Jay Bird: Need an excuse to ditch him? Coz I think I saw Courtney loitering at the house scared face I might need you.
Jazzy Bear: I think you redeemed all three favors in one go. That kiss was not sanctioned.
Jay Bird: It was necessary.
Jazzy Bear: It was gross.
Jay Bird: It was a surprise.
Jazzy Bear: A hideous one. Did I mention I hate surprises?
Jay Bird: Whatever. You loved it.
My belly flipped over.
Jazzy Bear: About as much as I love being at the dentist.
I looked up at Chase. He raised his eyebrows as if to ask if I was coming.
Jay Bird: Being at the dentist doesn’t taste like chocolate and strawberries.
Jazzy Bear: I have to go.
I pocketed my phone and caught up with Chase.
“Hey,” I said. “So my mom texted. She was expecting me for dinner tonight.”
“Ah, really? That sucks.” He climbed off his bike and leaned it against a tree trunk.
“I know, sorry. I better just ride home from here.” I smiled apologetically.
He shoved his hands in his pocket. “So can I call you? You’ve been hard to catch up with the last few days.” He looked away and back at me. A cute and unsure grin teased his mouth, and for a moment I was reminded of why I thought he was cute in the first place. He had a knack for looking innocent. Like a mischievous child. I’d bet he’d get away with quite a lot in his lifetime. If he hadn’t already. “I was beginning to think you were blowing me off,” he said.
Right then would have been the time to let him know he should probably find someone else to chalk his cue, but for some reason I chickened out.
“Nah, I’ve just been busy.”
He nodded slowly, his lips pursing. “Okay. I mean, it’s cool. If you’ve got something with your best friend’s brother, or whatever. I mean I’m leaving next weekend. I’m not gonna stand in your way.” He stepped in close and before I knew it, brushed his lips across mine. “He never has to know if we get together, you know?” He nipped at my lips again, his hands slipping around my waist.
I guess it was his comment about having something going with Joey that paralyzed me momentarily. The fact that someone else had noticed there was something going on with us. “There’s nothing going on with Joey.”
“Okay, babe. Just, I’m cool with it, yeah? You seem like you’d be up for some fun. We’d have fun together.”
What did looking like I was “up for some fun” mean?
Chase smoothed a finger between my eyes. “Stop over thinking. Go do what you’ve gotta do tonight.”
He was right. For some reason, I’d been looking at him to see if we were relationship compatible. Clearly we weren’t. But fun? Yeah, we’d probably have fun together. I wasn’t looking for someone who’d want to stick around. I didn’t want that danger. I’d asked for this. If he was any nicer, or we had more in common, I’d be charmed. And sad when he left. This was what I wanted, an affair without messy feelings. I was being an idiot. It was just sex. One time and my virginity was gone. I wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.
“Fun sounds good.” I smiled. “Just fun is what I’m looking for.”
CHASE LEANED DOWN under the shade of the trees on the bike path and kissed me again. It was okay. No sparklers. His hand slipped down to my ass. The only thing I could think of was I hoped we were still sufficiently hidden in the trees and no one I knew was driving past. We lived in a small town after all.
He pulled away. “I can’t believe I’m going to ask this, but you’re not a virgin or something are you?”
Blood rushed to my cheeks, then to my feet. I guess my face showed it.
“Ah, shit. Really?” Chase took a step back.
I shrugged as I figured out what to say. I wasn’t going to lie about it. “So? It’s not a big deal. Here one minute, gone the next.”
“Yeah, but … shit I thought you …” He blew out a breath.
“What? You thought all us small town girls started early and often. I mean what else is there to do around here, right?”
“No, of course not. You just had this confidence about you, this … sexiness.”
“And now I suddenly don’t? Thirty seconds later?” My tone betrayed my skepticism. And I was still a little mortified. God, was virginity suddenly that obvious.
“Have this sexiness about you, not had. I totally cocked this up. I really didn’t mean to make you feel bad. It’s just …”
“Don’t tell me. You think I’ll fall in love with the first person I sleep with. You think I might follow you up to North Carolina or something. Like flipping Courtney. Holy shit. Do all guys think they have magic penises?”
Chase was staring at me like I’d gone mad.
“Fucking, Joseph,” I muttered.
“Which clearly you haven’t.” He smirked.
“Hahaha,” I said. “You’re funny. I can appreciate that. It’s the kinda thing I would have said. Except I really don’t feel like laughing.”
“Look, I like you. I just don’t think I should be the one to, you know … I kind of have a rule about that.”