It Started With A Kiss (8 page)

“
I thought they met
The Who
?”

“
Only Keith Moon. Mum
chased him up the street to get his autograph. It’s in a box
somewhere but that’s not the point. If we tell them we’re lining up
to get tickets, they’ll totally get it. Then all we have to do is
get a couple of tickets in the members pre-sale on Thursday, pack a
bag to make it look like a sleep out, find a nice place to camp for
the night and Bob’s your uncle.”

Nate’s eyes twinkled. His arms snaked around
Georgie’s body to explore the smooth skin at the side of her bikini
top. “You’re a sneaky thing, Georgie Bird. I’d never have thought
of that.”

Georgie planted a deep kiss on his mouth. “I
know. It must be those hormones Mum keeps banging on about.”

*****

On the evening before the line up for
tickets, Nate arrived at Georgie’s house at the designated time.
His car screeched to a halt in the driveway, sending a cloud of
dust and ear-bleedingly loud music into the atmosphere and causing
Mrs. Longo to peek from behind her curtains to check that a
terrorist attack wasn’t happening in the Bird’s drive. Giving the
old lady a wave, Nate took the front steps two at a time, let
himself in the door and greeted Mrs. Bird with a kiss on the cheek.
Still uncomfortable that Nate was dashing Georgie around the town
in a car, she had just completed lecturing her daughter about
behaving like a lady and not going anywhere but the ticket line
because the city was a dangerous place at night. Little did she
know Georgie had no intention of going anywhere near the box
office. The only box Georgie intended on being near was the one
that had condoms in it.

Grabbing Georgie’s backpack
and a large basket from beside the front door, Nate led the way
down to the car and tossed it into the back. So far, their plan was
coming together nicely. Confident that the two sets of parents
would never compare notes, he’d told his mother he was taking
Georgie to a midnight screening of the
Rocky Horror Picture Show
, her
all-time favorite movie. He’d crash at hers after, as it was closer
to the outdoor theatre. Nate often spent the night at Georgie’s —
in carefully selected separate rooms, of course — and Georgie’s mum
and dad’s bedroom between them. Georgie’s parents, being the
trusting people they were, assumed Georgie would be sitting with
her other school friends in a queue that evening, the very same
queue that had been featured on that night’s edition of
Ten
News
. At the time of filming, it had
stretched a block along Hay Street and was expected to be triple
the length by morning. They weren’t overly impressed about their
daughter staying out the entire night, but if the kids wanted
tickets, they supposed there was no other choice. Though why anyone
would want to see that
Marilyn
Manson
with the one blue eye and one black
was beyond them. He really was rather creepy.

“
What’s with the basket?”
Nate asked, as he lugged the wicker into the back of the
car.

Georgie rolled her eyes. “Mum was worried
we’d get hungry. She’s packed us a picnic.”

“
With bread made from
rocks? That thing weighs a ton.”

“
That’d be the ten liters
of Coke and water and the thermos of tea. She doesn’t want us to
get dehydrated or cold.”

“
Thoughtful. But
unnecessary.”

Georgie tossed her overnight bag in beside
the picnic basket. It wasn’t much lighter.

“
And I suppose you’ve got
your hair straightener and your entire summer wardrobe, in there?”
Nate asked.

“
Don’t be sarcastic. It’s a
doona and two pillows, if you must know. At three o’clock in the
morning, you’ll be pleased I packed it.”

Nate took her in his arms, placing a kiss on
the tip of her nose. “This is the first time we’ve ever been naked
together, Georgie. You won’t be hiding under a doona.”

Georgie flushed. “What if it’s cold?”

“
You won’t be cold, believe
me.”

They walked to their respective sides of the
car and got in. Nate started the car and Georgie changed the CD
before letting her hand rest on Nate’s knee. He gave her a smile
that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

All week long, Georgie had been imagining
this night and every time she had, her body had responded with that
tingle, the one she got in the pit of her stomach that worked its
way down between her legs. Sure, there’d be so much heavy breathing
in the past, they could’ve filled a steam room, but tonight was
going to be different. Not in the panting and moaning department
but in the act itself. Tonight Georgie was going to show Nate how
much she loved him by giving herself entirely to him. They were
going to lose their virginity together.

“
Where are we going?
Georgie asked, as Nate reversed out of the driveway. Nate had been
in charge of scouting a location. He’d been updating her during the
week but was keeping his final choice a surprise.

“
Not telling.”

“
But I want to
know.”

That mischievous twinkle in his eye, Nate
concentrated on the road ahead.

At the first set of lights in Roberts Road,
Nate turned down the music. Frowning, Georgie glanced sideways at
him. Nate never turned down the music. The only way to play it was
as loudly as possible.

“
What’s wrong?”

He appeared to be straining to listen.
“Nothing. I thought I heard a funny noise.”

Georgie focused for a second. “I can’t hear
anything. What’d it sound like?”

“
Crackling. Whistling. I’m
not sure.” He cocked his head over the steering wheel, listening
intently. “I think it’s gone now.”

As Nate took off from the lights, Georgie
reset the volume dial and began to bounce along in time, her
fingers tapping simultaneously on Nate’s knee. Her body, also
switched to high, was filled with nervous energy, making it hard
for her to keep still. “Are you sure you won’t tell me where we’re
going?”

Nate’s hand left the steering wheel to cover
hers. He squeezed her knuckles tight, letting out a chuckle as she
pulled her hand away and shook it.

“
Ouch! Nate!”

“
Well, stop being so nosy.
You’ll find out when we get there. Can you skip that track and go
to the next one? I don’t like it much.”

Georgie huffed and pressed the scan button,
moving the CD to the next track. Nate’s hand moved across the
handbrake and up her bare leg, coming to rest at the top of her
thigh. His fingers began to play with the fabric along the hem of
her shorts. Georgie wriggled away it and slapped him playfully.
“Focus on your driving.”

“
I am,” he replied, his
eyes never leaving the road. “I’m also focusing on getting you out
of those shorts in about ten minutes.”

Georgie blushed again. It was one thing to do
it; it was another completely to talk about it all the time.

At that moment, the Red Devil gave an
almighty shudder and slowed to a grinding halt. Smoke began to pour
from under the console making Georgie cough as it entered the car.
Then she caught a flash of flame.

“
Oh my God. Nate. We’re on
fire!”

Envisaging an explosion to rival a Hollywood
action movie, she flung the door open and bolted from the car,
screaming at the top of her lungs. Nate, who was far more
practical, jumped out behind her and stood at the side of the car,
scratching his head and wondering how to put the fire out.

“
Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod.
What are we going to do?” Georgie’s nervous excitement was quickly
being overtaken by panic. Fingers against her mouth, she bit at her
nails, having no idea how to handle the situation. Of course, if
Nate had taken that place he got offered at the Firefighting
Academy, they wouldn’t have had a problem. If he hadn’t deferred,
he’d know exactly how to douse the fire.

“
Ohmigod. Ohmigod.
Ohmigod.”

“
Shut up, Georgie. I can’t
think with you carrying on like that.”

“
But the car… It’s going to
explode.”

“
No, it’s not.”

“
But the fire…”

“
We’ll put it out. Now shut
up.”

Clouds of charcoal smoke billowed through the
open door and flames crackled but the fire didn’t seem to be
spreading. Not taking any chances, Georgie found a spot some meters
away and stood under a tree muttering ‘Ohmigod’ in a soft voice so
as not to piss Nate off more. She might love him with all her heart
but she didn’t trust his judgment when it came to cars being on
fire. Nate’s knowledge of mechanics was about as extensive as hers.
It was possible the car could explode at any moment. She totally
knew it.

Meanwhile, Nate had moved to the edge of the
curb, and stood staring helplessly at the car, his hands on his
head. He began to pace, searching for a solution. Either that or he
was trying to be manly and not cry. Nate loved the Red Devil. He
wouldn’t want her to die.

Then Georgie let out a squeal. “Look!”

Nate looked up. A man from the service
station across the road was struggling across the highway with a
large red fire extinguisher in his arms. Being no bigger than an
oversized Christmas elf and looking like he needed to go on a diet,
the extinguisher was weighing him down considerably as he dodged
the late night traffic.

The man stopped beside the open door of
Nate’s car.

“
Out of the way, young
fella,” he said, shouldering Nate in the ribs as he lifted the
nozzle of the extinguisher and began to spray with gusto. He’d
clearly been waiting for the moment for his entire life.

The flames died down as foamy bubbles filled
the cabin of the car and began to overflow onto the road. Nate
looked on, terror taking over his face as the man continued to
spray enthusiastically.

“
The car looks like a giant
marshmallow,” Nate said. “My new CD player’s gonna be
ruined.”

Standing under the tree, which she’d now
discovered was actually part of a very nice front garden; Georgie
watched as her hopes of having sex for the first time washed down
the gutter on a sea of white. “There’s no way we can get back in
the car now.”

“
Not unless we want a
bubble bath. We’ll have to ring Dad.”

“
Do we have to? Maybe it’ll
be okay when it’s dry?”

The look Nate gave her told her it was time
to stop talking.

This was really bad.

Suddenly, sex was as far
from Georgie’s mind as the possibility that one day she’d turn
thirty. The reaction her parents were going to have, however, when
they found out that instead of sitting in the line to
acquire
Big Day Out
tickets, she’d been on her way to a love tryst with Nate, was
quite worrying. She was never going to be able to explain her way
out of this one. They’d never allow her out of the house again, let
alone in a car. She was going to be a virgin till forever. Her life
would be over.

Chapter 9

“
Here we are,” Nate said,
pulling the car into Georgie’s parents’ driveway. “Safe and
sound.”

Georgie unclipped her seatbelt and sat
forward. A feeling of déjà vu swept over her, only this time she
wasn’t necking in the front seat or getting in trouble for breaking
her curfew. She was a grown up. And the house was empty. “Thanks so
much for the lift. I hope I didn’t get your seats too wet.”

“
They should be fine. I was
only joking about the leather.”

Georgie opened the door and slipped a
bootless foot onto the concrete of the drive. She paused, weighing
up the options. Nate had driven all the way to Fremantle to see
her. They’d chatted in the car on the drive home like they had when
they were seventeen. Nothing had changed, the years apart hadn’t
existed, they truly did belong together. If Georgie got out of the
car now, the evening would be over and she had a feeling that, like
her, Nate didn’t want it to be over. Now that they’d found each
other again, they didn’t want to let go. They had to finish what
they’d begun. She knew Nate wanted to. He had that look.

“
Um. I’m going to have a
shower and get changed. It’s only early do you want to come in for
a coffee? Or a drink?”

Unmoving, Nate stared up at the porch light
on the verandah.

Georgie sensed his apprehension. The last
time he’d been here hadn’t exactly been filled with fond memories.
She remembered the hurt and angry look on her mother’s face when
she’d called him selfish and immature. She could see Nate now,
standing under that light, the beam shining down on his mussed up
hair and the tears streaming down both their faces, as they’d
called quits on everything they’d ever had. It had been such a long
time ago.

“
My parents aren’t home, if
that’s what you’re worried about. They went to a wedding in the
Swan Valley. They’re staying overnight.”

Nate flicked the ignition off and pulled the
keys out. “Let’s go.”

As they reached the top of the stairs and
Georgie stopped to locate her keys, Nate stepped up behind her,
putting a hand to her arm. His voice was low against her neck and
Georgie quivered, a kaleidoscope of butterflies taking up residence
in her stomach. It was just like the last time. Only this time she
was older.

“
Sure?” he
asked.