by Jordan Deen
didn’t show up?” I thought about the drive to his house, the look of the condo, the wine, the immaculate bedroom; he took me somewhere else.
“We went to a party. But it was at one of his relatives’ houses, I think.”
“So … any magic happen?” She giggled. My stomach felt queasy and I didn’t want to tell her what happened. Plus I can’t explain why he would take me to a stuffy party with wine and classic music instead of a party filled with beer and crazy drunk high schoolers.
“Hey I have to go, Mom’s calling.” I lied. “I’ll call you in a bit and tell you everything that happened.” Another lie. I didn’t think I would tell her about almost going all the way with Alex and then stopping for Brandon. She’d say I was nuts and I’d never live it down.
c h a p t e r
EIGHT
Alex was sitting on my desk in Econ when I breezed in the door close to the bell. I considered ditching so that I wouldn’t have to face him. To my surprise, his face lit up the moment he saw me.
“Hey beautiful.” Alex placed his hand on my hip and leaned in to kiss my neck just below my ear sending cold chills down my spine. “How was the rest of your weekend?”
OK. Not the response I expected. I expected him to be mad, rejected or upset at my drunk and very apparent turn down. But instead he seemed … cheerful. “It was … blurry.”
Alex whispered, “Sorry about the alcohol. I shouldn’t have pushed. Please forgive me.” He sounded sincere. Maybe my hesitation was the alcohol on Friday, because right now I wanted to pull his face to mine and kiss him. Before I knew it my body leaned into his and …
“Ok, everyone take your seats. Mr. Morris, Ms. Quinn … Do you mind?” Mr. Thompson cleared his throat. Alex’s hands tightly gripped my sides; my arms looped around his neck. The rumors that had swirled were just confirmed for the world to see.
Alex and I were an item. No, it didn’t start in Paris … but it started.
I buried my head into Alex’s chest wanting to avoid the subject all together as the weight of all the eyes in the room fell on us.
“Sorry Mr. Thompson. It was a long weekend.” Alex laughed as he tightened the grip on my waist stopping me from swaying. He kissed the top of my head, as my skin got hotter. He whispered, “Don’t be embarrassed. They’re just jealous.”
Adding to my embarrassment, Mr. Thompson wouldn’t start class until we were both in our seats. Alex turned in his chair slightly and dared Mr. Thompson to say something about him taking my hand in his across the desk. Courtney and Ashley both glared at us. Jillian looked at our hands locked tightly with each other but didn’t say anything. I’m sure she would rake me across hot coals later, digging for all the juicy information. So much for thinking Alex and I weren’t going anywhere.
After class Alex pulled me from the classroom towards the parking lot with Jillian lingering behind us. “Want me to drive you to your aunt’s?” Alex asked, but we were already almost to his car.
“Hey Lacey?” Jillian asked from behind us. I tugged at Alex’s arm.
“Yeah?” Students passed us on either side as Jillian got closer to me.
“Can I drive you today instead? I need to talk to you about something.”
“You can come with us.” Alex said before I could respond.
“Thanks for the offer Alex, but … it’s girl stuff.” Jillian accentuated girl stuff and Alex flexed his fingers around mine.
Alex peered at Jillian for a minute, making me very uncomfortable. Jillian was my best friend – she should come first. I was about to pull my hand away but then he smiled. “Ahhh … something tells me I don’t want to know. Can you call me after you get off work?” Good choice Alex.
“I’ll call you.” I said and he gave me that look that turned me into mush. I felt light headed all over again as he kissed me. More students were staring at Alex’s very public, very sensual display of affection. By the end of tomorrow the rumors will probably have us engaged and moving in with each other.
“Promise?” Alex touched his forehead to mine. “Maybe I could pick you up after work?” I didn’t respond. “We could go get something to eat? What time are you off?”
“I’m off at 7 tonight. But I don’t think my parents will let me go out on a school night.”
“I could always pick you up and take you home.” Alex still pushed the issue. Something in my gut told me to say no.
But I didn’t. “Sure. I’d like that.” I said just before his lips were back to mine again and his hands ran down the length of my arms.
“I’ll see you at 7. Bye Jillian, see you tomorrow.” Alex flashed his knee-buckling grin and headed towards his car.
“Ok … so you said you didn’t think there would be anything.”
“I didn’t.” I mean, after all I did leave him half naked with a hard on just two nights ago.
“Why didn’t you think there would be anything?”
My jaw clenched; I was going to have to tell her the whole story. We walked arm in arm to her car and I waited until we were pulling out of the parking lot to start telling her the tragic events from Friday.
“I got drunk with Alex and ended up in bed with him. I turned him down and I figured he’d be pissed.” I gave her the condensed version, wanting mostly to minimize her scrutiny.
“WHAT?” Jillian reacted just as I assumed she would. “Are you crazy? Why did you turn him down?”
“Brandon.” Oh boy. Shouldn’t have said that.
“See, I knew he had competition.” Jillian laughed as we pulled onto the street leading to the clinic. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. I didn’t find this the least bit funny.
“Brandon was at the party? So what did he say?”
“No he wasn’t there. I haven’t talked to him. I haven’t even seen him.” I mumbled. Not wanting to admit to her that Brandon had a starring role in my dreams only.
Jillian looked puzzled as we waited our turn at the stop sign. “Are you feeling ok? I mean, seriously? You turned down Alex for someone you haven’t even talked to? You’re crazy.”
I already knew that. Alex was a great guy, a great kisser and I’m sure even great at the activity that I so stupidly, and drunkenly, stopped. “Maybe it was the alcohol.” At least I knew he wasn’t mad at my retreat from him on Friday night and technically I had another date with him tonight … well sort of.
“Speaking of alcohol …” Jillian put the car in park in front of the clinic. “I slept with Justin on Friday night.” My mouth fell open. We had known Justin since the fifth grade and always considered him a major geek.
“SERIOUSLY? Why didn’t you tell me on Saturday?”
“I wanted to tell you in person.” She hesitated playing with the keys in the ignition … “And I kind of thought you’d tell me that you slept with Alex first. That way I wouldn’t feel like such a hoe.”
We sat in silence for several moments. “Well … was it better than the first time at least?”
Jillian started laughing, “It was worse actually!” We got interrupted when Michelle, the receptionist for the clinic, came out and told me they needed my help. I wanted to continue talking to Jillian, but didn’t want to keep my aunt waiting.
Jillian asked before I got out of the car, “What are you going to do about Alex?”
I looked at the clinic and slipped back into the car to keep the conversation private. “I don’t know. I mean, the feeling is there and trust me I wasn’t sure I wanted to stop on Friday. But like today it made me a little uncomfortable that he just assumed that I wanted him to drive me and that I’d be ok with him picking me up.”
Jillian grinned, “Just means he is aggressive; he knows what he wants. Shit, I’d die if a guy looked at me the way he looked at you today in class. The way he kissed you made ME blush.” Jillian’s eyes got really big and we both started laughing.
“Ok, I have to go.” I hugged her.
“Call me tonight after Alex drops you off.”
At 6:59 the familiar rumbling of
his Camaro shook the clinic’s windows. I already told Aunt Jamie that I couldn’t stay tonight because Alex was driving me home. She winked and said “young love.” My aunt was a pretty woman who said she was too busy to date, but she seemed really interested in my love life.
Alex knocked twice on the door and then came in as if he owned the place. “Hey beautiful.” He had another bouquet of flowers and was wearing another new pair of jeans with a dark blue shirt that was tight around his biceps. Wow. Michelle whispered as she ducked out of sight leaving Alex and me alone in the lobby.
“Hey, how was your day?”
Alex’s gorgeous brown eyes looked black in the dimly lit lobby. He looked around as though he was confirming we were alone; then he lowered his head to mine. His arm snaked around the small of my back as he pressed his body against me. “Better now.” He responded making me feel weak. He brushed his lips across mine as I took in a deep breath and let out a small sigh; finding myself easily mesmerized by him again. “Are you ready to go?” I was expecting him to kiss me, so when he didn’t I was more than disappointed.
“Yeah, let me get my bag.” I said feeling dejected as I reached for my bag, but his hand was on the strap before mine.
“Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the walkway to his car. I barely had enough time to wave goodbye to my aunt, whose eyes were now bigger than two half dollars.
“No run ins with wily cats tonight, huh?” Alex said as he maneuvered the car out onto the street.
I was half embarrassed that he
