Page 23 of Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances)
Chapter Ten
Jay
That’s a loaded question.
There are two ways to address this. The way I’d like to…by tossing her hot little sassy ass in the back of her car and letting out years of pent up frustration. Or the way I should…by spending some good, honest time getting to know her again. Yeah, I know that contradicts everything I’ve been saying to this point. Truth is, I know she’s too good for me and I know I’m bad for her, but I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to stay away from her, and I just can’t get her out of my head. She’s all I think about. She’s been all I thought about for a while now. The only light in my dark days.Mysunshine.
That’s right.Mine.
I know I’m bad news, and this will probably end up blowing up in our faces, but I can’t help it. I need this girl in my life like I need air to breathe. I’ll take as much or as little as I can get.
“I was wondering if you might want to go to lunch again or something?”
“Or something?” she asks, raising an eyebrow and taking a step towards me.
“Yeah,” I shrug, walking towards her. “We could go for a movie or have dinner instead.”
“What about breakfast?” she asks, the corners of her mouth tilting up in a flirty smile as she comes to a stop in front of me. She runs one of her dainty little fingers, the nail polished in a pale pink, from the scar on my left cheek, down my neck, and straight down my chest, stopping at the waistband of my jeans.
“I like breakfast,” I croak. She makes me feel like a teenage virgin. Hell, with how little activity I’ve had, I might as well be. All the times I’ve imagined Kate over the years—sweet, innocent Kate—I’d never once painted her as a little seductress. I grab her hand before she decides to go any lower and choose my first option of dragging her to her car.
“You’re no fun,” she pouts.
“You’re…different,” I say, still holding her hand.
“How so?” she cocks her head to the side.
I shrug, not knowing how to explain it in a way that won’t offend her. I don’t know much about females, but I do know that it’s important to tread carefully.
“I’m not a teenage girl anymore, Jay. I’ve practically been on my own for three years now. Of course I’m different. Maybe if you’d bothered to keep in touch, you’d know that.”
Ouch, that hurt.Not that I don’t deserve her attitude, of course. Because I most certainly do after the way I’d treated her.
And she’s right, she’s definitelynota teenage girl anymore. That’s for damn sure. The fact that she’s been on her own makes my blood boil. Her parents are some class act for abandoning their only daughter.
You’re a class act for abandoning her, too, Spencer.Touché, self, touché.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
She shrugs in response, brushing off this apology in the same way she’s done every other one I’ve offered. What makes me crazy is that her disregarding my apology isn’t because she doesn’t accept it…it’s because she really doesn’t seem to hold any grudge against me at all for blowing her off back then. The girl is a saint.
“So…my roommate’s out of town. We can go back to my place and watch a movie or something?” She bites the corner of her lip and shifts from one foot to another. I can tell she’s nervous, and for some reason this reaction feels more genuine—more Kate—than how forward she was being a moment ago.
“Or something?” I wink and she blushes in response, looking down at her shoes. “Movie, it is,” I tell her, and she looks up and smiles.
“I’ll see you there,” she says, then she turns and walks across the lot to her car. I get on my bike and wait until she’s in her car and pulling out before following her out into the street. Five is a swanky place in a nice area, but the neighborhoods Kate has to drive through to get home are a little shady. I don’t like the idea of her driving through them at midnight—or later—even though I know she’s been doing it a while now.
Even more reason for her tonevervisit my place. Ever.
***
I feel like a high school kid on a first date. No, not evenonthe date yet…picking the girl up for the date. I can almost imagine an imposing father-figure standing before me, staring down at me as I sit on the couch with my back straight as a rod. My boot clad feet are flat on the floor, my knees—bent at a perfect ninety degree angle—are pressed together, and my hands are folded neatly in my lap. I’m not even leaning against the back of the couch. I think I might be sweating, and I definitely feel clammy.
Kate’s in the shower. Sitting stock still on the couch is the only thing keeping me from busting down the bathroom door to see what’s on the other side. It’s been so long since I’ve been with a woman, and I’ve never been with one that looks like Kate. I’d messed around with my share of girls in high school and the year or so after graduation. But that’s just it…they were all girls. Kate is a woman. Ayoungwoman, but still a woman. She’s twenty-one now, I’m twenty-four. Age-wise, we’re perfect. It’s everything else that doesn’t line up.
I’m a mechanic…she’s a med student.
I’m poor…she’s rich
