“Hi Rob,” I said, louder this time. “Thanks for coming to my party.”
The big man chuckled deep in his chest, blue eyes appreciative.
“Hey honey,” he rumbled, leaning over to give me a peck on the cheek. “Happy graduation, Amanda.”
I blushed. God, having him so close made me hot all over, my body was going to explode just from his nearness. And oh god, this dress, it was uncomfortably tight all of a sudden and I silently cursed myself for wearing it. Why had I given into Linda’s demands? I could literally feel myself growing hot, the material scratchy, and shit, but my nipples betrayed me again. Because around Rob, it was like I’d been overtaken with all these urges. I wanted to show him everything, give him everything, let him touch wherever, kiss anywhere he wanted. The thoughts running through my mind made me blush and of course, my tits perked up stiffly, poking out like rocks, impossible to miss.
Embarrassed, I turned like I was headed back into the party so he couldn’t see, calling out over my shoulder, “Come into the living room, Mr. Parker. Come in and join the party.”
But my voice was throaty and seductive, not that of a little girl at all. And whaddya know but the big man started walking, almost like he was answering my siren call. But it was all my imagination because instead of trailing me into the living room, he disappeared into the kitchen. Oh god. I heaved a gasp of part-disappointment but also part-relief. If I was this flustered from being around him for two seconds, how was I going to manage a conversation later on? How was I going to get my body under control so that I could talk with the older man without looking like a crazy woman, my curves begging him for more, all of him, yes please?
But I never got a chance to chat with Rob at the party. There were so many guests and I was pulled in so many directions that I never got a chance to talk one-on-one with Mr. Parker. He looked at me multiple times, I could feel that blue gaze on my curves, my skin sizzling with awareness. But the shindig was over before I knew it, and I looked around disappointed, craning my neck, searching for that huge male form. Had he really left? Had he taken off?
“Dad, did you see Rob Parker today?” I asked off-handedly, faking cool. “Did he come?”
Ray nodded.
“He did, honey, but his pager started going off so he left,” my dad replied. “You know how it is, the doctor’s always on call.”
And I nodded. Rob was a heart surgeon at a prestigious hospital nearby, and it was part and parcel of the job. Heck, I remembered multiple times from childhood when he’d been called to Mercy Medical, some patient or other was having an emergency, something that couldn’t wait and demanded his attention.
So I nodded again like it was no big deal, but inside, I was disappointed. Even though I’d been shy, the currents that ran through me around the alpha male made my body come alive in a way that I’d never experienced. I wanted to know him, I wanted to have some time with him alone, and god knows, I wanted to check out that package again. I wanted to discreetly run my eyes over the bulge in his pants, to imagine what it could do to a woman, to me specifically, deep inside. Oh god, it was so wrong and I scolded myself. Get with it Mandy, the little voice went. Mr. Parker is a grown man and you’re half his age. Less than half his age in fact. What would he want with someone naïve like you?
But my soul was cruising, and I figured I’d see him again at some point. Mr. Parker was my dad’s best buddy after all, they’ve been inseparable for twenty years, so why stop now? I was sure he’d pop up somewhere, sometime, in the three months I had left before college started.
But oddly, Rob never came around. The summer months rolled past and there was always some reason Mr. Parker didn’t show, making his excuses. He had to work, or there was something that came up, or some patient was having their umpteenth medical crisis. My ears steamed even as my heart sank. Was Rob seeing someone? Was there a lady friend, some slinky vixen with her claws out, who wanted him wrapped around her finger? He’s dated before, heck, the alpha male is popular with the ladies, but I’d never known him to have someone serious. It was always the flavor of the week, some dumb blonde bitch. So what was happening? Why was he keeping his distance?
And slowly, reality sank in. After another couple more no-shows, I realized there had to be another woman. And not just a bimbo, but someone real this time, someone that Mr. Parker was seeing weekly, if not daily. Shit, shit, shit, I was so jealous I could have cried, although it’s not he’d ever shown any interest in me. It’d been my imagination, a teen girl’s fantasies run wild, and Mr. Parker had real things to do in life that involved adult responsibilities, like a job and taxes.
So reality hit home hard. Between his patients, rounds at the hospital, and dating this she-witch, there was no time for me anymore. There was no time for Mandy Pandy, I wasn’t going to see him again before college, I wasn’t going to be in the vicinity of that imposing male body. Despite the electric contact at my graduation, Rob had never been into me. He’d disappeared into thin air, like I’d never existed, and it made my heart hurt, head pound.
But I guess that’s what growing up is about. I’m not number one on the alpha male’s list, he’s got beautiful women, patients, friends, acquaintances, people who want to know him, hanging onto every word from his mouth What’s one eighteen year-old girl, even if you’ve known her since childhood? What’s one annoying, clumsy teen with corkscrew curls and a plump behind? The answer was nothing … absolutely nothing.