Page 23 of Faking It with Mr. Uptight

"Hey there, handsome," she teased. I tried not to think about how hot she looked, but it was hard. I'd seen her naked, but the dress she wore showed off her shapely legs. "Thanks for mowing my side," she said, nodding her head towards Amy's lawn and then handed me one of the glasses. "I thought you might be thirsty."

"Thanks, and you don't have to worry about any of the yard work and the like while you're here. I'll take care of it," I offered, not entirely sure why. I mean I usually took care of the property when Amy and Pat were away, but doing it now felt more like a gesture than I meant it to.

"Are you sure? I mean I take care of all that stuff I my place anyway. Well sort of. I pay a boy to mow the lawn. I like supporting young entrepreneurs." She giggled and took a sip of her drink.

I smiled and then drank. It was cold and tart. "I'm sure."

"Okay, well if you're sure, thank you. It's sweet of you." She looked me up and down for a second and if I wasn't mistaken, I thought she was checking me out.

"You're welcome, besides I would look like a bad boyfriend if I didn't do it so..." My voice trailed off and we laughed. She leaned next to me. Her hand grazed mine, and a charge jolted through me. She looked at me, her eyes glimmering with humor.

"What time is it?"

"A little after six, why?"

"Because we have a date and you need a shower."

"Do I smell?"

"No, you're just all sweaty. Now get showered and come get me when you're done. You can bring my glass back then too."

"Yes, ma'am."

I went inside and hopped in the shower. When I was done, I shaved and got dressed. I chose a blue button-down shirt and jeans and slipped on a pair of dark brown leather shoes.

Molly was waiting in her living room when I knocked, her glass in my hand. She smiled, took the glass, and handed me a bag.

"You're going to need these."

I opened the bag and saw a pair of binoculars and blankets inside. "Seriously?"

"Yep. Don't worry. It’s not a costume, more of a nod to a costume."

"Great," I exhaled, a knee-jerk exasperation, even though I actually liked how dorky she was.

A short time later, we arrived to find a large crowd gathered. On a stage, DownTree, a local band, filled the air with a bluesy-rock style of country music that seemed to be popular these days. I didn’t mind it.

Food trucks lined up nearby, selling everything from tacos and barbecue to cupcakes and ice cream. Molly grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd toward the food trucks. Without asking me what I wanted, she ordered us food. Minutes later, she handed me a plate that matched hers. It was an eclectic mix of coleslaw, cornbread, and birria tacos. I shrugged; it looked good.

"It's so nice out. The perfect evening for a movie.” She scanned the area. “This is so great," she said, nearly bouncing with delight, and her enthusiasm was infectious.

"It is," I agreed as we found a picnic table near the stage and sat down to eat. I never went to these kinds of things unless it was something that interested Hailey. It felt surprisingly good to be out where it seemed like almost the whole town was gathered.

We finished eating and then she took my hand again and we made our way through the crowd.

"Molly! Hey!" a voice called, and I looked over to see Laney and Becca. They came over and hugged Molly.

"Becca, Laney," I greeted each of them. They were vague acquaintances from work at best. If I thought hard enough, I think I remembered them from growing up but they were a few years behind me.

"Hey, Jake," Laney said. She was the shorter one of the two, and had dark hair cut short.

"This is quite a turnout, huh?" I asked, trying to break the awkwardness that blanketed as their gazes searched between Molly and I. Had she told them the truth? I hadn't thought about it. I didn’t have anyone I needed to tell outside Hailey and HR. A new guilt hit me for how much Molly was throwing off her life for me.

"Yeah," Laney replied.

"We better get going. We want to get a good spot," Molly said and tugged me along.

“Glad we ran into you,” Becca said, and Molly nodded, a slight flush coloring her cheeks.

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