Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) (16 page)

I slowed my pace. Ryan wasn’t there yet anyway. I watched Zach from the corner of my eye.  

“Hey, Estelle.” The taller, thin guy said. “Where’s Jaycee?”

Estelle had passed me from behind and was closer to them than I.

“Hi, boys. Long time no see.” Her seductive little finger wave made my skin crawl.
              The blood drained from my face. She knew them.  I looked away as she joined their group.

“
Em,” Zach shouted immediately.

Relieved, I glanced over as he motioned with his hand for me to join them. I walked toward them, purposefully standing away from Estelle.

“What’s up?” I asked casually.

“
Em. These are my boys from San Francisco.” He laughed. “Will. Jackson. Travon. This is Em.” Finally, when his arm wrapped around my shoulders, I breathed.

“M…like the letter M?” Will asked confused.

Jackson shoved him against the Jeep. “You dumbass. He told us before her name was Emma. Hi, Emma.” Jackson smiled, a perfectly beautiful smile with dimples at the corners of his mouth. I didn’t miss that Zach had told them my name.

Travon
acknowledged me with a simple nod. He was by far the hottest black guy I’d ever seen. His velvety skin, short cut hair and a small goatee covering his chin beneath his full bottom lip were sexy. He had a Michael Jordan smile.

Will was the thinnest and the tallest of the three and I wondered where they grew these boys. California, obviously. They looked like city boys. Metros.

“You all coming to the game tonight?” Zach asked.

“Hell, yeah!”

Jackson nodded at Estelle. “You all gonna be there?”

“Of course.” She smiled, fluttering her eyes and twisting from side to side in her cheerleading skirt.

Zach’s palm rested against my back.

“Meet me at my house,” he called over his shoulder as we started walking to the truck where Ryan waited.

“Call me after the game?” I hoped.

“You know I will. I
gotta go though. We have to be back here in just a little bit.” Bile rose up the back of my throat as he jogged to the Jeep.

Folding laundry, I listened to AHS win the game on the radio. Knowing Ryan had a good game, I hoped for good moods. I wasn’t disappointed. Mom and Dad ungrounded me early. I flew ecstatically off my chair and hoped I wasn’t too late. I texted Zach immediately.

When his soft tap graced our door, I shoved my Dad out of the way to get there first.

I flipped on the porch light and opened the door.  “I’m free!” I shouted and threw my arms around his neck.  His wet hair was cold from his shower and he smelled like soap. He kissed my forehead and allowed my feet to touch the floor.

“Hi. Mr. Hendricks.”

“Zach…it’s Matt remember.”

“Yes, sir.”  He responded.  I knew he’d never call him Matt. “May I take
Em out to get some air?”

Dad looked at Mom who shrugged in approval. “Have her home in an hour. Oh, and Zach, no more skipping.”

“Yes, sir.” He tugged my arm. “Let’s go.”

“No. Wait. Look at me. I can’t go anywhere.” I wore baggy sweat
shorts and an old tank. My hair tied in a ponytail.

“You look fine and we have less than an hour. Just come on.”  He nearly yanked my arm out of its socket on the way to the car.

He reversed the Jeep and tore down the street.

“Zach, slow down!”

He hit his brakes at the end of our street. My heart thudded against my chest.

“I haven’t kissed you for a week and I couldn’t kiss you the way I wanted in your driveway, so…”  He grabbed the back of my head shoving his lips to mine. His breath hit my face exciting me. My lips parted when suddenly headlights shined brightly on us and he pulled back. Ryan’s truck idled next to the Jeep.

He stared at us and didn’t say anything. I was suddenly nervous. “Did you escape or were you freed?”

“Freed.” I smiled.

“That never happens to me, you know.” His truck revved as he began pulling away.

“You aren’t as good of a kid as I am. They like me better,” I joked. He spun his tires.

Zach’s eyes closed and I rubbed across his forehead. “You OK?”

“It’s been a long week and I just got my fix.”

I lowered my head not liking his analogy.

“Bad choice of words.”  He turned right at the stop sign. “Are you worried about that?”

“About you using drugs again?”

“Yes.”

I knew it would bother him if I said yes. “Do you miss them?”             

He took a left turn. “I wish I never would have done ‘
em.”             

“
That wasn’t an answer.”

He watched the road ahead of us. “Do I miss them?” he repeated…stalling? “No. They brought me nothing but trouble.” He rubbed his forehead.

“Aside from trouble…did it feel good?”

He squirmed and I could tell my inquisitiveness troubled him.

“What do you mean?”

“I wonder what it’s like.”

His foot came off the accelerator and he scowled. “Em. Don’t ever, ever go near them.”

“Well now, that’s a double standard isn’t it?” I winked at him

The anger didn’t leave his eyes. “I’m serious.”

“I won’t. I was kidding. Where are we going?”

“The top was already off the Jeep when I got your text, I thought we’d just drive around.”

“What happened to your friends?”

There was a slight hesitation prior to his answer. “Oh, they hooked up with some other people. I’ll catch up later.”

I knew what he was hiding. “You’ll catch up with just the guys?” I rolled my eyes the moment the words came out.  Could I have sounded more insecure?

His eyes flickered away from Main Street and found mine. I had to do something to prove I wasn’t insecure. Brett and Josh went honking by in Brett’s truck.  When he waved, I waved too then brought my hand down resting it on his thigh, not looking his way. His muscle tensed under my hand.

My brain did somersaults trying to determine what to do next. As he turned on Oak Street and drove by the brewery where adults drank liquid courage, I saw this as a sign and found some of my own. In one swift move, my hand moved off the khaki colored cotton, skimmed over his knee then back up his thigh under the material. 

This time, I dared glancing at him and his eyes were dark and held a warning. My upper teeth came down on my lower lip. With my fingertips, I began to lightly graze his thigh. I closed my eyes, forcing myself not to look at him, but my eyes bulged open when he reciprocated the touch to my upper thigh. Every nerve ending above my knees sprang to life.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nu…nothing.”

The corners of his mouth twitched upward and the Jeep suddenly came to a stop in a parking lot. He unbuckled and leaned into me forcing his hand upward another inch. In all the truth or dare games, this was as far as a guy’s hand had been up my thigh.  I wondered what underwear I had on.

“How about we make a deal?”

I nodded. “Kay.”

With his other hand, he fingered strands of my hair.  “I believe turnabout is fair play. You touch me, I touch you. Sounds fair. Yes?”

I nodded again, and, testing his theory, I inched up a wee bit further on his thigh. He reciprocated. My mouth fell slightly open and his sexy lopsided grin appeared.

“I don’t think this is a game you’ll win, Emma.”

A little woozy in the head from the barrage of hormones flying through my body, I took the challenge.

“It’s a deal,” I said short of breath. Having him touching me, I’d already won.

He pecked my lips softly at first then his mouth parted and he kissed me fully.  His tongue was warm and soft, and slowly reacquainted itself with my tongue. After the kiss he buckled his seat belt again. “Let’s get you home on time.”

This challenge and newly found courage made me smile.  I touched his knee. He touched mine. I touched his fingertips to my lips and traced the tips with my tongue. He groaned. I smiled when he jerked my hand toward his mouth performing the same.  Except it was obvious his touch was WAY more effective on me. 

“Zach,” my voice was barely a rough whisper with a slight warning attached.

He lowered my hand but held it, and I realized we were back in my driveway.

He jumped up and over his door and came to mine. “This is going to be fun.”

I was already sitting sideways thru the open Jeep door. He backed up to me and I got on his back. He sat me on the hood of the Jeep. It was warm. I leaned in and kissed his neck before he turned toward me with a cocky grin.

I shrugged my shoulders up to my neck and kept them there as I giggled protecting my neck from an oncoming assault. He leaned in, and then with his fingers tickled my sides until I lowered my shoulders in an attempt to stop the tickling. As soon as my neck was fair game, he swooped in and showered it with kisses.

“I’m gonna win,” he nearly sang.  “If your noises don’t kill me first.”

My noises?  “Good luck with that.” I grinned and moved in for a kiss.

It was Saturday and time to make the call. I was a bundle of nerves but had procrastinated long enough. This half made me the most nervous.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Owens?” I heard anxiety in my voice.

“Yes.”

“This is Emma Hendricks.”

“Hi Emma. How are you?” Zach’s mom was always kind.

“I’m fine.”

“Sweetheart, Zach’s not here.”

“Yes ma’am. He’s with Ryan. I kind of planned this out. I’m wondering if we could meet later this morning, if you have time. I have a favor to ask of you.”  I got that much out and breathed.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s about Zach’s birthday. I would just need maybe a half hour.”

She didn’t hesitate. “That would be lovely. Where would you like to meet?”

“My mom and I could meet you at Greenleaf.”

“That’s fine. I can be there in a half hour.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Owens.”
              “You’re welcome Emma. I look forward to seeing you.” Half over.

Greenleaf was a quaint little eatery downtown. It was quiet when we got there, and Mrs. Owens smiled at us from a wrought iron table in the corner. Her eyes were warm and inviting; I wanted to hug her.

“Hi Emma, and you must be Mrs. Hendricks.” She nodded.

“Please. Call me Kate. It’s nice to finally meet you. We have come to adore your son.” My mom shook her hand.

“Thank you. I’m Lisa. Our son is quite fond of Emma.”

We all sat.

“Emma,” My mom addressed. “You called this meeting.”

“Yes, I did.” I took a deep breath. “Mrs. Owens. I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.  But Zach misses the city terribly and…” Spit it out. “I know taking him there isn’t so much an option. But, I was wondering if I could borrow him for a few hours on November 15? What I have planned, I will need to do at night.”

I went on and told her my plan and gathered the information I needed to pull this off.

“Emma.” Her hands touched mine, and I stopped talking. “I can see why Zach worships you. You are very thoughtful.  No one has ever been so kind to him.”

I smiled and exhaled air I didn’t realize I was holding. “Thank you. I hope I can pull it off.  I’m probably more excited than he will be.”

She shook her head. “I doubt that.”

“It’s the next best thing to being there…maybe.” I shrugged. “Remember, it’s a surprise.”

She smiled and pretended to zip her lips. “Thank you for doing this for him.”

Her tender smile was a reflection of Zach’s. She hugged me before we left; it felt nice.

By the time Friday came around, I was busting at the seams with excitement. Zach didn’t have a clue. I couldn’t wait for him to see the work I had put in on this. All I’d told him was to be at my house at 7:00pm. With the time change, it was dark like I needed.

I heard his Jeep from the back patio, then I heard my dad welcome him and tell him he needed to go through the back gate. I heard a chuckling ‘uh-oh’ and the front door close.  Perfect. My cue for the music.

He knocked and I opened the gate slowly.

“Welcome to San Francisco.” I couldn’t help but smile wide.

His brows pulled together. “Huh?”

Stepping backward, I hoped his questions were answered. I took his hand and we started our tour of the make shift city.  The only thing I didn’t paint, build or create was first up on the tour. Pier 39. We stepped up onto the pier; an actual wooden pier that my father made.  When he stepped over the three stuffed sea lions, he chuckled.