“Oh, come on. Look at you, all red-faced.” Lisa turned in the chair, staring at Maggie. “Don’t tell me you still haven’t done the dirty deed.” She laughed, throwing up her hands, showing off her fire-engine-red press-on nails.
Maggie turned away, pulling her new black dress out of the closet. “That’s none of your business.”
Lisa cackled. “Oh, Mags, you’re such a prude. If your rich boy isn’t up to it, I could point you in the direction of some guys—”
Maggie grabbed her new black bra and bikini panties and her black heels from the top of her cluttered dresser. She didn’t want to hear what her sister had to say. Not only was Lisa embarrassing her, she was making her angry. What she and Jarrett did was out of love, but somehow Lisa made it sound dirty and degrading.
“Hey, where are you going?” Lisa dropped her cigarette butt into a soda can.
“The bathroom, where I can dress in peace.” Maggie flounced off. Behind her, she could hear Lisa laughing as she slammed the bathroom door.
Jarrett picked Maggie up in front of the house on Ivy Drive at precisely six. It was dark and cold out, with a half moon shining bright. It had just begun to snow, the powdery flakes falling lightly.
“Hey,” Jarrett called to her as he leaned across the passenger seat and pushed open the door. “I told you I’d come in to get you. It’s too cold out for you to be waiting for me.”
Maggie slipped into the seat beside him, his gifts in her arms. She pressed her mouth to his, silencing him. “We’ve been over this. I don’t want them near you.”
Jarrett groaned as their lips parted. “Maggie, we’ve been dating seven months. Don’t you think I should at least meet your father and sister?”
“They’re as bad as my mother. My sister’s worse. I don’t want them to spoil anything. I’ve told you that a million times, so let’s not talk about it, please?”
“All right, all right. I won’t bring it up again. Tonight.”
Maggie closed the car door and reached for her seat belt. Only then did she realize Jarrett was wearing a tux. “Pretty fancy,” she teased as he pulled away from the curb.
“Like it?” He gave her his best debonair James Bond look. “My mom bought it for me to wear to my cousin Henry’s wedding last year.”
She rubbed the sleeve of the black jacket. “I love it! So where are we going all spiffed up?”
“It’s a surprise.” He reached out and draped his arm around her shoulder, hugging her.
Maggie shivered with pleasure at his touch. No matter how often he touched her these days, it was never enough. “I can’t wait.”
For the next twenty minutes they chatted about his finals coming up, her part in the Christmas play at Belltown High, what they were going to do during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. They laughed and held hands, truly happy to be together again. In her excitement, Maggie paid no attention to where they were going until Jarrett pulled into a driveway between two white iron gates. Ahead loomed the McKays’ sprawling white house with its massive white columns. It reminded Maggie of Tara in Gone With the Wind.
She glanced at him. “You forget something?”
Jarrett grinned as he maneuvered the red car down the snowy driveway. “Nope.”
Maggie rubbed at the frosted window so she could see out. The three-story Greek Revival-style house was strangely dark. She looked at Jarrett. “Nobody’s home?”
“Nope.” He wheeled around the circular drive and stopped in front of the pillared porch. “That’s the surprise. Mom and Dad went skiing in Vail.” He pulled the emergency brake. “Won’t be home until Christmas morning. Three days.” He jumped out of the car and ran around to the passenger’s side to help her.
Maggie pushed the gifts into his arms and climbed out, a little unsteady in her heels in the slick snow. “You’ve got the house to yourself for three days? Wow.”
“We’ve got the house all to ourselves.” On the top step, Jarrett stopped and pulled Maggie against him with his free hand. Their mouths met and the moment her lips touched his, she realized what this meant. They could be alone together. They could be here alone and undisturbed to do what they wanted, whatever that might be . . .
Suddenly Maggie was giddy with apprehensive excitement. She stepped away from Jarrett and hurried toward the front door. “Come on. I’m cold.”
Using his key, he let them in and closed the door behind them, locking it. In the darkness, Maggie heard him drop the gifts on the mahogany table in the entryway and come toward her. She giggled nervously as he reached for her, touching her breast with his fingertips before he caught her.
“Oh, Maggie, I’ve missed you so much.” He kissed her harder this time.
Maggie let him push her against the door as she wrapped her arms around his neck, parting her lips. It felt so good. He made her feel wanted. He made her feel grown-up.
When the kiss ended, Jarrett hung on to Maggie, hugging her. “I really have missed you,” he whispered. “I’m not just saying that.”
She stroked his back. “I’ve missed you, too, Jarrett.”
“Now, want to see my surprise?” He flipped on the light switch. The room was filled with light from the crystal chandelier.
Maggie squinted in the brightness. “Sure.”
He grabbed her hand, leading her through the maze of rooms. With only three people living in the house— Jarrett’s older brother had already started med school—Maggie had never understood the McKays’ need for a six-bedroom, four-bath house, but a lot of things Jarrett’s parents did didn’t make sense to her.
When they reached the dining room, Jarrett flipped on another light. The cherry table with seating for twelve was set at one end for a formal dinner, complete with a white tablecloth. Two white china plates with gold trim had been laid out. There were fluted wine and water glasses and enough gold-plated silverware at each place setting to feed an army.
Maggie walked to the far end of the dining room and picked up one of the white linen napkins. It had been folded into a swan. She turned to Jarrett, holding up the napkin by the bottom and its delicate white neck. She was touched. Jarrett did love her, really loved her. A man didn’t make napkins into swans for just anyone. She looked at him. “You did this?”
“Yup.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and suddenly didn’t seem so sure of himself, tux or no tux. “It wasn’t that hard. My mom has this book. She does that kind of dumb stuff for dinner parties all the time.”
Maggie couldn’t stop smiling. “The table looks beautiful. You did a great job. Are we having burgers?”
“Nope. Only the best for my Maggie.” He crossed the hardwood floor, again the confident Jarrett she knew as he pulled out a chair for her. “You wait right here. I’ll be your server this evening, mademoiselle.”
A moment later he appeared through the swinging kitchen door with two glasses of chilled shrimp cocktail and a bottle of wine.
“Shrimp?” She almost squealed with delight. Jarrett knew how much she liked seafood.
“Shrimp for our appetizer, with a fine dry Chardonnay out of Dad’s wine cellar.”
Her eyes grew round. “You stole wine from your dad?”
“He’ll never miss it.” He set the fragile glass-stemmed bowl in the center of her dinner plate. “And for our entree, there’s filet of sole with broccoli spears and a twice-baked potato.” He poured them both a glass of wine and then took the chair at the head of the table.
“I can’t believe you did all this.” Maggie squeezed his hand as she dipped the first shrimp into cocktail sauce and took a bite.
“Because I love you,” he answered, smiling. “Because I wanted our first Christmas together to be memorable.”
They shared the splendid dinner Jarrett had orchestrated, laughing and talking. They opened a second bottle of wine. Then, without bothering to clear away the dishes, he swept her into the music room, where he told her that, as a child, he was forced to practice the piano every day. Within minute
s, Jarrett had a fire blazing in the granite fireplace and music wafting from hidden speakers in the walls. He took her wineglass from her hand and set it on the mantel.
“May I have this dance?” He held his hand out to her and Maggie accepted it.
“Wait,” she whispered. “I’ll trip after all the wine.” She kicked off her high heels, tossing them into the air so that they hit the polished hardwood floor and slid under the upholstered Chippendale settee.
Jarrett tucked her into his arms and they slow-danced. They kissed. They touched. It was the most magical night Maggie had ever experienced.
“Enjoy your dinner?” Jarrett kissed her temple as he swayed to the music. He was an excellent dancer, but then he excelled at anything he did.
“Wonderful,” Maggie breathed. It felt so good to have his arms around her. She felt so safe and confident. Jarrett made her feel as if she could do anything. Maybe his self-confidence was wearing off on her.
Their bodies moved to the music, hip against hip, his hands grazing over the tight black dress to caress her back.
When Maggie lifted her chin to kiss Jarrett, there was an urgency in his touch, an urgency that spread to her as their tongues met and twisted.
“I love you, Maggie,” he whispered. “I’ll love you forever.”
“You don’t have to say these things. You don’t have to make promises—”
“But I want to.” He grabbed her shoulders and leaned back to look into her eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, and I want to make promises. I want to promise I’ll always love you. I want to promise that when you’re ready, I’ll marry you.”
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Maggie knew all the arguments. She could hear her mother’s voice. You’re both too young. It’s puppy love. He’s just trying to rebel against his parents. But none of that changed how Maggie felt in her heart. None of that changed the fact Jarrett felt the same way.
“So will you? Marry me?”
“Oh, Jarrett, I will marry you.”
“You think you’ll still want me after you become a famous doctor?”
She lifted up on her toes to press her mouth to his. “I’ll always want you, Jarrett.” Her voice was trembling. Did he realize what she was saying?
He took her hand and led her out of the music room, up the winding grand staircase as wide as Maggie’s kitchen, and down the hallway toward the bedrooms.
“My room or one of the others?” Jarrett asked, stopping on the plush beige carpet.
“Yours.” She rested her hand on his broad shoulders and kissed him with a longing she hadn’t realized had existed inside her until this moment.
To heck with waiting for marriage, Maggie thought as Jarrett led her into his bedroom. We may never marry. So many things could happen. There’s so much against our making this work.
But as she sat down on the edge of the single bed beside Jarrett, she realized she would never love a man as much as she loved this man. She wanted to give him something special, something that was hers to give to a man only once in her lifetime.
As Maggie and Jarrett began to make love, there was nothing awkward about their caresses. There was only inexperience.
Jarrett kissed her again and again until she melted into the softness of his down quilt, trembling in anticipation. She helped him take off his tux coat and bow tie. He unzipped her dress, kissing the length of her back as he drew the zipper down.
Maggie unbuttoned the gold studs of his white ruffled shirt one button at a time, feeling his warm skin under her palm.
The room was semi-dark, with only the hall light to illuminate the bed. She watched his facial expressions change, awed she could bring such a response from him.
As Jarrett unhooked her black bra, she shivered as much from desire as the coolness of the air.
“Maggie, Maggie,” he whispered. They rolled on the bed, touching, exploring. Every kiss seemed right to Maggie, every caress.
Finally she helped him remove her panties. Jarrett slipped out of his black trousers, then his briefs. As he slipped under the sheet beside her, she laid back, her head on his pillow.
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he whispered in her ear, rolling over until his body covered hers. “We could just hold each other.”
Maggie moved against him. It was instinct. Her breaths came short and shallow. Sweat beaded above her upper lip. “I want to,” she whispered. “I’ve wanted to for months.”
Jarrett kissed her again gently on her bare shoulder. “All right, but if you want to stop, you tell me.”
She smiled at his words, knowing he meant what he said . . . knowing she could trust him.
It was over pretty quickly. She heard him groan and then he went slack, dropping his full weight on top of her. He rolled off her and onto the bed, his face covered with a thin sheen of sweat. He slipped out of the bed and went to the bathroom, coming back a minute later.
Jarrett lifted the sheet and slid into the single bed beside her. He pulled her into his arms. For the first time, Maggie felt awkward. Her heart was still racing. Jarrett kissed her temple and lay back against the pillow.
Maggie stroked the slippery pillowcase. “Satin sheets? Pretty fancy. If I didn’t know better, Jarrett McKay, I’d think you planned the evening to lead to this.”
She saw his grin in the darkness. “Well . . .”
“Yes?”
“I...I admit I was hoping.”
She laughed. She didn’t mind. It was what they had both wanted. “It’s okay,” she whispered, kissing him. “I do love you, Jarrett. And I will marry you.”
He propped himself up on his elbow so they were facing each other, their young, naked bodies pressing together. “So it’s official. We’re engaged.” Then he paused. “But I don’t think we should say anything to anyone yet. They wouldn’t understand. Especially with me going to school in Spain next year.”
She was trying not to think about his year abroad. It had been arranged before they started dating. Even though he said he’d cancel the trip, Maggie thought it was important that he go. “I agree. We won’t tell anyone. My mom would have a cow.”
He grinned. “Mine would, too.”
Maggie looked into his deep blue eyes, lost in his love. “But we won’t let them come between us, will we? Not them, not Spain.”
“Nothing could come between us, Maggie,” Jarrett answered sincerely, “because I love you and you love me. That’s all that matters.”
They kissed again, sealing their promise. Maggie pulled back and looked at him, her eyes filled with mischief. “So, want to try it again?”
Jarrett fell back onto the pillow, pulling her into his arms, and their laughter mingled until it was a single voice.
~~~
Five Months Later
Jarrett tipped his head back and chugged his fifth beer. He missed Maggie. The party wasn’t any fun without her, even if it was in his honor. All his friends from Belltown were giving him this going away party. Next week he’d be headed off for a tour of Europe and then on to Spain, where he’d be meeting his host family in Madrid.
Maggie hadn’t been able to come to his party here at the sandpits, where he and his friends had hung out when they were still in high school. Somehow her mom had found out about it and she’d been forbidden to go. “Dangerous,” Maggie had imitated her mom over the phone. “Beer. Boys. Girls. Nothing but trouble. Somebody will drown. The cops’ll show up. That or you’ll get knocked up.”
Jarrett and Maggie had laughed at the last statement. They’d been so careful since Christmas. He always used condoms and they’d even talked about her getting on the pill just to be extra cautious—not that he wouldn’t want their baby if she got pregnant. Not that he wouldn’t take care of them, marry her and be the father of their child. But Jarrett didn’t want anything getting in the way of her becoming a doctor. She wanted it too much. He wanted it for her.
In the end, they’d decided since he’d be gon
e almost a whole year, only returning for Christmas, they would go ahead with the condoms and she’d start taking the pill when he came home for good.
Jarrett took the last swallow of his beer and tossed the empty bottle into the back of Zack’s red pickup. Somebody pushed another into his hand.
Hard rock blared from a boom box on the roof of Zack’s truck. He watched with detached interest as some girl dancing on the edge of the sandpit fell in, screaming as she went over the side into the water. Several guys standing around sucking down beers laughed and clapped their hands. Some jumped in with her.
“So what do you think of your party?” Zack whacked him on the back. Even in the dim moonlight, Jarrett could tell his friend was wasted.
Jarrett nodded, leaning on the fender of the pickup “Not bad.” He glanced behind him. “So where’d the girls come from? Friends of yours?” The carload had pulled up about half an hour ago. They were rough looking, with dyed hair. Some were tattooed. All of them were wearing short cutoffs and skintight tees that showed off more than they covered. Party girls.
“Nah.” Zack sipped his beer. “Crashers.” He shrugged. “But why not? They brought more beer and we might get lucky, right?” He elbowed Jarrett.
Jarrett grinned with Zack, but the thought of being with a girl other than Maggie didn’t appeal to him. He loved her. He’d made a commitment for the rest of his life, he hoped. He didn't want to have sex with anyone else.
“I thought you and Jill were getting serious,” Jarrett said.
“Yeah, we are. Or, rather, she is.”
“And she doesn’t mind your messing around?”
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