AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, good! I’m glad you two are getting together. Just remember what I said about the interview. Get to know him before jumping into work mode, even though he’s the one who mentioned talking about writing. He seems like a nice guy.”
“And I’m not nice?”
“I didn’t say that. But you can be a bit intense. Surely you know that.” She smirked, folding a few shirts I’d cast about when searching for an outfit earlier. “This isn’t what your apartment looks like, right? You’ve evolved in your cleaning skills, I hope.”
“Yes, Mother. I was in a hurry earlier. And now I’m out of time. I’ll get it cleaned up.”
“No worries, it’s your space. It’s just… well, if you have anyone over here, you might not want your underwear on display. Although, if you have anyone down here, I’m assuming they’ll see your underwear anyway.”
“Mother!”
“What? You’re an adult now.” She laughed and moved back up the stairs.
My face was red, and I felt like sinking into the floor. If she was in that type of mood, there was no way I was letting Landon talk with them too much. I grabbed my ID, debit card, and phone. I shouldn’t need anything else. Oh, shoot! A blanket. I forgot Mina had mentioned it. Would he think it was weird if I brought a blanket along? And what would my mother say? I considered leaving it behind, but in the end, I’d rather have it than not.
Upstairs, my parents were in the kitchen. Wasn’t my father supposed to be out tonight as well?
“Hey, sweetie. Mom said you’re going to a bonfire?” Dad asked.
“Yeah, don’t you have something to do also?”
“I do. Just a meeting, not a big deal. You’ll probably have more fun than me.”
My mother grinned, and I knew what was coming next. “Not too much fun, though. I mean, you’ve just met Landon, after all.”
“You’re going with Landon?” My dad’s eyes sparkled, and he grinned at me.
He was worse than my mother. He just didn’t voice all his thoughts. Shaking my head, I considered my answer but didn’t get very far as the doorbell rang. My father took a step toward the door simply to get me going. It worked. I glared over my shoulder at them as I opened the door.
“Hey, Landon. Give me a second to grab my things.” I let him in against my better judgment. Thankfully, I already had everything with me. If I’d had to go back downstairs, there was no telling what they would say to him. I stuck out my tongue to both of them, just like I had when I was a teen. Clever, Tara.
“I heard a blanket might be a good idea to cushion our seating. Are you ready?” I asked him.
He smiled. For the first time, I could see a slight shaking in his body. He looked as nervous as I felt. It made sense. Going from a hermit to a bonfire was a big deal. My hope for an interview sank down from priority one as I heard my mother’s words in my head. “Just get to know him. Be patient.”
“That’s a good idea. Mark. Beth. Good to see you again.”
We slipped out the door before they could respond. The night had cooled just a bit, and I was glad I’d worn my cardigan. Like a gentleman, he opened the door of his truck for me before rounding the front and climbing into the driver’s seat. He smelled amazing, like pine and sandalwood. As I watched him out of the corner of my eye, it was going to be hard to keep my mind off tearing his clothes off tonight.
12
LANDON
She looked amazing, much to my chagrin. It had been a long time since someone had stirred my feelings like this. Honestly, I wasn’t certain I even had the capability anymore. I snuck a look out of the corner of my eye. Her T-shirt slid over her perky breasts in a way that called attention to her but still left a little bit to the imagination. Her auburn hair lay softly against the cardigan. It took all I had not to reach out and push a bit of hair past her ear, exposing her earlobe. Shifting my focus, I put both hands on the steering wheel. It hit me that her presence had cooled my anxiety, leaving an innocent excitement behind.
“I have the address. Would you mind adding it to the GPS?” My throat felt scratchy, almost strained.
“Sure. I might be able to get us there without it, but it’s been a long time since I’ve traveled these roads. Back in high school, I could drive around with my eyes closed and never get lost.”
“Do you get back here very often?”
She shook her head. “Not as often as I’d like if I’m being honest. Never tell my parents that. I would never live it down. I’ve not lived here since I left for college.”
