First Kiss (Heavy Influence) (31 page)

I was snapped out of my love haze when he asked me to
-
wait over there
. He pointed to a group of tan fabric couches surrounded by lush green banana trees.

“By myself?” I asked confused. “Where are you going?”

“I need to get a room.”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

“Calm down, it’s just easier, ya know,” he explained, holding me close casually looking around. “Trust me.”

I let go of him and walked unenthusiastically towards the suggested target. Stand straight, I told myself. Don’t
be such a baby. Hold your head high. No immaturity allowed. No mistakes. I talked myself up as I plopped myself down onto an oversized, stiff cushioned chair. I purposely sat with my back facing the vast expanse of the lobby so I wouldn’t catch leering eyes probing me (as if, but just in case).

The voices and music collided together, echoing against the stamped concrete floors and the immense vast ceiling. I tried to make out what was being said by those nearby, but it was impossible. I was obsessing that we were being talked about, that they suspected us to be doing something wrong and call our parents and I would never see Jake again. Just the thought made me light headed, in a bad way. I breathed in deeply through my nose, catching the sweet scent of the nearby flowers, Freesias to be exact. I loved flowers. I closed my eyes concentrating on this wonderful smell, my nerves calmed.

“Ok, let’s go check it out,” he said smiling, flashing the plastic card, which was the room key.

Jake held out his hand helping me up from my petrified state and we slowly walked toward the bank of elevators in the distance. I loved how I fit right under his arm, how he draped himself over me when we walked and I firmly held his hand as it dangled from my shoulder.

“My mom’s gonna be calling any time now, wondering where I’m at. Not sure if I’m gonna answer it,” He said, looking at me in our reflection, which stared back at us. I’d never seen what we looked like together and I could have stood there all day staring at this mirror image. “Ha, we look pretty good don’t we?” He laughed softly.

“Ehh,” I squeaked, shrugging my shoulders.

He laughed again, pulling my head to his lips as the elevator door opened and a gang of people poured out. The elevator carried us to the fifth floor. Jake shifted a duffle bag over to his other shoulder. I hadn’t noticed it before. Why would he have a duffle bag? Did he plan this? If this was planned, it changed the game as far as I was concerned. I wasn’t about sneaky shit, and my sister’s warning screamed loudly in my head.

The doors opened and the elevator informed us, in a soft female voice that we’d arrive at the
Fifth Floor
.

“Aly, you’re killi
ng me with how quiet your being,” he said, stopping at what was our hotel room door, with its shiny silver 513 plate attached to it. “Seriously, we don’t have to stay here, we can turn around, and just go hang for a while somewhere else and go home later.”

“Jake,” I hesitated. “Never mind. It’s silly. We’ll just stick to the plan.” I smiled bravely back at him.

“Ok, what ever you say.” He smiled, sliding the key card into its place and the little green light flashed, unlocking the door.

Jake held the door open for me and I walked in to find the most amazing hotel room I’d ever seen. I could see the ocean through the sliding glass doors at the other end of the room. The place was huge and it had a sunken living room that led out to a balcony facing the water. The bed was gigantic and I skipped with laughter, diving onto it. I sank into the pile of fluffy white pillows and flipped over on to my back. I watched Jake dive right down next to me. Our laughter was in sync as I shimmied to prop myself up. He lay on his back with both arms tucked under his head. His blue eyes gleamed.

“Jake, did you plan this? I mean, what’s up with the duffle bag?”

“No, I didn’t.” He answered in a slow deliberate tone and stared straight up at ceiling.

I waited for him to say something else and just as I was about to speak he continued.

“My mother is going to kill me. She’s gonna freak out if she sees the charge on my credit card for this.” He rolled over onto his side, propping his hea
d to face me. “But I don’t care. I’m sick of everyone giving me shit about every fucking thing I do.”

He reached out placing his hand on my stomach and slid it over to my hipbone. My
insides went berserk. I took his hand in mine, hoping it would stall him from feeling me up. I started getting light-headed thinking about it.

“What’s in the duffle bag if you didn’t plan this then?” I asked smiling.

“I always carry extra shirts and stuff because of sweating during gigs. You know, deodorant and shit like that.”

Yeah, I could see that and was immediately relieved to know he didn’t have some grand scheme to deflower me.

“Aly, don’t worry. I’m not planning on making you do anything you don’t wanna do. I don’t wanna go home. I wanna be with you and not at some fleabag hotel or worse, Dump’s place. It’s that simple,” he quietly explained.

“So you had to go to the other end of the spectrum, which will cause you to get your ass handed to you, and make her have anoth
er reason for you not to see me.” I said sarcastically.

“Yeah, basically.” He laughed. “By the time we’re done here, it’s gonna cost about $600 dollars.”

I choked on my spit, sitting upright clearing my throat. “What! Dude, that’s insane! How are you gonna pay for that? Your mom already complained about the extra cost for the studio time, and then you go and do this?”

Lying back flat
, he covered his face with both hands then looked as if he’d rip his hair out. “Yeah, well, don’t let her fool you with dramatics. When my dad died…let’s just put it this way, we were taken care of,” he explained. “And besides I have my own money, that
I’ve
made. Not a lot but it works, and when I turn 18, she can suck on it.” He sighed, his hands still covering his eyes. “I’ll dig ditches if I have to, to pay for this.”

“Has it always been this complicated?” I asked. “Dealing with your mother? And what about Notting, he’s been around a long, long time, Jake.”

“Yeah, it’s always difficult dealing with her.” He huffed lightly. “This is just the first time I’ve ever stood up to her or done anything like this.”

“I got the impression
she doesn’t want you seeing me,” I murmured.

“That’s not gonna happen, she can’t stop me from seeing you. I mean, fuck, I haven’t seen you all week. She’s got no
idea what the hell’s going on. It just pissed her off that I left to get you, and then the whole thing with Rachel. I haven’t been keeping her apprised, and that burns her up, she’s a control freak.”

“Why do you think she’s all over you? Do you give her a reason to be?”

Jake stared at the ceiling.

“No. I’ve just been so accustomed to it. Not wanting to upset her. She’s been through a lot with not having my dad around, you know. It’s part guilt I guess, and me allowing it to happen for so long.”

“What about Notting? You said he’s been in love with her.”

Jake squirmed, uneasy.

“I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it.” I offered. But I really wanted to know.

“It’s not something I like to talk about, Aly. Their whole relationship, I’m not sure what to think of it. I know my dad loved my mother, and he treated her really lovingly in front of me. We were very happy. He adored her, so I thought.”

“What’s that suppose to mean? We’re talking about Notting?”

“No, my father.” Jake sighed and
finally looked at me. “Check this out, my ex-girlfriend Renee, who wasn’t my girlfriend yet and her older brother witnessed something that I’ve never shared with anyone else.”

“What?” I was fixed.

“The night my dad died in that crash, he was with another woman. Not in the car, but he was probably on his way home or something.”

“What? No! Why do you say that?”

“Renee was driving with her brother and
saw
him on the road
with
this woman. She was kissing him, leaning over kissing him. There was no mistake they said.”

I gulped.

“So what does this mean? Did your mom find out?”

“Aly, it was such a hectic
time. I didn’t find out about it until months later. But Renee and her brother were at the funeral and they said they saw the same woman there and that she was crying like she lost
her
husband. My dad worked with her, apparently. After the shock of everything, I started wondering, you know, and rehashed it with Renee after we started dating. I recalled the day a woman called the house. My mom wasn’t home. A woman asked for my dad, and she wouldn’t give me her name. She said, “
I’m just a friend and I’m trying to reach him.
” I recalled how suspicious I was, for no reason, like something was telling me it wasn’t right. I told her she was no friend if she couldn’t give me her name and I hung up the phone.”

“Wow. So you’ve been holding on to this?”

“What am I supposed to do? My mom was a wreck, if it weren’t for Notting, who knows what would have happened. Notting is a whole other story, too.”

“But your mom and him are together now?”

“Not officially. They’ve never told me they are together. I’ve never seen them kiss. But I feel it. They think I’m stupid.”

I felt very grown up, and safe, all of my absurd thoughts of earlier flew out the window. I felt I could tell him anything, like it’d been all those weeks ago when we were just friends.

“Yeah, I guess I’m gonna text Notting. Tell him what’s up and not to worry.”

“Why don’t you just text your mom.”

“Because, she’ll start in on me, and Notting won’t. He understands, trust me.”

I sat pensive, and worried our wonderful time in this plush oasis would end sooner than I wanted it to. Sitting close to Jake I watched the letters quickly appear on the screen of his phone:

-
       
NOT, I’LL BE HOME IN THE MORNING. I JUST DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH MOM AND I NEED TIME TO THINK.

“My mom will probably take my phone away, once she realizes it’s me, if she’s with Notting.” He laughed.

-
       
WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING
.

“See,” Jake said, giving me a closer view of the text message. “I told you it was that simple. I love Notting, if it wasn’t for him, I probably would have quit by now, or have asked for emancipation.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s when a minor petitions the court to be on their own before 18.”

“Really, you can really do that? I thought that was a myth.”

“Nope, you can do it.” He answered, sitting up throwing his legs over the side of the bed.

“Let’s go for a walk on the beach.”

             
“Ok, but don’t you think we need to get your money’s worth and hang out here as long as possible,” I said kissing his cheek.

             
He rose quickly wrapping his arms under my legs giving me a piggyback ride out to the balcony.

             
“So, you’re telling me you want to stay in here and not go out there?” He said pointing, and dropped me onto my feet.

             
It was breathtakingly beautiful, especially the hotel grounds. The ocean was masterpiece backdrop. The pool was off to the left and our balcony had a panoramic view. The black striped cabana’s outlined the entire perimeter of the pool and fabulously figured men and women, young and old, lay out on teak lounge chairs. These people were the ultimate Envies.

             
“I suppose we can go explore.” I smiled. “This is so amazing, Jake. I’m not going to want to leave tomorrow.”

             
Jake came closer, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “I’m not gonna wanna leave either, trust me, for long list of reasons.”

31

Alyssa

I admired the general finery of the lobby, with its polished dark wood furnishings, artwork and lush potted greenery, as we made our way out toward the swimming pool. Jake grabbed my hand as we approached a large gazebo, which held the fluffy striped beach towels I’d seen from our balcony.

             
“Two towels please.” Jake requested from the hip blond attendant with a pageboy hair cut.

             
“Room key?” she asked. She didn’t look at or acknowledging me. Jake flashed our plastic access card at her, “Room number and last name?” she purred.

             
“Masters, room 513.” He answered with a crooked grin and glanced at me playfully animated.

             
“Great, let me know if you need anything else.” Gazebo Girl replied, batting her eyes.

             
Jake thanked her and put his arm around me as we walked away.

             
“I guess we both have our own fan clubs here.” I teased.