“It could have been a lot worse. That skillet was pretty hot.” I can feel her pulse racing. I wonder what she would do if I kissed her hand where she burnt it. Her hand was enough smaller than his, with his thumb resting in her palm, his fingers curled around her wrist.
“I’m fine. It’s not even blistering.” Now she was turning pink with embarrassment. “I think I can take my hand out from under the water now.” She was reluctant to pull her hand out of his, even though she was sure he could tell what he was doing to her. “Come on. “Let’s eat.”
“Do you want to eat in the living room, so we can go ahead and watch a movie?” Maybe I can get her to sit close to me. I might even get a chance to kiss her before I take her home.
She was wondering if he had reached his limit of embarrassing situations for the day, and was hoping they could avoid another one by not talking a whole lot.
“Sure. Why not?”
He helped her fix her plate despite her protest that she could do it herself. “Luke, it’s just a little burn. I can do this.”
He just grinned at her, “I’ll do it. It’s the least I can do after causing you to burn yourself.”
He carried both of their plates to the living room and sat them down on the coffee table. She followed with their tea. Which he turned to take from her before she even made it halfway across the room. He placed those on the coffee table with the plates, then went around and placed their first movie in the blue ray player.
He came back around and sat down on the couch besides her where she had already taken a seat. She scooted over closer to him, wanting to fell his body heat close to her. When he didn’t try to move away from her, she decided to try and inch a little closer. He caught on to what she was doing and reached over and pulled her up against him. He just looked down at her and grinned. She couldn’t help but give him a grin back in response.
They ate and watched the movie in silence, except for the occasional laugh. They seemed to be having a really good time. So, she wasn’t sure what made her say it. Before she knew what was happening, it just came out.
“So, did you watch old Cary Grant movies with Tracy?” she asked, coldly. “Do you think you are going to sway me with old black and white movies, and then break my heart at the end of the summer, like you did hers?”
“Mindi, I never watched old movies with Tracy. And I’d never break your heart.” He said this so quietly, it was almost a whisper, and at first, she wasn’t sure she had heard him right. But the soft look in his eyes told her she had.
“You’re right. You won’t ever break my heart, because I’ll never be taken in by your suave act. So, don’t look at me like that.” She had gotten up off the couch, and started pacing. When she went to make her return trip, she discovered he had stood with her, and she almost ran into him.
What the hell just happened. Is she scared. We were having a really good time. I thought we were getting somewhere.
The fire that had been in his eyes had died, and had been replaced with a look of sheer pain. Great, now I’ve hurt his feelings again. What is with me? Why do I keep striking out at him? It’s like I need to hurt him.
Mindi could feel herself starting to move closer. She felt like she was outside her body, looking in. He had stopped moving, and was just looking at her. He seemed half afraid and half hopeful at the same time.
What is she doing? I feel like I’m on a giant seesaw right now. She looks like she’s thinking about kissing me. I wish she would. Maybe then I’d know where I stood.
She had moved in close enough she had laid her hands on his chest. At first, she just stood there looking up at him, unsure what to do. Before she knew that she had made up her mind, she had moved in and started kissing him.
He was kissing her back, and it was like coming home. It started out sweet and soft. It wasn’t very long before they started getting carried away. She had waited so long for this, it was over powering. She brought her hands up around his neck and wove her fingers through his hair.
She felt his arms come up and wrap around her. He pulled her in closer and held her tight. He body was so hot and solid. It felt amazing being pressed up against him. She was starting to have trouble breathing. When she pulled her head back to gasp for air, he moved his mouth across her jaw, and down to her neck. Her eyes glazed over and rolled back. She closed them, trying to get the room to stop spinning.
Something was nagging at her. Something she knew she needed to remember, but she couldn’t seem to recall what it was. She knew she needed to stop kissing him. Her brain was screaming for her to use her common sense, but her body wasn’t cooperating.
When she finally remembered what it was she was having so much trouble trying to remember, she gave herself a mental kick. She had told him she was dating someone. What am I doing? He is going to think I’m a cheat.
She finally snapped back to the present and pulled away. She took a few steps back putting some distance between them.
I really want to yank her back into my arms, and start over. That wasn’t nearly enough.
She couldn’t talk at first, and she just stood there looking at him. Her eyes had grown wide, causing her to look almost frightened. I have to shut this down. Now! It can’t go any farther until I tell him the truth.
“That can’t happen again. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” She was starting to shake her head, needing to think clearly, but unable to. “I’m dating someone else. That can’t happen again,” she said, hating that she was rambling, but unable to do anything about it.
“Yeah, you already said that.” She could see the fire still smoldering in his eyes. He just grinned at her. “Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?” I hope she don’t think I’m going to let her go. Not now. She may be dating someone else, but she isn’t married to the guy.
He was way too confident for her peace of mind. He had started toward her again, his intentions clearly written in the expression on his face.
“Luke, it really can’t happen again,” she stammered. He was standing nose to nose with her now. He seemed to be moving in slow motion. She knew she couldn’t let him touch her again.
“Remember the old adage, actions speak louder than words. I’m listening to your actions right now, not your words.” The look on his face said he was the cat and she was the cream.
She managed to dart around him and make a break for the door. She made it, managing to trip over the coffee table, and then the corner of the sofa on the way. It was all she could do to stay on her feet. She had her hand on the knob of the door when he finally spoke again.
“You shouldn’t play with a guy’s heart that way. What do you think your boyfriend would say if he knew you were kissing another guy?”
She almost felt threatened, but when she turned back to look at him, he wore a guarded expression, and she couldn’t read any threat there. “Luke, I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have done that, and you can hate me if you want. I’ll understand.” It was all she could do to hold back the tears. “Can you, please, take me home?”
Yeah, she is definitely scared. As much as I want to, I better not push right now.
At first, he looked like he might argue, but after a second look, he seemed to realize this was more than she could take right now, and he agreed. “Just let me get my keys. You left them on the counter.”
He went back in through the kitchen, and met her at the front door in just a few seconds. He held the door open for her and shut it behind them. They walked to the car in silence. Neither one of them said a word on the way back to her parent’s house.
When he pulled up in the driveway, she started to get out of the car, but he stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Mindi, we need to talk about this.”
“No, not yet.” She was afraid she wouldn’t like what he had so say. “Too much.”
He tugged her toward him, and placed a kiss on her forehead, then let her go. He watched as she crossed the yard and almost ran through the door
.
“Yeah, Buddy, whoever you are, she’s mine. And I refuse to let her go. Now, all I have to do is convince her of that.”
*******
Mindi had been sitting at the kitchen table eating ice cream straight out of the carton when her mom walked through the swinging doors leading to the living room.
“Oh, boy. You’re at it again. Baby Girl, will you, please, tell me what’s wrong. I might be able to help.” This has got to have something to do with Luke.
“Mom, why do I have to love him so much?” Mindi asked her mother as she stuck another spoonful of chocolate ice cream in her mouth.
Just as I figured. Luke. “Honey, you’ve been in love with him since you were sixteen,” her mother answered without needing to ask who they were talking about. “That’s not just going to go away because you’re gone for a few months. You two have, for lack of a better word, history together,” she pointed out as she took a seat beside her at the kitchen table, and stuck her own spoon in the ice cream Mindi had sitting in front of her.
Jamie could always tell when something was bothering her little girl when she was growing up. Mindi had eaten a lot of ice cream over this very boy in the last five years. Well, he really isn’t a boy anymore. He’s grown into a good man. One that Carl and I would be proud to call our son-in-law.
“We’ve never dated,” Mindi answered back with a puzzled look on her face.
“I didn’t say you had dated. I said you have history. You’ve been friends,” her mom hesitated, “well, and enemies, for a very long time. There’s a lot of stuff between you.”
“There’s more now,” she said with an air of mystery.
“What do you mean by that?” her mother asked with a skeptical look, not sure she really wanted to hear.
“I kissed him,” she said with a dazed look on her face. Every time she thought about that kiss, her knees grew weak and her eye glazed over. It’s a good thing I’m sitting down, or I might collapse from the memory. That would really have Mom freaking out. For sure.
Mindi hadn’t realized her dad had come in behind her mom until she heard him snort with barely controlled laughter. “Well, it’s about time. Maybe one of you will finally do something about this relationship,” he said, making quotation marks with his fingers.
“Honey, that’s not helping,” Jamie told her husband with a look that would have sent a lesser man screaming from the room. Carl chuckled. “What do you mean, you kissed him? Was that why he brought you home so early?”
“Yes.”
“Well, did he kiss you back?” Jamie asked, already knowing the answer. Of course, he kissed her back. That’s what the dazed look is about.
“Yes, and I forgot to tell him about the barbecue. I was too busy trying to rip him to shreds emotionally, and kissing him to make up for it, to remember to tell him. I’ll have to go tell him tomorrow.” She sat back and sighed. She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell her mother the next part, but she needed to, in order to get it all out, to help herself process the mess she now found herself in.
She took a deep breath, and plowed on. “I also told him I was dating someone else.”
“We didn’t know you were dating anyone,” her mom said with a touch of concern. “How long have you been dating this mystery guy?”
“I’m not dating anyone. I would never, not tell you something like that. I panicked,” Mindi confessed with a sheepish look on her face. “I told him I was dating Jeff.”
“You mean, thirteen-year-old, genius, medical student Jeff?” her mom asked, stifling a laugh. “The one that only you would talk to? That’ll probably be a real shock to him when he finds out.”
“Yes, that’s the one,” Mindi said, giving her mother a very dry look. “I don’t plan on telling him.”
“Why did you feel the need to lie? Honey, I know we’ve taught you better. Lying will only cause you more problems. Even one told with the intentions of protecting yourself.”
“I know, Mom. I was trying to keep him at arm’s length. But then I kissed him.”
“That kind of activity won’t keep him at arm’s length. Be careful you don’t turn this into a shot gun wedding,” her father said with a wide grin. “Of course, I know I would never need a shot gun to get Luke to marry you. But please, wedding first. Babies second,” he added, causing Mindi to blush scarlet. “Of course, after the wedding, I want lots of babies. You can never have to many babies around.”
“Honey, you’re doing it again,” Jamie said, as she shot her husband another killer look.
“I’m just saying, if you want to keep someone at arm’s length, kissing them isn’t usually the way to go about it,” he said as he walked out of the room, deciding this conversation would be best left to his wife.
“Why do you feel the need to keep him at arm’s length?” her mom asked, stressing the last part of the question.
“He doesn’t take dating seriously.” She eyed he mom skeptically. “Come on, Mom. You know that. You know how many girlfriends he’s had since he started dating.”
“Luke doesn’t take dating seriously because he had never dated seriously. He’s been in love with you since you were sixteen. Just as long as you’ve been in love with him. It’s actually went on longer than that. That’s just when he realized it. And before that, he was just too young to take it seriously.”
“Mom, I don’t believe it,” she said, jumping up from the kitchen table. “That’s not even possible. All we do is fight.” Maybe she is right. He wanted to kiss me again. I know now, I wasn’t imagining things.
“You think I would lie to you?” her mother asked with a knowing look on her face. Her baby girl was just having trouble believing it could be that easy. They’d had this conversation before.
“No, but you could be mistaken.” I’m starting to see it, but it’s still too scary.
“Okay, but just ask yourself, how often am I wrong about these things. Besides, your father sees it, too. Along with all your older brother and sisters.”
“Honestly, I am starting to see it,” Mindi said, sounding shy.
“We need to start preparing for the barbecue,” her mom said as she got up from the table, picking up the empty ice cream carton and tossing the spoons in the sink.
“Gee, Mom, you could strip your gears shifting out that fast,” Mindi said with a grin on her face. Her mom loved having barbecue nights. It meant she didn’t have to do as much of the cooking. Her dad and her older brothers always did the grilling. And it meant having all their friends over for a big party.
Chapter 4 – Monday, April 30
Luke ran into the red tool box sitting in the middle of the garage floor for the third time in one day and almost cussed a blue streak.
“Hey, Man, you want to talk about it?” James asked, eyeing his friend with part concern and part humor. I don’t remember ever seeing him like this before in all the years that I’ve known him.
“Sure. What do you mean?” Luke sounded sort of dazed, even to his own ears as he turned back to what he was already doing.
“What do I mean? Are you kidding me? Even if you couldn’t see that red tool box,” James said, stressing the word red, “you should know it’s there.” If I didn’t know better, I would think he’s been smoking something funny. maybe I should ask him if he’s been hitting the peace pipe.
“What?” Luke asked when he turned back to James once again. “Did you need something/”
“Oh, good grief. Your brain is on a light switch right now,” James snorted. “This conversation is giving me a headache.” James looked over at the old Charger. I wonder if this has something to do with Mindi. She’s the only thing I can think of that would knock him this far of balance.
“What do you mean, my brain is on a light switch?” Luke asked, sounding puzzled.
“Gee, Man, you’ve been out of it all day. You okay?” James asked, looking at Luke like he was seeing an alien. And not the illegal kind.
“I’m fine,” Luke said a little ab
sent minded as he ran into the same tool box once again. “Why?” he asked, not even looking up, and not noticing the look of astonishment on James’ face.
James just looked at him like he had lost his mind for sure, and then down at the tool box, still sitting on the floor, where it had been the whole time. I’m not going to mention the fact that the tool box always sits in that exact spot, and that we’ve been walking around it for two years now. I’m not going to do it. “Well, I was just wondering. I thought you might have heard who was back in town.”
“I know Mindi’s back in town. That’s her car,” Luke said pointing at the old Charger that Mindi had been driving since she had turned sixteen. Now it was Luke’s turn to look at James like he had come from a different planet.
James had been his best friend in grade school and all through high school, and now he was his business partner. He was the one person he told everything. He had known how he felt about Mindi ever since the birthday party five years ago. The man really was the best friend a guy could have.
James was a big, happy-go-lucky black man, who stood six three in his bare feet, and looked like he could be three feet wide through the shoulders. He had been raised by white parent who had adopted him when he was only three. Sometimes, it was hard for him to identify with his surroundings. He didn’t always feel like the people around him understood how he felt. Luke was never sure if it was more from being the only black man in town, or from being adopted. He just knew at times, James felt a little out of place.
“Oh, boy. Not who I was talking about. I know that’s Mindi’s car. Everybody knows that’s Mindi’s car. And that does make things more interesting,” James said, not having thought of the problems that could cause yet.
Tracy had never liked Mindi. Mindi would always stand up for the kids that she picked on growing up. Now that they were older, things hadn’t got any better. Everybody know Luke and Mindi belonged together, and no one hesitated to tell Tracy how they felt on the matter.
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