by S. Gilmour
I nodded.
“I gave him back the rest of my stash. I told him it wasn’t worth losing you over it.”
I swallowed over the knot that had formed in my throat. This was better than flowers.
“You’d do that for me?”
“It upsets you, so yes. I’m smoking totally too much anyway. It used to be fun, now it only makes me more depressed. I love you, Paige, you’re all I need.”
“I don’t care if you need it. I don’t care,” I cried.
He pushed my hair from my face and leaned into me, my lips parting as his tongue sucked and swirled. His hands pulled my sheer pink blouse out of my skirt and slid between fabric and skin. He pushed forward, pressing my back against the steering wheel as his hands slid up my spine and released my bra. My breasts filled his hands under my blouse.
“Oh God, it’s been too long,” he murmured into my neck. I nodded as he sucked and nibbled. I didn’t expect us to go from zero to naked so fast but soon we were both panting. I missed this. I wanted to escape with him. Escape the drama with Danielle, escape the fighting, school, Dillon…everything.
“Let’s go back to my house,” he panted between kisses.
“No. Here. Now.” I reached down, searching for the braided belt on his khakis.
“Out here?” he said between gasps. “You’re crazy.”
“There’s not a living soul out here right now and it’s getting dark,” I justified and tugged the zipper down on his pants. I released him and stroked his length, delighted by how hard he was.
He reached under my skirt, his fingers sliding my panties to the side. “You’re so wet,” he sighed as he explored. “Glove box,” he said between kisses.
I leaned back against the steering wheel and searched for the knob of the glove box. Chaz’s fingers pushed into me and I was aching, throbbing. I needed relief. I popped open the glove box and felt around for the packet. He took it from me and tore it open, quickly rolling it down as he surveyed our surroundings. It was almost dark and we were still alone. He guided me over him, wrapping his hand around his thick base as I sank down onto him. I moaned as he filled me and I pressed back into him, soaking in his warmth. I rolled my hips on top of him, trying to push him deeper with each thrust, delighting in the fact that I was completely in charge of our pleasure. Finally, I was going to get the closeness that I desired. He couldn’t slip behind me in this position.
“Oh fuck, Paige,” he called out and squeezed my ass, setting the rhythm as he glided me up and down his length. I worked to keep up with his pace, my breath quickening as I claimed him and he claimed me, my eyes locking on his. The knowledge that I was responsible for driving him over the edge was intoxicating. He grabbed the back of my neck and pressed my lips into his, my breathing staggered as I felt the delicious heat building between my thighs.
“Paige, hurry,” he gasped as the sun sank behind the trees. His command sent me over the edge and I fell apart around him. He pressed me down on his thighs and stilled me against him, his muscles tensing as he held his breath. He closed his eyes, his jaw stiffening as he threw his head back, his voice cracking as he cried out. His hands slipped from me to his sides and his breathing slowed as I clung to him, wishing I didn’t feel so empty, like I was observing and not participating. I decided I didn’t really like being on top after all.
Bright lights pulled across our faces as a car passed by.
“Shit,” he hissed and nudged me off his hips. He peeled off the rubber and tied it, then shoved it into the foil packet. I settled into the seat and smoothed my skirt down over my thighs as he zipped up his pants.
“We better get going,” he said and turned the key in the ignition. We rode in silence as he guided the car back onto the main road. Almost Paradise came on the radio and I sank further into the seat, feeling more alone than ever.
“There’s your song,” teased Chaz. Either it was my imagination or he sounded a little hostile. I leaned forward and snapped the radio off. Almost paradise, the story of my life.
Chapter Seventeen
Danielle and I entered the community center deep in conversation about homecoming. It was our first night of rehearsal for the Holiday Show. The show was an annual fundraiser for the San Luis Rey Food Bank. It was always held in the Hotel Encanto Ballroom. In exchange for an advertising booth businesses were promoted in the newspaper and a commercial on the local cable TV channel. The fashion show was the highlight of the event and Maddie had been running it for years.
I didn’t know if I should ask Chaz to homecoming (would he think it was lame?) or skip it all together. He had been so moody lately I wondered if it would set him off.
“Let’s go to homecoming together,” laughed Danielle. “You can be my date and we’ll dance together like the girls in those fifties sock-hop movies.”
“You’re not my type, Danielle.” I tossed my denim purse onto a chair.
“You’d probably score,” she smiled. “I’m pretty desperate right now.”
I scanned the room. No Chaz, no Dillon, no Donny. But one very handsome waiter heavily engaged in conversation with Maddie. Xavier wore black slacks and a white button down shirt. Given his attire he was either coming from work or going. I noticed many of the girls hanging around, sneaking peaks at him and whispering, wondering who he was.
“What’s Xavier doing here?” asked Danielle. “Did you know about this?”
“No. Maddie never said anything.” But then I hadn’t really been home too much lately. Between school, my horse, and Chaz, I was pretty busy.
“Maybe I won’t need you for a homecoming date after all,” she said with newfound interest.
Xavier turned toward us, cocked his head to the side and sauntered over. “Hello ladies, bet you never expected to see me here tonight.”
Danielle stood straighter and gave him her sweetest smile, which was hilarious since the last time we saw Xavier she was a complete bitch to him.
“Maddie came into the diner last night,” he explained with a flash of white teeth. “She asked me to model. I couldn’t refuse the beautiful Maddie.” He got that right, no one could refuse Maddie. Xavier shoved his hands into his slacks, a shy pout on his full lips. “I’ve never done this before,” he said and glanced at his shiny, black dress shoes. “You’ll help me, right?” He smiled down to me, his dark eyebrows raised, his eyes gleaming.
Before I could reply, Danielle pounced. “I’ll help you however I can.” She looped her arm through his and led him over to the mirrored wall. He looked back to me over his shoulder and mouthed, “help.”
“Who’s the new guy?”
I turned to face Dillon. “A waiter from Bob’s Big Boy Maddie fancies.”
Sloane stood behind him, a smirk on her face as she batted her doe eyes at me. I couldn’t believe he had brought her here. This was my territory!
“A waiter, huh? He does look familiar.”
“He goes to San Diego State, plays soccer for them.” Sloane, already bored with our conversation, walked over to talk to Marissa. I waited until Sloane was a safe distance away. “What do you think you’re doing, bringing Sloane here?” I hissed.
He glanced over to Sloane and stepped closer to me like he was going to answer but he didn’t.
I closed the space between us, “Sloane’s not going to be able to handle this…all the girls.”
“Whatever, that’s her problem then,” whispered Dillon. I raised my eyebrows. “She begged to come tonight. I think she’s hoping Maddie will ask her to model.”
“Over my dead body,” I fired back.
Dillon’s eyes widened and he grinned down to me. “Really,” he said and drew me to him, his hands resting on my lower back.
I looked over his shoulder to Sloane. She scowled at me.
“Feeling a little threatened, Paige?”
“As if,” I smirked. Sloane balked. Maybe this could be fun after all. I circled my hands behind his back and whispered into his neck, “I just don’t like her a
nd you’re not too high in my book right now either.
Dillon tugged at my ponytail and tipped my chin up, his dark eyes smoldering. “What do I have to do to change that?”
“Alright, let’s get this started!” yelled Donny clapping his hands as he burst into the middle of the room. Chaz leaned in the doorway behind him looking dangerously handsome in a black leather jacket, charcoal jeans, and black combat boots. I disengaged from Dillon’s embrace but it was too late. I knew that Chaz had seen us because his eyes tracked Dillon as he crossed the room to join Sloane. I trotted over to Chaz and rose up on my toes to give him a peck on the cheek.
“Hey,” he said coolly, sliding down his Ray Bans and glaring at Dillon.
Unfortunately, getting to see Sloane squirm didn’t seem quite as worth it as it had moments before. I wished Dillon and Chaz would just beat the crap out of each other and get over it. Whatever it was. Dillon sure knew how to press Chaz’s buttons…that was for sure.
“What’s the bus boy doing here?”
“Maddie asked him.”
“Why?”
He slipped his arm around my shoulder as if protecting what was his and pulled me to his side. “He’s staring at you.”
“No, he’s not.”
Maddie stood in the middle of the room explaining the details of the show as Donny passed out the rehearsal schedules. I wanted to bolt. Dillon I could handle. But not this. I was caught in a war between Chaz and Dillon, Sloane was glaring at me, and Xavier was here too. Why was it always so damn hot in here? Hello? There’s this great invention called air conditioning! I started to feel dizzy and leaned against the wall.
“Are you okay, baby?” Chaz asked. His eyes searched mine. “You’re not going to faint again are you?”
“I need to sit down.”
He led me over to a chair and sat down, pulling me down onto his lap. I fanned myself with the schedule. The other models started to notice. Heads turned as I collapsed against Chaz. Marissa nudged Maddie and she rushed over to me. Everyone else began to gather behind her.
“Paige, what’s wrong?” asked Maddie, her eyes scanning mine.
“It’s too hot in here,” I managed to whisper as the darkness swirled around me and tried to pull me under. Donny, Danielle, and Dillon were now gathered at my feet as well.
“They really need some AC in here,” said Sloane taking my predicament at face value. “The fans aren’t enough.” Everyone grumbled in agreement. Danielle rolled her eyes.
“Dillon, can you get her some water, please?” ordered Maddie. “Does anybody have any candy?”
The girls went to their purses, rummaging. Sloane came forward with a pack of Starburst. She waved it in the air like she had found a winning lottery ticket. Sloane handed me a yellow one, of course my least favorite flavor.
Everyone’s least favorite flavor.
Dillon came back with water, avoiding Chaz’s eyes as he handed the paper cup to me.
“Alright everybody, back off, give her some room,” said Donny. “Get back on the wall, please.” He looked down to me and patted my shoulder. “You gonna be okay?” I nodded, grateful to him for taking charge and getting the attention off of me. I felt so foolish with everyone gathered around me like I was going to drop dead at any minute.
“This is happening way too often, Paige,” said Chaz.
“How often?” asked Maddie. She pursed her lips as she timed my pulse with her watch. If Chaz wasn’t behind me he would be receiving a shut up glare from me. “Paige?”
“A couple times. I’m not drinking enough water. Eating like I should, maybe. It’s no big deal.”
“I’m taking you in for more tests.”
“I don’t want more tests, I’m fine,” I called after her.
“We’ll talk about this later.” She frowned and turned back to the models. Donny had the music going and directed everyone as he put them into groups.
“Traitor,” I said as I leaned back onto Chaz’s chest.
“Stubborn ass,” Chaz whispered into my ear and kissed me on the cheek. Maddie was always so worried about me because of what happened to my mother. She was perfectly healthy and out of nowhere had an aneurism right after I was born. I noticed Sloane’s gaze in the mirror. She was studying us, a look on her doll face that I couldn’t discern.
We went through the sets of the show pretty quickly and then were put into groups for the opening which was always choreographed because everyone was in it and there was usually a routine. This year the theme was to be Winter Wonderland and we would all be in snow gear from the local sporting goods store strutting to a pop remix of Baby It’s Cold Outside. Maddie and Donny had been planning it for the last two weeks so I already knew about it. What I didn’t know was that the finale was a winter wedding.
Everyone groaned after it was announced. Usually we were only tortured with bridal attire in the spring. Maddie explained that Cynthia’s Bridal Shop had decided to be a sponsor at the last minute.
We hated modeling bridal attire. The dresses were stiff and uncomfortable because they had to be pinned to fit and the guys were just as uncomfortable in their tuxedos and suits. We had to be very careful with the clothes so they didn’t get damaged or dirty which meant more pressure to get dressed in time and back on the stage. There were a lot of fittings at Cynthia’s Bridal Shop which everyone hated because Cyndi, the owner, was totally mental. Entire Sunday’s (the only day the shop was closed to customers) could be wasted in her tacky gold and pink dressing rooms because she couldn’t make up her mind. Weddings also created animosity between the older girls over who wore the final wedding dress which meant she was the last girl down the runway and had the final shot for the cameras.
I leaned back against Chaz’s chest when Donny announced there would only be one wedding dress (thank God!). Xavier and Karla were going to be the bride and groom, leaving the rest of us as attendants. Karla blushed and gathered her long red hair over her shoulder while the other girls pretended to be happy for her. I looked over to Maddie. She was beaming at Xavier and it suddenly became apparent as to why she had asked him to model. Donny refused to wear tuxedos and Dillon and Chaz were too young to pull off being grooms. I’m sure Chaz and I would be paired in ridiculous matching outfits but there was only one wedding scene so it wouldn’t be that unbearable.
Donny went through the timeline of the rehearsals and then we were dismissed. Everyone gathered into their cliques to chatter and Chaz finally released his grip on me.
“Can I drive you home?” he asked. I nodded and went to inform Danielle that I wouldn’t need a ride. She was busy flirting with Xavier, animatedly waving her hands as she talked and fluttered her lashes. He turned away from her as I approached them.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I blushed. “More embarrassed than anything.”
“You don’t need to be.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I’m working tomorrow night. Come by the diner and I’ll give you all the Dr. Peppers and cherries you want,” he smiled warmly.
Danielle wasn’t laughing. Neither was Chaz who had just joined our group.
“Ready to go?”
“Sure.”
Chaz grabbed my hand and nodded over to Donny who shouted “later” back to him, Danielle staked her claim on Xavier, while Sloane threw herself onto Dillon. It was going to be a long month!
Chapter Eighteen
“Sloane Pierce is telling everyone you’re bulimic. No anorexic. Wait. Which is the one where you barf up everything?” asked Danielle as I set my lunch bag on our usual table.
“Bulimic,” I said and straddled the lunch bench.
“Yes, that’s it. Because you collapsed last night,” said Danielle as she crunched on a taco.
“Excuse me?” I fired as I sat down my can of Coke. “Why would she do that?”
“Uh, because she hates you? Duh!”
“She needs to get over it. It’s not like I’m cheating with Dillon behind her back. She saw Chaz, she kno
ws I have a boyfriend.” I reached into my lunch bag for my sandwich. It was unusually quiet in the lunch room today. Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors softly filled the room and there was a low hum of conversation. The afternoon rain knocked against the tall floor to ceiling windows and put everyone in a somber mood.
“Jealousy does strange things to people.”
“Why would she be jealous of me?” I took a bite of my sandwich.
“Well,” she began. “Could it be because her boyfriend pants after you like a lovesick puppy dog?”
“He does not.”
I looked over to the table where Sloane and Dillon were sitting. She was chatting with her stuck-up friends and he was sitting next to her, one hand playfully twisting her long hair down her back, the other hand cupping a green apple on the table. He turned and caught my gaze. I quickly turned away.
“He does too. It’s driving him crazy that you’re not mooning after him anymore,” she grabbed my Coke and took a sip.
“Not even, that’s ridiculous,” I said and took my soda back.
“Fuckin’ A. Donny told me so.”
“Oh my God!” I gasped but part of me secretly delighted that Dillon was getting a taste of his own medicine and the other part of me chastised myself for even thinking this way.
“Chaz can’t know about this, he’ll freak.”
“You think he doesn’t already know? Believe me, he knows,” she nodded.
“This is all I need right now.”
“Trouble in almost paradise?” she smirked.
“Dillon and Sloane are the least of my problems.” I told Danielle about how I always felt so overwhelmed with Chaz after sex. He was an incredible lover and he always pleased me before himself but sometimes it was too intense. And I always felt terribly lonely after.
“That makes no sense. How could it be too intense?”
I glanced around the room. Dillon rose from Sloane’s table and joined some football players at another table. A couple of girls lingered behind my back to talk to their friends at the table behind me.
