Promise Me This

by Sarah Ashley Jones

  It didn’t matter how long I stood and looked in the mirror before me, there was no way I knew the person staring back at me. Hannah kicked Jhett out of our room for the afternoon while she tweezed, poked, prodded, and painted me up for my date tonight. She outdid herself.

  “You’re gorgeous, Charlie. Jhett’s not going to know where to keep his hands when he sees you.” She stood behind me, beaming with obvious pride at her work.

  The way the butterflies flew around in my stomach, I thought I might have regressed back into a teenager again. Jhett and I slept together – hell, we lived together - so why did tonight feel so different?

  I gave myself another hard look from head to toe. Hannah insisted she come with me to pick out my dress, which ended up being an adventure in itself. It took about three hours to convince her that I didn’t want to look like I was going to prom, nor did I want to look like Malibu Barbie. In typical girl fashion, I made up my mind on what I was going to wear before I fell asleep the previous night. That was the easiest part of this whole thing.

  I smoothed my hands down the front of the perfectly pressed fabric that fell from my waist and down over my hips. Black polka dots danced across the red cotton that clung to every curve of my body. My long, golden hair was pinned up in rolls on top of my head, while the rest was left to fall in soft curls down my back. Hannah painted my eyes and cheeks with minimal make-up, but my fire engine red lips were the real game changer.

  “I look like I stepped straight out of the fifties…” I whispered under my breath in amazement.

  “I believe that was the point, genius,” Hannah spouted off. The soft ring of my phone on the bed next to her caught our attention. She cautiously looked from the screen to my face. She scooped the phone up and handed it to me. “It’s your Dad…”

  I heard Hannah when she said who it was, but the white letters on the screen weren’t registering in my brain. We hadn’t spoken since I left. I never ever gave them my new phone number. My mind swirled with questions. With every once of courage I could produve, I slid my finger across the screen and brought it up to my ear.

  “Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.” His warm voice was just like I remembered.

  “Dad? How did you get this number?” My limbs shook from the cocktail of emotions that ran through me. I was scared he was upset, but also elated that he put aside his pride and called. That made one of us.

  “You know your mother has her ways, but she doesn’t know I’m calling you right now. I just couldn’t let a birthday go by and not talk to my favorite daughter, no matter what the circumstances may be.” He spoke in a hushed tone, and I envisioned him tucked away in his office, away from my mom and her super-sonic hearing.

  “Dad…Thank you. I’m sorry about-” He cut me off. I was silently relieved.

  “Don’t do that. I didn’t call to talk about that. You do what you have to do, but know that I love you. No matter what, you will always be my one and only baby girl. Enjoy your birthday, Charlotte.”

  The conversation ended just as quickly as it started. I gripped my phone in my hand as it fell down to my side. Hannah’s forehead was creased with worry. I flopped down next to her on the bed. “He just wanted to wish me a Happy Birthday…” It was the only coherent sentence I could form.

  Hannah took my hand. “It’s because you’re the soft spot in his heart. He could never stay mad at you when we were kids, either.” She bounced off the bed, taking me with her as she moved. She stood me up straight to admire her work one last time. “Tonight is your night, so be happy you got to talk to your dad...but don’t forget there’s a gorgeous man waiting for you in the other room.”

  I missed Hannah’s pep talks. She was right; there was no reason to pout over a good phone call like that. I just needed to remember that next time, it was my turn to be the adult and call home. Until then, I had a date to go on.

  “Chop, chop. Don’t want you to be late and have your gorgeous dress turn back into rags at the stroke of midnight,” Hannah teased, pushing me towards the bedroom door once she was satisfied I was finished with my self pity party.

  I walked out into the hall with timid steps. Before I made it past the wall and into the open area of the kitchen and living room, I stole one more glance behind me to Hannah. “Happy birthday.” She blew me a kiss and then sprinted across the wood floors and into the other bedroom.

  I sucked in a deep breath through my nose, and stepped out into the open space. Jhett leaned against the arm of the couch, fidgeting with something in his hands. Fire ignited in his eyes when he looked up, eyeing my body me up and down.

  “Charlie, you’re…Wow…You look absolutely stunning.” He closed the gap between us and scooped me up around my waist, pulling me up off the floor into him. My feet kicked as they dangled in the air.

  I let out a satisfied squeal before he set me back down on the ground. His hand found mine, and he lifted them above our heads, giving me a tiny push with his free hand. “Spin for me,” he told me. I did as he asked, turning on my toes under his grasp like a little girl. When I was done, I looked up at him through my eyelashes, giddy with nerves. Jhett remained silent next to me.

  “Well? Are you going to say something, or are we just going to stand in the living room all night in silence?” I teased, as he dropped our hands and snaked his arms around my back once more.

  “Charlie, don’t get me wrong, you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, especially in this vintage get-up. But tonight, I’m in awe that you would even go anywhere with me. In fact, I’m beginning to question whose birthday this really is, because I would love to unwrap you like a gift of my own right now.” He leaned in, painfully slow, before planting a soft and tender kiss on my cheek.

  “Well, you don’t look too far off from the fifties yourself there. You look…sexy. Is this how you got all the girls to fall in love with you on tour?” I motioned with my hands, following up and down the length of him.

  Jhett’s eyebrow raised just enough to match the smirk on his lips. “Why? Is that what’s happening to you?”

  I pursed my lips. It was my turn to give him the once-over. I took a few steps back, as he mimicked the same pirouette he made me do. He wore a dark grey, long sleeve button down shirt with a black vest on top, black pants with the trademark cuffs on the bottoms, and a pair of black Chucks to complete the look. But it was his hair, slicked back into a pompadour that made my heart melt. “I haven’t started screaming your name and crying yet, so I think I’m safe for now.” I reached for the clutch that Hannah picked out for tonight, so that I wouldn’t have to wear my shoulder bag.

  “We have all night to try and change that.” He winked at me as I followed behind him and walked through the front door to his truck. He insisted that we not take the Jeep, just for the night. I learned not to argue when he had his heart set on doing things his way, and tonight was all him.

  Jhett opened the door to the truck for me, and I managed to jump in fairly gracefully considering the amount of fabric I wore. I scooted across the leather seat and into the middle, so that I could ride next to him. That small feature was my favorite thing about the truck; I took every chance I could to be close to him.

  Jhett filed in next to me seconds later and situated himself, letting the engine roar to life. Without warning his hand went to my cheek as he guided my face towards him; his lips met mine with a hunger neither of us could deny. He pulled away first, leaving me to bite my lip. Tonight felt like we were experiencing every first all over again. It was strange and enticing, and I got a feeling that Jhett’s actions had something to do with it.

  “What was that for?” I asked, my hand finding its way to his, our fingers lacing together as I tried to hide the smile that I couldn’t make disappear.

  “Because after this, you’re going to be mad at me.” I gave him a questioning look, but he left me no time to argue. “You have to close your eyes until I give you the okay to open them.” My mouth fell to the floor. “Just trust me,
babe, okay?”

  I pouted for a few moments before relenting and squeezing my eyes shut. “Okay, but only because I do trust you.” I wiggled my back against the seat behind me as the truck started to reverse.

  “Good. No peeking!” Jhett said before we arrived our destination. I tried to pay attention to which way we were going, but after a few turns, I was completely and utterly lost. I had absolutely no clue where we ended up. I did trust Jhett, but the fact that I really was in the dark for what he had in store killed me. Even Hannah didn’t know what he had up his sleeve, which meant that Jhett really wanted to keep it a secret.

  “Only a few more minutes until you can open your eyes, I promise. I’m going to be right back, but you have to keep your eyes shut. I’m just warning you, there will be severe punishments if I catch you peeking.” Jhett laughed at his own words and slammed the truck door shut, leaving me alone in the silence of the night.

  It was only mere seconds before the passenger door opened and Jhett’s voice drifted into my ears. “Ready, birthday girl?” There was something about not being able to see him when he spoke in his low, husky tone that made everything feel more intense.

  His hand grabbed mine once more, pulling me to the edge of the seat and helping me down out of the truck. “I don’t know how you managed to convince Hannah to let me get out of a normal drunken twenty-first birthday. You must have used your charm on her, because there is no other way possible that I could have escaped that.” Jhett placed my arm on his own, my hand grabbing onto the inside of his elbow as he led me to what sounded like a doorway.

  Even though I couldn’t see him, I knew the playful grin that danced across his face. “Yeah, it was something like that. And besides, there’s always tomorrow night at the grand opening. You know she wouldn’t let you get off that easy.” Mentally I rolled my eyes. He was right. But at least I got one night of relaxed celebration. Jhett steered me into a quiet room as the doors shut behind us with a loud clang of metal.

  He withdrew from my side; the lack of his warmth created an eerie feeling as I stood by myself in a room I couldn’t place. Just as soon as he left my side, I felt him behind me again, his arms lying softly on top of mine around my stomach. “You can open your eyes now…” Jhett whispered into my ear; sending a rush of goose bumps to flutter down the right side of my body.

  My eyes eagerly blinked open, taking me a few seconds to adjust to the dull lighting. I looked around as my breath caught in my throat. I knew where we were. It was hardly recognizable in its current state. There were candles placed all around us, which cast shadows on the tables and chairs that were pushed to the sides, leaving just enough room for the extra large blanket that laid in the middle of the room. My hands darted up to my mouth in surprise as I turned in Jhett’s embrace to face him. “The restaurant? I had no idea. It looks so different like this. It’s soo…”

  “Romantic? Charming? Bad ass?” He asked, looking down at me with a satisfied grin. I could only answer with a few quick nods. “Good - that’s what I was going for, because tonight, I get to break in the equipment and we get to enjoy the first meal ever served here together.” Jhett beamed with pride as he spoke. “Are you hungry? Because I’ve got a few recipes in the works that I’ve been saving for tonight.”

  “I’m starving.” I laughed. He wasted no time as he dragged me into the kitchen, flicked on a few lights and other knobs on the grill, and gathered the ingredients he needed out of the massive silver fridge that sat in the corner. He set out a chair for me behind him, leaving only the back of him in view while he worked his magic with our dinner. There was something about watching him do what he enjoyed that made him even more attractive than he already was.

  We sat in a comfortable silence while Jhett cooked; stopping only to ask me a few questions before turning around and engulfing himself back in his work. The aroma that filled the restaurant was beyond a tease to my stomach. I made mental guesses as to what Jhett was going to present me with, but every time he added a new ingredient, a different idea popped into my head. Even while cooking, he kept me on my toes.

  All at once, Jhett clicked off all the knobs on the grill and turned to face me. “I’ll meet you in the other room in a second. We’re eating picnic-style on the blanket.” He flashed me a sly wink and he turned his back on me once more.

  Reluctantly I followed his directions, passing through the hall before finding my way to the blanket. I giggled at myself as I struggled to find an easy way to sit down. I wasn’t used to wearing such poufy dresses, and the girls I saw wearing them before certainly made it look a lot easier than it was. I settled for shifting my legs to the side next to me, and let the red fabric fall around me on all sides.

  Jhett’s footsteps crept up behind me. He appeared with a plate in each hand, skillfully bending down and sitting on the blanket beside me. Reaching over, he placed a plate in front of each of us. Before me was the juiciest, most mouth-watering burger and skinny French fries I witnessed.

  “Here - don’t forget this, too.” Jhett pulled out two champagne glasses from the basket behind him, and I took one from his hand when my nerves finally settled in. I didn’t want a “normal’ twenty-first birthday because I was scared I wouldn’t be able to stomach any alcohol. Jhett’s face dropped when he noticed my panicked expression. “Do you really think I don’t listen to you? You said no alcohol, so I got us something even fancier.” I narrowed my eyes, watching him intently as he produced a celadon-colored bottle. I recognized it from when I was younger – sparkling apple cider. As he filled both our glasses, the butterflies returned in the pit my stomach. Jhett did listen, and obviously planned this night for quite some time. He was impressive.

  He held his glass up in front of him as if to propose a toast, and nodded at me to follow suit. I brought mine up to meet his, making sure to never take my eyes off of his. There was something different behind them tonight that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. “Happy birthday, Charlie. Thank you for letting me steal you away from Hannah for one night to come out on a date with me. Thanks for taking a chance on me. I know how hard it was for you to trust me, but you’ve put the light back into my life. I only hope one day you realize what a beautiful woman you are – inside and out.” Jhett took a deep breath in through his nose. “Cheers.” He clinked the edge of his glass with mine.

  “Cheers,” I responded, and took a sip of the cider. I smiled as I swallowed the chilly, bubbly liquid down my throat, and Jhett’s words swam around in my mind. There was so much I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him exactly how I felt, tell him I was falling in love with him, and that I wanted to stay and never go back to Tennessee. That even though the spot in my heart for Cameron would never be fully healed, he eased that pain and gave me the courage to be the woman he saw before him.

  “Are you going to try your burger? This is one of the specials I created with you in mind. I want you to taste it before I tell you what’s in it.” His words interrupted my thoughts, but his child-like eagerness made him easy to forgive. Noting in the world existed right now, except for what was happening between the two of us.

  I raised an eyebrow at him in question. “Well I know it’s not spaghetti, so now I’m curious…” I picked up the massive burger with both hands before taking an enormous bite. Egg yolk dripped down the sides of my lips as I chewed a mouthful of bacon, egg, avocado, cheese, and meat. I stifled a giggle as I used the back of my hand to wipe my mouth. “A breakfast burger? This is perfect. What did you make for yourself?” I glanced over at his plate while I devoured the rest of my meal.

  He took a bite of his own burger, chewing before he spoke. “A ‘Bring the Heat’ burger - Hot sauce, bleu cheese, and some bacon. You know I like spicy things.” His grin instantly made my stomach tighten. The rest of the night was going to be trouble – I could feel it. It was already difficult for him to keep his hands off me before we even made it to the restaurant. There was only one difference about tonight – I wasn’t going to stop anything that ha
ppened. It was my birthday, and I was ready for a little celebration.

  We finished the rest of our meal, joking and laughing with the easy-going banter that I enjoyed between us. Jhett cleaned up our plates and disappeared back into the kitchen. “You ready for dessert?” he called from behind me before he came around the corner singing Happy Birthday. In his hands he held a much larger than normal cupcake, complete with a single lit candle sticking out of the top.

  My heart pounded from sheer excitement. He took his place next to me on the blanket again, and held lowered the plate in front of me at eye level. “Time to make a wish…” Jhett spoke in a hushed voice.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath as I ran through a list of ideas in my head before deciding on one very special wish: I wanted to stay this happy forever. I sucked a deep breath in, and blew the candle out in one quick exhale. Jhett placed the plate on the blanket next to us and gripped a small cupcake morsel in between his fingers. I knew what he wanted me to do. I leaned in toward him and opened my mouth just wide enough for him to slip the piece of cupcake inside my mouth.

  My hand went up to my lips out of habit. “This night keeps getting better. This is the best cupcake I’ve ever tasted. And it’s strawberry cake with white frosting? How’d you know this was my favorite?” I asked him, while scooping up a piece in my own fingers and holding it out toward him.

  He leaned in the same way I did and took my fingers into his mouth, sucking the cupcake and lingering frosting off with his tongue. “I can’t take credit for making it – one of the best bakeries in town did. I do, however, remember you mentioning your love for strawberry cupcakes one night. I told you before, I do listen when you talk.” He licked his lips while he watched me take another bite into my mouth.

  “I never said you didn’t listen. I’m just enthralled, that’s all.” His eyes were fixated on my lips as I spoke. I wiped the sides of my mouth nervously. “Is there something on my face?” I asked, mid-wipe.