Blind Side Of Love

by Beth Rinyu

  “Hey, Mom, what’s going on?” Ashton interrupted as he walked into the living room.

  He gave me his shifty smile like he was looking at me without any clothes. I immediately crossed my legs to make sure I wasn’t giving him a free show with the short skirt that I was wearing before shifting my eyes to Drew, who was standing right beside him. His eyes focused on mine and he gave me an adorable little smile, which made me involuntarily smile back even wider.

  “Ashton Thomas Barrrett, I would like a word with you in private,” she said through clenched teeth as she got up from the couch. “I’ll be right back, Becca,” she shouted, leading Ashton up the stairs.

  I raised my eyebrows and smiled. “Looks like someone’s in trouble,” I said to Drew, unable to hold back my laughter.

  He smiled a cute boyish grin. “Yeah, it appears that way. So what are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Oh, Ashton’s mom asked me to help out with one of her charities. I love doing this stuff, especially when it’s for a worthwhile cause.”

  “What’s the cause?” he asked.

  “Abused children. It’s my passion, I volunteer at women and children’s shelters at home and in the city when I’m in school. Mrs. Barrett runs so many different worthwhile charities, this will be really good experience for me if I ever want to start up one of my own someday.”

  He nodded, looking like he was deep in thought. “So, Becca, I wanted to ask you the other night. Did you want to go out some time?”

  “Oh….umm.” He totally caught me off guard with that question. He seemed like a great guy and he was absolutely adorable, but he was friends with Ashton, which caused him to lose a few points in my book. “Actually, I don’t think so. I’m just really busy this summer and –”

  “Sorry about that, Becca, my son and I had some business to discuss,” Mrs. Barrett interrupted as she and Ashton came back down the steps.

  I got up from the couch, wanting to get away from Ashton as quickly as possible. “No problem. I’ll see you Saturday.”

  “Yes! And thank you so much. If you boys don’t have any plans for Saturday, come to the Oakwood Country Club and you may be able to win dinner and a dance with Becca,” Mrs. Barrett said to Ashton and Drew.

  I looked down as I walked past them, but I could feel Ashton checking me out from head to toe. I briefly glanced in Drew’s direction and gave him a quick smile before walking out the door, praying that Ashton didn’t take her up on that offer. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck having dinner with him. Drew on the other hand…

  The week flew by and I was keeping busy making up for lost time; hanging out with Krista, shopping with my mom, and trying to teach my younger brother some manners when it came to girls. I was hoping to spend some time with my dad, but he was so busy with work that our time together had been limited.

  I let Krista drag me to another party that I didn’t want to be at, but since it was on the beach at least I didn’t feel like I was trapped in a fish bowl with a bunch of people that I didn’t want to be with. About a half hour into it, things were finally beginning to look up when I spotted Drew. We exchanged quick glances and a few awkward smiles but nothing else. I actually couldn’t believe that I was finding myself getting a little jealous when I happened to look over his way to find a pretty blonde hanging all over him. He immediately met my gaze when I was staring at the two of them a little longer than I should have. I turned my attention to Krista and her latest conquest, pretending that it didn’t bother me, even though deep down inside for some unknown reason, it did. There was no denying that he was good looking and not in the pretty boy way that Ashton was. There was just something about him that made him stand out. It was the little things like the way his t-shirts hugged his broad chest and shoulders and the way he carried himself with confidence but without being over-cocky. Part of me was regretting turning him down for a date and the other part was telling me that I did the right thing. Even though he didn’t exude arrogance, the way Ashton did, I was sure deep down inside he knew that he could probably have any girl he wanted…..just not this one. But the more I tried to convince myself of that, the more I kept thinking about him.

  “Hey Becca!” I jumped and nearly spilled the beer I had been nursing the entire night all over myself. I pulled in my bottom lip to try and contain my smile at the site of Drew standing close enough to smell his delicious cologne.

  “Oh, hey!” I said, trying to play it off nonchalantly as if he were any other guy and not one that I had been thinking about the entire night.

  “So how come you’re not looking up at the stars on this beautiful night?”

  “Hmm….guess I really didn’t think about it.” I didn’t want to tell him that I was too busy checking him out instead. My eyes finally broke their attention from him to the star filled sky. “It really is beautiful tonight.” My nerves were getting the best of me and my stomach began to churn. I scanned the area for Krista, who, of course, was nowhere to be found. I knew I should have taken my own car.

  “Looking for someone?” he asked.

  “Umm….no. Well, yeah actually, my friend, Krista. I think she ditched me for that guy she was with and she was my ride home.”

  “I can take—”

  “Drew, there you are!” The blonde that I had seen him with earlier exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. Once I saw her closer up, I recognized her as a girl that I had gone to high school with. I couldn’t remember her name, but I knew that she was a year younger than me. Drew removed her arms from his neck and she glared at me as if I was the reason for it. “Hey, aren’t you Becca Keeton?” she asked, as if I was some wanted convict or something, making me unsure how to answer.

  “Yes. We went to school together, didn’t we? But I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

  She let out a loud laugh. “Well, of course you wouldn’t remember a low life like me. I mean, you were Miss Popular that all the boys wanted and could never have. Don’t waste your time, Drew, because she’s not going to give it to you either. Too bad you just turned down a sure thing for that.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes before walking away in defeat.

  “Okay, whatever,” Drew said under his breath. His eyes met mine once again and we both began to laugh over the girl’s sudden outburst.

  “Don’t know what I ever did to her, but oh well!” I let out a deep, exhausting breath.

  “So, like I was saying before we were interrupted, I can give you a ride home if you need one.”

  I looked over the crowd of people one last time for Krista, knowing that it could be hours before I found her and that was if she hadn’t left without me already. The last thing I felt like doing was standing around this party, feeling more awkward than I already did. “Umm, I really don’t want you to leave on my account.”

  “Nah, that’s okay; this party is kind of lame anyway.”

  “Oh, well, okay then.”

  His single dimpled smile made my knees go weak. I had never allowed this to happen with any guy. I was always in control of the way I felt, but Drew was just different.

  “Hey Drew, where you going, my man!?” Ashton shouted as we were heading off the beach. I looked down at the ground, trying my best to avoid any eye contact with him; just the sound of his voice was enough to make me cringe.

  “Oh, I’m pretty beat,” Drew replied.

  I finally looked up and wished I hadn’t when my eyes locked with Ashton’s. “Oh, say no more.” Ashton sneered, never taking his icy blue eyes from mine.

  “I’m just giving Becca a ride home and then heading home to bed. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, right! Whatever you say, bro!” His grin grew wider. “Have fun….sleeping.” He chuckled loudly, looking at me one last time before walking away.

  I shuddered just by his mere presence. I detested him with everything I had and the more I was around him, the stronger that feeling grew. “God, I cannot stand him,” I whispered.

  Drew and
I made small talk during the short drive to my house and I found myself getting disheartened when we pulled into the driveway, not wanting the drive to end. I unclasped my seatbelt and had my hand on the door handle. The butterflies in my stomach were unleashed when I looked past his long dark lashes and into his eyes. “Well, thanks for the ride.”

  “Anytime.”

  He smiled and the butterflies now turned into a flock of birds. I cleared my throat and snapped out of it when I realized I was entranced in his smile a little longer than I should have been. I knew it was crazy to be thinking, but part of me was hoping that he would lean over the seat and kiss me. I gave him another quick smile and hurriedly opened the door, hoping that he wasn’t able to read my thoughts.

  “I guess I’ll see ya around.”

  He nodded. I closed the door and walked up the driveway on shaky legs. I was trembling as I tried to get my key in the keyhole. Becca, calm down! He’s just a guy! He’s just like the rest of them….nothing special, I told myself as I tried to steady my hand. I was finally able to calm myself enough to manage to get the door open. Drew’s car drove away as I closed the door behind me. I leaned my back up against the door and closed my eyes, unable to erase my smile as I imagined him in that snug fitting tee shirt, his beautiful one dimpled grin, and the way he came to my rescue and gave me a ride home tonight. No, he wasn’t like the rest of them…..something somewhere deep inside of me was telling me there was something about him that was pretty darn special.

  I went up to my room after the shopping spree that my mother and I had just returned from and stood back, admiring the beautiful aquamarine, beaded halter gown that we had purchased for the benefit dinner. I had wanted something a little less extravagant and less costly but my mother insisted on this one after seeing me in it. Since she was paying for it, I had to do as she wished. But looking at it hanging on the back of my closet door, I was glad that she was so persistent. It was absolutely stunning.

  “Aren’t you glad I talked you into that one now?” my mother said as she came walking through my bedroom door as if she was reading my thoughts.

  “It is really beautiful.”

  “Your father doesn’t like this whole idea of this auction thing. He’s afraid that some strange man is going to pick you and he’ll have to get into a bidding war to get you out of it.”

  She and my father were so overprotective of me that sometimes it drove me crazy. They weren’t used to me bringing guys around and even if I had, I knew that no guy would ever be good enough in their eyes. What they failed to realize was that I was an adult who could make her own decisions. Wise decisions. I hadn’t let them down yet and I just wished they had a little more confidence in me.

  “Mom, you and Daddy will be at this event; it’s not like I’m going off to some strange place with some strange man. I am not three years old anymore. I am a grown woman.”

  “Becca, you are twenty one years old. Trust me; you’re not a grown woman. You have no idea how many bad people there are in this world.”

  “Mom! Please, just have a little faith in me.”

  “I do, Becca. I just worry about you.”

  “Well, don’t. I will be fine. I promise. When have you ever known me to not be able to handle any situation life throws at me?”

  She shook her head and smiled. “I haven’t. I know you’re a smart girl. But you will always be my little girl, no matter how old you are.” She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me.

  I knew that I was lucky to have a mother and father that loved me and wanted to protect me as much as mine did. In turn, I wanted nothing more than to please them and make them proud of me. But every now and then I wondered just what it would be like to stop striving for perfection and live a little.

  Sitting in the back of my father’s car on the way to the benefit brought me right back to when I was twelve years old and going to my first school dance—at least that’s how my parents made me feel. Lecturing me about what to do, what to say, how to act while stopping to take a few breaths and scolding my brother for his inappropriate comments that he was making. I would normally agree with my parents about his behavior, but for now he was creating a diversion which took the focus off me and I was grateful to him for that. I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough when we pulled up to the valet. Jordan was right behind me, both of us wanting to get away from the fifteen minute lecture that we had each been subjected to on the way here.

  “Jordan, walk in with your sister, please!” my father shouted as he and my mother were stopped by another couple and deep in conversation.

  “You have no clue how lucky you are to be away from them!” Jordan said as he looped his arm in mine.

  “Oh, Jordan, they’re not that bad.”

  “Yeah, maybe not for you because you’re the perfect one!”

  I shook my head and laughed. “And you are their wild child that has thrown them for a loop.”

  “Damn straight, girl, you should try it sometime. It’s pretty fun!” He smiled back.

  We walked into the elaborate ballroom that was already filled with people. I scanned the area, wondering which one of these men would be my date for the night and immediately got a sick feeling in my stomach. I stretched my neck and whispered into Jordan’s ear. “Hey, by any chance are you going to be bidding tonight?” I asked, giving him a pleading smile.

  “Well, I would but Dad cut off my funds because of my last report card. Plus, I wouldn’t want to interfere with fate.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked in confusion.

  “Well, my future brother in law may be in the making tonight.” He laughed.

  I shook my head. “Nah, don’t think so, Jordan.”

  As we made our way further inside, we were stopped every now and then by some of my father’s coworkers and acquaintances that he had met over the years. Some of them I didn’t know or didn’t remember ever meeting, but they remembered my brother and me.

  “Here, you want to do a shot of this to calm you down?” my brother asked, exposing the small bottle of vodka that was in his pocket.

  My eyes widened. “Jordan Michael! Where did you get that?”

  He laughed at my reaction, but I wasn’t finding any humor in the situation at all. He was underage and could get in serious trouble if he got caught with that. “Did anyone ever tell you that you sound just like Mom? Calm down, Becca, believe it or not but this is the normal thing that kids our age do.”

  “You are not my age, Jordan. I am legal to drink, you are not!”

  “Becca, Sweetheart!” Jordan looked relieved when he saw Lynn Barrett approaching us, seemingly knowing that he had just escaped one of my big sister lectures that he would painstakingly listen to every now and then. “You look absolutely stunning, as expected,” she said, placing her hand on my shoulder and thoroughly inspecting me like a piece of meat. “Oh hello, Jordan, I’m so glad you were able to make it,” she said, finally acknowledging my brother.

  “Well, more like I was forced into it.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Jordan, really?”

  Mrs. Barrett waved her hand in the air, dismissing his comment. “Oh don’t be embarrassed, Becca. Boys will be boys and my Ashton acts the same way when it comes to these functions.”

  Oh shit, Ashton! I had forgotten that she had told him about this function tonight and was praying that he wasn’t here. I swallowed hard before asking the dreaded question. “Oh, is Ashton coming tonight?” I finally blurted out.

  “Who knows? He never gives me a straight answer. I’m just waiting for everyone to get here and take a seat and we should be starting in about fifteen minutes,” she said as she was whisked away.

  I took a deep breath, noticing that Jordan was no longer standing beside me. Great! I always felt a little out of place in social situations. I was much more comfortable being by myself and not on display.

  “Would you like a glass of wine?” A familiar voice finally broke me from my trance.

&nbs
p; I could feel the smile forming on my face when I noticed Drew standing beside me, looking as handsome as ever in a gray, perfectly tailored suit. His short brown hair was perfectly tousled and his deep blue eyes were looking a little grayer tonight as they reflected off the colors in his tie.

  “Um, no, I’ll just have a club soda with lime.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back,” he said before walking over to the bar. Panic began to set in when it finally dawned on me that if Drew was here, that meant Ashton was, too. My stomach began to churn as I scoured the area, once again looking for him.

  “Here you go,” Drew said, handing me the glass.

  “Thank you,” I said as I took a sip.

  “Can I just say, you look beautiful?”

  I could feel myself blushing. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Don’t be ashamed to take a compliment, Becca.”

  “I’m…not.” I felt my face become heated once again. “So is Ashton here?” I asked.

  “Oh yeah, somewhere,” he said, looking around at the crowd. I sighed heavily. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “It’s just….well, I will die if I get stuck spending the rest of the night with him.”

  He let out a light hearted chuckle. “Boy, you really do hate him, don’t you?”

  “Well, hate is such a strong word—more like….I strongly dislike him or I despise him.” I giggled as I looked into his eyes and was instantly overcome with a strange sense of calmness. Even though he was friends with Ashton, there was just something about him that put me at ease.

  “Becca, there you are,” my father said as he approached me, thoroughly eyeing up Drew in the process.

  “Oh Drew, this is my father,” I said.

  Drew extended his hand to my father, who gave him an uneasy look as they shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Keeton.”

  “You too. How do you and Becca know each other?” My father wasted no time jumping into his interrogation.