by D. F. Jones
Brent stopped her for a moment, and his eyes made her stomach muscles clench. His expression softened. “I would love to meet him. The movie doesn’t start until nine o’clock.”
Ruby felt more aware of Brent than she wanted to reveal. The physical attraction she felt toward him was strong, from his incredible eyes to the solid muscles of his chest. They held hands while they walked back to the front of the house.
Ruby introduced her granddaddy to Brent, and he began to tell Brent of her childhood antics. The stories made Brent belly laugh on several occasions. She watched silently and realized the two of them were comfortable with each other, and it made her happy.
Her granddaddy stood and said, “Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. I’m sure your mama will need some help cleaning up the supper dishes. It’s been nice to meet you, Brent.” He turned around to go, but then stopped, looking back at her date. “Brent, this girl is very special to this family. If I were you, I would remember that.” Her grandfather turned and walked inside the house.
Ruby was dying now, a slow, painful and embarrassing death.
* * *
Brent barely knew Ruby, but he wanted to know all about her, even if it meant cultivating a relationship with all of her family members. “I suppose I better watch my step around you.”
Brent playfully cringed in fear, and she gingerly smacked the side of his arm. She planted her hands on her hips. “Yes, you better, because my daddy is much worse.”
Brent wrapped his arm around Ruby, moving her a little closer to him on the porch swing. They began to slowly rock in the swing in silence. Brent closed his eyes, inhaling the lavender and roses in the landscape, which, mixed with Ruby’s perfume, was a heady combination. They listened to the radio, still tuned to WSM. The Grand Ole Opry hour had ended, and tunes from Emmy Lou Harris wafted through the warm summer air.
Brent’s need to touch her had his blood running hot. Ruby’s perfect oval face and her creamy peach skin were begging to be touched by him. He wanted to feel her soft, full lips under his. He wanted to feel her trim, athletic body molded against his. Brent could imagine her quick, short breaths, and he became feverish with want for her. He bent over and placed his mouth gently on her lips.
Brent could feel Ruby trying to pull away from his kiss, when he flicked his tongue inside her warm mouth, which lit him up in a sea of flames. Then Ruby embraced him, returning his kiss with the same passionate heat and sending a tremor through him.
Ruby was taut as a bow, as she dragged in a ragged breath and looked into his eyes. Brent could see she hungered for him, as much as he did for her. He buried his face in the soft skin of her neck, and each time he came back to her mouth, his desire increased with reckless abandon. Ruby ran her fingers through his hair, nuzzling her cheek against his face. Brent wanted to rip her clothes off and make love to her right there on her front porch swing.
He held her against his chest, and could feel the tight beads of her nipples through the thin fabric of her halter top. “Sweet girl, I want you so bad.” Brent could feel Ruby’s heart pound against him, and the force of it made him tremble. Hellfire and damnation, they were on her front porch, and her mother and grandfather were inside!
Suddenly, the porch light flipped on, and Brent felt like he had been scalded with hot water. Ruby jumped as though she had been doused with cold water, and Max jumped up from sleeping and began to bark.
Ruby laughed in nervous surprise. “That scared me to death. I felt like I was sixteen, not twenty. Are you ready to head into town?”
“Best idea I’ve heard all night.” Brent shifted uncomfortably in his blue jeans.
* * *
On the drive into town, Ruby thought about Brent’s kiss. She didn’t feel the passion she had felt with Reed when he held her in his arms. But she did feel passion and could feel Brent wanted her. They had been in a pretty heated make-out session when her mom flipped on the front porch light. She wondered how long her mother had been watching them, before she had finally turned on the light. Ruby’s face flushed at the thought of it.
By the time they parked and walked up to the theater, a line had formed. While Ruby and Brent stood in line at the theater to buy tickets, she glanced over to the concession stand and froze. A spike of ice landed like a thud in the middle of her chest. Reed and Tammy were buying popcorn and Cokes. She flushed with heat. Ruby had made the right decision. Reed was still seeing Tammy.
Brent stepped up to the theater counter and paid for their two tickets. He turned to Ruby and noticed her looking inside the door and followed her gaze. “Hey, you wanna see what movie they’re seeing? Maybe we could all sit together.”
She flinched slightly. Great, that’s all she needed—to sit with Reed and his prissy, perfect princess. She lied through her teeth. “Sure, whatever you want to do is okay with me.”
They walked up to Reed and Tammy. Reed met Ruby’s gaze and held it for a second too long. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen Brent’s reaction and noticed the muscle in his jaw ticked.
“Hey, y’all, I didn’t realize you were coming to the movies tonight. We could’ve double dated.” Brent put his arm loosely around Ruby’s shoulder.
Reed shot him a look that could kill, but then his expression relaxed. “Tammy and I are seeing Star Wars. What about you two?”
Ruby linked her arm around Brent’s waist. “That’s what we’re seeing, too. Y’all want to sit with us?” She fixed her eyes on Reed, not looking away once. Damn him, and he had given her grief about Brent.
Reed only glanced at Ruby and then ignored her completely. He turned to Brent. “Hey, man, if it’s cool with you, then it’s cool with us.” Reed placed a kiss on the top of Tammy’s head and then tilted her chin up to his face. “Is that okay with you, honey?” He emphasized the word “honey.”
Tammy, clueless to what was going on between the three of them, said, “Sounds like fun to me. Ruby, you want to go to the restroom before the show starts?”
Oh, joy! Ruby glanced over to Tammy, and then she reached up and kissed Brent. “Would you mind getting me a Coke and some peanut M&M’s? I’ll be right back, honey.” In her peripheral vision, she saw Reed frowning. A wicked smile curved Ruby’s lips and she walked off with Tammy.
Tammy hooked her hand on Ruby’s elbow. “So, you’re going out with Brent? He is so gorgeous.”
“It appears that I am.” Ruby followed her inside the restroom. The last thing she wanted to hear was anything about Tammy and Reed’s relationship.
Tammy applied lipstick and then brushed her hair, looking at Ruby in the mirror. “We’re both lucky to have such gorgeous hunks by our side. If Brent is anything like Reed, you’ll be sore in the morning.” Tammy gave her an evil grin. Then she offered Ruby her lipstick. “It’s Reed’s favorite flavor.”
Was Tammy deliberately trying to provoke her? Make her sore, indeed, the little hussy. Ruby shook with anger but concealed it. Ruby took the lipstick and applied it to her lips and then grabbed a towel to wipe it off. “Yuck! It may be Reed’s favorite, but it isn’t mine. What flavor is this anyway, licorice? I prefer cherry.” Ruby pulled her cherry lip gloss out and applied it to her lips. “See, much better, but then again, you have to have lips to wear this color. Here, wanna try some?” Ruby saw sparks of fire shoot from Tammy’s eyes.
As they made their exit out of the restroom, Ruby locked arms with Tammy. “I believe we’re going to be great friends. Don’t you?” Ruby preferred the “kill ’em with kindness” approach.
Ruby and Tammy joined the guys at the entrance to the theater. Ruby’s hands were trembling when she looked between Reed and Brent. The silence that hung between the four of them was as thick as the ice in a hockey game, and she had the winning goal. Reed and Tammy walked into the theater.
Brent handed the Coke and candy to Ruby. “After you, sweet girl.”
Midway down the aisle, Reed motioned for Tammy to enter a row. Then Brent pointed for Ruby to follow Reed. Dad b
lame it! Ruby had to sit between Brent and Reed for an entire feature-length film. Static electricity bounced off Reed and Brent. It made her silently chuckle. The Force wasn’t with her, but she was sitting between it. She was so nervous, she woofed down her M&M’s before the movie trailers finished.
Brent leaned over and asked, “You want some more candy?”
“No, I think I’ve had enough chocolate for today.” She took a sip of Coke and placed the cup on the floor, at the same time Reed bent down. Their arms touched and she sizzled from the heat of it.
Reed had accidentally knocked her soda over. He stood and said, “I’ll go get you another one.”
Brent interrupted, “No, I will. Be back in a jiffy.” He jogged back up the aisle.
Ruby took in a deep breath and sighed. Reed leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. Ruby squirmed in her seat, replaying Reed’s kiss. She tried to focus her mind on the big screen and didn’t dare turn to look at him, for it would have betrayed her thoughts.
Ruby felt Reed’s fingers trail down her arm. He began to make small circles on her side, nearly brushing against her breast, and she stiffened as tingles shot up her spine. Reed was playing her in the theater. She could play that game and teach him a lesson. She crossed her arms and gently traced her fingers against the back of Reed’s, and then she grabbed his fingers and twisted them so hard he jerked away, elbowing Tammy in her arm.
“I’m so sorry, Tammy. Are you okay?” he whispered, but started chuckling.
Tammy leaned over and replied, “What is wrong with you?” Behind them they heard, “Shh!”
“Nothing’s wrong. I had a muscle spasm.” Reed turned behind him and scowled and then glanced at Ruby, but she stared straight ahead at the screen while a slow grin played across her lips.
* * *
After the movie, they all walked outside of the theater and Reed asked Brent, “Y’all want to go get a pizza and have a couple of beers?” The theater parking lot was still full of people who had filed out of the theater doors. The traffic on Broad Street was humming with cars, and in the distance, a train whistled as it rolled along the tracks.
As they approached the car, Brent cupped her chin with his hand, tipped her face up and planted a crushing kiss on her. Then he drew back and smiled at her. “It’s up to you, sweetheart.” He stroked her hair with his hand, resting it on the small of her back.
Ruby blinked a few times before smiling back at Brent. She had been momentarily stunned by his dreamy kiss. She almost forgot that Reed and Tammy were watching them. She was giddy with excitement. “Sure, why not?” Ruby fought hard to appear normal, but there was nothing normal about Reed and Brent. They both knew the score, and she was stuck in the middle.
They went to Sir Pizza and sat in the corner booth in the back of the restaurant. Brent ordered a pitcher of beer. Ruby whispered in his ear, “I don’t like beer. Would you order me a Pepsi?”
Brent placed his hand on top of hers and rubbed gently. “Sure. One Pepsi, too,” he added to the order.
Reed poured himself a mug of beer and drank it rather quickly. Tammy chuckled. “Thirsty, Reed?” Tammy laughed and poured herself a mug of beer.
Reed held Ruby’s gaze for a long second, before she turned away. This time before Brent could see the longing in her eyes. Reed knew she liked him and he was obviously trying to make her jealous with Tammy.
How did Brent and Reed do it? For three years, they had used women in this game, and she could barely get through one night. She had not been playing Tap It for a week yet. She still didn’t know all the rules to the game, but she had to get both Brent and Reed to profess undying love for her to win, and the game was beginning to get on her last nerve.
If Reed had never stopped by the store and kissed her, she would have had a wonderful date with Brent tonight. But Reed had, and sitting across from him made this whole scene terribly uncomfortable for her. She couldn’t lie to herself, she was jealous of Tammy. Reed had rocked her world.
Tammy prattled on about mundane topics: her hair stylist, her nails, how her daddy refused to give her more money until next week. Tammy was applying lipstick at the table, for crying out loud—with her makeup mirror, no less. She made Ruby want to puke.
Ruby fumbled her hand in the side zipper of her purse until her fingers caressed the piece of amber. She carried it with her everywhere. The stone had a calming effect on her. She couldn’t explain how it worked, but the amber stone gave her strength. She began to breathe easier, released the stone and zipped it securely back in her bag.
Brent finished his beer and placed his hand on Ruby’s thigh, gently rubbing back and forth. “Did you like the movie?”
Ruby glanced over at Reed to see his jaw clenched shut. Reed looked at her like he knew what she looked like naked and it scorched through her dad-blame clothing, straight to her bones. Ruby had to admit, at least to herself, Reed and Brent’s attention secretly thrilled her. She tipped her head back to Brent and bit her bottom lip. “Yeah, it was good. I really liked Han Solo.”
“Oh, you did, did you? Han Solo is pretty cool.” Brent chuckled and poured another beer as the waitress placed their pizza on the table.
Ruby rested her hands on top of the table. “And he is not bad to look at, either.” She grabbed a slice and took a bite, closing her eyes. “Mmmm, this is so good. I didn’t realize I was so hungry.” Then she grabbed another slice for her plate.
Reed and Brent both looked at her funny, both of them seemingly enjoyed watching her woof down her pizza. Ruby guessed their normal dates didn’t eat like a field hand, but she was starving. “What can I say, I love to eat!” They both laughed at her, while Tammy picked at her slice.
After Ruby’s third slice, she rubbed her tummy and leaned back against the table. “Now, I’m ready to go to sleep.”
Reed and Brent were talking about their next baseball game. The Rockies had a real chance of winning the season. Ruby glanced at Tammy.
Tammy had finally taken a real bite of pizza and drank a sip of beer. “This is very good, isn’t it? I don’t eat pizza too often. It’s so fattening.”
It took Ruby a second before she realized she had been hit. Why, that little heifer! Ruby guessed Tammy wasn’t as dumb as she looked. Since Ruby worked all her fat off, she decided to be a glutton and grabbed one more piece. “I wouldn’t know. I can eat all day and not gain a pound. Guess it’s just good genes.”
Brent and Reed picked up on Ruby’s sarcasm and started laughing. Brent squeezed her knee, and as his hand traveled to the V of her jeans, she clamped down on his hand. He leaned toward her and inhaled the smell of her hair and then grabbed his mug and raised it to Reed. “To Ruby’s hot damn jeans!” He turned to Ruby and winked.
Reed picked up his mug. “To Ruby’s hot damn jeans!” Then he winked at her with a slow and sexy grin, curving his delicious lips. Geez, they had this game thing choreographed.
Ruby felt satisfyingly smug when she glanced over at Tammy, who looked madder than a rattlesnake.
Chapter 5
Rock The Boat
Reed had not pursued her again after that night at the movies. Ruby would not allow her feelings for Reed to make her miserable. Instead, she made the decision to move on with her life. Brent wanted to spend time with her, and she genuinely enjoyed his company.
Brent invited her to spend the Fourth of July at his grandfather’s cabin on the lake. The cabin was nestled atop a cliff overlooking the lake, surrounded by dense woods. They pulled into the driveway, parked and began to unload their baggage and groceries.
The kitchen counter was stuffed with food after they had brought in the groceries and laid out the nonperishables, and Ruby wondered how in the world they would eat it all.
Brent opened the sliding glass door and walked onto a huge deck overlooking the lake. “Man, you have to come out here and see this sunset.”
Ruby placed the last of the groceries in the pantry and joined him on the deck. She watched the fiery s
un descend behind the mountains. There were only a few clouds scattered across the sky. The sun melted to orange, red and pink, until nothing was left but darkness. Then, one by one, the stars came out to wink at Mother Earth.
Below the cliffs, several boats were cruising down the channel with their lights on. Ruby inhaled the fresh night air and rested her head against Brent’s shoulder. She said, “It’s so serene, so majestic.” Brent kissed her sweetly on her lips and held her tightly in his arms.
Brent gave her the master bedroom with a sliding glass door which led to the wraparound porch. He sprawled across the bed as Ruby placed her clothes in the drawers. He wore a pair of blue-jean cutoffs and a Rolling Stones T-shirt. Brent was seriously cute and looked like a teenager, lying kicked back against the pillows, with his hand behind his head. She plopped down beside him when she finished. “What time are your parents coming up?”
Brent rolled on his side, propped up by an elbow. Before he replied to her question, he leaned over and kissed her. “Don’t get mad, okay?”
Ruby sat cross-legged looking down at him. With a frown, she asked, “Get mad about what?”
“My parents aren’t coming up. They drove to the Gulf with some friends.” He glanced up and smiled at her and she scrambled swiftly off the bed.
Her face now flushed bright red. “You snake! You brought me up here under false pretenses. Don’t think you’ll be getting some, just because we’re here by ourselves.” She turned and left the bedroom, with Brent on her heels.
“Honey, I don’t expect anything. I would have told you, but you wouldn’t have come. It’s the Fourth. I love being on the lake on the Fourth. Our dock has fireworks and a band plays music every night.” Brent turned her gently around to face him. Ruby opened her mouth and then hesitated. Brent’s hand brushed her cheek.
