Invaluable

by Holly J. Wood

  • • •

  “Okay, is everyone ready? One . . . two . . . three!”

  The blindfold was stripped from my face and I heard my own gasp mingle with the excited shrieks and giggles of the other girls. There were four couples in our group: Clark and Britney, Danny and Becka, and two others I’d never met, Joey and Marina.

  Marina was a junior, and although she seemed a little shy, I could tell that she was a nice girl, which was more than I could say for Britney and Becka, who’d been glaring at me from the moment I’d entered Clark’s family Suburban.

  Before we’d left this morning, the guys had insisted on blindfolding each of us so as to maintain the secrecy of the event. I’d felt mixed emotions about that. Not being able to see made me self-conscious, but it was also a relief to have a break from Britney and Becka’s mocking looks, which undoubtedly would have accompanied their constant whispering.

  “So, what do you think?” Luke’s question snapped me back to the present.

  “It’s awesome, I can’t believe it!” A huge smile spread across my face as I looked again at the surprise.

  Hovering close to the ground in the meadow before us was a giant hot air balloon!

  “You probably won’t believe this, but I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these.” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice as I watched the balloon crew prepping everything for our ride.

  Luke blew out a sigh of relief and grinned. “I’m so glad! I was hoping this would be a good surprise. Some of the guys were worried their dates might be afraid of heights.”

  I glanced around and noticed that Becka and Britney did indeed look more nervous than excited. I felt sorry for Clark and Danny, who were trying to coax their dates into going for the ride. Surely they’d spent quite a bit of money on this activity, and I thought it would be a shame if it went to waste. Although I had to admit I wouldn’t particularly mind if they didn’t go up with us.

  After a few minutes, the pilot stepped forward to give us all instructions. The guys had already secured the necessary permission slips from our parents, but we had to add our signatures to the liability waiver as well. Admittedly, I was a bit uneasy after reading everything that could go wrong, and I had a little more sympathy for Britney and Becka, who were nearly hysterical by now.

  After the pilot and crew spoke with them, however, they seemed to calm down, and they finally signed the waiver. Now there was nothing else to do but take flight!

  I felt an electric shock radiate up my arm as Luke took my hand and helped me into the balloon. I might have imagined it, but it seemed that he let his fingers linger a few moments longer than necessary before letting go, which set my pulse racing.

  Don’t go imagining things! I reprimanded myself sharply, but I couldn’t keep my heart from thumping into my eardrums. I tried to distract myself by watching the crew go to work.

  As the rope released and the burner lit the magnificent envelope, we began to lift off the ground. Becka and Britney squealed, clinging to their dates for dear life. Luke looked at me and raised an eyebrow. His expression was so comical that I turned around and stifled a giggle. He also turned, so that we were both facing outward, and we watched in silence as the ground fell farther and farther away.

  “This is amazing,” I breathed.

  Luke nodded. “Definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”

  I stole a glance at him, and butterflies immediately hit my stomach. He was wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans, but he looked so incredibly hot! We stood mere inches apart, and as much as I tried to ignore it, I was getting goose bumps along my arms just being near him. He must have sensed my eyes on him, because he turned and looked at me, our eyes locking for one heart-stopping moment before I shyly looked away.

  “Hope y’all brought your appetites with you this morning!” the pilot said cheerfully in his thick Southern accent.

  For the first time, I noticed the large picnic basket on the floor. Joey and Marina immediately began looking through the assortment of breakfast foods and then made a place to sit and eat.

  Britney and Becka were still sniveling in a manner that made it clear they were just doing it for attention, but since they were ignoring the food, Luke and I made our way over to it.

  “Do you mind if we eat standing up?” I asked him as we carried the delicious-smelling food back to our spot. “I don’t want to miss a minute of this.”

  He chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing.” There was an intensity in his eyes that made me feel like blushing, but again I scolded myself.

  You’ve read one too many romance books. Calm down!

  We ate our breakfast mostly in silence, watching the beautiful scenery around us and listening to the pilot’s narrative. I looked up at the bright, citrus-colored stripes of the balloon and felt an overwhelming sense of joy. The thrill of this ride, being next to Luke—it was all so incredible! I wanted to capture the moment forever.

  I was still staring at the balloon when I felt Luke’s gaze on me. He was smiling, and his eyes seemed to ignite with the reflection of the burner’s flame. I felt a smile spread across my face as our eyes met, and in that moment we seemed to communicate dozens of things without speaking a single word. Suddenly, we were sharing some kind of silent connection that I’d never experienced with anyone else. The sensation was so powerful I had to grab the rim of the basket for balance.

  All too soon, we were descending back to solid ground. We thanked the pilot and crew and began walking back toward the Suburban.

  Luke lingered for a moment, and when I turned back, I saw him hand the pilot a check along with what I could tell, even from where I was standing, was a generous tip.

  We all piled back into the Suburban, and everyone seemed to be on a high from the thrill of the ride. Becka and Britney continued their drama about how scary the whole “ordeal” had been, but I was too glad to have the attention off me to be annoyed.

  The drive passed quickly, and before I knew it, we had stopped at the curb outside my house.

  The guys had planned an early activity because the other girls had hair appointments and wanted plenty of time for their primping. My mom and Courtney were planning on helping me with my hair and makeup, so I had plenty of time to kill, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get started early anyway. Hopefully the better I looked tonight, the less people would feel sorry for Luke for getting stuck with me.

  Luke jumped out of the car and held the door open, taking my hand to help me down.

  “See you at six.” He flashed a smile and winked at me.

  “I’ll be ready.” I grinned back at him and tried to keep my voice steady; I was all too conscious of his hand still holding mine.

  After a few moments, he let go, and I walked quickly up the steps to the front door. What was this guy trying to do to me? If the simple touch of his hand had me in near paralysis, what was going to happen to me when his arms were around me at the dance?

  • • •

  “There now, just . . . about . . . perfect!” Mom finished fussing over the final curl and stood back to inspect her handiwork.

  “Oh, wow!” Courtney sighed. “Liza, you look gorgeous!” She grabbed the hand mirror off Mom’s dresser and gave it to me. “See for yourself.”

  I turned in the chair and held up the mirror so I could see the back of my head. “It looks awesome!” I squealed. Mom beamed, and Courtney clapped excitedly.

  I stood up and gave Mom a hug. “No, seriously, it’s completely beautiful!” She had twisted my hair up into a series of loose barrel rolls. A few strands of my hair curled into soft ringlets around my face. As a finishing touch, she’d interspersed a few sparkly rhinestones that dazzled as they caught the light.

  “Well, let’s make sure it’s going to hold—cover your eyes.”

  I placed a protective hand over my eyes as Mom sprayed what felt like a quart of hairspray onto my hair before finishing it off with a spritz of something that added extra shine. When she
was finished, I was sure not even a tornado could move this hairdo masterpiece!

  I walked over to the full-length mirror for a final inspection, twirling all the way around to make sure everything was satisfactory.

  Courtney giggled and talked animatedly about how pretty I looked, while Mom took pictures like a crazed paparazzo. I had to admit, staring at my reflection in the mirror, I truly felt like a princess! I was so grateful I’d decided to go with this dress; it was completely elegant.

  Mom had also done an excellent job applying my makeup. She knew some special tricks for accentuating the eyes, and I was almost startled by how attractive the effect was. For the first time, I felt like I was pretty enough to go out with the hottest guy in school. Butterflies filled my stomach as I looked at the clock and realized that Luke would be arriving any second.

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang downstairs. Courtney and Mom shrieked in delight and fled the room. I knew they wanted to be in the living room to see Luke’s expression when he first saw me in my dress. My heart began to race as I waited a few moments and then descended the staircase.

  As I entered the living room, I tried to keep my jaw from dropping open. Luke in a tuxedo was more handsome and dashing than any guy had a right to look! His eyes lit up, and a huge smile spread across his face when he saw me.

  “You look absolutely beautiful!” he said as he took a few steps forward, his eyes never leaving my face.

  My mom and Courtney were beaming, obviously ecstatic with his reaction. I was happily surprised to see my dad smiling at me too. Mom had warned him not to ruin my special evening, and it was a huge relief to see that he was being civil with Luke.

  “Here’s your corsage. I hope you like it.” Luke removed a delicate gardenia corsage from its plastic container and carefully slipped it over my wrist.

  I breathed in the flower’s delicate aroma and smiled. “It’s gorgeous; I love it!” Gardenias were now officially my new favorite flower.

  “I have a boutonniere for you too.” I turned toward the kitchen, but Courtney was one step ahead of me.

  “I’ll get it!” she chimed as she skipped to the fridge and returned with admirable speed.

  “Thanks, Court.” I smiled at her as I opened the box. It took me a few awkward moments to pin the white rose to Luke’s lapel, and we were both laughing by the time it was finally in place.

  “Okay, you two, I want to get a couple of pictures before you go,” Mom said.

  “You mean more than the hundred or so you’ve already taken?” I teased. She had been snapping photos almost the entire time, pausing only occasionally to comment about how nice we looked.

  “Oh, those were just candid shots. Come stand over here by the fireplace for a nice, posed picture.”

  I looked at Luke apologetically, but he was grinning.

  We humored her and posed for at least a dozen more pictures before I insisted that we’d better get going. I hugged each of my family members, and then Luke followed me out the door, pausing to tell my dad he’d have me home by midnight. I looked back in time to see Dad smile and nod in appreciation.

  Way to go, Luke! I was glad I’d told him my curfew ahead of time and extra glad that my parents had allowed me an additional hour for this special occasion. I didn’t want to be the only person who had to be home by eleven on prom night.

  As we walked out into the fragrant April evening, Luke stopped and looked at me again, shaking his head.

  “What I said before wasn’t right. You look more than beautiful—you’re radiant.”

  The look in his eyes made me blush, and I wanted desperately to believe him, but part of me still wondered if he was just being nice for Jason’s sake.

  “Thanks. You look really”—insanely handsome, painfully attractive, smokin’ hot!—“nice too.” It was a lame attempt at a compliment, but I couldn’t reveal how attracted I was to him.

  As we walked down the sidewalk, I noticed his Jeep parked at the curb and stopped short.

  “Is this our ride?”

  “Yeah, sorry it’s nothing fancy. Is that okay?” He looked nervous.

  “Of course, it’s perfect!” Suddenly I felt a little silly. “For some reason I was expecting that we’d all be riding in the Suburban together.”

  He smiled as he held the door open for me. “We decided it would take too long to go to each house and wait while everyone took pictures and stuff, so we’re all driving separately and meeting up at the restaurant.” He held out his hand to me and said, with a teasing look in his eyes, “Don’t worry. I know it’s not easy to ride alone in a car with a guy like me, but I promise I won’t bite.”

  My blush intensified at his words, and goose bumps raced up my arms at the sudden gleam I caught in his eyes. As was my habit, I tried to deflect attention from my embarrassment by changing the subject.

  “So, where are we going for dinner?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” He winked mysteriously and closed the door.

  My heart thrilled with the way he was flirting with me. As I watched him walk around to the driver’s side, I had to pinch myself to believe that this wasn’t a dream.

  We drove for a while, talking comfortably as if we were old friends. I found myself letting go of my worries and enjoying the flow of conversation. Luke seemed relaxed, and I noticed for the first time that he had a great sense of humor. I found myself laughing so much that I felt almost giddy!

  Why had I never noticed these things about him before? I’d always assumed he was quiet and unreachable because of his good looks, but sitting here beside me was a Luke I felt completely comfortable with—a Luke I knew I could be friends with.

  I enjoyed our conversation so much that I hadn’t paid attention to our whereabouts until Luke pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant nestled in a canyon just above Salt Lake City. I’d heard of this place before, and my mouth began watering as Luke opened the door for me and I caught a whiff of the food wafting over from the restaurant’s open door.

  “M’lady.” Luke bowed dramatically and reached for my hand to help me down from the Jeep. I giggled and accepted his hand gratefully. Getting in and out of a Jeep while wearing heels was no small feat, but I was glad he hadn’t tried to borrow a fancy sports car or rent a limo. I had a special fondness for his Jeep, and riding in it made me feel more comfortable somehow. Besides, sitting up higher meant he had to help me in and out, which gave me multiple opportunities to touch his hand.

  “Looks like the others are already here,” Luke commented as he glanced around the parking lot.

  I’d been hoping that we’d arrive before Britney and Becka so I wouldn’t have to endure their nasty looks when we walked in, but I guessed the sooner I faced the music, the better.

  “Have you eaten here before?” Luke’s question helped distract me from my worries.

  “No, but I’ve always wanted to. Just smelling the food is making me hungry!”

  He laughed. “You’re in for a treat. The food is awesome, but just wait until you see what they have for dessert.”

  “I can’t wait!” I had to keep my stomach muscles tight to prevent it from rumbling at the mere suggestion of dessert!

  A hostess led us into a large, elegant dining room lit with candles and encased almost entirely by windows. The view of the mountain scenery was breathtaking. I was so engrossed by the beauty of it all that I didn’t notice the rest of our group until Luke was pulling out a chair for me.

  “Glad you two could make it!” Danny teased.

  “How long have you guys been here?” Luke asked as he sat down beside me.

  “Only about an hour or so,” Joey said with an exaggerated look at his watch.

  Marina playfully swatted at his arm. “Don’t listen to them! We got here no more than fifteen minutes ago, and we just barely sat down.” She smiled at me. “Eliza, your dress is beautiful!”

  I beamed at her, enjoying the faint Spanish accent in her voice. “Thanks, I love your dress too! That
color is so pretty on you.”

  Marina wore a gown of buttery yellow satin that flattered her dark hair and olive skin tone. I silently counted my blessings that she and Joey were seated opposite us, thereby deflecting the sneers that were already coming my way from the two sour grapes at the end of our table. I’d risked a quick glance in Britney and Becka’s direction, but their faces were so full of mocking contempt that I quickly looked away again. It would be no use to compliment them on their dresses; their expressions had been so awful that I hadn’t even noticed what they were wearing.

  Dinner was indeed fantastic, and Luke and I ended up getting along so well with Joey and Marina that we spent most of the meal talking with them. When it was time for dessert, I was worried I hadn’t left enough room in my stomach—but one look at the decadent marble chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce told me that I’d find room or die trying!

  Luke and Joey laughed at Marina and me as we moaned, joking about how they would have to roll us out of the restaurant after all of the food we’d consumed. I laughed as well, but I was grateful to find that I’d shared enough of my dessert with Luke that I wasn’t painfully full when we stood up to leave.

  “Here, you better take my arm . . . just in case,” Luke teased, revealing the dimple in his cheek as he smiled.

  I was only too happy to oblige.

  “Thanks, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it.” I smiled back at him, ignoring the tingling in my legs that shot right up my spine as my arm entwined with his.

  We all headed to our individual cars and caravanned to the state capitol, where the dance was being held. The night already felt magical, but when I walked into the grand room of the capitol, I felt like a princess entering her first ball.

  The room was magnificently decorated, and the special lighting created an ambience of enchantment. Couples dressed in tuxedos and beautiful gowns were scattered all across the large dance floor. The whole sight was thrilling—my first prom!