He touched her cheek. “I get off work at five o’clock. Can I meet you at the diner over on Sixth Street? I’ll buy you dinner.”
She beamed, her eyes bright with happiness and excitement. “I’d like that very much.”
A moment later, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, then rushed out, rushing towards a bicycle he hadn’t noticed before. But that wasn’t such a surprise. When Scarlett was around, he rarely noticed very much.
With a skip and a hop, she climbed onto the bike, gave him one more glance over her shoulder, and then she was gone.
“Cute girl,” Barney commented when he passed Mick on the way out to service the newest customers.
Mick agreed.
Chapter 7
“I don’t want tonight to end,” Scarlett sighed.
“Does it have to?” Mick asked, his fingers interlaced with hers as they walked towards her house.
She glanced at her watch. “Yes. It’s a quarter till ten. Ms. Burgess, our dorm mother, is very strict about bed checks.”
He laughed. “I’d get very irritated with someone telling me when I had to go to bed or be inside.”
She nodded. “It can be a bit stifling. Especially when I need to study but she tells me that I need beauty sleep more.”
“Ah, the Mrs. degree,” he quipped.
“Not for me,” she asserted firmly.
Mick pulled her off behind a tree, his arms slipping around her waist as he pulled her against him once more. “Come with me tomorrow.”
“I have church tomorrow,” she whispered.
He slid his hand lower. “After church.” He smiled when he felt her stiffen in his arms, but he didn’t move his hand any further, afraid of scaring her off.
He could see the wheels turning in her head and knew the moment she was going to say no. “I have a sorority tea from two until four tomorrow afternoon.”
“When can you slip away?”
She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully and he wanted to enjoy the sensation as well. “How about five o’clock?”
“It’s a date,” confirmed.
Scarlett smiled in the darkness, relieved to have a plan to see him again. She’d been brazen this morning when she’d gone over to his workplace to find him, but she didn’t regret it. Not after the way he’d kissed her earlier.
“Are you going to kiss me again?” she asked, the hopeful tone in her voice coming through more clearly than she’d intended.
“Do you want me to?” he asked, his hands tightening on her waist.
“Yes. Very much.”
He grinned but lowered his head, taking her lips gently at first. But that wasn’t how she wanted to be kissed and she lifted higher, deepening the kiss herself. As soon as he felt her tongue against his, Mick took over and Scarlett loved it! She loved the feeling of his strong arms around her, the way his body fit against hers so perfectly. And she loved the way he kissed her. It was as if he couldn’t breathe without kissing her – which was exactly how she felt.
But time was ticking by. Pulling back long before she wanted to, she glanced at her watch. “I have to go,” she whispered.
“Stay,” he urged.
“I can’t!” and pulled out of his arms. “I have to hurry or I’ll be in trouble.”
“What will happen if you’re late?”
She laughed. “I’ll be grounded. No dating. Classes only for the next two weeks.”
Mick looked horrified at that possibility. Taking her hand, he pulled her down the street, racing against time. “Come on!” and got her to the front porch of her sorority house with three minutes to spare.
Immediately, the door to the house opened. Thankfully, Mick was standing on the bottom step while Scarlett was several feet away, so when the grim looking woman glanced at him over her school-marm-ish glasses, she viewed a completely innocent scene.
“I had a very nice evening, Mr. Munroe,” Scarlett said. But Mick was the only one who could see the laughter in her eyes. “Thank you for dinner.”
A moment later, she disappeared through the front door. Mick received one more glare from the older woman, a look that told him that she wasn’t fooled in the slightest, before she followed Scarlett. The door was firmly closed behind her and Mick laughed softly as he turned and headed back down the street.
Chapter 8
“Scarlett, you look beautiful,” Thomas greeted as he walked directly from the door to her side. Sunday afternoon tea parties could be so tedious, she thought.
Scarlett watched with resignation. She didn’t understand why Thomas thought he had some sort of ownership over her. The man was certainly handsome enough, but she didn’t feel the same way about Thomas as she did about Mick. One man literally made her breathless. The other made her want to yawn.
But manners had been drilled into her for too long to ignore them now. “Hello Thomas. How have you been?”
His grin widened and he seemed to preen a bit. “Better now that I am here with you.”
“Really?” she laughed softly, flattered but still unwilling to give him any kind of encouragement. Thomas was tall and blond, handsome in a very traditional way. Every woman in this house would give their left arm to be with Thomas. He was what every girl wanted for a future husband. The man had a guaranteed job at his father’s law firm, he was tall enough and blond, good looking. He dressed perfectly at every occasion and knew all the right people.
Unfortunately, Scarlett didn’t feel any sort of excitement when she was with him. She respected him and knew that he would be a wonderful lawyer someday, but…she didn’t think she should encourage his courtship when she felt this way about Mick. It just felt…disloyal.
“It looks like you need a refill,” he took her cup and saucer. “Please, allow me,” and he was gone before she could tell him that she didn’t want any more tea. She’d already had three cups and felt like she might just float away.
But as soon as he came back, she smiled politely up into his pale, blue eyes. “Thank you, Thomas. That was very sweet of you.”
He bowed slightly. “Anything for your comfort,” he replied.
Scarlett mentally groaned. Thomas was in full wooing mode. “You know, I think that Melanie would appreciate some tea as well.”
They both looked to the right where Melanie, a lovely blond woman stood and looked up hopefully at Thomas. The ultimate gentleman, Thomas immediately took her cup and saucer. “Of course you would,” he agreed with a condescending wink. “Tim!” he called out to one of the more junior fraternity brothers still standing by the doorway. Immediately, the man hurried over, eager to do an older “brother’s” bidding. “Tim, could you get Melanie some tea? She seems to be out.”
Scarlett cringed, sending Melanie an apologetic glance. But that turned into amusement and they shared a secret eye roll.
Tim quickly returned but by that time, Thomas had pulled several of his fraternity brothers and the ladies on their arms into the conversation and, since Scarlett’s back was against the wall, she couldn’t escape. She might have pushed her way out of the group, but…darn manners! She just couldn’t be pushy!
She looked at the sunny window longingly, thinking of how she’d rather be with Mick. Maybe by the lake having a picnic. Or doing something much more interesting than eating.
“Are you okay?”
Scarlett pulled her eyes away from the window and looked at Thomas. “I’m sorry?”
He moved closer to her, his shoulders blocking the rest of the room. The movement seemed almost proprietary. “You sighed. And you’re awfully quiet today. I asked if you were feeling okay.”
Scarlett stared at the man, stunned that he’d actually noticed. Usually, he was a bit oblivious. “Um…yes. I’m fine,” she replied. Then lifted her hand to her forehead. “Just a bit of a headache. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Only the headache comment was a lie. She’d tossed and turned last night, thinking about being with Mick and his kisses. Wanting more than just a kiss fr
om him. Wanting a whole lot more. She wasn’t sure what kind of a woman that made her, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Her girdle was too tight, her stockings chaffed her skin, and this stupid crinoline was itchy. She wanted to throw off all of it, throw off the rigid strictures that were imposed on her by society and just…run. Run and laugh and lift her face up to the sunshine.
Thomas seemed much more attentive this afternoon than usual and Scarlett wasn’t sure why. Normally, he stood by her side during these social events, but their connection was mostly assumed. Oh, Thomas always stood by her side and fetched her tea or lemonade. But he never included her in the conversation. He never touched her in any way that might indicate a stronger relationship.
So why did he keep trying to put his arm around her now? Why did he keep bumping his shoulder with hers? It seemed…was he trying to prove something to his fraternity brothers? Was this one of those “animals pissing to claim their turf” issues? Was Thomas metaphorically pissing on her?
Scarlett didn’t like that idea. Not one little bit. But before she could confront him on the issue, the four o’clock bell sounded. There were no men allowed in the sorority house after four o’clock. The men knew it and immediately took their leave, kissing hands and offering their thanks as they moved expeditiously towards the door.
Five minutes after the bell, there was silence. The sorority sisters looked around, all of them a bit overwhelmed by the afternoon. But that silence lasted only a moment. The pause was almost immediately followed by a bevy of female voices asking questions about the success of their efforts.
Two weeks ago, Scarlett would have smiled and joined in those conversations. But now, looking at all of the pretty women in their full skirts and white-gloved hands, she was struck by the numerous rules that confined them.
Why did the men have to leave precisely at four o’clock? Why were the women all dressed in their Sunday finest, including white gloves? More specifically, why were the women wearing the gloves? If men weren’t allowed to touch women’s hands, because a woman’s skin was so pristine, shouldn’t the men be required to wear the gloves?
And even more importantly, if women were in such danger from men, why did the women have to be inside at a certain time each night? Why not reverse the rules and force the men into their dorms after ten o’clock? Why did the women have to so diligently protect their reputations, when it was the men who were the culprits of the violence?
Coloring outside the lines, she thought. She was starting to question the rules and…Scarlett looked around at everyone babbling about budding romances and wedding plans…Scarlett realized that she wanted more. So much more!
Up until meeting Mick, she’d simply assumed that she and Thomas would eventually marry, although it hadn’t been a conscious thought. From the first moment she’d been selected to this sorority, Thomas had been her companion at all events. To the point that he didn’t even ask her now. He simply assumed that she would be by his side. Just as she’d assumed.
Until now.
Coloring outside of the lines!
The possibilities made her…dizzy!
In church, women were required to wear hats to cover their hair because their hair was considered their “glory”. Why were women required to wear hats and not men? Why? Was men’s hair somehow different than women’s hair? Less glorious in some way?
Walking out of the parlor, she hurried up the stairs, furious that she hadn’t seen any of this before! She couldn’t handle the stifling room any longer. She just wanted…she wanted to breathe!
“Are you okay?” Mitzy asked, her hand on the stair railing as she looked up at Scarlett.
Scarlett stopped halfway up the staircase and looked at her friend. “I’m okay. Just…I need to get out and breathe for a moment. Cover for me?”
“Sure!” Mitzy replied, but there was confusion on her face and Scarlett hurried away, not wanting to explain, she wasn’t sure she could.
Changing into a pair of trousers and warm sweater, she pulled on a pair of sneakers and looked at her window. The old, oak tree was there, just waiting to be climbed. Could she do it? She’d heard of others who had in the past, but Scarlett wasn’t a big fan of heights.
But this was too important. She needed to talk with Mick. She needed to explain her revelations to him and find out if she was…insane!
Was it significant that she wanted to share her revelations with Mick? The thought of talking with Thomas about her thoughts and feelings hadn’t even occurred to her. She wanted Mick. She wanted him to hear and understand. She knew that if she spoke with him, talked the issue over with him, she might be able to understand things better.
Pulling open the window, she looked down. It was a long distance to the ground, she realized. But the branch, it was right there. She could do this! She could just reach the branch. From there, it was relatively easy to pull herself out of the window.
Once she was out, it was much less frightening to inch her way down the branch towards the trunk of the tree. Breathing a bit easier now, she shimmied from one branch to the next until she was down to nearly the ground.
Gotta love oak trees, she thought! Her toes, and then her feet, touched the ground and she released her hold on the tree.
“I did it!” she whispered, wanting to dance up and down with triumph, but then she heard voices and realized that someone was coming around the corner of the house. Hurrying off of the main pathway, she dashed around the tree and into the bushes. The voices faded quickly and she stood up, straightened her clothes, brushed off a bit of tree bark and leaves, then just…walked down the street. She felt free, liberated! She was no longer under the gloomy glare of Ms. Burgess. She was a free woman!
Goodness, she’d never thought of herself as imprisoned before, but she hurried down the street, heading towards Henson’s garage in the hopes that Mick would be working this afternoon. They were supposed to meet at five, but she needed him now.
Sure enough, as soon as she walked around to the back, she saw the light shining through the windows of the mechanic’s area of the gas station. Tapping carefully on the window, she waited, peering over her shoulder several times to make sure no one saw her. So far, she’d gotten away clean without any curious glances her way. But that was going to change once she started back to the sorority house.
An issue to deal with later, she told herself.
The door opened and there he was!
“Mick!” she gushed, throwing herself into his arms.
His arms immediately closed around her, lifting her up as he pulled her inside and slammed the backdoor closed. “Scarlett? What are you doing here? I thought you had some fancy afternoon tea party or something.” He glanced at his watch. “We were going to meet at five o’clock, right?”
She laughed, enjoying the way his arms felt around her, tightening slightly when she pulled back to look up into his eyes. It was almost as if he didn’t want her to pull away, which was fine with her because…well, she liked being held like this. And she loved the freedom to touch him, which he seemed to like as well.
“I snuck out,” she whispered.
Mick saw the sparkle of mischief in Scarlett’s eyes and wanted to laugh. Instead, he hugged her close, enjoying the feel of her soft curves against him. He’d been so jealous all afternoon, thinking about the rich ass who had acted as if Scarlett were his personal property the other day. Mick knew that the guy, Tom-something, was in the fraternity that was attending the tea party and it had been eating him up all afternoon.
But now she was here! And she looked…beautiful!
Then her words hit him and he stared down at her. “You snuck out? How did you sneak out?”
Scarlett laughed, obviously pretty proud of herself. “I climbed down the oak tree. It was scary at first, but once I got started, it just sort of…well, it was easy!”
Mick looked up at the night sky as he pulled her into his arms. “Scarlett!” he growled, thinking of all the things that could have gone wr
ong. “Don’t do that again!”
She laughed, her arms tightening around his neck and he just about groaned as he felt her soft breasts press against his chest.
“I’m going to. It was fun and I don’t see any reason why women shouldn’t be allowed to walk around at night, just like men.” She looked up at him. “I’m coloring outside the lines, Mick. And it feels really good.”
He couldn’t argue with that logic, since he was the one that encouraged her to explore and think, question the rules.
“Fair enough, but how about if you only do it when I’m around?”
“Why?”
“So I can catch you if you fall.”
She looked at him curiously. “Are you going to wait around for me when you do something dangerous? So that I can catch you when you fall?” she asked.
He thought about that, liking the idea very much. “Will you do that for me?” he asked softly. The question hung in the air, tension filling both of them as they realized the importance of what he’d just asked.
“I will,” she whispered back.
Her answer hit him hard and he knew that, in that moment, he could no longer hold back what he was feeling. He loved her. He loved her spirit and her daring, her intelligence and her adventurous spirit.
“Scarlett,” he whispered a moment before he lowered his head, kissing her gently at first. But as had happened the last time, their kisses didn’t continue gently. Desire. Passion. Lust! Yes, he felt lust for a pretty girl that should be off-limits for someone like him. But he didn’t care. Because Scarlett felt it too. She lusted for him. For him!
When he felt her fingers underneath his shirt, he pulled back. “Scarlett, we can’t…”
“Why?” she asked.
It took him a long moment to realize what she was asking.
“Because…” He didn’t have an answer for her. Mostly because his mind was focused on her breasts. Or more specifically, the way her breasts felt pressed against him like this.
“Because?” she asked, her hands sliding up his back.
Hoping for Forever (The Lottery Winners Book 1) Page 4