“I’m sorry Franci.”
Francine looked away from Jake for a second, not hiding her frustration. Jake watched her, and bit his lower lip. Jake was expecting Francine to become angry with him, and supposed she had every right to be; she had done all this to make him happy, and he could not respond as she had wanted. Francine looked at him, and began to smile, to Jake’s relief.
“That’s okay, I understand,” Francine said quietly, with a sad smile. Jake and Francine remained together in the water for a while longer, just looking at each other. Jake, in spite of himself, was very grateful for the attention Francine had given him today, and reached out, and stroked her face. He looked at her with a pained smile, inferring he needed more time to think. Francine knew Jake was thinking about Amy, but she wanted to get her out of her mind. She wanted to highlight how today was a great day, if not exactly for Jake, but for her.
“Hope I’ve made your day a bit better, ’cause you’ve been through so much these past few weeks.”
Jake nodded in harmony with Francine, and watched her solemnly.
“Thanks Franci, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re right saying I’ve been acting like I’m sorry for myself, and forgetting what fun’s all about.”
Francine smiled at him soberly.
“I hope I’ve reminded you what fun’s all about.”
“You have Franci – thanks,” Jake said, smiling at her with gratitude.
“You’re welcome,” Francine replied, watching him carefully. After a few serene moments with Jake, Francine climbed out of the pool’s stairs, and Jake watched her as she went to the changing rooms. He took a deep breath, confused by all that occurred today with Francine, and emerged out of the pool, going under the outdoor shower. Jake quickly washed himself, energized by the soothing jets of water on his body, and, satisfied with his shower, turned off the faucet. He had kept a bath robe and slippers close by in case he felt like taking a dip, and quickly put these on.
Jake reflected upon Francine, undecided about her, and what she actually meant to him. He experienced intrusive thoughts of Amy again running through his mind, and found he missed her a lot. To Jake it seemed as if, though, Amy had moved on, and Chad was now the one she wanted.
Francine, on the other hand, felt wonderful after her swim with Jake. She sighed, remembering how they connected so well, and almost kissed. Francine believed she could have a future with Jake after today’s events, and was getting closer to him. After having a quick shower, and drying her hair, Francine dressed, and came out of the changing quarters. She found Jake dressed, and seated on his Adirondack chair.
“Thanks for everything today Franci — I had a really great time. Hope you had the same,” Jake said, watching her warmly.
Francine said nothing for a moment, and smiled shyly at him.
“Thank you,” Francine emphasized, bending over to give Jake a kiss on the cheek, to which he became a little embarrassed. With this, there was another silence between Jake and Francine, and they looked at each other, though each with different thoughts on their minds. Jake arose abruptly from his chair, and they went together through the lounge room, and to the front door. “Bye Jake,” Francine said gently, as she moved towards the front door, clutching the door knob.
“Bye Franci,” he replied, as she softly closed the door behind her.
After Francine had left, Jake stood silent for a moment. He thought about how close he and Francine were to kissing today, and that it was not such a bad thing for him. On the other hand, it did not feel totally right for him to do this — for that split second he was confused, and thought he was with Amy. He really wanted to be for Francine what she wanted, but just could not bring himself to. In a state of despair, Jake progressed outside to the patio, and sat on the deck chair, leaning heavily back into it.
“It could’ve been us here Amy, it could’ve have been us,” Jake said, shaking his head. He still could not understand Amy’s actions, as she had dumped him so suddenly, and without any real explanation. On the spur, Jake decided he wanted to swim some more today, as the water was so good before, and got up from his chair, opening his bath robe. Jake dropped it on the deck chair, and left his slippers pool side, keenly diving back into the water.
Francine was outside of Jake’s front door, dreamily leaning against it. She felt spectacular after her time with Jake, and her spirit was higher than ever before. Even though Francine did not receive exactly what she wanted today from Jake, this did not matter to her at all — she would wait as long as possible for Jake to forget Amy. With a misty look in her eyes, and heart pounding more than usual, Francine said,
“Gimme some more time Jake — I’ll make you love me, you’ll see.”
* * * *
It was late in the afternoon the same day, and Amy was at home, sitting quietly at her desk, doing her homework. It had been a demanding few weeks since her spat with Jake, and, like him, she had been studying more than ever before. Amy had in mind her upcoming exams, and was using this as an excuse to escape her worries.
She was doing her History homework, and flipped open her course book to look for some information. After several attempts, Amy could not find what she wanted, and tried several other pages. Still unable to locate what she was seeking, Amy slammed the book shut in frustration, and banged it on the desk. Amy’s thoughts, though, soon wandered over to Jake, and she tried to concentrate even more on her studies by opening yet another schoolbook. This was of no help to her and, in irritation, Amy closed her book, and went downstairs to the lounge room.
Amy turned on the TV, and sat on the sofa. She eagerly grabbed the remote control from the coffee table, and did some channel surfing. For Amy lately, watching TV was the only way she could unwind, and temporarily forget about Jake. After flipping through some channels Amy decided to try the Classic Movie channel, which she loved. She began to watch a comedy about a newly-married couple at their wedding reception, and how they have an argument, which ends with the entire wedding party and guests having a food fight. Amy laughed at a few of the gags in the film, and felt a little better. She was beginning, at long last, to forget about Jake when she heard the doorbell ring.
“Who could that be?” she said, her head spinning towards the doorway. Amy sprang instantly to her feet, and was a little tense. She was worried it might be Jake, and Amy promptly walked over to the door, and looked through the peephole. Amy was very relieved, though, to see who had actually come to visit her, and quickly opened the door.
“Hi Chad!” she said. “What a surprise!”
“Hi Amy!” he responded, his face full of happiness. Amy noticed Chad was carrying a large, red, heat-insulated bag, and this sparked her curiosity. Aside from this, something else made an impression on Amy — she noticed an assortment of luscious aromas began to fill the air with ever increasing speed. She could sense the familiar flavors of pepperoni, tomatoes, and pineapple, for starters, wafting through her nostrils, and it was a thoroughly delicious sensation for her. Chad saw Amy was looking at what he brought with much interest, and this made him content.
“Thought I’d give you a rest today, so I brought some food so we can have a late afternoon lunch together,” he offered, with a wide smile. “All good cooks deserve a rest sometimes.”
Amy was surprised at Chad’s offer, to say the least, but felt maybe this was just what she needed to brighten up her boring day. Chad knew Amy loved to cook, and sharing her love of food was a way he could make her like him even more.
“Thanks Chad, come in.”
“Thanks,” he replied, with a wide smile, and walked into Amy’s lounge room. Chad waited for her as she closed the front door.
“Let’s go to the kitchen,” she said.
“Okay,” Chad replied.
Amy went into the kitchen to prepare the table for their meal. Chad was still in her lounge room, and looked at what he brought with him. He smiled deviously and, looking over at the kitchen, whispered to himsel
f,
“I can hardly wait for what’s coming next Amy — bet you’ll never forget it.” Chad’s ponderings were interrupted by Amy, who was still in the kitchen.
“Chad, where are you?”
“I’m coming, just watching the movie,” Chad said, as he entered the kitchen. After washing his hands, Chad helped Amy organize the table, and they took out some plates, and cups with which to drink. Chad removed the meals from the bag, and laid them on the table. Amy smiled at him as he did this, pleased with what Chad was doing for her.
After setting the table, Amy and Chad finally sat down to eat. To Amy’s amazement, Chad had brought a wonderful assortment of food, such as different flavors of pizza, lasagna and luscious cookies. Amy marveled at all the food Chad had brought with him, and looked at him in appreciation.
“What’re we waiting for? Let’s dig in,” Chad said, sensing that Amy wanted him to make the first move. Chad avidly grabbed a piece of Hawaiian pizza, and Amy, in turn, sampled the barbeque pizza. They oohed and aahed between bites, enjoying their various meals, and smiled at each other.
“Thanks for this,” Amy said enthusiastically, taking a large bite from her barbeque pizza.
“For what?” Chad asked.
“For all this,” Amy said, pointing to all the food he brought, “and for you being you,” she said. Chad smiled at Amy, in between bites of the delicious pizza.
“You’re welcome,” he said, emitting a wide smile to Amy. He had finished his pizza slice in record time, and was going for another piece.
“This stuff’s yummy, where’d you get it from?” Amy asked. She took another slice of the pizza, and found its cheesy, spicy taste totally irresistible.
“From a shop further down that has European food. The place that’s always packed on Saturdays, with people lining up everywhere,” he said, getting some melted mozzarella cheese on his chin, but scooping it off, and into his mouth.
“Yeah, I know the one. It always has great stuff,” she said, in between samplings of different pizzas. Amy stopped eating for a moment, thinking of her mood for the past couple of weeks, and grateful for Chad’s patience with her. “Thanks for everything you’ve brought today, and what you’ve done for me lately. I hope I’m good company today.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, shaking his head.
“I hope I’ll be good company for you today,” she stated matter-of-factly.
Chad rolled his eyes at Amy, and wanted to respond, but just had to swallow yet another bite of pizza.
“You’re the best. Even if you don’t exactly feel it, I’ll do my best to try to help you feel good,” he said, a cheeky grin developing on his face. Chad smiled at Amy, and she returned this gesture by placing her hand on his. The warmth of her hand on his was an extremely pleasurable sensation to Chad, and he placed his other hand on top of hers, after which Amy gazed longingly at him.
They surveyed each other for a little while, but Amy pulled away, unsure how to handle her feelings for Chad. Amy was trying her best to keep Jake out of her mind, but thoughts of him always seemed to intrude at the wrong time, especially when Chad was around. Chad, though, took this as a sign Amy was interested in him, even if she was a little shy, and eagerly stated,
“First the pizza… now… the lasagna!”
Chad had eaten quite a few pieces of pizza, but, despite this, was still lusting for some of the creamy, saucy lasagna, which was almost as delectable as the pizzas, if not more. The lasagna was creamy without being fatty, saucy without being overly spicy, and not too heavy overall. As Chad and Amy were eating, absorbed by their scrumptious foods, he accidentally dropped a piece of the lasagna on himself, and the red sauce and béchamel splattered all over both his shirt and trousers, creating an instant stain.
“Oh god!” he said, an expression of distress on his face.
Amy saw the mess Chad had made, and calmly sprang to his assistance with a sponge and paper towels.
“What’ve I done!” he said, looking flustered. “This stuff’ll never come out! I’ve really done it this time!”
“Don’t worry, I can take care of it,” Amy said.
“No, Amy, I can wash it when I go home,” Chad said, shaking his head. “It’s not fair you’ve gotta clean up after me — it’s my own fault, anyway.”
Amy shook her head, looking at him with determination.
“I can’t let you go home this way — no way. No Chad, if you leave it any longer it’ll get even worse. There’s a special cycle for stuff like that on the washing machine,” Amy persisted.
Chad shook his head, and rolled his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Chad said. “I’m so stupid; I can’t even eat without messing up. You’ll think I’m a baby or something.”
“Forget it,” Amy said, shaking her head. “Look, I’ll get you a robe from upstairs, and you can gimme your clothes. You can go in there to change, and I’ll come back for your clothes,” Amy said, pointing to a spare room close to the kitchen.
“You sure?” Chad said, looking vulnerable.
“Yeah, positive,” she said, smiling brightly.
Chad took a few moments to think about this, as Amy looked on patiently.
“Okay, thanks Amy,” he said, as Amy rushed off to the laundry room. After Amy left, Chad went to the side room, and quickly removed both his trousers and shirt, but, did not close the door; instead, he left it wide open. Chad eagerly anticipated what was going to happen next, and said to himself,
“Hope you’ll like the view, Amy — I’m sure you’ll be impressed,” he said steamily, his eyes full of passion.
After a few minutes, Amy rushed back to Chad, holding a robe for him. He was standing behind the door, and moved away from it, in full view of Amy.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get…” Amy’s voice suddenly fell silent, as she was startled to see Chad, and how he was dressed. Chad was wearing only his underwear, which was skimpy, and very revealing. Amy was taken aback from witnessing this erotic sight, and gulped. Her throat became as dry as an empty weir, and she thought it was going to close. Amy tried to look away from Chad’s direction, but his sullen expression compelled her to look even deeper into his eyes. Amy was both very embarrassed by, but also, electrified by, this event, and nervously walked over to Chad.
“Here’s your robe,” Amy said, still rocked by what she had seen.
“Thanks Amy,” he said seductively. Amy shyly tried to look away from him, but Chad took full advantage of the fact he was partially disrobed, to titillate Amy even more. Amy, feeling backed into a corner, looked into the kitchen, away from Chad’s piercing gaze, and said,
“I’ll…I’ll go back to the laundry, and check — see how your clothes’re going,” nervously running away from Chad.
Chad smiled at Amy’s reaction to him, and was very happy with her response to his stunt, and said to himself,
“I’m finally getting through to you Amy; I’m finally getting through to you.” Chad felt what he did worked on Amy, and quickly put on the bath robe, waiting for Amy in the room. He busied himself by flicking through some magazines which were in the room, and sat down in a chair. After half an hour, Amy came back with Chad’s clothes, which were now clean and pressed.
“That was quick, Amy.”
Amy returned these to Chad, but avoided giving him any eye contact. She was still surprised by what had happened, and could not get it out of her mind. Amy was compelled to return Chad’s burning glance, though, when he said to her,
“Thanks Amy.”
Amy paused for a moment, and gathered her thoughts. The sight of Chad in his underwear was extremely enticing, but, she tried to put it out of her mind, as it was driving her up the wall. Amy looked bashfully at Chad, and he treated her to another of his heated looks.
“No problem. I’ll…I’ll go finish up in the laundry,” she said, still mesmerized by Chad’s smoldering glance. Amy swiftly walked off, and Chad smiled, satisfied with his mischievous escapades. After putting on
his shirt and trousers, Chad went again into Amy’s kitchen, and found her cleaning up the mess on the table. Chad approached her, and said, in a low voice,
“Sorry for spoiling everything Amy. I wanted to cheer you up, ’cause I know you’ve been unhappy, then, I wore the food,” he said, rolling his eyes.
Amy smiled at his comment, but did not look Chad straight in the eye.
“Forget it, Chad. We’ve got the rest of the food to try, like those cookies.”
Upon hearing this, Chad shook his head, to Amy’s disappointment.
“Thanks Amy, but I’ll probably end up doing what I did before,” Chad said, Amy’s eyes enlarging after he said this. Chad’s mission for today, anyhow, had been accomplished, and he knew he would be on Amy’s mind for a while to come. Amy, though, looked at him skeptically, and he shrugged his shoulders, saying, “Better being safe than sorry.”
Amy giggled nervously at Chad’s statement, taking what he said in humor. She looked over at the table, and saw she still had some cleaning up to do after Chad’s accident. Chad looked over to where Amy was gazing, and frowned.
“Oh I’m sorry, I’ve been talking so much I forgot about the mess. I’ll help you clean it up — I did it anyway.”
“No, it’s okay,” Amy said, “It’ll give me something to do.”
“You sure?” Chad asked.
“Yes, I am,” Amy said, watching him shyly. Chad looked at his watch, and was surprised to see the time.
“Know what, I’ve really gotta go.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Amy said, leaving her sponge on the sink. Chad proceeded out of the kitchen, and almost forgot to take the heat-insulated bag as it belonged to the restaurant. Amy reminded him of this, and he popped back in, and retrieved it. He checked he had everything, and Chad and Amy walked out of the kitchen, and into her lounge room. Chad was happy with what he had pulled off today, and turned to face Amy.
“Anyway, I’ve been stupid enough today. I showed you I can’t eat for nuts,” he said, with a slight chuckle. Amy looked Chad in the eyes for the first time in a while, and said,
The Great High School Love Game Page 21