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“Hey,” I call as I approach. He’s all cleaned up in dark jeans and a white button down that is rolled up at the sleeves. He’s wearing loafers and looks good enough to eat. I look around to see if maybe someone’s lurking behind a bush with a camera, waiting to jump out and tell me this is all a joke. But there are only people milling around Rivers Wilde Main Street, like they always do.
“Hey yourself. You look great.” He puts a big hand in the small of my back and leans down to press a kiss on my cheek. “And you smell great, too.”
Those butterflies? I was wrong… they’re birds. Big ones that just took off in a mad flock of flutters in my stomach.
Oh my.
I’m so discomfited that I just stand there.
“Uh yeah, you too.” I say and look down at myself, my white t shirt and bright orange shorts, in confusion though. I’ve been wearing them all day.
“Hop in,” he says and waits until I’m seated before he closes the door and walks round to his side. I watch him and shake my head. He’s too good to be true. I’m asking for trouble letting myself get mixed up with him at all.
But…truth be told, I couldn’t stop if I tried. There’s something about him that just draws me in. He’s handsome, but it’s also that I can tell he gives a shit about the people around him. And that’s rare in my world.
“We’re going to be late,” he says as soon as he gets into the car.
“Just a few minutes,” I say trying to steady my hands enough to buckle my seat belt. I put newly discovered inner freak back in her cage and smile at him.
“A few minutes, five minutes, an hour—it doesn’t really matter. Once you’re late, you’re late.”
“Gosh, okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” I give him a wide eyed glance.
He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m anal about time.”
“So, you’re never late?”
“Nope,” he says quickly.
“Not even to school?”
“Especially not to school.”
“I bet you had perfect attendance, too.”
“What’s wrong with having perfect attendance?”
“Nothing, if you’re a square,” I tease him. He’s fun to tease because he’s so sensitive about his “coolness” and tries to pretend he’s not. He takes my bait and frowns at me, taking his eyes from the road for the first time.
“I’m the least square guy I know.”
“Sure.” I shrug as if I don’t believe him.
“Just because I don’t oversleep doesn’t make me a square. And I like school.”
“I didn’t say anything about oversleeping. I don’t know… you were never sick?”
“Nope.”
“Have a doctor’s appointment?”
“You can schedule those around classes.”
I lean back and eye him skeptically. “You never wanted to skip school so you could go to the rodeo during the week?”
“Nope. Never.”
“I highly recommend it. I got caught once, but it was worth it to not have to wait in line for my smoked turkey leg.”
