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I think this is a relatively fast update for me lol...and yes, there is tension so...Enjoy!!
.10
The idea of a possible date with Daniel the waiter was enough to send me into a tizzy. Mostly because it would be the first date I had ever went on—minus the fake date I had gone on with Jeremy Everett.
But this...this was the real thing. Or it would be if I was going to go on it. Which, I had decided after speaking with Ben, I wasn’t. Go on the date, I mean.
Seriously, I wasn’t that uncivilized. I understood the laws of manners (my parents had dealt them into my brain at a young age; namely my father), and I wasn’t going to stop following them just because a guy had asked me out.
A nice guy.
A hot guy.
Right, time to think about something else.
I looked down at my cell phone in my hand. It was Wednesday afternoon, and I had yet to call Daniel. Which was a...minor problem, to say the least.
I had been gripping my pink razor for the last hour like it was one of those stress balls and I was beginning to fear that it would break into a plethora of pieces.
“Do it already,” I muttered to myself. It wasn’t like I was refusing to go on a date with him ever again; only tomorrow night. I’d tell him that I had been invited to a memorial for a close family friend, and therefore couldn’t make it. Which was the truth after all.
Flipping open my phone, I pressed the numbers quickly and then waited as the phone rang. Breathe, Franklin, breathe. I was totally capable of turning down a date.
Jeez, when had I turned into such a girly-girl? Or more specifically: a girl who was too preoccupied with everyone else? Two weeks ago I had still been my sarcastic-loving self. It had only been when Ben had written that note...
I was going to kill him. It was all his fault that—
“Hello?”
“Daniel!”Oops, indoor voice Franklin! “I mean, hi.” I was such an incompetent idiot. “Is this Daniel?”
“Er, yes,” the voice answered, hesitantly. How do I know he was hesitant? Because the “er” had sounded rather...drawn out as if he didn’t know who he was talking to. Or he had conveniently forgotten me—which would just be my luck. First guy to ask me out, and he gets amnesia about the whole thing.
“This is Anna,” I told him. “Anna Franklin,” I added just to be more precise, because really, there were many Annas in the world but only one Franklin family in Trafford that I was aware of.
I heard him sigh with an emotion that sounded much like relief. Did he get calls from girls on a regular basis? By girls who happened to sound rather...awkward?
“Hey, Anna.” He paused. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, well, not really. Nothing bad actually, just that—” I really had to stop rambling. I tucked my phone between my ear and my shoulder, and brushed my hands across the pant legs of my jeans. In case it has never happened to you, nerves usually make people—okay, me—sweat. “I can’t go on our date tomorrow night,” I blurted.
My phone slipped from its snug position in the curve of my neck. Smooth move there Franklin. My right hand moved to grab at my phone, and I shoved it back against my ear just in time to hear Daniel say, “Oh,” in a rather disappointed tone.
“Not that I don’t want to,” I replied quickly. “It’s not that at all. It’s just that I have to go to this memorial for a family friend, and it’s actually tomorrow night.”
“Right,” he responded. “I mean, that’s fine.”
I nodded to myself, internally relieved that he wasn’t throwing a fit. Not that I thought he was the type of guy to throw a fit...unless it was a fit in bed, but only then. Right, moving on. “Maybe we can do something another time?”
That seemed to cheer him up. “Definitely. Are you doing anything tonight?”
I looked around my living room, the silence greeting me like an old friend. My dad was at the office (or whatever office of the politician he was trying to get to endorse him and his endeavors) and my mom was visiting my cousin in Boston (she had asked me to go, but I didn’t really feel like listening to my cousin gossip for hours on end). Neither would be home for some time.
“No, I’m not,” I said.
He inhaled rather loudly (which, I have to admit, was a little annoying) and said, “Want to do something?” on an equally loud exhale.
“Um, okay.” Was it just me, or did my voice lack enthusiasm?
“Great! How about I pick you up in an hour. We can go for ice cream or something.”
I resisted the urge to point out that it was January and therefore it was cold, and there was no way in hell I would be consuming a frozen liquid voluntarily. “Sure,” I said instead, mainly because I had already canceled our date the following night and I didn’t want to pose a problem for this one as well.
Wonderful, I thought warily, now I was going to have to come up for a reason for not wanting to eat any ice cream or face my impending doom. Some of you might know it as pneumonia.
I cocked a brow, uncertain as to how to respond. It wasn’t like people were usually forthright about their intelligence. Or rather, their lack thereof.
“Er, what makes you say that?” I asked as I tightened my coat around me. It was freezing! I was practically waiting to see my breath ice over, and I was still inside the car!
He parked, and without answering, stepped out onto the gravel. Way to answer a question, buddy.
I followed suit, mentally preparing myself for the cold. I hated cold weather. Anything below sixty degrees had to be illegal.
Daniel smiled as we fell into step. “I am taking you to an ice cream shop in the middle of January.”
“Oh, right,” I muttered. “That.”
I wasn’t being rude I swear; the cold always had a negative effect on me. I was half Greek, I deserved the Mediterranean weather year around, damn it!
Excuse the outburst.
“Yeah, but I figured you wouldn’t mind,” he informed me.
I nodded shortly, refusing to give into my outspoken side. I would continue with my well-mannered self. “I don’t,” I lied agreeably. “I love ice cream.” In the summer. When it was ninety degrees out. And I walked around my house barefoot and in my favorite blue bikini twenty-four-seven.
“Me too! What’s your favorite flavor?” Daniel held the door open for me and we entered the shop, which, I have to add, was not that much warmer than it was outside.
“Chocolate,” I told him.
I didn’t miss the slight crinkling of his nose, which in all honesty, wasn’t that cute of an expression. I know, I know, most girls find it adorable when guys scowl but Daniel just...well, it just wasn’t his most attractive look. In fact, I was slowly figuring out that his most attractive look was when his mouth was closed.
“That’s...” he trailed off, but I swear I heard him mutter, “boring” beneath his breath.
I ignored him purposely as I stalked to the counter. “What do you plan to get?” I asked a minute later, if only out of politeness. There were times when I was so glad my dad had practically shoved acceptable etiquette down my throat. Figuratively of course.
“Strawberry,” he answered.
I rolled my eyes as I turned my head to look out the window. As if strawberry was any more interesting than chocolate. Okay, it did have little strawberry bits in it, but over all, they were on the same tier.
Yeah that’s right: strawberry is just as boring as chocolate.
Read it and weep, suckers.
Or not.
Daniel ordered our ice cream and after we had them in our hands (and I was risking pneumonia for a guy who was suddenly not turning out to be like I thought he would. As in he was nearly as boring as the ice creams we now held in our frost-bitten hands) we leaned against the counter and chatted about nothing.
Would it be the wrong time to call Ben and tell him he was right? That in fact, Daniel was more assuredly not my Price Charming. Never mind, I didn’t want him to tell me, “I told you so,” in that annoyingly sexy, low-pitched voice of his.
He moved closer. Daniel, I mean. I watched in wide-eyed horror as he shifted his body nearer to mine.
This was bad, bad, bad.
I tilted my gaze down to my ice cream cone, and in the process caught sight of his lower body.
A finger touched my chin softly, and urged me to look up at him. I acquiesced, if only because I wanted to get this over as quickly as possible.
Our eyes met.
I wondered if this would be a good time that his fly was down.
Yes, I had blurted out that Daniel’s fly was down and yes, I had survived the rest of my date with him. Or what had been left of it anyway.
After my little announcement, Daniel’s face had gone a rosy color and he had hastily excused himself to the restroom. I tried not to laugh, I really did, but after he had scurried off to the bathroom I had broken down. And so had the waitress who had taken our order.
On the way home, he had quietly said, “I just don’t think this is going to work. I mean, we don’t even have our choice in ice cream flavors in common.” I could practically hear the imaginary,“because your choice is so boring,” behind those words.
I had nodded slowly as if I was heartbroken, which I obviously wasn’t. Daniel the hot waiter was just that: a hot waiter. Or maybe it was just me. Maybe some other girl would love his strawberry obsession, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t me.
“I understand,” I’d murmured quietly.
“Well, see you around Anna. I’m sure there is a great guy for you out there.” One who likes boring chocolate, his eyes seemed to say.
And that was that.
My first real date had been a failure and I was determined to push the humiliating experience behind me. Even though it probably wasn’t as embarrassing for me as it was for Daniel. I mean, it wasn’t my jeans that were giving a peep show to the world.
“Be on your best behavior,” Dad murmured to me as we walked into the Everett living room. Unlike the Everett’s ‘fashionable’ party, which had been held in the ballroom, the memorial service was going to be informal and held in the living room, kitchen area. Dad had said, it was because friends were only invited at this party, not acquaintances.
“I will,” I replied to my dad’s earlier warning.
He nodded shortly and then tucked his arm around Mom’s waist, pulling her toward him. She smiled at him, a real smile. Dad leaned down to whisper something in her ear but I didn’t get a chance to hear it.
“Anna,” a welcoming voice exclaimed.
I twisted around to find Mrs. Everett coming towards me, a grin on her face. “Hi, Mrs. Everett.”
She embraced me, pulling me into her arms for a quick hug. “I’m so glad you came, after all. Jeremy told me you weren’t going to be here tonight.”
I shrugged my shoulders lightly, my black hair draping in front of my face. I tucked it behind my ear as I said, “He probably misunderstood me. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
Mrs. Everett smiled. “I really am so glad you could make it.”
I nodded, uncertain as to what else to say. Should I give my condolences to her for the prior Mrs. Everett? Would that be awkward?
“Listen,” she said before I could come up with something to say. “Jeremy hasn’t been in the best of moods.” She paused for a moment, her eyes looking past me, only to return with a swiftness that was slightly startling. “I know why of course. I was wondering if maybe you could talk to him, just to cheer him up a little.”
I think I needed to get my ears checked. Maybe I should do that candle wax thing that I had heard about it—even though it scared me a little. Or the concept did anyways.
Er...back to the matter at hand.
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes, you wouldn’t mind, would you? I think he needs someone around his own age to talk to. And if you ask me, you would be the perfect person to do it.”
Her right eye twitched. Wait! Did she just wink at me?
I hesitated a moment before speaking. “Um, why would that be exactly?” I did not like where this was going one whit. I was going to run away and—
Mrs. Everett chuckled quietly. “Why, he likes you of course.”
No. She was lying, I was sure of it. There was no way in hell that Jeremy Everett actually liked me. I mean he certainly liked kissing me. But that was merely physical. I doubted he was harboring any...intense feelings for me. “No he doesn’t,” I assured her quickly.
“Anna, dear,” she murmured pleadingly, “Please go upstairs and talk to him? He’s in his room.”
I wanted to refuse. There was nothing more than I suddenly wanted more than that. But how could I say no on a day like today? Tomorrow I could go back to avoiding him, I told myself; today I just had to cheer him up.
Except there was the fact that the last time I had been in close proximity with him we had been kissing. And we had only stopped because my mom had decided to pop in and stop us from doing something we would both regret.
Or I would regret it, I guess, if what his stepmother was saying were actually the truth.
And I decided right there as I nodded in response to Mrs. Everett, that I was really going to regret my decision.
I lifted my hand to knock on the door, my fingers curled inward. I rapped my fist once, twice, before the door swung open.
He stood there, shifting slightly so that he was leaning against the door frame, his gray sweats hanging low on his hips. What—was he wearing hot pink boxers?
Blinking, I yanked my gaze back up to his face only to find the corners of his lips twisted up into a smirk.
Great, he had caught me.
I peered over Jeremy’s shoulder into his room. Okay, it was more like I peered under his shoulder because of my height, but whatever. The fact was that all I could see were broad shoulders encased in a black pullover, a square chin and silver swirling eyes.
Talk about sexy.
Oh man, this was not going well.
“Did you need something?” he questioned, his blond lashes lowering briefly. “I’m busy.”
Ouch. Yeah, he was in a grumpy mood today. Though he did have a right to be in one. I mean, I couldn’t imagine my mom or dad having passed away. The pain must be unbearable throughout the entire year, but I had a feeling that today was the worst for him.
Obviously Jeremy was not in the mood for fun and games, which led me to my next predicament. How could I get into his room without looking suspicious? Even more, how could I get him to cheer up?
This was slowly turning into a mission. Miss Stealth was back in action, people; she was back.
“I actually do need something,” I replied. “It’ll be quick.”
Jeremy barely looked at me. “Fine,” he muttered. He stepped out from beneath the doorway, towards me.
“Why don’t we go sit in your room?” I suggested. “It’s er, much more private.” At his raised brow, I blushed like I had just eaten a jalapeno pepper. Or more like two or three of them—my face was that hot.
“Are you okay, Franklin?”
Franklin? He hadn’t called me Franklin for weeks now. I was his Anna. Okay, I take that back. I wasn’t his, damn it.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
He narrowed those silver eyes at me, “You’re asking to be in a private place with me...and you’re not threatening to cut off any of my appendages and to serve them to me for dinner. You’re obviously not feeling well.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Jeremy, I’m perfectly healthy. Now, let’s go in your room. I don’t want to be standing out here in the hallway.”
Without a word, he turned around and pushed open the door to his room once more. He swaggered over to his bed and plunked his body heavily upon it. He cocked an arrogant blond brow at me, waiting for me to state my case.
But, now that I had gotten in here, I had no idea what to say. At this point, I really wanted to make him feel better. I’d rather have the Jeremy Everett who was constantly teasing me any day.
I took a step closer to him. I was going to take the slow and stealthy approach to things. As in, I wasn’t just going to pop the dreaded question. I was going to push around, figure stuff out and then take the plunge.
“So what’s up?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I cringed. Stupid question, Franklin! I mentally smacked myself for my apparent ignorance. Had I really just asked that? Obviously he wasn’t all smiles and sunshine today. “I mean, er, how are you feeling?”
“Fine,” he replied.
“Are you really?” I asked, “I mean—”
“Mom sent you up here didn’t she,” he stated bluntly. He looked past me, a scowl on his face. But unlike Daniel the waiter, Jeremy’s expression only made me want to kiss him.
Which was bad. Very, very bad.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I murmured. “I was just wondering why you weren’t down—”
“Bullshit, Franklin,” he snapped harshly.
To say that I was shocked at his lack of eloquence would have to be an understatement. He and I had been through a lot, including yelling and sparring verbally with each other, but he had never said anything with that tone. It was cold and it was startling, and it wasn’t the Jeremy that I had come to really like.
“I don’t want your pity,” he told me, standing up to his full height. He towered over me.
“Jeremy.” I lifted my hand to touch him, as if my hand on his would calm him down.
He jumped back out of my reach, leaving my hand to hover air. I felt like an idiot.
“What are you even doing here? I thought you’d be off with Daniel.” Jeremy shoved his hands into his pants pockets. He looked defensive.
“That’s none of your business.” God, he was making me angry. I understood that he was hurting, I’d be an idiot not to realize it, but did he have to be so rude? Why was he tempting to go into Bitch Mode?
“Really?” he demanded. “It’s none of my business?”
Suddenly, we were much closer and I was shoving my index finger into his chest. “None whatsoever. All I wanted was to know why you weren’t downstairs. I understand that this has got to be hard for you, but that’s no reason to be an ass.”
His lips compressed into a thin line, and I wondered briefly if I had gone to far. He reached down and grabbed my wrist before I could poke my finger into his chest again.
“I’m not the one who was kissing one guy one day and another the next,” he said bitterly.
I tried to pull my hand from his, but his grip was too tight and my efforts only resulted in reddening my skin. This was getting out of control. “Are you calling me a whore?” I snapped before I could stop myself.
His broad shoulders shifted upwards. “If the shoe fits.”
Oh yeah. He was definitely trying to get a reaction from me, whether or not that was his purpose or not, I had reached my limit.
“Let go,” I hissed. I think that if my eyes had the capabilities to shoot fire Jeremy Everett would be my prime target. “I’m not going to sit here—”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he said dryly, “But you’re standing.”
I ignored him. “—And let you act all high and mighty when you don’t know anything.”
Our breathing was heavy and simultaneous, and I’m not even about to deny the fact that I wanted nothing to do with him. I glared at him, hoping that fire was coming out of my eyes and that he would light up in flames. “I told you to let go of me.”
He did the opposite.
One moment we were standing in the middle of the room and the next my back was against the wall and he was pressing his lean body into mine.
“No,” he whispered, his face no more than three inches away from mine. He raised my hands above my head, until his body was flush against me.
Oh. My. God.
Heat erupted on my face. “This isn’t helping.” I struggled, and accidentally—no really, I didn’t mean it—lifted my knee a tad bit too high.
“Holy—” Jeremy bit his lower lip until it was a cherry red, and shoved his legs between my own, so that I couldn’t get anywhere. Not that I could just get up and leave in my previous position but now I was definitely stuck. This sucked major ass.
He tightened his grip on my wrists and hiked my hands up higher; my back arched and resulted in my breasts being shoved against his chest. I was going to kill him.
“I hate you,” I growled.
An emotion I didn’t recognize erupted on his face. “You don’t,” he murmured softly, his breath falling against my face. “You can’t.”
“Oh yes I do—”
Lips. Jeremy’s lips. My lips. Our lips. I think I should stop conjugating lips in my head.
I could feel the length of his body against every inch of mine. Oh God, was he—oh yes he was! There was some action going on in his pants.
I didn’t have time to contemplate my new discovery because Jeremy was doing something with his mouth that was absolutely amazing. Talk about expertise—I had found Jeremy Everett’s talent.
Jeremy’s mouth traveled down to the curve of neck. I protested with a soft moan and he acquiesced, meshing our lips back together.
He let go of my wrists and cupped my face. I needed more. I didn’t know what I wanted, but just more. I placed my hands on his hips and he growled.
I slid my fingers beneath his sweatshirt, letting them trail upwards until they rested on his chest. He shuddered.
We parted for air. “Franklin,” he whispered.
“Anna,” I corrected breathlessly.
He grinned, the first one I had seen from him in days and he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. I didn’t let him go far, pulling him back so that my fingers were now digging into his shoulders and his hands gripped my butt. He hiked me up, my legs wrapping around his waist.
I should stop I knew I should. But there was something about Jeremy Everett’s lips that kept me from leaving the room. Maybe it was because they were so soft, or maybe it was because he smelled so good, or maybe it was that my old crush on him had been revived. Whatever it was, I didn’t care, I just wanted more.
My fingers tangled up in his blond locks and I tilted my head to the side for better access. He pulled his mouth away, and brushed a soft kiss to the soft skin adjacent to my ear. I shivered.
“Jeremy,” I whispered. “I didn’t—” He hushed me with his lips but I shook my head. “No, listen.”
One more kiss to that soft spot and Jeremy was pulling away from me, letting my feet fall to the ground. I felt shaky. Why was he moving away?
“Right.” He ran a hand through his disheveled hair—hair that my fingers had been in only a few moments before. What the hell was his problem?
“Jeremy,” I started.
“No,” he said hoarsely. “I get it. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded. This was probably the first time that I wasn’t pushing him away and he was...well, he looked like he regretted our entire interaction.
“Anna, I should have realized that you were with Daniel.” He laughed humorously, a bitter sound that made me want to hug him. Except that he was spouting out ridiculous crap that I all I could was try to understand his thought process.
“Obviously,” he said, “This isn’t going anywhere. We just don’t—we don’t work.”
Something tightened in my chest. “Were you not paying attention?”
Jeremy stood stiffly before me, his hands gripping the roll-y chair in front of him. He didn’t respond.
“Jeremy, I have no idea what you’re talking about. What I was going to say was—”
“Was that you regret us kissing. Again. I’m such an idiot.” His voice was low and gritty.
“That’s not what I was going to say,” I tried again. I took a step closer.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” His gray eyes blinked back at me, emotionless. “Why don’t you just go back downstairs? I’m sure you’re more wanted there.”
I reared back slightly, hurt. I wasn’t going to cry; I refused to.
I inched back towards the bedroom door, and then fumbled with the doorknob, too shaken up by his words to push it open. I lowered my gaze slightly and then peered back up at the boy who I was beginning—okay, I already did—to like. “I didn’t kiss Daniel,” I whispered, “Only you.”
I was out the door so quickly that I didn’t hear him call my name, and I didn’t see the devastated look on his face.
Please review and tell me what you think! CC welcome )
Mia