Assumptions

by Melanie Codina

  The shopper in line behind us impatiently shifted from foot to foot as we waited. Her movements caused her loaded arms to repeatedly nudge our backs. Mom huffed and gave the shopper a questioning look over her shoulder before guiding us forward another step. Turning her focus back to me, she rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance at the interruption before continuing our conversation. “I really get a kick out of how you aren’t calling it a date. I assume if you did that, you might be putting a label on what you’re doing. Spare me the need to mock your generation for fearing something as scary as a label.”

  “I thought you loved mocking my generation?”

  This time, she was the one exasperated. Shaking her head, she admitted, “While I love to mock your generation, it irritates me that you all can’t call things what they are. A meal with a member of the opposite sex, where the two of you spend time talking and getting to know each other, and there is a mutual attraction, is a date.”

  “I know, but unless it’s identified, I won’t assume that’s what’s happening. Besides, he clarified that it was not a date,” I stated firmly. Ma-Kristy hadn’t dated in a long time, or at least not that I was aware of. So she wouldn’t understand.

  “Okay, okay. Let me approach this from a different angle. Did he ask you on a date? You know, using the actual word, ‘date.’” she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm, she even used air quotes. She rarely held back and only did the air quote thing when she was frustrated. I could see she was winding up to prove her point.

  “Yes. He asked me on a date,” I offered, adding my own emphasis on the word date. Air quotes included.

  “And?” she asked, rolling her eyes at my mockery.

  I shrugged, regretting how I’d originally handled it. If I’d just accepted, I wouldn’t be back and forth with things now. “I kind of avoided answering the question and put it off for another time. Then, since he didn’t ask again, I hinted at where I was going last night.”

  She made that tsk-ing sound she made so well as she unloaded the armful of clothes in my arms. I was given a few moments reprieve as we paid. Once done, she waited until we stepped into the mall before concluding, “So you blew him off when he asked, then he fed you lunch a few times, you vaguely invited him to meet you somewhere, you’ve met each other’s friends, and obviously you text back and forth? But no actual dates have been set up?”

  Moving through the crowds, I nodded as my hand instinctively went to the pocket holding my phone. At the mention of texting, I wondered if he had responded to my breakfast pics.

  My mom interrupted my thoughts as she continued, “So you talk by text, eat meals together, he apparently likes you, and you really want to get to know him? Do I have all that correct?”

  I nodded. “Yes, in a nutshell. Why are you repeating yourself?”

  Mom waved to get Mari’s attention, but didn’t respond to my question. I could tell she was holding back. “Mom, you can’t seriously be done talking.”

  “Oh, I have plenty to say, Leeann, but this time it won’t be to mock your generation. It would be to mock you,” Mom said in a sarcastic tone, so I knew she was definitely biting her tongue. Of course Mari had perfect timing and joined us right as my mom finished her sentence. She, of course, didn’t hold back.

  “Oh! We’re at the let’s-mock-Lee part of the day?” she asked, clapping in a hyper-exaggerated way that only Mari would do. “What are we starting with? Please say it’s the workout clothes. Oh wait, I know, is it about how she’s not dating super-sexy-soccer-guy, but really, she totally is?”

  Mom gave me that raised eyebrow, one-sided smirk that told me she was siding with Mari. I knew I was being ridiculous about the whole label thing, but seriously, did they have to gang up on me? He was the one who clarified we weren’t on a date last night. Though, I admit, I had no idea why he didn’t consider it a date. But now that my mom and best friend were going to tease me about it, I was planning on asking him tonight.

  Deciding I didn’t want to be a part of the let’s-mock-Lee conversation, I handed each of them their bags, which I was carrying for some reason, and announced, “Fine, be a bunch of bullies. I’m getting a cinnamon roll.”

  Following the overpowering scent of cinnamon and icing, I made sure to glare over my shoulder at them when I heard Mari exclaim, “She’s thinking so hard about the whole dating and not dating thing that she went straight for the cinnamon rolls. Let’s go, Ma-Kristy!”

  Taking my phone out, I busied myself with the distraction as I weaved my way through the throngs of shoppers. The sounds of Christmas music playing also aided me in my attempt to ignore the two of them as they continued to tease me. But when I found a text from Jonathan responding to the pic I’d sent earlier, I tuned them out completely.

  Oh yeah, my ham is definitely cuter. Hope you’re having a great day … can’t wait to see you tonight.

  As we found ourselves in yet another line, I smiled. Even though there wasn’t a label on us yet, I couldn’t fight the reactions I had over something as simple as sweetly typed words.

  I can’t wait to see you too. :-)

  Taking a deep breath, I knocked on her door. A second later I heard a muffled yell, “Adjust your cleavage … super-sexy-soccer-guy is here!”

  I muffled my laugh when I heard the response. “Shut up, Mari, he’ll hear you!”

  The door cracked open a little, and I heard, “Of course he can hear me. How else am I supposed to draw attention to your best assets?”

  Mari opened the door all the way, a knowing smile on her face. Her eyebrows lifted as if daring me to act like I hadn’t heard her. I, of course could, so I smiled back.

  I opened my mouth to say hello when Leeann came into view. She was tugging on the bottom hem of her top as she grumbled, “I thought that was the whole point of wearing this sweater.”

  My eyes immediately went to the aforementioned sweater. Then to the cleavage. Eyes wide, I watched as Leeann proceeded to bend over and do some kind of adjustment to her bra. I was clearly witnessing something not intended for my eyes, and even though I was one hundred percent enjoying it, I quickly looked away. Mari’s knowing smile was even bigger now as she leaned toward me and whispered, “You. Are. Welcome.”

  Not really knowing what to say, my attention went back to Leeann. I cleared my throat to say hello and heard her gasp as she popped up straight. The movement made her well-displayed breasts bounce a little, and I fought the need to groan at the sight. She was sexy as sin. Wearing tight jeans that accentuated her long, muscular legs, tall boots that hugged her calves perfectly, and a tight black sweater with a deep cut V. There was some kind of lace visible at the base of the V, and I had no idea if it was part of the sweater or her bra. It suddenly became my goal for the night to find out. When I let my eyes wander up to her face, I found embarrassment blooming on her cheeks, and her eyes were pinched tight.

  Wanting to alleviate her discomfort, I finally found my voice, “You look amazing.”

  Her eyes opened and she smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

  We stood there staring at each other, and that connection I felt the night before was back. Feeling drawn to her, I stepped past Mari. It only took me a few steps to get to her, but when I did, I took both her hands in mine and lifted them to my chest, the movement bringing her closer to me.

  “No, thank you,” I said. A small glimmer of confusion crossed her face so I added, “For finally saying you’d go out with me.”

  The confusion fled. “Oh … well, you’re welcome.”

  “You ready to go? I think you should grab a light jacket since our plans might have us outside for a little while.”

  Leeann pulled away from me and grabbed the jacket resting on the counter next to her purse. I took it from her and helped slip it on. She grabbed her purse and said, “Thanks. All ready.”

  I smiled, and, taking one of her hands, I led us to the door. “Goodnight, Mari,” I said as I passed her. Leeann leaned in and whispered something in Mari’s
ear that had her sucking in a startled gasp. She glared at Leeann and said, “You wouldn’t.”

  Leeann had a satisfied look on her face as she nodded. “Oh, I would.”

  Walking into the hall, she added, “Goodnight, Mari,” and chuckled as we walked toward the elevator.

  “So what does Mari think you wouldn’t do?” I asked, pressing the call button.

  Leeann laughed. “She’s so easy to torture. I only told her I wasn’t going to give her any details about our date tonight. She tends to think she deserves to know everything.”

  Stepping into the elevator, we turned to face the closing doors. “Details, huh? Like what kind of details?”

  Arriving quickly on the bottom floor, we stepped out as she answered. “Mari would want to know anything from the speed you drove to what you ordered for dinner.”

  “Well, that sounds kind of boring,” I admitted as we arrived at my car.

  “I know that, but that’s how broad her range is.”

  Opening the passenger door, she moved to get in, but I turned her to face me. “Well, I think I’d rather you have something a little less boring to tell her.”

  Leeann’s eyes dropped to my lips before darting back up. I watched as her tongue swept across her bottom lip before disappearing again.

  “Less boring?” she asked on a whisper. I pulled the hand I was still holding behind my back, securing her against me. My free hand found her long, bare neck and slid into her hair. My thumb resting on the soft skin of her jaw slid slowly back and forth.

  “Yeah, less boring,” I whispered before sealing my lips over hers. I slid my tongue along the seam of her lips and she sighed. Her body melted against mine as our lips mingled. It wasn’t a fevered kiss. The starving sensation I had the night before had been abated and now allowed this sweet, sensual tasting of one another. She tasted like cherries. Her free hand met my waist—gripping it, holding me in place. Tilting her head back further, I deepened the kiss until I felt the sweet and sensual feeling flee. It was replaced by a new hunger. A hunger that would now only be satisfied by the taste of Leeann.

  Needing to end the kiss before I took it too far, I slowly retreated. Pulling away, I smiled when her lips followed mine a little. She blinked and opened her eyes. They were glazed over, and I couldn’t help but want to memorize that look. It was a look I wanted to create again. Repeatedly.

  My thumb stroked along her jaw again as I watched her eyes refocus on me. I pressed my lips against hers once more before placing her hand back at her side. She licked her lips and smiled as she slid into my car. Looking up at me, she said, “Definitely less boring.”

  Letting out a laugh, I closed her door and circled the car, adjusting myself before getting in the driver seat—something that seemed to be a common problem whenever I was around Leeann.

  “A holiday festival?” I questioned excitedly as Jonathan circled the block in search of a parking spot.

  Putting the car in reverse, he began maneuvering into a spot. “Yeah. I thought this would be a good area to come because there are multiple options for food. There’s a great Italian restaurant and then a cool Mexican café just down the street. The atmosphere was a bonus discovery.”

  “It’s so festive … I love it!” I exclaimed, hopping out of the car. Jonathan met me at the front of the car and held out his hand. Taking it, I smiled and took a deep breath of the chilly winter air. Well, as chilly as could be in San Diego this time of year. The smells of cinnamon and pine gripped me as we rounded the corner and the crowds came into sight. We merged into the passing groups of families and couples with smiling faces as they moved from vendor to vendor.

  The atmosphere was typical for the season, and you could feel it seeping into your mood, elevating it. The closer we got to the food vendors, the more the delicious scents assaulted my nose, making my mouth water. There was kettle corn, cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and apple cider. You name it, it was there.

  Taking a big, appreciative breath, I sighed at the smorgasbord of tantalizing flavors dancing in the air. Next to me, Jonathan squeezed my hand, redirecting my attention to him. He smiled. “You look like you can’t figure out where to look first.”

  “I can’t. I love these kind of events. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

  He shrugged. “I was talking with my aunt today and when I mentioned bringing you here, she mentioned the holiday festival.”

  It was my turn to smirk and squeeze his hand. “You talked to your aunt about me?”

  He kept his attention straight ahead as we maneuvered the paths in the crowd. “Sure. I talk to my aunt a lot. We’ve always been really close. The Camaro used to belong to her husband.”

  “Oh, so he gave it to you?” I asked. My curiosity to know more about him and his family peaked.

  I heard him take in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Looking over, I noticed some unidentified emotion before he began to talk. “Actually, my Uncle Marc passed away when I was a teenager. Aunt Allie put the car in storage for a while because it was too difficult for her to deal with. He loved that car.” He paused and took another deep breath and pressed on. “After she met her new husband, she felt it was time to do something about the Camaro and passed it on to me. She told me she couldn’t get rid of it because it was a big part of my uncle’s life. But giving it to me was exactly what my uncle would’ve wanted.”

  Squeezing his hand, I said, “I’m sorry, Jonathan. I didn’t mean to meddle.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I loved my uncle, and I love that car. It was one of the best days of my life when she gave it to me. Not just because I got a freaking awesome car out of it. But because it took a lot of courage for her to do that, and the way I see it, I’ll always be a part of it.” He paused and smiled proudly. “And I really like that.”

  The mood was heavy as we walked in silence for a few moments, his words striking a chord in me. I was a little envious of his connection with his family. It was irrational and hit me when I least expected it. There were plenty people I called family, so I wasn’t alone in the world. But sometimes, knowing none of them were related by blood made me sad. Fortunately, I was smart enough to dispel that notion. I could replace the momentary sadness with a smile as I thought how lucky I was to have people who loved me, despite our lack of genetic similarities.

  Next to me, Jonathan cleared his throat. “So, what would you like to have for dinner?”

  The melancholy of the moment lessened as we slipped into our usual flirty banter about food.

  “Well, it looks like we have lots of options,” I said with a smirk as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

  “This is true. What’s most appealing to you at the moment?” he asked, gesturing to the booths and restaurants around us. His proximity allowed that masculine scent of his to further invade my senses. My desire for it drowned everything else out, and, in a bold move, I leaned my nose into his neck. His steps faltered as I inhaled deeply, absorbing more of his scent. His arm tightened its hold around my shoulders, and I pressed the lightest of kisses against his neck before pulling back.

  We were still walking, the crowds not allowing us to stop without people tripping over us. I looked to him as he lowered his gaze to mine. His eyes moved from my lips and back to my eyes, like he couldn’t decide where he wanted to look.

  I sighed. “You are definitely what’s most appealing, but I know that would satisfy a totally different kind of hunger.”

  There was a rumble in Jonathan’s chest, and I met it with a squawk of surprise as he quickly redirected us to the right. He maneuvered us through the mingling people until we came to a side street that had more shadows than light. When we were clear of people, Jonathan turned me toward him, and, before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. His hands cradled my head in a way I knew was to control the kiss, and I loved it. His tongue pressed against the seam of my lips, demanding entrance. Who was I to deny him?

&n
bsp; My hands found his waist, and I held on tightly. His tongue plunged inside, stroking against mine in a now-familiar dance. His movements were commanding my body to respond, and it did. My girly parts stood at attention and began doing their own impression of the Rockettes’ famous chorus line. I moaned; his tongue plunged deeper. He groaned; I slid my hands around to his back and clung to him. A hand tightened in my hair; I wrapped a leg around his. His hips flexed forward into me, my leg tightened around his, and then his long fingers were gripping my thigh.

  All while standing amongst the shadows on a public street, with crowds of families only twenty yards away. As if he heard my thoughts, Jonathan abruptly stopped the kiss. Our lips parted, and he pressed his forehead against mine. I struggled to open my eyes as we both fought to get our breathing under control. Our hot, ragged breaths visibly mixed with the crisp winter air.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Leeann. I feel like I’m constantly battling with myself … my need to consume you,” Jonathan whispered. The sexy sound of his voice did nothing to calm me down. That chorus line was on repeat now.

  I wasn’t sure how to respond to his words. What girl wouldn’t want a guy like Jonathan to consume them? Before I could come up with something to say, he asked, “Do you feel it?”

  Feel what? His erection? Um, yeah, that was pretty obvious … and sexy. And totally flattering. My repeated lack of answers made me look like an idiot, but I wasn’t sure what he meant. I definitely wasn’t going to point out his erection again. What if he wasn’t talking about that? That would be twice I brought it up and embarrassed him. No thank you. I wanted this guy to stick around, not toss me aside because of my lack of filter.

  “Tell me you feel this connection between us,” he continued. His breathing was more under control, but his voice was still husky. He punctuated his request by tightening the grip of both hands, holding me firmly against him.