by Nicole Adams
I reach over to the Tupperware and choose the one I deemed the best. Even though they all looked the same. I take a savouring bite and the flavour explosion envelops my mouth and attacks my taste buds. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla with chocolate pieces.
“These are incredible,” I say in a voice of complete pleasure.
“My Mom will be glad to hear that! Now on to the main course!” he chuckles.
“But all I want is the waffles!” I say, hands dramatically indicating the promised land of desserts whilst still eating the original waffle. He hands me a plate and fills it with tasters of each dish.
“I swear, if my Mom cooked like this, I would be 600 pounds and never leave the house.” My mouth waters at the aromas coming from the taste tingling delights, wanting more but unable to stomach another bite.
“You get used to it. I try to avoid mealtimes so I don’t end up eating 5 courses,” he says with a laugh.
“Oh, I wish!” I reply, maybe too enthusiastically.
“Fancy a swim?” Charlie gestures to the silent lake.
“We just ate! Haven’t you heard of the one-hour rule? Besides, I don’t have my suit,” I say nervously.
“How about a walk then?” He stands up, sweeps the crumbs off his shorts, and reaches a hand down to me.
“Charlie, it’s getting a little late. You don’t know what could be lurking.” I never have been one for the dark, especially in a place I’ve never been before.
‘Don’t worry.’ He winks. “I’ll protect you. There’s something you need to see.” He smirks and places his hand out for me to take. I don’t know whether to trust the mischievous look, but I take his hand hesitantly. He pulls me up quickly and steadies me when I falter by grabbing my elbows. Not a hair’s breadth between us. I can feel the warmth of his skin radiating off him. He tucks his finger under my chin and pulls upwards. His eyes are full of want and determination. He smiles, leaning down and kisses me softly. “Trust me,” he whispers. I nod in response, still feeling the haze of the kiss, before he takes the lead and leads us in to the darkening wood.
“It’s not long now,” he says, as we approach a small moss-covered bench. “Sit here.” I give a small smile and do as he says, my nerves getting the better of me. I know I can trust him, but every drama and crime novel is screaming at me that I am that girl who naively walks herself into trouble. Seriously Faye, what harm can come from sitting on a bench? He interrupts my train of thought.
“My Grandfather built this bench for my Grandma. This was their spot. They came here on their first date. He took her fishing, which my grandmother always says was the worst idea ever, but it became a night to remember when he forgot where he parked his truck,” he says laughing. “They came and sat on the edge of the bank here shouting at each other. But silence took over when ... Well take a look for yourself,” he says, and points out over the lake. I slowly peel my eyes away from his and I stare in complete awe. Fireflies fill the air, one at a time illuminating up the twilight. They danced around each other, the green glow reflecting on the lake, the view completely filled with the green luminescent creatures.
I slowly turn to look at Charlie, but he's already staring at me. “I can understand why they didn't argue anymore. How can you even be mad looking at something so magical?”
He doesn’t reply. His lips crash against mine in answer, capturing the moment like a snapshot from a fairy tale. He moves closer, putting his hands on my waist. My fingers curl around his neck, deepening the kiss. My heart pounds against my ribcage, anticipation coiling in my stomach. Unsatisfied with the space between us I move to straddle his lap, running my fingers through his soft hair. His hands moving to my rear to pull me closer.
I’ve never been so exhilarated in my life. The feeling of being on a roller coaster. That complete loss of control in all the right ways. The interruption comes in the form of Charlie’s phone.
“You should probably get that.” I rest my forehead up against his, breathless.
He hesitates, then pulls his cell out of his pocket.
“Hi Mom. No we are still here… I know I’ll be taking her home soon. Yes, she loved your food. Waffles especially.” He smiles and rolls his eyes at me. “Great, see you later, Bye.” He hangs up and slides the phone back into his pocket.
“I should get you home. Don’t want to get myself in trouble with your dad now.” He gives me a cheeky smile, then steals another kiss before lifting me off him effortlessly. Maybe we should have ignored the phone. Woah. Slow down there cowgirl! We head back to the car, feeling a little disappointed to be leaving so soon.
He leans in to open the car door, but instead pushes me gently against his truck, kissing me deeply. He pulls away hesitantly. “God, you are so tempting.” He smiles, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“Well, maybe you should just give in.” I say, not really registering the words before they come out of my mouth like word vomit. Where the hell did that come from? His face showing signs of shock raising his eyebrow at me quizzically.
“You are not the girl I thought you were, Faye.” He smirks, shaking his head and pulls me into a tight hug.
“Is that a bad thing?” I ask nervously. Oh shit, I haven’t ruined it already have I?
“Oh no. Not bad, just different.” He smiles, brushing his lips against mine. “We’d better go. If I don’t take you home now, I might never.” He laughs and moves to open the door. He picks me up and slips me onto the seat, before running around to his side and hopping in. He sits there for a moment just staring at me.
“What?” I giggle, nervously.
“You are just amazing.” He says lifting my hand to his mouth and brushing a soft kiss against my knuckles. My cheeks flush with colour, a smile spreading across my face in reaction as he starts the truck.
We approach my driveway, the solar lights illuminating the dirt track road. Before pulling in, he slows and pulls up on the grass verge.
“Are you making me walk?” I joke.
“No, there are just a few more minutes until you need to be home.” He grins mischievously. Not a moment later, headlights flood the front of the truck, illuminating us before slowly passing. My dad stops next to the car and winds down the window. I do the same.
“I’m so glad you guys are home. I need your help. Can you check on the horses tonight? Your Mom’s car has broken down again so I have to head out and pick her up, should be back in an hour.” He says, nervously running his fingers through his hair, or lack thereof.
“No problem.” Charlie replies.
“Great! Ranger isn’t in his stall; I just came back from checking the herd so he needs to be stripped of his saddle and what not. Thanks guys, I’ll see you later,” he says, before pulling down the road.
“At least we’ll still be alone?” he suggests, wiggling his eyebrows, before heading down the dusty driveway.
I run and place my bags inside the house and grab a lantern. It was gone ten at this point meaning the only light on the ranch was the moonlight reflecting of the tin roof of the stable.
“Couldn’t have picked a better night for a date,” I smile as I reach the barn.
“Any day I spend with you is a good one.” He grins.
“I must admit, that was cheesy, but I kinda liked it.” I shrugged.
“I thought you would.” He winked at me. The barn was lit by an orange light from an old electric lamp. It illuminated the stable but got dimmer the further down the stalls you went. Charlie went straight to sort Ranger, whilst I started filling the hay and water in the stalls. I hear Ranger nickering in gratitude as Charlie removes his saddle. Once I finish, I head back to Charlie who is sat at the saddle bench cleaning one up.
“All done?” I ask, my elbows propped behind me on the bench.
“Almost.” He says swiftly moving to pick me up and place me on the bench.
“Haven’t we been here before?” I raise my eyebrows, stroking his muscular arms with my fingertips. He places a finger on
his chin in thought.
“I believe we have.” He leans in.
“Then you will remember where I ended up last time.” I gesture with my eyes to the straw pile.
“Well, we can’t break tradition,” he says, stroking his hands down my body and grasping my thighs. He leans in, closing the gap, kissing me and pulling me into his strong embrace. I wrap my arms and legs around him and deepen the kiss, our tongues exploring each other’s territory. He moves us to the wall of the stable pressing my back into it, whilst moving his mouth down to my neck.
“You are so delicious,” he murmurs against my skin, sending vibrations through my nerves, pulling my bra strap out of the way for better access. My mind clouded and unable to say a single word. He drops my legs, so he can explore my body with his hands. His mouth still covering me with intimate kisses. His hands start at my neck, moving down to my breasts cupping them as he goes. He slowly trails further south, moving around to the back and cupping as much of my rear as he could. He then moves his hands to my thighs, playing with the hem of my dress, before moving his fingers beneath.
I release an unexpected gasp and he immediately stops and steps away.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you, I got a little carried away.” He says, plonking his butt into the hay, breathless.
“No! It’s not that.” I say, following, and sitting alongside him.
“I’m sorry.” He said shaking his head.
“No, it was just… I never expected it to feel… so good” I say slightly embarrassed. I know to him I must seem like a child. I look down at my feet and fiddle with the straw.
“Well you haven’t felt anything yet.” He grins. Before thought can process what I’m doing, I straddle his lap, unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt and slipping my hands over his muscular shoulders.
“Well. Why don’t you show me?” I whisper in his ear, trailing kisses down his neck.
“Are you sure?” he asks, his voice worried.
“Would I be here if I wasn’t?” I ask confidently, moving my mouth back to his. I don’t know where this confident version of myself came from. If only she could show up during job interviews and exams, god life would be so much easier. He grabs my hands, intertwining our fingers before he rolls me over in the hay.
“Well, let me see where we can start.” He grins. Oh lord, I’m in trouble.
Chapter 11
I wedge open an eye and snap it back shut. Jesus Christ, it’s like someone’s got a spotlight on me. The sun is shining through my dust covered window, warming the air and illuminating the particles in the air, like glitter in Times Square on New Years Eve. It’s got to be at least 7am. Why would Dad let me sleep this late?
As my mind clears the after sleep haze, my mind flicks through images of what happened the night before. Did we really do that? My cheeks flush and I try to rub the colour away softly. The rush comes back as a shiver of pleasure rolls down my spine. We didn’t do everything, but we did enough. God, he makes me feel like the only woman in the world.
I roll over and pick my phone up from the cabinet. 7:12am. Just as I thought. I sit up and listen. Silence. Where the hell is everyone? Why haven’t I been yelled at? That’s strange.
I crawl to the edge of my bed and stretch like a cat. I wander downstairs to investigate. As I peer around the bottom of the stairs, I catch mum doing paperwork at the table. Her glasses resting on the end of her nose.
“Oh, hey baby. Did you sleep well?” she asks, barely raising her head.
“Fine, Mom. How come Dad didn’t wake me for chores before school?” I ask confused as I head to the cabinet to make cereal.
“Charlie came over and asked could he do them so you could sleep in. You two have a good date last night?” she said raising her head to gauge my reaction, a small grin on her face. I swear how does she literally know everything?
“The best.” I say pausing my motion and grinning like a god damn fool, but I can’t help it. I never thought I would ever have a chance with Charlie, but now, it feels a dream. I know I had a crush on him before, but I never thought I could feel so happy.
My Mom catches my smile and turns completely in her chair. Taking off her glasses to give me her full attention. Is it bad I know what’s coming before she even says it?
“I’m so glad, you two are getting along so well. I always knew you two were meant to be.” She smiles, getting up and heading towards me in the kitchen. I finish making my bowl and turn, leaning against the counter to eat it.
“What do you mean you knew?” I ask, mouth full.
“One, don’t chat with your mouth full. I hope you didn’t do that yesterday,” she says with her hands on her hips, eyebrow raised. “And two, he was always looking at you like he wanted to say something. And you him. Plus, when you spoke, he gave you his full attention, eyes all puppy dog like. I was just waiting for one of you to make a move.” She smiled wiggling her eyebrows. “Just make sure those moves are safe. I love you both, but I’m not ready for any grand babies.” There it is. I knew that’s where this conversation was going. My cheeks flush again, and I try not to choke on my cereal.
“Mom, please.” I muster the words, shovelling in the cereal to distract myself.
“Well, if I didn’t know before, I know now. Just be safe. That’s all I ask and hope your father doesn’t find out.” She grins and places her forehead against mine. She hasn’t done that since I small. “I love you, Faye. You may not feel like you can always talk to me, but I will always be here. With an open mind and open arms, Always. Now,” She says moving away. I try not to let the tear escape. “Go get ready. You don’t want him to see you in these old pj’s and smell you. He says he’s going to take you to school,” she says, her nose twitching. She takes the bowl from my hands, turns me towards the stairs and smacks my butt. I flinch, trying to protect my assets. “One more thing. Can you make some dinner when you get home? I have to pop into town with Dad after my shift to see how the car is doing in the shop.” I nod and continue up to my room.
After stumbling out of the steam filled bathroom, I sit at my dressing table, combing the tangles out of my hair. As I struggle, I feel a foreign object and pry it out. A stick of hay. My cheeks flush at the memory and I let out a little giggle. How did that survive my shower? I still can’t believe how lucky I am. Not only to be dating my dream guy, but he’s more that I ever thought he could be. He’s charming, smart, considerate, hot as hell, and he even does my chores for me so I can sleep in! I must have won some sort of or boyfriend jackpot. Wait. Can I even call him that yet? We haven’t really talked about that. I dry my hair and pull on some shorts and a black vest top before heading back downstairs to leave school.
I sit down on the chair by the front door to tie my laces. Checking the time, 8:20, I’m going to have to leave soon to make sure I am not late. As I head to the kitchen to look for Charlie, two big arms wrap around me from behind, lifting me off my feet and kissing my neck. I let out a little scream before I realise who it is.
“Hey, how did my girl sleep?” he whispers in my ear. I smile and revel in the feeling of his warm breath against my cheek.
“Good, thanks to you. You didn’t have to do my chores for me but thank you.” I say, leaning away so I can kiss him. He turns me around and lifts me onto the counter, stepping between my knees to get closer and deepening the kiss.
“You are most definitely welcome,” he says, arching his eyebrow seductively, before attacking my lips once more.
‘I have to get to school!’ I laugh, pushing him away, trying to not get pulled into his orbit.
‘You could just stay home with me instead?’ he says nibbling down my neck.
“Really? What was the one rule?” Henry says, walking into the kitchen with his hands over his eyes. Charlie jumps across the room and I jump off the counter giggling and start to make may way to my bag on the kitchen table.
“You can look now, Henry.” I laugh, as he pulls his hands off his eyes. I throw the
kitchen towel in his face. The house phone echos through the house. “I’ll get it!” I shout running to the phone fastened to the wall.
“Hello?” I say, still giggling.
“Hello, is Faye home?” the caller asks.
“Yes, speaking.”
“Hi, this is Carol from the Butterfly Sanctuary. I have just read your application and I was wondering if you would like to come in for a tester shift?”
“That would be amazing! When would you like me to come in?” I reply excitedly. Charlie and Henry both have quizzical looks on their faces as they wonder who I am talking to.
“Can you come after school tomorrow. We can set you up then to start the first week of summer break.”
“Yes, that’s sounds great, I’ll see you then! Bye!” I squeal, before putting down the phone. I look at the confused faces. “I got the job at the sanctuary!” I shout, raising my arms in the air and doing my celebratory dance.
