“I was guessing that I’d probably just wear your old prom dress,” I said as I rummaged through my closet, looking for a different top to wear.
“Guess again,” Diane scowled at me. “You’re not wearing my dress! Forget about it!”
“Well, let’s go to the mall and check out the prom dresses. What do you think? Should I be in the fashion show?”
“I would.” Diane said. “Are you so sure Jeff is going to ask you to the prom?”
“Of course, silly!” I giggled. “Let’s go to the mall.”
Stepping out of my room, Diane said, “Sure, but first let’s get Mom to show you how to braid my hair.”
* * *
“I like this one!” I said as I pulled a very short red dress from the rack.
Diane laughed, “Yeah, right! As if Dad would let you go to the prom in a dress that short!” She studied the tag. “I don’t think you could sweet-talk Dad into paying that much either.”
I looked through a few more dresses on the rack along the wall of the dress store. I was about to suggest we go ahead and leave when I noticed a dress hanging near the counter. It was an absolutely gorgeous blue satin gown. That was the dress I wanted for prom!
“Diane!” I called. “Take a look at this!”
“That’s beautiful!” agreed Diane. She let out a low whistle. “Wow, this has to be the most expensive dress here! Don’t get your hopes up on this one, girl. You’ll never get Dad to buy it. Besides… look at it. You need boobs to wear this. And you don’t exactly have any boobs.”
Before I could respond, Mr. Watson, the salesman came up to us. It was the same one who had asked me to be a model a few weeks ago. “Good morning ladies! Is there anything I can help you with? That is a beautiful dress, isn’t it?”
“Most definitely!” I said, imagining me wearing it, dancing with Jeff.
“We also have the matching shoes and clutch” Mr. Watson added. “Which one of you young ladies will be going to prom this year?”
Diane laughed and pointed at me. “Her. I’m not in school anymore.”
Before Mr. Watson could say anything else, I asked, “Is it too late to sign up to be a model in your fashion show?”
Smiling, Mr. Watson replied, “No, of course not! But just barely. I think we only have a couple of slots left. Are you interested?”
I dug through my purse and pulled out the form, signed by Mom, and handed it to the salesman. “Great! I’d like to enter.”
He examined the form a moment. “We’re very happy to have you onboard Miss Davis. Some time before the fashion show, be sure to come by so we can get your measurements. We can do it now, if you like.”
Measurements?! I looked over at Diane who just smiled. “That’s okay. I’ll come back later. Right now, we have some place we need to go.”
“Not a problem.” As we turned to leave, Mr. Watson added, “Oh, by the way, you’ll be interested to know that the dress you liked so much is the dress we’re giving away!”
As we walked through the mall towards the movie theater, I asked Diane, “What do you think? Think Dad would buy me that prom dress?”
Diane barked a short laugh and rolled her eyes, “Yeah, right! Did you see the price? I had to practically get down on my knees and beg Dad for my dress, and it was only half that much. In fact, I actually did get down on my knees and begged!”
“Crap! I love that dress!” I squealed.
Diane laughed, “Listen to you! Carrying on about a dress!” She shook her head as she continued to laugh.
We stopped at the doors to the movie theater. We could see Gwen wiping down the counter. Diane rapped on the glass to get Gwen’s attention. She waved to us as she set down the rag she was using and then walked over to unlock the doors to let us in.
Diane and Gwen hugged as Gwen said, “Hey girl! Did you have a good Christmas?”
Smiling, Diane said, “Best Christmas I’ve had in years! It was good to be back home.”
Turning to me, Gwen said, “And Eddie was in town for a couple of days, but he’s already gone back to college.”
Personally, I hoped whatever transportation he used would crash and burn. I frowned, “Why didn’t he say hello?”
Gwen just shrugged. “He did say he hasn’t forgotten about the twenty dollars he still owes you for something.”
“Twenty?! That rat bast… that jerk owes me fifty dollars! Oh! If I ever get my hands on him, I’ll... I’ll…”
Diane laughed and said, “I think I know why he didn’t say ‘hello’.”
While I fumed, Diane and Gwen chatted for several minutes about their old college days, ex boyfriends and the like. When there was finally a lull I said to Gwen, “Hey Gwen, I was wondering if I could come back to work, now that the holidays are almost over.” All that was left was to get through New Years.
“Sure thing, Monster. I could use you tomorrow evening around six o’clock.”
“Tomorrow?” I protested. “But Jeff’s supposed to be back tomorrow!”
To Diane, Gwen said, “Do you believe this little princess sister of yours? If she wasn’t your sister and if I didn’t feel so guilty about being the one that started her down the path to womanhood, I’d tell her to get lost and not come back!”
Diane laughed, “Shit, Gwen! Don’t feel guilty! I like her better this way!”
Gwen shook her head. “Even though it was Eddie’s idea at first, she’s still my little creation. I feel like I messed up her whole life.”
“Don’t be silly!” I exclaimed. “I like myself better this way too!”
Folding her arms and shaking her head again, Gwen said, “No, no. If I hadn’t done such a good job at making you look like such a cute girl, if you had been humiliated instead, you wouldn’t have allowed them to talk you into being a cheerleader. Instead of standing here wearing make-up and your hair in braids, and ogling prom dresses, you’d be home playing some deathmatch with your geeky buddies.”
She was mostly right. If my life hadn’t changed, I’d be either at home on-line or at a LAN party at someone else’s house, blasting away at my friends. My priorities had definitely changed.
Frowning, I said quietly, “Look, Gwen. I just started feeling good about being a girl. Please don’t try to make me feel bad about it. Not only do I not blame, you, I should probably thank you.”
Gwen let out a short laugh. “Well, don’t go thanking me yet. You might still regret trying to be a girl.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, “Would your highness grace my presence Sunday evening?”
“Sunday! But that’s…” I started to protest. Gwen’s withering stare cut me short. “… that’s… uh… perfect!”
* * *
It was starting to become late afternoon with the fading rays of Saturday’s sunlight slanting through living room windows. I was sprawled out on the couch, thumbing through a few teen magazines when the doorbell suddenly rang.
“I’ll get it!” I called to Mom who was back in the kitchen. I opened the door, and then just stood there, frozen. “Oh my God!” I squealed. “Jeff!!” I threw my arms around his neck as I lunged myself toward him.
Jeff laid one hand on my hip as he held the back of my head with the other and drew my face closer to his. “Hey babe!” he said with a huge grin. And then unnecessarily, he added, “I’m back.” Suddenly, his lips were pressed hard against mine. I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck.
It was as if I hadn’t seen him in years. I had to force myself to come up for air as Jeff held me tight and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. My heart raced; I couldn’t stop touching him, kissing him. After a few minutes, I put my head on his shoulder, held him tight against me and cried.
Jeff returned the hug and whispered in my ear, “Miss me?”
I pulled away to look into his eyes. I tried to wipe my own eyes to try to keep my mascara from running down my face. “Oh yes! I missed you so much!” I blubbered. I was quickly becoming a total wreck. I hugged him again and sta
rted crying uncontrollably.
Jeff disengaged me slightly and asked, “Can I come inside? It’s kinda cold out here.”
Mom came from out of the kitchen as we came back into the house. “Mom!” I shouted, “Look who’s back!”
Mom hurried out to give Jeff a hug. “Welcome back, Jeff. Did you have a good holiday?”
“Thank you Mrs. Davis. I had a good holiday, but I really missed Chrissy. I missed her a lot!” said Jeff earnestly.
Coming into the living room from the hallway, Diane said, “What’s all the commotion?”
Jeff did a double-take, glancing to Diane and then to me and back.
“Diane, I want you to meet Jeff!” I said, grinning from ear to ear.
Raising her eyebrows, Diane said slowly, “Sooo… this is Jeff. I’ve heard so much about you.” She looked Jeff up and down. “Chrissy has been holding out on me.” She offered her hand and Jeff shook it.
Unnecessarily, I said, “Jeff, this is my sister Diane.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Diane. I’ve heard a lot about you too!” Jeff looked over to me, winked, and added, “But I don’t see any horns and a long pointed tail.”
Feigning insult, Diane said, “Well, we might not have gotten along well in the past now, I couldn’t be happier that she’s my sister.”
Mom piped up with, “Have you eaten, Jeff? Would you like to join us?”
Looking disappointed, Jeff said, “Thank you, Mrs. Davis, but we got something to eat on the way in. I really need to go right now, but…” he paused for a moment and just stared at me.
“But what, Jeff?” I asked.
“Later this evening would you like to go with me to Harvey’s for their New Years Eve party?”
Just hearing his voice sent an electric charge through my body. “Oh yes! I’d love to!” I squealed.
“Great!” Jeff grinned. “They won’t open tonight until about nine, so I’ll come get you around then.”
I kissed Jeff again, running my fingers through his hair.
Diane knitted her eyebrows and said with fake disgust, “Please stop, guys. This is embarrassing!”
* * *
Harvey’s was already jumping when Jeff maneuvered his car into the parking lot. It took a minute or two to find an empty spot. Jeff took my hand and I nuzzled against him as we wound our way through the parked cars to enter Harvey’s.
It was loud. We had to yell to hear each other over the live band. They were going to have three bands rotate throughout the evening. I hoped my ears wouldn’t explode.
We headed straight out to the crowded dance floor. It seemed as if everyone in Harvey’s was dancing or at least trying to. I used to hate dancing and I was never very good at it anyway. But here I was, dancing away in a very short dress and heels and loving every second. Jeff was pretty good despite his leg injury.
I would mostly just keep my eyes on Jeff while we danced, but I took a few moments to glance around the room. It was kind of dark with lots of colored flashing lights, so it was hard to see anyone in particular. I think every kid in town was here tonight.
The band finally played a slow song. Jeff held me close as we slow danced. I looked intently at him while we danced, drinking him in. I hadn’t realized just how much I had missed him, how much I was in love with him.
Jeff smiled at me, “You are absolutely gorgeous! I can’t tell you how much I missed you, babe!” He bent his head down and kissed me.
“I missed you so much too!” I laid my head down on his shoulder.
We danced hugging each other until the song ended. When the music stopped, I looked up into Jeff’s face and his lips were suddenly pressed against mine. Our tongues pressed against each other and he held me tighter. Oh how I didn’t want this moment to end! It was during this embrace, this kiss, that I completely and totally surrendered to wanting to spend the rest of my life with Jeff.
The band cranked back up with a loud, fast song. Jeff practically yelled into my ear, “Let’s find a place to sit down. I need a break!”
It took a minute, but we found a table with a few empty seats that weren’t being held for someone else. As I sat down, Jeff said he was going to get us something to drink. This being Harvey’s, any drink here meant a soft drink or a shake.
Our seats were on a raised floor, and we had a great view of the dance floor. I started looking around to see if there was anyone I knew. I spotted Brandi and Stephanie dancing with their boyfriends. Mandy was sitting across the room, talking to a guy I don’t remember seeing before. I continued to scan the gyrating bodies on the dance floor until my eyes landed on one couple and there my gaze stopped, frozen. I couldn’t believe it! It was Dani, and she was dancing with a guy I recognized from the football team. Was she crazy?
Jeff set my soda down in front of me and looked off in the general direction I was staring. “What are you looking at?”
I blinked a couple of times and shook my head. “Oh, nothing. I just saw something that surprised me.”
Jeff took another look, shrugged, and then took my hand and grinned, “You’re beautiful!”
A tingling shot through me as I looked at his hand holding mine. I think he could recite the dictionary and I’d sit there in total rapture. I squeezed his hand, “I love you, Jeff. I love you so much!” I pulled his hand up to my face and rubbed my cheek against it.
We sat there, holding each other’s hands and staring into each other’s eyes until the song ended. I noticed Dani heading towards the girl’s room.
“Honey, I need to go the girl’s room for a minute. I’ll be right back.” I didn’t wait for Jeff’s response before I was already getting out of my chair.
“Sure, babe. I’ll be right here.”
I worked my way across the dance floor to the women’s rest room. When I entered, I saw Dani standing in front of the mirror, checking her make-up. There were a couple of other girls primping in front of the mirror as well. A quick scan of the stalls let me know one was occupied. I was hoping we’d be alone.
Dani saw me approach and turned from the mirror to give me a quick hug. “Chrissy! It’s so good to see you. Is this a great night or what?”
I pulled Dani to one side and whispered in her ear, “Dani! What are you doing? Are you nuts? I saw you dancing with that Rick What’s-his-name from the football team. What do you think you’re doing?”
Looking indignant, Dani whispered back, “I’m trying to have some fun, that’s what. I just came up here to hang out. Rick was the third boy to ask me to dance. Isn’t that cool?”
“Dani, if those boys find out who you are… I… I just don’t want you to get hurt,” I said sincerely concerned.
Dani shook her head. “Relax, Chrissy. Those boys didn’t have anyone else to dance with. We’re just having fun. Chill, girl!”
Maybe she’s right, I thought. Maybe I’m overreacting. It’s just that, for some reason, I was suddenly feeling protective of her. To her I said, “Okay. Just be careful. I know how easy it is to get carried away.”
She sighed, “I just wish you could know what’s it like for someone like me who wants to dress and look like you but can’t, just because I was born a boy. You can’t know how frustrating that is!” Her voice almost rose above a whisper. I hoped the other girls couldn’t hear.
“I can understand the frustration,” I sighed. I wondered if there would ever be a true boy-girl relationship between Jeff and me.
She gave my hand a squeeze and said, “Well, I want to go have some fun. I’m having a blast, but I’m not stupid. Don’t worry about me!” She let go of my hand and left. I stood there and watched the restroom door slowly close hoping Dani wouldn’t let herself get carried away.
Jeff was looking bored when I arrived back at the table. “Hey babe! Glad you were able to find your way back!”
I stuck my tongue out at him as I sat down. I took a sip of my soda, and then said, “I met an old friend while in the little girls’ room. We just chatted for a minute.”
* * *
It was a few minutes before midnight, the band was playing a slow, romantic ballad and the house lights had been turned down. As we danced, Jeff was holding me close and I had my head on his shoulder. I was in heaven. Feeling all dreamy, I looked back up at Jeff and he kissed me. It was a long, hard, passionate kiss and he held me even tighter. He pushed himself against me and I felt a bulge in his pants.
I let my hand slide down to the bulge and pushed against it. Jeff groaned and probed my mouth with his tongue. The dance floor was crowded and darkened, so I hoped no one could see me rubbing Jeff’s crotch.
Jeff pulled away from the kiss and whispered into my ear, “Oh babe! I want you so bad. I want you now.”
I started to whisper back when the lights suddenly went back to bright and the band’s singer yelled out, “Happy New Year, everybody!” I quickly moved my hand back to Jeff’s shoulder as he kissed me again.
* * *
I wasn’t really paying attention and so it didn’t dawn on me at first that we weren’t headed back to my house. We were headed out of town.
“Jeff, where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see. I can’t believe your parents would actually expect you back early on New Year’s Eve.”
“You don’t know my dad! And it’s not really New Years Eve anymore.”
Jeff turned the car off the pavement onto a dirt road. In the moonlight, I recognized the road. He was taking me to Springer Lake.
After a few minutes of driving, Jeff pulled up near the water’s edge. The trees looked kind of creepy with no leaves, but the moon’s reflection on the water and the bright stars overhead still made for a romantic setting. Ours wasn’t the only car parked along the lake.
I snuggled close to Jeff and looked at the bright, cold stars. It was a beautiful night. I wished it wasn’t so cold outside so we could stroll by the water’s edge. Jeff stroked my hair. After a few minutes we began to kiss. Short, soft kisses at first. With each kiss I could feel the passion well up inside the car.
The Reluctant Prom Date (The Reluctant Series Book 4) Page 3