Boys and Girls, Part I
folder
Romance › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
18
Views:
4,457
Reviews:
22
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Romance › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
18
Views:
4,457
Reviews:
22
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 4 - Coffee and Sympathy
“Can I have a pack of peppermint Stix gum and…a bottle of Diet Coke please?”
“$3.57,” said the young student working behind the cash register.
Delaney peered into the meager savings contained within her purple snakeskin wallet. Well, at least she still had $0.55 left over for…what the hell was she going to get for $0.55 in this day in age? She handed over the money and grabbed the bag with her items. She turned abruptly, crashing into a wall. Well, it felt like a wall but smelled distinctly like Jason Kent…expensive after-shave and pure 100% male.
“Sorry!”
“Hey, you must be stalking me,” Jason said with a smirk.
Delaney arched an eyebrow. “I believe you were behind me. That would make you the stalker and me, the…stalked. Okay, that sounds a little too creepy for me.”
Jason laughed and stepped aside to let those standing behind him go in front so that he could continue talking with Delaney. “What’s in the bag?”
“Breakfast,” Delaney answered. “A.k.a. Diet Coke and gum.”
“Just like Mom used to make.”
Delaney giggled. She shyly tucked a rogue curl of dark red hair behind her ear. “So, what are you doing on this side of town?”
“Athletic department’s on this side.”
“You work out on Saturday mornings?”
“Yeah. When football’s over, I work out Mondays through Thursdays in the evenings – Saturdays and Sundays in the mornings.”
Delaney tried her hardest not to look as impressed as she felt. “And Fridays?”
“I get to cheat, but…you knew that already,” he answered with a wink. Delaney needed to restrain herself from grabbing the counter behind her for support.
“Are you all right?” Jason asked.
“Yeah, yeah, sure, sure,” Delaney answered. “Umm, are you busy right now?”
“Uh, not really.”
“Do…you…um, want to go get some coffee at Mona’s?”
“Sure.”
Wait a minute. Delaney was sure that she had just asked Jason Kent, starting quarterback for the North Mission University Hawks, on a semi-date, and that he had…accepted. She looked perturbed.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Delaney snapped out of her confusion and plastered the biggest smile she could muster on her face. She nodded her head. “Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Let’s…go drink some coffee!”
Jason smiled in spite of Delaney’s strange behavior. He put a casual arm around Delaney’s shoulder and pulled her in. “But we better make sure you order decaf.”
Delaney swatted Jason in the arm, causing his smile to grow even wider.
****
“So, how many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Seven. Three brothers and four sisters.”
“Wow, obviously your parents decided eight was enough.”
Jason smiled. He was having a great time just shooting the breeze with Delaney, who was turning out to be a lot of fun for a girl.
“How ‘bout you?”
“Two sisters. Ugh,” Delaney answered, trying hard not to smile. “My younger sister’s into that emo crap and driving my parents insane. My older sister’s emotionally constipated, just like her emotionally constipated parents.”
“You don’t get along with your folks?”
“No, no, don’t get me wrong. I love my mom and dad, but they want to see me get settled into a ‘nice little nine-to-five existence’ so that I can continue their own miserable legacy into my old age.”
“Bitter?”
“Pas moi,” Delaney answered. She took a sip from her mocha latte, which was still piping hot. “I just don’t want to be as miserable as they seem to be.”
“They can’t be that miserable. They have three beautiful daughters to be proud of.”
Delaney let out a very unlady-like snort, causing Jason to open his mouth in surprise.
“What…your sisters aren’t beautiful?”
“No, they’re fine. But that line…that was bad.”
“What? I shouldn’t tell a woman she’s beautiful?”
“Not if you don’t mean it,” Delaney answered. “And I know it’s a load of crap because you haven’t even met my sisters.”
“Well,” he responded, taking a sip of his coffee, “if they look anything like you, they must be beautiful.”
Well, that had been unexpected. Delaney tucked an impertinent red curl behind her ear again and took another nervous sip of her latte. The statement had been intended to infuse her with confidence, but considering Delaney’s history in this type of situation, it had the opposite effect.
“Look, Jason. At the risk of ruining what we’ve established in the…past half hour,” Delaney began, glancing at her wristwatch, “I’ve got to ask.”
“Sure,” Jason answered, looking a little more alert at Delaney’s sudden shift in tone.
“Umm…geez, this is awkward. Uh…are you looking to start something with Lani?”
Jason blinked twice. His face was absolutely blank.
“What?”
“Look,” Delaney began, sounding a little uncomfortable. “It’s kind of a long story, but the last time someone seemed to be interested in anything I had to say, it was because he was looking to score with Lani. And I gotta tell ya, one – she’s not interested. Lani’s got high standards for potential partners. And two –
“Delaney. Our meeting has absolutely nothing to do with Ailani. Look, she’s gorgeous okay? I wouldn’t call myself a guy if I didn’t admit to that. But I like you.”
Delaney felt a little guilty. She had needlessly made something out of nothing and done it to Jason Kent, of all people!
“Really?” she asked, almost shyly.
“Yes. You’re pretty –
Awww.
“And smart –
Come on.
“And fun –
Keep it going.
“You’re more fun than some of my guy friends –
Huh?
“I would really like us to be good friends.”
Ka-boom!
“But…if you’re not okay with that, I understand.”
Jason’s earnestness was heart breaking, but Delaney’s own heart was breaking at the idea that she was only good enough to be Jason Kent’s good friend. Then again, she didn’t want to lose a perfectly good friend due to her own insecurities.
“I…would like that, Jason. I’m sorry for being all weird and everything,” Delaney finally answered.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Delaney wanted Jason to realize why she was so goddamn insecure in the first place, but that story was so embarrassing in thought, she truly couldn’t fathom recanting the story out loud to a virtual stranger, like Jason.
“N-no.”
Jason nodded his head slowly before taking a final sip of his coffee. He placed the empty mug back on the table before reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.
“My treat,” he said, pulling out a twenty to cover both of them. He got up and pulled his large black duffel over his shoulder. “See ya round.”
Delaney weakly waved bye to Jason and cursed herself silently for having effectively ruined a chance at a good friendship because of her paranoia. She stared at the High Renaissance pattern of the coffee shop table, counting the minutes until she was sure Jason was long gone.
“Miss?”
Delaney turned to face the short Asian waitress. “Yes?”
“This was given to me to be given to you.” The waitress held out a small napkin, folded in half. Delaney took the napkin and thanked the waitress.
Who would give her a napkin? Delaney cautiously unfolded the napkin. Inside was a note scrawled in neat handwriting:
DELANEY,
I HAD A LOT OF FUN TALKING WITH YOU. I HOPE WE CAN BECOME GOOD FRIENDS. CALL ME ANYTIME YOU WANT TO TALK. 112-555-6090.
JASON
****
“I’m tired, Jacy!” Stephanie complained.
“I want a double mocha latte,” Jacy chanted, pulling Stephanie by the arm to Mona’s Cafe.
Stephanie groaned. “I’ll make you coffee back at my apartment.”
“No offense, Steph, but your coffee sucks.”
Stephanie growled. “You are a total bi –
“Shhh!”
Stephanie stared at Jacy, who, in turn, was staring through the café window. She hated being shushed, especially by the one person who might have had a bigger mouth than she did. “What now?”
Jacy grabbed Stephanie’s head and oriented it around so that she too was staring through the café window.
“Holy Jesus!” Stephanie exclaimed.
Jacy and Stephanie were staring straight at what could only be described as a date between their Delaney and…Jason Kent?
“I knew it! She was lying. There is soooo something going on between those two!” Jacy cried out, practically jumping up and down.
“Do you think they’re dating?” Stephanie asked.
“Who knows, but – oof!” Jacy ducked and pulled Stephanie down with her.
“What are you doing?” Stephanie complained.
“He’s walking out,” Jacy whispered. They had begun attracting the attention of several passersby.
As Jason stepped out of the café, Jacy and Stephanie crouched further down. All he had to do was turn to his left, and he would see Jacy and Stephanie waddling around like complete idiots. Luckily, he walked over to his right. Jacy and Stephanie sighed in relief.
“What now?” Stephanie asked Jacy more calmly.
Jacy regarded Stephanie seriously. “Our little Delaney’s got some splainin’ to do.”
“$3.57,” said the young student working behind the cash register.
Delaney peered into the meager savings contained within her purple snakeskin wallet. Well, at least she still had $0.55 left over for…what the hell was she going to get for $0.55 in this day in age? She handed over the money and grabbed the bag with her items. She turned abruptly, crashing into a wall. Well, it felt like a wall but smelled distinctly like Jason Kent…expensive after-shave and pure 100% male.
“Sorry!”
“Hey, you must be stalking me,” Jason said with a smirk.
Delaney arched an eyebrow. “I believe you were behind me. That would make you the stalker and me, the…stalked. Okay, that sounds a little too creepy for me.”
Jason laughed and stepped aside to let those standing behind him go in front so that he could continue talking with Delaney. “What’s in the bag?”
“Breakfast,” Delaney answered. “A.k.a. Diet Coke and gum.”
“Just like Mom used to make.”
Delaney giggled. She shyly tucked a rogue curl of dark red hair behind her ear. “So, what are you doing on this side of town?”
“Athletic department’s on this side.”
“You work out on Saturday mornings?”
“Yeah. When football’s over, I work out Mondays through Thursdays in the evenings – Saturdays and Sundays in the mornings.”
Delaney tried her hardest not to look as impressed as she felt. “And Fridays?”
“I get to cheat, but…you knew that already,” he answered with a wink. Delaney needed to restrain herself from grabbing the counter behind her for support.
“Are you all right?” Jason asked.
“Yeah, yeah, sure, sure,” Delaney answered. “Umm, are you busy right now?”
“Uh, not really.”
“Do…you…um, want to go get some coffee at Mona’s?”
“Sure.”
Wait a minute. Delaney was sure that she had just asked Jason Kent, starting quarterback for the North Mission University Hawks, on a semi-date, and that he had…accepted. She looked perturbed.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Delaney snapped out of her confusion and plastered the biggest smile she could muster on her face. She nodded her head. “Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Let’s…go drink some coffee!”
Jason smiled in spite of Delaney’s strange behavior. He put a casual arm around Delaney’s shoulder and pulled her in. “But we better make sure you order decaf.”
Delaney swatted Jason in the arm, causing his smile to grow even wider.
****
“So, how many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Seven. Three brothers and four sisters.”
“Wow, obviously your parents decided eight was enough.”
Jason smiled. He was having a great time just shooting the breeze with Delaney, who was turning out to be a lot of fun for a girl.
“How ‘bout you?”
“Two sisters. Ugh,” Delaney answered, trying hard not to smile. “My younger sister’s into that emo crap and driving my parents insane. My older sister’s emotionally constipated, just like her emotionally constipated parents.”
“You don’t get along with your folks?”
“No, no, don’t get me wrong. I love my mom and dad, but they want to see me get settled into a ‘nice little nine-to-five existence’ so that I can continue their own miserable legacy into my old age.”
“Bitter?”
“Pas moi,” Delaney answered. She took a sip from her mocha latte, which was still piping hot. “I just don’t want to be as miserable as they seem to be.”
“They can’t be that miserable. They have three beautiful daughters to be proud of.”
Delaney let out a very unlady-like snort, causing Jason to open his mouth in surprise.
“What…your sisters aren’t beautiful?”
“No, they’re fine. But that line…that was bad.”
“What? I shouldn’t tell a woman she’s beautiful?”
“Not if you don’t mean it,” Delaney answered. “And I know it’s a load of crap because you haven’t even met my sisters.”
“Well,” he responded, taking a sip of his coffee, “if they look anything like you, they must be beautiful.”
Well, that had been unexpected. Delaney tucked an impertinent red curl behind her ear again and took another nervous sip of her latte. The statement had been intended to infuse her with confidence, but considering Delaney’s history in this type of situation, it had the opposite effect.
“Look, Jason. At the risk of ruining what we’ve established in the…past half hour,” Delaney began, glancing at her wristwatch, “I’ve got to ask.”
“Sure,” Jason answered, looking a little more alert at Delaney’s sudden shift in tone.
“Umm…geez, this is awkward. Uh…are you looking to start something with Lani?”
Jason blinked twice. His face was absolutely blank.
“What?”
“Look,” Delaney began, sounding a little uncomfortable. “It’s kind of a long story, but the last time someone seemed to be interested in anything I had to say, it was because he was looking to score with Lani. And I gotta tell ya, one – she’s not interested. Lani’s got high standards for potential partners. And two –
“Delaney. Our meeting has absolutely nothing to do with Ailani. Look, she’s gorgeous okay? I wouldn’t call myself a guy if I didn’t admit to that. But I like you.”
Delaney felt a little guilty. She had needlessly made something out of nothing and done it to Jason Kent, of all people!
“Really?” she asked, almost shyly.
“Yes. You’re pretty –
Awww.
“And smart –
Come on.
“And fun –
Keep it going.
“You’re more fun than some of my guy friends –
Huh?
“I would really like us to be good friends.”
Ka-boom!
“But…if you’re not okay with that, I understand.”
Jason’s earnestness was heart breaking, but Delaney’s own heart was breaking at the idea that she was only good enough to be Jason Kent’s good friend. Then again, she didn’t want to lose a perfectly good friend due to her own insecurities.
“I…would like that, Jason. I’m sorry for being all weird and everything,” Delaney finally answered.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Delaney wanted Jason to realize why she was so goddamn insecure in the first place, but that story was so embarrassing in thought, she truly couldn’t fathom recanting the story out loud to a virtual stranger, like Jason.
“N-no.”
Jason nodded his head slowly before taking a final sip of his coffee. He placed the empty mug back on the table before reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.
“My treat,” he said, pulling out a twenty to cover both of them. He got up and pulled his large black duffel over his shoulder. “See ya round.”
Delaney weakly waved bye to Jason and cursed herself silently for having effectively ruined a chance at a good friendship because of her paranoia. She stared at the High Renaissance pattern of the coffee shop table, counting the minutes until she was sure Jason was long gone.
“Miss?”
Delaney turned to face the short Asian waitress. “Yes?”
“This was given to me to be given to you.” The waitress held out a small napkin, folded in half. Delaney took the napkin and thanked the waitress.
Who would give her a napkin? Delaney cautiously unfolded the napkin. Inside was a note scrawled in neat handwriting:
DELANEY,
I HAD A LOT OF FUN TALKING WITH YOU. I HOPE WE CAN BECOME GOOD FRIENDS. CALL ME ANYTIME YOU WANT TO TALK. 112-555-6090.
JASON
****
“I’m tired, Jacy!” Stephanie complained.
“I want a double mocha latte,” Jacy chanted, pulling Stephanie by the arm to Mona’s Cafe.
Stephanie groaned. “I’ll make you coffee back at my apartment.”
“No offense, Steph, but your coffee sucks.”
Stephanie growled. “You are a total bi –
“Shhh!”
Stephanie stared at Jacy, who, in turn, was staring through the café window. She hated being shushed, especially by the one person who might have had a bigger mouth than she did. “What now?”
Jacy grabbed Stephanie’s head and oriented it around so that she too was staring through the café window.
“Holy Jesus!” Stephanie exclaimed.
Jacy and Stephanie were staring straight at what could only be described as a date between their Delaney and…Jason Kent?
“I knew it! She was lying. There is soooo something going on between those two!” Jacy cried out, practically jumping up and down.
“Do you think they’re dating?” Stephanie asked.
“Who knows, but – oof!” Jacy ducked and pulled Stephanie down with her.
“What are you doing?” Stephanie complained.
“He’s walking out,” Jacy whispered. They had begun attracting the attention of several passersby.
As Jason stepped out of the café, Jacy and Stephanie crouched further down. All he had to do was turn to his left, and he would see Jacy and Stephanie waddling around like complete idiots. Luckily, he walked over to his right. Jacy and Stephanie sighed in relief.
“What now?” Stephanie asked Jacy more calmly.
Jacy regarded Stephanie seriously. “Our little Delaney’s got some splainin’ to do.”