HIM Page 11

  I hope she and Jason hit it off so I can be alone with Luke. After last night and this morning, I think I'm ready to have sex with him now. The time feels right to take whatever our relationship is to the next level. I grab my purse and head out of my dad's office to talk to Maureen.

  "I'm heading out for the day," I say to Maureen.

  "Bye, Ali, have a lovely evening," she replies.

  I'm just about to head out when she asks if I can cover for her tomorrow so she can take the day off to bring her dogs to the groomers. I politely tell her that I will do it without a problem and to enjoy her weekend. I walk into the shop when I notice Luke is out front in the lobby area, talking to a blonde woman. I walk over by the window to peek a little closer and see he is talking to Bridget, making me feel a bit apprehensive.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  That skanky ass bitch has her hand on his arm and is all goo-goo eyed at him while wearing an outfit from sluts-r-us. I know I shouldn't be so mean, but she was such a harlot in High School, one can only assume that she still is, knowing what happened between herself, Jason, and Luke.

  What is he smiling about? What on earth could she say that he would find the least bit amusing? Get a grip, Ali. You and Luke aren't together? You're just friends, and they are just friends. Stop being a jealous little girl and walk away before someone catches you staring out the window like a creeper.

  I was thinking about taking our relationship, friendship, or whatever it is to the next level. After seeing him with her, I am not sure anymore. I do not want to think that he may do intimate things with her as he does with me. Although he told me he hasn't, it's there in the back of my mind, haunting me. Things between him and I have moved quite fast, and I have not been able to exercise any self-control. He consumes me every time he is near me, and I forget about everything. I cannot help that he has that effect on me.

  "I'm headed out, Ali. See you Monday. Thank you for covering for me tomorrow!" Maureen says with a smile.

  "No problem. See you Monday," I reply.

  I turn back toward the lobby and notice that both Luke and Bridget are gone. I settle down some and head through the shop. I look around for Luke but do not see him. Where did he go, and is he still with Bridget? I was hoping we'd possibly hang out today after work, but he has just vanished. I keep walking to the parking lot toward my car. Luke is standing at his truck with Bridget leaning up against it. Ugh, she is such a fucking- whore! Luke looks over at me and waves; Bridget turns around and looks at me. I do an awkward wave back and smile like a dork.

  "Hi, Ali," Bridget yells in her annoying bitch voice while waving.

  I smile, say hi back, then get into my car. Feeling uneasy and not sure what to do, I drive off. I try not to look back at them through my rearview mirror. Oh boy, I hope Luke does not think I'm a psycho jealous girl right now or something. Ugh, I should've just walked over there and made small talk or stayed in Maureen's office until I saw him back in the shop. Something.

  My phone rings, and Luke's name flashes across the screen. Should I answer it or let it go to voicemail? If I let it go to voicemail, he will know that I'm mad and jealous. Shit.

  I answer, awkwardly giddy, "Hello!"

  "Hey, you didn't come talk to me before you left," Luke says.

  "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you and Bridget," I reply.

  Smooth! Nice one Ali, he doesn't need to know you're a little disturbed by what you saw, and you needed to get the hell out of there before making a scene.

  "We were just talking about our weekend plans. She dropped off some stuff for Maureen," he states.

  "That's cool," I mutter.

  "I'm off soon if you want to get dinner with me," Luke inquires.

  "I would love to, but I need to pack for the cabin this weekend, talk to Ris, and get to bed early. I'm covering for Maureen tomorrow since she has the day off," I sigh.

  It sucks to say no to him, but what do I do! I still feel weird about seeing him with Bridget and them being so buddy-buddy.

  "Yea, I need to pack too. You still want me to pick you and your roommate up after work tomorrow?" Luke questions.

  "Yes, she should be here about three or four."

  "Okay, I should get back to work. I will miss not waking up to you in the morning, Turtle!"

  I giggle.

  "See you tomorrow, Luke."

  "Bye!" he laughs before hanging up.

  I would not mind Luke distracting me again tonight. He has such a kind soul. I wonder if he was this amiable in his past life, the life he had lived in California. Did prison help him change from a bad boy into a good one, or the fact he wanted to start a new life afterward, or has he always been this way? I hope that the more time we spend together, the more I learn about who he is and was. I'm curious to know about his life growing up and what he was like before. I'd love to see pictures of him when he was younger, although I am sure those got burnt in his mother's house during the fire. I want to ask him about his past, but I'm afraid to open old wounds. He seems to have worked hard on himself to get to where he is today.

  I think I am starting to fall hard for him. Seeing him today with Bridget, knowing their history, and what she is capable of, really bothered me. I wonder if they have done more than kissing, which is why he keeps stopping us from having sex. Then again, I don't think he was going to prevent it from happening this morning. I may just be overthinking.

  I wonder if he called me while Bridget was standing next to him today. What would happen if she found out about him and me? Was she who he was talking to last night at my house when he was in the bathroom? I did overhear him say that he likes me. It could very well have been her on the other end.

  I need to call Ris; she can talk me down from my overthinking and irrational thoughts. I grab my phone. I wish I had voice activation in my car like Luke does in his truck, so I can ask it to call Ris for me. It would be so much easier than having to pull over to call her. I'm just feeling lazy today. I scroll through my contacts and click on Ris's number.

  "Eeek girl, T-minus twenty-four hours, and I get to see my favorite bitch!!" she screams into the other end of the phone without even saying hello.

  I can sense her excitement; I cannot wait to see her either. I need my bestie.

  "I know I'm so excited to see you. A week has been way too long to be apart," I shriek back.

  "I packed and repacked my shit so many times; it's unreal. I think I'm just going to bring our whole apartment," she laughs.

  She has a corny sense of humor, and it always makes me smile. I giggle. I'm sure she will pack our entire apartment. We've gone on a trip for the weekend, and she had four bags to my one. She's the type that needs to change outfits a million times a day.

  "Speaking of packing, can you please pack my orange bikini for me? I don't know if I still have suits at my dad's. I'm sure if I do, they are just lame one-pieces," I say.

  "Girl, I bought you a new suit, but I will grab the orange one right now and throw it in one of my bags. I know how much you like that one, plus it makes your boobs look, killer!" she cackles.

  "Thanks. You're too good to me," I reply.

  "I'm pumped to meet your childhood friend. What's his name again?" she asks.

  "His name is Jason, and he's excited to meet you too. He asked me if you're hot," I giggle.

  "You best have told him, that I'm fucking Filet Mignon and will rock his world this weekend," she laughs.

  She would do it too, and that's a fact—my overly promiscuous friend.

  Laughing, I reply, "I told him you aren't ugly!"

  "Way to make me sound mediocre, bitch," she giggles.

  "You need the wow factor when he sees you. If I hyped you up too much, he wouldn't be in suspense," I joke.

  Jason needed an excellent sales pitch. You cannot just go straight for the sale; you need to work up to it, plus I am sure Ris will exceed his expectations. She's a knockout in the looks department, and her figure is mind-boggling.

 
; "What time are you planning to leave tomorrow?" I ask.

  "I'll leave as soon as I wake up," she replies.

  "So, that would be noon?" I burst out laughing.

  She tends to sleep the day away and be late for everything.

  Laughing, she says, "No! I plan to leave no later than ten."

  "Great, you should be here about three or four then!" I say.

  Knowing Ris, she will have to stop many times to pee and buy snacks, so it will take her a little longer. Plus, she's not the greatest with direction even when she has a GPS right in front of her.

  "I can't wait to meet your sexy tattooed guy. Have you fucked him yet?" she chuckles.

  "Shut up. We're, well, he's taking his time," I reply.

  I don't have a better answer. He is taking his time, and it's driving me insane. Although I do have to say the boy has some serious self-control. I, on the other hand, do not.

  "What fucking guy takes his time? He must like you if he has not fucked you by now," she states.

  "We were pretty hot and heavy this morning in my kitchen," I say before she interrupts me.

  "Wait. What? In your kitchen? Girl, did he sleepover at your place?" she asks.

  I go into detail and tell her about yesterday, last night, and this morning. She yells at me for stopping what could have been great sex in her words on the kitchen counter. I continue to tell her about Bridget and how she came to the shop. She reassures me that Luke likes me and that she will know for sure after meeting him because she thinks she can read people. She knows how to calm me and make me understand. She is my voice of reason. If she can greenlight Luke, that's all the assurance I need.

  Ris changes the subject to talking about herself, which is the norm for her. She tells me about what she is planning to wear tomorrow and some of the outfits and swimsuits she packed before we end our call.

  "See your bitch ass tomorrow. Love you! Mwah." Ris mumbles.

  "Love you too. Text me before you leave," I reply.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I dig through my closet to find a bag; I do not want to dump my clothes out of my suitcase and lug that thing around. I finally find one and a pair of my old flip flops. I wonder if I still have clothes at the cabin, not even sure if they'd still fit me. I grab a few t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, sweatshirts, and a pair of jeans.

  I dig through my dresser for some cute pajamas. I am sure I will end up wearing shorts and a tank top to bed, but you never know. I head to the closet by the bathroom and grab a couple of beach towels. Then, back to my room to grab my dirty laundry.

  I should probably wash some of my bras and panties since I'm almost out of clean ones. I hope Ris brings my orange suit as it's my favorite, and it does make my chest look good. I grab my laundry basket and make my way to the basement. I start a load of clothes in the washer and check the dryer.

  A load of my dad's clothes is in here. I stare at them for a moment, then pull them out, put them into my empty basket, and head upstairs. I put the basket down in the living room and flick on the TV. I graze through the fridge for something to eat, but nothing looks appetizing. Maybe, dinner with Luke would have been better. I should have taken him up on his offer.

  I check in the freezer and see a box of pizza rolls; I haven't had pizza rolls in forever. I look in the fridge to make sure there is Western dressing to dip them in. I place them on a baking sheet and slide them into the oven after the preheat timer chimes.

  I start to fold my dad's clothes from the dryer. What am I going to do with all his clothes? He won't be wearing any of them ever again. I can feel the tears well up in the corner of my eyes. He's gone, but everything belonging to him is still here and will continue to remind me of him. I miss him so much.

  A knock at the door breaks my sadness. I wipe my eyes with my shirt and make my way to the door. I look out the window and see Luke's truck. What is he doing here? I am surprised but glad to see him; he will distract me from missing my dad.

  I open the door.

  "Hi!" I say, smiling.

  "Hey, I thought maybe you'd want some ice-cream?" he says with a perked brow

  I give him a "what the hell do you think" look while he stands in my doorway holding a quart of chocolate ice cream. Come on, what woman says no to ice cream

  "Ice-cream is good. I never say no to ice cream," I giggle.

  Luke laughs and comes into the house. We walk into the kitchen, and I grab some bowls from the cabinet.

  "We can share," he says while putting one of the bowls back.

  "Fewer dishes to do later," he smirks.

  The oven dings, and I grab a hot pad to pull the pizza rolls out then place them on top of the oven to cool.

  "Pizza rolls, hey," Luke giggles.

  "What's wrong with pizza rolls?" I ask, looking at him funny.

  "Nothing. I love pizza rolls. Those guys and chocolate ice cream are the perfect combo!" he laughs.

  "Shut up!" I say, then nudge him.

  He lunges toward me, and I take off running. He chases me into the living room then back into the kitchen. I run back out in the living room; he catches me and tackles me to the floor. I try to wiggle free, but I can't, then he starts to tickle me, and I squirm even more.

  He stops and stares at me, then pushes my hair out of my face before leaning down toward my face. I am flat on my back, and he spreads my legs apart and slides himself in between my thighs then holds himself up by his forearms. He gently brushes his thumb across my cheek as he looks deep into my eyes. I need to hold myself together before I scream, "take me now" at the top of my lungs.

  "I like you a lot, Ali," he whispers while still staring into my eyes.

  "I know!" I reply, overly confident.

  He lets out air from his nose while releasing a humph sound and smiles.

  I know? He just told me he likes me a lot, and I reply with, I know. I'm spread eagle with him between my legs, gazing deeply into my eyes, and that is what I have to say. Man, I am so stupid. Say something to him; save yourself.

  "I'm glad you do," he says with a smile.

  He leans down and presses his lips against mine. His kiss gentle, delicate like a flower's petals yet strong. He takes his lips away from mine.

  "I love kissing you, Turtle!" he laughs.

  I love kissing him too! I could kiss him forever.

  "Shut up!" I giggle.

  I grab his shirt with my fist and pull his lips back to mine. I want him and do not feel like letting go, so I am going full steam ahead. Our mouths part as I slide my tongue into his mouth and across his tongue. I am rough but sensual as I smash my lips and tongue against his, soft and moist and hot and breathy. Our tongues dance in unison, battling back and forth like wrestlers.

  I bring my hand down his chiseled stomach that I can feel through his shirt then down across his belt. I place my other hand on his rib cage.

  There is zero distance between us at this very moment. His hands are still cupped behind my ears as he holds himself up by his forearms and knees. I guide my hand over the bulge in his jeans and grab firmly. Through his pants, his penis feels quite girthy. I play around down there, rubbing my hand up and down over his pants. I can feel his warm breath against my skin as we kiss and can hear his breathing become more solemn.

  He groans in my mouth, and I smile as we continue to kiss. He removes a hand from my face and slides it down my body, across my chest, traveling further down. He grabs my hand and stops me. He breaks free from our kiss and looks at me while brushing my cheek with his thumb from his other hand.

  "The ice cream is going to melt!" he says, smiling.

  He gives me a peck on the lips, stands up, then reaches out his hand to help me up. Ugh, why does he keep stopping us? Why can we never make it past kissing and a light grope here and there? I'm going to explode if he doesn't fuck me, and soon.

  I follow Luke into the kitchen. He grabs the bowl of slightly melted chocolate ice-cream, and I dish myself up some pizza rolls then head for the livin
g room. I am frazzled while sitting on the couch and have lost my appetite. I attempt to eat my pizza rolls in between Luke spoon-feeding me chocolate ice-cream. We watch a movie, and as the credits start, Luke says he should probably head home. I want to tell him to stay the night, but I walk him to the door instead. We share a brief kiss, and he departs.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I wake up a half-hour before my alarm is set to go off. I'm too excited about today, and this weekend, so I am unable to fall back asleep. I need to shave my legs if I'm going to be in a swimsuit and shorts all weekend. I have enough time to chill in the tub and relax with some bubbles before I need to get ready for the day.

  There is something about a bath that makes you feel at peace. I close my eyes and play all the intimate moments I've had with Luke thus far over in my head. We've had quite a few, but they don't seem to go past heavy kissing. Am I reading too much into it, or is there something drastically wrong?

  Yesterday was the first time we went a smidge past making out, where he felt me up, and I touched him over his pants- like we are in Junior High. Our date at the movies, he said he didn't want our first time to be in his car. We've been numerous places that would have been ideal for our first time together but to no avail. What is he waiting for? Does he think it's too soon? Is it too soon? It is too soon, right? Why is this shit so undeniably abstruse?

  LUKE AND I PULL IN at about the same time. He walks over to meet me and gives me a side hug with a kiss on the lips.

  "Good Morning, Ali. Luke." Ernie says as we enter the shop.

  "Good Morning," I reply.

  "Morning," Luke says. "What we are working on today?"

  I part from Luke then head to Maureen's office to put my stuff down. I turn on her computer and go through her morning checklist. She's so organized. I mosey on into the lobby to brew some coffee for clients and tidy the public restroom. I unlock the door, flip on the open sign, then head back to Maureen's office. I continue my way down her checklist. I work on invoices that need to be sent out on Monday, so Maureen doesn't fall behind from having today off.