Текст книги "That Boy"

Автор книги: Jillian Dodd

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I wondered where that boy had been hiding.

I also can't help but notice how exceptionally hot Phillip looks tonight. He's wearing a Husker T-shirt and a pair of baggy, khaki cargo shorts. Nothing terribly exciting, but damn if he doesn't look good in it. He and Danny still work out together. Danny has been trying to bulk up a bit in preparation for the NFL, and I realize that Phillip has bulked up a bit too. I mean he's always had a great chest and arms, and I don't know, maybe it's because I see him everyday, but I really hadn't noticed how great he looks. I especially like how big the muscles that go from his neck down to his shoulder have gotten.

Wow!

I run down the stairs, across the street, leap into his arms and scream, “Phillip!” I throw my arms around his neck and give him a quick kiss on the lips.

“What was that for?” Phillip yells in my ear, as he grabs my hips and starts dancing with me.

“I don't know,” I shrug. “I can't believe you guys did all of this. I'm so proud of you both!”

Honestly, I really don't know why I just kissed Phillip. All the romance in the air must be adversely affecting me. That, or it's because Phillip looks so hot. I mean it wasn't much of a kiss, just a quick little peck, but for some strange reason, I don't think I would mind kissing him again.

Phillip looks at me intensely for a second, reads my mind, evidently, and gives me a kiss on the lips. This one was just a bit longer than my peck, but still, it's just a friend type kiss.

I ask,“What was that for?”

Phillip just smiles and shrugs his shoulders, like if you don't need a reason, neither do I.

We dance together the rest of the evening. We're both just so happy for Danny and Lori.

We're walking home when Phillip asks me, “So are you bummed you never got to pass your candle?” He's holding my hand and swinging my arm irritatingly high while we walk.

“Well, since I haven't found a guy that can put up with me for longer than about three months, I'd say it's probably for the best.”

“Gosh, what a spectacle that was. Would you ever want to be surprised like that in front of so many people?”

“I don't know, Phillip. Part of me says NO, way too flashy, but most of me says YES, cuz God, what a romantic thing it would be to know that a guy planned all of that, just for me. It would be pretty amazing.” I sigh and shake my head. “But I really don't think I'm gonna have to worry about it.”

“Why? Never getting married?”

“No, I just can't seem to find a guy that can handle me.”

“You are pretty tough to handle,” he replies, while bumping his shoulder into mine.

“Yeah. Well, you and Danny are the only ones that can seem to do it, and darn it, now it's official. Danny's off the market.”

“I guess it's back to just you and me, Princess.”

“Yeah,” I say, wondering if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

The next morning, I get up fairly early and am pouring myself a cup of the coffee Phillip makes me every morning before he leaves.

He is such a morning boy.

Lori comes out of Danny's room and joins me in the kitchen.

“So do I finally get to see this ring?”

“See it? I thought you helped design it.”

“Yeah, well, see if I ever help him with anything again. The shit wouldn't let me see it when it was finished. He said you HAD to be the first one to look at it.”

“Really?” she says, all flushed and happy. She holds her left hand out to show me. I notice she has already perfected the pose of the engaged.

And WOW! The ring sure did turn out beautifully.

It's perfect for her.

“How did you know I've always wanted a marquis cut diamond? I don't remember us ever talking about it,” she says, while putting two pieces of bread in the toaster.

“We didn't. Danny bought the diamond on his own. Did he know that's what you wanted, or did he buy it because it's the diamond shape that looks most like a football?”

“Well, I may have mentioned it once in passing, now that I think about it.”

“I only got to help with the setting,”

“Really?” she says again. I don't think she can believe that Danny did all of this himself.

Really, neither can I.

He's usually not so romantic. I guess he's never had to be that way. I suppose you don't have to work too hard to romance girls when they are throwing themselves at your feet. Still, it's good to know that a guy can be romantic when he finds the right girl.

Maybe there is hope for me.

Sadly, one of the guys that tried to “romance” me this week, thought saying, Hey, wanna get drunk and hook up, was romantic.

Even sadder is, I actually considered it.

So, maybe not.

Somewhere, my prince is waiting.

Ha!

Actually, I don't think he's waiting. I think he's hiding from me.

But back to Lori.

“You know, Lori, other than helping with the setting, all I did was tell him about the ceremony. Well that, and make the candle. Phillip got some pledge to deliver it.”

“I knew I was right about you,” she laughs, then takes a bite of her toast.

“Honestly,” I say over my coffee cup, “I was a bit worried about him getting the football players to do the serenading. Afraid it might be terribly pathetic or totally cheesy. I have to say, I was floored to see the whole fricking marching band there. So, what do you think?” I grin, “Was it worth the wait?”

“Yeah.” She smiles to herself, dreamily remembering last night. “It was definitely worth the wait. Could you believe all that?”

“Not really. Oh God, what kind of wedding are you gonna have? How in the world will you top last night?”

“Actually, there is something we wanted to talk to you and Phillip about. Danny and I decided last night that with him having to report to training camp soon, we're just going to get married on a beach somewhere in Mexico. Probably Cancun.”

I interrupt her, “What are your parents going to say? Aren't they going to freak out about that? Will they go too?”

“Well sure, they will definitely be there, but the wedding will be very small. Like probably only our immediate families and you and Phillip. We'll have a big party when we get home. I'm going to book the trip today. Danny and I are hoping you and Phillip will come and stand up for us at the wedding. You ready to be my maid of honor? Gosh, I can't believe it! It's only a few weeks away!” She's chattering away and practically bursting with excitement. “We'll leave right after graduation. So, will you do it? Will you come?”

“I wouldn't miss it for the world.” I say.

And I mean it.

“On another note,” she says, as she gets up, pours herself another cup of coffee and rinses her plate in the sink. “I saw you dancing with Phillip last night. You know, I think you two belong together.” She sits back down and stares at me. “So, have you guys ever dated or anything?”

“No, to dating. Yes, to anything,” I say with no expression, just to tease her.

She gets a big smile on her face.

“But don't get too excited, the last anything was in eighth grade when Phillip attacked me during a game of spin the bottle. Oh and well, I sorta kissed him last night.”

Her eyes get huge. “You WHAT? Tell me about it!!!!”

“Uh, well, it was just a peck, well, two pecks, but we were just excited for you and Danny.”

“Have you thought about kissing him again? He is so handsome, Jade. You two would be adorable together, and you get along so well. Don't you see the way he looks at you, with those puppy dog eyes? I really think he's like in love with you.”

Not very subtle is she? I suppose since she's all happy and engaged, it'll now become her mission in life to marry off the rest of us.

“Uh, I don't know about the puppy dog eyes. And sure he loves me, we're best friends. And as far as the kissing goes, no. I haven't.”

Really, I haven't.

Fine. So last night I might have thought about it for a second, but only a second.

Well, okay, maybe I have thought about it more than a second, because she's right, he is very handsome. And I have to admit, I really enjoyed having his strong arms wrapped around me while we were dancing, and I even enjoyed our two little kisses, but I try to change the subject by saying with a smile and a wink, “But I can tell you about the time I slept with Danny.”

She's heard the prom story before, so she rolls her eyes at me and will not be distracted. “Well Jadyn,” she says with a wicked grin, as she walks out the door to head to class, “I think maybe it's time you play spin the bottle again.”

Around nine-thirty, Danny strolls out of his room, looking bleary eyed. It takes him a while to get going in the morning. His dark blonde hair is sticking up all over, there are pillow marks on the side of his face, and he's wearing nothing but a pair of baggy sweat shorts.

He looks adorable.

And happy.

“So what do you think? We pulled it off,” he grins, while sliding onto the couch next to me.

“We? How 'bout you and half the school? It was really amazing, Danny. I was thoroughly impressed.”

“So I'm actually getting married,” he says, as his stomach growls. “I don't suppose you'd make me a celebratory omelet, huh?”

I smile and close the textbook I'm reading. It really doesn't take much persuasion to get me to stop studying.

“Oh, I suppose,” I say like it's a big inconvenience.

He moves to a barstool and watches, while I get the ingredients out of the frig.

I crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk them and stir in some milk. I put a little butter in a pan and sauté some mushrooms. Then I pour in the omelet mixture.

It's amazing how good of a cook you become living with two hungry boys.

“Think she's the right girl?” he asks me, still rubbing his eyes.

“Don't you think it's a little late to be asking that question?”

“Nah, I could always call it off.”

“Yeah,” I say, as I am cooking the omelet. “And you would be a fool. Lori is perfect for you. It's weird because you are so different from her. You know, you and I really are a lot alike. I mean we both love to have fun, are wild, larger than life, always ready for the next challenge, the next adventure, the next dare. But on the down side, Danny, sometimes I think you and I could float around aimlessly. We're like kites. We just go wherever the wind blows us, even if it's not the best place to be. Lori is like a great kite flyer. She understands that you need enough string to go on your adventures. She even encourages it and helps you soar.” I smile at him, add some cheese to the top of the omelet and flip it onto a plate. Setting it in front of him, I add, “She also knows when you need to be brought back to earth. She grounds you, Danny. In a very good way.”

I need someone like that, I think.

He smiles and shoves a big bite of omelet into his mouth.

“Plus,” I remind him, “she's booking travel arrangements as we speak.”

“This is really good. Thanks,” he says and takes another bite.

In between chews he asks, “So are you and Phillip in?”

“I know I am. I haven't seen Phillip this morning, but I think we both know what his answer will be.”

“Jay,” he says, pausing to put another forkful in his mouth and chew. Then he waves his empty fork at me, “Why don't you just sleep with Phillip and get it over with?”

“What?”

“I saw you dancing together last night.” And he just shakes his head at me.

Phillip is at his last fraternity meeting, and Danny is out with Lori. I'm sitting home alone, lying on the couch in my PJs. I've been absent-mindedly spinning an empty beer bottle on the coffee table, while channel flipping between 16 and Pregnant and Gossip Girl, and drinking a couple of beers.

Well, maybe more like four or five.

I think I may be slightly depressed and well, maybe getting slightly drunk too.

Phillip opens the front door. I take a good look at him. Lori is right. He is so handsome.

My heart literally flutters every time I see him.

He walks into the living room and scans my row of empties. I watch the sexy backside of him, as he walks to the kitchen, grabs a beer from the frig and then plops down on the couch beside me. He opens the bottle with Danny's bottle opener that plays the NU fight song. My mind swirls back to dancing with him last night.

Maybe.

“What's up with all the beer? Lose another boyfriend?”

I ignore his smart ass comment.

“Wanna play spin the bottle?” I surprise myself by asking.

“You know it's been awhile since I've played, but aren't there usually more than two players?” he squints his eyes at me, wondering what joke I'm trying to play.

“Yeah, stupid idea,” I sigh a little bigger than I should have.

What the hell was I thinking?

“Hey,” Phillip says, as he leans forward and holds both hands up in the air in front of his chest. “I said nothing about it being a stupid idea.” He gestures toward the bottle on the table, “Spin away. Hell, you don't even have to spin. I'll kiss you anyway. Do you want me to kiss you?”

“What about Moaning Monica?” I roll my eyes when I say her name. In case you can't tell, I don't particularly care for her.

That girl is always moaning about something.

Usually me.

“Uh, well.” I get the feeling he would like to ignore the question. “It seems she broke up with me today.”

“Why?”

He laughs. “Well, it might've had something to do with our wild dancing last night.”

“I didn't realize it was wild.”

“Yeah. Well, what's worse is that I didn't even realize she was there. She never crossed my mind. I was having too much fun with you.”

“What did she say?” I'm trying hard not to smile and show my happiness about his unfortunate break up.

Sorry, but, YAY! That girl was not nearly good enough for Phillip.

“I don't know.” He runs his hand back through his hair, leans back into the couch and takes a pull off his beer. “It was something like, when she saw you and I dancing, she just knew what she has always suspected, and I have always denied, was true.”

“And what's that?”

“That you and I have, and I quote,” he says, while making quote marks in the air, “a thing going on.”

“A thing?” I laugh.

“Yeah, a thing.”

“That's ridiculous,” I shrug. “We're just friends, have been for a long time. I mean, God, somewhere there are pictures of us as naked babies together. And we're just, you know, comfortable around each other. We're able to hang out and have fun without having things happen.”

Then I stop and realize it's not the first time I've heard this.

“Why does everyone think that?” I ask him seriously, as I rest my chin on my fist. “I mean, I've done way more with Danny, how come no one ever accuses us of having a thing? I don't get it.”

“Um, well, could it be the fact that I always seem to run out on my dates to rescue you, and he never does?”

“You've never done that, have you?”

“Princess…”

“No, I'm serious.” I put my hand on my chest. “I always take care of myself. I never needed to be rescued.”

“Oh, really?” Phillip chuckles. “What about all the times you've had flat tires? Who has come and changed them? What about when you hit the deer, or the time you ditched Richie Rich at winter formal, or the time you had the huge fever and I had to take you to the hospital?”

He pauses, giving me his eat shit grin. “Shall I continue?”

Okay, so he might be right.

And there is nothing I hate more than not being exactly right.

In fact, I'm getting a bit irritated right now.

“You didn't have to come and do those things. I could have figured it out on my own. And I didn't know you like, left dates to do them. You didn't have to do that. You could've been like Danny and said to just call Triple A or whatever.”

“I know I didn't have to do it. I wanted to. I guess,” he states, looking at me sweetly with his adorable brown eyes, “like you,” he pauses and stares intently at me, “I haven't met anyone that made me want to stay with them, more than I wanted to go and rescue you. What can I say,” he rolls his eyes at me, “you made me play your knight in shining armor for so long, I just can't seem to get it out of my system.”

God, he is adorable.

He laughs lightly and looks at me. I can tell by the intensity in his eyes what he is about to say is important. He puts his hand on my knee and leans towards me. “Seriously, you are kinda special to me.” Then he adds sneakily, “Now, speaking of spin the bottle, should I start?”

“Would you really kiss me, Phillip?” I ask, scrunching up my nose.

“I think I might be able to be persuaded.” He grins, grabs my arm and throws it up over his shoulder. “Wanna try to persuade me?”

My face is so close to his. I could easily start kissing him. I'd only have to lean forward just a bit.

“No, I mean really? What if we kissed, and then we dated, and then you got mad at me and ended up hating me like most of my other boyfriends? I couldn't stand to lose my best friend.”

“I'm going to bed,” I decide suddenly, getting up off the couch and walking quickly toward my room.

“So you want to play the game in there, huh?” Phillip asks with laughter in his voice, as he tilts his head toward my bedroom.

“No!”

Then I hear him chuckling behind me and it makes me mad because that boy knows all too well how to get under my skin.

This morning, Phillip brings me coffee in bed.

It's 6:30am.

Way early for me, but for Phillip, it's the perfect time to get your day started.

He and Lori are both the kind of people who sign up for 8am classes. Danny and I try to never start ours until at least ten or eleven.

“Thanks,” I say, taking the cup from him. “Coffee in bed. You must want something.”

“I do.” He looks squarely at me.

He is sitting on the edge of my bed. I fight the temptation to just grab him and pull him in with me.

“So, what do you want?”

“You.”

“What?”

“I want you,” he repeats. “Go out with me for real, Princess.”

“I can't.”

“Really? So what was last night all about?”

“Oh, nothing really. Well, Lori and I had been talking. She just asked if you and I ever, you know, dated or kissed or anything. I told her not since eighth grade. Remember spin the bottle?”

“Yeah, so you thought you might want to play it with me again?” His head is cocked slightly sideways, like a puppy that is trying to understand me.

I hope he can. I'm not sure I do.

I shake my head sideways. “Maybe. Yes,”

“Well, at least that's progress,” he laughs.

“Progress? What kind of progress?”

“Don't tell me you can't see it. God, Princess, I swear everyone sees it but you.” He shakes his head at me like I'm completely clueless.

I may be. But in this case, I know exactly what he is talking about it.

“I see it Phillip. I even feel it, but I choose not to cross the line. I care too much about you to throw our friendship away on a fling.” I cross my arms in front of my chest, indicating that my word on this is final.

“Who said anything about a fling? And you crossed WAY over that line with Danny, and you guys are still friends.” He is sort of muttering to himself now, “Of course you would've never lasted anyway. You're too much alike, think way outside the box, hate to be told what to do. Always right, even when you're wrong.”

“True, we probably would've fought like crazy.” It surprises me that the thought of Danny and I together still seems to bug him. “But what's that got to do with us?”

“Probably? You do fight like crazy.”

He can't seem to get off the Danny subject, so I give in on that point and say, “I know. That's why he and Lori are so great together. She's so grounded. She's just like…..”

Then I stop.

I realize what I was about to say and think back to yesterday's conversation with Danny.

The kite thing.

Shit.

Does Phillip fly me?

Is he just like Lori, hanging on and letting me do my thing, all the while keeping me safe and close by? Is he perfect for me?

Phillip interrupts my thoughts by saying, “Finish your sentence.”

“Um. No.” I shake my head.

I can't.

“JJ,” he warns.

“FINE. I was going to say, um, she's just like you.”

“And?” he prods.

“And you're probably perfect for me.” I sigh big. “See? See the problem? I have a major conflict of interest here.”

“A conflict of interest?” He looks at me like I'm nuts.

“Yes.”

“What exactly do you mean?” Phillip needs to know this because he is so exact about everything.

“Well, everyone thinks you and I belong together. Part of me agrees. We get along great. I love to be around you, but the conflicting side of me thinks I shouldn't risk it. And besides, I really don't think we should worry about what other people think.”

“Fine. So what do you think?”

“No fair. You go first. What do you think?”

Phillip takes a moment, gathers his thoughts and says carefully, “Well, I do think we have a fair amount of chemistry.”

“Chemistry,” I laugh. “Are you serious? You treat me like your sister.”

“No, I do not. I'm much nicer to you, than I am to my sister. Trust me when I say I have feelings for you that are probably illegal to have about a sister.”

I laugh nervously. I did not know this at all.

“I know in your mind,” he says, poking me on my forehead, “you think of me as a brother.” He switches his line of thought and says, “Do you ever feel tingly when I hold your hand?”

“Um.”

“Do you get excited to hear my voice at the end of the day? Do you like to be with me?”

“Uh.”

“People are right. You and I definitely have a thing. What they don't understand is that we've never acted on it. I'm thinking we should,” he says confidently.

“You do?” I'm surprised.

“Well, what have we got to lose?”

“Uh, duh. Each other. And I really like you, Phillip.”

“No Princess, you don't like me, you are totally in love with me. You're just too stubborn to admit it.”

I look at his eyes because surely he must be joking, but he appears very serious.

“Fine,” I say, temporarily giving in and avoiding the love topic. “I'll go out with you sometime. Where do you want to go?”

“Mexico.”

“Mexico?”

“Yeah, trial run. If it doesn't work out, no one needs to know. We'll just come back to the way things are now,” he adds, scowling.

“How's that?” I ask puzzled.

“You torturing and teasing me and then walking away.”

“I don't do that!”

“You did last night.”

“Phillip, don't you get it? I don't want to lose you. You're my family, my only family. I'd be alone if it weren't for you.” I swear I'm about ready to cry. My eyes start tearing up, and I choke out, “Why can't you get this?”

“You're not going to lose me,” He runs his hand through my messy hair and down the side of my face.

Oh, that feels so good. I melt slightly and close my eyes for a minute.

“How can you say that? How can you be so sure?” I question. “You know my history. I always lose the guy!”

“Yeah, well that's because they're always the wrong guy.”

“And you think you're the right one?”

“Yeah. I do. I'm the one,” he says, pointing to his chest.

I picture him as Tarzan. Me. Take you. Jane.

Then I focus back to what he is saying.

“I've been here for you all along. I've listened to you cry about other guys, I rescue you, take care of you when you're sick, hug you when you're sad, tell you you're beautiful when you look terrible.” He looks me straight in the eyes and is dead serious when he says, “Princess, I've always been the one.”

I give up.

“I know,” I sigh. “So Mexico, huh? And you promise if it doesn't work out or we fight, we agree to pretend it never happened?”

“What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico,” he says, with a twinkle in his eye and a big smile on his face.

“Let me think about it,” I say diplomatically.

He takes the coffee cup away from me and sets it on my nightstand. “While you're at it, think about this.”

Then he leans in and kisses me right on the lips.

Very thoroughly.

I can't help but kiss him back. I completely relax, all defense slipping away.

Damn.

Then he stops, gets up and walks out my door without another word.

Wow.

And he's right because I can't seem to think about anything else.