Page 45 of A Chance at Forever
“Pick you up at seven?”
“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He grabbed one more kiss on the cheek and bid her good night.
*
Victoria shared aperfect date with Rusty on Saturday evening. She’d been on numerous glamorous dates with Alan, but none left her feeling like every uplifting sixties tune she’d ever heard. An image of dancing through a field of daisies popped into her head as she headed for Jonica’s classroom to eat lunch with her. She chuckled.
“You have the silliest grin on your face,” Jonica commented as she removed a tuna sandwich from her lunch bag. “So, how was your date with Rusty?”
“Wonderful.” Victoria bit into an apple. “We drove into San Francisco and ate dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. I had Rusty’s total, undivided attention. He hardly took his eyes off me the entire night. After dinner, we went to see that new rom-com everyone is raving about. He treated me with such polite consideration that all of my defenses and fears melted away.”
“Have you kissed him?” Jonica’s hazel eyes twinkled with teasing interest.
Victoria made a face. “No. Lord, I want to, and he wants to, but we’re not rushing into anything. I can’t. I still have this dark cloud hanging over my head.”
“How much does Rusty know about you and Alan?”
“Enough. I haven’t shared any specifics. If I tell Rusty the entire truth, he’ll look at me differently, and I couldn’t bear that.”
“I think you’re underestimating him, but you’re also wise for taking things one day at a time.”
Victoria agreed.
*
October began onthe rich, vibrant wings of fall. Victoria thrilled to the sound of Rusty’s footsteps on her back porch every evening after football practice. She loved seeing him, looking healthy and incredibly sexy, at her kitchen table. He knew how to carry on an entertaining conversation, and their shared interests deepened their intimacy.
Rusty didn’t attempt to kiss her again, but often when they accidently touched, they lingered over the scintillating contact. Sometimes Victoria caught him staring at her with an undefinable emotion glowing in his brilliant eyes and wondered what would happen if she succumbed to temptation.
One Sunday afternoon Victoria came home from an errand and stepped onto her back porch to enjoy a cup of hot tea. She noticed large garbage bags dotting her yard. Glancing toward her neighbor’s house, she spotted Rusty raking the leaves. A devilish thought occurred to her. She set down her cup of tea and untied one of the bags of leaves. Tiptoeing across the yard, she sneaked up behind Rusty and dumped the entire bag of leaves over his head. “Surprise!”
“What the…!” Rusty spun around, slipped, and lost his balance. He fell hard on his rump.
Victoria laughed until her sides ached. Bud raced around both of them, barking with excitement. “Oh, Rusty! If only your entourage of admirers could see you now! You know what they say. The taller you are, the harder you fall!”
“You’d better run, and you’d better run fast, Tori. Because when I catch you…!” He let the words hang ominously in the air as he jumped to his feet.
She heard the threat and turned to run. Rusty chased her across both yards. They scattered the leaves again as they shot the flaming arrows at one another. Rusty tackled Victoria when she tried to outmaneuver him. He bore her gently to the ground and started to tickle her. They were both laughing until her thrashing body enflamed another emotion altogether.
Rusty’s laughter faded as his emerald eyes darkened with passion. Victoria, too, grew still and quiet. He brushed leaves from her hair and pushed a few stray locks from her face.
“Tori,” he muttered in a husky tone of voice. “You’re so beautiful. I can’t tear my eyes away from you. I want very much to kiss you right now.”
Now that the moment she both yearned for and dreaded had arrived, Victoria couldn’t face the temptation. She squeezed her eyes closed and swallowed the heavy lump of emotion in her throat. Unable to speak, unable to move, unable to resist.
She heard him heave a sigh. “I can wait. I’m a patient man. But I have to know whether or not you trust me.” Rusty scrambled to his feet. “Look at me, Tori. Take my hand.”
Victoria opened her eyes and stared up at his outstretched hand.
“Take my hand,” he repeated in a gentle but commanding tone. “Trust me.”
She sat up and placed her hand in Rusty’s. He pulled her to her feet and cupped her chin. “I’ll not hurt you, Tori. I promise.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Come with me inside. I made a pot of chicken and dumplings, and I dare say it’s pretty good.”
As they strolled hand-in-hand toward his house, Victoria believed his promise.
*
