After seating himself behind the wheel, Lucas turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the driveway. Seizing the opportunity to give one last wave, Claudia lifted her hand to Mona and Big John, who were watching from the modest-sized porch. A few seconds later, the Chevy was pulling onto the street and en route to Browning High School.
* * * *
Framed by a balloon arch that was created from silver and black balloons, the entrance to the gymnasium made Claudia feel as if she was stepping into a swanky banquet hall. Hanging from the walls and ceiling were cut out stars that perfectly fit the "Starry Night" theme. Along with a mirrored disco ball that was situated directly above the dance floor, there were also twinkling fairy lights, which created the perfect ambience for a romantic evening.
With Lucas by her side, Claudia was practically walking on air, but if the expression on Lucas's face was anything to judge by, he was just as proud to have her on his arm as she was to have him. Strolling side by side and with fingers linked together, they commanded openly admiring stares from both men and women.
But it wasn't until they approached a group of guys - who were well known around the school as members of the wrestling team - that Claudia realized Lucas was preparing to show her off.
"What's up?" Lucas asked while tilting his chin upward in acknowledgment of the clustered jocks.
"Hey, Lucas." Sturdily built with broad shoulders, the jock who had offered the greeting glanced at Lucas before shifting his attention to Claudia. "Hello."
"Hi." Claudia gave him a smile, then shifted her gaze to the other two boys who were not so slyly checking out her Wonderbra-enhanced cleavage. "Rob, Joey..." She gave a slight nod before continuing on. "It's nice to see you again."
"Nice seeing you too," said Rob, who was clad in a dark blue suit.
"Hello," Joey mumbled before taking a sip from his cup.
"So, you guys come alone or do you have dates?" Lucas asked.
"I came with Ashley," Rob said while gesturing toward a group of girls who were assembled near the snack table. "And Joey's girl just headed off to the bathroom."
"What about you, Victor?" Lucas asked the broad shouldered jock. "You here with Natalie?"
"Nope. She pulled out at last minute, so I came alone."
"Ouch." A faint smirk curved Lucas's lips. "Sounds like she traded up, buddy."
"Or maybe she just got sick," Victor angrily rebutted. "Or didn't feel like going."
"Right." No longer sipping his punch, Joey gave a light snort. "Face the facts man, she dumped you for another guy."
"I hate to agree, but she definitely got with another dude," Rob chimed in.
"And how do you know that?" No longer just irritated, Victor was sporting a heavy frown.
"Because she just walked in with Tristan Whitefeather."
In perfect synchronization, Victor, Joey and Lucas shifted their attention toward the entrance of the gymnasium, but it was Claudia who was wearing the most astonished expression of them all.
Seeing, yet not entirely believing that what she was observing was real, Claudia stared in slack jawed amazement at Tristan, who wearing a well tailored suit that perfectly complemented his long, lanky body. His hair, which usually hung messily over his eyes, was parted on the side and slicked away from his forehead.
Sporting waist length hair that had been formed into loose, bouncy curls, the girl in question was clad in a pink prom dress that was elegantly one-shouldered. Unassumingly pretty, she was nearly as tall as Tristan, and blessed with a generously curvy body that even Claudia took note of.
"What the hell?" Victor's body went stiff as he noticed the couple stroll further into the gym. "The fuck is she doing with Whitefeather?"
"I don't know, but that's a major diss, man." No longer just smiling, Joey was now wearing a full-blown grin.
"She's probably just using him to make you jealous," Lucas said. "I mean why else would she be with him? The guy's a complete weirdo."
"Tristan is not a weirdo," Claudia stated. "He's a really sweet guy, so give him a break, all right?"
Rather than respond to Claudia's light scolding, Lucas pressed his lips flat, and with a barely concealed sneer, watched as Tristan and his date, Natalie, headed towards the snack table. On reaching the punch bowl, he began to ladle red liquid into a cup, and after passing it to Natalie, he poured some punch for himself.
For several long moments, Victor simply stared at the couple, watching as they lightly chatted and drank punch. But after nearly two minutes of seething in silence, he started toward the snack table, crossing the room in hasty steps.
Along with Rob and Joey, Claudia and Lucas watched as Victor confronted his girlfriend, but after several minutes of arguing with her, he began unleashing his anger on Tristan. Even from where she stood, Claudia could hear the sound of Victor's voice, and with each passing moment, it rose in volume.
To Claudia's surprise, Tristan took it all in stride, but as Victor gave him a hard push against the chest, Tristan glared and flattened his lips. Perhaps sensing that the verbal argument was escalating into a physical one, several prom-goers gathered around the snack table. But no sooner had the small crowd begun to urge on a fight, did two faculty members arrive to break things up.
While one of the teachers positioned themselves between Victor and Tristan, the other spoke to the crowd, encouraging them to disperse and return to the dance floor. After giving Victor and Tristan a stern look, the faculty members walked off. A few seconds after that, Victor huffily walked away, leaving Tristan and Natalie to stare after him. As if reading her thoughts, Lucas suggested that they get a cup of punch, and on reaching the snack table, Claudia offered a greeting to Tristan.
"Hey you, how's it going?"
"Oh, hello." Just briefly, his eyes dipped down to take in her slinky prom dress. "It's good to see you, Claude."
"Yeah, you too." As she smiled, so did he, but the moment was interrupted by Natalie, who offered a smile before extending her hand.
"Hi, I'm Natalie."
"Nice to meet you, Natalie," Claudia said while shaking her hand. "I'm Claudia, Lucas's girlfriend."
"Oh yes, I know. I've seen you two walking around the halls together." Natalie gave Lucas a smile before adding, "You make a really cute couple, by the way."
"Thanks." He gave her a smile before asking, "So, what's up with you and Victor? You decided to dump him, or what?"
"Yep, we're finished. For good this time."
"He must have messed up pretty bad."
"I caught him kissing Sheila Hooper, which is totally laughable, because she's had sex with like every guy in the entire school. And then I found out he's been smoking again. It's been a month since he supposedly quit, but I busted him with a pack of cigarettes outside of the Qwik Stop earlier this morning."
"Damn, seriously? He told me that he had quit, too."
"Total liar, right? I mean can you *believe* him?"
"I always did think you could do better," Lucas said. "I mean It's pretty obvious that you're way too good for him."
"Thanks, I appreciate that." A flash of dimples preceded her next words. "So, you guys wanna share a table with us, or would you rather be alone?"
"I guess we could hang out for a bit," Lucas said before glancing at Claudia. "That is unless you'd rather have me all to yourself."
"Oh, I think we'll have time for that later on." She lightly chuckled before squeezing his hand.
"Guess you're right about that." Looping an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer against him. "We'll get plenty of alone time later tonight."
Although it was brief, the kiss that Lucas gave her was enough to send a surge of heat between her thighs. But Tristan, who was watching with lips pressed tightly together, seemed sickened by the display of affection.
"Well allrighty, then." Natalie grinned at Lucas and Claudia, flashing white teeth in the process. "Looks like you two are already eager for the end of the night."
"I know I am," Lucas said while intently eyeing his girlfriend's face. "But I'm pretty good at waiting, so what's a few more hours, right babe?"
This earned him a gentle smile from Claudia, but the way her stomach twisted into knots completely belied the expression on her face.
"Looks like there's a free table near the dance floor," Natalie said while gesturing towards it. "We should probably claim it before somebody else does."
With Natalie and Tristan leading the way, Lucas and Claudia trailed behind until they reached a circular table that was adorned with a cluster of tealights. Almost immediately they fell into light conversation, discussing their plans for summer and how they planned to spend their eleven weeks of freedom. They were just beginning to discuss their plans for college when Claudia spotted Kimi and Ethan, and after waving them over, encouraged them to take a seat.
"Hey peeps, what's happening?" Outfitted in a silver corset with a black tutu style skirt, Kimi wore a smile that lit up her face. "You guys remember Ethan, right?"
"Of course," Claudia said while giving him a smile. "It's great to see you again."
"Likewise." Dressed in a black suit with a silver satin tie, Ethan's choice of attire was clearly designed to complement Kimi's dress.
"Hey Ethan, what's up?" Tristan acknowledged him with a tilt of his chin.
"Oh hey, man. I'm glad to see you here." A warm smile spread across his face, but as he shifted his attention to the other male at the table, his smile became tight. "Hello, Lucas."
"Hello." His reply was unenthusiastic, lips just barely curling upward before once again straightening into a thin line.
"Hi, I'm Natalie." With a wave of her hand, she greeted Ethan, then took a sip of her punch before glancing back at Kimi. "I love your dress, by the way. It's really unique."
"Thanks for the compliment, but all the credit goes to Claudia. She's the one who made it for me."
"Seriously?" A look of amazement crossed Natalie's face as she shifted her attention to Claudia, who only offered a modest smile.
"Yep. But the design was Kimi's idea. I only executed what came from her imagination."
"Well you did an amazing job," Natalie exclaimed. "Did you sew your own dress, as well?"
"Sure did."
"It's gorgeous."
"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment."
"Hey, what about us?" Ethan jokingly asked. "We put some time and thought into our outfits, as well. Don't we get any accolades?"
"You look very nice," Natalie politely said.
"That's it?" A grin stretched across Ethan's face as he coaxed her on. "Come on, you can do better than that."
"Don't give it to him, Natalie," Kimi said. "He's *always* fishing for compliments."
"I am not."
"Are too," Kimi said with a smile.
"When's the last time I asked for a compliment?"
"Earlier today."
"And what did I ask?"
"Does my hair look good loose, or would you rather have it in a ponytail?"
"That wasn't fishing for a compliment. It was a perfectly valid question."
"You asked it three times."
"Because I value your opinion."
"But you already know that I love it when you wear it loose."
"Well, It's prom night. I thought you might want it slicked back."
"Why would I want you to ponytail it, when it looks so gorgeous down?"
"I don't know..." A sheepish smile crossed Ethan's lips.
"Just as I said, you were fishing for compliments." Amazingly, Kimi's smile widened even further. "But It's okay, because I love giving them to you."
"You're so sweet, angel."
"You're sweeter," she responded.
"Hard not to be, when I have a wonderful woman like you."
"Aww, honey bear..." As she leaned in, so did he, and their lips met in a brief, but tender peck.
"My God, you two are just way too adorable," Natalie said while gently smirking.
"Angel and honey bear?" A chuckle escaped Lucas's lips as he lightly shook his head. "Those are some seriously embarrassing pet names."
"Like you don't have one for Claudia." Clearly annoyed by Lucas's teasing, Kimi narrowed her kohl-lined eyes.
"Actually, I call her babe," he responded with a self satisfied smile.
"Sounds more like a cat call than a pet name to me," Ethan chimed in.
"It's a term of endearment." Lucas's brows lowered and pressed together.
"No, It's a thoroughly sexist term. Not to mention demeaning and condescending."
"That's feminist bullshit," Lucas said. "Babe Isn't an insult. It's an affectionate phrase."
"My mistake..." Ethan blinked a few times before speaking again. "I was under the impression that it was a chauvinistic word."
A light snort found its way through Lucas's nostrils. "Grow some balls, dude. You're a man, not a feminist."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Men are supposed to be the providers and protectors. Feminism discourages that."
"Wrong," Ethan rebutted. "It encourages women to shed the traditional roles and become more independent."
"Feminism has no place in Indian culture," Lucas said. "It supports the emasculation of warriorhood, and only encourages the assimilation of our people."
"Assimilation?" A crooked smile appeared on Ethan's face. "Feminism is about asserting differences and allowing women to define their own values."
"That might be necessary in the white man's world, but Native women play an integral part in our communities. They're highly respected and valued, not just seen as commodities."
"Perhaps traditionally," Ethan replied, "but sexual assault has become an epidemic on reservations."
"Most of those assaults are committed by non-Native men. They come onto our lands and rape our women because they know that we can't touch them. This was all part of the plan when they forced us to conform to the European lifestyle."
"You make a good point and I agree with what you're saying, but you still haven't explained why feminism has no place in Indian culture."
"Because It's not traditional. Feminism is an extension of the European mold, an offshoot of the colonialist mentality that has damaged our people. It serves no place because we already regard women as the keepers of life. And if you can't understand what a powerful role that is, then I don't know what else to say to you, brother."
Effectively silenced, Ethan could only sit there as he mulled over what was said. Along with Natalie and Tristan, Kimi and Claudia were also quiet, and seemed to be digesting what Lucas had shared.
It didn't matter that their fellow classmates were dancing and laughing all around them, nor did they seem distracted by the loud pop music that blared from the speakers on the stage. They were all taken aback, and gazed at Lucas as if they were suddenly seeing him in a whole new light.
"I've gotta admit, I wasn't expecting such a deep response from you." Now regarding Lucas with a newfound respect, Ethan continued on. "You held your own and made some very intelligent points, so I've gotta give you props for that."
"You seem surprised." A smile began to move slowly across Lucas's face. "Guess I'm not as stupid as you thought I was, huh?"
"Never said you were," Ethan stated. "I just never expected you to be quite so articulate."
"That's not surprising to hear. Most people tend to underestimate me."
"Well I apologize for doing that. And I already know you've decided against it, but I really do think you should get into community college. You're obviously smart, so it wouldn't take long for you to reach university level."
"I don't know, maybe." He lightly shrugged before speaking again. "My dad knows the foreman of this lumber yard out in Billings, so I'll probably go to work there after graduation."
"Just saying, you should reconsider."
"We'll see." Lucas took a sip of his punch, then rose to his feet before offering his palm to Claudia. "Can't have you sitting here all night, can I beautiful? Would you do me the honor of giving me this dance?"
"Happily." She rose to her feet and followed him to the dance floor.
"So," he said as they gently swayed to the music, "Have I told you how absolutely stunning you look?"
"You did mention I was beautiful back at the house, but the word stunning takes your flattery to a whole other level."
"Good." A smile spread across his face as he said, "I always aim to please, so It's good to know that I'm doing that."
Although it was done very slowly, Claudia could feel Lucas's hands travel from her waistline to the small of her back, which was located just above the curve of her backside. His eyes, which gazed so deeply into hers, were full of a need and passion that was undeniable. But it was the heady scent of his cologne that got her thinking all sorts of deliciously naughty thoughts.
To her surprise, she found herself wishing that he would allow his palms to righteously cup her backside, and as their bodies continued to move in perfect synch, she allowed the tips of her fingers to caress the back of his neck. As if jolted by an electric current, Lucas's eyes grew big, and his Adam's Apple bobbed as he gave a dry swallow.
"Looks like I found your sweet spot," Claudia said with a gentle smile.
"*One* of my sweet spots," he corrected her. "Would you be interested in discovering my others?"
"Sure, I'm always up for a challenge."
"Oh, there's no challenge involved. My other spots are easy to find, and eager to receive your attention."
"How eager?"
Perhaps noting the playful tone to her voice, Lucas slowly lifted a brow. "Would you truly like to know, or is this just a lead up to some sort of sadistic tease?"
"No tease," Claudia assured him. "I really do want to know."
Leaning in so that his mouth was directly next to her ear, Lucas made a confession. "I've been saving myself for you."
"Saving yourself?"
"Yes." An excited glimmer came into his eyes. "Storing up my energy."
With a question mark in her eyes, Claudia stared up at his handsome face.
"I haven't been with another girl for three months. You're my one and only woman now, and I plan on keeping it that way."
Stunned, she could only swallow back a lump.
"I've never lied to you, Claudia. From day one I've been upfront about who I am, so you should have no reason to doubt me."
"Oh, I believe you," she said. "It's just that I've waited so long to hear you say these words..."
"Well, I'm saying them."
With her eyes locked into his gaze, Claudia allowed her fingers to slide into his hair. Soft and silky, it smelled pleasantly of shampoo, and was an inky black color that perfectly complemented his coppery skin tone.
Stunned by his beauty, Claudia found herself wondering if the rest of his body was as smooth and evenly toned as his chiseled face, but before she could allow her imagination to conjure an image, Lucas's voice broke through her thoughts.
"So, what do you think?" Lucas asked. "You down for going steady, or what?"
"Sure." The lightness in her chest made it a little difficult to breathe. "I mean yeah, that'd be great. I would love to go steady."
"Cool." His lips moved closer to hers, breath ghosting against her mouth before he huskily suggested, "How about we seal it with a kiss?"
Even before she could respond with an agreeable answer, Lucas's lips were already pressing against hers, tongue slipping into the heat of her mouth as she moaned. Along with the sweet taste of punch, there was also a minty flavor which she guessed was his toothpaste, but it was the way that his hands rested against her backside that caused a wet, aching need to spread through her center.
With the material of her dress so clingy and form-fitting, the outline of Claudia's g-string could be keenly felt, and Lucas took full advantage of this by running his thumb along the length of it. With one hand now on her waist and the other at the small of her back, Lucas held Claudia in a firm, yet gentle grip. But the intensity behind his kiss made it clear that he was in full-swing primal mode.
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