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Dirty Little Secret

eleven

Tate and his mother have polar opposite personalities, if you are just meeting both of them for the first time. But Tate has shown me a few of his many layers that are deeply buried underneath his beastly facade, and one of them is a funny and infectious personality much like Liz Daniels.

"Tate has told me so much about you," Mrs. Daniels says leaning up against the counter.

I grin broadly, looking up at Tate in the most teasing way, "Oh really? And what has he been telling you?"

"He says you're a prissy cheer leading bitch," Mrs. Daniels smiles as I smack Tate in the arm playfully.

"You are, don't act like you're hearing it for the first time," Tate says defensively.

"Only to you," I role my eyes playfully.

Mrs. Daniels' phone rings, she glances quickly at the caller ID before answering it. "Hello Honey," I hear her say before she walks out of the kitchen and into the next room.

I check on the brownies while Tate puts everything away. I then helped him load the dishwasher before Mrs. Daniels walked back into the kitchen no longer on her phone.

"Your father has a business dinner tonight with his boss, Mr. Greenwall. Mr. Greenwall has requested if we join him. Cori, you are more than welcomed to join us. I've already cleared it with my husband. He's delighted to meet you."

"Only if Tate wants me to be there," I say looking up at Tate who was standing slightly behind me.

"Of course, it'll mean I have someone I actually like to talk to."

"Excellent. Dinner is at seven," Mrs. Daniels says before walking out again. I hear her light footsteps make their way up the stairs and behind a closed door.

"Will you take me home after the brownies are done?" I glance down at the timer; they only had a few minutes left.

"Sure, then I'll pick you up around six thirty."

Tate drove me home in silence. I sat close to him with his hand resting on my thigh. His touch alone erased all memories of who I was, who I am, from my mind. All I suddenly care about is him. I no longer worry about what people think of me, or what I think of them. Pleasing my parents with a fake relationship, or being the captain of the cheer leading team, is a thing of the past. I want to be happy, and I'm at my happiest with Tate.

"What should I wear?" I ask as Tate pulls onto my driveway.

"Something formal but whatever you wear you'll still look better than everyone there, I'm sure of it," Tate casts a small smile towards me.

I lean to kiss him, the butterflies in my stomach swirl in the pit of my stomach as our lips touch. It's nothing like the kiss we shared earlier today while in his kitchen. That kiss was fiery and demanding, this kiss was more sweet and caring, and that left me feeling like I had just gotten kissed for the first time.

I could feel Tate's smile form against my lips, it is so infectious. I pull away slowly knowing that if I didn't I wouldn't have time to get ready. "I'll see you at six thirty?" I bit my lip as I wait for him to answer.

"Definitely," He confirms.

*

I release the last piece of hair from my curling iron letting it fall loosely into place with all the other wave of curls. I did quick touch ups on my make up before I went to pick out an outline. This has been the only time I didn't know what to wear. Tate said that it would be formal but I didn't know how formal. I tried on many dresses before settling on a black lace one with an back. As I looked at the clock on my phone, reading that it is six thirty, my doorbell rang.

I rush down stairs to open it before the cleaning lady had a chance to. Tate is standing on the other side looking incredibly dapper in his black dress shirt, which his sleeves are rolled up showing off the number of tattoos he has, black pants and a red tie that matches my shoes and clutch perfectly.

"We match," I say. Tate takes me in, eyeing me up and down. When Eric would do this, or any other guy for that matter, I would feel extremely self-conscious. Not now, I feel utterly beautiful. "Do you like my outfit?" I do a slow turn, showing Tate how the back of my dress is open all the way to the small of my back.

"You are beautiful," Tate's hands find their way to rest on my hips and he pulls me into him.

This time, unlike all the times before, Tate is the one kissing me without me having to tell him. I can taste the tobacco from a recently smoked cigarette on his lips. Reaching up I wrap my hands around Tate's neck, pulling his face closer to mine in order to deepen the kiss.

"We better go, my mom will kill me if we're late," Tate takes my hands and leads me to a car that has replaced truck. It's a Nissan GT-R, much different from his old beat up truck.

"My parents bought it for me for my eighteenth birthday, they don't like how old the truck is and they don't think it is safe or whatever. They'd much rather see me in a car that goes zero to sixty in two point eight seconds. They made me drive it tonight in case the valet doesn't know manual," Tate explains while opening my door.

This car sits much lower to the ground and it's easy for me to get in. It's harder for Tate because he is so tall. Once he's in re reserves quickly, backing onto the main road then slams the car into drive and hits the gas while taking my hand in my lap. I could tell he liked this car because of how fast it went. In the truck it barely got over sixty-five. I look at the speedometer to see how fast we are going, a fast eighty miles per hour. We zip easily through busy traffic, leaving everyone in our dust.

Soon we reach a huge house with many cars waiting to be parked by valet in the long driveway. The line moves quickly and all too soon a person from valet is helping me out of the car while Tate is exchanging his keys for a number with another person from valet. Tate rounds the car, placing a hand on my lower bare back, sending shivers throughout my body, he leads me up the front steps and into the house. A woman is standing there checking coats and purses. I hand her my purse and she gives me a number like the valet gave Tate. I handed the number stub to take from him to put in his pocket.

"Let’s go find my parents."

We find them mingling with an older man and a few ladies that couldn't be much older than Tate and myself. As soon as Tate's mother spots us she smiles and extends a hand to present us. "Hank, you remember Tate, our son?"

"Of course I do, nice to see you again young man," Tate and Hank shake hands then his attention is turned to me. His eyes and smile grow wide. "Well, well, well. Who is this beautiful lady?" He takes my hand in his and kisses it softly.

"This is Corinne Page, Tate's uh," Mrs. Daniels struggles with what to call me.

"A friend," Tate fills in the gap.

"Every nice to meet you Corinne," Hank says.

"It's a pleasure too meet you as well, please call me Cori," I say nicely though my mind is elsewhere.

The conversation continued but I wasn't listening. What are Tate and I? We kiss and we hold hands, but I am dating someone. I am cheating on someone. My heart sinks immediately and Tate notices.

"Cori and I are going to go get something to drink. It is nice seeing you Mr. Greenwall," Tate shakes his hand again before ushering me away without letting me say bye.

He bypasses several waitresses holding platters filled with champagne flutes. I could tell Tate is familiar with his settings as he guides me down a hallway and into an empty room. The room was bare except a long oak table with many chairs around it. No doubt this rooms only purpose was for meetings.

"What's the matter?" Tate turns to after shutting and locking the door.

"It's nothing," I try to say.

"Bullshit. Did you not want to come?"

"No, no. It's not that. It's just," I struggle for words. "Whatever, it's stupid. I'm fine, let's just go back to the party," I move past Tate and reach for the door knob.

Tate grabs my shoulder and twirls me around. "No, tell me."

I find my balance by leaning up against the door, still holding tight to the door knob. "This weekend had been great, I mean extremely great. But what happens tomorrow at school?"

"What do you want to happen?"

"What do you mean 'what do you want to happen?'"

"Do you want me to kiss you at your locker tomorrow or do you want to go back to your pretend relationship and pretend that this never happened?"

"I don't want to pretend that this didn't happen but-"

"So you are going back to that brainless jock."

"I don't want to. I'm just not as brave as you are when it comes to showing how unimportant being popular is."

Tate stares at me, his pale blue eyes boring into my honey brown ones. I've noticed how close he is, we are almost touching.

"I just can't throw away everything that I've known since the beginning of my social life. I've worked too hard to bury this sad little girl."

"Then don't throw it away," Tate starts to back off.

The sad little girl inside me grabs Tate's hand pulling him back towards me until he has me pressed up against the door. "But I do like kissing you."

Tate's lips automatically find mine in this fiery explosion. My hands immediately find their way into Tate's hair as his hands skim along the hemline of my dress, touching my bare thighs leaving a hot and tingling trail. I pull Tate even closer to me, deepening the kiss. Our tongues wrestle each other, fighting to see who would be the dominate one.

Suddenly Tate grips tightly on my butt and lifts me, making me wrap my legs around his hips. I tug on his hair harder now making him groan into my mouth. Tate breaks free from my lips and starts trailing tiny kisses along my jawline till his gets to my earlobe when he gently pulls, making it my turn to let out a small moan. I feel his satisfied smile on my neck as he continues to leave a trail of kisses making my skin feel like fire.

I pull on Tate's hair making him stop nibbling on the weak spot on my neck. Our lips find each other’s again. This time I bite down gently on Tate's bottom lip and pull, he lets out another groan.

"Fuck," Tate breathes out, pressing his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

"What?" I pant.

"You."

"Fuck me?" I let out a small laugh.

"I want to, really bad right now," Tate moves his hands to above my head so he can rest his elbows on either side of my head. Now the door and Tate's hips are the only thing supporting my weight, which didn't seem to affect Tate at all.

That's when I noticed Tate's erection against the inside of my thigh. "Oh sorry," is the only thing I can manage.

Tate's eyes are still squeezed shut as if he's concentrating. After a few moments Tate says, "You better be, provoking me and shit."

"How did I provoke you?"

"You're wearing this dress and you pulled me onto you and you were kissing me, practically begging me to take you right here."

"I didn't mean to, it's your fault for making me do it."

"How is it my fault?" Tate laughs, finally setting me back on the ground.

"All you do is have to look at me with that look and I want to rip my clothes off, which trust me, isn't me."

We look at each other and grin, all bad feelings I was having before have vanished.

Dinner was about to start once we joined the rest of civilization. We found Tate's parents and the four of us took a seat at a small round table that two other couples were already sitting at.

"George, Anne," Mr. Daniels greets a short balding man and an even shorter woman with wild red curls. "Nancy and this must be the wonderful Jennifer you've been gushing over?" He greets the two women.

"Yes Steve, this is Jennifer. Jennifer this is Steve, he is Hank's right hand man," Nancy says.

"It is nice to meet you Jennifer. May I introduce to you my family? This is my wife Liz and our son Tate. And this is his lovely date Cori Daniels."

"Nice to meet you all," Jennifer smiles.

"Daniels you say?" George says in a deep voice.

"Yes Sir," I say taking my seat.

"You don't happen to be in relation to Richard Daniels?" He asks.

"Yes Sir, he's my father."

"Oh powerful man, he's doing some legal work for a company my brother-in-law invested in. You wouldn't happen to know his thoughts about that would you?"

"Sorry Sir, I don't talk to my father. He's too busy to have a personal life," I say with a bitchy undertone. From under the table Tate squeezes my legs, making me realize that now was no time for family bitterness. "I mean, he just is really passionate about what he does and is at the office a lot, or on business trips. He's on one now actually."

The appetizer and well as the main course and dessert were delicious. I ate every bite and had to stop myself from reaching over to Tate's plate and stealing a bite or two.

"Wow Tate, your little lady can eat," George says, obviously having too much champagne.

I smile, not afraid to show my love of food.

"And you're a twig, where you do put it?" Nancy asks, she hardly touched anything on all three dishes. I wished I could have eaten her portions.

"If I didn't work out every day I would be the size of Texas. I'd be like that Violet girl from Willy Wonka and have to be pushed around because of how round I would be," I say and the whole table laughs at the image.

*

Tate and I now are sitting outside my house in his car. I'm afraid that if I get out of the car now I'll go back to reality and I'm not sure I want that.

"What is this Tate?"

Tate looks at me, I know he wants to say something but he is stopping himself.

"What?" I ask again.

"Let's not label anything, let's not make this a big deal. I like kissing you and you like kissing me but I don't think either of us wants anything more."

"So we're friends with benefits?"

"No, we're more like friends that likes to kiss each other but nothing else because the guy respects the girls choices, and we're doing all of that in secret."

"So it'll be our little secret?"

"Our dirty little secret."
♠ ♠ ♠
they ya go, it's a long one.

Tell me what y'all think.

Later Alligator.
xox