I tend to have a lot of first dates with guys but never find myself in a relationship with any of them. I don’t really know the reason for that; maybe I just haven’t found anyone that I care enough about to keep around. I’m not a slut by any means, far from it. I’ve only slept with one guy, my high school boyfriend. We dated off and on for over a year and wound up having sex the night of our graduation. I was young and stupid, but that was three years ago, and I haven’t heard from him since that night.
After a couple of hours pass easily, I excuse myself to the ladies’ room. I wash my hands and search my purse for a hair tie. The wine is starting to make me feel warm, and I need to get the hair off of my neck. I have always wanted short hair, but as a dancer, it needs to be long enough to secure in a bun on top of my head. So for now, I have long, thick, dark brown hair with natural golden highlights that hangs a few inches below my shoulders. When I finally find a hair tie, I quickly sweep my hair up into a ponytail.
When I return, Jack stands up and holds out his hand for me. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah,” I say as I slide my hand into his.
?????
Jack parks his car in front of my house, and once again, jumps out and opens my door for me. He walks me up to the front door and says, “I really had fun with you tonight. How about we do this again?”
“Umm, yea. That would be nice,” I say as he leans in and lightly brushes his lips against my cheek. My neck heats, and I feel slightly embarrassed by the gesture.
“I’ll call you so we can set something up.”
“Okay, that sounds good. Thanks for the drinks. I had a really nice time.”
“Me too. Goodnight, Candace.”
“Night, Jack.”
I watch him walk back to his car, and I turn to open the door. Instead, the door handle jerks out of my hand, and I stumble to my knees inside the house.
“What the hell, Kimber?!”
Nodding her head towards the door, she questions, “Mmm hmm . . . what was that all about?”
Pushing myself off the floor to stand, I look at her with an annoyed expression on my face, “What was what all about?”
“Him kissing you on the cheek. Lame.” She scrunches up her nose in disgust. “Who does that?”
“God, whatever. And you didn’t have to watch him kiss me. I swear your voyeurism knows no limits.”
“Well?” she continues, staring at me with her way too curious, blue eyes.
“Ooh, leave me alone,” I sigh. “I might have been wrong about him. He’s a pretty decent guy. I think we might try and get together again. We’ll see.” I walk to my bedroom to change clothes, and Kimber follows me. She lies across my bed while I put on a pair of cut-off sweat shorts and a cami.
I watch Kimber as she stares up at the ceiling in deep thought with her wavy blonde hair fanned out around her. Kimber is beautiful, and she knows it. She’s fit but has been blessed with feminine curves, where I have more of a straight, lean body. Typical ballerina form.
Still staring at the ceiling, she says, “Shit, Candace, do you realize that we are about to start our senior year, and I have yet to come across any decent husband material?”
I bust out into a fit of laughter. “Is this the crap that is constantly floating through your head?”
“Well . . . kinda. I mean, I have never had to work a day in my life, and I’ll be damned if I have to work after we graduate. I mean, if I had a job, when would we ever hang out?” She gives me an evil smirk.
“You’re crazy, but I love you so much.” I lay down behind her and give her a tight hug.
“Hey, girls,” Jase’s voice booms through the house.
I jump up, run to the living room, and give him a big hug. Kimber quickly follows me and steps in for her hug while I take the two wine bottles out of his hands. I walk to the kitchen to grab a corkscrew and some wine glasses. When I return to the living room, I set everything down on the coffee table and make myself comfortable on the floor. Opening the wine, I pour myself a glass while I watch Kimber and Jase talk as they sit together on the couch. Jase is a very attractive guy. He has a hard, athletic build, and his skin is lightly tanned. He wears his thick, brown hair, which has turned more of a blond over the course of the summer, lightly gelled in a messy faux-hawk. His eyes are a unique shade of light gold that stand out against his dark lashes.
“So, how was your trip to San Diego?” I ask.
Jase finishes pouring his glass and says, “It was good. I hung out with friends, went out to a few bars, and saw some bands. You know, the usual visit home.”
I take a sip of my wine and smile, “Well, we’re glad you’re back.”
“You have no idea how happy I am to be back,” he says with a straight face, and I can see a hint of tension in his eyes.
“Man, was it that bad, Jase?” Kimber asks.
“It’s just not home to me anymore. Plus, I missed you bitches,” he laughs, and his mood instantly shifts. “So, what have I missed?”
I get the feeling that Jase is hiding something about his trip back home. I look at him as he is downing his glass of wine faster than usual. Yep, he’s definitely hiding something. I’m pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Kimber speak up.
“Well, Candace is dating a douche from Mommy and Daddy’s country club,” she says as she winks at me.
“I am not!” I say. “We went out for drinks. That’s all.”