by Elicia Hyder
She grinned. “You ready to get out?” Her body was bobbing up and down against his.
His eyes were fixed on her mouth. “Hell no.”
As his mind wandered, his feet forgot to kick, and they both dipped under the water again. She was laughing and wiping her eyes when she came back up. Pulling on her hand, he tugged her closer to the shoreline, just shallow enough to sink his toes into the mud. She let her feet float up to the surface and rested her head back on his shoulder. He slid his hands down her arms and tangled his fingers with hers.
His lips brushed against her ear. “You should blow off prom and go out with me tonight.”
Her fingers tensed against his. “I can’t.” She looked over at him. “I’m not allowed to date till I turn seventeen.”
He grinned. “You don’t strike me as the type who follows those kinds of rules.”
She turned around to face him. “Well, my daddy is the type who owns a personal arsenal, so I suggest you weigh the risks carefully.”
Her arms were back around his neck and her bare stomach kept sliding against his. “I don’t care about an arsenal.” And, in that moment, he meant it.
“I still can’t skip out on prom,” she said. “I’m going with David Britton.”
The cold returned to his extremities. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know.”
She shook her head. “Oh, we’re just going as friends. He couldn’t get a date. It’s not a big deal.”
Steven had a hard time believing David Britton couldn’t get a date. “Well, if it’s not a big deal, why don’t you at least let me take you out to dinner? I can drop you off after at the dance.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.
She sucked in a deep breath and smiled. The lake water reflected flecks of green in her hazel eyes. “Like a date?”
He smiled. “Exactly like a date.”
She bit down on her bottom lip, making his brain go blank for a second. She smiled and nodded her head.
“Yeah?” he asked.
She giggled and pulled herself even closer toward him. “Absolutely.”
· · ·
When the afternoon bell rang, David and Marcus fled seventh period like fugitives escaping from death row. When they finally slowed at the top of the empty senior’s lot, Marcus shook his head. “I think we’re the only upperclassmen who actually showed up and stayed all day.”
David grimaced, thinking of his friends partying at the lake. “Don’t remind me.”
Half-way down the steps, David’s cell phone rang. He looked at the unknown number and answered it. “Hello?”
“Hey, Dave.”
He smiled at the sound of Journey’s voice. “Hey, Journ. How’s the lake?”
“Interesting.” She sounded more chipper than usual. “How was school?”
He groaned. “Boring. Marcus and I were just saying that we were the only ones who bothered to show up.” David reached the bottom of the steps. “What’s up?”
She was giggling on the other end of the line. “Is it cool with you if I just meet you at prom?”
David stopped walking, and Marcus looked back at him. “What?” he asked her.
“I’ll just meet you there. Go on without me.”
He really didn’t know what to say. “Uh, OK.” His words sounded like more of a question than an answer.
“I’ll be there by six,” she said. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot of the hotel.”
David pinched the bridge of his nose. “All right, I guess.”
“You’re the best, Dave. Bye!”
She ended the call, and David stared at the phone in his hand. Marcus shoved his shoulder. “What was that all about?”
David looked at him. “She just blew me off.”
Marcus’s head snapped back. “She’s not going?”
David started walking again. “Oh, she’s going. She just wants to meet me there.” He cursed and shoved the phone back into his pocket. “My mom’s gonna be pissed. And I guess I need to cancel our dinner reservations.”
Marcus looked at him sideways. “Does she know you put so much effort into this?”
David thought it was obvious. He shrugged. “It’s prom. She should know, right?”
“Did you tell her?” Marcus asked. “Because when you asked her out, you made it sound like she was your last resort.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Marcus laughed. “Yes, you did! She probably didn’t know this actually meant something to you…because you’re a dumb ass and all.”
David frowned. “Sometimes I don’t know why I’m even friends with you.”
Marcus pointed at him. “Brother, you’ve got nobody but yourself to blame for this one.”
It took David a half an hour to explain to his mother why she wouldn’t be able to take pictures of him with his date to the senior prom. After hearing the whole story, she smacked him in the back of the head and agreed with Marcus that he was an idiot. It wasn’t until the black stretch limo pulled up that David truly felt the weight of his stupidity. And it got even worse when he rode alone past Journey’s house and on to the hotel.
The driver pulled up to the curb of the hotel, and a handful of his classmates were straining their eyes to see who was on the other side of privacy-tinted glass. He groaned and rolled down the window between him and the driver. “Can you just park, and I’ll wait till my date shows up to get out?”
“Are you sure she’s coming?” the driver asked.
“Yes.” No.
The driver parked off to the side, giving him a clear view of the entrance. Justin pulled in driving his uncle’s Mustang. He and Kara walked hand in hand inside. He half-expected Journey to be with them. She wasn’t. Then, David slouched in his seat as Marcus pulled in with Lauren Ashburn in a rented Corvette convertible.
“Worst. Prom. Ever,” he mumbled to himself.
Just when he thought his evening couldn’t possibly get any worse, it did.
A shiny black Chevelle pulled up to the curb, and Steven Drake stepped out.
David’s jaw dropped open as he watched Steven run around to the passenger’s door and offer Journey his hand.
For a moment, David considered leaving. But then he saw her get out of the car.
Every girl in front of the hotel was wearing a floor length gown, every girl except Journey. Her short dress was white with black flowers that went up one side and over one shoulder. The waist was encircled with a black sash. Her sun-kissed legs looked edible beneath her skirt, and he did a double-take when he realized she was wearing black heels.
It occurred to him that if he bailed, she would likely leave with Steven. That simply wasn’t an option. So David picked up her corsage, stepped out of the limo, and left his dignity on the back seat.
9
Firsts
Steven let his hand linger around Journey’s after he helped her out of the car. He had tried unsuccessfully the entire drive from the restaurant to talk her out of going. He had never attended the prom before, and looking at her in that dress made him regret it for the first time ever. He looked down to where their fingers were laced together. “I’m really glad you let me take you to dinner.”
She smiled. “Can I tell you a secret?”
He leaned his ear toward her.
“It was technically my first real date. Don’t tell anybody,” she whispered.
He shivered from the tingles sparked by her warm breath against his neck. “Really?” he asked.
She cringed. “Is that totally lame?”
He laughed. “Are you kidding? It’s awesome.” He shifted on his feet and cast his eyes away from her to keep from blushing. “Every guy likes to hear he’s a girl’s first.”
She buried her embarrassed face against his chest, and he couldn’t resist the urge to press a kiss against her hair.
“So, let me ask you,” he said. “When do you turn seventeen?”
She thought for a second. “In almost a month.”
“Can we sneak around
some over the next month?” he asked.
She pulled back and beamed up at him. “Hell yeah, we can.”
He thought about leaning down to kiss the red lips he’d been staring at all through dinner, but he hesitated a second too long. David Britton walked up onto the curb carrying a red rose corsage in a plastic container. He looked pissed.
Steven cleared his throat and took a step back. “Hey, Dave.”
David’s mouth was smiling; his eyes were not. “Hey.” Then he turned his gaze on Journey, and every bit of anger faded from his face. He took a step toward her. “Wow, you look amazing.”
She smiled up at him. It was a smile that said a lot. She let go of Steven’s hand and took a step toward the quarterback. Steven felt…angry? Jealous? He touched her arm. “I’m going to take off, Journ.”
She spun back around and put her arms around his neck. “Thank you again, Steven.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched David stiffen.
Steven kissed the bend of her bare neck, deliberately, for David’s benefit. Then he rested his cheek against hers and lowered his voice. “Have fun tonight. I’ll figure out a way to see you tomorrow.”
One more time, she flashed those golden green eyes up at him. “OK.”
He squeezed her hand before letting it drop, and he caught David’s eye and held it for a second before turning back to the Chevelle. Smirking, he pulled the heavy driver’s door open.
· · ·
Journey gave Steven a little wave as he drove away, then she turned back around to David. He looked her up and down again, then shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe how beautiful you look.”
She did a complete turn for him, then grabbed onto his arm. “Listen,” she said as she swayed her hips from side to side. The skirt swished when she moved.
He tilted her chin up with his knuckle. “Have I ever seen you wear makeup before?”
She laughed. “I don’t think so.”
A smile spread across his lips. “You don’t even need it.”
He was wearing a black tuxedo with a silver vest and tie. She tugged on his lapel. “You clean up pretty well, Mr. Britton.”
His face was serious. “Journey, nobody is going to be looking at me tonight.”
Heat rose in her cheeks. “Thank you, David.”
He held up the corsage in his hand. “I got you this.” He lifted the flower out of the box. “It goes on your wrist, I think.”
She slipped the stretchy band over her hand and twisted the flower around to the front. “It’s pretty. Thank you.” She looked around the parking lot. “I didn’t see your truck.”
He sighed and moved behind her. Resting his head on her shoulder, he pointed his finger across the parking lot to the row of limos.
Her mouth fell open. She looked back at him. “You rented a limo?”
“See that bald guy?” he asked. “That’s our driver. I’m sure he’s watching to see if I really had a date.”
Her heart sank. She turned slowly around and looked up at him. “Why didn’t you tell me? I had no idea you went to so much trouble.”
He shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? Insist that you ride with me?”
Laughing, she nodded her head. “Yes. You were supposed to insist. I really didn’t think it was such a big deal to you.”
He shook his head and offered her his arm. “Forget about it. Let’s go in.”
She hooked her arm through his.
Journey had never been to prom before, so she half-expected the hotel ballroom to look like another patriotic explosion of red, white, and blue. She was wrong. The ceiling had been covered with some sort of dark tulle filled with tiny white lights imitating the night sky. The dance floor was surrounded by fake trees decorated with twinkle lights. And the tables were covered in soft golden tablecloths and candles. The scene was breathtaking, like something straight out of a high school romantic comedy.
Kara had been right; none of the other girls at the prom were wearing short dresses. There were frilly floor length gowns all over the ballroom. The crowd seemed to part when they walked in, and Journey cringed with embarrassment as all eyes turned on them. She knew they were all probably wondering what David Britton was doing at the prom with her. She felt David’s hand cover hers on his arm. He smiled down at her as he paraded her through the room.
“Do you want to dance?” he asked, nodding to toward the dance floor.
She squeezed his arm. “Can we go find Kara first?”
He nodded. “Yes, but you’re not getting out of dancing with me tonight.”
She laid her head against his shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Kara was holding her hands up in defense as they approached. “I tried to talk her out of it,” she said.
David moved his hand around to her lower back. He shook his head. “It was my fault. I should have made a bigger deal about it than I did. You look beautiful, Kara.”
And she did. Her hair was pulled up, and she was wearing a long pink gown. Her heels added a few inches to her already excessively tall frame.
“Thank you. Doesn’t Journey look amazing?” she asked.
His hand slid around Journey’s waist to her stomach. “I may have just fallen in love.”
Journey rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs.
Kara laughed. “You may want to take a picture because I don’t remember the last time I saw her in a dress.”
Journey frowned. “I wear dresses.”
David leaned his head against hers. “Mini skirts and combat boots don’t count.”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
Kara leaned toward her. “What happened with you and Steven?”
David squeezed her side. “I’m going to go find a bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded as he walked away. She smiled back at Kara. “Well, first we stopped by his apartment so he could change clothes. Then, we went to this little Italian place, and he paid for dinner.” She motioned toward the door. “He just dropped me off a few minutes ago.”
Kara lowered her voice. “Did you kiss him?”
Journey shook her head. “No, but he wants to go out again. He said he would see me tomorrow!” Journey clapped her hands and squealed just loud enough to be heard.
Kara laughed and rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m happy for you, I guess.” She nodded in the direction that David had just gone. “What are you and Dave doing after all this?”
Journey shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea, but my parents think I’m spending the night at your house.”
· · ·
When David came out of the bathroom, Marcus was standing in the hallway with Lauren and Rebecca Ashburn. His ex-girlfriend was wearing a dark blue sequined gown that was molded to her body. The front was open almost all the way down to her bellybutton. “Hey, David,” she said, as he snapped his eyes back up to meet hers.
Her long dark hair was piled up high on her head, and she wore the largest pair of sparkly earrings he had ever seen. He forced a smile. “Hey, Rebecca. You look beautiful.”
She put her manicured hand on his arm. “I hear you and Abby broke up. Are you doing OK?”
David was confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
She made a pouty face. “I just worry about you. I don’t like seeing you all brokenhearted.”
David almost laughed. Girls like Rebecca thrived off their ability to manipulate the emotions of guys. David knew it first hand. He pried her fingers off his arm. “No need to worry. I’m just fine.”
She tilted her head. “Do you have a date?”
He nodded. “Journey Durant.”
Rebecca made a sour face. “The girl with the weird hair?”
He laughed. “Those are big words coming from the chick wearing a bird’s nest on her head.”
Her eyes doubled in size. Marcus covered his mouth to keep from laughing.
David shook his head. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Dav
e, wait up!” Marcus jogged to catch up with him. “Are you going to the after party at Mike’s house.”
“Is Rebecca going?”
“I think we’re all going.”
David laughed. “I’ll pass.”
“C’mon, man. It’s our senior prom,” Marcus whined.
David pointed to where Journey was still talking to Kara and Justin. “And I’m spending it with my date.”
Marcus followed the direction of David’s finger. When his eyes found Journey, his head fell to the side. “Did she rent new legs to go with that dress?” he asked. “Wow.”
David narrowed his eyes at Marcus. “Don’t make me knock your teeth out.”
Marcus squeezed David’s shoulder. “I hope you change your mind, brother.”
“Bye, Marcus,” David called as he left.
David slipped behind Journey and put his arms around her from behind. He lowered his lips to her ear. “You ready to dance now?”
She smiled over her shoulder. “I guess.”
As the night began to wind down, David pulled Journey out to the dance floor for one final slow song. He put his arms around her waist as they swayed to an 80’s love song. “So.” He looked down at her. “What time do you have to be home?”
She shook her head. “I don’t. My parents think I’m sleeping over at Kara’s.”
His heartbeat kicked up a notch. “Well then, what do you want to do tonight?”
She looked around the dance floor. “Everybody is talking about some big after-party.”
He grimaced. “We can go if you want to.”
She looked surprised. “It’s all your friends. You don’t want to go?”
He shrugged. “Not really.”
She looked away from him. Her face was unreadable, but she was lost in thought about something. He wondered if she was thinking about Steven. Maybe she had made plans to see him after.
Finally, she met his eyes again. “We could go back to the lake house. Pick up some movies or something.”