at the mall. Do you need anything?”
“Someone?”
“Yes.”
“That teacher friend of yours?” she said. Her eyes twinkled.
“Yes. Did you need anything?”
“No, dear. You just go have a good time. And be a gentleman.”
“Of course.”
Aaron got in his car and stared out at the Atlantic.
…he had a large red welt that ran up from his ankle to his thigh.
Despite the heat of the day, he shivered again. Aaron wanted to punch his fear in the face.
* * * * *
Matt found Emily’s Jetta parked outside the food court entrance. It was one of the six blue Jettas he’d passed, but he knew the plate number. He considered messing with the vehicle. Another flat would seem too weird. He thought about messing under the hood, but these cars always had alarms. He’d just have to bump into her and work his baby-face act. He’d cracked her shell with the hero routine yesterday. So long as she wasn’t strolling around with her mystery fuck buddy, he should be able to pick up where they’d left off in her driveway.
He parked toward the back of the lot next to the abandoned Chuck E. Cheese’s. The mall was crammed with kids and loud tourists. There was no shortage of gorgeous women. He heard French and a bevy of other languages he couldn’t place. He was far from cultured. Growing up, his mother’s idea of vacation hot spots was limited to Kelsey Point in Massachusetts and a number of locations in Nova Scotia. He caught a couple of naughty grins from a pair of underage cuties in Daisy Dukes. He was busy taking in their wonderfully tanned legs when Aaron Jackson passed by them. The loser didn’t even glance at the girls. Faggot. He followed Aaron’s path and realized what held his attention. Emily Young. Son of a bitch.
“Hey, you.” Aaron moved in and gave her a hug. The mix of her berry shampoo and sunblock was intoxicating.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you.”
He took the proffered plastic cup and joined her at the round table for two. “What is it?”
“Just try it.” She chewed her bottom lip. Her brown eyes bought his trust.
He took a pull on the straw. A tart, ice-creamy treat hit his lips. He raised his eyebrows and nodded. “That’s pretty friggin’ good.”
“See. It’s a pineapple cranberry smoothie.”
“Cranberry?”
“Yep.”
He took another long haul from the straw. “That’s damn good.”
“So…”
“So.”
Aaron held his cranberry concoction in one hand. His other hand fidgeted with the hem of his cargo shorts beneath the table.
“You obviously don’t have a…a boyfriend…”
“Who says?”
His nervous hand halted. He swallowed hard and hoped she didn’t notice. “You wouldn’t be here with me if you did.”
Her brown eyes smiled. The curve of her lips lifted slightly. “Well, if I was a bad girlfriend, maybe I would.”
She’s messing with me, and she’s loving it.
“You’re having fun, aren’t you?” Aaron grinned and leaned back. He sipped the cold drink.
“Yeah, you make it pretty easy.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, like that time in the teacher’s lounge when I told Mrs. Bean you were my date for the Christmas party.”
Aaron recalled the moment. He’d practically swallowed his Adam’s apple in front of the old woman.
“I thought you were going to faint. Your face was like fifty shades of red.”
The familiar warmth filled in every inch of his face.
“Just like that.” Emily laughed.
He brought the drink to his lips. He let the cool, acidic deliciousness trickle its way down his gullet, and he cleared his throat as he set the plastic cup down on the table. “Ah yes. I’m an easy mark.”
He tapped his fingertips on the napkin next to his drink and forced his eyes to meet hers. “And what about you? What does it take to get Ms. Emily Young to blush?”
Her lips defied her attempt to play it cool. She ducked her chin. Her lips pressed together. Her high cheekbones tightened and shaded. She tucked a loose strand of dark
“Someone?”
“Yes.”
“That teacher friend of yours?” she said. Her eyes twinkled.
“Yes. Did you need anything?”
“No, dear. You just go have a good time. And be a gentleman.”
“Of course.”
Aaron got in his car and stared out at the Atlantic.
…he had a large red welt that ran up from his ankle to his thigh.
Despite the heat of the day, he shivered again. Aaron wanted to punch his fear in the face.
* * * * *
Matt found Emily’s Jetta parked outside the food court entrance. It was one of the six blue Jettas he’d passed, but he knew the plate number. He considered messing with the vehicle. Another flat would seem too weird. He thought about messing under the hood, but these cars always had alarms. He’d just have to bump into her and work his baby-face act. He’d cracked her shell with the hero routine yesterday. So long as she wasn’t strolling around with her mystery fuck buddy, he should be able to pick up where they’d left off in her driveway.
He parked toward the back of the lot next to the abandoned Chuck E. Cheese’s. The mall was crammed with kids and loud tourists. There was no shortage of gorgeous women. He heard French and a bevy of other languages he couldn’t place. He was far from cultured. Growing up, his mother’s idea of vacation hot spots was limited to Kelsey Point in Massachusetts and a number of locations in Nova Scotia. He caught a couple of naughty grins from a pair of underage cuties in Daisy Dukes. He was busy taking in their wonderfully tanned legs when Aaron Jackson passed by them. The loser didn’t even glance at the girls. Faggot. He followed Aaron’s path and realized what held his attention. Emily Young. Son of a bitch.
“Hey, you.” Aaron moved in and gave her a hug. The mix of her berry shampoo and sunblock was intoxicating.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you.”
He took the proffered plastic cup and joined her at the round table for two. “What is it?”
“Just try it.” She chewed her bottom lip. Her brown eyes bought his trust.
He took a pull on the straw. A tart, ice-creamy treat hit his lips. He raised his eyebrows and nodded. “That’s pretty friggin’ good.”
“See. It’s a pineapple cranberry smoothie.”
“Cranberry?”
“Yep.”
He took another long haul from the straw. “That’s damn good.”
“So…”
“So.”
Aaron held his cranberry concoction in one hand. His other hand fidgeted with the hem of his cargo shorts beneath the table.
“You obviously don’t have a…a boyfriend…”
“Who says?”
His nervous hand halted. He swallowed hard and hoped she didn’t notice. “You wouldn’t be here with me if you did.”
Her brown eyes smiled. The curve of her lips lifted slightly. “Well, if I was a bad girlfriend, maybe I would.”
She’s messing with me, and she’s loving it.
“You’re having fun, aren’t you?” Aaron grinned and leaned back. He sipped the cold drink.
“Yeah, you make it pretty easy.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, like that time in the teacher’s lounge when I told Mrs. Bean you were my date for the Christmas party.”
Aaron recalled the moment. He’d practically swallowed his Adam’s apple in front of the old woman.
“I thought you were going to faint. Your face was like fifty shades of red.”
The familiar warmth filled in every inch of his face.
“Just like that.” Emily laughed.
He brought the drink to his lips. He let the cool, acidic deliciousness trickle its way down his gullet, and he cleared his throat as he set the plastic cup down on the table. “Ah yes. I’m an easy mark.”
He tapped his fingertips on the napkin next to his drink and forced his eyes to meet hers. “And what about you? What does it take to get Ms. Emily Young to blush?”
Her lips defied her attempt to play it cool. She ducked her chin. Her lips pressed together. Her high cheekbones tightened and shaded. She tucked a loose strand of dark
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