One More Chance
Page 14
Hailey goes inside and quickly changes, spraying a little bit of perfume. She grabs her bag from the house and locks her front door. She has filled a backpack with candy and fun treats, but wants to wait until they get there to reveal it.
She takes a deep breath as she looks at the car that is going to take her to a weekend that is sure to change her life. She feels every fiber of her body wanting this to happen and can’t help smiling as she makes her way across the street. Jimmy opens the back door of his car to put her stuff in. He then turns and looks at her with seductive, sultry eyes. She gets chills throughout her body, feeling like she is going to be transported to another dimension as soon as she touches his skin.
He takes her bags, carefully puts them in the car, and then opens the passenger door for her. “Unless you want to drive. I don’t want to assume.”
Hailey shakes her head and tilts it sideways, as if to say that’s thoughtful. He kisses her and then closes her door, walking around to the other side. He gets in the driver’s seat. “Man, I’m so excited!”
Hailey grabs his hand, not needing to speak to feel the electricity between them. He pulls out, and the GPS says they should arrive in two hours. The first hour is spent playing some of their favorite songs and pointing out things as they go. They’re laughing and flirting heavily. Jimmy makes a game of pointing at things and accidentally grazing Hailey’s boob.
Jimmy sees a sign that says there is a diner a mile ahead. “Want to grab a snack?”
Hailey laughs. “You read my mind. I immediately thought about grilled cheese.”
Jimmy pulls into the diner and shuts off the car. He was planning on waiting until they got to the cabin, but he is so excited that he decides he is going to ask Hailey to be his girlfriend at this diner.
He feels the energy building as they walk in and find a booth. He realizes their friendship fell apart over the incident with his ex-girlfriend, so it is kind of cool that they will be able to make it official in a diner, to bring it full circle.
He decides to wait until Hailey goes to the bathroom, and then he’ll take off his jacket. They put in their order for two grilled cheese sandwiches, and Hailey scoots out of the booth to go to the restroom. Jimmy takes off his jacket, revealing his black shirt with white letters that read Taken. He decides to act like he doesn’t notice when she returns.
Hailey comes out of the bathroom and sits down looking at the view out of the window. Jimmy is trying not to laugh, knowing she hasn’t noticed his shirt. Jimmy acts like he is stretching and reaches his arms up. Hailey sees his shirt and makes a face as though she’s wondering if that means what she thinks it means.
She decides to play along. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Here I had all these plans to get naked with you in the hot tub, but this whole time you were taken.”
Jimmy beams. “Yeah, this amazing girl has had my heart for a long time, and she doesn’t know it yet, but I think she is going to be my girl for a really long time.”
Hailey laughs. “Does this mean…”
Jimmy cuts her off reaching for her hands. “Hailey, will you be my girlfriend, officially? I don’t want to be with anyone but you, you sexy, fun, amazingly intelligent woman.”
Hailey nods biting her bottom lip. “I was hoping you would ask me.”
Their food arrives, and they feel the sexual tension growing between them as they bite into their melted cheese. Jimmy can’t help but think about what he wants to do to Hailey as he watches her eat her sandwich. Her smile shows she is thinking the same thing.
***
Jimmy and Hailey are the last customers in the diner, and their car is parked around the side of the building, where there is not a soul to be seen. Jimmy and Hailey leave the diner, holding hands, and Jimmy turns her around to face him gently when they reach the car.
Hailey feels her body heat up and suddenly, all she can think of is him. Jimmy takes her hand and leads her to the backdoor. The suitcases make a nice barrier on the other side to give them privacy. Hailey slides in and lays back. Jimmy straddles her and they start making out. Clothes quickly come off and the windows get extra steamy as they celebrate their new official relationship with a spontaneous love-making session. They both feel more and more that they love each other. They’re both thinking it in their minds as they hold each other in the heat of their passion.
***
They finally arrive at the cabin, which is under a canopy of tall trees. It’s even better than the pictures. It’s spacious, but cozy, and the owner has already lit a fire for them to warm the place before they arrived. The bed is beautiful with a large wooden headboard with beautiful carvings.
The smell of firewood burning fills the cabin as Jimmy brings in the stuff and assigns Hailey to set up the hot tub. Hailey tests the water temperature and finds it to be perfectly hot. The lights that are strung up on the back porch make it feel like an Italian café, and there is light jazzy music playing from the stereo. She feels Jimmy’s arms wrap around her, and he begins to sway with her under the stars. He kisses her neck as they both stop and gaze up at the stars. Jimmy twirls her around and pulls her to him, as they face each other.
He takes her hand placing his other hand on her lower back. “For the dance we should have in high school.”
Hailey remembers how he punched one of the most popular guys in school in the face at their dance, because he made fun of Hailey that night. They become lost in the music and the feelings that are growing so strongly between them. Those feelings have been there under the surface all along.
Jimmy and Hailey go inside and start preparing the rosemary crusted steaks with mashed potatoes and asparagus drizzled with soy sauce. Jimmy brings the steaks out to the grill and decides to turn on some slow house music. He wants to bring the mood up. Hailey takes the candles out of her suitcase and lights them on the table.
Jimmy sneaks around the side of the house to the car and pulls out a bottle of champagne to surprise Hailey. He goes back to the steaks and finds they’re perfectly medium rare. He puts them on a plate, and brings it inside with the champagne.
Hailey is sitting in a beautiful little black dress and red lipstick. The dim lighting makes her look like something out of a movie. Her hair frames her face, and Jimmy thinks how deeply and madly in love he is with her. Jimmy sets down the plate of hot steaks.
“Wow, you look amazing.”
Hailey smiles and her white teeth glisten against her red lips. He sits down and opens the bottle of champagne, pouring them both a glass. As they sip on their champagne, the delicious food adds an element of style and sensuality to the evening. Hailey’s legs are begging for Jimmy to kiss them as they finish their meal.
Jimmy can’t believe he has three days with this amazing woman all to himself. He looks at her smiling deviously. “I’m just thinking about what I’m going to do to you in that hot tub.”
Hailey raises her eyebrows as a smile spreads across her face. “Tell me more.”
Jimmy clears his throat. “Well, I think I’m ready to really explore you with my mouth.”
Hailey feels her body respond as he sticks out his tongue indicating what he wants to do to her. She’s suddenly extremely aroused and has trouble focusing on eating. The champagne is starting to kick in, as they finish and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Jimmy closes the dishwasher.
“I guess we don’t need clothes out here in the middle of nowhere in the hot tub, but I will take another glass of this champagne.” Hailey is leaning seductively on the counter waiting for him to come and grab her.
He pours them both another glass as he watches every curve of her body. “I have never felt the way I do right now.”
He walks up to her and wraps his hands around her lower back and kisses her collarbone and her chest. They walk outside and take off their clothes, slipping into the water. The night’s darkness is broken by the light under the water that makes for a great ambiance. The music is perfect, and they both feel ultra-relaxed.
Jimmy slides his hand up her leg, teasing her. Hailey feels this overwhelming desire to express how she’s feeling and what she is thinking. She runs her hand down his back. He presses his forehead against hers kissing her.
“Hailey.” He kisses her again. Softer and longer. He slides his hand closer making her more and more aroused. He moves his other hand to the back of her neck and cradles the back of her head as he pulls away and looks in her eyes. His beautiful eyes lock with hers. “I am in love with you.”
Hailey hears those words, and her whole body is filled with a sense of happiness bursting forward from her heart. She squeezes him. “Say it again.”
He smiles and stands up fully revealing his hardness. “I love you, Hailey.”
Hailey moves toward him and looks up. She holds him in her hands. The moment couldn’t be any more perfect, and she wants to be here forever. “I love you Jimmy. So much.”
The details of what happens in the hot tub tonight are enough to make anyone blush, but they will be forever remembered as special to both Hailey and Jimmy, who will wake up the next morning sore and happy from the adventurous love making.
They both decided to get to know each other on a very intimate level and asked for what they wanted, offering their full selves. As they come inside, they are laughing and tipsy. Hailey grabs the suitcase full of desserts and candy, and Jimmy throws his arms up like it is the most amazing thing he has ever seen.
She feeds him half of an Oreo, and they put on a movie as they break into the sour candy.
Hailey wakes up in Jimmy’s arms, just like she dreamed of. She doesn’t move. She wants to stay there and feel his strong body pressed up against hers, his smell and his gentle breathing, as long as she can. As he starts to wake up, he squeezes her.
“I have never been so happy waking up,” Jimmy whispers in her ear.
After they wake up, they cook eggs and toast with mango jam. They find a local hiking spot and decide to go check it out. The short drive to the park is down a narrow road with trees lining both sides. The trees meet together over their heads like two people holding hands. Jimmy gets out after and opens the door for Hailey. He grins at her park ranger style and hat.
They start down the trail and hear the little bark of a puppy up ahead. A young couple is trying to walk toward them but their puppy is bounding in every direction, excited to smell everything as it stumbles along.
Jimmy and Hailey ask if they can pet the puppy and spend a few moments gawking over its adorably soft fur and rolls. The couple continues down the path, and Jimmy and Hailey walk on.
Hailey is walking in front of Jimmy quietly for a few minutes. It’s is the longest they have gone without talking the whole trip. She is deep in thought. Jimmy, similarly, has been quiet and not paying attention to the plants and scenery around him. Hailey stops suddenly, and Jimmy almost runs into her.
She whirls around with the biggest grin on her face. “We should get a puppy!”
Jimmy slaps his forehead. “How do you do that? That is exactly what I was just thinking. I was even planning on where to get the dog house and pet supplies.”
Hailey jumps into Jimmy’s arms, overjoyed they are going to do something together that is going to be a commitment and one step closer to living together. She starts naming off breeds for Jimmy to rate, so they can find a breed that they both like.
They are both so excited; they almost miss the trail that takes them back to their car.
***
They get back to the car and take a selfie, in which they are both smiling even though they are sweaty and sunburned because they forgot to put on sunscreen. Hailey and Jimmy get in the car, and realize they are both starving, but Hailey can’t help reaching for her phone to start searching the local shelters to see if there is a cute face that calls to them.
She gasps, showing Jimmy her phone. There is a shelter just up the road, according to her map, and the dog on their front page is listed with red letters under it saying that it only has twenty four hours left to live unless it’s adopted. Jimmy looks into Hailey’s eyes, which are filled with tears. Something about knowing they have the chance to keep those sad puppy eyes alive hit her on a very deep level. Jimmy starts to choke up when he sees Hailey’s emotions welling up.
“When you know…”
Hailey cuts him off. “You know.” She finishes the sentence for him.
They speed to the shelter to make sure they’re not too late and both jump out of the car. They practically run in the front door and ask for Henry, the cute Labrador puppy on their website.
The woman behind the counter smiles and points behind them to the kennel. A puppy is whimpering in excitement, as its little tail wags looking at them. Hailey falls to her knees as Jimmy pulls out his phone to capture her first moment meeting their new dog.
The woman offers to take Jimmy’s camera, as Hailey lets Henry out and he climbs all over their laps, licking them incessantly. There is no question to it, the puppy was meant to be theirs and they know it.
They aren’t worried about anything even though neither of them have ever had a dog. They know they have more than enough love to care for the little guy. They fill out the paperwork and just like that, they are now sharing the responsibility of caring for a slobbery and untrained, little life that is full of joy.
***
As they arrive back at the cabin, Hailey offers to go in and get them some food, while Jimmy finds a way to block off the back porch and make it a playpen for the new member of their little tribe.
Hailey goes inside out of breath and full of energy at the same time. So much has changed in the last two days. She is now a girlfriend of her best friend, and she is the proud owner of what she is convinced is the world’s cutest puppy. She tries to focus on making something nutritious for lunch and pulls out pickles, buns, and sandwich meat.
Laughing at herself, she realizes she is so excited; she can’t even properly put together a sandwich.
***
The rest of their vacation is both romantic and full of laughs, as they start to train their new friend Henry not to pee in the house. They don’t mind the little puppy bites or having to wake up in the middle of the night to let him outside.
The trip seems to be over all too quickly as they pack the car to drive home. Hailey snaps a photo of the cabin and then asks Jimmy to hold the dog on the front porch. She sets up her phone on a log, setting the self timer and then runs to join them in the photo. The flash goes off just as Jimmy and Hailey turn toward each other for a kiss and Henry looks up at them.
The picture is full of happiness, and will one day end up on their mantle framed and enlarged. As they get in the car, Hailey posts the photo to Instagram and changes her status to ‘in a relationship’ on Facebook. She smiles as she puts her phone back in her purse, knowing this is only the beginning.
Jimmy reaches his arm around her as they drive home, looking forward to what is to come.
What happened to Theresa, Jimmy’s ex girl friend? Does she deserve another chance at love?
The happy couple, life-long friends, plan to wed later this month. The ceremony will be held in North Carolina, where they now reside. The two parted ways before college but eagerly reconnected when Hailey moved back to the area. Jimmy, a star athlete with our very own Fighting Falcons, took his high school team to state in his senior year. With ties to the area and a promising future, we’ll keep our readers appraised of Jimmy and Hailey’s happy ending. Well-wishers can contact them by mail at—
“Isn’t that something,” I muttered to myself.
I had read the local paper every day at my office since before it had opened. Knowing what was happening with the community was vital to my job and my happiness. The town had done so much for me after my father had left; I owed it to them to keep up with the times. While I didn’t still sell real estate, they knew they could come t
o me with questions about homes, traveling, and the legalities of rentals. It was a relationship I’d spent years cultivating.
I’d seen the couple separately a few years back when an impromptu date went awry. Though I suspected it had been a setup, I did my best to let bygones be just that. Jimmy had been the last date I’d gone on, and he had hooked back up with Hailey not long after. It had been a crushing blow, but I quickly realized my path and his were fated to cross. That awful date had been a turning point for me. It forced me to right many wrongs I’d done in high school.
My high school career had consisted of being a “mean girl,” and I wasn’t proud of it. It was one of the reasons I suspected the date hadn’t been Jimmy’s idea at all. Hailey had received the brunt end of many of my more vicious attacks. If the couple were happy, I couldn't hold a grudge, even if Jimmy had practically climbed over the table to escape that evening.
“Hello?” A man's voice startled me.
Jumping, I barely missed the searing coffee that went tumbling for my lap. It splattered to the bamboo floor as I cursed under my breath and looked up. I needed to get a bell for the front door, not that it got used often. Most travelers booked and checked in to their rentals entirely online. Still, it was nice to be able to help the few customers who came in. It was traditionally locals looking to go on a vacation somewhere else.
I always helped them find the best deals and worked around their budget and schedules. The fees I charged were average, and I hadn’t ever had a customer complaint. When I glanced up and saw the attractive man in front of me, my jaw dropped. He was certainly not a local. My brain scrambled to figure out who he was before it dawned on me.
“Hi there, you must be Mark?” I guessed.
He grinned and nodded. “That I am.” He reached out a hand. “And you are?”