Lone Star in Jersey

by Anne Key

  “Hey, Eli.”

  “Hey, Mr. Moore.”

  “You look great. Come on in. Sammy will be right down.”

  “Thanks, okay.”

  Okay. Okay, first date. Rock on. You can do this.

  She could. She totally could. She was her mother’s daughter.

  Sammy bounced down the stairs, grinning at Eli in his cute little vest. “Hey!”

  Eli smiled at her, one of his shy ones, and took a step toward her. “Hey, Sammy. I love your dress. You look really pretty.” He held out a corsage in a clear plastic container. “This is for you.”

  “Oh, thank you!” She opened it, and it was a wrist corsage, which avoided the whole “pin to your boob” situation. “I got you a boutonniere.”

  “Yeah? Cool.”

  “You want some help putting that on?” Daddy stepped in and reached for the corsage. “I’ll show you, Eli, so next time you can do it yourself.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Moore. I have no idea.”

  “No worries, watch.” Daddy pulled out the corsage. It had two little white roses, some baby’s breath, a little greenery, and it tied on with a silver, glittery ribbon. It wasn’t a mum, but it made her feel fancy. He tied it on her wrist, showing Eli how it crossed underneath. “See? Easy.”

  Jian came out of the kitchen with the boutonniere. “Here you go, girl.” He handed it to Sammy.

  “You want me to put it on or do you want to?” Sammy asked.

  “Maybe you should?”

  Eli was probably right; she could tell his hands were shaky. Once she got it pinned on Eli’s vest, Daddy took a bunch of pictures, and they were on their way. Jian and Daddy stood on the porch and waved.

  “Have fun! Be good! Love you!”

  Eli opened the car door for her.

  “Thank you. Hello there, sir! How are you today?”

  Eli’s dad smiled at her in the rearview. “Good. Good. Your father’s picking you up?”

  “Both of us, yes, sir. He’ll be there, and we’ll have a coffee and then come home.”

  “Sounds like a great evening.”

  They ended up waiting in the drop-off line for longer than it took to actually drive to school. Mr. Green finally drove off, leaving them on the curb. There were students and cars and cameras flashing everywhere. Eli smiled at her and offered her his arm. “Ready?”

  “Totally!” Hopefully this was just like she knew—lights and music, teachers standing around to chaperone. Normal stuff.

  It turned out to be exactly that. The gym was pretty crazy, lit mostly with swirling lights and decorated with school colors and banners. The music was loud, just less country and more pop. There were teachers and other adults everywhere she looked, and a couple of cops in uniform near the corners of the room too.

  “This is awesome!” Eli shouted at her.

  She nodded, smiled over at him, and wished for a second that Lacey was here. But Mari was coming, and Erik, and Eli was right there with her, holding her hand.

  Eli pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, Erik says they’re getting their pictures taken. You want to? He says it’s like a real photographer.”

  “I do. How fun is this?” She squeezed his hand, holding on tight.

  “Awesome. Come on.” Sammy let Eli lead her through the crowd and out into the hall, where they got in line for pictures. Mari and Erik were just a few couples ahead of them, and they gave up their place so they could all hang out together.

  Erik smiled at Sammy. “You look great, Sammy. I love your dress.”

  Mari stuck her elbow in his ribs.

  “What? She looks good.”

  Eli just squeezed Sammy’s hand and smiled at her. He didn’t make any comments about Mari’s dress at all. “Dude, I like the hat.”

  “Mari does too.” Erik grinned.

  “We’re all hot as hell,” Mari said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s do this thing, guys.”

  Sammy knew that Mari was nervous as anything, that all the drama about not being into Erik was bullshit. After all, she was wearing his earrings.

  Erik took Mari by the shoulders and steered her over in front of the backdrop. The photographer posed them just so and then backed up and took a couple of pictures.

  “They look good together,” Eli said, watching them carefully. Seemed like maybe Eli was nervous too.

  “Okay, next up.” The photographer waved them over and arranged them, with Eli just behind Sammy. “Good. Put your arms around her, son.”

  “Arms… uh.” Eli looped them around Sammy’s waist lightly. “Like that?”

  “Well, yeah, but maybe look like you like her?”

  Eli laughed nervously. “Right, sorry.” He settled his arms more comfortably around her, and the photographer put Sammy’s hands on top of his.

  She squeezed his hands a little, trying to comfort him. What were the chances she’d find someone who had never dated before?

  He was shaking like a leaf, poor baby. But the photographer said they looked great and Mari said she thought so, too, so maybe they’d have a good picture after all.

  “Sorry, Sammy.” Eli shook his head as they headed back to the gym. “I’m such a goon.”

  “He’s a pretty cute goon, though,” Mari whispered in Sammy’s ear.

  “He’s adorable.” She leaned into his arm, feeling how lean he was, loving how he smelled. “I’m having a ball.”

  “Me too, and we haven’t even danced yet.”

  Erik laughed, pulling Mari through the doors and back into the noisy gym. “Seriously, let’s do it.” Everyone was dancing now, and they had the DJ all lit up on a stage at one end.

  “Oh, cool! Check him out.” Eli pointed at the DJ. He pulled on Sammy’s arm but stopped all of a sudden. “Would you like to dance with me?” It sounded a little practiced and overpolite, but it kind of went with the whole goon thing.

  “I would love to, sir.” She kissed him on the cheek, then backed off so they didn’t get in trouble.

  Eli blushed, but either he didn’t know it, or he decided to ignore it because he just smiled at her and took her hand again. “Let’s go.”

  Erik whistled behind them and steered Mari out toward the dance floor with them.

  They stood there in a loose circle, all four of them, moving to the beat. Sammy found it quick enough and started dancing, letting herself enjoy this whole dance thing.

  Eli wasn’t a bad dancer. He kind of hung in the groove well without trying too hard like some guys did. He was smiling, and Sammy could tell he was totally having fun. For a while he and Erik took turns doing some stupid dance moves and making her and Mari roll their eyes, but they were all laughing.

  Eli also knew every single song the DJ played—all the words and everything. Every once in a while, if she looked at him when a new song came on, he’d lean over and say, “Ariana Grande” or “Twenty One Pilots” or something in her ear. She wasn’t hearing much of what she knew well at all.

  “Justin Bieber,” Eli said when she looked at him this time. “I seriously hate him. Thirsty?”

  “I am.” She held out her hand to him, not surprised at all when his palm was a little damp.

  Eli grinned at her as he pulled her off the dance floor. “Having fun? Music’s been pretty good so far.”

  “I’m having a ball. Thank you for inviting me.” She wouldn’t have been brave enough to come out if it hadn’t been for Eli.

  “Thank you for saying yes.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I mean that.” Eli must have been having a good time too, because he sure wasn’t shaking anymore. And he looked her right in the eye when he said that. “I don’t see Dr Pepper. Can I grab you something else?”

  “Water or any kind of Coke is totally cool. Thanks.”

  Eli reached over and picked up two bottles of water. “The Coke thing is still weird, you know,” he said, handing her one of the bottles. “But I’m starting to get used to it.” He opened up his bottle and drank half of it down in one gulp.

  Ya
nkees. Lord have mercy.

  “Bless your heart,” she teased. “Having to get used to little ol’ me.”

  “Didn’t take much,” Eli said with a smile. “You’re pretty easy on the eyes.”

  She spun around, letting her skirt flare. “Thank you, sir.”

  Eli laughed. “That’s fantastic. Your skirt, I mean. When it spins.”

  “This one is ladies’ choice,” the DJ said as the lighting changed. “A couple of you requested I slow it down for a bit.” Ed Sheeran started playing, and a bunch of people, mostly people who didn’t seem to have dates, left the dance floor.

  “You wanna?” She saw Erik and Mari holding each other. So sweet. Mari had to be over the moon.

  Eli swallowed. “Well, I’ve never…. I might step on your toes or something.” He took her water bottle right out of her hand, though, and dropped it in recycling. That was definitely not a no. “Good thing you have on real shoes.” He offered her his hand.

  “I was a cheerleader. I have toes of steel.” Okay, that was probably not something Eli wanted to hear….

  Eli shot her a look. “Wow. Okay, then, I guess we’re good?” He grabbed her hand and gave it a tug. He led her over near Erik and Mari, and Sammy pretended not to notice Eli watch them for a second.

  She put her arms on his shoulders, leaving enough room that he wouldn’t think she was a slut, yet staying close enough to prove she wasn’t there with anyone but Eli.

  Eli started with his hands mostly on her hips, but after a second circled his hands around to her lower back. He stepped a tiny bit closer, and she was pretty sure he’d at least managed to touch his own fingers together.

  “Is this okay?” Eli asked.

  “Yes, Eli. It’s great.” Maybe even a perfect first real dance.

  IT WAS great. It was way more than great.

  Eli tried to remember what his dad had said about dancing, but seriously? Between Sammy’s hair and Sammy’s dress and Sammy’s eyes, he wasn’t going to remember.

  He looked down to make sure he wasn’t going to step on her feet, but his eyes landed right on her chest instead. Whoa. Nice, but whoa. His cheeks went hot and he picked up his head quickly.

  They kind of swayed to one side, and Eli tightened his grip on her back, not wanting her to fall over.

  Sammy was lit up and sparkly, makeup to jewelry to dress to those amazing glittery Chucks. It was the most magical thing ever—a girl, an amazing, sparkling girl dancing with him.

  Total dream come true.

  “Strawberries.” She always smelled so good. He was aware they were dancing a lot closer, but he wasn’t sure how that had happened.

  “What?”

  Eli blinked. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “Oh, uh. Your shampoo? Or something? It smells like strawberries. I like it.”

  “It does. That’s why I use it. I love the smell of fresh strawberries. My pillows always smell like my shampoo too.”

  Oh god. He was just going to die.

  Dad’s voice was saying something in the back of his mind, but it was distant, and Eli ignored it. He reached up with one hand and curled his finger into a lock of Sammy’s hair and lifted it up to his nose.

  Her hair was so soft, too, and he turned his head to tell her so, but she was suddenly just there, watching him, her eyes big and sparkling and right there.

  “Are you thinking of kissing her?”

  Sammy’s hair slipped from his fingers as he reached for her cheek, and he touched his lips to hers. She sighed, the sound all feeling as she breathed into him, her lips moving against his.

  He was kissing her.

  Eli was kissing Sammy, and Sammy was kissing him back. She was warm, and the kiss was soft and nothing at all like he thought his first kiss would be. It wasn’t weird, it wasn’t awkward, and he didn’t feel scared or clueless at all.

  It was a-maz-ing.

  Eli had just started to pull away, mostly because breathing before he passed out seemed like a good idea, when he felt the slap on his shoulder.

  “Break it up, you two!” Erik shouted, laughing. “Slow dance is over!”

  “Erik! Don’t be an asshole.” Mari pulled him away.

  Wow. His lips tasted like Sammy’s lip gloss. God, she was just perfect.

  He had no idea what to say, so he just waited, his eyes on hers, trying to figure out what she was thinking. And yeah, Ed Sheeran was over. That was definitely Flo Rida playing in the background.

  She leaned in, whispered in his ear, “That was perfect, Eli. Thank you.”

  He was never going to smell strawberries again without thinking of her.

  He didn’t blow it. Fifteen thousand things could have gone wrong in the last two minutes, but somehow, they were safe. He smiled at her, intending it to be just a smile, but it turned into a grin that took over his whole face.

  “My heart is pounding. Is your heart pounding?” Wow. He was totally cool just two seconds ago, wasn’t he?

  “God, yes. I feel like… I feel like we’re in a movie, huh?” She touched his bottom lip, traced it like it was the most normal thing ever.

  “I really just meant to tell you that your hair was… I mean—oh, wow—should I have asked first? I should have asked first.” That’s what that voice he’d ignored was trying to tell him. “Can I kiss you again?”

  “You can totally kiss me again. In fact, I’m all over that.” She winked, and he was left a little off-center, feeling like he was going to fall over. How did she do that to him?

  Eli took a deep breath. He knew he was still grinning; he couldn’t help it. “Yeah, me too.” He tangled his fingers with hers and leaned toward her again.

  Their lips met, but then Mari bumped into them. “Careful, guys. Mrs. Peters the Destroyer is watching.”

  “No fair. Come on, y’all. Let’s put some space in between us. She hates me.”

  Eli wasn’t sure why Peters had a thing for Sammy. He thought it was the Texan thing, but whatever. He wasn’t thrilled with Peters, either, but he would seriously have taken detention or risked being thrown out if it meant they could’ve finished that kiss.

  He let Mari and Erik get between them for Sammy’s sake, but it wasn’t at all what he wanted. He wasn’t sure exactly why he was feeling so stubborn about it except that stupid Mrs. Peters might have felt differently if she knew that Eli seriously never thought anyone would ever kiss him at all, let alone that he’d kiss someone first.

  But he looked up, and Sammy smiled at him even though she was at least three feet away and that made him feel better. She was happy, right? And she was his date, so, he’d just have to get over it.

  Erik caught him by the elbow. “Way to go, man,” he shouted into Eli’s ear.

  Eli grinned and winked at him.

  The space, though, just meant he had more room to think. Kissing had nothing to do with thinking, but his Plan hadn’t included a kiss. He remembered what Doc had said about how he should be careful not to act on impulses until he’d been truthful with Sammy, and it suddenly felt like the dance floor had shifted under his feet.

  Dude. He didn’t need Peters to ruin his evening; he was completely capable of doing that to himself. He’d didn’t have to think about it right now. He’d figure it all out tomorrow. For tonight, Sammy was still smiling, and that could fix just about anything for him.

  HE’D KISSED her.

  Sammy felt like she was walking about ten inches off the floor. It had been sweet and dear and right, and it had felt so good. He hadn’t been heavy-handed and grabby or acting like she was suddenly ready to twerk. It had been like a dream. Like a Cinderella movie.

  She got heavy petting and all, but….

  Eli had kissed her.

  Mari leaned in to whisper, “OMG, you did it. Are you with him, then?”

  “You mean going with him? Yeah, I think so.”

  Mari rolled her eyes, but Sammy didn’t think Mari was being mean, just playing. “Texan.”

  “To the bone.”


  Eli danced himself in her direction, did a little circle around her, and bumped her hip with his. “Let’s see what Peters has to say about that!” He laughed and did the same thing to Erik, who did a little twirl with a big grin on his face.

  Erik was way tall compared to Eli. Actually, lots of guys around them were tall compared to Eli. But Eli’s dad was tall, so Sammy figured Eli was just still catching up.

  Whatever. She liked him the way he was. It wasn’t like she was an Amazon.

  Sammy started moving, letting the music do its job and take her away. Dancing was like breathing, but with a soundtrack.

  Every once in a while, she’d look up, and Eli would be watching her. He’d give her a smile or do something nerdy like stick out his tongue or cross his eyes. He was just having fun.

  The four of them danced the rest of the night together, and it seemed like no time at all before the DJ was announcing the last song. “Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you all had a great time. This will be the last one for tonight. Your chaperones have asked me to remind you to leave the building carefully when the lights come on and to take it easy getting home.”

  Eli was suddenly right next to her. “Last one,” he said, taking her hand.

  “Save the last one for me,” she sang under her breath. She didn’t even know where that line had come from. It must be a song.

  The music started, and Eli held her. It was dark and close, and Eli’s hands were hot. She thought she could feel each separate finger on the small of her back.

  “Still up for coffee?” He bent his head toward her and touched her forehead with his.

  “Absolutely. This is the best night ever, Eli. I’m not ready for it to end.”

  Eli’s arms felt stronger than they had earlier, and he used the hand at her back to sway her to one side and back again. “Best night ever. You’re just… everything, Sammy.”

  “Oh….” Please, God. Please let this night go on and on. “You’re like a poet, Eli.”

  Eli laughed and shook his head. “Totally not.”

  “Way to go, Ravens! Night, everyone!” The chaperones started opening all the doors to the gym, and the fluorescent lighting kicked on.

  “Whoa.”

  Whoa was right. She hadn’t even heard the song end. “It was like magic, huh?”