3 (34 page)

We had all turned around and
said “hey.” I walked up held my hand out and introduced myself and
I turned to watch the match so did she. “So.... your guys are
really nice to you two girls, and I think it's really
cool.”

“Thanks. Our guys are very
nice to us and sometimes too protective,” we all laughed a
little.

“Well I think it's nice. Our
guys just ignore us.”

Jim leaned over and chimed
in “That's too bad. You two seem so nice.”

“Oh, I'm Susan and that’s
Leah,” she said pointing to the score table.

“I met Leah earlier, she's
very nice and a good score keeper.” Jim was flirting and fine by
me. They chatted through an entire match. Throughout the match the
wrestlers on our team rotated keeping Nic and I company. “I like
your shirt Susan, did you have it made?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, the whole team had
some made.” she answered.

“Nice, I'll have to see if I
can get one made for Nic and me.” We talked a little more before
she left.

Our wrestlers kept coming
and going, rotating by me and Nic, I wondered if they would keep on
supporting us the rest of the season. I hope so, because it made
the meet more enjoyable, and I bet they just might. Two other girls
from Copley approached us from the bleacher side. Two of our
wrestlers squatted down by them and chatted them up.

Storm came up by me since
his match was done and I told him “I don't think it's fair that you
guys can flirt with 'the other team’s girls' but we can't flirt
with the guys.”

“Sure it is” he said “This
way none of our team feels jealous, plus, their team is now getting
their undies in a bunch.” I looked over at the Copley team and,
sure enough, they were checking out the girls who were chatting
with our guys and looked a little envious.

Storm put his arm around me
“you guys have us” I shrugged him off right away. “What, are you
kidding me? Your brother will get all mad.” He just
laughed.

“Who cares? It's not like
you're dating.”

“Well, I told him I wouldn't
flirt any more today. It seems like he's all worked up about
something.”

“Whatever” he grumbled and
went over to talk to the other girls.

When the match was over, Nic
and I waited in the lobby with the camera equipment. As we were
waiting we had some more girls come up to us and ask about Storm
and one of them gave us her number to pass on. For some reason, I
think the girls approached our guys tonight because they were
talking to us and being nice. It's easier to talk to guys when
other girls are around.

Storm, Jett and Declan all
came out in a group. I handed the piece of paper to Storm. He
opened it and laughed “Which one was this?” Nic described her to
him.

I took a bill out of my
pocket and held it up in the air and said “My mom gave me $20 for
pizza. Who wants to go?” Declan swiped the money out of my hand and
said “I do.” Jett swiped it out of his hand and said “We'll all go.
Nic and Storm can drive with Declan and you can drive with me.”
Jett instructed. I liked that plan.

“So, are you two still
pretending you're dating or is this the real deal? Because you know
she isn't dating anyone else.” Nic said and continued. “As a matter
of fact Jett, the first day she laid eyes on you she broke it off
with the guy she was dating." I jabbed Nic in the side
for saying that. “Oops” came out of her mouth.

“Good” replied Jett; he
stuck the twenty bucks back in my jean pocket and picked up his
bag, he put his arm around my neck and said “Let's go
Honey
,”
sarcastically. Everyone laughed and followed us out to the parking
lot.

We took about ten steps into
the parking lot and I got that eerie feeling, I started to look
around the perimeter of the parking lot. I put my hand on Jett's,
the one around my neck. “Does it seem creepy out here to
you?”

He looked down at me. “No,
why?”

“Ah, nothing.” We got to the
car and he flipped his bag in his trunk and I got in and locked my
door. He got in and looked at me. “Everything okay?”

“Oh sure,” then I leaned
over to his side of the door and slammed his lock down. He stopped
me, my hand pressing on his thigh and his hand on my hip. I moved
slowly to meet his face and he covered my mouth with his. Our lips
parted and I slowly sat back on my side. Jett smiled and flashed
all his teeth, I relaxed and almost melted. He started the car, not
saying anything. We were in his brothers Trans Am with the gear
shifter between us. When he went to put it in reverse, I put my
hand over his and said “No way pal, we aren't' going anywhere.” I
could feel my cheeks were rosy and my heart was a
flutter.

“Excuse me.” he said
laughingly.

I swallowed hard “Not until
you tell me what that kiss was all about and this whole week.” I
started out strong but ended with a whimper.

His hand found mine, he
spread his fingers apart and I slid mine through. “I thought we
were on the same page.”

“And what page is that.” He
turned his hand over and we intertwined our hands again. “That
we're dating.”

I took a deep breath “So we
aren't pretend dating, we're actually dating, dating. When did this
happen?”

“You sound mad.” He
replied

“I'm not mad at all, but
when you're dating someone it needs to be mentioned. You can't just
assume that we're dating.”

“Okay, then are we
dating...will you...“ I cut him off with a kiss and he reciprocated
and said. “I guess we're dating now.” My face was on fire, it was
zero degrees outside and I was burning up. I wonder if he noticed
how red my face was. Not sure I cared. I had a smile on my face,
ear to ear. I looked at him and realized he did too.

We walked into the
restaurant and the others already had a table. We were hand in hand
and both grinning ear to ear. Nic gave me a look and I gave her a
wink, she knew what I meant. Nic was just as bold as me with
speaking her piece so she asked Jett “So does this mean you'll ask
her out on another date or what?” He laughed, “This means I don't
have to ask her out on another date.” He pulled a chair out for
me.

Boys are big eaters I tell
ya, I thought I ate a lot but the three boys put away everything we
ordered. Storm started to say something but a big
'crash'
sound
overwhelmed him. I jerked my head up and looked at Nic wide-eyed,
“déjàvu” I whispered. “The manager is going to trip and hurt his
ankle.” I whispered to Nic and pointed in his direction. But I
didn't whisper soft enough because Jett said “What did you say?”
Nic shook her head like she remembered my journal.

I looked over his shoulder
and felt like everything was happening in slow motion. The manager
was walking behind our table toward the kitchen but before he got
there, he tripped and fell.

Nic let out a gasp and
covered her mouth. She looked back at me and said “Now what?” I
just sat there motionless. “Addie what happens now?” I just looked
at her with my eyes wide.

“Umm, what? Ah, I guess we
pay the bill and get out of here.” I gave her the evil eye. She
knew I didn't want to tell anyone about my crazy dreams.

I rubbed my arms ‘cause I
had a shiver running through my whole body. I waved my hand in the
air and yelled real loud “Ah, waitress!” and waved her over. I
looked at Nic and said “Done. In my dream, she backed up not
looking where she was going and stepped on his ankle spraining it
as she tumbled to the floor.” The boys just looked at us like what
were we talking about, but no one said anything. Jett took his coat
and put it over me, I just breathed his scent in. He scooted closer
to me and put his arm around my chair. I think he thought I was
cold.

When the waitress arrived I
asked for the check. Too bad she didn't know I saved her and her
manager from further embarrassment and injury. If she did, I’m sure
she would’ve thanked me. When I got up I handed Jett his jacket
back. “Why don't you keep it” he asked. “I like it on you better,
especially without a shirt.”

“Get a room!” Declan
chanted.

No school on Monday and I
was just moping around the house. My mom said “Shouldn't you return
Jett's jacket, what if he only has one coat?” she paused “I thought
he was picking you up today?”

“Yeah but not ‘til later, he
doesn't have a car 'til then.” My mom was putting her coat on “Why
didn't you ask me for a ride?” I just shrugged my shoulders. “I can
drop you off now if you want.” I called over there; no one
answered, but went with my mom anyway.

It took us thirty minutes to
get there, running an errand in between. The sun was out, the sky
was blue, it was a nice day. The closer we got to his house the
more nervous I became. I rang the doorbell once and waited with his
coat in hand. No one answered, so I rang one more time.

I turned around to go back
down the steps when Jett whipped the door open, his hair all wet
and only shorts on. He had one hand on the door and the other on
the door frame. You could see every ripple of every muscle he
had.

My mom rolled down the
window and said “If I leave her here, you gotta promise not to walk
around naked.” She was being facetious. I turned toward him
laughing and tilted my head and spoke so only he could here “It
doesn't bother me a bit,” and raised one eyebrow.

He laughed “Of course not
Mrs. G, I just got out of the shower,” and he pulled me in and
closed the door. Then opened it and my mom hadn't had here window
quite closed, “I'll a... drop her home later.” My mom just
waved.

I got inside, handed him his
jacket. I went to pull mine off when I knocked a vase off a table
that was close to the door. I turned around with my arms still in
the sleeves and caught it with both hands before it hit the ground.
“Sorry, so sorry.” I exclaimed.

“What are you sorry about?
It didn't break. I could tell you stories of the things my brothers
and I have broken.” He turned and walked toward the kitchen. I put
the vase back and finished sliding my coat off carefully and left
my shoes on the mat.

Jett turned to me in the
hallway and said “Has anyone ever told you, you have quick
hands?”

“As a matter-o-fact once, a
semi-pro baseball player told me I did.”

“Did you break his vase?”
Jett chuckled.

“If he thought I had quick
hands, do you think the vase would have broke?” I said
sarcastically but then continued. “I knocked a salad dressing
bottle off the table with my left elbow and caught it before it hit
the floor. And then he made me do it a bunch more times to see if I
could do it again, and I did.”

“No offense but that doesn't
seem
all
that hard.”

“No, it's not, but try doing it without
looking at the bottle at all, plus, I'm right handed. Don't look at
me that way, not sure how I did it nor if it's all that significant
either, just know that I’m quick.”
As he headed
back toward the kitchen, I gazed at Jett's back. It didn't look or
smell like he was just out of the shower but his scent was still
intoxicating to me as always.

“So why are you half naked
and not showered?” I asked. He sat down at the kitchen table,
rolled his chair over to me and pulled me onto his lap. “Do I
smell?” I let go of my coat and pressed my lips into his. We
maintained that position for a while. I slid off his lap, picked up
my coat and said “Well I got what I came for, I guess I'll be
going.”

He pulled my elbow back; I
fumbled over one of the casters on the chair but caught myself on
Jett, one hand on the back of the chair and the other on his chest,
our faces so close I didn't bother to say anything. He pulled my
face down into his hot lips, his skin was warm to the touch. I
breathed him in and pressed back.

“You're right that was much
better, now I can go.”

“No, actually you can't. My
Uncle Grey is coming over for dinner and you're stayin’.” He pulled
me back into him.

“I guess if I have to.” I
mumbled while our lips touched.

“You're very sarcastic,
aren't you?”

“I do try. If I stay, you'll
owe me, I do have places to go and things to do you
know.”

“Oh really, that's it?” He
said, stood up, ducked under my arm and waist and lifted and hauled
me down to the basement.

“You're going to hurt
yourself! Put me down!” I yelled. “I'm telling your Mother!” He
just laughed and tossed me onto a tattered worn plaid couch, you
could tell it was the one they used previously in the family room
upstairs and now it was on its last leg in the basement. He wedged
one leg between the inside of the couch and my hip, he kept the
other planted on the floor. He leaned forward and put his hands on
either side of my face. I pushed my hands up on his bare chest, his
skin felt toasty, his skin a beautiful shade of melted caramel. He
bent over to kiss me, I took one hand with all my nails spread and
gently dragged them up the center of his back.He pulled up and said
“Damn, don't do that...” I pulled him close again “sorry” left my
lips and his next kiss told me he really liked it, maybe too much.
I broke away and pushed him into the couch as I slid
out.