28: Time Technicality

Marie

        I sit here and continue to stare at his toes. Walk me home? Why? I go ahead and ask him.

        "Why not?" he asks me in return.

        "It's not that far." I point to my right, in the direction of my apartment building. "I can walk myself."

        "You walk home alone all the time?" he asks.

        I sit up and snap my head up to look at him as I say, "I am more than capable of taking care of myself. Wouldn't you agree?"

         "But you're not taking into account what you're wearing and how it could attract trouble," he says, and he looks serious for once. I didn't think he knew how.

         "Oh, you think?" I ask in a smart-ass tone.

         A huge grin splits his face. "I guess I deserved that. And I guess you proved you can take care of yourself just fine," he says. "But I'd still like to walk you home anyway."

         "Fine," I say in a huff as I stand up and head for the stairs.

         "Besides, I can't help but feel responsible for the prank Bryce played on you," he says as I hear his boots following me.

          I spin around and say, "So it was a prank. He's trying to set us up!" I angrily cross my arms in front of me.

          He starts laughing quietly, and I want to smack him. His eyes smile at me as he says, "Is that really so bad, Marie?"

         "I don't want to be set up with anyone," I state with no emotion.

        "Oh good. I worried it was just me," he says. I didn't expect him to say that. I'd expected him to ask me why.

          I look at the ground before I turn around and start heading for my apartment again.

          "Hang on a sec, would you?" he asks unexpectedly. I turn around yet again to the creaking sound of the driver's side door to his classic beetle. He looks a little exhausted as he doffs his hat and coat before he tosses both into the car. Then he breathes a sigh of relief and shakes out his hair. It still sticks to his head.

           I start a little when I realize I've been staring at him. He smiles when he looks at me. Crap.

          Without another word, I turn back around and walk in the direction of home at a determined pace.

          He moves fast to catch up with me. "So, why did you move here?" he asks, and I want to scream in frustration. I thought I made it clear earlier that I didn't want to discuss this.

           "I don't want to talk about it," I quickly answer. I'm still walking fast.

           "What's the rush?"

           "I want to go home."

           "You're not giving me a whole lot of time here."

           "That's the idea," I say.

           "Then how can I slowly build up to asking you out?" 

           I trip a little when my feet get caught up with one another after the shock of what he just said sinks in. Before he can do anything to try to catch me, I quickly regain my balance. Then I lightly glare at him when I see that catching me is just what he'd hoped to do.

          "See?" he points out. "You're walking too fast."

          "I don't want you to ask me out."

          "Why?"

          "Because I've had it with all of that!" I quietly yell. I realize I've lost control of my temper, but I don't know if I care. "You are the last thing I need right now," I growl.
        "You've had it with all of that? You mean dating?" he asks, wanting me to clarify. We've stopped ever since I caught myself from tripping, and we stand here facing each other. He wears a concerned expression on his face.

           My hair blows into my face, so I'm saved from answering him immediately because I have to get it under control. That moment is short-lived, however, and I realize I have to answer him. "Yes."

           "You're too young to have that attitude," he states, his hands in his pockets.

           "Oh, I am?" I ask, more attitude lacing my voice.

           "Yeah. What the hell happened to make you decide that?"

           I let out an extremely-aggravated noise and snap, "You're not going to shut up asking about all that, are you?!" I take a deep breath and ask, "If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" I don't wait for an answer but continue on anyway, "My ex-best friend is also my ex-boyfriend who is also the younger brother of my first ex-boyfriend, and that younger brother is also the ex-best friend of another of my ex-boyfriends! Then they, all three, go after me at the same time! This is when my best friend became my boyfriend after his ex-girlfriend moved to live with her aunt for a while, and I chose to date him exclusively. Then she comes back and wants him back and his brother, my first ex-boyfriend, comes over and takes me to go see them making out so I would break up with him and date him instead!" I take another big breath. "So, yes, I'm sick of it all!" I stomp away.

         "What?" he asks, confused.

         "I'm not repeating that ever again. Sorry if you didn't get it the first time," I throw back at him as I start walking away.

         I hear him running to catch up to me. "No, I didn't catch all of that, but I do wonder why I have to pay for whatever they did." He trots along next to me. "That's not very fair."

         "Fair," I say in a scoffing voice.

         "Yeah, fair. What they did isn't my fault."

          We arrive outside my apartment building, and I stop just outside the gate. "I'm sorry, Jesse. I don't want to date anybody."

         "Not even a little bit?" he asks with a grin.

         "No."

         Why is he smiling? I just turned him down, and he's smiling.

         He's not taking me seriously.

        "Jesse, I'm not kidding," I say and fold my arms defensively.

        "Sure," he says plainly, but I know he still hasn't given up. He's still smiling.

        "Goodnight, Jesse," I say and lift the latch on the gate.

        "Are you off on Wednesday?" he asks and gently places a hand on my waist.

         I freeze and look at his arm in aggravated shock. "Yes," I answer brainlessly.

         "Okay," he grins like he caught me.

         "That shouldn't matter to you," I say and glare. I wiggle out of his hold, and he drops his hand immediately.

         "What are you planning on doing?" he asks.

         I grit my teeth as I answer, "Sleeping."

         "All day?"

         "As far as you're concerned, yes."

         "How about I give you a tour of the island? Not a date, just hanging out."

         "Uh huh," I say like I don't believe him in the slightest.

         "Great! I'll be by about ten. Let me guess... you're in the pink one."

         "What?! That's not what I meant!" I stammer.

         "Why not? There's nobody better! I could show you places even some locals don't know exist."

         "I don't want to see those places. I'm perfectly happy laying out at the beach all day."

         "We could do that."

         "No."

         "But you just said..."

         "No to the 'we.' "

         "Cruel, Marie, and all I want to do is get to know you."

         "No, you want more than that, and I told you, I don't want to date anyone."

         "But it's not a date."

         I sigh in exasperation and put my face in my hands. "Jesse, please don't do this to me."

         "All I'm asking you is to spend a little time with me. It doesn't even have to be the two of us alone. I think Belinda has Wednesdays off as well. Then there's Troy and Bryce." He's stepped closer to me. I don't dare remove my hands.

          "I just want some down-time. I can't have down-time around you."

          "Why not?" he asks just on the other side of my hands.

          I don't know how to answer him.

           "Hm?" he hums his question right at my ear.

           Oh shit. I feel my heart skip a beat.

           "Why do I prevent you from having down-time?" he asks quietly. He smells sweaty, but it's not bad. I find that strange as I stand here with my face covered. I don't want him thinking I'm hiding, so I put my hands down.

           He is way too close!

           "Because I'm constantly worrying about what you're going to do next," I admit and watch him warily.

           He grins and still stands too close. If he tries to kiss me, he'll regret it.

           His face gets closer, and I mentally prepare what I'm going to do should he try. I glare at him.

           "Wednesday is still several days away," he says, and I can feel his warm breath on my cheeks. He lets out a big sigh and says, "Goodnight, Marie."

         Then he walks away while I stand here watching him. He turns around to see, and he laughs when he sees that I'm watching him.

          Jerk, I think as I spin around to storm into my apartment.

(Now, back to earlier in the evening....)

Erin

        Bryce pulls back a second to look at me as he asks, "But still... Adele is sleeping at Pam's tonight. I'd asked her about it earlier."

          I feel my face flush. He asked Pam... so she knows.

          "Bryce..." I start to say.

          "What? It's not like we have to worry about what Adele will think in the morning." That is what he means. "It's not unusual for her to spend the night at my sister's. Jones and Marie can handle the bar for the rest of the evening. Let's go back to my place." He gently pulls me towards the parking lot.

           "But, um..."

           He pulls me into his arms and holds my chin to keep me facing him. "You don't want to go to my place?" He sighs. "Listen, I meant it when I said Saturday. Why can't you spend the night?"

           I close my eyes and he lets go of my chin. How can I tell him that I'm worried if I sleep with him that I'll sleep with him? I think as I lightly crash my forehead into his shoulder. He gets it, but still...

          "I'll beg if I have to," he says quietly into my ear, and I work to suppress a shiver.

          "You planned this all along, didn't you?" I ask into his shoulder.

          "Of course. You know I thought it was a week already," he says with a shrug. "Why not come over anyway? We could use the hot tub again... go by your house on the way to get your suit... or just not wear suits." He chuckles quietly.

          "No, we don't need to use the hot tub," I say.

          "Aw man, I'd started looking forward to it." He pauses. "Okay, we'll just go straight upstairs." He laughs a little louder when I lightly hit him. Then he leans down to talk into my ear again. "Please?" he begs almost as a whine.

          I let out a small sigh before I nod a little. What's the harm anyway? I love him. "All right," I say after a small pause. Then I pick my head up to see him with a huge, child-like grin on his face. I make an exasperated growl, but I also can't help but smile back.

          Before I know it, I'm upstairs in his bed with him on top of me. He keeps slowly inching my dress higher, and I'm actually getting aggravated that he doesn't just finish the job and pull the whole thing up and off in one fell swoop.

          Another inch up.

          I growl and reach for the hem to pull the whole thing up and off real fast. He groans and buries his face between my breasts. Holy crap, Bryce! You're not wasting time, are you?

         Then he pushes himself upright and removes his shirt while he looks down at me. After tossing the shirt to the side, he throws himself down, being careful not to really land on me, and places a hand on either side of my head to support himself.

          He gently places a sweet, simple kiss on my lips before pushing back up to ask, "Erin?"

          "Hm?" I ask back.

          "I feel the need to point something out to you."

          My eyes widen as I wonder what he could possibly mean. "What?"

         "I even made sure when we walked in. I checked the clock. It's Saturday." Then he kisses me before I can say a word.