And You're Just What I Need...

Adam was in the kitchen making god knows what for dinner. He wouldn’t tell us what, but promised that it wasn’t poisoned.

“Hey Katelyn, could you please grab the black plates?” I call out to her as I lay out the tablecloth on the table.

“sure!” she replies.

Katelyn asked Nick over on Tuesday and after some hesitation he agreed. All I know about him is that he’s fifteen. Kate set out the plates and silverware while I grabbed glasses. The table was set and Adam said dinner would be done in about ten minutes.

“If he comes, can you let him in?” Katelyn asks as she goes up to clean up quickly.

“No Katelyn, I’m going to make him stand out there.” She stops and stares down at me, horrified, “I’m kidding, go change.”

Once she disappeared I plopped down on the couch to watch T.V. The instant I turn it on the doorbell starts ringing.

I stand back up and walk over to it, opening the door. A tall-ish guy was standing there with a box in one hand and flowers in the other.

“you must be Nick.” I say, opening the door to let him in.

“and you must be Juliana.” He replies with a smile.

“yes, but please, just call me Julie.” He nods and looks down at the stuff in his hands.

“This was on your porch,” he hands me the box and I notice that it’s from my brother.

“Thanks.”

There was a small period of awkward silence, “so, uh, how big is Adam?”

I smile widely, “oh, he’s BIG. He played Rugby all through his teen years.” Nicks eyes go wide and then I hear Kate come up behind us. She smacks me upside the head.

“don’t listen to her.” She says to Nick “he hasn’t played a sport since he was ten.”

Nick hands her to bouquet of flowers and Kate blushes.

“Dinners ready!” Adam calls from the kitchen and we walk into the dining room. After short introductions, the table got quiet. Everyone picking at their food. Nick seemed nervous and so did Kate. Adam just looked like an over-protecting older brother.

“So Nick, do you play any sports?” I ask, trying to start conversation.

“actually I play futbal, um, Soccer.”

“Really? That’s a great sport. I used to play but now I just ref.” I say.

Nick smiles, “I do that too.”

“Scommetto che lui non è nemmeno italiano.” (I bet he isn’t even Italian) Adam mumbles under his breath, but Katelyn still caught it.

She looked pretty mad, “Non è come Juliana è.” (It’s not like Juliana is) She replies, glaring at him. All I knew is that my name was said and it didn’t sound good.

“almeno lei è stata in Italia.” (At least she has been to Italy) Adam remarks. I sigh and sit back in my chair. This wasn’t going good at all.

Nick surprised me, and all of us really, when he spoke up. In Italian. “In realtà, mio nonno è italiano.Io vado ogni inverno.” (Actually, my Grandfather is Italian. I go every winter) Adam is speechless and Kate smirks, sticking her tongue out at her brother in victory.

“Kate, manners.” I say and she nods. “how about we keep to English tonight.”

“You look very Italian for not being Italian.” Nick comments to me.

I look at Kate and she smiles. Of course that’s what she was saying before, “um, thanks?”

After a few more awkward silences, tons of questions, and some glares from Kate, dinner was done and it was time for Nick to go.

“It was nice meeting you two.” Nick says kindly to Adam and I. “hopefully I passed the test.” He says, smirking a little.

“we’ll see about that” Adam responds automatically.

I playfully slap Adams arm, "You’re a great kid Nick. Don’t listen to what Adam’s saying.” He nods.

“I’ll walk you out,” Kate says, smiling up at me when her brother wasn’t looking. Once they leave I turn to Adam.

“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

“I guess.” He mumbles while looking at the ground. I follow his eyes down and all I see is the pattern of the rug.

I laugh, “Adam, the pattern isn’t that interesting.” He doesn’t say anything, nor does he look up at me. “Come on, the kid is great. He gets good grades, plays sports, volunteers, has amazing manners and is even Italian. What more could you want from a guy?” I was joking, but there was also a hint of seriousness to my voice.

Adam shrugs and glances at the clock on the wall, “it’s been two minutes. It doesn’t take two minutes to say goodbye.” He takes a step toward the door and I grab his hand to stop him.

“Adam, don’t you dare open that door.” I say harshly. I don’t think I’ve used that tone of voice since the day he picked me up at the airport.

“but-“

“No. this was going to happen at some point. So just let it happen.” I tell him. He backs off and starts stacking plates from dinner.

The door slams opened, then closed, then we hear the screaming. “God Adam! Why did you have to be so harsh to him!?” She stomps upstairs before either of us could respond.

“looks like she hates me either way.” He says and then walks into the kitchen. I hurry upstairs to Kates room.

“Hey Kate? Can I come in?” I ask softly. I didn’t hear a response so I slowly twist the door handle and open it. Kate was on her bed, not looking to happy.

I sit next to her and rub her back some, “hey, what happened?”

“Nothing happened. That’s just it.”

“Honey, Adam was on some of his best behavior tonight. Do you know how hard it was for me to convince him to do this? Let alone not attack the guy with unreasonable questions?” she stifles a laugh. “so, when you say nothing happened, what do you mean?”

“I mean nothing happened. It’s been over two weeks and it’s still just a kiss on the cheek!” she complains, “guys were so much quicker in Italy.”

"You’re mad at Adam because your boyfriend won’t kiss you?” I had to hold back my laugh at that one.

“Nick says that he doesn’t want our first kiss to happen just on a porch. It has to be spontaneous and random.”

My eyes light up, “that’s so romantic.”

“romance?” she makes a disgusted face.

I laugh, “yes. He thinks that girls like romantic. That you just want him to kiss you because you think he wants to kiss you. So he’s saying that he wants it to be more romantic, thinking that’s what you actually want.”

“how many damn boyfriends did you have to know all of this??”

“um, your brother.”

“he’s anything but romantic.”

“really?” I laugh again since I thought the complete opposite about Adam.

“well yeah. I don’t remember one time he’s been seriously romantic. I’m sure your guys’ first kiss was on a porch just like most couples.”

“which one?”

"You’re actually going to tell me?” she asks, surprised.

“why not. So, which one?”

“um, both?” she says and asks.

I nod, trying to remember four years back. I couldn’t though. For whatever reason, I couldn’t remember Adam and my first kiss back in Italy. “I’m going to go change and talk to Adam real quick, then I’ll share them. Okay?” she snuffles a little and nods. I climb off the bed and quickly change into my pajamas before waking down to the kitchen.

Adam was at the sink washing dishes and didn’t even hear me come in. I quietly walk up to him and wrap my arms around his waist. “hey,” I say softly against his neck. He had been looking out the window, in what seemed like deep thought. “what are you-“ before I could finish my question he grabbed my face with his overly soapy hands and kissed me. There wasn’t even any denying access or whatnot because it was instantly there. Adam turned so that I was pressed against the counter and deepened the kiss. His hands tangled in my hair while mine snaked around his neck. After a couple minutes I had to pull back to breath, our arms still wrapped around each other.

“not that I’m complaining, but what the hell was that?” He laughs a breathless laugh and loosens his grip on me.

“I just really wanted to kiss you.”

“I could tell. Speaking of kissing, can you take a break from dishes and come tell a short story?”

“what type of story?” he asks hesitantly.

“if I tell you, you won’t come. So just please trust me on this one.”

“fine.” He dries off his hands and then grabs one and we walk upstairs into Kates room.

Kate looks up at us when we enter and smiles. “what the hell happened to you Julie?” she asks, laughing now.

I had a feeling that some soap was still in my hair. “your brother lost control down in the kitchen.” I say, sitting back in the spot I was before. Adam sits on the chair at her desk, still staring at me like he doesn’t like where this is going.

“and what’s my so called crazy brother doing in my room at the moment?” she asks me.

“well, if you must know. I thought it would be great story time, and brother sister bonding time, if Adam told us about his and Skye’s first kiss.” Adams eyes bug out while Kate smiles at me and then her brother.

“I think that is a terrific idea Julie.” She says.

Adam groans before starting. “well, I’m actually amazed you don’t remember this Kate, you wouldn’t shut up about it for practically the whole summer. Anyways, we were in france, um, I forgot what town, but we were in france walking down the street. Katelyn was running ahead of us, saying that we were slow-pokes and that we needed to hurry up. Um, lets see. I think she tripped on the sidewalk or something and then I caught her and just kissed her. It seemed really natural, not like a first kiss or anything.” As he told the story, the memories came flooding back. Adam was right, it did feel natural. That’s why I hadn’t remembered it as the first, because the way it all happened made it feel like we’d been kissing forever.

“yeah, I remember that. I turned around and you guys had stopped walking. You were kissing instead and I screamed ‘gross!’ and hid.” Adam and I laugh at that. Katie turns to me, “what about you two?”

“us?”

“yes, you two. Gosh, who else is in the room?” she asks sarcastically.

“well, it was nothing near that.” I comment, “we were at some music video festival and dancing to…” I pause, trying to remember the name of the song.

“A moment like this, by Kelly Clarkson.” Adam answers and I turn to him and smile.

“yeah, that. He just lifted my chin and kissed me.”

“you make it sound so unromantic when you tell the story Julie.”

“well, that’s what happened, isn’t it?” Adam rolls his eyes.

“what about your first kiss?” Kate asks.

I laugh nervously. “my first kiss? What would you say if I told you the one with your brother was my first?”

“Well, I would say that you were lying. Aunt Cody told me that you weren’t virgin. Before you came here.”

“Dakota told you what?”

“I think she was just ranting and it came out.”

“right. Okay, so my first kiss was when I was in Italy then. Got really drunk, met this guy, and the next thing I knew I was waking up in his bed. Betch’ya that my first kiss happened between meeting him and waking up in his bed.”

“that’s just, sad.” Kate comments and I nod. “I mean, mine was even better than that. Luca took me out-“ Adam started his ‘lalalalala’ before she was able to even finish the sentence.

“I’m out of here now.”

I pull him back by his shirt, “no you’re not.” I tell him. Instead of stopping, he continues with the pull that I gave and lands on my lap.

“Fine then. I’ll sit right here.” He says and doesn’t budge.

“as I was saying. Um, Luca right? Yeah, Luca took me on a picnic on the beach and then we went for a walk and tada! A kiss.” She crosses her arms, “but that was the second date and still within the first week. American boys are just so freaking slow.”

“which is fine. Totally fine. More power to them.” Adam says and I laugh. “Although I think you just hit the jackpot with Nick or something, cause the majority of boys go in for the kiss on the first date.”

“you have a point there Adam.” I say. “My brother always kissed on the first date.”

“Jackpot?! How the hell is Nick not kissing me good?”

“It means he’s in it for more than just the physical attraction.” Adam explains to her.

“but attraction is what I’ve got?”

This is the time most brothers would go on a long lecture about how smart she is and this and that but Adam doesn’t. Which slightly worries me. “um, Adam, aren’t you going to say something back?” I kind of add in.

“no, she really only has her beauty. She isn’t that smart, barely passes most of her classes. Not really athletic. Her eye-hand coordination is worth nothing, so that canceled out a lot of sports. Running is okay, not amazing though. Just shows she’s in some type of shape. I guess she can be funny at times. Since she had so many boys over while in Italy, I’m guessing a good kisser too, but I gladly don’t know that. But really, she has her beauty.”

I blink a few times, registering what he just said. “I can’t believe you just said that about your sister.”

“why?” Kate asks, “it’s true.”

“you must be good at something.”

“oh, I’m good at stuff. Like I can sing and cook. Play the guitar, piano, flute, and violin. And I can draw pretty well. But guys don’t tend to be interested by that stuff.”

“well, when you find the guy that is, then you’ll know he’s the one.” I encourage. A yawn escapes my lips, “hmm, I’m tired.”

“you would be. It’s been pretty busy with the wedding and all.” Kate says.

“let’s go to bed Adam.” I tell him.

“nope. You promised me a movie if I sat through dinner with Nick.” He reminds me. It was true, that was how I got him to have the dinner in the end.

“fine. You get some rest Katelyn. We’re going to go watch a movie.”

“but what about my kiss issue?!” she complains as we get up.

“kiss him.” I say before closing the door and following Adam downstairs.

Adam put in a movie while I settled in on the couch. He came over and lifted me onto his lap, pressing play on the remote.

“what movie did you put in?” I ask.

“you’ll see.”

I instantly found out that it was an Italian movie, because all the previews were in Italian. The title popped up and I was still confused, “Maledetto il giorno che ti ho incontrato” (Damn The Day I Met You. A/N I haven’t seen this movie, but heard amazing comments about it from my cousins. It’s really hard to find in the USA.)

“I hope you’re going to have the subtitles on.” I whisper to him as he starts the movie.

“wouldn’t dream of it. You don’t need to know what their saying.”

“someday I’m going to become fluent in Italian and you won’t get to do stuff like this anymore.”

“and until that day, I do. Now come on, watch the movie.”

It was a sweet movie, I found out. Even without knowing what they were saying I was laughing at the right scenes…for the most part. About three-quarters of the way through the movie I started to doze off. Not because the movie was boring, but because I was tired. Adam started whispering the lines into my ear, in English nonetheless. I giggled at his cold breath on my skin. I tried to keep my eyes open, but it was as if there weights on my eyelids, pulling them down and eventually I was out, remembering to open the box from my brother tomorrow morning.