Popping the Cherry (15 page)

‘Yeah, I guess.’ Jake didn’t put up any resistance when she started ushering him back towards the function room, which left me and Nathan alone in the corridor.

‘So how are you feeling?’ Nathan asked, genuine concern in his voice. If he was feeling any of the awkwardness engulfing me, he didn’t show it. ‘I heard about what happened.’

‘Oh, yeah. That.’ I looked down at the floor and scuffed my shoe over a crack in the slate-effect tiles. ‘I’m OK.’

‘Well you look amazing.’ He took another step back and openly scrutinised me, his steely grey eyes raking up and down my body and resuscitating a few butterflies. ‘You know, you wear that dress even better than the mannequin.’

Instead of feeling uncomfortable, I relaxed into our usual Saturday banter. ‘Look who’s talking. Did you spend the last of your wages on clothes?’

Realising I’d already been subconsciously checking him out, anyway—there was no other way I could have noticed his grey shirt with its intricate metallic thread, and his dark trousers—I looked at him, as in
really
looked at him, ogling him in a way I never had before. Nathan even did a twirl for me, his arms raised at shoulder level, welcoming my close inspection.

Not quite as tall as Jake, Nathan was still at least six foot with extra height added by his dark-brown hair, spiked as if he’d styled each strand separately, and it shone, making me think of melted chocolate. A smooth forehead gave way to dark, almost straight eyebrows above eyes the colour of molten silver, except for the darker, steel, outer rim. Eyes that pierced and even though the colour itself was cold, they seemed to be permanently smiling, exuding warmth. Dark stubble covered his jaw, surrounding rose-pink lips, the bottom lip fuller than the top, curving up at the corners, giving it the shape of an archer’s bow.

‘Nah, all my money goes on hazelnut mochas for my favourite colleague, but she’s not been at work the last couple of Saturdays, so I had enough cash left for a whole new outfit. Do you like it?’

The guy was drop-dead gorgeous, there was no point denying it, yet there wasn’t a hint of vanity about him. I couldn’t imagine having to fight over the mirror with him as I could some guys who put a lot of effort into how they looked. Seeing him now, away from work and the prying eyes of colleagues, I couldn’t believe I’d never considered making a move on him. Until tonight, that was …

‘I do, Nathan.’ I’d been about to add a quip about how the girls would be fighting over him, but then remembered I was going to be one of them. ‘And I don’t have that many coffees,’ I protested, digging my elbow into his ribs.

‘A little presumptuous, aren’t we?’ he said, quirking his eyebrows up. I stared at him and tapped my foot, smirking. ‘OK, yeah, you’re right. So how about a drink now to make up for the lack of lattes, then?’

‘I’d love one.’ I didn’t object when Nathan took my hand and led me towards the thumping music coming from the function room. Even without Operation: Popping the Cherry hanging over me, having Nathan for company was a good thing. Plus, I wouldn’t feel so much of a spare part when Gemma was off doing the obligatory family rounds. ‘I hope you’re wearing your dancing shoes.’

‘Always,’ he said, keeping his eyes facing forward so I couldn’t tell if he was serious.

Jake looked over at us the moment we entered the room and watched us all the way to the bar. Gemma did, too, looking delighted. And then I saw Nanna watching, too, her gaze flicking between me and Jake.

‘So what can I get you?’ Nathan said, ordering himself a Budweiser while the barman hovered.

‘Coke please. Some of us are still under eighteen,’ I explained, when he looked surprised by my drink of choice.

‘Ah.’

Over the course of the night, I stopped noticing the quizzical stares from Nanna. Twice Jake had joined us at the table, laughing and chatting with us, and twice Gemma had dragged him away to speak to some relative about something or other. It turned out Nathan did have his dancing shoes on, and he was a pretty good mover, so I was having a great time.

When the slower music came, I automatically made for the bar, but Nathan stopped me. ‘Would you like to dance?’ he asked.

‘Yes, I’d like that very much,’ I said. He pulled me towards him and I stepped into the circle of his arms and placed my hands on his shoulders, maintaining a respectable distance between our bodies as he spun me in a slow circle around the dance floor.

The first mushy song ended and another began and still we turned in our own private circle, right up until Jake appeared over Nathan’s shoulder and tapped him on the arm. ‘Mind if I cut in?’

‘Well, as it’s your birthday, old man.’ Nathan grinned and dropped his hands to release me. ‘I’ll go and get the drinks in,’ he said, giving way to Jake.

My hands hovered in midair, so I looked like an idiot, but Jake swooped in and took up Nathan’s position before I could get the message to my arms to relax.

‘I don’t think I told you how beautiful you look tonight,’ Jake said, his speech slightly slurred, which came as no surprise. Nearly every time I’d sought him out in the crowd, somebody was buying him a drink.

‘And I don’t think I’ve wished you a happy birthday yet,’ I said, climbing up onto my tiptoes to press a kiss into Jake’s smooth cheek. Or at least that was the plan but Jake had other ideas. He turned his head at the last second and brought his lips crushing down on mine, his arms holding me captive so you couldn’t get a sheet of paper between us, his body pressed up tightly against mine.

If I’d dropped dead at that precise moment, I’d have died happy. Kissing Jake was everything I’d imagined, and more. I think I whimpered, too, because Jake’s lips moved against mine in reply, trying to force them apart. Oh, how I wanted to, more than anything, but not here. Not now. And not with everybody watching. What would Gemma make of Jake trying to snog me and me responding?

Nathan! Oh fuck …

Jake had the excuse of being drunk, but I had nothing, no excuse whatsoever. I jumped back as if I’d been stung, forcing Jake to ease his grip on me so I could put daylight between us. Refusing to meet his gaze in case he read too much in my eyes, I stared at his chest—which looked huge up close—and let him sway me from side to side, in no fit state to turn circles like everybody else.

‘Thank you for the dance,’ I said, the moment the song finished. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and, er … just go.’ Without waiting for his reply, I broke out of his hold and left the dance floor, adamant I wouldn’t look back at him, but the damage had been done. One kiss with Jake would never
ever
be enough and he’d left me wanting more. Only once I reached the sanctuary of the table did I lift my gaze, and saw Gemma on a collision course for me, with Nathan bringing up the rear.

‘What the fuck was all that about?’ Gemma demanded as soon as she got close enough. ‘I thought you were here to score with Nathan, not my brother?’

Oh, man, she didn’t even realise Nathan was right behind her. His eyes widened and he coughed as if to clear his throat. Gemma jumped and sloshed her icy-cold drink over my feet.

‘Jake’s just a bit the worse for wear,’ Nathan said, sounding very reasonable. ‘And who
wouldn’t
want to kiss Lena? She’s a beautiful young woman, not to mention the only girl under twenty-five that he isn’t related to in some way.’

Gemma’s eyes narrowed and she scanned the room, relaxing her stance only when she saw for herself the truth in Nathan’s words. ‘Oh …’

‘Gee, thanks. How did I go from irresistible to the short straw in one breath?’ I asked, determined to make a joke of Nathan’s words and not let on how much they’d stung. ‘But, seriously, what should I have done, Gem? Kicked Jake in the balls for trying to take advantage? I’m sure that would have really made his night.’

‘No, but—’

‘Don’t sweat it,’ I said, reaching for Gemma’s hand. ‘Jake won’t even remember it in the morning and I’ve already forgotten it.’
Ha! Yeah, right, Lena, good one
… ‘No harm done.’
Really?
Aside from never being able to go to sleep again without dreaming of Jake’s kiss.

‘You’re right. Sorry, Lena. It was just a bit of a shock.’

‘Well, duh, you’re telling me?’ I pulled a face and successfully made Gemma laugh. She took it as her prompt to wander off, leaving me to deal with the mess she’d created with Nathan. I looked at him. He didn’t look at all upset or jealous. Not even the slightest bit narked, in fact. ‘Er, yeah, about that kissing thing …’ I said, hoping to lure him back to the being more ‘irresistible’ side of things.

Nathan reached for me and gave my arm a squeeze. ‘Like you said, don’t sweat it.’

Well that’s me told
.

‘Er … great. Thanks.’ Now what? Maybe Gemma had scared him off. Or maybe he just wasn’t interested. I didn’t like either option, so stalled for more time. ‘So how do you know Jake, anyway?’

‘I guess he’s kind of my boss,’ Nathan said, giving me an ideal ‘in’ to spend the rest of the night chatting. He explained how he worked with Jake during the holidays to earn extra money, especially as labouring paid more than shop work. I wasn’t complaining, not when it meant more shifts for me.

It went unsaid that neither of us was in the mood for dancing any more, and, before I knew it, the barman was calling time at the bar and we were all being herded outside to get into the waiting taxis. Jake and Nathan said goodbye first, doing the manly fist pump thing on each other’s back. Jake then fell into the cab and had to be helped into a seat by his dad and Gemma. The damned guy was still handsome even when he was legless.

Go figure.

Soon Nathan and I were the last two on the pavement.
Awkward much?

‘Bye, then,’ I said, handicapped by the weight of the stares coming from the cab. ‘Thanks for keeping me company tonight.’

Nathan leaned towards me, and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, like
proper
kiss me, but his lips grazed my cheek instead. ‘It was my pleasure.’

Gemma would never forgive me if I left it at that, and, with time running out, I seized my chance. ‘Would you … umm … would you like to go out again sometime? With me?’ This was the twenty-first century after all, and there was nothing wrong with a girl asking a guy out. Or, rather, I didn’t think there was. Until now. ‘Just us?’ I said, to fill the suddenly awkward silence.

Nathan seemed to be thinking about it far too long for it to be a positive answer but then he nodded, as if he’d made a tricky decision. ‘I think that would be for the best.’

‘Er … OK.’ What the hell was that supposed to mean? ‘Great.’

‘Unless you’ve got some secret pocket hidden somewhere on your person, maybe you should give me your number and I’ll text you back with mine,’ he said, holding his smartphone out.

I took it and added myself to his contacts. ‘All done,’ I said, giving it back. ‘Right, I’d better get going before Jake throws up in the cab.’

‘Cool, thanks. I’ll be in touch, maybe set something up for later this week?’

‘OK, Nathan. See ya.’ I climbed into the taxi and gave Nathan a smile as he closed the door behind me.

The driver didn’t even bother waiting until I was sitting down before he drove off, and I ended up sprawled in Jake’s lap. I couldn’t help it. I laughed—cackled, even—it was just the ways things seemed to go whenever Jake was around. Showing far more co-ordination than I thought him capable of, considering the state he was in, Jake caught me around the ribs and held onto me, then rotated me and guided me onto the seat opposite which Nanna had hastily vacated to sit beside Gemma.

The whole family were staring at me, the prize clown, waiting for my next trick. Who needed to pay for entertainment when I was around? I squirmed in my seat, which only served to make my dress ride higher.

‘Er … Thanks, Jake.’ I mumbled.

Jake merely nodded, then spent the rest of the drive watching me, his gaze travelling from my hair to my sparkly gold shoes. It brushed over me as soft as a caress and his mouth twitched with a hint of a smile. All I could think about was how it had made me feel, the way my whole body had come to life when his lips claimed mine. The sound of chatter filled the cab but all I could hear was the rapid thump of my heart. Separated from the rest of the family, cocooned in our own little bubble, it was just Jake and me … Me and Jake …
Jake and I?

Damn it, my grammatical distraction plan wasn’t working. I swear the journey back to the Saunders house was taking twice as long as usual. Tension built in my chest, starting deep in the pit of my stomach and coiling upwards to grab me by the back of my throat. My legs were primed, ready to leap the short distance back to Jake’s lap as soon as I gave them the go-ahead. As if that was going to happen.
As if!

We arrived at the house eventually, and a wobbly Jake had to be helped out of the cab and escorted to the house by his dad. Too much fresh air perhaps? Gemma and her mum went next, getting the house opened up and the lights switched on. I hung back to help Nanna down from the cab, but when she took my arm I noticed the twinkle was back in her eye. When I followed her gaze, I saw Jake sitting on the front step, waiting for something. Or someone?

‘Tink?’ he said softly, looking up at me with a gaze so deep I could have jumped in and swum a few laps.

Calling me ‘Tink’ was becoming a habit of his, but the stupid nickname didn’t sound so bad the way Jake said it. In fact, I kind of liked it. I hesitated, torn between whether to take Nanna inside or talk to Jake. Nanna dropped my arm and bolted into the house, then shut the door quietly behind her so we were cut off from the others. Problem solved.

‘I want to apologise,’ Jake said. ‘For being a complete jerk.’

‘It’s OK, Jake’ I said, offering him a smile. I joined him on the step, ignoring the chill that crept into my butt through the stone where my dress barely covered my arse. ‘You weren’t a jerk.’

Jake slumped against me so I put my arm around him, our roles reversed with me being the support for a change. ‘No, I was out of line,’ he insisted. ‘I don’t know what came over me, but it won’t happen again, I promise.’