Beautiful Sky

by Ashley Blake

  “No, I’m done for the day.” I looked at Jonathan and held his gaze. “I was just wasting time while I waited for you guys. I actually haven’t eaten so I would love to eat with you guys.”

  “Okay honey, we will be at your dorm in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, mom.”

  I hung up and pushed my chair back and stood up. “My parents are here so I have to go.”

  He grabbed my wrist as he looked up at me and the warmth from his touch was so comforting. “Can we finish this on Sunday night, after parent’s weekend is over?”

  I was going to say no but I wanted to see him again, I couldn’t help it. Maybe he was being honest with me about the whole Barbi thing. If she really wasn’t his girlfriend, he would have to talk to her about the way she hangs all over him.

  I returned his gaze and held it for a few seconds before answering. “Okay.”

  A huge grin spread across his face. “I’ll meet you in the lobby of the dorm at, say 8:00?

  “Alright, fine.”

  “Have fun with your parents. My parents will be here too but I will be available if your parents have any questions about anything.”

  “Okay, thanks. See ya.”

  “See ya.” His eyes followed me as I left and I glanced behind me once to find him still watching me before turning the corner and leaving the student union.

  Chapter Eight

  I couldn’t stop smiling as I hugged my mom and Jay. It was so good to see them. I guess I thought I wasn’t that homesick but once I saw them I realized how much I had missed them.

  “I’m so glad you guys are here, thanks for coming!”

  “Of course honey! We wouldn’t miss parent’s weekend.”

  “We’re starving, where do you want to go eat?”

  “Since the festivities don’t officially begin for parents until tomorrow, how does pizza sound? There’s a great place in town.”

  “Perfect, let’s go.”

  We caught up over lunch and I told them how well I was doing in my classes so far.

  “I leave the library at about midnight every night.”

  My mom looked worried. “Is it safe to walk back to the dorm by yourself at that hour?”

  “It’s fine. My dorm isn’t far from the library and I can always call security if I want an escort back to the dorm.”

  “I would feel better if you walked back with a friend or something. Maybe you can study with your roommate and then you guys can walk back together.”

  I shook my head at my mom and smiled. “Mom, I’m fine really.”

  Jay put his hand over my mother’s hand which was resting on the table. “Skylar is a smart girl honey, I don’t think you have to worry about her, she knows how to take care of herself. You and David taught her well. Of course I wasn’t too shabby either!” My mom giggled at Jay and she seemed to relax and I was so grateful that he was there. He had never said a bad word about my dad and he always mentioned him so that we would know that he knew that my dad was not forgotten. Yeah, Jay was a cool guy. I rubbed the ring on my finger and smiled as I thought about my dad. If he were here he probably would have said exactly what Jay said, or at least pretty close.

  “Okay, okay, but just please be careful and aware of your surroundings at all times.” My mom had a worried look in her eye so I put my hand over hers and looked at her and smiled to put her at ease.

  “I will mom, I promise.”

  That seemed to placate her so we enjoyed the rest of our meal and got ready to go.

  “So honey, do you need anything? Should we go shopping for a few things?”

  I did need more shampoo and a few other toiletries, but I didn’t want to be a financial burden to them. I knew that the plane tickets were expensive and that my brother and sister bought those for my parents because financially, they were strapped. My brother and sister took turns sending me money each month. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to cover what I needed and to cover the occasional trips to eat out with my friends. I would be getting a check from my sister in few days and I maybe had just enough shampoo to last me that long if I watered it down a little.

  “No, I’m fine.”

  My mom must have sensed that I needed things. “Sky, we can buy you a few things, it’s okay. What do you need?”

  “Well, I do need just a few things and Target is not far from here.”

  “Oh good, at least you have something close by.” She looked at Jay. “Okay honey, are we ready?”

  “Yep!”

  As we left the pizza place, I was walking behind them and I smiled to myself, so happy that they were able to come for the weekend. I rubbed my ring and silently told my dad that I knew he was there too.

  Target was busy, as usual, and we were in the shampoo aisle and I was bending down to find the right kind of shampoo, when I heard a familiar voice.

  “It looks like we had the same idea.”

  I looked up to see Jonathan’s gorgeous face smiling down at me and I wanted to melt right into the ground. He looked so gorgeous!

  “Hey, yeah, I guess it does.” I was a bit flustered because he caught me off guard, but I managed a feeble smile and suddenly felt very awkward because my parents were standing behind me and I could tell that they were waiting for an introduction. I stood up and turned to them and they both had that look, you know the one where they know this is the guy you like but they don’t want to embarrass you, but they want you to introduce them? Yeah, that look.

  “Um, mom, Jay, this is Jonathan Hunter. He’s our Resident Advisor. Jonathan this is my mom, Mrs. Marshall and my step-dad, Jay. ”

  My mom smiled and reached out and hugged him and I wanted to die of embarrassment right on the spot, I was totally mortified. Did she really just do that? My mom had been a hugger all of her life and she didn’t care if she just met you, if she got a good vibe from you she gave you a hug. Well, I guess she got a good vibe from Jonathan. “Jonathan it is so nice to meet you!”

  I could see that Jonathan’s cheeks turned red and with good reason. I doubted that he was used to getting random hugs from 50-year-old women.

  This is not happening right now. “Mom! Couldn’t you just shake his hand?” I rolled my eyes at her as I ground out the words under my breath.

  He was clearly taken off guard but he was a good sport. “Oh, it’s okay Sky, your mom gives good hugs! It’s nice to meet you to, Mrs. Marshall, Mr. Marshall.” He shook Jay’s hand and looked him in the eye. I knew that Jay liked that. He used to tell me that if a boy didn’t shake his hand and look him in the eye when he came to pick me up for a date, that I wasn’t going because it meant that the boy didn’t respect me.

  “Oh, Jonathan, here you are! Your mother got lost in the candle section and I had to tear her away to come find you!”

  A deep, sultry voice permeated the air and I looked up and saw the most gorgeous older man I had ever laid eyes on in my life. I mean, he was absolutely beautiful! The woman beside him, was pretty but not stunning, yet there was something about her that made her stand out and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. And then I saw them glance at each other and I could see the spark. I really thought I actually saw a physical spark! His eyes were full of love as he quickly leaned down and kissed the side of her head.

  “Joshua, you’re being silly. Jonny, don’t listen to your father, it was me that had to drag him out of the tool section, honey.”

  I looked at Jonathan and his cheeks were bright red. His parents were embarrassing him!

  “Okay guys, settle down, I want you to meet some people. Mom, dad, this is Nancy and Jay Marshall, and this is their daughter, Skylar Miller. Skylar is one my advisees in our dorm, and these are my parents Joshua and Sarah Hunter.” I could hear something in his voice, something was different but I couldn’t quite tell what it was.

  His mother seemed to give Jonathan a knowing smile and then turned to us. “Well, it is so nice to meet all of you!”

  Hmmm, I wonder what that was about.

&
nbsp; “Oh, please call us Nancy and Jay.” My mom was gushing around Jonathan’s dad and I didn’t blame her, he was gorgeous! She wasn’t flirting or anything like that but I could tell she was a little awestruck and it was cute. His wife didn’t seem to mind at all, and the more I thought about it, I was sure she had to be used to that sort of thing.

  “Well Nancy, please call us Sarah and Joshua.” Jonathan’s mom had a huge, friendly smile that was infectious.

  My mom smiled back at her and I could tell that she liked her. It was nice to see my parents meeting people they wouldn’t normally meet. My mom and Jay tended to stay within their circle of friends and they never really did anything fancy or even daydreamed about it. So I liked that they were meeting people who were so different from them who seemed to be really nice people.

  “So Skylar, how do you like school so far?” His mom was so friendly.

  “It’s extremely challenging but so far I love it. If you ask me the same question during finals you might get a different answer!”

  Jonathan’s dad chimed in. “Don’t worry Skylar, I’m sure you’ll breeze right through finals. I felt the exact same way my freshman year at this very same university. I loved it at first but was really dreading my first final. Just make sure you’re well prepared and you will do just fine. The university is very selective about who they let in, so you’re already way ahead of the game, I’m sure.”

  Okay, so this guy was not only gorgeous but he seemed really nice!

  I smiled at him. “Thanks, Mr. Hunter.”

  Jonathan’s parents were awesome and I don’t know why but I felt really comfortable around them. I knew that they were super wealthy but they seemed so down to earth. I don’t know if I had ever gotten a better vibe from people I had just met before, but they seemed really cool.

  “Oh, so Joshua you attended here as well? You must be so proud that your son is going here now, huh?” Jay jumped into the conversation with ease.

  “Oh yes, we are extremely proud of Jonathan. He is number one in his class so we could not be happier.”

  I glanced at Jonathan who was looking at me, and raised my eyebrow and gave him a half smile and mouthed, “Wow, number one?” I didn’t know he was a super brainiac. Looks, brains, and a sexy singer…he had everything but he didn’t have me, not yet. He seemed to want me but I had to know that he didn’t also want every other girl. I got lost in my thoughts and after a few seconds I realized that no one was saying anything. My mom was gently shaking my shoulder.

  “Well, what do you think honey?” Wait, what did I miss?

  “I’m sorry, what was the question?”

  Jonathan’s dad chuckled. “You probably have your mind in your books, I remember what that was like. Sarah and I invited you and your parents to join us for dinner this evening, if you don’t already have plans.”

  What?! I glanced at Jonathan who was standing there looking like a cute, hopeful little boy with his hands tucked into his pockets waiting for my answer. He could not have been more adorable. My heart was pounding against my chest at the thought of spending time with Jonathan and his parents and I had to dig deep to hold my excitement inside. A slow smile spread across my face and Jonathan let out a soft slow breath and smiled. I didn’t realize until that moment that he had been holding his breath.

  I glanced at my mom with raised eyebrows and she smiled and nodded, so I agreed. “That would be really nice. Thank you so much for the invitation.”

  “Of course dear, we like getting to know Jonathan’s friends, especially…” Jonathan quickly stepped in and looked really uncomfortable as he cut is mom off.

  “Mom, dad, we should probably go pay for our stuff, I have a couple of things to do before dinner. I’m sorry to be so abrupt Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, it was really nice meeting you both and I look forward to getting to know you better at dinner.” He smiled at my parents and my mom was as much a sucker for a gorgeous face as I was.

  “Oh no problem, we probably kept you too long!”

  Jonathan’s mom quickly stepped in giving Jonathan a slightly scolding look. “Nonsense Nancy, you are all very lovely and we have enjoyed meeting you. Does 7:30 work for dinner?”

  “That sounds fine. Where should we meet you?”

  “Oh, we’ll have a car pick you up at your hotel. Where are you staying?”

  “That’s not necessary, really, we don’t want to put you out.”

  Gorgeous Mr. Hunter stepped in. “Nancy, I’m afraid you’ll hurt my wife’s feelings if you say no.” He leaned in just a little bit with a hint of a smile, raised his eyebrow and lowered his voice. “But she doesn’t take no for an answer.”

  My mom was like a teenager in that moment, giggling and blushing at his words. I could see where Jonathan got his charm, he was the mirror image of his dad. It’s a good thing Jay was there to bring my mom back down to earth.

  “Joshua, that is very kind of you and Sarah to offer, thank you. I will answer for my wife, which rarely happens, believe me, and say yes!” Jay and Mr. Hunter began chuckling together like two old friends.

  Jonathan’s mom shook her head and smiled as she rolled her eyes at her husband. “Okay you two, that’s enough. Honey, we’ve taken enough of everyone’s time. I’m sure that Skylar and her parents have things to do before we pick them up, which will be where again?”

  “Oh, yes, sorry! We are staying at the Fairview.”

  It was the least expensive hotel without being a motel and I could tell that my mom was a little bit embarrassed that they weren’t staying at a fancier hotel. Jonathan’s mom didn’t even flinch and I could tell that put my mom at ease.

  “Okay, then we will pick you up at around 7:00 and then swing by and get the kids at the dorm. That should be plenty of time since the restaurant is close by. I hope you don’t mind a steakhouse.”

  My mom and Jay loved going to Outback on special occasions so they both instantly grinned at each other. “Sounds perfect. Thank you again.”

  “Not at all, well we will see you in a few hours. Enjoy your afternoon.”

  “You too.”

  Jonathan gave me a little wave as he walked off with his parents. I couldn’t believe what had just happened, it was like I watched it happen to someone else. I just met Jonathan’s parents and we were going to dinner with them! I turned to my mom and I guess I didn’t realize I had such a big smile on my face because she just stood there smiling at me.

  “What?” I looked from her to Jay and then back to her. “Why do you have that big smile on your face, mom?”

  “I could ask you the same thing, honey. Jonathan seems like a nice boy and his parents are so nice.” She was still grinning ear to ear.

  “What, mom?” I was starting to feel embarrassed because I knew that my mom knew.

  “Well, honey you could do a lot worse than Jonathan Hunter. He’s smart, polite and very, very handsome. He takes after his father.” She got a dreamy look in her eye as she talked about Jonathan’s dad and Jay caught on.

  “What am I, chopped liver?”

  My mom quickly hugged Jay’s arm and kissed his cheek. “Of course not, love of my life. I just can appreciate a good-looking man, that’s all. But no one compares to you honey.”

  “Okay, you’re getting too mushy! For the record, Jonathan and I are barely friends, I don’t even know him very well.” I tried to sound nonchalant but it didn’t work, and besides, my mom knew me way too well.

  “Honey, from the way he looked at you, I can tell that he wants to know everything about you.” She gave me a small smile and mindlessly rubbed my arm before turning her attention to what was in our cart.

  “You let me know if he gets fresh with you Sky, and I’ll nip that in the bud real quick!” Jay had a serious look on his face and I was totally embarrassed that we were even talking about this. I appreciated that he wanted to protect me but, if Jonathan did get “fresh” with me, as my old-fashioned step-dad said, um, stopping him would be the last thing that I wanted!

&n
bsp; “You guys, can we drop this please!” I really wanted to change the subject because I didn’t even know what was going on with me and Jonathan, and I was still trying to process the fact that we were going to be having dinner with him and his parents. My life felt like a dream and a mini panic set in when I realized I had no idea what I was going to wear. It must have been written all over my face because mom and Jay looked at me with worry in their eyes.

  “What’s wrong honey? Are you feeling okay?”

  I furrowed my brows and threw my hands up in the air in frustration. “I don’t know what to wear!”