by Mj Fields
I bite my lip, thinking about how good he felt and wondering if, in fact, I did have a “mini orgasm,” and if that was a mini, what on earth would a life-sized one feel like?
“You two done?” Sadi interrupts.
“Never.” His eyes never leave mine.
“Wow, kind of like us, huh, Lucas?” Sadi hisses.
I start to move, but he holds me still, eyes never leaving mine as he says, “Nothing like us, Sadi. I told you that all summer and the other night. Now walk the fuck away before I make good on my promise.”
His promise?
“Fuck you, Lucas!” Sadi storms away.
The bell rings, and he steps back before the halls fill with students leaving classrooms.
“Friends, Tessa?”
“We’ll see.”
Toby is waiting for me in the parking lot after practice. “Hey, angel.” He smiles as I walk up to his Jeep. “We can take the Jeep if you’ll do me a favor.”
“Sure.” I nod, not really paying full attention because I just walked past Lucas in his white hat, standing with Tommy and looking at me.
Toby opens the door for me, and I drop my backpack on the floor before buckling up.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, he asks, “Can you drive this back to your place and park it out back? Your dad said it was okay. You can drive it anytime you want. And, by that, I mean, drive it all the damn time.”
“Are you for real?” I ask, and he nods. “My dad will not allow that.”
“Already said he was okay with it. And Tessa, this isn’t a ring. Hell, Links can ride shotgun, and I wouldn’t care.”
“Um … he won’t be.”
Laughing, he cranks up the radio and peels out to the song “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” by Sammy Kershaw blasting.
I know I need to tell him about what happened today, and I need to do it soon, but it feels a bit too soon when Toby pulls into a parking lot by the lake, parks and hops out. He grabs a cooler out of the back then opens my door, takes my hand, and walks us over to sit on the ground.
“Let’s chat.” He opens up the cooler and pulls out some wrapped sandwiches, handing me one. “How was your day?”
I word vomit everything, from Sadi in the lunchroom, to the kiss, but definitely leaving out the mini O thing, which I’m not even sure is real, or if it is, if it really happened.
He sits behind me, stretches his legs out, and pulls me back against his chest.
“Tessa, you’ll get through this. Just go slow. Promise me you’ll go slow.”
“I will. And I know this is none of my business, but do you date when you’re in Annapolis?”
He laughs. “No, Tessa, and I wouldn’t want to. I told you; I have a past and have learned from it. I have goals. I have a focus and know exactly what I want. I want you to be able to figure things out, too. You’re young, angel.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare be. John and I had a long chat about you today, and he wants you to experience life before you settle down. He doesn’t want you to go through what your mom and he are dealing with right now.”
“He said that?” I gasp.
“Yeah, he did.”
As we walk into the airport, I feel a weird sadness, blanketed in selfishness and guilt, surround me, yet I still ask, “Can I kiss you goodbye?”
“Yeah, and I’ll say yes if you drive the Jeep, no matter where your head is.”
Tearing up, I nod.
He holds my face and gently kisses my lips, and then I walk him to his gate.
“See you soon, angel.”
“See you soon, Toby.”
He kisses my head, turns, and then walks down the hall.
I sit and wait as his plane takes off.
Not wanting to go home yet, I decide to go to the mall and use some of my birthday money.
I park outside the Country Seat entry and walk in. Unsure of what I’m looking for I just walk.
As I pass the food court, I roll my freaking eyes when I see Lucas standing with yet a different girl, this one with short, chin-length brown hair. She’s cute. Maybe he could dry hump her like he did me this afternoon. Not that I’m one to judge, because I am straight-up the hoe of all the senior high school virgins.
The girl is smiling and looking up at him. She hugs him, and he hugs her back, but it’s not a long, lingering, dry-hump-against-the-wall kind of hug.
When his head turns, I know I’m busted, and then he smiles at me.
“Is that her, Lucas?” The girl claps.
“It is.” He nods.
She skips toward me, pulling an amused Lucas behind her, and I am forced to stand there. “Hi, I’m Amy, and I take it you’re Tessa?”
I nod and watch as Lucas pushes his hands in his pockets.
“Wow, Lucas, she’s beautiful.”
I force a smile. “Nice to meet you, Amy.”
“So, I’m one of his sexes.” She laughs.
You have got to be kidding me, I think.
“What number was I, Lucas?”
He holds up three fingers.
She looks back at me. “I think it’s amazing what he’s doing. I can see why he’s hot for you, Tessa. Good luck, you two. I have to go meet my fiancé. Wedding in six weeks. Much to do!” She basically tackle-hugs me before walking away.
Lucas chuckles. “Hello, Tessa.”
“What was that?”
“That was number three … Amy,” Lucas says.
I act like it’s no big deal. “Oh, your third … what did she call it?”
“Sexes.” Lucas rolls his eyes. “I guess that sounds better than saying ex-fuck. I never dated her.”
“Oh.”
“Come eat with me. I’m starving.” He grabs my hand.
I pull mine away. “I already ate.”
“Will you sit with me while I eat?” He holds his hands up. “It’s a very public place, friend.”
Not wanting to feel any lamer than I already do after the friend comment, I shrug. “Sure, but I have to leave soon.”
“You aren’t buying anything? What are you doing all the way out here, then?” he asks.
I try not to act pissed that he doesn’t even remember, but it does sting a bit.
“Oh, GI Joe.” He laughs then whispers close to my ear as we walk toward the Chinese takeout place, “So, how did that go? Did you tell him you kissed me today?”
I nod.
“How did he take it?”
I lift my chin. “Like a man.”
He points to a table. “Mind grabbing that free table before it gets snagged?”
I do as he asks and sit uncomfortably while he orders Chinese.
He sets the tray on the table then takes one of the sodas and places it in front of me.
I notice chopsticks on his tray and laugh.
“What?” Lucas asks.
I point to the chopsticks. “You know how to use those things?”
“You don’t?” He looks seriously shocked.
“No, I mastered the fork, and then the knife, and from there, life was good.”
He laughs. “Well, I’m going to teach you, then.”
I watch as he opens his, and then he opens the others and tries to hand them to me.
“No, thank you.” I sit back as far as I can.
“Not up for debate.” He stands up and walks behind me. “You hold them like this.”
I cave and make an attempt.
“Awesome, now try it for real.”
With my hand in his, he shows me the mechanics of eating with sticks. When I get it, he finally lets go.
With the sticks in my hand, I pick up a piece of broccoli, and I hear him inhale, breathing me in. He then kisses the top of my head and says, “Good job, baby.”
Before I have time to scold him, he skates around the table and sits. “Now try the noodles.”
I pick one up without issue, and as I try to put it in my mouth, it slips between the sticks and lands on my chest.
Tossing the sticks down, I grab it and set it on the table. Then I open a wet wipe and spit clean my shirt. The entire time, he’s staring at me.
When I finish, I raise an eyebrow and say, “Dead puppies, my friend.”
He laughs, and it’s the good kind of laugh. The kind of laugh that—
“Lucas Links,” comes from behind me, and I look back as two redheads approach the table.
Lucas shoves some food in his mouth, waves, chews, and swallows before saying, “Hello, Tina. Hello, Tammy.”
“What’s up, Linksy?” The one he nodded to when he said Tina smiles as she ogles him.
He stands up. “This is Tessa, the girl I’m out of my mind in love with.”
Oh … My … God.
“Oh, so that’s why you haven’t replied to my calls?” She blatantly looks down at the crotch of his pants and bites her lower lip.
“Yeah, about that. I’m sorry that I treated you that way. It’s disrespectful, and I can promise that it won’t happen again. I hope you two can find someone who makes you very happy. You both deserve that. I’m sorry if I hurt either of you in any way.”
“Either of us?” Tammy asks. She looks at the other girl. “You had sex with him? You knew I was sleeping with him! You’re my sister, for crying out loud!”
“You didn’t have dibs or anything,” Tina snaps.
“You were dating, Rigs!” Tammy yells.
“Not the whole time,” she comes back with.
I stand and look at Lucas. “Can we go?”
“Yep. Goodbye, ladies.” Lucas picks up his tray, leans in so his shoulder hits mine, and says, “Seven and eight.”
“Sisters, Lucas?” I quip.
“Yeah, I was drunk and didn’t realize they were sisters at the time.” He’s trying his best not to smile.
I smack him. “You really are awful.” Then I promptly turn away so he doesn’t see me smile.
After depositing his trash and tray, he catches up to me, grabs my shoulders, and says, “I’m sorry. I’m going to be better, Tessa. I promise.”
Laughing, I ask, “What were you thinking? These partners of yours may be nice to look at, but how could you stand to hear them talk? All but two I have met are freaks, Lucas.”
“Stop laughing at me.” Lucas pouts. “In my defense, I didn’t really talk to any of them.”
We both laugh.
“So, that’s nine, Tessa. Only three more to go.”
“Are the rest as dreadful?” I ask, walking in no general direction at all, just to get out from the face-to-face position I now find myself in.
Reality finally hits three steps from the point where he told me. Only three more to go.
Lucas is seeking forgiveness.
I don’t know why, when he had done what he did after doing something similar with Sadi, that it makes me happy, but then I quickly realize I’m not happy for me. I’m happy for Lucas. Truly.
As we walk past the pet shop, a puppy makes a break for it. I squat down, and he runs right at me, and I swoop him up. He begins feverishly licking my face, and I can do nothing but drop to my ass and laugh.
“You’re so damn pretty all the time, but Tessa Ross, there is not a damn thing I have ever seen in my life that is more beautiful than your smile.”
I feel my throat and eyes heating up and whisper, “Lucas, don’t.”
He squats down and gives the puppy a scratch behind the ear. “I know, baby, I know.”
The clerk runs, gasping when she sees the little escapee. “Thank God.”
I push myself up off the floor, and when the clerk reaches for him, he growls.
“Can I carry him in?” I ask.
With Lucas beside me, I play with the little guy over the plexiglass wall he’s caged in as he relentlessly tries to jump back out.
“You like him almost as much as he likes you, don’t you?” Lucas asks.
“We had a dog like him for twelve years. His name was Hans, after Han Solo. Alex named him. He died at the end of last spring.”
“You should get him, Tessa. Look at him; he wants you to come take him. Get me out of the pen, Tessa. I need you to save me,” Lucas says in his best puppy voice.
“My dad would kill me.” I smile at the puppy. “But the kids would love it.”
Without asking permission, I reach in and pick him up. He immediately nuzzles into my neck and nibbles on my ear.
I Eskimo-kiss his wet, black nose then set him back down. He barks as I walk away, yet I forge forward.
Walking past Victoria Secret, Lucas grabs my hand and tries pulling me in. I easily pull away and keep moving forward, both of us laughing.
I decide to stop at Gap, wanting to buy a couple pairs of dress pants. Lucas buys some long-sleeved Polos, and I grab Jake and Kendall a new sweatshirt and some socks. They are both hell on socks.
It’s not uncomfortable shopping with him. It’s actually nice, too nice. So nice that I take an extra-long time in the changing room, expecting Lucas to leave.
When I come out, he’s sitting with my backpack, which I forgot I left with him. Obviously the reason he didn’t leave.
I nod to the County Seat entrance. “I need to get going.”
He shrugs. “I get it. Let me walk you out.”
It’s not until I see the Jeep that I remember how big of a deal it may look like to Lucas.
“He gave you his Jeep?” Lucas asks, shocked, narrowing his eyes.
“No, but I can drive it whenever I want. I’m probably going to just park it behind the shop.”
“We should take it for a spin. Go parking in it.”
“I wouldn’t do that to him, or with my friend.”
“Only at school?” Lucas asks with a bit of bite behind his question.
Deserved.
“That was a mistake—”
“No, baby, it wasn’t.”
“Lucas—”
“Can I hug my friend goodnight and not talk about this shit? It’s been a good hour, Tessa Ross. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
I hug him goodnight, and it feels so damn good, so right … but I know better.
Once the kids are in bed, I dig into my backpack to grab my Lit book and see a note.
She kissed me! And I didn’t want to sneak her in the locker room and bend her over the bench (until now, as my wildly filthy mind is racing), but rubbing against her almost made me cum in my pants. And then, at the mall, she dropped a noodle on her chest and, well, all the dead puppies in the world could not have stopped my mind from racing then.
Day 4 without Tessa Ross … Well, it wasn’t all that bad. I can fix this. And I will
LYA,
Lucas
Chapter Eighteen
I wake to the strangest dream, one that feels incredibly real.
I get out of bed and look at the clock. It’s only four thirty in the morning. A full hour before I need to be up.
When I hear the same sound from my dream, I swear I’m losing my mind, but I hurry down the stairs, anyway, where I hear it again!
When I slide across the floor and into the kitchen, I see Alex looking around, confused, and I realize I am not hearing things.
The sound is really yipping, and it’s coming from the mudroom.
We both run to the door, and Alex grabs the lock, turns it, and opens the door. I slip out.
My face basically slits in half when I see the huge metal cage surrounding the fluffy yellow lab, and when he sees me, his tail wagging like mad, he starts barking like crazy.
“Oh no, buddy. You need to shh …” I say, making quick work of opening the door.
As soon as I grab him, he stops barking and immediately starts lapping at my face. He then nuzzles into my hair and nibbles on my ear.
Apparently, all his puppy energy is now gone as he then promptly falls asleep.
Beside the cage is a fifty-pound bag of puppy food and dozens of cans of w
et food. Next to it is a navy-blue leash and matching collar with a silver engraved name tag. I smile as I look at the name “CHEWY.”
“What is this all about?” Alex asks, opening a bin and pulling out shot records and other paperwork, a packet of flea and tick ointment, and several chew toys. Under the bin, is a large pillow that the puppy, Chewy, might someday grow into. Next to that is a food and water dish.
“Lucas.”
“You cleaned house today.” Alex yawns. “A Jeep and a puppy. What the heck do they see in you?”
“What the hell is that thing, Tessa?” Dad asks as he steps into the mudroom, running a tired hand through his hair.
Chewy decides to wake up from his puppy coma and growl at him.
“A puppy, Dad. His name is Chewy.” I give him a puppy-sized squeeze. “He’s a gift.”
“And who do we have to thank for that?” Dad scowls at Chewy, who is again nibbling at my ear.
“I don’t know. There wasn’t a note.” I shoot Alex a look, begging for him to keep the secret.
“I’m going back to bed.” Dad yawns.
“Can we keep him? Please, Dad?” I beg.
“As long as you take care of him.” He yawns again. “We still have that invisible fence collar from Hans, right?”
I nod.
“All right, then.”
Alex hands me an envelope with my name on it then scratches Chewy under his chin. “I’m going back to bed.”
Holding Chewy like a baby over my shoulder, I open the sealed envelope
He was still whining in agony when I walked back into the mall to grab food since our dinner was interrupted. He missed you. I understand how he feels. He may be a mess at first, but with your guidance and love, he will be okay
LYA,
Lucas
Snuggled up on the couch with Chewy I desperately want to call Lucas and thank him, but then Dad would know. I want to wake the kids, but also want to hog all the puppy snuggles until they wake up.
I snuggle him for half an hour then decide to get up and get ready.
Before laying Chewy on my pile of clothes that need to go in the wash, I hold him up close to my face and try to get a picture with my Polaroid.
