Arielle pulled it out of her back pocket, not such an easy task while wearing a seatbelt. “I do, but I don’t think I want to call her now.”
Blake glanced at her, smirking. “I’m sure she’ll understand. Tell her you were with a cute guy.”
Her cheeks flamed and she turned her head toward her window to make sure Blake didn’t see it. “Yeah, well, you can tell your family you were with a cute girl.”
Arielle had whispered the words, remembering what he’d said to her yesterday, but his eyes were on her and he had a smile planted on his face. The guy had crazy good hearing. “Maybe I will.”
She fanned herself with her hand and continued to stare out the window at the country homes they passed, but they were few and far between. Neighbors didn’t live close together out here. There had to be room for all the farms.
Arielle looked up. Blake had the top up on his convertible, and even though it could start pouring at any minute, she wished he would put the top down. There wouldn’t be many warm days left before winter took over and snow started to fall.
“I say you put the top down,” she said with confidence.
“Yeah? If I do, I could sing a song to you.” He cleared his throat. After several seconds passed, he hummed the tune to “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.”
Arielle snorted. “Don’t quit your day job, buddy.”
“I won’t. But seriously, I can’t put the top down.”
“Come on, Blake. Live a little,” she pleaded.
Blake raised his eyebrows. “Oh, don’t worry, I do, but even if I wanted to give you what you wanted, I can’t. My car was in the shop yesterday and the mechanism that folds the top down was one of the things they fixed. Even though they said I could use it, I’d rather wait a couple days.”
“Ah. Okay. No biggie,” she said, but she felt stupid so she hid behind her hair as she leaned her elbows on her knees.
Blake put his hand on her back, swirling his thumb back and forth. “Next time, okay?”
She smiled at him, then nodded.
The house they would be decorating turned out to be about ten minutes away. Which meant Arielle wouldn’t have to beg Blake to leave early to get home on time. And she didn’t trust herself to watch the clock with him anyway. She had too much fun with him and often forgot to even glance at the time. She had to make sure she didn’t go home even a minute late since Dad had set her curfew. He trusted her now and Arielle had to make sure to keep that trust or she could kiss going out on school nights with anyone goodbye.
When he pulled up to the house, he turned the car off. Pine trees lined each side of the driveway, which were pretty small and hadn’t grown much yet. The trees kept her interest as her heart raced when she realized she was alone with Blake, in a parked car. While it wasn’t the first time, this one hit her harder for some reason. She rubbed her sweaty palms together, then wiped them on her jeans. She liked him. It was that simple. But what if she screwed it up? What if she did something so stupid he couldn’t stand her? Guess it would be his loss, then. Or maybe she’d turned into a head case…
When Arielle drew her gaze to Blake, he sat behind the steering wheel, not moving, staring straight ahead with both hands resting on the dash. His head tilted toward her with focused eyes, but not on her. He looked deep in thought, maybe sad. Maybe both.
She leaned back in her seat. “So, what’s the plan here?” Fishing for information wasn’t her strong suit.
Blake shrugged, looking out the windshield. “It looks like nobody is here yet. So I guess we wait.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The space inside the car filled with an awkward silence. Arielle wanted to find out what had made Blake’s easy-going attitude change, but she held back, a nervous feeling spreading through her stomach. She’d tried to make an attempt at a conversation and it didn’t go very well. What else could she say? She rolled her eyes up, trying to wrack her brain for anything to talk about. Coming up blank after several minutes, she blew out a breath of air, which calmed her a little.
“We could always talk. If you want…” Blake met her eyes.
She smiled at him. “Sure. Why not. What should we talk about?” Phew, she thought.
He shifted in his seat, stretching his legs out. “We don’t know each other well. Want to play question and answer?”
“Sure, but only if I get the first question.”
“Go for it,” Blake said.
Arielle wanted to ask if he’d consider dating her, or if he had a girlfriend, or what he thought of her, but she hadn’t built up enough courage yet. Instead, she went for an easy one first. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Blake looked out his window. “Honestly? I haven’t thought about it too much.”
“There has to be something you’ve considered doing for the rest of your life.”
“I guess.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe the Army.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes as he glanced her way, a distance painted in his irises as if he no longer sat in the car with her, but had gone miles and miles away instead.
“The Army?” Her tone shredded her own ears, so it didn’t surprise her when he flinched. “Doesn’t the idea scare you?”
His blue eyes began to sparkle. “Of course it scares me, but shoot. If I run away from everything that scares me, what would I be?” He tapped his foot against the floor. “Think of the thrill of it all. Not only would I be fighting for my country and what I believe in, but I also get to travel, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.” He paused, rubbed his chin, and then a big grin spread across his face. “Plus, don’t you think I’d look good in the uniform?”
She playfully slapped his arm. “You’re an idiot. If I ever join something because I think the uniform looks good on me, you have my permission to call me an idiot too.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, well, you have to be good at something in life. Looking good is my thing.” He paused for a minute and Arielle thought he might be done talking, but then he said, “I can joke all I want, but the real reason the Army excites me is because I won’t have to see my dad.”
She stroked his arm. “I’m sorry.”
He frowned, then shook his head and smiled. “Okay, enough of that. Is it time for my question now?”
Arielle nodded. “Shoot.”
He shifted in his seat, tucking one leg under him. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Arielle swallowed hard, but her spit went down the wrong tube and she started choking. It took a good minute for her coughing fit to stop, but when it did, she shook her head. “Nope, no boyfriend. How about you?”
His laughter boomed throughout the small car. “No boyfriend for me. Not yet. I haven’t met the right guy.”
She put a hand over her face. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I said that. Kill me now!”
He shook his head. “No way. If you weren’t here, who would make me laugh? Now quit being embarrassed and tell me why you don’t have a boyfriend.”
Arielle dropped her hand, then bit her lip. “Because guys aren’t interested in me.”
Blake folded his arms over his stomach. “If guys aren’t interested in you, then they are complete idiots.”
Arielle gasped in disbelief. She couldn’t believe what he’d said. “Okay, Mr. Hot Stud, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
He shrugged. “I did. I met her on the beach one summer, but things didn’t work out. She wasn’t for me, and since then I haven’t found the right girl, but I have a feeling that might have changed.”
Her cheeks heated again and at this rate she figured they might as well stay red, no longer caring. She didn’t know what to say, so she stayed quiet. He had made her night. No matter what else happened, what he’d said a moment ago made her feel like she was floating and soaring through the air all at once.
The dark clouds had finally caught up to them and fat droplets of rain slammed against the windshield, pulling Arielle’s attention outside. She couldn’t
look away as the ground soaked the rain up like a desert plant. There hadn’t been much rain lately, so the ground sucked it up greedily. But she still didn’t like it unless she’d tucked herself in her room with a good book. Then the rain could come all it wanted.
Blake turned the key, rolling her window up, but leaving his cracked a smidge, then he cranked the radio up louder, drowning out the sound of the raindrops. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” was on the radio, which she found a bit ironic. When his eyes met hers, his whole face lit up. “Get out of the car.”
“Um…how about no? It’s pouring out there!” Arielle chuckled, her voice layered with sarcasm.
Blake’s bottom lip stuck out. “Please?”
Arielle rolled her eyes. “For what? What can we do out there, other than get soaked?”
“Come on. Live a little.” He wiggled his brows as he used the exact words she’d said earlier. “I want to show you something.” Reaching out, he cranked the radio up all the way and without another word, opened his door and hopped out, slamming it behind him.
He’s crazy, she thought.
He jogged around to the other side of the car, stooping down so his face was level with her window. Arielle stared in disbelief as his white t-shirt became see-through, leaving little to the imagination. His blonde hair looked almost brown as the rain soaked every part of him.
Unbuckling her seatbelt, she sat up straighter with her hand on the door handle. She took a deep breath and hopped out, determined to not be a chicken for once in her life. Sometimes, she had to leap without looking, and why not start today?
The cold rain plopped down her face as it saturated her hair and she lost her breath for a minute as she adjusted to the change in temperature. After she shut her door, she faced him. “Well, I’m here. What do you need to show me?” Water splashed into her mouth as she spoke so she swallowed it down, not caring. She looked down and gulped, realizing if Blake’s white shirt became see-through, so would hers. Thank God she’d worn a bra.
Rain stung Arielle’s arms and face and Blake said nothing, so she turned to hop back into the car, wanting to forget this had ever happened, when he took her by the arm and spun her into him until they were chest to chest. Well, with the height difference, her chest was shoved against his stomach. At her height of five foot four, she would guess he was well over six feet.
When he placed a finger under her chin, she froze, but he tipped her face up and took one of her arms, wrapping it around his waist. He put his arm around her waist too, and took her other hand in his own, then he swayed back and forth, spinning in a circle as they danced. Right there in the pouring rain.
Somehow, the scene turned into a romantic movie, one Arielle didn’t want to end. She couldn’t breathe as she kept up with his movements, letting him lead her without any hesitation. Butterflies swarmed inside her stomach and she could do nothing to chase them away because, as it stood, this topped any of the best moments of her life so far.
Underneath the dark, cloudy sky and the large raindrops stinging her skin, she melted into a puddle of her own at his feet, lost in the moment. When her knees grew weak and she felt like she might fall, his strong arms gripped her harder and held her up. It was funny because her mom used to tell her she would get weak knees with Dad, but Arielle had never believed her, until that instant. She’d never forget that moment as long as she lived.
After a few silent minutes, Blake pulled away a little bit but kept his arms on her. “So. Are you glad you came out here now?”
Arielle leaned into him, her mouth at his ear. “I have no regrets.”
Then, in unison, they pulled back, staring hard at each other. Her stomach flopped around inside her, almost as if it thumped up into her heart and dropped all the way to her knees, over and over.
She’d never been this nervous, this shaky. His lips moved closer to hers. This was the moment. The one where she’d get her first kiss. She wanted it. Never been more ready for anything in her life.
Only inches from each other, Blake stopped. “Can I?”
She did the one thing she could. She nodded while internally swooning because he’d asked first. She’d found herself a real gentleman.
Arielle kept eye contact as he leaned toward her, until his lips pressed down on hers. Her mind went crazy, realizing she had no idea how to do this. What if she screwed up? What if she slobbered too much? Her heartbeat sped up, like it might burst right out of her chest cavity, and she almost pulled back, but she shouldn’t have worried. Blake knew what he was doing, and he coaxed her lips apart with a gentle stroke of his tongue, which he pulled right back into his own mouth, thank goodness. She might have been ready for her first kiss, but not her first French kiss. It kind of grossed her out.
She mimicked Blake’s movements and prayed she did everything right, which made her first kiss hard to enjoy. Maybe she shouldn’t be thinking so much. Maybe she should just let it happen and stop trying to make everything perfect. Was there even a right way to kiss someone? Probably not.
Headlights acted as a spotlight, making Arielle jump away from Blake. She almost nervous-laughed, but didn’t want to ruin such a magical moment.
The silver car pulled into the driveway and stopped beside them, rolling the passenger window down. An older lady with curly silver hair smiled at them. “Can I help you two with something?”
“We’re here to help decorate for the Christmas Trail program.” Blake stepped up beside Arielle, grabbing her hand.
“Oh.” The woman’s voice was shaky with age. “Nobody called you? I had to cancel for tonight, but it will be rescheduled.”
Blake dropped her hand and moved around to the driver side. “Oh, I guess it makes sense why my Grandma isn’t here yet, then.” He opened the car door. “I’m sorry we’re taking up your driveway. Let me get my car out of the way.”
The lady smiled. “The name’s Gerty, and it’s no problem. I’m sure I’ll see both of you soon.”
Blake nodded and climbed into the car, but Arielle stood frozen in the rain until he knocked on her window, then she snapped out of it and crawled into the car.
As she closed the door and fastened her seatbelt, Blake turned and grinned at her. “Well, guess we’ll have to find something else to do. It’s six, so we still have three hours before you have to be home. Want to get out of here?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
Her lips tingled as he backed out of the driveway. She touched them, then smiled as she folded her hands in her lap. Even though they’d been busted kissing, it hadn’t been a big deal. But her dad would probably think it had been the worst thing in the world. And she couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping her lips at the thought.
Arielle had gotten her first kiss…and it had been everything she’d ever dreamed of and more.
Chapter 6
Aftereffects
Blake stayed silent as he drove. Arielle had no clue where he might be heading, but she never really did. When he pulled into the entrance of the college, she leaned forward. “What are we doing here?”
“Since there isn’t much to do, thought we could park and talk some more. Is that okay?”
“Sure. Sounds fun.”
The clock said it was ten after six, so she had plenty of time before she had to be home. Even though she’d left her house over an hour ago, it seemed like a lifetime had passed. So much had happened since then and there were so many more possibilities, which made her stomach flip-flop thinking about what they might do for the next couple of hours.
Blake pulled into a parking spot by the track where Arielle sometimes came with her Aunt Margie to walk Brody, her Golden Retriever. Aunt Margie hadn’t been around much lately. She worked a lot too, kind of like Mom. Since they were sisters, it made sense they would be somewhat similar.
“So. Am I the only one feeling like we got busted by that lady?” Blake asked.
Arielle scoffed. “Not one bit. I thought we were in trouble.”
Blake laughed
. “Me too. I was freaking out.”
“It didn’t seem like it.”
He pointed to his chest. “In here, I was. Trust me.”
Arielle reached into her pocket and pulled out her watermelon lip gloss, applying a generous amount to her lips. She could eat watermelon every day and never get sick of it, and even though it didn’t taste exactly like a watermelon, it came close.
“Mmm. That smells good. Bet it tastes even better.” Blake winked at her.
Arielle held the tube out to him. “You can use it if you want.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “That isn’t what I meant.”
“Okay?” Arielle’s tone was questioning. She didn’t understand what he did mean. If he liked the smell of it, he should use some. Simple as that.
“I could try it another way…”
“Oh.” She understood this time and had to fan herself with her hands to cool her face. “Guess that would be all right too.”
He kissed her, but not for long. Then he licked his lips. “Yup. Just like I thought. Tastes as good as it smells.”
He flipped to an oldies station. “Since that’s settled, how about we make out until I have to take you home.”
Arielle glanced at the clock. “Um, we can’t make out for three hours.”
Blake raised his eyebrows. “Wanna bet?” Then he leaned in again, touching his lips to hers.
After about thirty seconds, Arielle shoved him back. “Okay. The make out session is over until we finish our game of question and answer.”
He crawled on top of her, settling himself on her lap. “We can finish our game, but I’m sitting right here.”
Arielle laughed, throwing her hands up in the air. “Fine. You can sit wherever you want. Now whose turn was it?”
“I’ll start. Why do you hate country music so much?”
“Because my parents love it so much.”
He chuckled. “Pretty typical for a teenager.”
“Aren’t you a teenager too?” Her forehead crinkled. “Don’t you think most of the stuff your parents do is uncool?”