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“Does anyone stand out from the parties? Someone who made a sexual pass? Someone who gave you a bad feeling?”
I chuckled. “I’ve lost count. Frankly, there was a sea of men who got too grabby. Power, wealth, and stardom gives many a free pass.”
“And let me guess… your mother did nothing.”
I didn’t answer. Did I need to? Mr. D was slowly getting the picture of my life.
“So, what do you want for dinner?” Mr. D asked. I had never been more grateful for a change of subject as I was right then.
“Whatever you want. I’ll cook. It’s the least that I can do.”
He took his focus away from the road and looked at me with raised eyebrows. “You cook?”
“Well… no. But I could try.”
Mr. D laughed loudly. “I would rather we not experiment tonight. I’m starving. How about we swing by this great Mexican restaurant down the mountain and get takeout?”
“Sounds great,” I said, noticing how we were once again getting dinner someplace not in the heart of Black Mountain.
I didn’t blame the man one bit.
“Mr. D…” I said softly. “Could you get in a lot of trouble for doing this for me? Could you lose your job?”
He licked his lips, tensed his shoulders and nodded. “It wouldn’t look good. There’s no way around how this appears. Legally I can’t get into trouble because you aren’t a child. But the board would rip me to shreds.” He glanced over at me. “But regardless, I make my own decisions. I’ve never been one to march to the beat of conformity. If it gets out that I stepped in to help you, I’ll stand by my decision. Fuck anyone who tries to judge me for it.”
“I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
“I appreciate that,” he said. “But at the same time, you aren’t my dirty little secret, Corrine. Don’t ever feel that way. I’m here with you because I choose to be. I want to help. I’ve given a lot of thought on this and just how much involvement I want to engage in. I’m following my gut. And we aren’t doing anything I’m uncomfortable with.” He turned onto the highway leading us out of Black Mountain. “But at the same time, if this situation ever makes you feel uncomfortable, I want you to tell me. I know it’s weird. I’m sure you didn’t exactly want to spend your Friday night getting Mexican food with your principal.”
I gave a small giggle, but it was just to hide my true feelings.
The truth…
I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.10CorrineI always wondered what normal felt like. I always had assumed that the definition of normal was different for everyone, but I most certainly knew I had never experienced it.
Not like now.
A normal night sitting on the couch with someone watching a movie. I never did things like this growing up or even now. My mother would never waste an evening doing such a thing, and anytime I would want to watch TV, it was alone. I didn’t date guys… not in the normal way. So, sitting on a couch side by side with a man was a completely new and foreign experience.
Normal.
Now I could define it for myself.
Mr. D was wearing gray sweats, a black t-shirt, and was barefoot. He leaned back on the couch with a beer in his hand, his feet resting on the coffee table, and he appeared so different than the principal at Black Mountain Academy.
And I was out of that damn uniform and in my own sweats. My mother would have been appalled that I sat with a man in attire anything less than put together. Sweats were a dirty word in our house. But again, my life was not normal.
Not like right now.
“Do you need another beer?” Mr. D asked as he stood up to get another one for himself.
“I’m good, thanks,” I said, raising my half-full beer bottle. I sipped on it, not really liking the taste but wanting to do something as simple as sit on the couch watching a movie while drinking a beer.
And that’s what we did. Sat, drank beer, and watched a movie.
Two normal people.
Doing a normal activity.
And I couldn’t be happier.
“I don’t know the last time I sat on a couch and binged movies,” he said. He turned to face me and smiled. We were close enough that our legs touched, and I found myself focusing on that rather than the plot of the movie. “It’s nice. I know this isn’t exactly how you planned to spend your night, but I’m happy you’re here.”
“I haven’t had a night like this before either,” I admitted. “It’s the best Friday night I can remember having.” And it was.
Cozy, warm, in excellent company, and relaxed.
When the movie was over, Mr. D stood up and went to get the blankets from the spare room. When he walked out with them, I stopped him from speaking because I knew he’d offer to sleep on the couch again.
