We continue talking about our favorite 80's movies and how we should have a movie night Thursdays or Saturdays to come to the drive-in and watch them this summer. It's so odd how much he and I have in common. I never thought I would end up with someone so reserved and rugged. I always saw myself more with a nerd or jock type, but he's different.
He reminds me not to judge a book by its cover, just like my dad always did. My dad would tell me if you judge something by its appearance, you will miss out on its authentic and inner beauty. He was not wrong there. Luke is nothing like his 'bad boy' outer shell. He's sweet, caring, and honestly, he is perfect.
Chapter Seventeen
I fumble through the radio channels to the one written on the paper that Luke gave me for the movie. I can feel his stare taking over my body like a laser attack, and it makes me fumble even more and almost lose my concentration. I finally reach the right station and look over at Luke. He is leaning against the window with his arm propped up on the car door's armrest, and his hand tucked somewhat under his chin.
“What! Do I have mustard on my face again?” I giggle.
I know I don't, but I love the way he looks at me. He says nothing then moves toward me. Leaning over the center console and reaching towards my face, he touches my cheek, sending a tingle through my body and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. I look into his beautiful blue-green eyes as he slides his hand to the back of my head. I lean backward with my head as I tilt it up towards his.
He smiles at me then presses his lips against mine. This time he opens his mouth almost immediately, and his tongue enters mine. He massages my tongue with his, and I return the maneuver. His kiss is soft and gentle; he's a good kisser.
Our heads change positions from side to side as our kiss deepens with every passing of our tongues over one another's. Luke places his other hand on my upper thigh, slightly under my dress. I feel goosebumps rise throughout my body and let out a tiny sigh in his mouth. He moves farther over the center council, and his hand inches up my thigh, resting gently upon my hip as he runs his finger under my lace panties. I grab hold of his shirt and squeeze it roughly in my fists as I begin to twist my hands.
I want him to climb into my seat and take me right here, right now. He has me so hot and bothered; I can feel my heartbeat faster and faster.
A voice comes over the radio, "Our show starts in eight minutes!".
Ugh, such horrible timing. We were having such an incredible moment. Luke pulls his face away from mine and lets out a sigh through his nose. Then we both burst out in laughter. He sits back in his seat, and I fix my dress.
"Please, visit our Snack Center for all your snacking needs. We have fresh popcorn, cold soda, an array of candies, ice-cream, and more," the voice continues.
"Are you hungry or thirsty?" Luke asks.
I am hungry but not hungry for food, hungry for him! I need to simmer down and collect myself.
"Not really," I reply.
"I'm gonna grab a soda. Do you want one or a water?"
"Water would be fine. Thanks," I say with a smile.
Luke gets out of his car, and I watch him as he strides to the Snack Center. I flip down the visor to check my hair and makeup. My face is red from the erotic adrenaline rush I just had. My heart is beating back to normal now. I turn to look at Luke at the Snack Center. I wonder if he had to adjust himself before heading over there. I giggle thinking about it. I couldn't have been the only one strongly affected by that steamy make-out session.
Luke comes back with water, soda, and a small popcorn. I give him a raised brow look.
"It smelled good," he says while he fishes out a popped kernel with his tongue.
I grab the water and soda from him so that he can sit back down in the car. Dinner and movie dates cannot get any better than this, rather snacking and movie dates!
"They announce what is playing while I was gone?" Luke asks.
"Not yet, but you did miss the dancing snack foods and condiments," I reply while laughing and performing a little dance number in my seat.
That was always a highlight of the movies whenever I saw them here with my dad.
Luke laughs, "Bummer, the dancing hotdog is my favorite!"
We laugh some more over the silly commercials they use. The evening keeps getting better and better. I love Luke's gorgeous smile, and his laugh is contagious.
The radio's voice comes on again after the little commercial ends, "Enjoy tonight's screening of Smokey and the Bandit! It will begin momentarily."
I can sense the excitement growing in Luke through the pure joy on his face when he hears what is playing tonight. It is priceless and super cute.
"No way! This is only the best movie ever!" he shouts in pure glee.
"It was my dad's favorite movie! Easy Rider coming in a close second, following Gone in 60 Seconds," I say, smiling as I look away from Luke and to the screen.
I am glad we have the same taste in movies, as he also does with my dad. I can tell his excitement fades a tad, knowing I am a little upset about the movie and my father. He places his hand on my lap; I look at him and smile, then place mine over his. It's a sign from my dad that he approves of me with Luke. Love you, Dad!
The movie begins, we are laughing almost from the moment it starts. We laugh at how crazy Carrie is at the beginning while running out on her wedding then getting picked up on the side of the road by Bo. Luke talks about how amazing the Trans Am is that Bo drives and his suburb driving skills. He laughs when the Bandit gives Carrie the nickname Frog.
"I need to give you a silly nickname like that," Luke laughs.
"I'm no runaway bride, hitchhiking for a way out!" I giggle.
Laughing more, Luke snickers, "I'm gonna call you, Turtle!"
"Turtle?!" I snort from laughing, which causes Luke to laugh even harder.
Trying to catch his breath while tears are present in the corners of his eyes, he says, smirking, "Turtle, it is—it's funny and cute! Just like you."
I laugh and smack him. He grabs the side of my face and cups my cheek in his hand. He leans in toward me and kisses me. This time he goes straight for it, full tongue action and all. Our kissing is more heated as we massage each other's tongues more aggressively, and both our breathing is heavy. I lift myself and crawl on top of him in his seat. I slide myself lightly down onto his lap, and he flips up his steering wheel. I dive back into our kissing as I bite his bottom lip gently and give it a light tug. He groans softly, then grabs my head with both his hands, and we kiss vigorously. The movie continues, but our attention is toward one another. Luke’s hands travel down my body, grazing across my chest, and stopping as he gets to my ass. He lifts my dress as he grabs a firm hold of each cheek. I rock my hips into his lap.
"Oh, my God!" Luke says in a low, shaky voice.
"You're so fucking sexy," he mumbles in my mouth as we continue making out.
I wrap my arms around his shoulders and persist rocking back and forth in his lap. Luke moves his hands from my butt and up to my hips then pushes me back towards his steering wheel to stop me. He breaks our kiss, and I look at him with concern. I don't understand why we would stop this, as things are about to get hot and heavy. What did I do?
“What’s wrong,” I ask.
Luke brings his hand to the back of his neck and looks down, "We need to stop. I don't think we should go any farther Ali."
I want it to go further, why doesn't he? Does he not like me? I'm embarrassed and feel incredibly uncomfortable now. I need to get off his lap.
"Why not? You don't—" Luke stops me before I can finish my sentence.
"I want to trust me, I do. Boy, I do. I don't want our first time to be in my car with people around." he says in the sincerest voice.
Phew! I am glad that he wants what I want, but I am a little weirded out that he stopped us. Maybe, he is thinking we are going too fast. Are we? I don't know what to think right now; my mind is all over the place. I give him a polite smile, lift myself off his
lap, and sit back in my seat. I fix my dress and my hair. Then attempt to collect myself and focus back on the movie.
"Are you mad?" he says as he grabs my hand.
"Turtle?"
I burst out laughing.
I turn to him and say, "I agree! Now, be quiet and watch the movie."
He laughs and gives me that stunning perfect smile of his while putting his hand on my thigh. He is amazing.
Chapter Eighteen
We continue watching the movie. Luke's hand is still on my thigh, my hand on his, and our fingers are interlocked. We glance at each other often and smile. His smile and those perfect pearly whites of his; I could sit here watching him all night.
The last half of the movie is the funniest, and Luke only stops laughing a few times between looking at me and taking sips of his soda. The movie ends, and everyone starts honking their horns. I reach over Luke's lap and give his horn a few honks while I give a quick "whoop, whoop" shout.
I don't want our date to be over, and I do not want to go home yet. Although it is late and we both have to be up early in the morning for work.
"Do I have to bring you home right now?" Luke says.
I am glad to hear he does not want our date to be over yet either.
I turn to him with a smile, "No, you don't." I smiled!
"Good, I have something I want to show you," he replies.
My mind starts to wonder what that might be. Luke has a strange way of taking me to perfect places while keeping me in suspense. We leave the drive-in and head back through town, then out of town again in the opposite direction. I want to ask where we are going, but Luke looks so peaceful, humming to the song on the radio and playing drums with his thumbs on the steering wheel.
We come upon a hill, and he turns down a dirt road at the top. I have no clue where he is taking me. He smiles at me while singing then turns back to watch the road. Luke looks so hot right now; I want to rip his clothes off and have my way with him. I've become infatuated with him; I can't help myself.
Is he bringing me somewhere private so we can have sex? Did he mean he didn't want to have sex at the drive-in because of the people around us, or did he mean in his car period? We come to a stop, and he parks his car.
"You may want to put your jacket on," he says before giving me a peck on the lips and getting out of his car.
Where is he taking me? I grab my jacket from the back seat and slip it on. I flip down the visor to check over my hair and makeup. Not that it matters because it is pitch black outside. The car shakes slightly, and I turn around to see that Luke has popped open his trunk. Luke is holding two blankets under his arm. He grabs hold of my hand. My heart starts beating in wonderment.
"Come on," he demands.
I follow him up a little path. It's hard to see in the dark what seems to be a wide-open field at the top of the hill we turned on. Luke is using his phone flashlight to guide us down the path. He stops, and let's go of my hand. He hands me one of the blankets then takes the other. He unfolds it and places it on the ground. Luke walks over to me and grabs my hand again, bringing us over to the blanket. He pulls me down, and we sit on the blanket. I'm a little confused about the hell we are doing until he points up into the sky.
I look up.
The Northern Lights shine across the sky above us. The gorgeous glow of reds, blues, pinks, and purples dancing overhead wash a wave of peace over me. I'm taken aback by the view. I forgot how beautiful the Aurora Borealis is and that I cannot see them from the city, or the stars. This moment is tranquil. It's just him and me under the stars, stargazing, and it's very romantic. I can sense my father looking at us from up in the heavens, giving me a thumbs-up or an A-Okay gesture with his hand while giving me that creepy wink of his.
I watch the sky as the colors change and shift above me. I almost forget where I am and who I am with for a second. I turn to Luke; he is lying flat on his back with his arms behind his head. I lay down beside him and gaze back into the sky. This moment, right here, right now, is perfect and intimate, without needing to be touching, kissing, or engaging in any physical contact. Lying next to Luke is so magical. It's unbelievable. Luke reaches down and grabs my hand. We lock our fingers inside each other and continue to stare into the sky in silence.
I can hear the bellows of frogs and toads and the sweet melodies of crickets off in the distance. Being here with Luke is the most surreal experience I have ever had with any man. We lay in silence for what feels like hours before we decide to head back to town.
Walking back down the path to Luke's car, I cannot help but feel warmth and happiness throughout my body. I am content right now.
"I had an amazing time tonight," I say to Luke as we head back. "Thank you!"
"I had a great time too. I always do when I am with you," he replies as he looks at me and smiles.
I melt every time this man smiles at me. I love his smile, and he makes me turn to mush every time he speaks.
HE OPENS MY DOOR FOR me, and I step out of his vehicle. He walks me to my door, just like he did the first time he brought me home. He puts his hands on my waist, then presses his lips against mine. I put my hands on his chest and lean into his kiss.
"Goodnight, Turtle! See you tomorrow!"
I giggle.
"Goodnight, Luke!"
He walks back to his car and waves before he drives away. I wave back and smile as I head into my father's house.
Chapter Nineteen
I lay in my bed and stare at the ceiling; I'm not tired at all. Today was amazing, from the mini barbecue/picnic to the drive-in then the northern lights. Most guys would not have stopped going all the way with a girl in the manner we were going at the drive-in. Luke is different. I could tell that he respected me a lot. I know he likes me but also respects me more out of his association with my dad, I'm sure. I am glad he stopped us from going any further as it's too soon to have sex. We've only been hanging out less than a week, but it does feel a lot longer. I've gone farther with him than I have with Troy, and he courted me for six months. While Troy is sweet, Luke is something else.
I feel bad about ignoring Troy today, but I was somewhat preoccupied. I need to tell him about Luke and let him know it's not going to work between us. I don't want to hurt him, but do I have a choice here! We would be better off just friends. Wait, are Luke and I going to become something? Are we going to date? It seems to be headed in that direction as of now. Do I want it to lead that way?
What will happen to my job? Would he move to Milwaukee with me? If he does, his ten percent of my dad's business would be null in void. Would I move back here, work at the shop, and quit the job that I worked so hard to achieve? I love my job. I wonder if I could work from home and go to the city once a month or so. I don't know if I could handle a long-distance relationship right now. Being five hours away from Luke would be difficult. Ali, you need to stop; you've only been around the guy a few days, it may end up as nothing. It could be just a small fling, although I hope that's not the case.
Now, I have added more to my plate than before. More tough questions I need to think through and decipher. I've gotten a bit carried away with some guy. A bit is an understatement, but I must keep my head on straight now. A conundrum such as this must have been why my father never mentioned Luke to me. He's clouding my brain, and I'm thinking about our future together over my own. I refrained from being consumed by a guy, mainly after my first broken heart because it was too painful. I focused most of my time at school. Leaving this small town and making something of myself was my main goal. I've accomplished that, so I am not sure if I can give it up.
Not that my father didn't make something of himself but working at an auto shop and being female is not perceived well by society. Not that being a female architect is any different, but I feel more accepted and respected. I've paid my dues, but I miss being around those classic cars and watching as they go from basically a rusty nothing to a beautifully restored something.
It's after mid
night, and Ris is probably asleep. I wish she'd text me back so we can talk about my date and how my mind is all over the place over a guy for once and not work. She'd laugh and say, welcome to the club. I'll have to go with the flow and see how things progress.
I AWAKE TO MY ALARM seeming louder than usual, or maybe it's because I didn't fall asleep until an hour or so before it was to go off. I was thinking about Luke and my work for so long I do not know when I slept. I should go back to bed as technically they don't need me at the shop today. Then again, it's now half mine. Ugh, I better get my ass in gear.
I roll out of bed and stumble my way into the bathroom. Oh God, I look at my hair and see that it's a mess. I giggle while checking myself over in the mirror. I must have dozed off hard during that hour of sleep to have my hair stick straight out like this.
My shower feels incredibly fantastic this morning, and I almost fall back asleep, leaning against the wall. I check my armpits; they're suitable for another day or so. I shaved my legs and lady bits yesterday, so they should still be fine. I must be mad to think that Luke and I will have another intimate moment so soon, but its best to be safe just in case.
I step out of the shower and dry myself off. I am so not in the mood to do my hair or even put makeup on. I need to do so, though, as I will be seeing Luke. Ugh, why does he have to work at the shop; I want to show up ugly today. He has never seen me without makeup.
I throw on some liner and mascara. I should get my eyeliner tattooed on; then, I would not have to worry about repeating the lines that I mess up one hundred times before they're even. I start with a subtle line then get to the other eye, and it looks like a Kindergartner did it. Then the lines end up thick once I finally get them even.
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