Excerpt

July 4, 2011 9:15 pm

“Everyone, they’re about to start!?” Someone yells from behind us.

It’d been almost an hour and Chris and I had yet to move having gotten to know each other in the time we spent secluded on the side of the roof. Just as we turn around to see what the yelling was about a loud pop from a distance lights the dark sky.

We both glance at almost the entire party walking to the opposite end of the roof to watch the fireworks from Manhattan. Neither of us move though.

“Do you want to go?” Chris asks pointing over his shoulder.
I kick my feet as I lean on my hands which are planted on the gravel behind my back and shake my head.

He doesn’t move as I thought he would but remains by my side.

“Aren’t you going?” I ask

He shakes his head no.

“I’d have gone if you went but I really don’t even like fireworks” he sighs watching my feet for a second.

The moment he says it I gasp and meet his gaze.
“I thought I was the only one” my jaw drops.

He smiles widely at me, “You don’t?”

“No! Never have, I’m not as impressed as everyone else is by them.”

He chuckles and stares at me for a while. I stare back but can’t wait any longer before I smile, blush and drop my head. A combination of functions I’ve never performed in my life.

“What?” I ask biting my lip.

“You’re a lot more than I expected, Mia”

I lick my lips and lean forward so my elbows are rested on my thighs.
“How so?”

“You know…I just expected for you to be a pretty face, like every other girl I find myself attracted to”

I smile widely.

“So…you like, like me?”

He chuckles shaking his head, “I feel like I’m in middle school…but yes, I do. Could we, do you want to go out sometime?”

I don’t even take a breath before answering, “Yes”

His smile makes me weak, “Are you busy tomorrow night?”

“Nope, I’m free”

“Okay, so I get off around 6, I’ll pick you up around 8?”

I nod not really believing this was happening.
“You have a car?” I ask. Usually any one close to my age with a car in this city is rare.

“How old are you?” I add before he can answer.

“26, how old are you?” His interest peaks and I can tell it’s because he’s praying I’m not 17.

“21 and a half”

He smirks, “I was terrified you were like 16…you’re very mature, even for 21”
“Thanks”

“And yes I have a car” he nods once.

“Well you didn’t drive here did you? No more beer for you”
I reach over and take the beer from his hand. He laughs and leans close, our shoulders touching as he takes it back.

“I walked; I don’t live far away…besides I’ve been drinking since before you were born anyway”
Our fingers touch as he slides the beer from my hand. A careless tingle spreads from the top of my neck all the way down to my toes.

“That couldn’t possibly be true and if it was I wouldn’t brag about that, Chris”
He laughs and takes the last swig of his beer before sitting it behind him.

“So what is it you do?” I ask.

“You won’t believe me...” he says with that seemingly inevitable smirk on his face.

“Why? Are you a stripper?”

“No!” he laughs, “That’s the first thing you assume?”

“You’d be surprised at how often I assume that, what do you do then if not dance half nude for the masses”

“Do you play video games?”

I nod eagerly, “Religiously”

“I’m a developer...freelance mostly”

I gasp and stare wide eyed at him, “Are you kidding me?!”

“No” he smiles.

I wrap my arms around him, hugging him tightly. I could blame it on the drugs but often enough I find myself doing and saying things before thinking. He seemed surprised at first but welcomed my hug and hugged me back.

“Can we get married, let’s get married right now” I exclaim.
He laughs until we pull apart.

“That means we have to kiss you know” his smirk makes me nervous but anxious and curious all the same.

“I mean we’re engaged I don’t see why not?”

“Not here though. At the end of the night…or in the morning, I’ll walk you home, do you have a stoop?”

Smiling and gazing at the street I nod. He turns to face me fully, one of his legs folded beneath the other. I watch his left foot dangling over the edge, his sneakers unlaced. I feel his finger beneath my chin suddenly; turning my head toward him and making my heart explode in the process. He licks his pretty pink bottom lip and brushes his thumb against the underside of my chin.

“I’ll hold your hand, walk you up the steps…and then I’ll kiss you” In the most charmingly, gentle voice I’d ever heard a man speak to me.

I don’t notice until he’s finished speaking that my heart is racing and I’m damn near panting. When I don’t speak right away he asks.

“Deal?”

Biting my lip I shake my head no. He looks away from me nodding; he looked disappointed but said nothing to show it.

“You don’t-“

With my hand on his jaw I turn his head to face me; with bravery mustered up from some deep dark corner of my psyche I kiss him.

His hand moves to my hip and he pulls me closer to his embrace, kissing me back with much more ferocity than I kissed him.

When it’s over and he’s panting the same as me he grips my hip tighter than before and sighs.
“Wow”

“See, now we can do it all the ti-“
He kisses me again slowly, cupping my cheek and sucking my bottom lip softly. I gasp and moan against his mouth then immediately pull away, embarrassed.

“Oh god, I’m sorry” I cover my glasses with my hand and shake my head.

“Sorry about what?” He asks dragging my hand down and making me look at him, “Don’t be so self-conscious, Mia, you’re beautiful and sexy. That’s nothing to be ashamed of”
He rubs my right cheek and kisses the other.

“Don’t ever be self-conscious around me”

“Ok” I squeak lost in his pupils. “I’m actually very bashful though” My voice is about the softest I’d ever spoken.

He smiles and shakes his head, “It’s adorable, just don’t think you have to impress me or anything. Just be yourself”

He couldn’t have said anything more romantic to me.

“Can I kiss you again?”
His eyes get very low as he leans closer to me again, tilting his head to the right as he replies.

“You don’t need to ask”