I’d just received quite the tongue lashing, and I was feeling overwhelmed. I’d never really thought I had bad self-esteem. I just wasn’t full of myself like a lot of other people I knew. Since when did not being arrogant translate into feeling horrible about myself? I wasn’t the rock star that Beth was. I’m obviously not the Greek god that Cam is. But I liked myself well enough. I felt ok about who I was, recognized good things about me…sometimes. Horror struck me. Was I one of those people that everyone thought was self-deprecating in an effort to get compliments?
For the second time this week, I started crying. I looked at Beth. “Do you think I’m one of those girls who goes around complaining about themselves, just so people will say nice things about me? Is that what everyone else thinks?”
“Oh, good heavens, no.” Beth put her arms around me. “I doubt that anyone besides me or Cam even notices your insecurities. You come across as very confident.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t feel like I’m not confident. I’ve always thought of it as more like being self-aware. I know that I’m not a dork or anything. I can just recognize that I’m not quite as awesome as either of you.” I smiled at my sister as I sniffled. I hoped that she could understand where I was coming from.
“I understand how you think, and I want you to know that you think wrong.” Beth was so matter of fact, I actually wanted to believe her. “Now stop being stupid and stubborn so you can pay attention to the two super studs vying for your attention.”
I laughed at her terminology. “Super studs, huh? My secret admirer could be a super geek, you know? Or a super freak, a super psycho, a super creep-o…” I trailed off.
“I have a feeling he isn’t. My gut is telling me that he might be the perfect man for you.” Beth had a dreamy look in her eyes. “What if Brady and your secret admirer found out about each other? Maybe they’d fight over you.”
“I don’t think I’d like it if two guys got in a fist fight over me. That would make them both super Neanderthals. It’d do me no good in the boyfriend department.”
“Whatever. I think it’d be romantic.” Beth got up and headed for the door. “I also think you need to have some seriously sweet dreams tonight. About two dashingly handsome men battling for your hand. You’re in a gown, they’re on horses, maybe jousting or fighting with swords. Probably in tights, so you could see their cute butts.” She winked at me.
“I can’t believe we share DNA.” I laughed at Beth’s wistful expression. “You’re such a girl. You’re also forgetting that I don’t have a face to go with suitor number two. That makes it awfully hard to dream about him jousting, or whatever your warped mind thinks he should be doing. And tights? Really? Not very masculine, if you ask me.”
“To each their own.” She waved me off. “Tights, basketball shorts, whatever works for you. As far as suitor number two is concerned, I’m sure you won’t have a problem finding someone’s face to fill in the blank with.” She raised her eyebrows up and down suggestively.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” My denial was half-hearted.
“Whatever you say, Bea. Goodnight, sweet dreams.” Beth left the room giggling and closed the door behind her.
Maybe Beth was right. Maybe I should be less hard on myself. Someone out there obviously liked me, and Brady had just asked me on a second date. He almost kissed me, for goodness sake. If Brady isn’t my secret admirer, then there may even be two somebodies that liked me. I didn’t know who the second somebody was, but my sister was definitely right about one thing. I could totally come up with a handsome prince to fill in the blanks of my dreams. One with brown hair and blue eyes and adorable dimples…and killer abs. He would absolutely not be in tights, but he probably wouldn’t be in a shirt, either, so I think Beth would approve. I lay down and closed my eyes, ready for a rendezvous with the man of my dreams.
CAMERON
It was Saturday morning. I should have been sleeping in, but that would imply that I had slept last night. I hadn’t, at all. I couldn’t get the almost-kiss out of my head. Apparently, Brady was more of a man than I was. He was covered in soda, and he still had the balls to kiss her. I couldn’t even buy her a gift and give it to her in person. I’d had to break into her locker. I was pretty sure Brady had asked Bebe to homecoming. I didn’t want to assume, but I couldn’t ask her about it, because I shouldn’t know it happened at all.
We needed a friendly game of one-on-one. Bebe was always more willing to spill her guts when we were playing ball. Some of our more serious conversations happened then. I know it’s a strange time for a heart-to-heart, but when we’re playing, she’s so competitive that her physical guard is up all the time. That leaves her mental and emotional guards compromised.
I waited until eleven before I knocked on the door. As much as I’d like to see her in her sleepwear again, I doubt that’d get her to open up to me. Bebe answered the door with a grin. She was in a pair of short running shorts and a thin T-shirt. Her hair was up in a messy bun. “I was wondering how long you’d wait to knock on the door.”
“I wanted to make sure you were up and dressed first this week,” I answered. She picked up her tennis shoes from the basket by the door, then chucked them at me.
“Laugh all you want now,” she said. “Once we hit the Perkins’s driveway, you won’t be laughing anymore. You’ll be crying like a baby, ’cause you got your butt whipped by a girl.” She grabbed her basketball and started down the porch. “Bring my shoes, will you?” She smirked at me over her shoulder. She wasn’t going to get away with that kind of talk before we even started.
“Nice shorts. Showing a little more leg than usual. What happened to the basketball monstrosities? Worried you might lose? Trying to distract me with your blindingly sexy legs?” I waggled my eyebrows suggestively. If only she knew the thoughts those gorgeous legs gave me. My taunt wouldn’t ruffle her feathers. She was unflappable on the court, but I loved trying anyway.
We reached the driveway, and Bebe dribbled, took a shot, rebounded, and passed the ball to me. I did the same. We took turns shooting like this for about five minutes before she snatched the ball out of my hands. “Ok, quit stalling. That’s enough warm-up for you.” She walked back to the sidewalk and waited for me to catch up.
“If you’re so confident, why don’t you let me take first ball today?”
“No way. Rules are rules. Your height advantage gives me the handicap. I get first possession on principle, even if I don’t need it.”
“That’s a whole lot of confidence coming from such a tiny person…”
“Oh, it’s on now. You did not call me tiny.” She chucked the ball at me. “Check.”
I passed the ball back to her, and she didn’t even bother easing onto the court. She shot straight past me for the layup. “One to zip. You gonna play or just stare at my blindingly sexy legs?” She threw back at me. I loved that she made me work for my wins. I almost always won, but she made me work for it.
We played hard for the next fifteen minutes. She was very physical on defense, which I loved because it gave me lots of excuses to touch her. Sometimes I’d even throw in a dirty move. Grab her wrist or yank on her shirt to gain an advantage. I didn’t need the advantage, but I did need to touch her. She’d always have the advantage on me there. We stopped to grab some water. The score was 10-12, and I was in the lead.
It was unusually hot for September, probably close to ninety-five degrees. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was sweating like crazy, so I pulled my shirt over my head and wiped my face with it. When I looked up, I noticed Bebe staring at my stomach. My heart sped up. Finally, she was noticing. I’d worked extremely hard over the summer for my physique to look like it did. Partly to get cut for basketball, and partly to impress Bebe. Her face said that my plan had worked. She was impressed, very impressed. I couldn’t help grinning.
“Like what you see?” I flexed my chest for her.
“Crap, Cam. When did you get so many mu
scles?” She was trying to play it cool, but I’d caught her looking, and she knew it. The redness in her face wasn’t just from the sun.
“I spent a lot of time working out this summer. I knew I’d need a way to distract you on the court. Is it working?” I asked the question like I was teasing, but I wanted her to admit that she was attracted to me.
Bebe shook her head and took the ball out. “You’re going to need a lot more than a hot body to distract me.” She checked the ball and took off again, but this time I was faster. She thought my body was hot, huh? Let’s see if she could handle the distraction when it was right up against her. I darted in front of her, and she slammed right into my solid block of muscles. When she tried to back away, I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight against me. She dropped the ball and I scooped it up, straight into the basket.
“Ok, because that wasn’t a foul or anything.” Bebe stopped and threw her hands on her hips, waiting for me to admit to my cheating.
“Hey, all’s fair in love and basketball.” I shrugged my shoulders with an innocent look. “So that’s how we’re playing now?” She glared at me before her mouth drew into a wicked smile. “Fine. I can play that game. A shirt for a shirt.”
Her words didn’t register until she reached down and pulled the hem of her T-shirt up over her head. Shirt off, she mimicked me, wiping the sweat off her face with it, then throwing it to the grass. She had a sports bra on—a cute one that was pretty covering. I’d seen a lot of girls in a lot less when they wore swimming suits. But those girls weren’t Bianca, and this was the most of her skin I’d ever seen.
Short shorts and a sports bra. I’d died and gone to heaven. Bebe had an amazing stomach. Flat and toned, like an athletic goddess. Not like one of those super skinny chicks. The kind you’re scared to break if you hug them. Bebe had honest to gosh muscles. While much more feminine than mine, her six-pack was unmistakable. It was so incredibly hot.
“What’s the matter, Cam? Like what you see?” Much more than she knew. I didn’t even try to hide my staring. If I didn’t snap out of it, I’d need to hose myself down. Bebe used my temporary brain dysfunction to her advantage and stole the ball, launching it at the basket. It was a perfect shot from the three-point line, but in one-on-one it was only worth two points.
“Twelve, twelve,” she shouted. “Looks like my distraction worked. You going to play ball or peeping tom?”
I shook my head. I hadn’t moved an inch since she’d taken off her shirt. “I vote peeping tom. You can’t expect me to play while you’re half naked.”
“Why not? You expect me to play while you’re half naked. I’m just following your lead.”
“It’s not the same,” I argued, even though I knew I wouldn’t win. I didn’t want to win. I definitely didn’t want her to put her shirt back on.
She looked at me and pretended to think. “You know, someone wise once told me that all is fair in love and basketball.”
“Fine, have it your way. But don’t be mad at me when you can’t handle the heat.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage.”
The rest of the game was magical. I know I sound like a chick admitting that. I’m not entirely sure how a basketball game can be magical, but my head was in the clouds. I felt all giddy and gooey. We kept playing hard and aggressive. Only now, every time I found an excuse to bump into her or brush up against her, it was my bare torso against hers. My nerve endings were on fire, and I thought my brain might explode if this didn’t end soon.
I finally won the game but only by one point. Her distraction proved more than successful. We stood there, panting and sweaty, smiling at each other from ear to ear.
“Good game, Barnes,” I complimented, and I walked over to the hose in my side yard for a drink. “Even if it was dirty.”
Bebe followed behind me and waited for her turn. “Hey, save some water for the rest of us,” she complained. I finished drinking and then put the hose over my head. It was hot outside, and I was feeling hot in more ways than one. I definitely needed to cool off. I watched as the sweat dripped from Bebe’s temple and made an executive decision. She needed to cool off, too.
I placed my thumb over the end of the hose for maximum distance, then flipped it to face her. She screamed as the cold water hit her and tried to run, but the grass was wet, so she slipped instead. Now that she was defenseless, I walked over and sprayed her. She curled up into a ball to protect her face. After a few seconds, I figured she’d gotten what she deserved, and I started toward the spigot. But she reached out and grabbed my foot when I stepped, and I ended up falling face-first. Without missing a beat, Bebe was on her knees, scrambling right over me for the hose that I’d dropped. I grabbed her by the waist and flipped her on her back, pinning her arms above her head.
“Oh, you’re in trouble now,” I warned.
“Me?” She shrieked through her laughter, “You’re the one who started it.”
“The real question is, will it be water torture or tickle torture? Perhaps we could revisit the ever-effective face lick?”
“Cameron Bates, don’t do it. Don’t you dare, you’ll regret it. I promise.” I had her pinned, but not very hard, and she wasn’t really struggling to get up. She could have easily. That’s the moment my world stopped. Time was standing still. I was staring at her and she was staring at me, our bodies pressed together. I thought in that moment that I detected heat in her eyes. Like she was feeling the same thing I was. That she finally wanted from me what I’d wanted from her since the moment we’d met. The fire that was burning me up was begging me to make my move. Kiss her, Cam. Kiss her like crazy.
I leaned in closer, so that our noses were only inches away, and then I turned my mouth and whispered in her ear. “Don’t do what? Maybe this?” I very gently slid the tip of my tongue across her earlobe and down her jaw. I could feel the goose bumps on her arms as I reached her chin, then ran the tip of my nose back up her cheek until it was touching hers. Bebe closed her eyes as we lay there, nose to nose. This was it. I was going to do it.
“Bebe…” I whispered.
“Yes?” Her response was barely audible.
I paused a second too long. A car pulled into Bebe’s driveway and honked the horn. Just enough of a distraction to pull me away from the moment. We both looked over to see Brady getting out and heading to the front door. Damn. I hesitated, and now I’ve missed my chance.
I let go of Bebe’s arms and stood up, offering her my hand. “I’m guessing he’s here for you.” She grabbed my outstretched arm and used it to pull herself up off the grass.
“I’m guessing you’re right.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They searched mine, waiting for something. I wasn’t sure what she wanted, though. My perfect moment had passed.
“Must have been a pretty good date last night, if he’s already back for more?” I tried to play it off like I didn’t care. That I wasn’t fishing for information.
“I’d say it went pretty good. He asked me to homecoming.” Her comment came out like a question, but she didn’t elaborate. Bebe stared at me, waiting for a specific response, I’m sure, but I didn’t know what to give her. So, I took the coward’s way out.
“That’s great. Now you can come with Beth and me. It’ll be much more fun with you there.” On the outside, I gave the acting performance of my life, but on the inside my heart was screaming at me to stop being such a pansy. Bebe’s face fell, almost imperceptibly before putting on a big smile.
“It will be fun, won’t it?” She turned and called out to Brady, who at this point hadn’t noticed us over here. “Hey, Brady. Looking for me?”
He jogged across the street to us. “As a matter of fact, I was.” He smiled that damn sparkly grin as he turned to me and held out his fist. “Hey, Cam, what’s up, man?”
I bumped his fist with mine and tried to be nice. “Not much. Just playing some ball with Bebe here. Showing her how it’s done.”
“Yeah, I think you’re a little
confused on who was showing who.” She smirked at me, back to her regular old smart-ass self. As if the intense moment we shared barely a minute ago had never happened. She turned to address Brady. “So what’s going on?”
“Well, I was on my way home from work and wondered if you wanted to grab a Slurpee with me?”
“Yes. I need a Slurpee. It’s so stinking hot out today. You must have been reading my mind.” She looked at me. “You want to come?”
As if I’d be the third wheel right now. I had no desire to see them flirt all afternoon. I may have crashed a date in secret, but I have enough dignity not to tag along on one openly. “That’s ok. You two kids have fun. I’m going to hit the shower.”
Bebe’s eyes looked sad. Or, at least, I thought they did. I was probably just delusional. It looked like she actually wanted me to go with her and Brady on their mini-date. Now I was losing my mind. I turned around and walked inside. Bebe said good-bye, but I only waved over my shoulder, without looking back. I couldn’t watch Brady steal her away from me.
I stood in the shower, eyes closed, lukewarm water running over my head and down my face. I thought about how Brady must have felt last night. He’d been so close to kissing Bebe when I interrupted him. I almost felt bad about the car alarm…almost. My final effort had to be big. So big that Bebe couldn’t deny how I felt about her. I might not be able to keep her and Brady from going to the dance together, but the next guy who got their lips that close to hers would be me.
BIANCA
I went to 7-Eleven with Brady and got a Slurpee, and that’s about all I remember from my Saturday afternoon. I’m pretty sure I showered. My room looks a bit cleaner, so I must have tried to tidy it up. I didn’t wake up hungry on Sunday morning, so I probably ate some dinner. My laundry had been cleaned, folded, and put away. I’m almost certain I wouldn’t have done that voluntarily, which means that the magical laundry elves paid me a visit and I missed the entire thing. My mind was blurry.
Perfectly Oblivious (The Perfect Series Book 1) Page 17