Madison scribbled Lucy’s address on the corner of a piece of notebook paper and tore it out. “This is where you’ll be picking me up. Turns out I’ll be at a friend’s house after school for a while.”
He took the paper and nodded, shoving it into his pocket. “See you at six-thirty,” he said as the bell rang.
Madison couldn’t concentrate on the rest of the class. She was thinking through her plan, and what she’d say to Lucy. She could have just told Miles she’d meet him at the game, but the idea of him picking her up made it more of an official date. It just wouldn’t work to have their first date start with a parental inspection.
“So what do you think, Madison?” the teacher’s voice broke into her thoughts. She could feel her face turning bright red as students turned to look at her.
“Uh, could you repeat the question please?” She fumbled through her notebook and pulled out the discussion sheet for the lecture. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Miles laughing quietly to himself. Great. Now he thinks I’m a fool.
A couple of other students raised their hands, and the teacher moved on to their responses. She noticed the girl next to Miles glance over at him after she gave her answer. He smiled and flashed her a thumbs up. Grinning back at him, she glanced over her shoulder at Madison, flashing a smile at her, too. Madison noticed her short skirt and long, thin legs. Miles seemed to be checking her out, too.
I need to run more, Madison thought. Maybe I can start doubling up on weekends.
When the bell rang, Madison collected her books and headed toward the door. She noticed the same girl flirting with Miles as they walked side-by-side. Filtering into the hall, Miles turned and gave Madison his heart-melting smile. “See you at six-thirty,” he said with a wink. And her world was good again.
Thankfully, Madison had no problem finding Lucy at lunch break. “Is that all you’re eating?” her friend asked, gesturing to Madison’s apple.
“Yeah. I had a big dinner last night.”
Lucy shook her head. “You worry me sometimes.”
Brushing aside her comment, Madison ventured, “I have a favor to ask.”
“Okay. What?”
“I was wondering if Miles could pick me up at your house tonight for the game.”
“Why?”
“Because my parents won’t be home, and they don’t want Miles to know the house will be empty.” Madison hoped her voice sounded matter-of-fact and convincing. She wasn’t used to lying to her friend.
“Okay. I’m sure that will be fine.”
Relief mingled with a sense of guilt, which she promptly brushed aside. “Great! I’ll tell my parents.” In actuality, she’d just tell them Miles broke their date, and she was going with Lucy instead. That would take care of everything. Then she’d just need to make sure her parents didn’t see Miles drop her off. She’d figure that out when the time came. For now, she knew she could go out without being embarrassed by her parents interrogating Miles.
When her mom got home from work, Madison approached her about the evening. “How was school?” she asked, hoping to make small talk first to get her mother off guard.
“It was fine. The kids were taking a test today, so it was pretty uneventful.”
“No cheaters using their cell phones to text answers?” Madison asked, remembering a recent account her mother had shared about two girls sending each other answers on their phones.
“Nope. I collect all the phones now before the tests.”
“Junior high,” Madison replied knowingly.
Her mother smiled at her. “So tonight’s the big date,” she said. “What time is Miles picking you up?”
“Actually, the date’s off. He wasn’t feeling well at school, so he cancelled.” Madison felt the knot in her stomach tighten.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, honey.” Her mother’s sympathetic expression didn’t help the guilt building inside Madison.
“It’s no big deal. I’m going to the game, anyway,” she replied. “Can you drop me at Lucy’s around six? We’re going with some of her friends.”
“Sure. No problem. What about dinner? Are you eating here or at the game?”
“At the game.” Madison was determined not to eat much dinner. With her stomach in such a knot, she might as well take advantage of her loss of appetite.
“Okay. I think I’ll order pizza for the rest of us, then, and I can pick it up on the way home from dropping you off.”
“Cool. Caleb will be happy about that,” Madison replied.
“Yeah. Your brother could eat pizza every night and never get tired of it.”
Impulsively, Madison reached out and hugged her mother. “You’re a great mom,” she said.
“Thanks! You’re pretty great, yourself,” her mother replied with a smile.
Madison put on her snuggest fitting jeans and a crewneck sweater, stuffing her off-the-shoulder top into her backpack before she grabbed her jacket. “Let’s go, Mom,” she called out as she hurried down the stairs.
Her mother came out of the kitchen with her purse slung over her shoulder. “Be right back, Steve,” she said as she poked her head into his study. “Caleb’s out shooting hoops.”
“Is he finished with his homework?” Steve asked.
“Yeah.”
“And you’re picking up dinner?”
“I’m on it,” Michelle replied. Then she turned to Madison. “Okay, I’m ready.”
A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the Johnson’s house. “Am I picking you up here after the game?” Michelle asked.
“No. I have a ride home,” Madison replied.
“Great. So we’ll see you around ten?”
“I was thinking more like ten-thirty or eleven,” Madison said. “Just in case the game goes longer. And that gives us time to hang out with our friends afterward.”
“Okay. Eleven at the latest. Call me if that is a problem.”
“I will.” Madison patted the pocket of her backpack where she kept her cell phone.
Her mother watched her walk up to the front door and wave. Thankfully she drove away as soon as the door opened, so Madison didn’t have to worry about any conversation happening between Lucy’s mother and hers.
“Hi, Maddie,” Logan said as he swung the door open wide. “Come on in. Lucy’s in her room.”
Madison quickly disappeared into her friend’s bedroom before her mom showed up to greet her.
“Hi, Luce,” she said as she walked in and sat on the bed.
“Hey,” her friend replied casually. “So where are your parents going tonight?”
“Some dinner thing for dad’s work.”
Lucy nodded. “What’s Caleb doing?”
“He’s at a friend’s house overnight.” Madison’s stomach clenched again. One lie kept leading to another. She hoped this date with Miles would be worth it. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked Lucy.
“Like what?”
“I wanted to wear my new sweater like we talked about, but I was afraid Mom would freak out, and we’d both end up being late. So I brought it in here.” She patted her backpack. “I thought I’d just put it on before I leave.”
Lucy smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me. Just wear your jacket, so my mom doesn’t say something to your mother.”
Madison nodded. “Good plan.” She pulled out her sweater and quickly changed tops, adjusting the shoulders just the way she wanted them. Then she pulled out her makeup bag and added more eyeliner and some glittery eye shadow. “What do you think?” she asked as she glanced at the full-length mirror.
“Perfect,” Lucy replied. “Miles will love it.”
Madison’s phone beeped, and she pulled it out of the backpack. “I’d better go out front. He could be here any minute.” She pulled on her jacket, closing it to conceal the revealing sweater underneath. Thankfully, Kelly was in the kitchen cooking when she slipped out the front door. “Tell your mom thanks for letting Miles pick me up here,” she said to Lucy
as she headed down to the curb. A black Honda was pulling up, and she could see Miles behind the wheel. Yes! It worked! she thought to herself, feeling elated to be off on a date with a guy who was starting to make her heart race.
Miles reached across the front seat and opened her door. “Hey, you’re ready.” He sounded surprised.
“Yep.” She slid into the passenger seat and closed her door. As they pulled away, it suddenly felt awkward being alone with him. What would they talk about?
Miles must have been thinking the same thing. He reached over and flipped on the radio.
A few moments later, he asked, “Did you eat dinner?”
“No. I’m not that hungry,” she replied. Then noticing his face drop a little, she added, “But I’m happy to stop somewhere.”
He glanced over at her and smiled. “Great! Burgers sound good to me. Where’s the closest drive-through?”
Madison gave him directions, and soon they had their order in hand.
“Wanna eat in the car?” he asked, tipping his head toward the adjoining parking lot. “Or at the game?”
“This is fine,” she replied.
Miles slipped the car into one of the open spaces and shut it off. Madison pulled his two burgers and fries out of the bag on her lap and handed them to him, then got her small order of fries out. There are probably a ton of calories in these, she thought to herself, but that was the only food that sounded good to her with her stomach all tied in knots.
Miles shifted in his seat, turning toward her and leaning back against his door. “So tell me more about your family. I thought I might be meeting them tonight.”
Madison looked over and tried to offer him a relaxed smile. “It wasn’t a good night for that. Everyone was busy.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Just one brother. He’s eleven. Name’s Caleb.”
Miles nodded.
“How about you?” she asked.
“Nope. Just me and my mom. My dad split when I was seven.”
Madison tried to imagine what it must be like to have only one parent and no siblings at all. “Do you miss him?” she asked.
“Who? My dad?”
“Yeah.”
He looked away, gazing out the windshield, then down at his food. “Sometimes,” he replied, taking another bite of his burger.
She took a deep breath. Should she ask more or let it drop? Maybe she’d better not pry.
Miles balled up the empty wrapper of his burger and fished the last of the fries from their paper pouch. “We’d better go.” He reached for the bag on her lap and added his trash to it. They made eye contact, and Madison saw something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. It was a longing of some kind. And it unnerved her a little.
She looked away, trying to maintain her composure. Something told her she was heading down a road that might lead to more than she bargained for. But Miles was so cute. And he seemed to really like her. She pushed away her discomfort, deciding all girls must feel this way on a first date.
After he pulled the car out of the parking lot, she remembered she’d covered up her favorite sweater with her coat. Sitting forward in the seat, she slipped off her jacket and tossed it on the back seat. Shifting her shoulders as subtly as she could, she lowered the neckline on the left side, revealing her black bra strap and bare skin.
Miles glanced over at her and smiled. “Nice sweater,” he said.
“Thanks,” she replied, a warm rush surging through her body. Then she felt something she’d never felt before—desirable. Physically desirable as a woman. And although it scared her a little, it also felt really good. Her nervousness began to melt away, replaced by a newfound rush of confidence and appeal. Why had she never felt this with Luke? He’s more like a brother to me, she thought to herself.
Miles glanced over. “Almost there,” he said.
As they walked into the stadium from the parking lot, she felt a chill. Maybe I should have brought my coat, she thought. But before she could say anything, Miles draped his arm over her and pulled her close. She could feel his hand guide the right side of her sweater off her shoulder, too.
“There,” he said. Then he rested his hand on her bare skin. “Let me know if you get cold. We can go back to the car for your coat if you want it.” He massaged the top of her shoulder slightly.
Madison could feel herself melting. Her body was responding to his touch in ways that thrilled her. She didn’t care if she got cold. There was no way she was going to put that coat back on now. Leaning into him, she replied, “I’ll be fine.” Wrapping her arm around his waist, they walked past a group of girls he’d been talking to after class.
Several of them glanced over, and Madison could see the envy in a couple of their faces. She lifted her head a little higher and hugged Miles close. He looked down at her with a puzzled smile. “I think this night is going to be a good one,” he said.
“Me, too,” she replied, looking back over her shoulder to the group of girls, who were now elbowing each other and gesturing toward her and Miles.
Throughout the first half of the game, Madison sat close to Miles. They both had their feet up on the bleacher bench in front of them, and Miles was resting his hand on her knee. Sometimes as he leaned to watch a play, it would slip up her thigh, and she had to catch her breath to maintain her composure.
At half time, he suggested they go to the snack stand, taking her hand, as they climbed down the stairs and through the crowd in the tunnel. While they waited in line, he stood behind her, hugging her to his body. She relaxed back and tipped her head up, looking at him.
He smiled down, and then glanced away. But a moment later, she felt his hands slip under her sweater at her waist. “Mind if I warm up my hands while we wait?” he whispered in her ear, but his hands didn’t feel cold to her.
“No problem,” she replied as she once again melted under his touch.
After they got some popcorn and a large drink to share, he asked, “So how badly do you want to see the end of the game?”
She turned and looked at him. “I don’t really care. Why?”
“I was thinking maybe we could go down by the beach and talk. Have our popcorn there. What do you think?” His voice seemed nonchalant.
Madison paused. Her parents would be livid if they found out. But how would they know? As long as she got home in time, it should be fine.
“Hey, we can stay here if you want,” he said in response to her pause.
“No. The beach sounds good,” she replied. “I’m not that into football anyway.”
He laughed. “Yeah. Most girls aren’t.” He handed her the popcorn and held onto the drink. Then he draped his arm over her shoulder, and they headed out to the parking lot. As they walked, Madison noticed his limp hand occasionally tapping against her chest. At one point, he fingered her neckline, making some comment about how soft the sweater was.
The parking lot was full of cars but void of people. They navigated their way to Miles car, and he opened the passenger door for her. “Thanks,” she said, grinning up at him as she sat down, placing the tub of popcorn on the floor by her feet. It was cold in the car, especially with Miles’ body no longer up against hers. She wanted to pull her sweater up onto her shoulders, but that would ruin the look. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself for warmth.
“Cold?” he asked, as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“A little.”
“We can fix that,” he replied, starting the car and turning on the heater. Then he reached over and rubbed the top of her thigh with his hand. “Better?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
He smiled and turned on the radio. They drove in silence for a few minutes, and then pulled onto a street that led to the shore. It was a dead end, and Miles parked right near the sand, ignoring the no parking sign. Through the windshield, they could see the surf pounding in the moonlight.
“Wanna sit in here where it’s w
arm?” he asked.
“Sure. That sounds good,” she replied, leaning down and picking up the popcorn bucket.
Miles unlatched his seatbelt, and she followed suit, turning to face him as she held out the popcorn. He took a handful and ate it, as she picked out a couple of popped kernels at a time. While they enjoyed the salty treat and shared their drink, Miles asked her more questions about her family.
Madison soon found herself explaining about the five-year gap in age between her and Caleb.
“So your brother is adopted?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Cool.”
She nodded. “I think I’d like to adopt a kid when I grow up.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she silently began chastising herself. When I grow up? Really? You sound like a little kid, she thought.
But Miles didn’t seem to think anything of it. “That’s cool,” was his only reply.
When they were halfway through the popcorn, there was a lull in their conversation, and Miles picked up a kernel and tossed it toward her mouth, saying “Catch!” She didn’t have time to react before it fell down inside of her sweater.
“Oops, sorry about that,” he said with a grin. “Now where did that little bugger go?” he asked innocently, searching in her lap and the seat around her. “Uh oh,” he said innocently. “I think I know where it is.”
“Oh you do, do you?”
“Yeah.” He leaned over and lifted the bottom of her sweater. Out fell the kernel. He snatched it up. “Got it!” he said.
She laughed and threw a piece at him. Amazingly, he caught it with his mouth. “Wanna know where it is?” he asked. Before she could answer, he leaned toward her. “Here, I’ll give it to you.” He kissed her, parting her lips with his tongue and slipping the popcorn kernel from his mouth to hers.
“Whoa,” she replied, so impressed by the trick that she didn’t even mind his forwardness.
“Toss me another one,” he said, repeating the same trick again. But this time, he didn’t pull away from her after the kiss. Instead, he leaned into it, and so did she. One kiss led to another, and soon Madison felt her heart starting to race a little.
Behind Her Smile Page 8