by Beth Rinyu
Jordan and I finished up breakfast and spent the early part of the afternoon sitting by the pool. I was actually enjoying myself with him. Outside of his stupid mistake that he had made last night, he really did seem to be growing up. I looked at the time on my phone, realizing that it was already after one and I still had to stop by Lynn Barrett’s to pick up the welcome packet and get to Drew’s by two. I was praying to God that Ashton wasn’t home when I went there. I seriously didn’t know if I would be able to hold back, telling him where to go. He had called Jordan when we were at breakfast to find out what happened. I tried grabbing the phone from him to tell him off, but Jordan wouldn’t let me. I was hoping that he heard the few choice words that I called him as Jordan talked louder to block me out.
“Hey, I have to go run some errands for this charity today. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
“Becca, do you think I’m still four years old?”
“I know you’re not, but you will always be my baby brother.”
“I’ll be fine. Lindsay is coming over to keep me company.” He smiled.
“Wow, I’m impressed. You’re still with her?” I asked, knowing that he had been seeing her for a few months now, which was a record for him.
“Yeah, I really like her a lot.”
I smiled. “Well, good, just don’t do anything to screw it up, like what you did last night.”
“I know, Becca. Really, I mean it…..it WILL NOT happen again.”
I got up from the lounge chair and kissed him on the cheek. “Behave! I told Mom and Dad that I had everything under control when they called this morning. Don’t make me out to be a liar!”
“I won’t,” he said, shifting his sunglasses back to his eyes. “See ya later, Becca.”
“See ya!”
I walked through the house and out the front door, and before I knew it I had already picked up the package from Lynn and was pulling into Drew’s driveway. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face when he opened the door. His muscles rippled through his form fitting tee shirt, making me yearn to feel his hands all over my body again.
“Hey you!” I smiled. He closed the door behind me and I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him hard.
He took my face in his hands. “Gorgeous girl. You’re making me crazy coming over here in your short little skirt and smelling good enough to eat. But we have to be somewhere, remember? And, if we start this now, we won’t be going anywhere for the rest of the night.”
“Fine.” I stuck out my bottom lip and pretended to pout.
He took my hand in his and we walked out the door to his car. I clicked my seat belt and he placed his hand on my bare thigh. “Ready?” he asked.
I was more than ready. But what I was ready for didn’t involve driving anyplace.
We arrived back at Drew’s house a little after six. I was really glad that he was so persistent on coming with me. We hit major construction that took us on a ton of detours that I knew I would have surely gotten lost going through. The benefactor’s home that I went to today was the nicest one I had been to yet. You could fit about four of my houses, which many people referred to as mini mansions, into this one. I found myself picking my jaw up from the ground several times even before I had entered, just at the array of high end cars parked in the horse shoe driveway, ranging from Porsches to Lamborghinis.
I sat outside on Drew’s patio, staring out at the sound while he showered. I became mesmerized by an older man who had been tossing a stick into the water and his German Shepherd who relentlessly kept going back into the water to retrieve it. I quickly went out to my car and took out my sketching pad and my pencils before walking out onto the beach and taking a seat in the sand. The dog had now taken a break and was sitting side by side with his master as the two of them stared out at the water. I sat behind them and began to sketch them sitting there quietly. By the time I finished, I was actually impressed with the ability of the two of them who had sat so still while I drew them up, almost as if they knew they were being my muse. I was even more impressed with the way the drawing had come out, capturing the moment to a tee.
“Hey, whatchya doin’?” Drew asked as he walked out onto the beach, bending down to my level. His eyes widened as he looked at the picture and then up at the man and his dog, who were still sitting in the same position. “Becca, did you draw this?” he asked. I nodded and smiled. “This is awesome!”
“Thanks. I just drew it up really quick. I love witnessing moments that seep into my heart, they make the best pictures. And this one was one of them. I just had to draw it out.”
“Do you draw a lot?”
“I used to. I love sketching and working with charcoals, but my favorite is pastels. I never knew how many different colors were in a sunset. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do it much with school.”
“Did you ever think of pursuing this as a career?”
I laughed. “Yeah, for about a minute. Until my dad lectured me and told me that no daughter of his was going to be a starving artist. So I kind of traded in my art stuff for law books.” I sighed deeply, wishing that I had had the courage to stand up to my dad and tell him what I really wanted to do with my life. “But every now and then, I sneak some in. It’s good for my soul.”
“Well, you should do it more often, especially if it’s something that makes you happy. Not to mention that you have a true talent.”
“Well, thanks. You’re the first person that ever encouraged me to keep drawing. My parents always say it’s just the weird creative side of me coming out and creativity gets you nowhere in life.”
“That’s not true, Becca. Don’t ever let that side of you fade away, that’s what makes you different.”
Just when I thought that I couldn’t like him anymore than I already did, he would do or say something that would make my heart leap from my chest. He just seemed to get me on so many different levels. He allowed me to be the girl that I truly wanted to be without being chastised for it.
I ripped the sketch from by book when I saw the man getting up. “Excuse me,” I said as I stood up and approached him. “I hope you don’t mind, but while you and your dog were taking a little rest, I drew this up. I thought that maybe you would want to have it.” I noticed that he was looking past me, making me feel a little uneasy, before it finally dawned on me, he was blind and this was his seeing-eye dog. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“Don’t be.” He smiled. “I can see it, you know?”
“You can? How?” I asked.
“In my mind and in my heart. You’d be surprised by the beautiful pictures I have stored in there.” I placed the picture in his hands and he bent down to show the dog. “What do you think Sampson, is this a good picture of us?” The dog barked loudly. “Well, Sampson seems to love it and since he’s my eyes, I love it, too. Would you just mind doing me a favor and sign the bottom for me if you haven't done so already? That way I can say that I have an original when you become famous.”
I laughed at that outrageous thought, but obeyed his wishes, signing and dating it for him. “I’m Becca Keeton, by the way,” I said, placing my hand in his.
“I’m Luke Thompson,” he replied while shaking my hand. “Thank you so much for this. I’m going to have my wife get a frame so we can hang it over the mantle where all of my favorite pictures are displayed.”
A smile came from deep inside my stomach. I had truly made someone happy with something that I created and even though I knew that he couldn’t see it with his eyes, he had shown me that he could feel it in his heart which meant more to me than anything. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Keeton, and I will be sure to remember the name to make sure that no one gets their hands on my original when you become famous.”
“Well, I think the chances of that happening are slim to none, so for now just enjoy the picture.”
“Oh, never say never, child. I could tell you’re a very creative person, just by your voice. You’re beautiful
on the inside and out. You put your heart into everything that you do and give all of yourself to those you care about.”
I smiled at this observation. “Well, I’d like to believe that’s true.”
“Oh it is. I’ve been blind my whole life. I use my other senses to make up for what my eyes lack. I don’t see beauty like most people do. I feel it. It’s more than just the physical makings of a person, it’s what’s inside. If you ask me, everyone should be blind before they could see. People would view the world much differently.”
“That sounds like a really good thought, Mr. Thompson.”
He smiled and nodded before grabbing onto his dog’s leash. “Ready, Sampson?” The dog looked up at him, leading him on his way as I stood there silently, watching them walk away.
Drew came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. “You know, everything that man said about you was true. And, I was very impressed with the way that you handled his compliments.”
I leaned my head back into his chest. “Did you ever feel like certain people come into your life for a reason, even if it’s only for a few minutes and you never see them again?”
“I guess I never thought about it,” he said, planting another gentle kiss on my neck. I turned around to face him, placing my arms around him.
“Well, I do, and that man just now, he came into my life for some reason tonight. I don’t know why, but I just feel it.”
He pressed his forehead up against mine. “Maybe it was just to reinforce the lessons that I’ve already taught you. That even a blind man can see just how beautiful you are.”
“Well, thank you.” I stood on my tiptoes and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.
“I think you may have graduated from my school of confidence, Becca.”
“Oh good, does that mean that we can get started on the next lesson that we discussed last night?”
The smile on his face made me want to rip my clothes and his off right there and prove to him that I could be an A plus student. “I believe that class is in session right now.”
I giggled as he scooped me up in his arms and carried me off the beach and back to his house, finally placing me down on his bed. I couldn’t get my lips on his fast enough. He held his hands up and laughed. “Wow, an over enthusiastic student, I like that.”
“Well, I can’t help it if I’ve got a little crush on my teacher.”
“Geez, you’re not even giving me time to think of what today’s lesson is going to be.”
“Oh I know!” I grinned.
“What’s your suggestion, Becca?”
“An oral presentation.” I giggled.
His eyes widened and his smile deepened. “Becca! What happened to that sweet little innocent girl?”
“She’s still here, just a little more confident.”
Drew and I had our first lesson that night and it was the best class I had ever taken. My nerves from last night had completely diminished and it was nothing short of wonderful. By the time it was over, Drew had made sure that I had achieved something for the very first time that I had only heard about. And as with any good teacher, he assured that it completely lived up to my expectations, making me want to show up for class every day so I could experience it over and over.
The big red 2:47 on the clock came into focus as I raised my head from Drew’s chest and opened my tired eyes. “Shit,” I whispered. I tried to quietly reach for my phone from the nightstand to see if my brother had tried calling me, or worse yet, my parents.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Drew asked in a sleepy voice.
“I’m just checking to see if my brother tried calling. I should really get going,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing no missed calls or text messages. He pulled me back down and hugged me. My stomach flipped, feeling his naked body pressing up against mine.
“Stay, Becca. It’s the middle of the night. Your brother is probably sleeping.” A million things raced through my mind….What if my parents came home early? What if Jordan was doing something stupid like he did last night and I wasn’t there to stop him? Every single thought that was going through my head quickly diminished when I felt Drew’s lips on my bare back. I turned around, forgetting about all of my responsibilities and not even caring if it meant paying the price with my parents later on. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was Drew and making love to him once again.
Drew was still lying in bed, staring at me as I dressed once we woke up later that morning. “What are you looking at?” I smirked as I pulled my shirt over my head.
“One gorgeous woman!” He smiled back.
“Why thank you Mr. Bryant, I know I am.” I giggled.
“Yeah, you aced that class. And after last night, you aced the second one, too.”
“Well, I’ll keep attending the second one if you don’t mind. You know, for extra credit?”
“Sounds good to me.”
I leaned down to kiss him on the cheek and he pulled me on top of him. “I know I said this before but I just have to say it again, you are one amazing and gorgeous girl.”
I hugged him tightly. “Well, thank you, but I have to really get going,” I said with reluctance.
“Well, you better get while you still can,” he teased. I stood up and he was right behind me, pulling on his shorts. “Does she have you going anywhere this week?” he asked as he walked me to the door.
I rolled my eyes. This whole charity was really starting to get to me. It definitely wasn’t what I signed on for. “Who knows, I’m sure she’ll text me if she does.”
“I’ll call ya later,” he said just as his doorbell rang. He looked out the window and gave me an uneasy look.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s your favorite person.”
My stomach clenched not only because I wanted to haul off and punch Ashton right in the face over the situation that he had put my brother in, but also because I was fairly certain that even he was smart enough to put the pieces together and figure out that I had spent the night here. I took a deep breath before Drew opened the door.
The familiar arrogant smirk that he always had plastered across his face was the first thing I saw. He looked me over. “Well, well, well, sweet little Becca! Does Daddy know where you spent the night?”
“Don’t even talk to me, you dirt bag.”
“Damn and here I thought that once you got fucked you would get the stick out of your ass!”
“You are nothing but an asshole, Ashton Barrett, plain and simple. Stay the hell away from me and stay the hell away from my brother.”
“Well, I will say you’ve gotten a little more spunk in you since Drew’s been boinkin’ you.”
“Ashton, just shut the fuck up!” Drew chimed in.
“I get it, bro. You don’t want me pissing off your piece of ass and I respect that, but maybe you should tell her to lighten up a little so we could all get along.”
“I will never get along with you and I will never be friends with you, so I don’t have to lighten up.”
“Suit yourself, Becca. I didn’t come here to talk to you, anyway. I came to see Drew.” He raised his eyebrow at me before turning his attention to Drew. “A bunch of us guys are going kayaking today and maybe doing a little par-taying after. You in?” Drew looked at me almost like he was asking my permission. Unfortunately, Ashton picked up on it right away as well. “Oh my God, are you fuckin’ serious?” Ashton shouted. “She has you that whipped already?”
I did my best to ignore him, but at the same time I didn’t want Drew to feel as if he had to ask for my approval to go. Even though I couldn’t help but wonder in the back of my mind, what girls would be at this party afterward. I wrapped my arms around Drew’s neck and kissed him deeply, acting as if Ashton wasn’t even standing two feet away. “Have fun today and call me later,” I said.
“See ya, gorgeous,” he said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.
It took everything in me to k
eep walking out the door and not smack Ashton across the face when he shouted, “Oh my God, I think I’m gonna throw up!”
I hopped into my car and pulled my phone from my purse to call my brother. “Great!” I said, upon noticing that the battery had gone dead. Reality was finally sinking in and I was praying that he had behaved himself last night, especially after I promised my parents that I would keep a close eye on him this weekend.
My stomach dropped when I pulled into the driveway and saw my father’s car. They weren’t supposed to be back until tonight. I felt myself instantly breaking out in a sweat as I tried to come up with an excuse as to where I spent the night. My legs were trembling as I walked up the driveway and in the front door.
“Becca! Is that you?” my mother shouted from the family room.
I slowly inched my way closer. “Yeah, what’s going–” my jaw dropped when I saw my mother walking around the living room, tossing beer bottles into a garbage bag. “What….what happened?” I asked.
“I don’t know, Becca. Why don’t you tell us?” my father asked as he came walking down the steps.
“I-I…..had to do some work on the charity yesterday for Lynn and then Krista and I went back to her house and watched a few movies and I ended up falling asleep.”
“Don’t lie to me, Becca!” my father shouted. “I called Krista looking for you and she said she had no clue where you were. You were with that boy, weren’t you?” I looked at him and nodded. “Well, while you were out having fun last night, your brother decided to throw a party with God knows how many kids getting drunk off their asses and trashing the house.”
“He promised me that he–”
“He promised you! Are you that stupid, Becca? You know better than to believe that!”
“Look, Dad, I’m sorry if Jordan can’t be trusted to be left alone in the house at seventeen years old. But I shouldn’t have to be his babysitter that makes sure that he behaves himself all the time. Maybe you need to take up whatever issues he’s having with him and not me. I’m sick of being lectured over his mistakes!” I shouted, surprising myself a little. I never raised my voice to my dad.