Pick-me-up
Page 4
*****
“Mom, I’m going to go apply at Scoop’s,” Katelyn yelled down the basement stairs to the laundry room. It was Sunday afternoon and Katelyn had already finished a list of chores her mom made for her.
Her mom appeared at the bottom of the steps, mismatched socks in each hand. “Be home by four. I’m taking an extra shift tonight and need you to watch the kids.”
Katelyn put her hand on her hip. “Can’t Brianna watch them?” It was already two o’clock and two hours was cutting her plans short. Katelyn did intend to go to Scoop’s, the local ice cream shop, but not to apply for a job. Tim said he’d meet her there.
Her mom answered from back in the laundry room. “I said she could go to a movie.” Katelyn knew that complaining wouldn’t do any good, but she still rolled her eyes even though no one would see it. Her little sister, Brianna, didn’t have to do nearly as much around the house as she did. Brianna was always running off with her friends. Katelyn tried to remember if she had as much freedom when she was Brianna’s age three years ago. She opened her mouth to argue the point with her mom, but the sound of the dryer slamming shut made her change her mind. She wanted to stay in a good mood for Tim.
Katelyn left the house and walked faster than usual in the surprisingly warm spring afternoon. By the time she reached Scoops, Tim was waiting on a bench out back of the store. He bought her a cone and they walked over to Timber Park, the town’s new sports complex still under construction. Acres of woods had been stripped in order to make more fields and parking lots for moms to park their SUVs and yell at their soccer brats. A little league team was holding their first practice on one field. Katelyn and Tim walked on toward the aquatic center at the corner, which wasn’t open yet for the season. They ended up at a picnic table behind the buildings, out of the view of any traffic.
Being outside, in public, and during the day with Tim was new for Katelyn. Since meeting Tim on Friday night, they talked on the phone and met up again at Jenny’s apartment Saturday night. Katelyn felt comfortable talking to him. Tim wasn’t pushy and didn’t act nervous to talk to her. Plus, he would come up with the strangest questions that would lead to even more interesting stories as answers. She was learning a lot about Tim, but Katelyn wasn’t sure of one thing—What did he want with her? Katelyn didn’t have a history of boyfriends, so she felt like an amateur. Tim hadn’t tried to touch her or kiss her. At Jenny’s, he sat on the floor instead of on the couch next to her.
She wondered, Am I just a fun person to talk to? Does he like me, or does he just want to be a friend? Good God, does he already have a girlfriend?
Katelyn sat backward on the seat, leaning back against the table, but Tim surprised her by sitting right next to her. He straddled the seat facing her. She laughed nervously as the table lilted with his added weight and her ice cream bumped against her chin. Great, now I look like an idiot, too, she thought.
Katelyn began to wipe it off with a napkin, and Tim reached out to touch a spot she missed. He pushed gently into her skin and smoothed his finger down and away. The movement left her speechless and frozen in place. She watched as he brought the finger back to his mouth and licked it. He paused briefly and then moved closer, returning his finger to her chin to gently run its calloused tip along her jaw line and then down her neck to her collarbone. His whole hand slipped behind her neck then, pulling her gently to him; his eyes never left her face, flitting briefly between her eyes and to where he touched her.
She closed her eyes as she watched his close and their lips met just after the tip of his nose slid into the side of hers. He was taller than her, like most people, and she turned her head up to meet his down-turned face. He pressed his lips softly, but firmly against hers, loosely closed. She felt the thumb of his hand move in a caress along the pulse of her neck and her lips opened as if told. He seemed to guide them with his, sliding his slightly lower where she felt his tongue tease along the sensitive flesh.
When it was over, he drew her to him and held her around the shoulders, her head resting on his lean upper shoulder. Katelyn relaxed. She had her answers.