“Much.” He grabbed the bottle from me before I could reseal it and took a drink too.
“One of the main things I like about you is that you seem so real. You don’t have to change when you’re around me,” he explained.
“What else do you like about me?” I asked boldly.
AJ smiled and rambled off a list as though he’d been hoping that the opportunity would present itself eventually. “Your eyes were the first thing I noticed. Then your lips; I like how they move when you talk. I like the way you dress. I like that you’re artistic; most artists are more expressive whick makes them so much more interesting to talk to,” he said. I was trying not to blush as he complimented me so readily that he came across as a fan. “I like that you’re open minded,” he continued. “I could see us talking for hours and I imagine I’d never get tired of hearing you explain how you see the world. Even the way you think is beautiful.”
My heart felt like it stopped cold in my chest as I stared at him. I don’t think he knew it, but that last part was possibly the most perfectly flattering thing anyone had ever said to me.
“Wow…” was all I could say back. This was getting much heavier than I’d intended for it to get…..and that made me nervous. The fact still remained that I was supposed to be with Antonio. The more I talked and interacted with AJ, the hazier my mind got. He’d, in a matter of days, gotten under my skin in a way that it took Antonio six months to do. How could the two nearly be equal to me and AJ was basically still a stranger?
At almost seven on the dot, we pulled into my driveway and I was dreading having to suffer through dreams of him like the night before. It was inevitable.
“Well, I guess I should get inside. My dad’s gonna start blowing up my phone in a minute. I can feel it,” I stated. AJ nodded and I could tell that his feelings had gotten stronger just as mine had.
“Yeah, I guess.”
I was uncomfortable again, similarly to the way I felt when it was time to say goodbye the day before. Whatever happened, I was more than ready for it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” AJ stated just before pressing his lips to my cheek gently. They were soft and hot and I couldn’t stop myself form imagining what it would’ve been like to have them touch mine.
“Ok…..goodnight,” I said, trying to hide the fact that I really didn’t want to leave him. I opened the door to the car and hesitated for a fraction of a second when I placed my foot on the ground. Would it be so bad if I made the first move and kissed him? As if a real kiss just wasn’t meant to happen that night, my phone rang and I knew it was my father without looking at it. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I turned to tell AJ goodbye one last time and then hurried up to the door. Normally, I would’ve been frustrated with my father’s impatience, but for some reason I had a strong feeling that this wasn’t going to be my only chance to steal some of AJ’s time; he’d be around for a while if I had anything to do with it.
Chapter Four