Into the Fire Ch. 06

"Tess."

I wasn't ready to form words yet, so I just ran my fingers down the length of his arm. "Hmm?"

"I know you've only been here a few weeks. I know it's too soon. But I need you to know...you know that I..."

My eyes snapped open as I interrupted him. "Stop. Don't. Don't say what you're about to say."

He rolled off of me onto his back and fixated on the ceiling. "Why?"

I was quiet as I tried to find the right words, then I turned my head to look at him. "Because I'm leaving in a month. And that's already going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done. If you say...what you were about to say, I don't know if I could recover from that."

He grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. He turned his head towards me and looked in my eyes.

"It sucks, but I guess that's fair. But you know that I do. Right?"

I scooted next to him, and as he gathered me into his arms, I never broke eye contact.

"I know. Me too."

***

"Let's mmph mmm mmph tonight."

We were sitting at the island in the kitchen, having breakfast after our active night. "Oh my God, chew your food and then talk, you animal." He sneered and threw his napkin at me, but he swallowed before continuing his thought.

"Let's go on a date tonight. An actual date. I realized you've been cooped up in the house since you've been here. Dinner and a movie. We're lackin' the fancy restaurants I'm sure you're used to, but I'll wear slacks and a tie. We'll have wine. The whole shebang." The hopeful look in his eyes made my heart beat faster.

"Of course we can go out on a date. I'd really like that."

He beamed. "Awesome. Now, I gotta ask, are you the type of girl to put out on the first date, or...?" That earned him a punch in the arm. "I'm just sayin', I need to know how much money to spend."

That earned him a pancake to the face.

***

I was clipping my hair into a messy bun when I heard the doorbell ring. "Shane, can you get that?" I took a moment and admired myself in the mirror. I picked a yellow strapless knee-length dress for tonight -- yellow is such a happy color, which definitely reflected my mood. The doorbell rang again as I was adjusting my ample boobs in an almost-too-small bodice. "Shane, the door!" I yelled down the hall with no response. I started strapping on my heels when there was a third ring. Oh goodness gracious, just go answer it yourself. I marched down the stairs and through the living room, silently cursing Shane the whole way. I opened the door, and discovered why he wasn't answering.

There he stood, with a bouquet of wildflowers, which seemed so small in comparison to his stature. Dressed in a crisp, white button down and grey slacks, his red hair combed back, just draping over his collar. His green eyes danced as he looked me over, making me feel better that I wasn't the only one gawking. He broke the silence first.

"This is completely cheesy, isn't it?"

I broke my trance to throw my arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses. "Completely and utterly cheesy. And I love it. Thank you."

He gave me a quick squeeze before laying the flowers on the porch until we got back, then grabbed my hand and led me to our first date.

***

"...and Thompson needs to work on his legs or arms next season, I've never seen so many shots come up short, hitting the rim, from every distance he shot from." I popped another scallop in my mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "He's averaging, what, sixteen dry jumpers a game? I mean, it's embarrassing. What? Why are you staring at me? Do I have sauce on my face?"

Shane chuckled and took a sip of his merlot. "I'm just...awed. And impressed. A proper girl like you knowin' so much about sports."

I shrugged. "It drove my mom crazy, so I figured it was something that was worth getting into." The restaurant, aptly called Taste, was clean, understated and very attractive. The blue glass chandeliers sporadically strewn across the ceiling were a modern touch to the taupe walls and wooden furniture. I was delighted with the scallops and potatoes I had ordered, while Shane kept up with the southern male stereotype and ordered a steak.

He smiled. "You are full of surprises. I'm more of a football man myself, but we'll have to go to a game next season."

I pondered his offer. "Yeah, I'd love to. I don't know when I'd have time, though."

His smile faded somewhat as he placed his silverware on his plate and leaned back into his chair. "About that. You've got, what, about three more weeks? Have you given any thought to what's going to happen with...this?" He motioned between us.

I set my fork down and fiddled with my napkin. "I don't know. My entire college career has been hyper-focused on work. It's my last year before...whatever I decide to do. I have to be all in."

His face remained stoic. "What about weekends? Breaks? I could come to you if time is a factor. Hell, I'd be content to sit in your apartment and watch you study."

"That's not fair. It's not fair for you to give up your time, or wait around for me to get a break. And it's not fair for me to constantly feel guilty because I can't give you my undivided attention. I just...I don't think you realize how busy I'm going to be."

He gave a sad smile. "So. This is it, then."

I couldn't look at his dejected face. I turned to stare out the window, willing myself to stay composed in public. "I think so."

He took hold of my hand and ran his thumb over my knuckles. "Then I think we gotta make the most of it, huh? I'll take some time off of work, I want to be around to annoy you as much as can." He joked, pulling me back into the present.

"Oh, hiiii Shane." That voice. That shrill, phony-as-hell sweet voice. I looked up to see the bane of my existence in this town, Chastity, standing in front of us. With her high blond ponytail and skin tight pink dress, she looked like Barbie.

If Barbie was a streetwalker.

I glanced at Shane whose eyes were closed shut, as if he were wishing her away. "Hey, Chas. Can't you see we're having dinner?"

She made it a point to not acknowledge me. "Did I hear your little friend will be gone in a few weeks? That's great, I really missed you baby."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, still avoiding her gaze. "Chas, I already told you that's over with. And you're being really fuckin' rude in front of my girlfriend. Girlfriend, Chas, remember?"

She twirled her hair around her finger and leaned forward on our table. "Oh, have I been rude? I'm being a very bad girl. Maybe you should spank me. I remember how much you loved doing that."

That made him snap his head up. "Chas. Leave. Now. Or I'll remove you from this restaurant."

She frowned and straightened up. "Fine, my friends are over there anyway. When she leaves, give me a call, handsome." She turned on her heels and sashayed to her table. A group of five girls watched the whole scene and were high-fiving her.

I was livid. "I hate her."

He went back to massaging my knuckles. "I know, darlin'. I'm sorry she was so rude."

I snorted. "No, Shane, I mean I really hate her. So much hate. For her. When I leave you are absolutely never to sleep with her again. I mean it. I will cut your dick off, I swear."

He barked out a relieved laugh. "Believe me, my cock shriveled up at the thought of her long before you came into the picture. Though I do like you being jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe you should just give me a spanking, because apparently you just love doing that."

His eyes became bright with excitement and he squeezed my hand. "Is that a request, sweetheart?"

I suddenly felt too warm under his gaze. "It might be." He fished in his pocket for his wallet. "But before any of that, I'm going to use the restroom.

He stood to pull my chair out, then spun me into him and casually kissed me. "Okay, I'll go pay. Don't take too long. And don't come back with any offers for dates."

"I promise nothing."

***

I was washing my hands when I heard the door swing open. Only when I turned around to grab paper towels did I notice Chastity standing behind me, giving me the death stare. I tried to keep my face impassive. I was not giving her the satisfaction of knowing she made me a little nervous. I've never had a fight over a guy, but I wasn't about to let her win.

"Are you planning to stand there watching at me all night, or is there something I can help you with?"

She studied her nails as if they were fascinating and she was bored. "You know, I don't get it. I just can't understand why Shane is hanging out with you. Are you some kind of charity case or something? I should be really pissed you're around my boyfriend so much." She smoothed the front of her dress. "It doesn't matter, though. You'll be gone soon and Shane will be back in my bed where he belongs. You're nothing but a place holder, so try not to be too upset." She gave me an icy smile, showing an ugly side with such a pretty face.

I threw my paper towel away, anger rising in my chest, determined not to let her get the best of me, even though her words made all my self-conscious thoughts feel true. "Look...Chastity, is it? Let's forget the fact Shane hasn't mentioned you ONCE since I've been here, which leads me to believe you're not as hot in the sack as you think you are." Her eyes tightened. I stepped closer to her until I was within whispering range.

"And furthermore, if he's your boyfriend, you may want to reconsider dating him -- because for the last month, he's had his head buried between my legs, eating out my pussy like it's a fountain and he can't get enough to drink. If you want to date a cheater, by all means. But for the next three weeks he's going to be fucking me and calling out my name when he comes. So I suggest you move on." I turned from her and opened the door. "Oh, and have a great night." I walked back to Shane at the front of the restaurant.

"Hey sweetheart, ready to...what's wrong?" I couldn't imagine how distressed my face must have looked. "Hey, Tess, what happened? Are you okay?" I shook my head, the lump in my throat preventing me from explaining. He looked over my head and saw Chastity exit the bathroom, going back to her posse. His expression went from worried to extremely pissed off.

"Did Chastity say somethin' to you?" His voice low, dangerous. I gave him no answer.

"Can we just go home, please?" He took a step forward, as if he were going to confront her. I pushed at his chest, trying to steer him towards the door. "Please? I just want to go."

He reluctantly obliged, placing his arm around my shoulders as we walked towards the car.

***

We didn't talk the whole way home, which seemed to be becoming the standard with us. I stared out the blackness of the window, and I guess he sensed I just wanted silence. He kept his right hand on my knee for reassurance, while I processed my thoughts.

He doesn't want her. He wants you.

But she's skinny and blonde. Much hotter than me. She's a bitch, but I'm sure they had loads of hot sex. I probably couldn't compare anyway.

No. Don't let her get to you. He wants you. He wants you.

Back at the house, we headed straight for the bedroom. I peeled my heels off while Shane took off his clothes and pulled on sweatpants. Normally I'd openly ogle him, his brawny arms and striking six-pack, toned from years of discipline at the gym and the heavy equipment he carries all day.

But tonight, I was too tired.

He pulled a T-shirt out of the dresser and handed it to me, then wordlessly turned me around to unzip my dress. As he pushed it down over my hips, I reached around to unhook my bra. He took the shirt from my hands and slid it onto me, then took the clip out of my hair, causing my thick mane to fall around my shoulders. A book and a pair of glasses I hadn't seen before were resting on the nightstand on his side of the bed. We climbed on, not bothering to get under the blankets. I lay my head on his chest and swung my leg over his; he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me firmly to him. With his free arm he wordlessly put his glasses on, grabbed the book and opened it to the last marked page. He then proceeded to read softly, while stroking my hair. Somewhere between the African refugee crisis and blood diamonds I fell into a deep sleep.