by Laura Burton
“Honestly, I never gave a lot of thought to what Shane Davis might do on his dates.” I moved my eyes all the way up and away from that sexy grin. “But if I had, I probably wouldn’t have envisioned fries and shakes at a fifties diner.”
“Yeah, this isn’t my usual scene for a Friday night,” Shane said, and something inside my rib cage squeezed. I wasn’t exactly sure what or why, but his words had me pulling back.
Shane averted his gaze. “I don’t bring just anyone here, Abs.” He rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze.
That same spot in my chest pinched, but this time it filled me with a warmth that radiated from my heart all the way out to my limbs and down to my fingertips and toes.
“I wanted to bring you someplace special. Somewhere we could talk.” Those toes and fingertips were now officially tingling.
“Mission accomplished.” I blinked, my eyes still struggling to adjust to the contacts. I reached out and plucked a fry from the basket and dunked it in my chocolate shake, needing something to distract me from all of those sensations attacking my system.
“So, tell me about Chris. Why are you so infatuated with the guy?”
My chin dipped. The moment I had slipped on this outfit, Mia’s casual mention of the word date ringing in my ears, all thoughts of Chris had evaporated from my mind like droplets of dew on a hot California morning. Time to get back on track.
“Um… Chris.” I cleared my throat. “For starters, he’s my best friend.” Our friendship had always been precious to me. Falling for my best friend and him loving me back would be like a dream come true. “Second, he and I are both serious about our education.” I pursed my lips and raised my brows once.
“I understand. Education is everything when you’re our age.”
I laughed, unable to conceal my reaction.
“What?” Shane garbled around a mouthful of fries before he took a big pull from the double straws in his chocolate shake.
My lips curved, noticing the double straws in my same flavored shake. I was slowly discovering that Shane and I had a lot more in common than I ever could have imagined.
“What?” Shane wiped his mouth with a napkin, looking both confident and uncertain. It was kind of cute.
“Yes. Education is really important,” I agreed. “Chris and I are really serious about it.”
“So am I.” Shane took another fry and stuffed it in his mouth.
“Okay.” I fought hard to not roll my eyes.
“What’s that tone supposed to mean?” Shane pulled back, folding his arms. He couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at his lips.
“Just funny words, coming from you.” I tilted my head to the side and raised my brows.
“Abigail Henderson, what are you implying?” Shane’s face dipped forward, his mouth hanging open.
“Well, if you were serious about school, you’d probably not be late to every single chem lab. Or every class, I suspect.”
“I’m not late every single time.” Shane held up his hands.
“Yes, you are.” I grinned, taking another sip from my shake. Was it getting hot in here, or was it Shane’s intense stare that had me reaching for some much-needed refreshment?
“Okay, I’m maybe late sometimes,” Shane agreed. “ But that’s not because I’m not serious about my studies.”
“If it was once or twice, I could agree. But Shane.” I paused. “In the two years we’ve shared classes, I’ve never seen you be on time. Ever.”
“Been keeping track of me, have you?” That easy grin and the twinkle in Shane’s eyes were back. Looking closer, I could see he was redirecting.
“Shane, I’m serious.” My voice matched my words.
“Oh, Abs. Nothing gets past you.” Shane ran his hand through his hair, and a few strands stood up. I had the strange impulse to reach out and flatten them. That idea startled me. I’d only ever had the impulse with Chris. Why now, with Shane?
“Shane, why are you always late?” I posed my question again, needing to focus on the topic and not on these strange urges that were assaulting me.
“I volunteer a couple nights a week. Working the late shift. Sometimes I don’t get back to my dorm until two in the morning. Depends on how it goes. And I like my sleep. The professors know about it, so they don’t give me a hard time.”
“Wait a minute. What kind of volunteering do you do that keeps you up until two in the morning?”
“Abs… I don’t tell people this. Not many people know. Just the guy I share my dorm with and my family. That’s it. It’s easier that way.”
“I don’t understand.” I shook my head. Nothing he was saying made sense.
“I volunteer for the student nightline on campus.” Shane’s usual animated banter was gone, his voice soft and subdued. He rubbed his hand over his face.
“I don’t know what to say.” My mouth hung open as I sat ramrod straight in my seat. I’d always pegged Shane as the popular I’m-only-worried-about-myself kind of guy. This piece of information forced me to rethink that opinion and my own easy prejudice on Shane as a person.
“I don’t expect you to say anything. It’s my thing. It’s what I do. I had a best friend growing up. His parents were never there for him. They fought all the time. He’d come to our home a lot. I never knew what I could do to help. My mom always told me to just listen and be there, so I did. And most of the time it was enough for Jason. Made me realize there might be more kids like Jason in the world. More people that need someone to just be there. To just listen to them.”
A heavy feeling settled in my stomach. For almost two years, I’d judged Shane. Been comfortable pegging him as the number-one player that didn’t work as hard as I did to be where we were. Turns out I was wrong all along. And that realization tasted more bitter than I would have imagined. I was an idiot.
“I’m really sorry.”
“What are you sorry about?” Shane’s easy smile was back.
“I just always thought you were lazy.” The words were out before I could take them back and rethink them. Or find another way to say them.
“No, not lazy. Just not very good at getting up.” Shane’s smile remained on his face.
I looked up through my lashes, the weight of my previous judgment still weighing heavily on my shoulders. Shane’s grin doubled in size as he winked at me.
“Still, I think you should try harder to make it on time to class.” I returned his smile. “It’s only two or three minutes each time. You should try a little harder.”
“It’s good to know you’re keeping such good track of these details, Abs. I was almost certain you were immune to my charm after almost two years of you not even looking my way. I guess you just hide it better than the other girls.” Shane winked again, and this time all the butterflies flapping in my belly overpowered any of the previous negativity weighing me down. “If you want a guy to notice you, be sure they know you notice them. Guys love attention.”
“Is that so?” I took another fry and dunked it in my shake.
“Definitely. And be sure to smile, Abs. You’ve got a great smile.” Shane winked, and I felt my cheeks flush.
“Should I be writing these tips things down?” I joked.
“No, I think you’re doing just fine.” Shane’s infectious smile split his face in two, and I was glad I wasn’t required to write anything down. I don’t think I would be able to form a single legible letter, the way my body was reacting.
The past two years, Shane hadn’t occupied any thoughts for any reason other than his tardiness. Right now, my mind was making up for those two years, more than enough thoughts of Shane Davis filling up each nook and cranny in my head.
-Chapter 9-
I stretched and squinted my eyes. The bright sunlight streaming in through the curtains was burning my eyes this early in the morning. It probably didn’t help that they were still adjusting and sensitive from the contacts I’d worn all of last night.
“Wake up, Abs,” Mia holle
red. “Shane’s already eaten most of the pancakes. If you want any, now’s the time to get downstairs.”
Reaching out, I found my black-rimmed glasses and plucked them on my nose. I made my way to Mia’s bathroom. After brushing my teeth and giving my hair a quick fix—surprisingly, the soft curls Mia had added to it last night had held—I went downstairs still in my PJ’s. I wasn’t sure what we were doing today, so I didn’t know what outfit would work best.
I followed the scent of blueberry pancakes and syrup all the way into the kitchen and found Nell hunched over a hot griddle with a bright green apron tied around her waist. When she heard me approach, she spun around, a spatula in her hand.
“Oh, Abby. Good morning. Did you sleep well, honey?” She smiled, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. It was uncanny how much Shane looked like his mom, especially when he smiled.
“Took me a while to fall asleep, but once I was out, I slept like a baby.”
“New place. I’m like that. Glad you got some rest. Mind you, a beauty like you can get away with missing a good night’s rest. Whereas, when you get to my age...” She shook her head and returned her attention back to the pancakes, flipping them with such practiced skill I was sure she could do this with her eyes closed and possibly in her sleep.
The door burst open, and Shane came in. NAKED. Okay, not naked, but shirtless. And all my brain could register was that his chest was on full display, tiny droplets of what I assumed were sweat cascading down the planes of his toned pecs and roaming over each bulge of his well-defined six pack. My mind froze, my eyes following the drops of perspiration; similar drops formed on my back, traveling down my spine.
What was wrong with me?
I loved Chris. I was in love with Chris. I didn’t go around checking out other guys, least of all getting flustered by them.
“Hiya, Mom.” Shane walked over to his mother, dropping a big kiss on her temple. “Hi, Abs.”
“Morning.” I gulped, keeping my eyes glued to his face and not letting them stray even an inch downward.
Shane seemed completely unaware of the struggle going on inside me. The one where my brain fought to convince my eyes not to ogle him; even though I knew it was wrong, my body told my brain it didn’t care and it wanted another glance anyway.
“Mmm, blueberry pancakes. My favorite.” Shane snatched a fresh one straight off the griddle, tossing it from hand to hand as he blew on the pancake and his fingers before biting and eating the whole thing in two mouthfuls.
“I thought you’d already had breakfast.” I scrunched my nose and pushed my glasses up.
“Huh?” Shane said at the same time his mom turned to me and asked, “Whatever gave you that idea?”
Shane plucked another pancake from the griddle, and Nell swatted him with her spatula.
“Shane, stop it. You’re going to spoil your breakfast if you snarf down too many before you sit down at the table. And don’t even get me started on the smell. You know I hate it when you walk around here like that after your morning run. Go and have a shower. And put a clean shirt on.”
“Yes, Mom.” He leaned in close to her and dropped a kiss on her cheek. I could tell by Nell’s warm smile she didn’t mind him getting close to her for a kiss. As he pulled back to head to what I assumed was his room to shower, he grabbed one more pancake, eliciting a loud “Shane!” from Nell again.
“I couldn’t let you miss that little display, now could I?”
Mia must have snuck up on me without me noticing. With all there was in front of me to distract me, I wasn’t sure I would have even spotted her.
“Sneaky, Mia.” I shook my head.
“True. But totally worth it.” Mia opened a cabinet and grabbed two glasses. She lifted the pitcher of juice in question and looked to me. I nodded, and she filled both glasses, offering one to me.
I didn’t have a lot of friends. Especially not girls that were friends. Except Haley. But not many others. Mia wasn’t like the majority of girls I knew. She was feisty and spoke her mind. But she was also sincere and full of life. Somehow, she had gotten it in her mind that something was going on between Shane and me. And she seemed eager for that. But why?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I held the cool drink in both my hands and brought it to my lips.
“Sure, you don’t.” Mia rolled her eyes.
I took a big gulp of the cool drink, trying to hide the heat that rose up my neck and was probably spreading over my cheeks. Mia just shook her head and laughed under her breath.
“I have to head into work in about an hour.” She glanced at the clock on the wall above the fridge. “So I can’t hang out with you two lovebirds.” Mia’s voice took on a singsong tone on the last word.
“What was that about birds?” Nell looked up from her spot at the griddle. I didn’t know how many people she expected for breakfast, but she had enough stacks of pancakes to feed an army. And it didn’t look like she was about to stop any time soon.
“Nothing.” I wheezed, choking on the spit in my mouth.
“I thought I heard you say something about birds, Mia.” Nell turned to face us, resting her hand holding the spatula on her hip and glancing out the window behind us.
“No, Mom.” Mia patted my back as I continued to struggle for ample air in my lungs.
“I hope not.” She looked out over my shoulder. “Heaven knows we had enough trouble keeping those Canadian geese out of the garden last time they decided to nest here. I don’t want a repeat this year.”
“I didn’t spot any geese.” Mia grinned at me. “Promise.” Her grin grew wider, and she winked.
I dropped my head on the countertop and blew out the precious air I’d finally been able to push into my lungs.
“You all right, honey?” Nell walked over and patted my hair.
“Peachy.” I forced a smile, feeling my stomach roll as I watched what I assumed was Mia plotting out of the corner of my eye.
“Don’t worry. If Mia said she didn’t see any geese, we should be fine.”
I kept my artificial grin firmly in place without offering any reply. Really, what could I say to that?
“Let’s finish setting the table.” Mia tugged me off my chair, and I was glad for the distraction.
Mia pulled plates and cutlery out of cabinets and loaded it up in my arms. Together, we laid out everything in a matter of seconds.
“What’d I miss?” Shane strolled in, and his scent hit my nostrils, a rich citrus and fruity fragrance that reminded me of warm California summers.
“Breakfast is ready,” Nell announced, untying her apron and hanging it on a hook next to the pantry door.
I sat next to Mia, avoiding Shane’s gaze. His presence and his heady scent made it nearly impossible to school my features. Images from earlier assaulted my mind, conjuring up visions of Shane’s defined washboard abs I’d been checking out.
What was wrong with me? And why was I struggling so hard to keep a blush from appearing on my face? Again. Ugh!
Mia sat down and indicated for me to sit next to her. Shane dropped down next to me and eyed me, then Mia, then me again. He raised his brows and tilted his head to the side in question.
Before Mia could offer a reply, Nell strode to the table, an enormous tray of hot pancakes in her hand, and sat across from me. Seeing Shane’s staring gaze, Nell’s easy smile appeared on her face.
“Oh, Abby. Eat some pancakes. You’ll feel a lot better once you’ve eaten.”
I couldn’t agree more. When she started heaping a tall stack on my plate and Mia offered me the syrup, I was happy to comply. It wasn’t until Nell leaned in and whispered in Shane’s ear, loud enough for the entire table to hear. “Poor girl. One mention of birds, and the color in her face just vanished.”
For the second time in the span of a half-hour, I was choking—this time on pancakes—and making an utter fool of myself. Shane took on the job of patting my back this time while Mia snickered, leaving Shane to eye us both
with his forehead wrinkled and a frown pulling his full lips down.
-Chapter 10-
“Okay.” I turned in my seat and faced Shane. “When you said you’d take me to the amusement park Mia works at, this wasn’t quite what I expected.”
Shane leaned in, getting close into my personal space. “What exactly were you expecting?”
That heady scent from earlier attacked my nose. Did Shane always smell so good? Maybe I wasn’t used to being so close to him.
“Um.” I stammered. With the engine switched off, it suddenly felt a lot hotter in the car.
“I guess something a bit more age appropriate?” I replied, glad my mind was kicking in again, and my voice had regained its usual strength.
“Come on, Abs. This is going to be a blast.” Shane opened his door and made his way over to my side to help me out. We weren’t on a date, but every time he took me someplace, he made sure to open my door, helping me in or out of my seat. Chris never bothered with stuff like that. I kind of liked the attention.
I eyed the bold sign, the queue with parents and kids, and felt sort of stupid.
“Abs.” Shane slid up beside me, grabbing hold of my hand. “You take yourself way too seriously sometimes. Come on. Mia arranged special passes for us.”
Shane didn’t let go of my hand. Not while he led me to a special entrance. Not when we queued the five minutes to make it to the counter. And not while he spoke to the attendant at the window. Only when he grabbed his wallet to pay did he let go. And he refused to accept any of my money. So I guess maybe we were on a date? I didn’t know. This whole weekend had been confusing, leaving me with my stomach turned upside down from the rollercoaster ride I’d been on so far. When Shane reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers after tucking our tickets in his pocket, my stomach did another one of those flips and my head spun. The ride I was on?