AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh yeah, darlin’. This is me.” He radiates pride. Clearly, he loves this truck. As we walk closer to the truck, I realize just how small I am compared to it. The running board is almost to my hips. I hear his soft chuckling as he opens the door. Then his large hands are on both sides of my hips raising me up onto the passenger seat. He helps get my dress in the door and then he’s closing it and crossing the front of the truck to come around to the driver’s side. I take that minute to look around and inspect the inside of his truck. It’s surprisingly clean. There’s a country music CD case wedged between the seats and his backpack is slung across the cabin’s backseat. There’s a loose football on the floorboard but other than that it’s pretty much clean.
Andy has no issue getting behind the wheel of his truck. Since he knows where the spring formal is being held, I don’t need to give him any sort of directions. This town isn’t that big and the venue is often used a lot amongst the school’s Greek community for events such as this one. It’s also convenient and super close to campus. If we really wanted we could have walked but it’s already dark out and I’m in heels. The only bad thing about this place is theparking. As Andy attempts to parallel park, I try to peer through the windows to see if I can see any of my friends.
The windows to the venue are mirrored so I can only see Andy’s giant truck trying to get parked in the reflection. He shuts off the ignition and I’m anxious to get inside so I don’t bother waiting on him to open my door. I scoot myself down the seat and get my feet to the ground without breaking an ankle. I’m quite proud of myself and smiling like a loon when Andy comes around the truck and frowns.
“I would have helped you down.”
“It’s OK. I did it myself.”
He holds his arm out, gesturing for me to take it. “Let’s have some fun tonight.”
My feet are killing me. I’ve been dancing for what seems like hours. I’ve long discarded my heels—having opted to go barefoot. Andy, who was already almost a foot taller than me, now towers over my smaller frame. The drinks have been flowing as the evening has continued and with that has come a pair of happy hands. Andy has been very touchy feely even more so than his normal touchy sober self. Honestly, I haven’t minded because I’ve had a few Malibu and Sprites as the evening has progressed.
Just as I predicted, half the girls in the room have eye fucked Andy. He’s well known because of football, he’s a good looking guy and he’s got a great personality. Most people gravitate towards him, I mean that’s how we met back in high school. I haven’t minded but much to my pleasure, Andy has completely ignored all of their advances; including Beth Ann and her minions. Meg, Lola and even Erica have commented on how they’re all foaming at the mouth.
We have about an hour until it’s last call and the party will beofficially over. I feel sweaty from all the dancing and in desperate need of some water. I put my hand on Andy’s forearm and yell into his ear over the music that I’m going to get some water. He nods his head in understanding but keeps on dancing with Erica who has been right beside us cutting a rug.
When I reach the bar I pick up one of the napkins and dab at my forehead, clearing up the sweat from getting into my eyes and doing my best to keep my makeup looking fresh. I look back at the floor and laugh out loud because Andy is surrounded by girls. He’s such a ham and eating up all the attention. I would be jealous if I was his girlfriend. I turn back to the bar and ask the bartender for a glass of water. I’m so thirsty that when he sets it down in front of me, I drink half the glass before setting it back down on the bar top.
“Are you having a good time tonight?”
I freeze at the sound of that voice. Slowly, I turn around and standing there before my very own eyes is Brad Matthews. My mouth falls open—I can’t believe he’s standing here. My first thought iswhat is he doing here? It’s been weeks since he told me he couldn’t come. We never discussed it again and he’s not even dressed up. He’s wearing torn jeans and a navy blue polo shirt.A polo shirt for crying out loud!
“You look great Nikki.”
I stumble over my words because I don’t know which ones to even attempt to get out first. I swallow hard and will my tongue to work. “Brad?” I ask him like an idiot because I really can’t comprehend that he’s here. “What are you doing here?”
“My nephew’s birthday party ended early. He wasn’t feeling well so we called the party short and then I realized that if I drove straight here I’d be able to pop in and at least say hello.”
I keep staring at him. IknowI’m staring at him but I can’thelp it. I think I’m in shock. He’s standing here telling me that he left his nephew’s party, drove at least two hours and came straight here. I mean…is this just for me? He could have gone straight home, never said a word and I’d be none the wiser . He went out of his way to do this—ithadto be for me. I never see him overly talk to the girls in the sorority, he never seeks any of them out. I realize I’ve been standing here too long thinking and haven’t said anything in reply.
I realize where we’re standing and find an easy way to continue the conversation. “Would you like a drink? We have a full bar.” I gesture towards the bar behind me.
He shakes his head. “Nah, I’ll pass on the alcohol, but I’ll take a water.” For a brief moment, we share a look. A look conveying how we’re in this precarious situation where I know he’s come here for me, but we aren’t saying it yetwe bothknowit. I try to hold in my smile, but I can’t. I turn around to keep him from seeing me be absolutely giddy. I need to keep it casual and cool. That’s been my motto these last few weeks since he spent the afternoon at my apartment.Casual and cool.I ask the bartender for another bottle of water, and he sits it on the bar top for me. Before I can even turn around, I feel a large, warm hand touch my bare shoulder.
I shift my head to the side and it’s Andy looking down at me. “You’ve missed a couple of songs out there.”
Shit.I want to close my eyes and wish that this is a dream. Andy stands beside me and Brad is just a few steps away from me. It was no secret that I invited AndyafterBrad shot me down. Brad knows this so it’s not some secret, but I feelawkward. I don’t know for certain that Brad knows I am extremely into him and wish we were more than friends, but I think he understands that I do. We’ve just let it go unspoken for reasons I’m not quite sure and can’t even delve into at the moment, but he has to know.
Then there’s Andy who has always been my friend and only my friend and we muddied the water by making out a few times. Not tonight though, I drew the line in the sand the last time and said we needed to keep it platonic. Has he been flirty all night? Yes. I think that’s just his nature, though. Right now I’m wondering though because he hasn’t taken his hand off my shoulder and he’s staring at Brad like he’s out on the field facing his biggest football rival. This makes me sigh. Not like an I’m bored sigh but a Lord-Jesus-bless-me-in-this-moment-because-my-load is-heavy type of sigh.
Brad stares back at Andy, but his focus seems to be on the hand resting possessively on my shoulder. I follow his gaze and look at the offending hand, gently shrugging my way out of his hold. Andy’s eyebrows furrow and he purses his lips but he doesn’t acknowledge it. Brad, much to my surprise, is the first one to speak between them. “Andy. Good to see you. I haven’t seen you in class for a while.”
I try not to wince but this is definitely true—football players notoriously only show up for tests, but Brad isn’t saying this as some type of observation, he’s trying to say something about him academically. Andy barks out a laugh and he knows shots have been fired and I hold my breath as I wait for him to respond. I wish Meg were here or Erica or even Lola—they’d all know what to do to diffuse the situation. Instead I’m left floundering and the only solution I can come up with is to loudly clear my throat in an attempt to get them to change the topic. I don’t want them to fight—and I definitely don’t want to give Brad the impression they should be fighting. Because this isn’t a date. Well it is but it’s not a real date. Maybe a giant sinkhole will open up and swallow me whole. That would be ideal.
I turn to Andy and whisper in a voice that I hope only hecan hear. “Please be nice. You are myfriendand always will be but I need you to go over there and dance with Erica and play nice. Please do this for me.”
Andy gives Brad one more long look but then turns back to me and nods. “Only for you Nik. Only for you.” Without acknowledging Brad he strolls over to the dance floor with more swagger than a linebacker should be capable of and does just that.
Brad watches his retreating backside but then flickers his eyes back to me. “He’s a bit touchy tonight.”
I shrug my shoulders. I try the honest approach. “He’s a little upset with me I think. We agreed to come here as friends, but I think he was hoping for a different outcome at the end of the evening.”
I figure my honesty will reassure him that Andy and I are just friends but instead Brad’s face contours into anger. His forehead scrunches up as does his nose. “Is that asshole pressuring you to have sex with him tonight?”
I choke on the saliva in my throat and try to catch my breath. “No. God no. I just think he wishes that we would—but I shot that down a long time ago. We’ve known each other since high school.”
Brad’s face starts to go back to a normal shade which makes me think that the crisis is averted. I decide to just go for it: “I’m really glad you came by.”
