After an intense stare-off, I unlocked the door and stayed in his seat. He didn’t try to get in. He stared down the end of his nose until I moved. I worried I had upset him. I sat Indian style in my seat and stared out the windshield. He started the car and we were going up the steep grade, the engine downshifting to make it up.
“One. I made a promise to your dad that I would take care of you today and I intend to keep that promise,” he said with little emotion as he entered back onto the highway.
“That is taking care of me,” I teased.
He pursed his lips. “Two. You are dating Zach. The lines may be skewed at the moment, but you are still together.”
“But…”
“Three. I do like Zach. Though not a buddy…I’m not gonna to do that.”
I folded my arms across my chest bordering on pouting.
“Four. You’re upset about Zach right now and not thinking clearly. I will not take advantage of that. I respect you too much.”
I looked at him, his eyes stayed on the road.
“Five.”
“OK…I got it…you can stop.”
“Five,” he repeated. “You are sixteen and I am twenty. And maybe in two years…it would be OK. But it’s not now.”
I could possibly argue with one, two and three but four and five…I couldn’t argue with. It was how he felt and I’d just made a fool of myself. I’d misinterpreted every touch, smile and wink over the past few days. I was an idiot. And what was I thinking anyway… My insecurities with Zach were high so I throw myself at Austin?
I lowered my head embarrassed.
There were no cars on the road. It was 9:15 pm and we had nearly three hours to go. We stayed quiet for over an hour until we hit Depot Bay. He parked in front of a restaurant, left the car running, then returned with two Styrofoam containers. He handed me one and I opened it. White lumps of crab meat were in a dish with drawn butter on the side.
“How did you?” I asked…not all the words coming.
“I called when you were asleep before you got mad at me.”
I couldn’t imagine what this cost. We had at least $50 worth of crab sitting in two Styrofoam containers.
“Why are we eating in the car?”
“I didn’t figure the way you were dressed that you’d let me take you in. Would you?” His eyebrows sat high on his forehead waiting for my response.
I shrugged. “It’s after 10. Are they still open?”
It only took a couple of seconds for him to grab the containers and get out of the car. I followed in my borrowed sweat shorts/capris and sweatshirt.
The hostess smiled warmly at me not looking at my attire, though the sign by the door clearly stated the dress code that I didn’t meet. She led us to a small candle lit table overlooking the ocean. The place was empty, all the other candles extinguished. Austin set the containers down.
“Mr. Falsone? May we reheat the crab, sir?”
The waiter asked, Austin nodded and the waiter left us.
“Mr. Falsone?” I asked with a grin.
“Yes, Miss. Hendricks?”
I shook my head. “Do you know these people?”
“I’ve been here before.” He sat back in his seat relaxed.
I’d never noticed prior to this moment and I don’t know how I’d missed it. Austin Falsone was way out of my league. As this revelation swept over me, I felt self conscious in his sweatshirt and shorts. I tried to smooth my hair and felt the gritty sand at my scalp. This restaurant was open especially for us.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“I should go wash up?”
“Wash up?”
“Look at me.” Wasn’t it obvious that I didn’t belong here?
He chuckled. “I am looking at you.”
“Sir. What can I get you and the lady to drink?”
The lady?
“How about two waters for now.”
“Very well.”
Austin dialed his cell and I watched him.
“Matt. This is Austin.”
Austin smiled at me.
“We’re in Depot Bay grabbing a bite. But I wanted to give you an update.” He sat quietly for a moment.
“Yes. I’d say hopefully by 1:30.”
The waiter returned with the waters and the hot crab.
“Thank you,” I said as he set it down.
“I’ll tell Emma. She may want to call from here. Would that be a problem?”
My eyes found his and his gaze was intense. I picked up his fork, speared a piece of crab, dipped it in the butter and raised it to his mouth. He pulled it off and chewed.
“OK. Thanks. Bye.”
I did the same with my own fork and the white meat melted in my mouth. I closed my eyes and chewed the delectable treat. After I swallowed, he was staring at me. I made sure my napkin was in my lap. No elbows on the table.
“Here’s the way to do it,” He said. “May I touch your food?”
I nodded.
Reaching toward my plate, he pinched about three clumps of the leg meat then dipped the meat and his fingers into the butter, then dripped on my plate as he held them to my mouth.
“You better open before I take the bite,” he warned.
I smiled and opened leaning toward him. I closed my mouth around his fingers and butter oozed down my chin. The luscious crab was heavenly and after removing his fingers he smeared the grease on my chin. Unable to control laughter mixed with embarrassment, I remained aware of my manners, and I glanced around to see if anyone was watching. There was no one.
“Oh my God. That is soo gooood.”
He smiled watching me. He made me feel like a little kid in a candy store.
“Why’d you do this?” I asked taking another bite.
“I wanted you to feel better and the Ho Ho’s and Twinkies in the car didn’t do the trick.” He winked.
“Speaking of Ho Ho’s. I’m sorry about earlier trying to get you to do something you didn’t want to do,” I said wiping my mouth.
He took a long drink of his water and deliberated his thoughts. “I only said that I couldn’t…not that I didn’t want to.” His tone was serious and his brown eyes seemed black—maybe it was the candlelight.
I reached across the table and got a pinch full of crab from his plate. His eyes sparkled now as he watched me. The butter was warm. He opened his mouth and made a disgusting sucking sound as his lips wrapped around my fingers. He knew I hated that.
“You’re gross,” I laughed and released the crab, but he held tight to my hand and licked the butter from my fingers. My body instantly responded to the warmth of his tongue. “That is so much less erotic than a kiss,” I said with sarcasm and my face flushed.
My hand was freed immediately and he wiped his mouth clean with the napkin, but never taking his longing stare away from mine. Or so I thought for a moment.
“Zach phoned you,” he said abruptly changing the subject.
I glanced at him the blood leaving my cheeks. Had my parents found my phone? “When? How?”
“He apparently called your mother’s cell phone wanting to talk to you. You’re dad asked me to tell you. Consider yourself told.”
I watched him finish his own crab. I was too full to finish.
“Would the lady care for a box?” The waiter asked.
“No. We’re fine. We’ll be going,” Austin said standing, then tossed a bill on the table as we left.
“Do you want to use my phone?” he asked once in the Rover.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know what I’d say.”
“How about you love him and you miss him and that you’re sorry for the way you acted?”
I smacked him hard in the shoulder and he jokingly swerved across the road.
“Isn’t that true?” he inquired.
“Partly.”
Austin stretched his neck from side to side and seemed to be relieving tension. “We have less than two hours. You want to sleep?”
Man, he was good at changing the subject. “No I’m OK. You?”
“What, you want to drive?” He chuckled at this.
“Eventually, I’d like to drive it.”
He pulled the corners of his mouth into a frown. “We’ll see. Add that to our summer to do list.”
“There is less than two weeks left to get this done you know.”
“Is there one we can do tonight?” he asked and I grabbed the list.
“May I turn on the light?”
He nodded. I reviewed the list. “Well, the Cubbies game is out. Bungee jumping…race car driving...hmm.” With my index finger and middle finger, I walked up his chest. “You up for spiders tonight?”
He flicked my hand away. “Not funny.”
I laughed anyway. “OK. That leaves us a cemetery sleepover, charity work, karaoke, streaking, skinny dipping or getting drunk.” I nervously laughed.
His eyes left the road and found me. “Maybe we should do all of those in one night and get them over with.”
“We need to find a cemetery,” I said hoping we could do that one first and wondering what I’d gotten myself into.
“How about tomorrow?”
My pulse quickened. “Tomorrow for what?”
“Get a couple out of the way.”
“Which two?”
He grinned. “It’s my birthday. I get to pick.”
I yawned. “I don’t suppose we’re flying to Chicago.”
He patted his thigh and I laid down as he flipped on the radio.
“Baaawk….bawk, bawk, bawk…baaawk.” He sounded like a chicken.
I pinched the skin on his inner thigh above his knee.
“Ow!”
“I will so own you on this list,” I whispered.
He chuckled. “Uh-huh.”
Chapter 22—Birthday boy
After crashing hard when I got home, the next morning, I glanced at my phone. Seven missed calls—all from Zach. The last call at 1:15am. As I lay in bed, I punched in his number. It rang four times.
“Hey,” he panted.
“Hi. Bad time?”
“Never. Just lifting.”
I glanced at the clock. “At the gym at 9:30 on Saturday…someone’s eager.”
His gentle laugh sounded nice, and I closed my eyes picturing his face.
“Nothing better to do. You just get up?”
He caught me mid-stretch. “Yep.”
“Wish I was there,” he said.
“Do you?” I winced as the words came out. They sounded meaner than I meant.
I heard his exhaled breath through the phone. I braced myself. “Em. Do you honestly think I like her?”
“Nobody said you had to like her. You didn’t like Estelle either but you scrogged her all last summer.”
“So you believe in your heart that I’ve cheated on you and scrogged Jaycee?”
I ground my teeth together with just the thought. I thought about the conversation I had with his mom…anytime I called…he was there.
“No. I don’t believe that.” I didn’t either.
“Thank you.”
“Is Connor…Estelle’s flavor of the week?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“And Clair and Brady?”
“Yes.”
“So you went over there with two other couples…” My words trailed off.
“Emma. Trust me.”
Jealousy burned inside of me. “Zach. You’re being naïve.”
He didn’t respond.
“Who did she sit next to in the Jeep?”
He sighed. “Me.”
“Who’d she ride with in the dune buggy?”
“Me.” His voice was flat.
I snickered. “Who drove her home?”
“Me. OK…I get your point.”
“No. I don’t think you do. The two of you went on a date yesterday. Do you realize that?” He didn’t answer. “Tell me this. Did she at anytime try and touch you or kiss you?”
“The bottom line Em, it doesn’t matter what she tried, I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. How about you and Austin? Anything happen there? And what’s up with the Rover?”
“It’s his birthday today. He got the Rover for his birthday. We had a fine time. A few tears on the way back and outside of sucking some drawn butter off his hand…nothing happened.”
“You sucked butter off of his hand?”
“He was showing me the right way to eat crab.”
“I’m sure he was. That was kind of him. I’m not sure I knew there was a right and wrong way to do it.”
“We were being goofy.”
“What else did you do? No. Never mind. I trust you.”
I suddenly felt guilty for asking Austin to kiss me. I was hurt. It hurt that Zach was with Jaycee and Austin had a way of making me feel better.
“Thank you,” I said not sure if I deserved his trust.
“Em? Have you thought anymore about telling me what happened?”
He hadn’t gotten over it. With the break we’d had…the distance between us…he wasn’t going to let it go. “I told you what happened.”
“OK. When will you be back?”
“A week and a half.”
“Fine. We’ll talk then.”
My chest tightened. “So…we won’t talk until then?” I asked inquisitively.
“You know you can call me any time day or night.”
“You can too,” I reminded him.
“OK,” he agreed. “Fine.”
“Bye,” I said softly.
“Bye, he said.”
After I showered and got ready for the day, I threw together a yellow cake with chocolate butter cream frosting, delicately sliding twenty candles into position. I refused to let Zach and my messed up feelings ruin Austin’s day. It was noon. Mom and Dad’s car was gone, but there was no note so I assumed they’d be back soon. I jotted them a note.
The Falsone’s house was the biggest on the beach. I’d been inside two times, both with my parents. It was further down than I remembered. I spotted Austin on the three-tiered deck lounging in a chair. His sunglasses were dark, and of course, the Ray Ban logo was etched in the corner. His cargo shorts were a darker khaki than yesterday and his white t-shirt offset his beautiful skin.
“You takin in the sun?” I shouted rotating my head searching for the glimmer beneath the clouds. I couldn’t see his eyes, but the broad smile that crossed his face brought me closer.
“Did you bring sunscreen?” he asked.
“Nope. Already put it on.”
He laughed and stood walking toward me. “I figured you’d still be in bed.”
“Happy Birthday.” I offered my cake.
“Emma. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. I don’t really have a present. I mean what would I get a guy who has everything?”
He shook his head and smirked.
“Austin.”
We both turned in the direction of the voice. His father was there and I felt suddenly embarrassed.
“Telephone.”
I didn’t know his father all that well but I gathered he was angry at Austin.
Austin’s eyes flickered to me then away. “Don’t go,” he said then walked inside. His father glared at him as he passed.
“Keep it short.”
Yes, he was certainly angry.
Mr. Falsone was heavier than Austin but had the olive tone.
“Forgive my manners. You must be a friend of Austin’s?” He asked.
He didn’t recognize me. It had been a while.
“Hi, Mr. Falsone. I’m Emma.” I pointed in the direction of our house.
He stepped closer. “Matt and Katie’s daughter?”
I gave him a sheepish grin. “Yes, sir.”
“Well, for goodness sakes. Come here, young lady.” He tugged on my arm and led me indoors.
The house smelled good but I couldn’t place the smell. Austin stood in the corner on the phone and he was visibl
y perturbed. He looked away from me awkwardly.
“CiCi!” Mr. Falsone hollered and his boisterous voice startled me.
I glanced at Austin and the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile, then he turned his back to me.
Austin’s mother breezed into the room, her dark hair pulled up into clip with long curled strands around her face. She was still beautiful.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize we had a guest,” she spoke eloquently and offered me a smile.
Mr. Falsone grabbed my shoulders. “CiCi. This is Emma Hendricks.”
She politely covered her open mouth. “For goodness sakes.”
I laughed quietly as that was the same thing he had said.
“You, my dear, have grown into a gorgeous young lady while we weren’t looking. How are you?”
“Thank you. I’m fine. I just dropped by to give Austin a little birthday cake.” It felt odd being there. I wondered what they were thinking.
“Oh. How sweet of you. We’re heading to Seattle so we got him one too.” She pointed into a different room, and I peeked around the corner. My little Betty Crocker chocolate blob was nothing compared to the two tiered navy blue confection that served as center piece to the elegant dining room table. The cake looked like something from the Cake Boss on T.V. Two gifts sat next to the cake.
“Where is Austin, anyway?” she asked.
Mr. Falsone’s eyes narrowed. “She called,” he said, the anger returning to his voice.
“Who?” his mother asked.
“Libby.”
“Oh. Good Lord.”
I back stepped away from them. “I need to go. Tell him Happy Birthday.”
“Emma. It was so nice seeing you. Do come see us again.” They both smiled at me.
I nodded. “It was good seeing you as well. Thank you and I will.” I closed the French doors behind me and casually strolled from the deck. Once I was out of their sight, I ran…ran hard away from the world that I didn’t fit into. Ran so fast that my breathing was more labored than before. Libby had called Austin? I got the feeling from him that they didn’t talk anymore. What did she want? And…why was his father so angry about it? That was easy…he was angry at her for hurting his son. That had to be it. His mother too. Austin must have been expecting the call because he certainly didn’t seem surprised. She needed to leave him alone! He had to know that he couldn’t go back to her. She’d hurt him again.
Finally...One Summer (Just One of the Guys) Page 14