Kissing In Cars

by Sara Ney

  Shouldn't this be more - I don't know - awkward?

  I feel like we've been doing this for...years.

  Before I even think about what I'm doing, my body, of its own accord gravitates closer, stopping just shy of his knees. Even in the dark the sight of him stroking his legs while he watches me is erotic and the butterflies return, wreaking havoc on my insides.

  "What? You're crazy." I shake my head and cross my arms.

  "Babe, you're so adorable when you're pissed. Come here," he repeats, grabbing my hand before I can protest, and drags me until I'm standing in between those gorgeous thighs. I shake a little - I can't help it. This all is just too much for me to handle in one night: this large sexy hunk of a guy, my dipshit brother...

  And holy shit, back up - did he just call me babe?

  "I should go before he comes back out and forces me to knock him on his ass." Weston's calloused hands are softly stroking my bare upper arms and he leans in, nuzzling my neck with his nose. It tickles and, sorry, but I might have giggled softly.

  "Stop that, I'm mad at you both." Even as I say the words I know they're a big fat lie, because I'm leaning into him too, lacing my fingers through his short hair. He moves his head around until he can plant a kiss in the palm of my hand.

  "Aw, don't be mad, Molly..." his voice trails off playfully. "You make me feel so -"

  "McGrath your time is up, get the hell outa here. Molly, get your ass back in the house." Matthew's loud annoying voice booms from the porch, and I vow I'm going to kill him in his sleep.

  Weston's hands roam my backside, pulling me closer still. "Goddamn he's a pain in the ass."

  You think?

  Chapter Sixteen

  MOLLY

  "Life is good? That's all you have to say about it? Unacceptable." - Jenna, the morning after."

  Let me tell you my ideal Sunday morning routine: Wake up to the smell of frying bacon, typically around Nine O'clock - or whenever I can pry my eyes open to the point where I'm functional. Most times, I'll open my laptop to check Facebook and surf the internet or I'll just lay in bed awake and read - that is, until I decide it's finally time to change into something decent and wander downstairs to eat breakfast.

  I know - rough life, right?

  Now let me tell you what my ideal way to wake up on Sunday morning IS NOT: three hysterical teenage girls jumping on top of me, shaking me out of my slumber in a fit of giggles. But guess what: that's exactly how it went down the day after my big date.

  It's so loud in my room from the shouting that I'm forced to cover my head with my blankets to block it out, while also serving as a snuffle for my sudden cursing.

  Huh, maybe I do take after Matthew after all...

  I didn't think it could possibly get any more irritating, but I'm proved wrong because Jenna full out hops up onto my bed, yanks off my down comforter, and begins bouncing up and down. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!" She chants.

  "Oh my god." I snap, "Why are you here?" I hurl my pillow at her but miss (by a long shot, I might add), then realize how counterproductive the move was.

  Now I have no pillow.

  "Get out of bed slut and tell us about your date," my friend Maddie deadpans, unceremoniously taking my desk chair and pulling it out. She flips her long blond bangs out of her eyes, straddles the chair backwards, and sits. "We waited all night for you to get home so you can't kick us out."

  "Yeah, I can't believe you didn't at least text one of us from a bathroom." Tasha chimes in, sentencing me with an accusing stare. She takes a sip of her Starbucks Chai Latte (it's written on the side of her cup) and perches herself at the foot of my Queen sized bed. "That's girl code."

  "Actually Tasha, girl code is not dating your friends ex-boyfriend...."

  "Shut up, Maddie."

  As I lay there - freezing by the way - in nothing but boxer shorts, a tank top with my bedding completely ripped off, I look around at my three friends and groan. Jenna is now sitting by my head and peers down at me with a smirk on her face. She's got on a full face of make-up and yellow feather earrings wisp down to her shoulders. "We're not leaving, so you mine as well sit up and start talking."

  Everyone nods.

  Jenna leans over so we're eye to eye. "Did he kiss you?"

  Tasha immediately scoffs. "Of course he kissed her! Have you seen that guy? He's sex on a stick!"

  This comment causes Maddie to raise her eyebrows and snort. Loudly. "Sex on a stick? What the hell does that mean?"

  "Oh my god you guys, would you please stop? Just stop." I rub my temples with my forefingers and close my eyes. I know how excited they were for this date and they're here because they love me, so I take a deep breath and let it out before saying, "It was really a really...good date." Hey, I don't want to lay all my cards out on the table at once. Then they get all greedy.

  Maddie rolls my desk chair closer to the bed and rests her arms on the back of the seat. "Where did he take you?"

  "Do you guys mind if I get up and brush my teeth? I feel gross." I try to sit up so I can put my legs over the edge of the bed, but Jenna pushes me back down.

  "Stay. You're a flight risk and we're not taking any chances. Now spill."

  "Jeez, at least let me sit up." I huff.

  "Wait! Everyone wait!" Tasha throws her hands in the air, crisscrossing them like a referee. "Ladies. We forgot to ask one of the most important details. The detail that sets the whole scene...." She is at the foot of the bed but she stretches herself out, leaning towards me with the intensity of a lioness stalking her prey. "What...were...you...wearing?"

  What is it with girls and wardrobe selections? Sheesh. I bite the inside of my cheek to hold back the smile threatening to escape. Before I can talk, Jenna interrupts, talking rapidly. "She wore that white peplum top with dark skinnies and those high espadrille wedges. She looked smokin' hot. Okay Molly - Go." She points her finger at me to indicate I should continue, but then Maddie interrupts.

  "Were you showing boob?" She reaches over and grabs Tasha's latte, taking a big sip, which earns her a loud "Hey, give that back!"

  Was I showing boob? I shrug. "Uh, I guess a little?"

  "Nice..." Maddie nods approvingly. "Did you see him checking out your cleeve?" (apparently, this is Maddie talk for cleavage)

  I nod. "Yes actually, and he wasn't the least bit embarrassed to get caught."

  "Yeah, because he wanted to get his man hands on 'em," she cackles and Tasha high five's her.

  "Okay so where did he take you?" Jenna asks. "It was driving me crazy all night - Ugh, I still can't believe you didn't text..."

  I look around before answering, ringing my blanket between my hands because I know my response is going to put them all over the edge. I cover my ears before saying, "The Shedd Aquarium. We went downtown."

  A chorus of very un-ladylike 'shut the fuck up,' 'holy shit' and 'O-M-G's' fill the room, plus lots of squeals and screaming, and once it dies down Jenna silences the group with a "Shh, shh, shh... Oh my god. Oh my god. Amazing. I'm so super jealous." Her earrings float around her face and even at nine in the morning it strikes me how adorable she is. "Damn that guy is good. I never would have guessed he had it in him."

  Tasha snorts. "That's because he wants to have 'it' in her." Everyone laughs, including me - not that I don't think her words aren't embarrassing (because my face is now bright red), but because sometimes I forget how clever she is.

  "So what's he like? How did he treat you," Jenna wants to know.

  I think about this for a minute before answering, debating about how much to tell them, biting my lower lip in concentration. "He was great, really great. Not at all like the image he puts out there. You know how he just always seems like he wants to be left alone? Well, he mostly does, but it's because he wants to get a hockey scholarship, not because he's an ass."

  "Uh, Weston is in my gym class and I'm going to have to disagree. That guy is an ass." Maddie says, pausing for effect. "A hot piece of ass!" She keels over laughing at
her own joke, tipping the chair back and hitting Tasha in the leg.

  "Get off me you freak!" Tasha squeals slapping Maddie on the arm and rolling her eyes. "Oh my god, you're so annoying."

  "Well anyways," I continue through their bickering, totally warming up to my topic. "We talked a lot. He has a sister who he's real protective of, and one that died when she was young. Her name was his first tattoo." Everyone has gotten quiet as they listen to me recounting details. "So we went to the aquarium, and sat for a long time in from of the Jelly fish. It was real dark and peaceful. I mean, we didn't kiss or anything, but our legs were touching and it was still...electric, you know?"

  "So then what?" Tasha whispers, probably because she doesn't want to spook me and have me clam up.

  "So...then we left and he took me for ice cream. We stopped in River Hills, at that old 50's diner? Maddie, didn't you go there with Marshall once?" She nods. "Anyways we sat at a corner table even though there really weren't any other people there, and he orders this huge sundae. Like, extra everything, and I thought there was no way he could finish it."

  "But he does."

  I lay there looking at the ceiling and for once my friends are quiet.

  Waiting.

  "Yeah, he does. I mean, the guy is huge. Of course he's gonna finish it..." My voice trails off.

  "Uh, just how huge is he, Molly?" Jenna cackles at her own perverted question.

  I roll my eyes and say, "I wouldn't know."

  "Well that's disappointing..."

  "Okay, so what I really want to know is...do you think he'll ask you to Fall Formal? I mean, it's like next month." Jenna says, leaning over me again. You know what, until this very moment I hadn't considered Fall Formal - haven't thought about the dance and if he would invite me... Because if he likes me, wouldn't he maybe want to go? I can't help it, I'm a girl. We think about these things. Even though I know it's not his thing and he's never gone to a dance before (nor can I picture him at one, to be honest). In any case, a small seed of doubt plants and sprouts itself in my mind, wishing that Jenna hadn't brought it up, mostly.

  On the other hand... I feel like I'm kind of past all of this and just want to move on: go to college and be done with the whole high school scene.

  "So what happened when he brought you home?" Maddie wants to know, changing the subject.

  "Well, you know...." I can't stop the blush creeping up my neck.

  "Was it any good? Did he stick his tongue down your throat?"

  "Ugh, yeah, it was so good my toes were actually curling in my shoes - but then freaking Matthew came barging outside and ruined the whole moment."

  "What?!" there is a collective burst of outrage from my friends and Jenna huffs, "You have got to be kidding me! Ugh, why is he such a jerkoff?"

  "Is he here?" Tasha wants to know, rising from the bed. She's always had a major crush on him; In fact, when we were younger she would only want to come over if Matthew was home. If he wasn't, she wouldn't even want to bother coming over and I would go to her house. How messed up is that? "Do you think he's in his room?"

  "No stalker, sit down and get a grip. He has a game today - he probably left before the sun came up. His sole reason for coming home was to torture me and my date. It was so awful. I wanted to punch him between the eyes. Seriously, he came out on to the porch and started calling Weston all these names and embarrassing the shit out of me."

  "I'm sorry Molly, but Matthew is so damn hot..." Tasha pouts, flopping back down onto the bed.

  "Yup, can't argue with that one." Maddie agrees.

  "Actually, I can argue with that," I say with a snort. "I'll be lucky if Weston calls me. Matthew acted like he was committing a federal crime by putting his hands on me. I mean, he grabbed him by the shirt collar for god's sake, and the worst part is my parents were inside the whole time and did nothing to stop him."

  "Wait, wait - hold up. Go back to the part about the shirt collar... Weston wore a dress shirt? I think I'm going to pass out. Yup, I'm passing out," Jenna says, fanning herself with her hands then rolling on the bed until she's on top of me. We're all laughing hysterically. "Oh girl, he must really like you."

  "Yup," I say, rolling my eyes and giggling. "Nothing says love like a polo shirt."

  Chapter Seventeen

  WESTON

  "I kind of just want someone who's going to like me for the total asshole that I already am. It's less work." - heard in the locker room.

  If you would have told me a week ago I would be sitting in study hall anxiously watching the doorway for a girl to walk through it, I would have laughed my ass off and probably told you to shut the fuck up. But the jokes on me because here I sit, covertly in the far corner, brim of my ball cap almost covering my eyes and willing Molly to walk through the door of the library.

  Watching like a freaking sap.

  I look up at the round clock hanging on the wall, and curse because she technically only has a few more minutes to get here - two more minutes actually, until the bell rings - or I can write her off as having gone somewhere else for study hall.

  A calculus book sits open in front of me and my right leg impatiently bounces up and down of its own free will - and I watch the door like it's my job. The thought crosses my mind that I should have texted her, telling her to meet me here - but I haven't gotten ahold of her since our date Saturday, and don't want to seem too eager.

  Desperate.

  The bell finally rings, and, disappointed that Molly hasn't shown up I finally force myself to look down at my textbook. After staring at the same page for who knows how long, the words and numbers on the page still aren't making sense, and none of them are registering in my brain. I stare unblinking and trancelike down at the open pages, unable to stop thinking about my date this past weekend. Unable to stop thinking about Molly - who has been consuming my thoughts - and if my dad knew he would personally serve my ass up on a silver platter and never let me see her again.

  I know at least mom was secretly excited for me; she was waiting up for me in the kitchen Saturday night to hear the details of my date with Molly. Actually, when I came in to the house she scared the shit out of me sitting there in the dark on a barstool at the counter.

  I might have even screamed a little.

  I've actually never seen mom that way before - my guess is that she holds a lot of it in because of my dad not wanting me to be serious about anything other than school and hockey, but really, she was pretty damn excited. I felt like a girl the way she fussed over me, helping me get ready and insisting that I get my shaggy hair trimmed earlier in the day - which of course, I did. And yeah, it was really fucking irritating - but I let her fuss anyways, because in a way I felt guilty - I know mom's love that shit and before this weekend she's never had the opportunity.

  I'll just keep telling myself all the effort was for my mom and sister, and not for Molly.

  And speaking of Kendall... she had gotten freakishly excited too, singing that annoying ass song "Weston and Molly sitting in the tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." over and over before I bolted from the house.

  Unable to concentrate I lean back and take off my cap, running my fingers through the hair that's no longer there. I keep forgetting how short it is. Damn.

  I raise my eyes as I set the hat down on my head, brim to the back, I swallow hard as Molly walks into the room. She's stopped at the circulation desk, leaning over on her elbows across the counter with a slip of paper extended towards Mrs. Stalworth, the dumpy old librarian who takes it and grins.

  As they continue quietly chatting I'm checking her out...

  Obviously.

  Even in casual school clothes, she makes my breath hitch and I reach up to flip my hat back around so no one catches the expression in my eyes, which I'm assuming is akin to adoration. Let's just get something straight right now: Weston McGrath doesn't get caught checking chicks out - ever.

  And just so we're clear, he also doesn't do girlfriends.

  But hell, why is she so much godd
amn cuter than I remember?

  Molly leans against the counter, still oblivious to the fact that I'm watching her from the corner of the room. It's the first glimpse I've had of her since Saturday, and the sight of her gets my blood flowing - especially in those tight blue jeans, which hug her ass like a second skin.

  She straightens to a stand, and my eyes rake hungrily over the navy blue and white stripped tank top that's pulled tightly across her breasts (nice), over which she's wearing an unbuttoned gray cardigan. A thin brown leather belt is wrapped around her waist and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail with the cutest fucking white bow in it.

  Now how in the hell am I going to concentrate?

  Finally she turns and scans the room looking for a place to sit. I sit at attention, my posture a little straighter, and silently will Molly to notice me in the back of the room. Shit, why did I have to sit back here? Oh that's right, because I'm a fucking idiot.

  Patiently I wait.

  I'm rewarded when our eyes meet and she takes those first tentative steps towards me - then falters. Biting on her lower lip she is obviously measuring whether or not to approach me, and I mentally chastise myself for not having texted her after our date. It was a great date - so great I was hard for two days afterwards - but let's be honest: this isn't going anywhere. Despite that, I feel like a world class jackass and I wouldn't blame her if she sat somewhere else, even though I know she won't.

  Because Molly Wakefield is classier than that and I doubt she tolerates bullshit. In fact, I would kind of expect her to waltz over and bitch me out for not calling.

  Weaving her way through the tables that have been staggered around the room, I think she is going to come over to my table.

  But then she shocks the crap out of me.

  In a library full of people, instead of choosing to sit with me she parks it at a table with some random emo chick wearing all black that I've never seen before. Her chair is facing me and she shoots me a smile that even from here I can tell is forced, despite my lack of a sensitivity gene, before pulling it out and plopping down. Molly then lobs her black backpack onto the tables' surface in front of her and I watch as she unzips it, takes out a notebook then a calculator.