“Look I need to get back” he said avoiding her direct question. Lorna didn’t respond and continued glaring at him. She could see a faint stain of her own red lipstick on his lips and that made her more angry.
Josh shrugged his shoulders after they had been standing in silence for a few seconds.
“You can leave. I’ll be fine” Lorna said disgustedly and crossed her arms across the wet material of her dress. Josh threw her a weak smile and started to walk away, backwards.
“Just one last question” Lorna said loudly and he stopped in his tracks.
“What’s my name?” she asked and noticed how nervous Josh suddenly looked. He kept quiet, wisely enough he didn’t want to guess incorrectly and make it worse.
“That’s what I thought” Lorna said after giving him several seconds to come up with an answer. She turned around on her heels and limped towards her house, her missing shoe lying somewhere at the bottom of Jessica Owens’ pool.
*****
Lorna paid for her coffee with the small change that was jangling around in the pocket of her jeans. She took a sip of the hot cappuccino and squeezed Mimi’s hand tight. Mimi was taking a bite out of an apple and when she finished chewing it she gave Lorna a big fat smile, which reminded her why they had been best friends since Kindergarten.
“Will you be alright for the day?” Mimi finally asked, as they came to a stop in front of the entrance to the library. Lorna took in a deep breath and nodded in response.
“Yeah, it’s been a week Mimi. I’ll be fine” she said and gave her friend an artificial smile which she was sure Mimi could see through.
“He’s barely worth it Lorna. He’s a pig” Mimi said and took another bite out of her apple.
“He’s not. But I should have seen it coming” Lorna said and took a sip of her coffee which was too hot and burnt her tongue.
“Well he kissed you when you were vulnerable and then left you to fend for yourself” Mimi said a little loudly till Lorna rounded her eyes and she lowered her voice.
“I was hardly left to fend for myself Mimi. It was only a five minute walk home” Lorna said and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.
“But why did he have to leave immediately anyway?” Mimi persisted. Lorna looked at the watch on her wrist and tried to end the conversation.
“No you’re right. He is a pig. I have to go now” she said quickly and gave Mimi a quick peck on her cheek and darted through the door of the library.
She liked to be surrounded by books, they calmed her down, they didn’t have any hidden agendas and barely ever hurt her. She waved at Mark, who was just finishing up with his shift when she noticed Josh standing at the counter, the same place he had been standing the first day he came to the library.
He was wearing a dark blue plaid shirt and dark jeans and had the same backpack on his back. He was leaning on the counter with his arms crossed and she could see his copy of ‘Great Expectations’ in his hands.
Lorna passed a silent curse in her head for getting herself involved in this and then grudgingly made her way to the counter. She could sense that Josh had noticed her arrival, although she tried to avoid his gaze. Silently she opened up the register book and signed her name and the time on the list. Josh hadn’t said a word still but she could feel his eyes on her.
After a few minutes, while her body was still slightly shaking, she tried to steady herself and finally looked up at him.
“How may I help you?” she asked sweetly, hoping against hope that her voice would not come out as a squeak. Josh wasn’t grinning today, instead he was staring directly at her eyes and sometimes at her lips.
“I finished the book” he said, very politely and waved the book around in the air.
“So are you returning it then? You can self-check it in at that machine” she said and pointed to the machine by the door. When Josh looked at her blankly she added, “The same way you checked it out?”
“I know that but I was hoping I could keep the book for another week?” Josh asked, he was still leaning against the counter but this day Lorna had moved away from him.
“You can keep the book for a total of three weeks. So yes, you can return it in another week” she said and busied herself with the pile of books next to the counter. They fell into silence again.
“Well I was also hoping that we could discuss the book for my report?” he asked, there was an undertone of nervousness in his voice, one which she would never have expected from Josh McKenna.
“Don’t you have your friends to discuss it with?” Lorna asked, still not looking up at him.
“If you mean Jessica. Then no. Not anymore” Josh said quickly and to her surprise she saw from the corner of her eye that he was walking towards her, behind the corner.
“I didn’t mean anything. Please go back to the other side” Lorna said threateningly, all shred of politeness had escaped from her voice. Josh held up his hands in a defensive pose and took a few steps back.
“Will you at least hear me out Lorna?” he said and Lorna threw him an acidic look.
“So you asked around and found out my name?” it was barely a question. She meant it more as a rhetorical statement.
“I figured knowing your name was that important to you, so yes I asked around” Josh said and they were suddenly interrupted by someone who had a question for Lorna. Lorna responded to her questions extra politely and then pointed her in the direction of the section she was looking for. She didn’t bother to look up at Josh again when the girl went away.
“Lorna. I’m trying to have a conversation here” Josh said suddenly and grabbed her wrist from over the counter.
“Let me go!” Lorna almost yelled and Josh dropped her hand and took a few steps back again.
“What about the conversation we were having that night Josh? You seemed to grow tired of that one pretty quickly” she snapped at him. Josh shook his head silently and looked away from her.
“Did you think I’d just forget that you kissed me out of the blue and then ran back to your girlfriend?” Lorna asked, her voice was hissy now.
“Jessica is not my girlfriend Lorna” Josh said, after a few seconds of painful silence. “I don’t think she ever was. Well she might have thought she was but she wasn’t” he said quickly, his words were fumbling.
“You’re not making any sense” Lorna said and rolled her eyes at him.
“Well we went out a couple of times and she assumed that we were dating. Which is why I needed to go back and have a serious conversation with her before I did anything with you” he said and she could see that his eyes had widened and his voice had grown heavy. Lorna couldn’t believe what she was hearing, it was almost too hard to believe.
“So you just made me go back home by myself?” she asked him, her voice had softened slightly and she was hoping that she wouldn’t start crying.
“I was confused Lorna. We had kissed and I was feeling guilty because Jessica would be hurt if she ever found out that happened” Josh said and took a few steps towards her. Lorna didn’t move away.
“And you waited a week to tell me this?” Lorna asked, her voice cracked.
“It took me a few days to calm Jessica down and convince her that it was really over between us. I was also sure that you hated me” he said and laughed a little, nervously.
“I do hate you. At least I did hate you” Lorna said quietly as Josh moved closer to her.
“I didn’t want to hurt both of you at the same time. But it turns out that I did” he said, even more softly, his head was hanging low and she could barely hear him. He suddenly looked up and their eyes met. Lorna didn’t feel nervous or giddy anymore, just warm and happy in the pit of her stomach. The humility and courtesy that Josh McKenna was demonstrating somehow made him more human. Like he was just like everybody else.
Lorna moved back towards the counter and rummaged around her things till she found it. She held up her copy of ‘Great Expectations’ and smiled.
�
��I finished it too. Wanna talk about it?” she asked, the hopeful ring in her voice was obvious.
“I would love to” Josh said, and the same grin was on his face again, the same deep dimples were on his cheeks. Lorna smiled back at him and before she knew what he was doing he had leaned over the counter and grabbed her hands.
“But first there’s something else I want to show you” he said and pulled her out from behind the counter. Josh was walking fast down the aisles of the library, while Lorna was trying to keep up with him, her right hand was still in his.
She realized that he had brought them to a halt right where the ‘D’ names began in the Fiction section. She didn’t want to believe that he actually remembered where they had their first conversation.
“What is it that you want to show me here?” Lorna was out of breath now slightly, but she still had a smile on her face. She couldn’t believe that all of this was even happening.
Josh didn’t say anything but pushed her gently against the books on the shelves and Lorna felt a cold metallic surface on her back. She barely had time to smile at him and he had lowered his head and was kissing her. This time his kiss wasn’t as gentle, it was strong and urgent and she could taste the coffee on his breath. His hands were tracing the curves of her body and one of his hands was slowly edging its way up her cotton t-shirt. Lorna tore herself away from Josh and giggled.
“You’re crazy” she said and covered his restless hand with her own.
“Those lips Lorna. Those lips are driving me crazy” he said and almost sounded drunk. Lorna giggled again and softly kissed the dimple on his left cheek. She had to stand on her toes for a few seconds to reach him and he had immediately turned his head to kiss her again.
They broke away after a few minutes when one of the books fell off the shelf that Lorna was pressed against.
“Oh my goodness” she said as she bent down to pick it up. She could feel that her face was flushed and her clothes were in disarray.
Josh was biting his lips when she looked up at him and he was smiling at her.
“When do you finish your shift?” he asked, still staring at her.
“Another four hours” Lorna said and pouted her lips out. Josh started walking backwards till he reached the empty table between the aisles.
“I’ll wait here” he said and pulled out a chair to sit on.
*****
THE END
REGENCY Romance Collection – Timeless Desires
The Bet of the Season – A Regency Romance
''Lord and Lady Ashington and their daughter Emily,'' the announcer shouted.
Emily stood with her parents at the top of the marble staircase and looked down into the ballroom. She noticed how everyone seemed to be looking at her.
''I hadn't expected there to be so many people,'' she whispered to her mother.
''As you know, your father and I always host the first ball of the season. We like to invite as many people as we possibly can. We find it gets the season off to a rousing start. This is the first ball you have been to here since your coming out. It's going to be a splendid occasion.''
''It all looks very spectacular,'' Emily whispered, just before her father led them down the stairs to their eager guests.
When they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Emily's mother turned to her, ''there are several eligible young men here this evening my dear. Please don't wander off with your cousins before I have had a chance to introduce you to some of them.'' Emily looked around, curious to see who her mother could possibly mean.
She was very familiar with her surroundings. Although this was the first ball she had been allowed to attend at Priory Manor, she had spent many a childhood hour in the ballroom with her sister and cousins, hosting pretend balls. Emily remembered how exasperated her mother had been when she had borrowed her pearls to dress up in. ''They are priceless, and you are swinging them around like you found them in a back alley,'' she'd told her.
The ballroom was the largest in the County of Yorkshire. Priory Hall had been the seat of the Ashingtons since the days of King John. It was one of the finest stately homes in the land. Emily was amazed at how colorful the event was. At her debutante ball the previous summer, all the young ladies had worn white. That was behind her now, and she was able to go to balls where the ladies wore splendid colors. She had chosen to wear a striking gold muslin dress with gilt edges and silk flowers woven into it.
''Cousin Emily,'' Beatrice exclaimed, enthusiastically. ''You look stunning. I adore your gown. Such beautiful silken flowers. And your tiara of pearls is simply exquisite. You are the most amazingly beautiful woman here this evening.'' She looked at her cousin, who she adored, and tried to see what was different about her this evening. Emily was tall and slender, and Beatrice thought her dress showed off her tiny waist to perfection. She noticed Emily's Mediterranean blue eyes sparkling under the light of the giant chandelier, her blonde hair falling beautifully to her shoulders in perfectly manicured locks. Then Beatrice realized. It was her makeup that was different. In particular her lips. Emily had voluptuous lips, as perfect as was humanly possible and this evening she had used lip rouge. She looked stunning.
''Nonsense cousin, if anyone is the Belle of the Ball, it is you.”
''Well then, let these two beautiful women go and find themselves, two handsome princes. There are so many unattached men to choose from, we'd better hasten or we will run out of time.”
''Oh cousin, I would like nothing more than to go with you but mummy has asked me to say here. Apparently she wants to introduce me to some eligible young men of her choosing. I am terrified. She has such poor taste. Every man she points out to me is so dreadfully dull. I am young, and I want someone handsome and dashing, not someone twice my age.''
''Well then, I will go and search for us while you are meeting these dull creatures. Come and find me when you have finished. You never know, I might have some success.''
Emily watched her walk down the side of the dance floor and strike up a conversation with a tall looking gentleman of similar age.
''Emily, please come over here,'' her mother said. ''I would like to present the Duke of Bedford.''
The Duke took Emily's hand and pressed it to his lips. ''Enchanted,'' he said.
''My Lord, it is a pleasure to meet you,'' Emily replied as she curtsied. She looked at the man her mother presumably found to be of sufficient breeding to contend for her hand. She was pleasantly surprised. The Duke was not old and stuffy. He was young and handsome. ''Miss Emily, would you do me the honor dancing with me?''
Emily was keen to dance with the handsome Duke. She was relieved it was a country dance and not one of the more intricate dances. A country dance was simple and would allow her maximum time with him. A lot of other dances called for many more partner changes. She'd never seen the point of being asked to dance by a man, only to spend the rest of the dance in the arms of several other men.
As they undertook the required steps, Emily studied him. He was, at least, six feet tall, and he had a very elegant Roman nose. His eyes were green, and his hair was dark. How on earth did such a young man become a Duke, she wondered? She'd always imagined Dukes to be old. Emily recognized his uniform and was impressed to note he was an officer in the Dragoons, one of the bravest regiment in the British Army.
''Thank you, Miss Emily, you are indeed a very fine dancer. You have learned the art well. Now I promised to return you to your mother. I believe she has some more guests she would like you to meet.''
*****
''She really is the most impressive young lady. Her beauty knows no bounds,'' Robert Masters said.
The Duke nodded in agreement. ''She is indeed an amazing creature. Any man would give all he is worth to take her hand in marriage. What do you say Charles?''
''I say, if she were in an auction only the richest men in the land need attend. She is a very fine woman I agree.''
Robert Masters, The Duke of Bedford and Charles Carrington were
standing in the corner of the ballroom looking on as Emily endured a dance with one of her mother's less inspired choices.
''You mentioned an auction, Charles. That really is an interesting thought.'' Robert said.
''Yes, that's it,'' the Duke exclaimed. ''We all three admire her. Any one of us would take her as a wife at the drop of a hat. Instead of competing with each other and risking our friendship, why don't we three place bids for her. The highest bidder earns the right to court and marry her ahead of the lower bidders. We'll bid in five rounds. The last bid to be the final word. What do you say?''
''A bid a week for five weeks, Robert said.''
''Agreed,'' said Charles.
*****
''Emily, Emily, the most terrible thing has happened.''
''Beatrice, what on earth can be so terrible on this magnificent occasion?''
''I hardly want to tell you. It is so shameful.''
''Really, Cousin. Tell me.''
''Alright,'' Beatrice took a deep breath. ''I believe the three men over there,'' she nodded her head clandestinely, ''have decided to buy you?''
''What? What do you mean, buy me? I'm not for sale.''
''No, sorry, I don't mean buy, I mean bid for you.''
Romance: Teen Romance: Follow Your Dreams (A Nerd and a Bad Boy Romance) (New Adult High School Sports Romance) Page 23
