Cigarette Daydreams

Just as I promised I was standing on Alex’s doorstep with a minute to spare. I was feeling more nervous than I ever had in my entire life. He is just a friend. A really, really hot friend.

Ugh.

Do I knock? Do I ring the doorbell? I’m so confused. I finally lifted my hand to give the door a sharp knock and the door swung open to reveal a very pissed and very pretty blonde bombshell. So this is Chloe.

“Who are you?” She looked be up and down. Probably wondering why my ugly ass was on her doorstep. I was wondering the same thing.

“I—uh” I looked behind her spotting a sheepish looking Alex. I knew I looked so stupid standing on their doorstep with multiple grocery bangs in hand, just waiting to be invited in.What was I thinking? “Must have the wrong house.” I turned around and heard Alex yell for me.

“Erin, wait!” I didn’t listen and I speed towards my black jeep parked on the side of the road. “Erin!” He yelled and I turned around fuming.

“I’m leaving! Go back to your girlfriend! She’s obviously not happy with you right now.” The bags were getting heaving and I could feel my eyes starting to water. I fucking hated rejection, I hated looking stupid, and I'll be dammed if I let Alex do either to me.

“Erin, come on.” He shoved his hands in his pocket. “She is in a mood but we can still hang out.”

I huffed shifting the weight of the bags, “I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding, I invited you.” I gave him a look and he gave me the biggest boyish grin imaginable. “Here let me grab the bags.” He reached forward and took the many bags out of my hand with no effort heading back into his house. I reluctantly followed hoping that I wouldn’t have to deal with Chloe.

“I think she left when I came after you, so don’t feel so awkward.” Alex commented when he noticed I was fidgeting around the front door.

“Where did she go?” I asked moving more into the house taking it in, not drunk this time. It was beautiful and elegant, everything that a ‘rock-star’ house should be.

“Hell if I know,” He shrugged unloading some of the bags.

I looked at him in surprise, “That doesn’t seem like a healthy relationship.”

“Are you my new therapist?”

I gave him a flirtatious smile, “I can be anything you want me to be.” He swallowed looking uncomfortable, which caused me to laugh. “Come on I need your help making brownies.” He perked up at my mention of sugar and saluted me.

“Ay-aye captain Erin!”



“Most embarrassing moment?” I laughed at the question thinking of about a hundred embarrassing moments this day alone. Alex and I had finished the brownies and were currently sprawled out in his ‘man cave’ playing his version of twenty questions. You could ask any question you wanted and if the other person didn’t want to answer it they had to take a shot of tequila. We were about four shots and two brownies in this game and it was getting interesting.

“When I was sixteen I was out at a club with some of my friends and I was dancing with this older guy and ya’know we were getting frisky. Well I turned around after about three or four songs and it turned out to be my older cousin.” Alex started laughing so hard and I heated up. “I have yet to see him at any other family reunions.” This statement caused Alex to laugh even harder and I slapped him. “Ha-ha, worst date?”

“Oh boy this is a hard one,” Alex reached for another brownie contemplating his long list of dates he has probably been on. “My first date probably. I was a freshman in high school and she was still in middle school.” I laughed, “I didn’t have a car to pick her up or any money to do anything so I took her to the park and tried to play her a few songs that I wrote and we ate sandwiches that my mom made us. When I dropped her off I leaned in for a kiss and she slammed the door in my face.” I busted out laughing, “She told me never to call her again.”

“That can’t be the worst date you’ve ever been on!” I was laughing knowing that someone like him has probably been on a hundred dates.

“Oh yeah? Well then what is the worst date you’ve ever been on?”

“I’ve never been on a date.” I told him truthfully.

“No fucking way!” He exclaimed, “how?”

I took a shot to avoid the question, “Worst concert you’ve ever played?”

He shook his head not quite ready to give up on the fact that I’ve never been on a date, “Really, how?”

“I took my shot Alex, I don’t have to answer.” I gave him a warning look.

“Well your not ugly so that can't be the reason,” he trailed off looking confused.

“Geez thanks, you really know how to sweet talk a lady.”

“I don’t mean it like that you know you’re not—“ he stopped knowing he was just backtracking. “You are actually pretty fucking hot.” I blushed red. I don't take complements well.

“Alex shut-up.”

“No I mean it, you are beautiful and above all you are a rad person.” Beautiful. He called me beautiful.

“Alex stop.”

He looked me deep in the eyes, “all those boys are missing out on a hell of a person.” I threw a pillow at him.

“If you don’t stop getting all mushy on me I will call Jack and ask him to be my new best friend. He will tell me I look like shit and make me feel like a crappy person, how all friends should act!”

Alex scoffed, “as if.”

My eyes got wide, “you wanna test me?” I went to stand and Alex tackled me to the floor and we landed on the tile floor with an “umph.” His body was ever so tightly pressed against mine and I wanted more. I wanted more?

Alex cleared his throat catching my attention but refusing to move his body, “wanna try that again?”

I matched his playful glare, “you just want to tackle me again.”

He smirked leaning closer into my body making me stiffen, “And what if I do?” His lips were so close to mine. Too close. I moved my body away from his and his face fell. “I—uh”

I stood up quickly once he backed away and clapped my hands, “So we still have two things left on the list.”

Alex nodded, “family and music, right?” I nodded twice, “where does your family live?”

“Florida.” I realized that this might be the only thing on my list I wouldn’t be able to cross of before my next therapy season. Alex must have been able to read my thoughts.

“It’s a good thing my family happens to be visiting this weekend.”

“No I’m not intruding,” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“More with this intruding bull-crap, come on it will be fun!” I contemplated my options, I did want to finish this list but did I want to meet Alex’s parents?

“I don’t know.” I looked away from him.

Alex jumped up from his spot on the floor and walked swiftly towards me taking the sides of my arms gently, “please come with me. There will be bottomless mimosas! ” I couldn’t say no to that face, or free alcohol, so I gave him a small nod.

“I’ll meet your parents.” A big smile broke out across his face.

“I have a surprise for you after you meet them!” He exclaimed like a kid.

“You’re not going to confess your undying love for me, are you?”

He sent me a funny look, "In your dreams darlin’”

If only he knew.