A Hope and a Chance(13)
Author: Jennifer Foor

The color left from her face. “Oh, God!” She pointed to the floor. “He’s here?”

“Yeah, he and Buff are out there dancing. I’m sure he didn’t see you. What’s the big deal anyway?” I needed her to admit that she was a minor.

I watched her down the entire beer. She took the bottle and sat it back on the bar. It was completely empty. “I need to get out of here.”

“Why, what’s wrong?” I asked.

She ignored me. “Do you see my friend anywhere? She’s wearing a platinum dress.”

“I know that dress well.” I whispered in her ear.

“I bet you do,” she said in a flip way. I had to laugh. She thought I had been checking out her friend.

“I recognize the dress because it used to be my sister’s, not because of who is wearing it.”

Her beautiful light blue eyes stared into mine. “Chance, you have to help me find my friend. I can’t be here. He can’t see me.”

I grasped her by the arm gently. “Stay here. I’ll be right back. Don’t leave.”

I headed toward the dance floor and found her accomplice. I had no idea what the girl’s name was. “Hey, um, your friend said she needs to go home.”

She never stopped dancing or leaning on the guy she was with. “I’m not ready to leave. Tell her she has to wait.”

“She needs to leave now.”

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m in the middle of having a great time. Tell her to go out to the car if she wants to pout and act like a baby.”

Hearing her talk like that when her friend needed her really pissed me off. As I strode away from her I yelled, “Bitch!”

I found Mark and Buffy in a slow embrace. I kissed my sister on the cheek. “Thanks for dinner, but I think I’m going to call it an early night.”

She pulled away from Mark. “No! Why? Did something happen? We weren’t ignoring you. What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, really I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks again.” I tottered off the dance floor, and headed over where Hope was hiding. Just to be safe, I looked back to make sure they weren’t watching me before I captured her by the hand and led her out of the bar.

Once we made it outside we stood in front of my bike and I handed her my only helmet. “Put this on.”

“I can’t get on that thing. I hate motorcycles,” she adamantly announced.

I climbed on my bike and put the key into the ignition. “You can get on, or go ask your father for a ride. You choose.”

I watched as she pulled her skirt up in order to climb behind me on my bike. After getting a glimpse of her panties as she lifted her leg over the seat, I obtained her hands and wrapped them around my waist. “Hold on tight.”

7

I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I was going to kill Rylee in the morning. Well, that was if I made it off of this bike alive.

Chance managed to drive us a few miles away before pulling over at a gas station. He lifted the tinted shield away from my helmet. “Do you want anything inside?”

I shook my head, realizing how stupid I must look with the large thing on my head. He gave me a quick smile before heading into the store. I nervously sat on the bike. My body was shaking even though I knew I was tipsy. The alcohol was supposed to calm my nerves, but they must have been on overdrive, because I couldn’t relax to save my life. I’d just had my arms around Chance, the hottest guy I’d ever laid eyes on.

When Chance came back he had a brown bag in his hand. “Scoot off for a second, so I can put this under my seat. I was shocked that the whole bag fit in the small compartment on his motorcycle, but he obviously knew it would, since this was his method of transportation.

“So, where do you live?” He asked.

“Um, I can’t go home.”

“What do you mean? Why can’t you?”

“I told my mother I was staying at Rylee’s house. She’s super strict, and if she found out I wasn’t where I was supposed to be I’ll be punished all summer.”

“Where the hell am I supposed to take you?” He questioned.

This was horrible. I didn’t want to tell this sexy man that I’d just graduated high school. I knew it was a long shot for someone like him to want me, but I’d like to think that with the way I was dressed he’d at least find me attractive. Telling him my age would put that idea to a halt. He’d drop me off at my front door and haul ass out of my neighborhood if he knew what was good for him.

I had to act like I was in control, because I couldn’t go home.

There was also this lingering feeling like I didn’t even want to.

“Well, can we just go back to your place?” I was fully aware how that sounded, and what it could have implied. “Wait. Before you say it’s a terrible idea, let me explain. I promise I just need a place to crash. In the morning I’ll have someone pick me up, and you won’t have to even see me. Please, Chance. I know that we don’t know each other very well, but you know my father, and he would want me to be safe.” I hated throwing the dad card in there, but I was panicking. There was no way I could talk my way out of this to my mother, or my father.

Not in these clothes…

Since my other dress was locked in Rylee’s car, I was shit out of luck.

“I don’t think your father would approve of you staying the night with me, Hope.”

“Would you rather I hitchhiked my way somewhere else?” I started handing him the helmet, almost threatening that I was actually going to attempt to walk down the street wearing such an outfit.

This had to work. Please work. I just can’t go home.

“I’m telling you, it ain’t happening.” Why was he being so mean to me? It made no sense at all, especially after he’d come to my rescue before.

“Please. You won’t even know I’m there. I promise.”

I watched as he seemed to be thinking about it. While he contemplated with his decision, I sat there silently taking in how sexy he looked in what he was wearing. Unlike my ex Trevor, I found myself attracted to him in a way I’d never been with anyone else. Most of it was probably from the way he’d repeatedly come to my rescue, but there was something else about him; something that intrigued me. I wanted to know why I felt drawn to him, and why I couldn’t stop picturing my dream where he’d kissed me.

“Fine, but you need to be gone before your father wakes up. I can’t afford to be kicked out, because I was trying to be a good person. He won’t see it that way. I have too much history for him to be okay with me helping you.”