Chapter 112
“Hey yourself,” Stacy sighed.
Another giggle, and he felt the throb of his hard cock against Darian’s leg so he shifted slightly, just enough to relieve the pressure. Darian was so close above him, mere inches away, and Stacy toyed with the idea of sitting up for a kiss. Before he could do so, Darian leaned down and planted a damp peck on the tip of his nose. “Good luck today.”
Stacy tried to reach up to touch his mouth to Darian’s, but his friend pulled away and Stacy fell back to the bed. “Thanks. I’ll need it.”
* * * *
By noon Stacy’s eyes burned from staring at the test booklets, and his hand ached from writing an essay he wasn’t sure made any sense when he tried to read it back, but at least the literature tests were over. As he trudged to the cafeteria, he read from a quick reference list of common algebra terms, trying to memorize them all at the last minute.
Vaguely he worried about how he had done on the morning tests, but he didn’t dwell on them for long—they were finished, behind him now. If he didn’t get the sixty percent score he needed to pass, he would find out tomorrow and could schedule to take them again. Just as long as he didn’t have to write another damn essay…
Someone nudged him and he looked up to find Darian waiting by the cafeteria doors. “Hey!” Stacy cried, happy to see a familiar face. “I didn’t expect to see you ‘til this afternoon.”
Darian’s smile broadened. He draped an arm around Stacy’s shoulders as he fell into step beside him. “Thought I’d join you for lunch. How’d you do?”
“I’m alive, ain’t I?” Stacy countered. “Ask me again at five o’clock.”
“You’ll do fine,” Darian assured him. They got in the lunch line, Darian’s hand on Stacy’s back as if to keep him in place. Stacy savored the touch—it grounded him in the moment, made this all seem more real. Then Darian’s fingers squeezed his shoulder. “I’ve got a question for you.”
Stacy turned. “Yeah?”
“How about dinner tonight?”
The promise shining in his eyes made Stacy’s heart leap in his chest. With a sly grin, he asked, “Like a date?”
Darian shrugged. “That’s usually how these things start. A little wine and dine, and we’ll see where the evening ends. What do you say?”
Stacy laughed. Now that he had something to look forward to, the impending tests didn’t seem so bad. “Do you even have to ask?”
* * * *
Hours later, with the last test finally behind him, Stacy climbed into the cab of Darian’s truck and flopped back against the seat. “That math one?” he asked, strapping his seat belt. “Kicked my ass. I’m taking it again, I just know it.”
Darian pulled away from the curb and into the flow of traffic exiting the high school. “Don’t under-estimate yourself.”
Stacy shook his head. “Oh I’m not. Unless I suddenly started channeling Albert Einstein or something, I totally bombed that test.”
“I think he was a scientist,” Darian pointed out, “not really a mathematician.”
“See what I mean?” Stacy replied. At Darian’s laugh, he stretched his arms out in front of him, then raised them above his head to touch the hard plastic ceiling. Faking the stretch now, he eased one arm down along the back of the seat until it casually draped Darian’s shoulders. He caught a whiff of sporty cologne and tried to scoot closer to Darian, but his seat belt kept him in place. “You smell good. Hot date tonight?”
“Sexy guy I’ve been jonesing after for a while now,” Darian admitted, his tone so neutral that at first, Stacy wasn’t sure his friend meant him. But then Darian placed a large hand on Stacy’s knee, the touch heavy and warm through his jeans, and the faintest hint of a smile played around the edges of his mouth. “I’m thinking Outlaws. A thick, juicy steak with buckets of beer. What about you?”
Stacy covered Darian’s hand with his own, his fingers folding easily into Darian’s palm. “I’m thinking I hope I get lucky tonight.” At Darian’s surprised laugh, Stacy asked, “What? You say thick meat, what else am I supposed to think?”
“I’m talking about eating,” Darian warned.
Stacy gave him a saucy wink. “So am I.”
Outlaws sat on Crater Road, directly across from the Wal-Mart where Stacy’s mother worked. As they waited for the light to change, Stacy stared at the cars crowding the store and told himself tomorrow he’d stop by during the day to see his mother. Tell her he took the test, just like she wanted. Sure, he might have to redo a few sections—that math one in particular—but at least he gave it a shot.