Present Perfect

by Alison Bailey

  Holding a fist full of Brad’s shirt, Noah jerked him forward off the wall, and then slammed Brad back hard. He got right in Brad’s face and spoke through gritted teeth, “You’re going to break the goddamn date and leave her alone.”

  I couldn’t tell if Brad was scared, angry, or both. He wasn’t fighting back.

  He looked Noah in the eye and in a strained voice said, “What Amanda does is none of your business, Stewart. She’s a big girl. She can go out with whoever she wants and she wants me.” He gave Noah a smug smile. The boy’s got balls, I’ll give him that.

  Noah pushed Brad into the wall again and said, “She’s always my business, asshole. If you touch her, I will fuck up that pretty face of yours.”

  One of the other players, Spencer, said, “Stewart, come on. If Coach catches you, you’re off the team.”

  Noah froze in position, sneering at Brad. After several more tense seconds, he released Brad from the death grip and backed away. He turned and saw me. My eyes connected with his. I couldn’t believe what I had just seen. I was speechless. He broke our connection, turned and disappeared into the locker room, without saying a word. The other guys eventually followed.

  I walked over to Brad who was leaning on the wall, bent over, his hands resting on his knees. I placed my hand on his shoulder and asked, “Are you alright?” He glanced at me and nodded his head. “Brad, I’m so sorry. I’ll talk to him. I don’t know what got into him.”

  He straightened. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on between you two?”

  “Noah is very protective of me.” I lied. Sort of. Noah had always been protective of me, but this was more than that. It was jealousy and possessiveness. I should know because I felt the same way every time a girl even looked at Noah. “I will talk to him,” I promised Brad.

  Brad pushed himself off the wall and turned towards me. He took three steps, putting him directly in front of me. His head lowered, so that our eyes were in line with one another’s. There was so little space between us, our lips were almost touching.

  “Talk to him, because I do plan on touching you. A lot. If you let me.” He leaned in closer and gently brushed his lips over mine. When he pulled away my breath hitched. He had sucked his lower lip into his mouth and was slowly grazing it with his teeth as he released it. This was the same move that got me all disoriented at my car the first day he approached me.

  He took a couple of steps back, never breaking eye contact with me, then turned and walked away. I watched as the door to the locker room closed before slowly letting out the breath that had been trapped in my lungs since he touched me. Staying put, I tried to compose myself from what I believe to have been a swoon. Man, that boy was sex on a stick, deep fried.

  Did I actually have two hot guys fighting over me? Yes. The answer was yes. I realize Noah was only being protective and Brad, well, he really didn’t fight. But a girl can pretend, can’t she? Yes, and I did just that, the entire drive home and the rest of the afternoon. It felt amazing to be wanted by two hot guys, even if it was only a fantasy. Noah, Brad, with a little sprinkle of Zac Efron… yep, I’ll be holding on to this fantasy for a while.

  Getting over someone doesn’t happen by getting under someone. It just reminds you what you should have held on to.

  It was overwhelming when Brad and I first entered Jeremy’s beach house. The amount of people was amazing. They were everywhere. Couples were in the corners of the living room making out, couples dancing were making out, and even couples on the stairs were making out. It was like the John Hughes version of Caligula. It seemed like most, if not all, of the senior class was here. The music was incredibly loud and with the pulsating base, I felt the vibrations through my entire body. The room was dotted with red cups, indicating that the alcohol had already started flowing.

  Brad kept me close by his side as we walked through the maze of bodies. His hand never left the small of my back. I was wearing my cropped faded jeans and sleeveless light purple shirt, the hem of which skimmed the top of my jeans. Brad’s fingers slid under my shirt and grazed the skin of my lower back. His touch sent a slight shiver through me. He always looked very good, but he looked extremely hot tonight. He wore dark tan cargo shorts and a sapphire blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow. The color matched his eyes perfectly. He smelled good too, like cinnamon. Teenage boys don’t usually have an appealing fragrance. The only boy I ever knew who always smelled wonderful was Noah. He smelled citrusy, like an orange.

  Several people stopped Brad to talk. He would give them a quick ‘hey’, then directed his attention right back to me. We made our way to the kitchen. Wine, tequila, vodka, and rum filled the countertops along with various mixers. There was a sliding glass door that led out to a huge deck where a couple of kegs sat. Chips seemed to be what was on the menu for the night, just chips. All different kinds of chips-potato, corn, pita, tortilla. You name the chip and it was there.

  Once in the kitchen, we were greeted by our host, Jeremy. “Hey BroJo! Glad you finally made it, man. Now the serious partying can begin,” Jeremy said as he high fived Brad. I was pretty positive that our host had already sampled the liquid refreshments earlier.

  “Pratt, you know Amanda?” Brad asked.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah! You’re Stewart’s girl.” I felt Brad’s hand stiffen against my back. “Glad you could make it.” Glancing down at where Brad’s hand rested, Jeremy leaned in and whispered loudly, “Better watch out dude. You don’t want NoStew to catch you touching his girl, not after what happened yesterday. I’ve never seen him that pissed off before.”

  “She’s not his girl.” Brad looked down at me and I gave him a small smile.

  Knots began forming in the pit of my stomach. “Where is Noah?” I asked Jeremy.

  Raising his hands, he began to wave them above his head, as he slurred, “Somewhere...” He lost his balance and stumbled back against the counter. Slapping Brad on the back he said, “You guys make yourselves at home. Mi casa su casa. Eat, drink, be merry, and all that shit.”

  As Jeremy disappeared, I scanned the room to see if I spotted Noah. Concern was written all over my face when I looked at Brad. “Me being here with you was a bad idea. I didn’t have a chance to talk with Noah about yesterday.”

  Leaning down to me, Brad’s lips gently brushed my ear as he whispered, “Being with you is never a bad idea. There’s a ton of people here. We probably won’t even see him. Just relax. I’ll take good care of you.” He placed a light kiss just below my ear. “What’s your pleasure? As far as something to drink, that is. I can take care of your other pleasures later.” He winked.

  I made no attempt at hiding my eye roll as I shook my head and said, “Unbelievable.”

  Brad’s megawatt smile appeared. “Beautiful, you have no idea.”

  I wasn’t really a drinker. I had had wine before, but that was about the extent of my alcohol intake. Plus, with the strange effect Brad seemed to have on me, I thought it best to keep a clear head tonight.

  Looking up, I shyly smiled, “A diet soda is fine. Thanks.”

  “Diet soda, it is. I’ll be right back.” He kissed me softly on the cheek before he left. Yep, he was definitely a swooner.

  Within minutes Brad returned carrying two red cups, both filled with soda. I was surprised that he wasn’t drinking something more potent. I asked curiously, “You’re not drinking the hard stuff?”

  “Maybe later. I want to be completely alert while I get to know you.” Taking my elbow, he guided me to the sliding glass doors. “Let’s go out on the deck. It’s less crowded.”

  It was a beautiful night. The sky was so clear the stars looked like tiny bright white Christmas lights twinkling. There was a warm breeze coming off the ocean and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks was soothing my nerves. We walked over to the railing of the deck facing the ocean. While I enjoyed the sea breeze and watched the waves, Brad watched me. I could feel my cheeks getting warm. The staring was making m
e feel a little uneasy.

  I turned toward him, trying to sound playful and asked, “What is it with you and the staring?”

  “I told you before, I’m admiring. Why do you have such a hard time with guys looking at you?”

  I was in full blown red face now. “Well, first of all, I’ve never had guys look at me. Second, I’m not exactly the type of girl that gets stared at, at least not for the good reasons.”

  He leaned down closer to me so we would be eye to eye. In a low voice he said, “You have no idea how hot you are. Do you?”

  “Are you sure all you have in that cup is soda?”

  Brad shook his head and smiled. “You’re awesome. I’m so glad you said yes.”

  He gently pressed his lips to mine. My eyes automatically fluttered shut. A surge of electricity zipped through my entire body. He nipped at my bottom lip and then I felt his tongue glide over them. His lips were so soft and tasted like soda. Our lips moved slowly against each other’s, and then the tip of his tongue slipped between mine. I parted them slightly for him and his tongue slid into my mouth. Every movement he made was so slow, deliberate, and hot as hell. He wasn’t in a hurry to get through this kiss and neither was I.

  Suddenly, Brad jerked away from me. I heard people shouting. My eyes shot open. I was so disoriented from the kiss, I didn’t immediately comprehend what was happening. Once my eyes focused, I saw Noah dragging Brad down the steps to the beach. Several people followed. By the time I got to the bottom of the steps, I heard flesh hit flesh.

  “I FUCKING WARNED YOU ABOUT TOUCHING HER!” Noah screamed as he slammed his fist into Brad’s side.

  Unlike yesterday, Brad fought back. He shoved Noah, and then brought his fist around connecting to the left side of Noah’s jaw. Noah stumbled back a few steps and shook it off. He came at Brad with full force, tackling him to the ground. Noah’s attack was relentless, punching Brad over and over again in rapid fire.

  I ran up screaming, “NOAH, STOP IT! YOU’RE GOING TO KILL HIM!” Tears were streaming down my face.

  Finally, Jeremy and two other guys went over and pulled Noah off Brad.

  Walking over and kneeling at Brad’s side, I tried to help him sit up. “Oh god! Are you ok? We need to get you to the ER.”

  He shook his head at me and whispered, “I’ll be ok. Just give me a sec.” He was gasping for air.

  Looking up, my eyes pleaded with Noah to calm down. His chest was rapidly pumping as his breaths came fast and heavy. His jaw was clenched tight and his hands were still formed into fists. He didn’t make any move towards Brad, though. His eyes shot daggers right through me. I thought he was furious yesterday, but that was nothing compared to the rage coming off his body now. He had never directed this type of anger towards me before.

  Sneering at me, he asked, “Is this what you want? Some mother fucking son of a bitch who just wants to get into your pants?”

  I didn’t know how to respond. I was completely embarrassed and he was to blame. I just looked at him with tears in my eyes. I didn’t understand what was going on. I knew he hated the idea of me going out with Brad. It was just one date. Noah was acting like I was going to marry the guy and be doomed to a life of hell. Without saying another word, he turned and bulldozed his way up the steps and into the house.

  Jeremy, trying to get the party back on track said, “Now it’s a party! Okay folks, nothing more to see here. Move along.” The crowd started to break up and head back into the house.

  I helped Brad up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine,” he grunted.

  He put his arm around my shoulders as I put mine around his waist. Letting him lean on me for support, we walked back up on to the deck. I steadied Brad as he lowered himself on to one of the loungers and leaned back. I felt terrible. It was my fault this happened to him. I sat next to him and kept apologizing. I didn’t know what else to say or do at that moment.

  Looking sympathetically, I said, “I’m so sorry. Can I get you anything? Can I do anything for you?”

  A smile slowly crept across his face that was dripping with sexiness when he said, “I can think of a few things I’d like you to do for me. Just let me sit here a little longer until the pain eases up.”

  I shook my head. “Do you ever stop flirting?”

  “Not when there’s somebody worth flirting with.” He gave me a wink.

  “Maybe I should listen to the warnings about you.”

  “I’m not going to lie. I have pictured you in various positions. All of which involve your legs wrapped around me. But that’s not all I’m after.”

  I had goose bumps, on top of goose bumps, on top of goose bumps. After what felt like an eternity, I nervously asked, “What are you after?”

  “All of you.” And there it was again, that amazing, melt in your mouth sexy smile. What was it about this guy? One minute he says something highly inappropriate. The next minute he says something that makes me swoon a little more. God, I’m such a girl.

  Brad and I sat out on the deck for an hour talking about school, plans for the summer, and what colleges we hoped to get in. We also did a fair amount of shameless flirting. Brad did most of it, of course. After all, he was quite skilled at it. I still wasn’t completely comfortable around him, but I was getting there. His aggressiveness mixed with his sweetness kept me off balance. He was definitely a charmer and I was having a good time with him.

  We had been at the party for a while and it was time for me to find a bathroom. “Would you excuse me for a minute? I need to find the bathroom,” I said shyly.

  “Sure, but don’t be gone too long. I still need your healing hands on me where it hurts. By the way, a few other places have popped up that need your special touch.” He shot me a devilish grin and waggled his eyebrows.

  Smiling at him, I said, “You’re very pleased with yourself, aren’t you?”

  He thought for a moment and replied, “Hmmm…I believe I am and I know you will be too.”

  “Can you point me in the direction of a bathroom?”

  He chuckled and then answered, “There’s one downstairs and two upstairs.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

  I walked through the double French doors that led from the deck into the huge living room. The crowd hadn’t thinned out much, but it was a little quieter. I looked around for Noah. I felt it was best if I kept my distance from him right now. I hadn’t seen him since the fight. I still couldn’t get the look he gave me out of my head. I asked a couple of people if they had seen him. They both said he left right after the fight broke up. I was glad. Leaving was the best thing. He needed to go calm down. I could take care of myself.

  I saw Jeremy on the makeshift dance floor grinding into, of all people, Beth. She must have gotten here while I was outside with Brad.

  She and I still hadn’t spoken and by the look in her eyes, we weren’t going to any time soon. “So are you here to take Jeremy away from me too, Amanda?”

  “No. And I didn’t take anything or anyone away from you, Beth.”

  “Bullshit!”

  “Ladies, don’t fight. There’s enough of me to go around,” Jeremy slurred.

  “Can you just tell me where the bathroom is down here?”

  “Don’t use the one downstairs. There’s a line of people waiting. Go use one of the ones upstairs,” Jeremy said.

  I turned on my heels and headed to the stairs as the two got back to grinding each other into oblivion. It wasn’t until I got to the top of the stairs, that I realized I hadn’t asked him where the bathroom was up here. I figured I would just start opening doors. I mean, there were only so many rooms up here. How hard could it be to find a bathroom?

  The first door I opened was a closet. The next door I opened was a home office. Maybe finding the bathroom would be harder than I thought. Luckily, I spotted someone coming out of a door at the end of the hall. Bingo! The bathroom. I started to head that way when I heard a noise coming from behind the do
or I was in front of. It sounded like a thud, as if someone was being pushed up against it. Then I heard a female voice moan, “Oh baby. Yes. Fuck me hard.”

  I stood there unable to make my legs move. I knew I should get the hell away from that door, but it was like I couldn’t help myself. After a couple of more thuds and moans, the female whined, “Kiss my lips. Why won’t you kiss me on the lips? I want you to.” An angry muffled male’s voice grunted at her. Gasping for air the female said, “I can’t talk now, either? Fine, then finish fucking me.” A few more moans escaped and then it was silent.

  When it dawned on me that the noises had stopped, I moved as quickly as possible to the bathroom, hoping no one was in there. Thankfully it was empty. I did what I needed to do, washed my hands, and did a quick check of my makeup in the mirror. I knew I was stalling. I wanted enough time to pass, so there wouldn’t be any chance of running into The Thuds. It was unbelievable to me that people would have sex in someone else’s house during a huge party. I wasn’t a prude, but it seemed sleazy. There were people all over downstairs and upstairs, anyone could have heard them.

  I cracked the bathroom door open enough to make sure the coast was clear. It was. I took three steps down the hall and then I heard it. The door to the sex room was creaking open. I froze. I should have run when I first heard the door. I knew it was stupid to stand there, but frankly I was a little curious to see who The Thuds were. The door slowly cracked open. Whoever it was, they wanted to make sure no one saw them coming out of that room. The guy stepped out first.

  Amanda Marie Kelly, why didn’t you run before that damn door opened?

  Noah had his head down as he stepped through the door into the hall. I guess he sensed someone standing there because he immediately looked up in my direction. The blood drained completely from his face. I was numb from head to toe. All my systems were shutting down. The ability to think, speak and move had all left me. When I thought this situation couldn’t get any worse, she walked out behind him and peered over his shoulder at me.