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Marcus didn’t worsen things by making me feel any more embarrassed; he paid his cousin no heed, and didn’t bite on the slip of the tongue I just did. He only continued to smile at me handsomely and rest his hand on my knee.
“Damn,” Jordan said, “you managed to crack Lynn… never thought she’d fall for a guy.”
He was a handsome guy in his own right, none of the flair of his cousin from away, especially not with how he said whatever was on his mind.
“C’mon man, you’re gonna make her blush,” Marcus said, as if I wasn’t already blushing!
“I didn’t fall!” I quickly said, then realized that was idiotic, what with having just... clearly fallen on my ass. I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant. I just meant, that...” I trailed off, not certain what I meant, but completely certain I didn’t want to insult Marcus.
“You’re just really nice is all,” I settled upon. A full sentence!
Marcus smiled at me so handsomely, his cheeks dimpling a little as he rubbed his hand over my knee and across my thigh, just a little.
“I think you’re really nice too. So… how about we get together some time and talk about a new dress, huh? Maybe… tonight?” he asked, so full of suave and charm. He wasn’t perturbed by my blathering idiocy at all.
“She’s never gonna bite man,” Jordan said, muttering into Marcus’ ear like he thought I wouldn’t overhear. He then immediately went back to playing with his dog as Marcus continued to steal my heart with his charming smile.
But Jordan couldn’t be more wrong. For the first time in my life, there was a real spark of interest, and before I could control it, I was nodding my head, mutely. My eyes were wide and my breath shallow, but oh how dearly I wanted it. That. Him, alone, in private.
I didn’t even think about how awkward I’d likely make it.
“Great,” Marcus said with that toothy grin of his, so pleased by my acceptance. It was hard to believe that hunk of a man was looking so happy to be planning a date with me. “We’ll come pick you up at seven then? Promise it’ll be a good time,” he said, arching a brow as he peered at me, all inquisitive smiles.
His cousin, meanwhile, stared on in disbelief. He and I never really talked, but my reputation preceded me. He knew I was never excited about the sexually promiscuous nature of the island. Word got around about the odd-duck prude after all.
And that made me flush even brighter, even my nod becoming more muted and a little less certain. I bit down on my lower lip, nervously, before I glanced to Jordan.
“He knows where I live,” I said simply.
The two men nodded to each other, then Marcus gave my knee a final squeeze before he rose up.
“I’ll see you tonight then, Lynn,” he said in farewell, and my heart skipped a beat just hearing my name upon his velvety, masculine voice. His full, pink lips doing things to that simple, one syllable name I never thought possible.
I think I was just as surprised as Jordan.
I’d had a minor fit, earlier, trying to figure out what to wear until my mother let me borrow a simple and somewhat elegant black dress that flattered my figure. I had her help me with my makeup as well, putting on a little bit of mascara and trying to tame the constant flush in my cheeks.
But waiting for Marcus to pick me up was agony, and I kept wondering to myself if it was a joke. If I was a joke.
It wasn’t until they pulled up that I could even really believe that it wasn’t.
Marcus got out of the car, looking so good in his fine suit. It was the sort of thing none of the small-town schlubs I grew up with would ever be caught in, but then, none of them looked the role of a movie star like my handsome Marcus did.
Coming up the steps to the door for me, he extended his arm out, guiding my hand in around to hook upon his limb as he pressed his fingers about mine.
“You look absolutely ravishing, Lynn,” he said affectionately, smiling at me so charmingly as he led me to the car, the passenger seat all mine, and his cousin relegated to the back.
Again, I was struck quiet as I looked up at him, taking a while to manage a small, “Hi, Marcus,” before I gave Jordan a soft, tentative wave. I didn’t know what I was getting into, what had come over me, but suddenly I wanted the things that all the people in the town talked about when they thought I wasn’t near.
That affection, those touches...
Jordan was dressed nicer than I’d ever seen him, not as good as Marcus, but I imagined that his older cousin had taught him a thing or two, because he looked good. He gave me a smile and a wave.
“Lookin’ good, Lynn,” Jordan said as Marcus shut my door for me, like a gentleman, and rounded back around to start the car and take us out.
“So I was lookin’ into it,” Marcus started as he pulled us out of the driveway, “and it seems you don’t really have any high class, fine dining around here.”
No kidding! This wasn’t the big city where studs like him could have anything they wanted. “So you know what?” He said with a big smile for me. “I decided I’m gonna cook for us.”
