Page 17 of Something that Could Last

“Dude, I thought you were going to rip my head off my shoulders when I asked Tiff to go to dinner with us.”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “I just thought it'd be better to be alone with her. You know, so I can actually get to know her,” I explain. “It's no big deal. She's fine with it being a group thing.”

“Areyou?” It's strange for Luke to be serious. It's even more strange for him to consider someone else's feelings.

“Yeah, man. It's cool.” I brush it off, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

“Awesome, because when we get back from dinner, I'm getting Tiff in that hot tub!” Aaand he's back.

We peddle along with our group, making stops in the abandoned town of Thurmond, among other places. The scenery is beautiful. Everything is green and lush, signaling summer's impending arrival. The sound of the flowing river creates a calming melody.

The sun is high in the sky when we finish the tour, and Luke and I are drenched in sweat. I take off my shirt and wipe my forehead with it before chugging a bottle of water. I toss Luke a protein bar and tear one open for myself.

“You ready for rock climbing?” I ask him between bites.

“Why not? You haven't managed to kill me yet,” Luke answers sarcastically. He's still a little winded from our race. I beat him by a good twenty yards. “I'm gonna need that hot tub for more than just seducing Tiff tonight. I may not even be able to move by the time we get back.”

“Quit your whining, you pansy ass.”

He gives me the finger as he gulps down his bottle of water. I head back to the car and pull a clean shirt out of the back seat for myself and hand one to Luke. After we change, we head over to New River Adventures for rock climbing. It takes everything I have not to gravitate towards the zip lining area instead to see Abby.

“I know what you're thinking, dickhead. Don't do it. It'll make you look desperate,” Luke cautions.

“I'm not going to do anything,” I assure Luke, shooting him an irritated glare. “And I'm certainly not desperate.”

“Good to hear you still have possession of your own balls. Now let’s go climb this mountain. I'll race you to the top.” I laugh at Luke's exaggerations and follow him to the rock-climbing station.

Two hours later, we’re once again drenched in sweat and chugging water. Today has been one hell of a workout. My tight muscles feel amazing. All the stress just melts out of my body when I'm pushing it to its limits. There's no better feeling in the world. Well, except for the feel of Abby's body beneath my hands. I’m hoping I'll get to experience that again tonight.

When we arrive back at the cabin, we still have a couple hours before we need to pick up the girls. I shower and begin to straighten things up in case Abby and Tiff actually agree to come back here. I wash and dry the few dishes in the sink and sweep the main living area. Luke is passed out on the couch. That thing will probably need to be doused with Febreze now since he didn't bother to take a shower or change clothes before laying on it.

I head for my bedroom and make the bed. I don't know why. I doubt Abby will even step foot in here, but just in case, I don't want to look like a slob. I finish up and check my phone. Five text messages and two missed calls from my mother. That woman is persistent. I shoot her back a text letting her know I left my phone at the cabin and what all we did today. She immediately texts me back with a dozen more questions. I tell her I'll call her tomorrow, and that seems to placate her for the time being.

I wake Luke up so he can get ready for dinner and head into my room to get dressed. I'm starting to get nervous, my hands fumbling with the buttons on my shirt. I can't wait to see Abby, but I'm afraid she won't like where I’m taking her. If she's working two jobs, I'm guessing she doesn't have much money. It makes no difference to me. She's a beautiful, intriguing young woman. I don't want to come off as a pretentious womanizer by taking her to the most expensive restaurant in town. I just want to take her somewhere nice, somewhere no one has ever taken her before, and show her a good time. Hopefully, she'll see that.

Abby

AS SOON ASthe clock strikes five, I practically run to my truck. I need to hurry and get to Tiff's so I can get ready for dinner with Jacob. I'm nervous, excited, and scared all at the same time. I call my grandmother on the way to let her know I'll be getting in late tonight. I don’t want her staying up and worrying about me.

When I get there, Tiff is almost ready for the evening ahead. She's adding the finishing touches to her blonde locks when I walk in. She looks gorgeous, as usual. Her eyelids are painted with a glittery silver shadow accented with navy blue in the crease, and black winged liner. Her hair cascades over her shoulders in big, perfect curls.

“You look amazing, Tiff,” I tell her as I set my bag on her bed.

“Thanks, sis. Now get your ass in the shower.” She swats my behind and laughs as I scurry to the bathroom.

“Okay, okay. I'm going!” I hop in the shower and try to hurry through my routine. I make sure to shave carefully and wash away all the dirt and grime from work. Even though I'm short on time, I can't help but think of Jacob as I lather my body with sweet smelling soap. I try to imagine how it would feel to have his big, strong hands all over me, soaping and caressing my skin. I don't usually fantasize about men in the shower, or anywhere really, but Jacob is different. I imagine his icy blue eyes staring into mine while he presses his hard body against me and…

BANG, BANG, BANG. Tiff pounding on the bathroom door startles me out of my fantasy.

“Girl, you better hurry or you're never gonna be ready on time.”

What a buzz kill.

“Almost done!” I holler back as I rinse the last of the conditioner from my hair. I step out of the shower and dry off, toweling through and combing my hair before applying anti-frizz serum to my unruly tresses. I have no idea what Tiff plans to do with them, so I leave it as is. I throw on a pair of shorts and a tank top before stepping back into Tiff's room.

“Sit,” she orders, pointing to the chair in front of her vanity where she’s already set out my makeup bag.

I comply and plop down onto the pink cushion, facing the mirror. Tiff starts drying my hair as I apply moisturizer and foundation to my face. I choose a subtle smoky eye look for the evening, selecting shades of grey and brown. I finish it off with smudged charcoal eyeliner and black mascara.

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