Waiting and Watching by Darcy Darvill Page B

face. “Could we go sit outside somewhere and talk without feeling like everyone is talking about us?”
    â€œI’d love that; let’s go.”

Chapter 14
    Connie and Andrew walked outside, but there was no place to sit. He suggested they use his car so they could talk privately. She would probably have gone to the moon with him if he’d asked, Andrew knew just what to say.
    â€œDo you remember the time Chet Nichols put that block of dry ice in one of the urinals in the boys’ bathroom and then pressed the fire alarm?”
    Connie burst out laughing so hard she had to hug her stomach. When she finally got enough breath back, she said, “I’ve never to this day seen anything as funny as the sight of Principle Schick trying to herd us all back inside while shouting that he was going to find out who did it and break his paddle over the culprit’s miscreant ass.”
    â€œYeah, I’d never seen Stick so mad,” he said, using the nickname the kids had for him because he was so skinny he looked like you could knock him over with a stick.
    They ended up reminiscing a bit longer, until Andrew reached for her hand again. His touch sent electric shocks through her body and woke up feelings she thought were gone forever.
    â€œThis sounds corny,” he said, “but I’ve thought about this moment for a very long time. When I boarded the flight to come here, I felt it was a lost cause, but I had to come. You can’t know how happy it makes me just looking at you and seeing how beautiful you still are, inside and out.”
    â€œAndrew, stop talking and kiss me.”
    â€œOh, babe, you don’t have to ask me twice.” He leaned over and gently, slowly kissed her. One hand slid up the outside of her right thigh to pull her closer, the other cupped her chin to deepen the kiss. The years since the last time they’d seen each other fell away in an instant. Connie surrendered to his caresses as naturally as she had twenty years ago.
    One kiss led to another until they were so absorbed in each other neither of them heard John Hazelton, the class clown, and a couple of his fellow football buddies creep up to the car. One of them pounded on the hood, and Andrew and Connie jerked apart to see the three peeping toms through the windshield. All three had big smiles slashed across their stupid, half-snockered faces.
    â€œHey, what do you think this is? High school? Get a room!” Hazelton crowed with a hearty laugh.
    Andrew rolled down his side window and with mock seriousness said, “Don’t you jokers have anything better to do?”
    Connie sheepishly leaned over Andrew and greeted the guys at the window. “Hi, guys.”
    â€œHi, Connie,” Hazelton said. “Don’t you want to come inside? It’s kind of cold out here.”
    Andrew laughed. “It’s nice and warm in here guys, but I guess we’ll be in shortly.” He rolled up the window and his buddies melted away into the night.
    â€œI think I’ll stay right here,” Connie said, their faces so close, her breath mixed with his. She stared at Andrew’s mouth as if it were prey and she was a wildcat, ready to pounce. “Now that I’ve found you again,” she breathed, “there’s no way I’m going back in there. You’re the only one I want to be with right now. Let’s go to your hotel room,” she said, surprising herself.
    â€œWhoa.” Andrew looked at her and smiled. “In high school you were always pushing me away, but I like this new you. It’s so bold and sassy.”
    â€œI can’t believe I’m saying this either, but I want to make up for all those lost years. I had to deny myself the right to grieve for you, since I knew there was no chance of us ever getting together, and now that we have, just looking at you makes me realize how terribly I’ve missed you.”
    â€œWell, then, let’s get