Five Minutes To Midnight

by C. B. Stagg

  Wade nodded first at me, then at my friend, but his gaze came back to me pretty quickly as he poured us each a fresh cup. The color of his beer appeared darker than what the twins had given us, but it tasted pretty much the same.

  The table we occupied only sat four, and with Wade’s arrival, four became five. But the number issue solved itself when the twins sat next to each other and Jake (or Josh) pulled Corynne onto his lap. Wade, pulling a chair out, motioned for me to stay seated, as he plopped into the only remaining seat. And there I sat, heat creeping up my body at the nearness of the man beside me. I was completely out of my comfort zone watching my friend flirt with both boys equally, switching laps each time someone needed to get another pitcher.

  Luckily, since I’d clearly been left to my own devices, Wade seemed like a nice guy, if not a little quiet at first. He attempted the perfunctory ‘get to know you’ questions, but the music blared from speakers surrounding the bar, making communication almost impossible. Still, I engaged him. Keeping him talking meant he’d lean in close to me so I could hear, and the feel of his breath across my face when he spoke was lighting a fire in me. I would catch myself taking deeper breaths as I moved in closer to him, if only to inhale his scent.

  The traffic around our table made it clear Wade and the twins were regulars around these parts. Left and right, people stopped by our table to shoot the breeze and wish him a happy birthday. At least twice, people dropped off shots, but he didn’t seem too interested in taking them. If I had to guess, the guys’ celebratory libations started flowing well before we’d even left the Austin city limits.

  Soon, another shot arrived, and three glasses of liquid of all different colors stared at us. Wade took one and offered the rest to me, but I declined, worried about choking like I had earlier. He downed two of them, pushing the last one my way with a tilt of his head and an adorable grin. I gave in and took the amber-colored one. It was smooth and delicious, and I was grateful Corynne hadn’t introduced me to whatever was in that glass first or I’d likely be on the floor.

  Wade watched me closely, and as I finished, he wiped his palms down his muscular, jean-clad thighs, stood, and offered me his hand. “Wanna go out back? Get some air?”

  I watched Corynne wildly talking with her hands while both of her boy toys showered their attention on my friend like she was the adorable center of their barren and empty universe. I shook my head and smiled. If she’d set out to get their attention, she’d achieved her goal. Which one will she choose? Or will she even have to? I shivered at the thought.

  Refocusing on the man towering over me, I nodded and took Wade’s hand. He pulled me through the shoulder to shoulder mob occupying the small bar and onto the back porch.

  When we stopped on the outskirts of the crowd, I finally allowed myself to breathe. I took in the man, head to toe, and felt a little light-headed. Was it the alcohol or the sexy man in tight Wranglers causing my blood pressure to fluctuate? My money was on the latter.

  “You smoke?” Wade asked, reaching into the back pocket of his tight, well-worn jeans once we’d reached the edge of an alleyway, where one bar almost butted up to the next. The spot he’d chosen was shrouded in darkness, the ground covered with a thick layer of bottle caps making a unique crunching sound with each step we took further into the darkness.

  I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “No, I’m allergic to smoke.” The disappointment on my face must have been clear. “Why? Do you?”

  He’d retrieved a pack from his pocket, but shot them into the trash can across the courtyard from where we were standing—nothing but net—or bag, in this case. “Not anymore, I don’t.” He winked at me and, only when his thumb started moving over my knuckles, did I realize he still held my hand in his.

  I shook my head. “No, you don’t have to do that. I can just—” I pulled my hand away from him, intending to wave off his gesture and go back inside so he could do his thing, but Wade held on tight and pulled back, causing my body to crash into his. The tall cowboy placed the hands we were holding between our chests and wrapped his other arm around my waist. He searched my eyes, and I drowned in his, as we started swaying to the music which flowed out through the outside speakers—an early eighties George Strait hit. I closed my eyes, the intensity of his stare becoming more than my body could handle. Blue. His eyes are as blue as his jeans.

  “You from Austin like your friend?” The sudden return of his warm breath near my ear made me jump, sending chills up my neck and down my back. His slow, smooth Texas drawl triggered an unfamiliar need in me, something I’d never felt before. I nodded. He smiled. I caught his perfectly white teeth in my periphery and fell a little deeper under his spell.

  “You coming to school here next year? Or are you going to the orange school like your friend?”

  That made me giggle. While it was true my city was home to The University of Texas, the orange and white school wasn’t even on my radar. For one, I wanted as far away as possible… and two, I was an Aggie. If I had to choose between UT and Texas A&M, the decision would be simple. As it was, I had received an acceptance letter from Texas A&M to study Journalism, but I’d also been accepted to Baylor, SMU, University of North Texas, and even Tulane. But at that moment, lost in the beautiful blue eyes of the man holding me, I made my choice. I’d choose the Aggies if it meant I could find myself wrapped in his arms again, letting his woodsy scent fill my lungs and mind.

  “Here. I’m coming here.” My voice was soft, breathy, like a phone sex operator… or at least what I thought a phone sex operator would sound like.

  “Lynn, there you are.” Corynne crunched our way, her Adonis-like entourage in tow, bringing my head out of the clouds. She tripped and, of course, they caught her, making her giggle like the drunk she apparently was. “We’re gonna head down to the Dry Bean—it’s a shot bar. You two coming?”

  I fixated on Wade, still holding me with both of his strong arms around my waist. He was shaking his head, focused on my face while answering her. Did he feel it too? This pull, almost like an addiction?

  I shook my head slowly, agreeing with what, I wasn’t sure. Another dance in the dark alley with this handsome stranger? I wanted more time with him, even if it was only five more minutes, one more song, another touch—I didn’t care. Whatever the night held for us, I was all in, as long as Wade was leading the way.

  “We’ll meet up with y’all later, k?” He leaned in with words for my ears only. “Sound all right to you, gorgeous?”

  I nodded and watched our trio of friends scurry past us down the alley to their next haunt. Corynne was seeing her dream become a reality, sandwiched between the two boys she’d fallen in lust with and I was happy for my friend. Good for her. And good for me, too.

  When my eyes joined Wade’s again, he lowered his head and a gasp caught in my throat as his lips captured mine—another first. His tongue began a mind-blowing exploration of my mouth, something I never knew I always wanted, lighting me on fire. He spun us around, pushing us into the darkened passageway down which our friends had just disappeared, and backing me against a wall, never taking his lips from mine.

  “Wade, wait—” I placed my hand on his firm chest. His chest heaved against mine.

  “Do you want me to stop?” His voice came fast, washing my face with the scent of mint and bourbon, my new favorite smell unique to Wade. He cupped my small jaw in his large, calloused hand. It amazed me how each touch, no matter how simple, could be so intimate, like he’d never touched anyone but me.

  “God, no!” I panted, placing my hand over his, hoping he’d leave it cradling my cheek a few seconds more. “Please. Don’t stop. It’s just… Can we just go home?”

  Whatever good sense I’d once had washed away with the cool breeze of spring. I knew better than to allow myself to be alone with the man who held me like a treasure, but I didn’t care. Need was winning in the battle of mind over matter. But when Wade reached for his keys, I sobered up enough to push him off me and sha
ke my head ‘no.’

  “I am not letting you drive me anywhere.”

  “Good.” The deep timbre of his laugh launched a rocket in my gut. “I wasn’t planning on driving you. The apartment is about three blocks that way.” He nodded toward the back parking lot, grabbed my hand, and started pulling me away from the throngs of drunk college students.

  “But we took a bus to get here.”

  I stumbled along, my boots clunking on the concrete like horse hooves. Wade stopped to pull me into his arms again for another kiss. Holding me right against him, my natural instinct was to wrap my legs around his waist, but given my wardrobe, I resisted, proud I had an ounce of good sense left.

  “Then your friend is an idiot. It takes about three minutes to walk if you travel through that pasture and a few alleyways.”

  Laughter bubbled through me. Bless her heart.

  “Come here, beautiful.” And with that, he scooped me into his arms, and I naturally wrapped my arms around his neck. A breezy draft reached places that had no business being exposed to the air, but I was too consumed in the man cradling me like precious cargo to care. I rested my tired head against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart. Is it always this strong, or am I affecting him as much as he is affecting me?

  True to Wade’s word, within three minutes we’d arrived on his porch in front of the door we’d exited to begin our College Station adventure only hours before. It felt like a lifetime ago. Already, much had changed. He put me down only long enough to unlock the door using the same hidden key we’d used, before picking me up again. He carried me to the back bedroom, his mouth connected to mine the entire time. He kicked the door closed, not to be bothered with lights, or even words for that matter.

  When he placed me on my feet and immediately peeled his T-shirt off, I knew it was decision time. His pale, but well-toned chest stood in contrast to his less pale, but no less toned arms. My mouth watered. When he reached for the button of his perfectly molded Wranglers, his eyes met mine in question, but I’d decided.

  His hands paused, his eyes growing wide as I stepped back and reached for my belt, unbuckling it easily. It fell to the carpet below with a soft thump. I took in a deep breath and moved to pull Corynne’s dress over my head, but Wade closed the gap between our bodies to stop me.

  “Here, let me.”

  Deliciously, he pulled one sleeve off, kissing my bare shoulder, before repeating the process with the other. The dress fell in a whoosh and pooled at my feet, sending goose bumps dancing across my flesh, despite the warm night. Given my lack of curves, a bra with that style of dress hadn’t been necessary. At Corynne’s insistence, I’d worn only a scrap by way of panties, a birthday gift from my colorful best friend that I’d kept hidden away like a dirty little secret. I found myself very bare, very quickly.

  Wade shifted, allowing me only enough space to step out of the dress, but when I bent to take off my boots, he stopped me. Standing back up, I found myself face-to-face with a very naked Wade, whose skin looked almost metallic, reflecting the moonlight pouring through the open window.

  “What? You’re drinking in my body as if you’ve never seen a naked girl before.” With liquid courage surging through my veins, I put my hands on my hips, pushing away the shy, sheltered girl I was back home. I wanted to feel, not think.

  “Well, maybe I haven’t.” He wiggled his brows. A wide, sexy grin spread across his face when I bit my bottom lip. “Why are you staring at me like you’ve never seen a naked man before?” He mimicked my position and I stifled a laugh.

  “Well… ” I swallowed, even though my mouth was the Sahara Desert. “Maybe I haven’t.” He knew as well as I did there was no maybe about it, but as they say, there’s a first time for everything, especially this night.

  “Lynn, I have to ask.” He looked at the floor as one of his hands started kneading the thick muscles at the base of his skull. “What year were you born?” He glanced at me with a wince, and my eyes narrowed in his direction, understanding right away where this was going.

  “Why would you ask me that way?” My feet shuffled, and slowly but surely, the confidence I’d been feeling began to ebb. “Why didn’t you just ask me how old I was?”

  “Because people lie about their age. When you ask what year they were born, you get a more truthful answer.”

  “Oh. Well, I was born December 20, 1987. That makes me eighteen years old and perfectly legal.”

  Less talking. More kissing.

  I didn’t know the first thing about the art of seduction, but summoning strength and whatever inner seductress might be hiding in there, I dropped my eyelids to half-mast and I took a step toward him.

  “And you were born April 15, 1985, making you twenty-one, and also perfectly legal.” My voice shook, but I took a steadying breath and pressed on. “Now, let’s cut the small talk and do whatever it is we came back here to do… because I’m a little drunk and we’re leaving town in a few hours.”

  “What are you saying, Lynn? I need to hear you say it. I’m not taking advantage of a drunk girl who landed on my doorstep, no matter how beautiful she may be or how delicious she may smell.”

  Man, he was good.

  “What I’m saying, Wade, is that today is your twenty-first birthday and I came to town to celebrate it with you. My friend brought me to a college town so I could cut loose, maybe even go a little wild, and this,” I motioned between our bare bodies, “is definitely the definition of wild.”

  He moved closer, my bare skin pressing against his which created a new kind of searing heat. “I want you, Lynn.”

  I looked up, searching his dark eyes for even a glimmer of hesitation. But finding none, I leaned in and, before I lost my nerve, whispered, “So, take me.”

  Apparently, those were the magic words.

  Within seconds, my boots were a memory, and we were horizontal on his bed, limbs tangled in unapologetic exploration of one another. I was flat on my back, and Wade was perched in a pushup position, suspended over me.

  “I tried to imagine this, you know? When I saw you, I tried to imagine what this would be like if I were to be lucky enough to find myself in this position, but I had it completely wrong.”

  “What do you mean?” I let my hands run from his shoulders, down his brawny chest, leaving them to rest at the dip in his hips, like a starving man set before a feast.

  “No fantasy could ever come close to how incredible your body feels under mine. It’s like I look into your eyes and see everything I ever wanted.” He placed the softest of kisses at the base of my throat. “You were a stranger, and now you’re just… ” He sighed.

  “Yours.”

  His eyes brightened and any fear or trepidation I felt washed away. Because with him, in his arms, my soul sighed in relief, saying, Okay, there you are. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for.

  Maybe I was confusing love and lust. Maybe, starved as I was for positive male attention, my moral compass was no longer pointing north. Whatever the case, it was obvious we’d hit the point where drunkenness trumped all logic. And in one night, with one monumental decision, I had made everything my father ever said about me the absolute truth.

  “Cor… ”

  I poked my friend who I found sleeping alone on the couch, praying I’d be able to wake her without alarming the rest of the house. “Corynne, get up. We need to go.”

  She mumbled something as she sat, face swollen with sleep.

  The reality of what I’d done was starting to sink in. If my parents had any inkling I’d snuck out, they’d have called, and as of now, I had no missed calls. If we left soon, we could get home before they woke up and pretend yesterday and last night never happened.

  As Corynne gathered our things, I checked on Wade again, becoming more and more uncomfortable at abandoning him in the state he was in. Wade had been sick several times throughout the night, and while he was currently in his bed, either asleep or passed out, I worried he’d consumed enough to poison
his blood and kill him.

  “Wade, I’m scared to leave you here.”

  I pushed his shaggy blond hair off of his sweaty forehead, pausing to kiss it. He may have been piss drunk, but he still smelled like whiskey and sex and man. Peeking in the other two rooms, it was clear the twins hadn’t made it home last night. That explained why I’d found Corynne asleep on the couch, as well as her current disgruntled disposition.

  “Wade, please. Let me take you to the hospital. I really think you drank too much.”

  He responded, but barely. Just a moan and a few jumbled words escaped his still kiss-swollen lips. I cupped his face and kissed them once more. He mumbled, reaching out to where I’d been sleeping moments before.

  “What are you saying?”

  I snapped my fingers to get Corynne’s attention and shook him again. “What is he saying?”

  “Damn, he’s hot. You did good, girl. I think he said to call his brother. Find his phone.”

  My heart ached at the thought of any harm coming to him, so I reached into the pocket of his jeans—the ones I’d almost helped him remove a few hours before—and dug out his phone. A Post-it note covered the screen, but I quickly tossed it aside.

  “What do I look for? Who would I… Oh! Do you think this one labeled Bro is actually his brother?” I laughed at the absurdity of the situation. After a few rings, an angry man answered. Once I explained the situation, he said he’d be here soon. From the malicious tone I’d received, Wade would be getting his ass kicked if he made it through. I spent another minute or so looking at him, trying to make out his features in the almost pitch dark room, trying to make a memory to take with me.

  With nothing left to do, I put the phone down, but not before grabbing the discarded Post-it. I read the note written on it and smiled, kissed his soft lips one more time, and shoved the small slip of paper in my pocket before sneaking out the door, with Corynne dragging behind. The car ride from College Station was silent. She dropped me at the end of the street and, as the sun started threatening to rise, I climbed into bed like nothing had happened.