by Mia Carson
“What are you eating?” I asked, wrinkling my nose.
“Goulash,” she answered. “Give us the goods.”
“Well, he’s incredibly sweet. We went to del Frisco’s and had the best time.” I took another bite of my salad, hoping that was the end of the conversation.
“Tell the rest,” Nikki ordered.
I growled at her. “I am never telling you a secret again!”
“Liar. Now spill,” Becky said. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” I hissed excitedly, giving in to my willingness to tell. “And we broke my bed! He bought me a new one!”
Millie squealed. “Wow!”
Becky sat back, her goulash forgotten. “Holy shit.”
“You asked.” I lifted my eyebrows at them and used my ranch-covered fork to gesture at them. “And let me tell you, that bed is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on.”
“I’ll bet you can’t wait to get that hunky dad in your new bed,” Becky laughed.
“He’ll be in it Thursday, if I have anything to say about it,” I promised.
We all laughed loudly enough for the secretary to step into the room, which was connected to the front office. “Ladies, ladies, seriously.” She swung the door closed sharply.
We looked at each other and laughed again. Becky rolled her eyes. “What a bitch.”
***
“Finally, last period.” I sighed as my last class walked out of the computer lab we used for music editing. I had a to-do list a mile long, and one of them was to dig through the dance closet and get it organized. I’d put it off all summer, and now, I had to do it. The props I needed for the flag routine were buried under a year of dance uniforms and pompoms.
I unlocked and opened the door and nearly closed and locked it again. The task would take me my entire conference period and probably through dinner, so I resigned myself to buying dinner on the way home. I would finish this today so I didn’t have to worry about it. And then I’d post some rules and have a serious discussion with my dancers about maintaining the neat and orderly closet I was about to create.
Sighing, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, shuffled the music, and began what felt like a mountainous task. I pushed through the disaster on the floor and began with the uniforms. Props would come next. Although hangers hung from a bar between the shelves, all the old uniforms had been tossed on the floor in a heap after they’d been washed. I grumbled as I began picking them up one by one, shaking them out, and hanging them up.
I frowned when I dug up half of a cheer uniform, wondering what the hell it was doing in my dance closet. I held it up, noting it was my size, and walked to the full length mirror. I held it against my chest and giggled. I’d never been a cheerleader, but I always thought the outfits were so cute. I turned around, tossed it by the door to take to the cheer sponsor, and let my mind wander as I continued the mindless work.
“Hey, hot stuff,” Will called as he sauntered across the football field in athletic shorts and a t-shirt.
The game had just ended, and we had made a pact to meet by the goal post as soon as the crowd cleared out. Our team had won, thanks to Will’s quarterbacking skills. On the sidelines in my too-short cheer outfit, I had screamed his name, cheering him on to victory. And now, he would claim his after-the-game prize.
“Hi, Will. Great game!” I exclaimed.
“I heard you screaming my name,” he replied. “And now I want to make you scream it for another reason entirely.”
I smiled. “Bring it on.”
He grabbed me around the waist and our lips locked. I pulled at his shirt, running my hands up his chest, reveling in the feel of his muscles. His hands ran up and down my back. They moved lower, cupped my ass under the skirt, and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me closer to the goal post.
We were out in the open. If anyone walked close to the fence around the field, we would be in plain view. The excitement this added was indescribable.
“Will.” I breathed his name quietly, driving him mad. He set me down on my feet and ran his hands over my body. I lifted my arms so he could remove my top, setting my tits free. I had known this was coming and hadn’t worn my sports bra. I jerked his shirt over his head as well. He bent and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth, and I let my head fall back as the waves of pleasure moved to my pussy. Instantaneous wetness between my thighs indicated the level of arousal I felt. As if he could smell it, he ran his hands over my pussy, rubbing just a little harder over my clit.
I said his name again. “Will, please. Fuck me.”
He looked into my eyes, yanked my bloomers and panties off, and continued massaging my clit. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted his cock. I pushed his shorts down and grabbed him, and like a randy teenager, he plunged his hugeness into my pussy. He began thrusting hard into me, pounding so hard that my body scooted across the turf. Luckily, he’d had the forethought to put his t-shirt under where I would lie.
As my orgasm built, I tossed my head from side to side. I didn’t want to scream in case anyone was nearby, but I couldn’t help it. I opened my mouth to scream his name.
A knock sounded on the door, which was immediately yanked open. My fantasy ended when Callie stepped inside. “What the heck are you doing in here?” she asked, looking around.
“This room is a disaster,” I replied, hoping the huskiness in my voice didn’t reveal my arousal. The daydream had gone way too far, and I was as wet as if he were standing in front me, naked.
“You have dance managers, right?” she asked as she wandered around. “Why aren’t they doing this?”
“I actually only have one manager, and she has a class right now. Besides, you know how I am. I like things just so,” I reminded her as I finished with the uniforms. “These were laundered and thrown on the floor in a pile.”
“Hmm, I bet the summer band kids did that. But, hey, at least they’re clean,” Callie replied with a laugh.
I gave her a baleful look. “Yeah, right.”
“Well, I was just stepping in to make sure some kids weren’t in here making out. I’ve caught them in here before,” she told me.
“Better than the bathroom, I guess,” I murmured as my phone dinged, interrupting my music. I walked over and saw a text from Will.
“See you later,” Callie said as she walked out the door.
“Bye,” I said distractedly as I read the text.
Will: Hey, good looking. Are you busy?
Mel: Just cleaning out the dance closet. I’m glad you interrupted me.
Will: Can you come out front? I have a gift for you.
Mel: Will! You don’t have to shower me with gifts. I already agreed to go out with you again.
Will: I’m getting old. Have to keep you intrigued. Come out front, please.
Mel: Give me five, goofy man.
I hadn’t realized the last bell had rung to end the final class until I was in the crowded hallway, heading for the front of the building. Several students called out goodbyes, and I answered them with a smile. I hoped I beat Cara to Will’s truck. I didn’t need the added teasing from my dance team.
When I pushed open the front door, several students were milling about, chatting as they waited for their parents to pick them up. I saw Will’s truck immediately and headed for it. I felt the eyes of the students on me, and I felt a little uncomfortable with them watching me chat with a parent. I’d hear about it again. Damn teenagers, I thought with a smile as I walked around to the driver’s side.
“Hi, Will,” I said. I didn’t lean in close enough for a kiss because I didn’t feel comfortable with that.
“Hi Mel,” he replied with a wink. He knew exactly why I wasn’t leaning in close. “How was your day?”
“Good. And it just got better.” I flirted unashamedly.
“Ah, that was my line. You beat me to it,” he said with a smile. “I’m really excited about Thursday, but I couldn’t wait to see you.”
&nb
sp; I pointed at him playfully. “You just did it, you flirty little slut.”
He laughed loudly, drawing several pairs of eyes to the truck. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”
“Well that’s a good thing. I like to do it,” I told him. “So, where’s my present?”
“Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” he teased as he grabbed a small bag off the passenger seat. “Buy her a bed, but it’s not enough.”
“Shut up, ass,” I laughed. “I’m hoping you get a little use out of that bed, too.”
He wiggled his eyebrows and held the bag just out of my reach. “I plan to. Now, let me explain as you open the gift.”
“Okay.” I was skeptical of a gift that needed an explanation. I pulled out a piece of paper first. When I unfolded it, I read the lyrics to a song I loved, Every Girl, by Turnpike Troubadours. I looked up at him questioningly.
“I am a music nut, mostly Texas country, and I was listening to this today while working in my office. The words made me think of you,” he said sheepishly, smiling as color bloomed in his cheeks.
The idea that a song made him think of me in the middle of the day warmed my heart, and the fact that he blushed while telling me melted it. “This is one of my favorite songs. You’re something special, you know that?”
His blush deepened, and his smile widened, showing his perfect white teeth. “Thanks. So are you. Very special.” He nodded at the paper. “Look on the back.”
I flipped the page over and found a list of songs, some that I knew, others I didn’t. The list ranged from George Strait to Ed Sheeran, James Taylor and Justin Timberlake. Like me, he had a wide range of taste when it came to music. “What is this?”
“There’s one more thing in your bag,” he told me. I fished out a gift card for twenty-five dollars for iTunes. I looked back up at him, my eyebrows raised. “The twenty-first century version of a mixed tape.”
After a moment’s thought, I giggled, and the giggle quickly escalated into a guffaw. Without thinking, I put my head through the driver’s window and kissed him soundly on the mouth. I heard a couple of woos as I withdrew.
“Oops. Probably shouldn’t have done that,” he teased.
“This is a great gift, Will. Thank you,” I told him, my smile stuck on my face.
“I’d do anything to put a smile on your beautiful face,” he murmured.
Cara cleared her throat. “Um, may I get in, or do you two need another moment?” I glanced through the truck at Cara’s smiling face and felt my own redden.
“Shut up,” Will said as he unlocked the door. Cara climbed in and watched us with curiosity. “And don’t stare. It’s rude.” She giggled and turned her head in the other direction.
“Bye, Will. Thank you again,” I said. “I’ll put these on my phone as soon as I get home.”
“Bye. Can’t wait until Thursday,” he said. “Call you tonight?”
“I’d be mad if you didn’t.” He laughed and put his truck into gear. His hand was out the window and waving as I stepped back and watched him drive away.
Like a lovesick teenager, I watched until his truck pulled out of the parking lot. When I turned around, my principal, who I hadn’t noticed but who I knew usually stood out front after school, watched me, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses. I grimaced and walked toward her. When I reached her, I stood beside her and watched the few stragglers still waiting for their parents.
“So, you have a new beau,” she said with a smile.
“I do. I hope it’s not an issue,” I replied. She hadn’t looked at me, and I considered her a friendly boss, but not too friendly. She was the principal, not my pal, and she maintained that distance. But she was also kind.
“Who you date is none of my business unless it adversely affects the students, which I can’t imagine it will,” she answered. “He’s a nice man.”
“You know him?” I asked, surprised.
“Not socially, if you’re worried about that,” she smirked. “He made a sizable donation to our library last year when his daughter was in eighth grade. I met him then.” She looked at me. “Nice catch.”
I laughed and said, “Thanks, Mrs. Shaw. Have a good evening.”
“You, too.”
“Gotta clean out that dance closet first. But then I will,” I told her with a smile as I walked away.
Will
“What did you give her?” Cara asked as soon as we pulled away.
“A present.” I sniffed and looked both ways before pulling out of the parking lot, avoiding my daughter’s eyes.
“What kind of present?” she asked. I reached over and turned on the radio, but she turned it off. “Am I going to have a new mommy?”
“Okay, that’s enough of your mouth, young lady,” I told her sternly, at which she giggled.
“So just tell me what you got her,” she cajoled. “All the articles say a girl learns how she should be treated by a boyfriend from watching her father. I’m just trying to learn how a man should treat me.”
“First of all, there is no man who’s going to treat you any way anytime soon. You aren’t dating until you’re thirty,” I lectured, giving her the stern, father look.
“Thirty? That’s ridiculous,” she insisted.
“Get over it.” I glanced at her, grinning like a fool. “I got her a gift card to iTunes and a list of songs.”
“A list of songs? What if she doesn’t like them?”
I shrugged and said, “I think she will.”
“Are we still going to dinner with Nana and Grandpa tonight?”
The abrupt change of subject surprised me. “Of course. I need to run home and change first. They’re dying to see you. According to Nana, it’s been ages.”
“It’s been two weeks since I stayed over there,” she said. She reached over and turned the radio on again. She flipped until she found her favorite station, a pop station that I did not enjoy.
“None of this nonsense was on Mel’s list,” I murmured, but she couldn’t hear me over the music. I thought about Mel and the list I’d given her. She said the Turnpike song was one of her favorites, so she liked Texas country. Of the sixteen or seventeen songs I’d put on the list, more than half were country artists I liked. I hoped the smile I’d left her with remained on her face for the evening. Thursday couldn’t come too soon.
My phone vibrated in the cup holder in the console, and I glanced down at it, frowning when I saw the name on the screen. Why would Denise be texting me? At the next stoplight, I opened the message.
Hey, Will! Been a long time! I saw you at the school today picking up Cara and thought I’d text you to see how the two of you are doing?
So she was at the school this afternoon. Had she seen Mel and me chatting? The small kiss we’d shared after I’d given her the gift? Irked by the seemingly innocent text, I knew better than to answer and start a conversation with her. When we had broken up, it had not been amicably. She hadn’t wanted the break up but I had, and it had been ugly for a while. Rumors spread all over town, and her daughter and Cara hated each other now. If she was texting me, she was just being nosy.
After nine months, you would think the woman would be over this, I thought with a frown. For the first couple of months after, when we ran into each other, she’d been cold, bordering on rudely inappropriate. I had avoided her as best as I could after that, and eventually, she ignored me at any social or school event we might both attend.
With a sigh, I pulled through the gate at the ranch, automatically scanning the fields as we drove toward the house. I noticed that Cara did it, too. She had picked up my habit. I thanked the stars that Cara had her grandparents and Carol’s sister, Ruth. Otherwise, she may have been the tomboy that beat up the boys. She loved riding horses and would help work with the cows in the summer, but she also enjoyed dancing, shopping and other girly things just as much.
As soon as I pulled up to the porch, Cara hopped out and rushed inside. I called to her. “You’ve got thirty minutes before
we have to leave.”
“Gotcha!” she called as she continued inside and down the hall to her room.
I chuckled as I moved at a much slower pace, pausing to close the front door behind me. I meandered down the hall to my bedroom and dug in my closet for a change of clothes. I wasn’t disgustingly dirty, so I didn’t need a shower. My clothes, though, were dusty and stained from mending a fence on the north pasture.
After washing up and changing, I had fifteen minutes before we needed to leave, so I texted Mel.
Will: Hey gorgeous. You like the songs?