Pants On Fire

by Lacey Black

He gasps and glances my way quickly before looking back at the interstate. “You promised!” he bellows in mock outrage.

  Leaning closer, I drop my voice and whisper, “I guess you’ll just have to punish me later.”

  I preen a little on the inside as he shifts his gaze to the road, his jaw tight. Rueben adjusts his pants, clearly having a little issue in the crotch area, which only makes me smile that much more.

  The closer we get to Decatur, the more nervous I get. I haven’t brought a guy home since Danny, and even though I sent my mom a text message to let her know I was bringing a friend, I didn’t tell her who it was. Or the fact that my friend is a he. I’m not sure what they’re going to say when we arrive.

  “You okay?” he asks, following my directions to get to my parents’ house.

  “Yeah, fine. You?”

  “I’m good,” he replies, offering me a reassuring grin.

  “So, my parents,” I start, stammering a little bit on the words.

  “Erin and Alan, right?”

  It makes me happy that he remembered my parents’ names. I haven’t mentioned it since we made our plan to spend the next several days together, and he hasn’t asked. That means he recalls their names from more than a decade ago, and even then, they really only met twice. “Yeah, that’s right. Anyway, they’re expecting us,” I tell him, adjusting myself in my seat to find a more comfortable position, but with the nerves I feel, there really isn’t a position to help alleviate that.

  “That’s good,” he says, focusing on the road.

  “So… I may have mentioned I was bringing a friend, but I didn’t say who.”

  He glances my way again. “Who did you tell them was coming?”

  “I didn’t go into details, which means they may be a little shocked when we arrive. I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but since I called you my friend, you’re probably going to have to stay in my sister’s old room.”

  He’s quiet for a few seconds, considering my words. “Okay, that shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sure I’ll survive sleeping in another room for a night,” he says, throwing me that sexy smirk of his as he pushes his glasses up on his nose.

  “Right, I just didn’t want to get into…this with them.” Mostly because I don’t know what this is. I mean, we’re friends who are seeing each other for the next five days? That’s not exactly a text message type of conversation with Mom, you know?

  “I get it. I mean, we just spent time with my grandparents and didn’t really define us,” he says.

  “Right,” I confirm before telling him our turn is coming up. “But just so you know, your grandma did…ask me something.”

  He looks my way. “What did she ask?” his voice a little wary and full of concern.

  “Well, she asked if I was playing hide the salami with her grandson,” I tell him, somehow keeping a straight face.

  He stops at the stop sign and turns to face me. His eyes are wide and his jaw practically unhinges in shock. “She asked that?”

  “Well, technically, she asked if I was playing hide the salami with her Ruby, but I’m not supposed to call you that,” I reply with a shrug.

  “And what did you say?”

  “Well, I couldn’t lie to her!” I holler. “She could see my blush and told me it was all the confirmation she needed.”

  “Jesus,” he mutters, closing his eyes and resting his head against the headrest.

  “She told me she was happy,” I tell him, recalling how her approval of us spending time together made me feel. She seemed genuinely happy Rueben was dating someone who made him smile. She said he never took his eyes off me, even in the short amount of time we were all together before he and his grandpa left the apartment.

  Rueben’s silent for several more seconds before a horn sounds behind us. He quickly pulls into the intersection, heading toward the house where I grew up. When we pull into the driveway and park, he unbuckles his belt and turns my way. “She really said salami?”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Oh, she definitely did.”

  “And what did you say?”

  I blush again. “Ummm, well, I might have told her your salami was one of my favorite attributes,” I say with a shrug.

  His mouth falls open again. “Seriously?”

  “Well, she caught me off guard, Rueben. What was I supposed to say?”

  “Maybe you don’t talk about my salami with my grandma, Cricket. How about that?”

  I can’t help but giggle a little at the embarrassment written all over his face and dripping from his words. The dark pink blush is super cute. “If it makes you feel better, she seemed very happy about my comment. She mentioned it runs in the family, and then she winked at me.”

  Rueben groans and brings his hand to his forehead. “I didn’t need to know that. I don’t need to know anything about my grandpa’s…attributes.”

  “Well, you asked.”

  “No, no I did not.”

  The front door opens and my dad appears. Unclicking my own seat belt, I tap him on the forearm and reach for my door handle. “Time to go, Ruby. That’s my dad,” I say as I open my door and slip out, not giving Rueben time to respond to my use of his nickname.

  “There’s my girl,” my dad says as he approaches, arms extended for a hug.

  “Hi, Dad,” I reply, the familiar scent of his aftershave and detergent wrapping around me in a warm hug.

  “So glad you’re here, even if it’s just for one night,” he says, kissing me on the forehead. It’s then he glances over my shoulder and sees my friend standing there.

  “Rueben, right?” Dad asks, looking down at me before returning his eyes behind me.

  “Yes, sir. It’s nice to see you again,” Rueben replies, stepping forward and extending his hand.

  “Good to see you too,” he says, even though I can see the curiosity written on his face. “Let’s get your bags inside, shall we?”

  Rueben and my dad carry our two suitcases inside, casually chatting about the warm mid-September weather.

  “Is that my Cricket?” my mom asks as she comes around the corner and joins us in the living room.

  “Hi, Mom,” I reply, my arms wrapping around her slim waist and holding on tight.

  “You look amazing,” she whispers. I can tell the moment she sees Rueben standing off to the side. “Oh, hello.”

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Hill,” Rueben says politely.

  “Rueben?” Mom asks, glancing my way as she makes her way to Rueben. “When Cricket said she was bringing a friend with her, she didn’t mention it was you! It’s been so long,” she adds, giving him a hug and broad smile.

  “It has.”

  “Rueben and I ran into each other at the alumni reunion. We’ve been hanging out and catching up,” I tell them casually, but I worry they’ll be able to see right through my attempt to keep it nonchalant.

  “That’s nice, sweetie,” she says, a knowing smile on her face.

  “I’ll take the bags upstairs,” Dad says, pointing to the stairs.

  “I can help, sir,” Rueben states, reaching for his bag and following my dad upstairs.

  “It’s so good to have you home, even if it’s just for a night,” Mom says, squeezing my hand.

  “It’s good to be here,” I reply, truly meaning it. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed them and this place until I’m back here after a prolonged absence. I usually come home once a year, around the holidays, but missed the last few years. Mom and Dad decided to take a small vacation for Christmas last year, making a short stop in San Francisco to see me. So, it’s really been more than three years since I’ve been home.

  Glancing around, I find the house exactly the same with the exception of updated pictures of my nieces. “These are new,” I say, approaching the mantel.

  “They are. Your sister had them taken last month at the park,” Mom says, smiling fondly at the photos of her two granddaughters.

  “Does Ash know what she’s having this time?” I ask, referri
ng to my sister’s third pregnancy.

  “Not yet, though we’re all secretly hoping for a boy.”

  I gaze at my nieces’ faces, their grins and their matching dresses. Even though there’s a huge age gape between them, they still look adorable in their yellow and blue sundresses. Chloe is twelve and has long brown hair and green eyes like her mom’s, while Courtlyn, at four, favors her father’s lighter blond hair and freckled features. Truth be told, they don’t resemble each other much, but that doesn’t matter. They’re sisters in every way that counts.

  Chloe was the product of a short-lived relationship my sister had in college. She thought they’d get married and live happily ever after, which is partly why she quit school. But the ink had barely dried on the marriage certificate before he decided he wasn’t ready for marriage and a kid. He left Ashley mere months after Chloe was born, sending her a check every month to help take care of her.

  Ashley met Shawn a few years later at the supermarket. He helped her reach something on the top shelf and ended up chatting with Chloe while waiting in the checkout line. After that, they seemed to run into each other every Sunday morning when getting their groceries, and it wasn’t long before Shawn was asking her out. There was only one stipulation, though: she had to bring Chloe with her.

  They were married about six years ago when my sister got her dream wedding, and soon after, Shawn adopted Chloe. He makes her happy and doesn’t care that Chloe’s not his biological daughter, which makes him a winner in my book. Even after they had Courtlyn, he never treated my oldest niece as if she were any different. She is his daughter, and I appreciate him even more than ever.

  “She’s going to find out next month what she’s having,” Mom says.

  “I can’t wait to find out,” I tell her, glancing at Dad and Rueben as they return from the upstairs. “I secretly hope it’s a boy too.” Turning to face the guys, I ask, “Did you get his things put in the guest room?”

  I can already tell something’s up by the look on Rueben’s face. It’s part humor, part surprise, which has me returning my gaze to my mom.

  “Didn’t we tell you?” she asks, an uncomfortable chuckle slipping from her lips.

  “Tell me what?”

  “We turned the guest room into a playroom for the girls,” she says casually.

  “Oh, uh, no, you didn’t. So, where is Rueben going to sleep?” I ask, thinking about the layout of the house. My room consists of a full-sized bed, and while the thought of snuggling with him on that bed sounds like heaven, I’m not sure I really want to share my bed at my parents’ house. Too many questions I’m not ready to answer.

  “He’ll have to sleep on the bottom bunk,” Dad says, taking a drink of his sweet tea sitting beside the recliner.

  “Bottom bunk?” I ask, glancing between my parents. When did they get bunk beds?

  “Well, I assumed you’d want the top bunk since you’re lighter. Not that Rueben won’t fit up there, but it might be easier for you to climb up and down than him. The poor man will probably hit his head on the ceiling,” Mom says.

  “Wait, hold up. Bunk beds?”

  “Well, yeah. The girls wanted them for when they spend the night here, so we sold your old bed and bought them instead,” she replies.

  “So, Rueben and I have to sleep on twin bunk beds?”

  Mom nods. “You might be able to fit on the couch, but Rueben’s poor legs will hang over the end. It’ll be more comfortable in the bunk, wouldn’t it?” she asks Rueben.

  “I’ll be just fine, Mrs. Hill. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you tonight,” he says politely, his brown eyes dancing with humor.

  “Wait,” I say, holding up my hands. “So my nieces, your granddaughters, decide they want bunk beds, so you just go buy them? Do you not recall me asking for them when we were little and you saying no because I could fall off and break my neck?” I ask, completely flabbergasted that my parents would say yes to the girls when they always said no to me and Ash.

  “Well, yes, but they’re much safer now,” Mom insists.

  “Safer how? They still have a ladder and a railing, right?”

  “Oh, Cricket, don’t be dramatic,” Mom says, rolling her eyes. “We’re meeting Shawn, Ashley, and the girls for dinner tonight at TGI Friday’s in a half hour,” Mom adds, essentially ending the bunk bed conversation.

  “Fine,” I grumble, crossing my arms in a slight pout. “I’m going to run up and change.”

  “Okay, be ready to leave in twenty,” Dad says, following Mom to the kitchen.

  When I enter my old bedroom, I find it decked out in pink princess everything. The bedding, the wall décor, and the curtains give the impression the room is fit for royalty, which I guess it is. Standing along one wall is a beautiful set of solid maple bunk beds with white twinkle lights hanging from the wall.

  “Seriously?” I ask, noting how much time and effort went into changing this room from the tie-dyed mess I used to have to what it is now.

  Rueben shuts the door behind him. “I’m actually kinda excited to sleep here,” he says, picking up a small pink pillow shaped like a crown on the bottom bunk and tossing it aside.

  “Really? Pink your thing?” I tease, stepping into his embrace and inhaling his familiar scent.

  “Ehhh, not so much the pink as the roommate. Last time I was in a bunk bed was at horse camp. My parents sent me for one week when I was twelve. The kid I was bunking with had a small problem with wetting the bed. He, of course, was awarded the top bunk, even though I begged to switch.”

  “So, even you got to experience the awesomeness of bunk beds at one point in your life,” I whine.

  “Did you catch the part where he pissed the bed?”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, I heard that. You don’t have to worry about me peeing the bed tonight,” I assure him, looking up and meeting his eyes.

  “I had hoped. Plus, you’re way hotter than Casper Short was,” he tells me, his lips lingering just over mine for a few seconds.

  “If you play your cards right, I might even forget to wear panties when I climb up that ladder,” I tease him, my breath fanning across his lips and making my heart pump in my chest with anticipation.

  “Definitely a bonus there. I might actually get to enjoy my hard-on instead of trying to hide it,” he says, the softest graze of his lips across mine.

  “Mmm, bedwetting and boys named Casper gave you woodies back in the day?”

  “Baby, air gave me a woody back in the day. I was twelve. I was a walking hard-on,” he tells me, making me smile against his lips.

  “Speaking of,” I whisper, reaching down and palming his thick erection through his jeans.

  “Christ.”

  “I can definitely help with this guy,” I tell him before I press my lips fully to his. He deepens the kiss immediately, sliding his tongue along mine and reaching down and grabbing my ass. He pulls me against him, my hand pinned between his body and mine, his cock pulsing with need.

  “Shit,” he grumbles, ripping his lips from mine and taking a step back. “We can’t do this now. We have to leave in a few minutes, and I’d rather not sport a hard-on when I see your family again for the first time in a decade.”

  Stepping forward, I press one hand to his chest and the other goes right back to his hard length. “Then, we should take care of this before we go,” I whisper just before I drop to my knees.

  “Crick,” he groans, his voice raw and full of desire. “We don’t have time.”

  Reaching for his button, I flip it open and tug on the zipper. “We most certainly do have time, Rueben. Just watch,” I tell him, pulling his pants down and freeing his impressive cock.

  I waste no time at getting to work. Licking my lips, I hollow out my cheeks and smoothly take him into my mouth. He makes a choking sound that’s a cross between a moan and a gasp, his hands fisting my hair at the nape of my neck. “Jesus, Crick,” he whispers, trying to keep his voice down as his hips thrust forward.

  “
Mmmm,” I groan, letting the vibration of my word course through his shaft.

  His eyes are wide and dark as he watches me suck him deep into my mouth. I cup his balls, running my nails over the loose skin, and feel the pulse of his dick in my mouth. “Do that again,” he groans, his eyes glued to my mouth.

  I score my nails over his balls a second time and am rewarded as they draw in tight to his body. I can tell he’s close, and knowing we don’t have a lot of time to waste, I suck him hard and fast, one hand wrapping around the root of his shaft and twisting my wrist in time to my mouth. I keep the other hand on his balls, alternating between a gentle caress and the rake of my nails over the flesh.

  “I’m going to come,” he warns me, but it only fuels my own desire to finish him off.

  Tightening my fist around his cock, I stroke him hard and fast, sucking him deep in my throat as he lets go, his cock twitching as jets of warm cum slide down my throat. He gasps a raspy breath and sags against the door behind him. I lick the tip of his cock, loving the shutter it evokes, as I let go of his cock and gaze up at him. Rueben reaches down and pulls me up, wrapping his arms around my waist and placing his lips against my swollen ones. “Thank you,” he whispers, his lips sliding soft and tender across mine.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “We really do have to go,” he tells me, not making a move to get ready.

  “We do.”

  “And then I’m going to come back here and fuck you with my mouth until your face is buried beneath a pillow to cover your screams of ecstasy,” he says casually and confidently, but it’s his words that leave me wet and needy.

  “I’m so wet right now,” I tell him, kissing his jaw and backing away.

  Rueben groans. “Christ, Crick, you’re going to make me hard again. How am I supposed to get through dinner knowing you’re ready for me?” he says, pulling up his pants and adjusting his already thickening cock.

  I give him a sweet, innocent smile. “I’m sure you’ll manage just fine. Let’s just hope you’re not sitting next to my dad during dinner.”

  His groan of frustration follows me into the bathroom.

  Yeah, I know, Rueben. It’s going to be a long night.