Collision Course(53)
Author: S.C. Stephens

She ran a hand along the side of my hair, fixing a messy piece that hadn’t been cooperating with me, and I felt my body react even more to her slight touch. Great. And we hadn’t even started dancing yet. Maybe having her borrow my mom’s clothes was a bad idea.

Wanting to be a gentleman, and shut parts of my body off, I gallantly offered her my arm and walked her over to the driver’s side of the car. She laughed delightfully as I helped her sit down. The slit of her dress fell open and I could see a smooth expanse of inner thigh before she adjusted it. My body really liked that. Feeling like a moron, I moved around to the passenger’s side. I got in with a frown on my face and stared at her lightly gripping the wheel in her beautiful dress, her thumb ring gleaming in the dash lights. It really wasn’t very gentlemanly to let her drive. I really should…

"Lucas, you okay?" she asked.

I snapped out of my thoughts, my stomach starting to squeeze at the very idea of switching places, and threw on a smile. "Yeah, I’m just not feeling like a very good date." I blushed a bit at calling myself her date and indicated her driving, to cover my momentary embarrassment.

She looked at herself behind the wheel and nodded. "Oh, do you want…to drive?"

I felt all the blood rush from my face at hearing it said out loud. Thinking it was one thing, having it presented to you as a viable option, quite another. I felt my stomach lurch and I heard my heart pound so hard, I was sure she could hear it too in the quiet space. Her eyebrows shot up and her hands went to my cheeks, stopping me from repeatedly shaking my head no, which I hadn’t even realized I’d been doing. I was breathing heavier as I stared at her intently.

She slowly brought me back to a more relaxed state, holding my face and making me keep staring at her. Her gray eyes bored into mine – loving, concerned, friendly and maybe somewhere in the depths, something a little more. She’d applied a dark, smoky eye shadow with long, thick, black mascara, and the stunning grayness seemed to pop out at me. Eventually, I felt calm and nodded against her hands, gently releasing them from my face and ignoring how warm her touch had made my skin.

"I’m fine," I muttered. "I better stay over here though." I shrugged, feeling stupid.

She smiled and fixed my stray piece of hair again. "Okay…sorry for asking. That was stupid."

I looked down, shaking my head. "No…it’s okay." I noticed the box in my palms and opened it. With a smile I grabbed her wrist and slipped the flowers on. She stiffened when I first touched her, but smiled when she realized what I was doing. She admired her wrist once the flowers were in place, then she laughed and gave me such a loving look, that an ache went straight through me.

I swallowed and shifted my eyes away from hers, sweeping them over the intricate up-do of her shockingly black hair instead. It had been meticulously curled and pinned into place so that most of it was held up, exposing her slender neck, but a few long pieces were left free, and dangled down to tickle the hollow between her shoulder and her collar bone in a nearly intimate way. I swallowed again and forced my focus to the more innocuous windshield. This was going to be a really long night.

She started the car and we pulled away, heading for the diner. My mom was overly excited to see us and had offered us a free meal in exchange. Since I really had no expertise in cooking, and Sawyer had had no interest in my Hot Pockets, we’d both agreed.

We pulled up to the diner a few minutes later and I smiled as I saw my mom in the large window, talking to a silver haired man sitting alone in a booth. I frowned as I watched her laugh and lean over closer to him, the man laughing as well. I frowned because I recognized the man. Sheriff Whitney. She was chatting with the sheriff.

I sighed, not relishing eating while he was there. Painful memories snuck up on me and I brutally beat them back. Not tonight. Tonight was for Sawyer and this moment was for my mom. I wasn’t going to let my moodiness ruin this evening for either of them.

Sawyer noticed my frown. "Hey, we could go somewhere else if you want. Back to your place?"

I looked over at her; the perfect heart shape arch of her lip was painted in a pleasing shade of pinkish-red. "No, this is fine. I just wasn’t expecting…" I shook my head. "This is fine. Mom is dying to see you anyway." I tucked a stray piece of hair away from her eye, tucking it behind her ear. My eyes swept over her face as my thumb absentmindedly stroked her cheek. "You won’t disappoint her either. You’re beautiful," I whispered.

Oh my god, Lucas, I berated myself. Get a grip. I immediately pulled my hand away from caressing her face and cracked open my door. Yeah, tonight was going to be a really long night.

I told her to stay where she was before I slid out of my door, and grinning like a moron, I skipped over to her side, to let her out of the car. It was old-fashioned and odd, since she had driven, but it made her laugh and reward me with a huge smile, so it was worth it. I held my hand out for her and she grasped it, lacing our fingers as she stood up. I hadn’t stepped back when I pulled her from the car so we were standing closerthanthis when she stood up. My heart started racing as that velvet encased body pressed against me. With a content smile, she looked over my face, her eyes flicking between mine. Mine weren’t so gallant anymore and stared blatantly at her stained lips.

She leaned forward and I instinctively leaned down. "Luc," she whispered.

"Yes," I said breathily.

"Are you going to let me get out of the car?" She gave me a wry grin, her oh-so-cute dimple showing itself.

I blinked and realized that my body was trapping her in the open car door. I blushed and let out a nervous laugh as I stepped aside. I heard myself mutter, "Sorry, you just look really…good," as we walked hand in hand to the small diner. She laughed and told me that she never realized I had a fetish for cocktail dresses.

I playfully scowled at her as I opened the diner door. Immediately upon entering we heard, "Oh my god! You’re adorable! Aren’t they adorable?" My mom came up and gave each of us a hug as she beamed at us. As I watched eyes around the diner laser beam onto me, I felt my cheeks flush. Not a lot of those eyes thought I looked adorable.

Mom broke off from hugging me to engulf Sawyer. "Oh, Sawyer, dear, you’re beautiful, just beautiful." She looked over her shoulder at the sheriff sitting at the booth next to our display, his gaze firmly on me. "Isn’t she beautiful, Neil?"

I blinked as I watched the sheriff twist his silver head to glance at Sawyer and smile. Had my mom really just called him by his first name? I knew they were friends, well, I mean, I knew they talked, but first names seemed a little disrespectful and it surprised me. His smile shifted to my mother. "She’s lovely." His gaze shifted back down to Sawyer. "Your dress is beautiful on her, Vicky."

I shook my head. Did he just call her by her shortened name? The weirdness just wasn’t going to stop. Before I could comment on it, and really, nerves had already locked up my throat, Mom was ushering us to a booth she’d reserved for us, making elegant looking place cards with our names on them out of comment cards. I smiled at her attempt to make our diner meal a fancier experience, and helped Sawyer scoot into her side of the booth before I slide over into mine. Sawyer’s dress hitched up her thigh a little when she slid across the vinyl and I suppressed a groan. Were the fates trying to kill me tonight?

Mom beamed at us as she read off a list of specials, like they were five star cuisines. We ordered an appetizer of chicken strips, burgers for our main course and milkshakes for drinks. Mom laughed and rumpled my hair, immediately apologizing and trying to fix it. I sighed and shooed her off with a smile on my face. I watched her head over to a small circle of waitresses and animatedly tell them something. She looked back at us over her shoulder and I knew she was bragging. I smiled as I watched her; she suddenly seemed ten years younger, laughing and smiling with her friends. Those friends were respectfully listening to her, but on occasion they gave me odd, appraising looks. I could almost see their minds trying to match the portrait Mom painted of me, to the gossip that ran like wildfire around this town. The two probably didn’t mesh up well.

Feeling like I was being put on trial right here at the table, I stopped watching the group and shifted my attention back to Sawyer. She was watching me with a concerned expression and I did my best to relax my face. Her hands reached out over the table for mine, and needing the comfort, I reached back for her. We laced our fingers and her thumb started stroking the back of my hand. I ignored the guilt that small gesture gave me. Tonight was for her and she enjoyed contact. Tonight, I wouldn’t pull away – she could have all she wanted from me. Well, up to a point at least.

I blushed as I thought about the intimate moment we’d had a few weeks ago. In my head, I pictured that happening again tonight…with her in that dress. My blush deepened as the image clearly flooded my brain and my clothes were suddenly very uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, I thanked God we were sitting down. I needed to get this under control…and fast.

"You alright, Luc?" She tilted her head at me, some loose pieces of her hair dangling over her shoulder.

I smiled and laughed, some of my tension easing. "Yeah." I looked down at the table and shook my head. "I’m great."

She seemed about to question me, when my mom showed back up with our milkshakes. She smiled softly at our clasped hands as she set our drinks down. I thanked her as I let go of Sawyer’s fingers to grab my drink. I watched Mom as she smiled at us and then walked over to the sheriff. They talked for a moment while I watched them intently. His eyes flicked over the two booths separating us, staring at me unabashedly and I lowered my head, not wanting to watch anymore. It didn’t matter if he was here. I looked up at Sawyer, merrily sipping on her shake. She was all that mattered tonight. I reached over and grabbed her free hand again.

We chatted easily and Mom soon brought our appetizers and main courses. We laughed while we ate, making the meal as fancy as we could with our flimsy paper napkins and plastic basket of fries. Pretty soon our meal was done and Sawyer got up to fix her lipstick. I smiled as I watched her backside walk to the bathrooms. That dress really was amazing.

My focus was suddenly shattered as someone sat down in the booth with me. My face paled as Sheriff Whitney sat in front of me. I tried to speak, but found my throat locked up again. He tilted his head at me, his aged eyes boring into me. I could tell he was gauging my sobriety and I felt my jaw tighten and my chin lift up. Perhaps noticing the defiance in my eyes, he shook his head and smiled softly.

"How are you doing, Lucas?

I shrugged and mumbled, "Fine." I was a little surprised any speech came out of me.

He nodded and cocked an eyebrow at me. "You’re…okay tonight?"

I let out a long exhale, calming myself. "I’m fine," I repeated.

He was silent for a moment and then sighed. "I’m just trying to look out for you, Lucas. Your mom and I both worry about you." I bristled at him mentioning himself in the same sentence with my mom. Why did she feel the need to confide in a man who brought back such horrid memories in me? If there was one person I wished I wouldn’t see anymore, it was this man. Because even though he was asking about my current level of awareness, and not that night’s, and even though, through everything, he’d been nothing but nice to me, all I heard in my head when I looked at him was ‘they’re all gone’. I knew it wasn’t right, but I sort of hated him for it.