by Meg Jolie
He kissed me...and kissed me…until I was breathless. Until my head was spinning and my heart was dancing. And I was clutching his shirt in my hands like I couldn’t imagine letting him go.
“That was just…Wow,” I found myself muttering as I rested my forehead against his. “Just how much time did you spend under those bleachers with Stacie?”
He emitted a breath that was possibly a silent laugh against my lips. “What?”
Then realization struck and he laughed for real. “Willow?” he guessed and I nodded. “I’d rather not think about Stacie right now.”
“Good answer,” I decided as I leaned in to kiss him again.
9
“I don’t like it,” Jamie said with a long, drawn out sigh. “At all. But I guess I should’ve seen it coming. I mean, it’s been impossible to miss on Tristan’s end. Looking back, I should’ve seen you heading that way too. I mean, I guess I have. I just didn’t want to believe it.”
I wasn’t sure how she could’ve seen it coming. Because until Friday night, I didn’t see it heading my way at all. Not really.
“And details? I don’t want to hear details. Ever. Understood?”
I nodded because when it came to me and Tristan? I didn’t want to share details with Jamie. Ever. So I definitely understood.
“Looks like Willow’s here already,” Jamie noted.
I found a spot right in front of Common Grounds and parked.
“I offered to pick her up. But she said she’d take her mom’s car,” I told Jamie.
We got out and Willow was waiting inside of the door for us. It was a coffee shop and while none of us actually drank coffee, it was our favorite place to meet.
I did like the scent though. And I loved the cozy feel of the place. It had rustic hardwood floors and the walls were painted a warm, mocha color. The booths were oversized and the cushions were plush and comfortable. The light fixtures dangled from the ceiling, emitting a soft, warm glow. There were couches in the backroom but we usually stayed away from those. Instead, we opted for our favorite booth. The backs of each booth were high, offering a decent amount of privacy.
And while I would never order a coffee, I did get a cappuccino more often than not. Especially in the winter. And the desserts? The desserts were amazing. But I’d had my fill of truffles over the weekend. So I refrained.
“I’ll have a large vanilla cappuccino,” I told the girl at the counter. She wasn’t much older than us. But I didn’t recognize her. I assumed she was a college student.
“Whipped cream on top?”
“Yes, please,” I said as I pulled out some cash.
She passed on my order to a coworker as she took Jamie’s order next. Jamie got a strawberry smoothie because she always got a strawberry smoothie. No matter what time of year it was.
“I’ll just have a water with a wedge of lemon,” Willow told the girl.
Jamie turned to her and crinkled up her face. “You’re getting water?”
“I’m on a diet,” she explained.
Jamie shot me a look that clearly said, See what I mean?
“Fifty cents,” the cashier told Willow.
Willow paused. “Excuse me?”
“Fifty cents?” She repeated. Her voice didn’t hide her agitation. There was a line forming behind us and Willow, it appeared, was holding it up just a bit.
“I’ve got it right here,” I said. I was still fumbling for my wallet to put my change away.
“I have it too,” Willow huffed. She pushed my hand away. “It’s just…it’s just…the principle of it! It’s water!”
“And a wedge of lemon in a cup that is not free,” the cashier said. Her eyes darted behind Willow. It was a sign of agitation, willing her to hurry things up.
“Fine, I changed my mind. I’ll have a cup of peach mango tea,” Willow said.
The girl gave Willow an irritated look, which Willow ignored. She shrugged instead. “For fifty cents more I might as well get something I actually like.”
The girl took her money and the three of us moved on. We grabbed our drinks from the end of the counter and moved back to our favorite booth. I didn’t ask but I was wondering why she didn’t just order the tea in the first place. It wasn’t like tea had any more calories than water.
We weren’t settled in for more than thirty seconds before Willow narrowed her eyes at me.
I took a sip of my cappuccino, trying to waste a few seconds. “What?” I cautiously asked.
Willow looked at Jamie. Jamie turned to me with a guilty smile. “Sorry. I blabbed.”
“So tell me,” Willow said as she flipped her long, curly hair over her shoulder. “Just how many of that boy’s fantasies did you make come true the other night?”
“Oh!” Jamie said as she held up her hand. “We are not going there!”
“No,” I agreed, “we’re not.” I could feel my cheeks burn. We’d gotten carried away. No doubt about it. Part of me still felt mortified and yet…A slow smile spread across my face.
Willow grinned. “Jamie said she found you in…” She faded off, apparently searching for the right words. Her grin grew. “A state of undress.”
“Hey!” I said as I pointed a finger at both of them. “All of the important pieces stayed on!”
“This,” Jamie said as she shook her head, “is exactly why I never wanted you to date my little brother.”
“Oh, come one,” Willow whined. “I want to know what happened.”
Jamie gave her a look that said the matter was not up for discussion.
Willow let out an annoyed sigh and slumped slightly in the booth. “Fine, give me the basics. Are you dating? Or was it just…you know?” She grinned and raised her eyebrows suggestively.
“Um, I think we’re dating. I mean…we’re going to try dating,” I amended. We hadn’t exactly worded it that way. “We’re going on a date. That’s what I mean,” I finally said. “Friday night.” My eyes flicked to Jamie. She was aware of this already and I was grateful that she looked more or less unaffected.
“So you like him?” Willow asked. “I mean, you actually like Tristan? After all this time?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“You think?” Jamie shot out.
I couldn’t help it. A small laugh slipped out. “Okay, yes, Jamie. I do. He’s really sweet. And he’s cute. And he’s fun to be around. I mean, I always thought he was fun to be around—”
“See! This is why I always thought you two would be the perfect couple!” Willow’s face broke into a huge smile. She leaned forward on her elbows. A conspiratorial grin lit up her face. “Is he a good kisser? I bet he is.”
Jamie cringed and looked away. I took advantage of that. I rolled my eyes at Willow but I could feel the heat spreading across my cheeks. And I was smiling. I gave her a quick nod.
“I knew it,” Willow said smugly. Then she glanced at Jamie. “Come on Jamie. Don’t be a grump about this.”
“I’m not,” Jamie said. Her voice was soft and serious. “I guess it’s not the dating I mind so much. As long as I don’t have to hear too much about it. What I do worry about? Is when you two break-up. Do you know how awkward that’s going to be for me? You’re one of my best friends. You live down the road. He’s my brother. He lives across the hall. I don’t want to ever have to pick sides. But let’s be realistic. Eventually, whatever is going on with you two? It’s going to end. I’m not being mean, I’m just being realistic. And when it does, I don’t want to be stuck in the middle.” She paused, looking at me for a few moments. “To be honest, I’m surprised you were willing to risk ruining your friendship with Tristan over this.”
I blinked at her in silence. She was right. I liked my friendship with Tristan. Unfortunately, she also had a point. The chances of this lasting were not good. And then what? Would we be able to just slip back into the role of friends?
We could do that. Couldn’t we?
“Oh, Jamie,” Willow grumbled, “way to kill the hap
piness.”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “She’s right. Maybe I should cancel our plans for Friday.”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Jamie surprised me by saying. “It hasn’t even been a week. You are not going to break his heart already!”
“But I just think—”
She cut me off. “You should have thought this all through before. It’s too late to go back now. After Friday night, maybe you could have. But after last night, too? Uhuh.” She shook her head emphatically. Her curtain of ebony hair swirled around her. She jabbed a finger my way. “You need to finish what you started.”
Willow shot me a triumphant grin. Then her smile faltered. “Oh,” she said. Her voice was slightly sarcastic. “Look who decided they just had to have a hot chocolate. At slightly after three on a Sunday afternoon.”
I glanced over my shoulder.
Corey. He gave me a sheepish grin and waved.
He was well-aware of our Sunday ritual.
I gave him a less than enthusiastic wave back.
Willow on the other hand, gave him a too-big grin. She was very much aware that he hadn’t waved at her but she gave him an enthusiastic wave in return.
He ignored her.
Jamie looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“What?” I asked. “It’s not like I asked him to show up.”
“No. But he knew you’d be here. He obviously came in to see you,” she pointed out.
What was I supposed to do? It was a public place. It wasn’t like I could ask him to leave. I just hoped he didn’t come over to talk. I really had nothing to say to him.
“Huh,” Willow said. “Maybe he really did only want hot chocolate.”
I glanced over my shoulder again. Corey was retrieving his cardboard cup from the end of the counter. He didn’t look back at us. I took that as a good sign.
“So what’s new with you?” Jamie demanded of Willow. “Anything?”
Willow took a long, slow sip of her hot tea. “No, nothing. Why? What’s new with you?” she asked, deflecting the conversation back to Jamie.
“I was asked to give this to the ‘pretty one’?” The words surprised all three of us. We hadn’t seen the grumpy cashier approach. She was holding a white dessert plate. On the plate was a hot lava cake. Her eyes darted around our table. “Which one of you would that be?”
Her tone implied she couldn’t imagine it being any of us. I assumed that was what happened when you were a cashier and you didn’t worry about tips.
“Her,” both Jamie and Willow said. They simultaneously pointed at me.
Without another word, she carefully placed the dessert on the table and walked away.
“I guess Corey didn’t just want hot chocolate,” Jamie said. Her tone was a little too accusatory for me.
“Hey! How was I supposed to know?” I glanced down at my favorite dessert. I’d ordered it with Corey more times than I could count. It was a hot, gooey chocolate cake with an explosion of chocolate sauce flowing down the sides. A giant scoop of ice cream was melting over the top of it. Three raspberries adorned the masterpiece.
Jamie was giving it the evil eye while Willow seemed to be looking at it longingly.
I pushed it toward the center of the table. “Why would he do that? I can’t eat it. It kind of feels like cheating on Tristan.”
“I’ll take it,” Willow said. She gripped the side of the plate and pulled it to her spot. She glanced up guiltily. “I mean, if you really don’t want it.”
“I really don’t,” I told her.
Better for Willow to cheat on the diet she really didn’t need to be on than it was for me to cheat on my maybe-boyfriend. Jamie seemed to be thinking the same thing as she watched Willow close her eyes and take a bite.
Neither one of us intended to mention Willow’s unnecessary diet to her.
When Willow opened her eyes again, she realized we were both staring. “What? Do you want a bite?” she asked. She nudged the plate toward Jamie.
“No way,” she said. She seemed to find Corey’s gesture completely offensive.
I shrugged when she glanced at me. “It’s not like he knows about Tristan and me.”
“Oh yeah, he does,” Willow said around a mouthful of ice cream. She swallowed and kept talking. “Friday night? Didn’t he chase you outside or something?”
Jamie turned to face me.
“Oh, yeah,” I admitted. “I forgot.”
“Well, I don’t think he forgot. You made quite the impression. You were with Tristan?”
“Kind of. We were just—”
“Whatever you were doing,” Willow interrupted, “you had Corey all hot and bothered. When he came back inside, he was in a terrible mood. He stayed in a terrible mood the rest of the night.”
“What were you doing with Tristan at the party?” Jamie demanded.
“Texting you!” I honestly told her. “I went outside to get away from Corey. Tristan followed. When Corey came out, he saw us together. He just kind of assumed…” I let my words trail off.
“Then why the hell is he buying you dessert? If he thinks you’re with my brother?” she wanted to know. “What kind of guy does that? I mean, he shouldn’t have even been showing up here in the first place. But that,” she said as she poked an accusatory finger at the chocolaty concoction, “is completely uncalled for!”
Willow smiled with delight. “Aw. It’s like we have our very own, real life love triangle taking place.”
I shook my head. “No. We don’t. For it to be a love triangle, I’d have to be interested in Corey. And I’m not. So it can’t be.”
Jamie was watching me inquisitively.
“No,” Willow said with a smug shake of her head. “I don’t think so. He just has to want you. When he can’t have you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter what Corey wants. Not anymore.”
*~*~*
“Oh, wait, wait, wait,” I whispered to Tristan. I pulled away from him, just a bit. My arms were still around his neck and I cocked my head to the side.
“Okay…but why?” he whispered back. He gave me a quizzical look. The lights were off and the vibrant colors of the television bounced across his face.
We were at my house again. It was the third night in a row. But I wanted to see him. So when I’d dropped off Jamie, I’d simply picked up Tristan. Christmas break was almost officially over. School would be starting in the morning. It was a bitterly cold Sunday evening and there wasn’t a whole lot to do around town. We’d decided on the only logical thing. We’d driven the short distance to my house and put in a movie.
Surprisingly, up until maybe five minutes ago, we had actually been watching the movie.
“Because, I think—,” I interrupted myself. Yes, there were definitely footsteps upstairs. “I think my mom just got home.”
Understanding washed across his face as he heard the noises coming from above, too.
“Had you wanted me out of here before she got home?” he asked. He let go of me and moved back. I didn’t necessarily want him to do that because the movement caused my arms to slide off of him as well.
“No, it’s fine,” I assured him. She was going to find out about Tristan and me sooner or later. Why not make it sooner?
Besides, Mom loved Tristan.
“Britta?” Mom called. Her voice floated down the staircase.
“Down here,” I called back to her.
I heard her light footsteps bouncing down the steps.
“I just wanted to let you know I was home and I was wondering if you’ve eaten.” She came to a stop when she saw Tristan and me. We’d put some distance between us. Some. Not a lot. I was pretty sure the fact that it was just the two of us, no Jamie in sight, was pretty self-explanatory.
“Hi, Lila,” Tristan said. I wanted to laugh because his tone sounded so unsure. As if my mom wouldn’t approve of him being there.
“Tristan?” she said with a small nod. It came out somewhere between a gree
ting and a question. The look on her face held nothing but bemusement. Her cheeks were rosy, probably from windburn. But her eyes were sparkly and happy. “I didn’t know you were here.” She glanced at me with raised eyebrows. I just gave her a smile. Then she smiled back. “Well, okay then. Have you two eaten?”
“Not yet,” I said.
“I picked up the ingredients for chicken enchiladas on the way home,” she told us. “Tristan, you’re staying for dinner, right?”
“Sure, thanks,” he replied.
“How was your weekend?” I asked her.
A blissfully happy look took over her face. “It was fabulous,” she said. “How was yours?”
I smiled back, probably looking just as blissfully, ridiculously happy as she did. “Fabulous,” I echoed.
10
In our school, our lockers were segregated by grade. So I hurried down Senior Hall, trying to make it to Junior Hall before the warning bell rang. I swerved my way through students. It was crowded and loud as everyone talked about what they had done over break. I spotted Corey up ahead. He had his back to me so I rounded a corner I didn’t necessarily have to take. I had no idea what the lava cake was supposed to signify. But I did know that I really had no desire to find out.
I already had my small stack of notebooks and textbooks tucked under one arm. I saw Tristan at his locker. He was hanging on to his open locker door with one hand. He was turned away from me and he was talking to his friend, Marcus.
I glanced around. Not a teacher in sight. I slipped under his arm to give him a quick hug.
He looked at me in surprise. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you this morning.”
The smile he gave me made me think I might have to sneak off to see him every morning.
His arm came down from his locker to give me a quick return squeeze. Then he released me and I stepped just a bit to the side.
Our school had a strict anti-PDA policy. Sometimes students got away with saying the most inappropriate things in the hallway.
