Eight

“Erik, you’re more than welcome to stay for dinner, but just be forewarned, we’re having take-out,” my dad said.

“Actually, sir, I was hoping to leave while it’s still light out, which isn’t much longer.”

No kidding, it was four-thirty. The moon would be out by five.

“Well, sure, I understand that, you better be going then.”

“Well, I was hoping to take Brit with me.”

Yes!

My father looked like his heart had plummeted straight down into his stomach. My mother spun around in a perfect pirouette on her heel. “I’m sorry, but what’s the sudden rush?” Audrey said, her mouth in a straight line. She was always so careful about wrinkles.

Erik rubbed the back of his neck. His cheeks pink. “I just thought, isn’t it better if she drove with me tonight than alone, tomorrow?”

“No,” my father said. “That’s out of the question.” My mother gave a small smile, and I wanted to flick her in the face.

“It’s just that—” Erik tried to talk his way out of their ruling, but my father raised his hand.

“You can stay here, and the two of you will leave together in the morning.” I really didn’t know what was better. Hearing Erik didn’t have to leave and was welcomed into my home, or seeing the stunned expression on my mother’s face. I’m going to have to go with stunned expression.

Then just as quickly, she composed herself. “He sleeps on the pullout couch in the den.” It was said as a warning, and I was not about to cross her. Erik had practically moved into my dorm room. I had a single, so we took advantage of being alone. He was hoping to get the RA job next year, which would give him his own single, but since nothing was set in stone, we knew how precious every night was.

Later, that night I was in my room, packing a bag to go to Erik’s when my mom knocked on the door. She was carrying a big box in her hands.

“Paris was supposed to have been your real present, but I do have this for you.” She handed me the giant box, and I took it, sat on my bed, and looked at her.

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “Open it, Brittany.”

“Oh.” I tore open the paper and saw the name of the company on the box. I knew what they were. Every single one of my sorority sisters had a pair. Everyone but me. I opened the lid and lifted the tissue paper. Looking into the box, I tried to hide my disappointment. Brown shearling boots looked back at me. I loathed the color brown. Could she at least have gotten me black? It’s not that I was ungrateful, I knew how expensive these shoes were. I also knew Summer Hobbs had seven pairs. One for each day of the freaking week. They just weren’t me. They were her. And I just wanted her to accept me and my style and stop trying to turn me into something that I’m not. Still, I tried to appear appreciative.

“These are great,” I said, lifting one boot out of the box. It was so light, how could these ever protect me from the harshness of winter? Give me my combat boots any day.

“Try them on,” she insisted.

I looked down at my bare feet. “I don’t have socks on,” I said in an attempt to not ever actually wear these boots.

Audrey wasn’t about to let me off that easy. “You don’t need socks. In fact, they feel better without socks.”

I nodded, sat on the edge of my bed, laying the box beside me, and took a shoe out. I slipped my foot in and stepped into the boot.

Sweet baby, Jesus!

I grabbed the other shoe and put it on. It was like a soft, fluffy cloud was hugging my foot. I stood up and walked around. Every step was better than the last.

“Say it,” Audrey said, a wry smile on her face.

“These are the most comfortable things I’ve ever felt.”

Audrey was right about something. She had no idea how hard it was for me to admit that. Made me wonder what else she had been right about. Her warning about my relationship flashed in my mind. Shit. Thanks for getting in my head, mom.

“See? I know fashion.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I looked down at my Ugg clad feet. Knowing how good they felt, I no longer saw them as ugly. They were almost cute. Sort of. Who cares, they felt amazing! So good, I contemplated sleeping in them.

We were awkward for a beat or two. I didn’t know what else to say. She looked around my room, her face blank, and I was dying to know what she was thinking. Then she reached into her pocket and handed me a few folded bills. Confused, I took the money and unfolded it. It was three hundred dollars.

“What’s this?”

“In case you need a way home. Or if you actually do want to go to Kristen’s. It’s nice to know you don’t have to be stuck at Erik’s if you don’t want to be there.”

If I don’t want to be there. I hadn’t even met his family, and I suddenly wanted to be there more than my own house. This money didn’t feel like a way out, it felt like a bribe. Here’s three hundred bucks to compensate for planning a vacation without you. Oh! And shoes that feel like you’re being hugged since I don’t ever touch you, Brit. I didn’t know how to respond. I really didn’t want to argue with her the night before we parted ways, so instead I just tucked the money into a zippered pocket in my duffle bag.

“Thanks again,” I said, forcing a smile. She nodded, opened the door and nearly collided into Erik.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Wakefield. I just wanted to see if Brit needed any help.” He had taken his hair out of his ponytail. It was exactly how I loved it, messy and begging to be touched. Without her high heels, Audrey had to look up at him to meet his gaze. Beach blond locks, sapphire eyes, and that sexy signature smile looked down at her. I noticed Audrey swallowed and her cheeks began to flush. She looked absolutely flustered.

What the hell was happening?

And then I understood. She was seeing Erik for the first time. Really seeing him, the way I saw him. I remember the exact moment I fell under his spell. He was walking me home from class and had stopped to show me his hands. They had calluses on his fingertips, like mine, from years of playing guitar. I took a breath, looked up at him, and in that instant, I knew he had carved a place into my heart. Watching Audrey now, I was slightly jealous that she was experiencing this, because I wanted it to be something that only I could see, and I never wanted to share this part of Erik with her.

“Uh, sure…” She shook her head slightly, reached over and pushed my door open wider. Did she really think we were going to have sex right here? What am I thinking, of course she did. Then she scrambled down the hall, calling for my father, and mumbling about setting the DVR while they were away.

Erik folded his arms and leaned against the door, a deep grin etched across his face. He looked absolutely triumphant. “I think she likes me.”

The next morning, we had left before my parents. I guess they wanted to make sure we wouldn’t take advantage of their empty house, so they pushed us out the door before their cab arrived. My dad had given me a big hug that almost made me cry. He kissed my cheek, and I wished him a great vacation. And I meant it. My dad worked really hard, and he deserved this. Even if half of his time would be absorbed by meetings and the other half would be with Audrey.

While Erik and my dad stepped over to the car, exchanging a few private words, my mom approached me. “Remember you are their guest, Brittany. Don’t do anything that would embarrass you or our family.”

Basically, she was asking me not to shag my boyfriend in his parents’ house. That much was loud and clear. I nodded, and she leaned over and placed her arms around me. It was awkward. She hugged me like I was made of glass and would shatter if she applied too much pressure.

Once on the road, I mentally went over the past twenty-four hours in disbelief. Erik had met my parents and lived to tell the tale. Mind-blown.

“Just for the record, last night was torture.” Erik kept his eyes on the road. He looked tired. I’m guessing he didn’t get much sleep.

“I’m sorry. I know that pullout couch can be lumpy.”

“The pullout wasn’t the problem. It was knowing you were under the same roof as I was, but I couldn’t sleep with you.”

“Well, get used to it buddy. You need to continue your life of celibacy. No sharing a bed for a long time.”

Erik leaned far over to check the right lane then his mirrors. Before I could ask what he was looking for, he swerved the car over to the side of the road. My seat belt tightened, and I grabbed the glove compartment to stop myself from falling forward. Erik placed the car in park and looked at me like I was the one who had lost my mind and not him. “Jesus!”

“Rewind. You’re not going to have sex with me all week?”

Seriously? That was so earth-shattering that he needed to pull over? It was so out of character for him. I laughed. “Remember how I said you were gallant? I think you just lost major points.”

“Brit…” His eyes were like saucers. He was a little panicky. “I assumed you’d be staying in my room.”

“Well, you assumed wrong. I’ll take the couch, just like you did in my house.”

He was shocked. Positively shocked. It was beautiful.

“But… I moved into the basement when I was eighteen. I practically have my own apartment.”

“Good. You can enjoy the solace. I know your roommate at school is a jerk.”

“Not even on my birthday? I’ll be twenty-one. I deserve a lil nooky for turning twenty-one.”

“Nope.”

“Birthday blow job?”

Well, that was just throwing the pink elephant in my face. Erik and I had never crossed over into that realm of intimacy yet. It was unchartered waters, and I wasn’t the best swimmer. I knew he was kidding, but I had never heard him actually request it before. Huh. Maybe he wasn’t kidding. Well this was awkward!

Erik tilted his head. “I’m kidding, Brit.”

I rolled my eyes. It was weird how the tables turned. “Erik, have you ever had a girl sleep over at your house before? That was for you, not your sisters.”

“No. Of course not.”

“So, don’t you think it will make your parents uncomfortable if I shared a bed with you?”

“Brit, I’m a junior in college. They know I have sex.”

“Knowing and having it shoved in their face are two different things. Besides, you were the one who wouldn’t even move forward in our relationship until we had properly courted.” I reminded him of how he had tortured me all fall.

“This is very true, but that’s also before I became so heavily addicted to you. Please don’t make me quit cold turkey, I’ll have the worst withdrawal.”

“You mean blue balls?”

He flashed his baby blues at me. “You know men have died from blue balls in the past.”

“They’ve also gone blind from jerking off. So I guess you have to decide what’s worse, death or blindness. Those are your only two options.”

He sighed, checked his mirror, and turned back on to the road. “Woman, you are brutal.”

“It’s tough love, baby.” I placed my hand on his thigh and gave a squeeze. Then I felt myself smile as I recalled the words he had said to me once. “But just think how good it will be when we’re finally together.”

“I can’t—that’ll give me blue balls.” He grabbed my hand and brought it to his crotch. He was hot and hard. Oh shit, I created a monster.

“Stop!” I pulled my hand away and smacked his chest. “Down boy!”

He breathed in deeply and squirmed in his seat. The poor guy was clearly uncomfortable. “I bet you cave before I do.”

“No way. I want your mother to love me. I’m going to be the perfect houseguest, and that means keeping my panties on at all times.”

“Well then, I do believe I have just been given a challenge.”

“I have willpower.”

“Mmhhhm,” Erik murmured as he reached over and lifted my hand out of my lap and turned my wrist over “Let’s test it, shall we?” He placed his lips against my skin, pressing gentle butterfly kisses over my tattoo, then lazily began swirling the tip of his tongue around the ink.

Fuck. I’ll lose this bet the first night.

My heart beat faster, and I wondered if he could feel the quickening of my pulse beneath his kiss.

“How’s that willpower working out for you?”

“I liked it better when you were in the friend zone.” I tugged my wrist away. “Both hands on the wheel, buddy.”