I are not going to have anything going, so I separate myself from him and lead him toward Georgia who is talking to Cash.

  “Georgia, this is Tucker. He plays baseball and wants to dance,” I say confidently.

  Georgia looks at me like I’ve lost it, but smiles and agrees. Tucker introduces himself to Cash and informs him that he is one lucky guy to have me. Cash agrees completely, and they make their way to the dance floor.

  Cash places his arm around my waist. “I’m not even gonna ask about that one, but I was about two seconds away from getting my ass put back in jail.”

  “Now, Cash Money, we can’t have that,” I say as I turn into his chest, place my hand on his cheek, and make him forget that another guy just tried to make a move on me.

  We spend the remainder of the night in each other’s arms both on and off the dance floor. When the house lights come up, we make our way to the Love Machine and back to Southern. The ride is full of chatter about Georgia and Tucker and what is going to become of that. He seems like a decent guy, but only time will tell, because those baseball guys have a reputation of taking one thing and leaving. If that’s the case, he won’t call Georgia again because she’s not that kinda girl.

  We say goodbye to everyone and wait while they make their way back to their rooms. I have to make sure our residential assistant isn’t on the prowl. She’s not, so we walk to my room. Once we are inside, we get ready for bed. Exhausted from a night out, I can’t wait to fall asleep in Cash’s arms, which is exactly what I do, even though I don’t want morning to come. In the morning, Cash will have to go back to Grassy Pond, I’ll have practice, and we will be apart until his court date.

  Chapter 15

  I awake to the sound of a bird chirping and the warmth of Cash’s arms around me. I don’t want to move because that would risk the chance of him stirring, and then he will have to go. Glancing at the clock, I see that it’s eight. I have practice at ten. I decide the best choice to make right now is to lie in Cash’s arms until I’m forced to get up.

  Undoubtedly, Cash is exhausted because I finally have to wake him at nine-fifteen. It’s earlier than I want, but I do want to enjoy his company a little bit before he has to leave and I have practice.

  As I roll to wake him with a kiss, he smiles at me. “Well, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were just acting like you were sleepin’,” I say before meeting my lips with his.

  “I’ll never tell,” he says with a wink as he places his arms around my body. “I really don’t want to leave.”

  “I know. You sure this is the right choice?”

  Sweeping my hair out of my face, I reply, “I know it’s the right choice. This semester will be over before we know it. Then, I will be home until next year.”

  Not really wanting to touch the next year subject, I just do what any girl would do lying with the hottest country boy around. I take advantage.

  Until we have to get ready, Cash and I have fun in the sheets, but don’t cross the line. I’m dreading this moment. It was terrible to leave him in Grassy Pond, and here I am replaying this scene again. He must sense my sadness, as we get ready, because he wraps his loving arms around me as I attempt to pull my hair into a ponytail.

  “I don’t want to leave either, but I have to.
I’m sure your dad would love to have to pay double tuition.”

  “You’re right about that.” I smirk. “I could just see his face if he got that kinda bill.”

  Once I finish putting up my hair, we hold each other until we don’t have any other choice but to go our separate ways.

  “Come on. Let me drive you to practice,” Cash says as he grabs my swim bag and his duffle bag.

  Cash gets my keys, and we make our way to my car. He opens the passenger seat for me and kisses my lips before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s seat. After glancing at him in the driver’s seat, I smirk. The things a guy will do for his girl, like drive her car.

  “What’s that for?” he asks.

  “You just look so cute drivin’ the Honda.”

  “Hey, it takes a real man to drive one, but I feel like I’m on the dirt compared to the truck.”

  After placing the car in reverse, he puts his hand on my leg and drives me to practice. As we see the gym approaching, tears begin to swell in my eyes. I try to brush them without Cash noticing, but it’s a lost cause.

  As we pull into a parking space, Cash puts the car in park and comes to open the door for me. He guides me out of the car by my hand, and I stand as he pulls me in for a sweet embrace. He wipes the tears that are now freely falling from my eyes and pulls up my chin to meet his gaze.

  “Char-coal, don’t cry. It only makes it harder for both of us. I’m going to try to come back next weekend or at least for Southern States. Maybe Tessa can bring your car, and I’ll follow her in the truck. That way you can come home when you want. Know that whether I’m here with you or at home, you are always my first thought. The first one in the morning, constantly during the day, and the last one before I meet you in my dreams.”

  “I love you, Cash Money, with my whole heart, and it hurts so much to know we have to be apart.”