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Chapter Seven Lauren sat at her desk, her head resting in her hands. Papers were scattered around her in a highly unorganized fashion, her red grading pen lay discarded across the paper closest to her elbow. She tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but grading a hundred essay tests just didn’t seem like an activity worthy of her thoughts. Ethan. Yes, he was
definitely a worthy thought subject. Fantasizing about him probably
wouldn’t end with graded tests, but what the hell. She had plenty of
time to grade tests over the weekend. She collected the papers
and shoved them into a tattered blue peachy folder. She pulled her purse
up to her desk, loading her grading pen, and removing her cell phone.
She checked her missed calls box. Nothing. She shook her head. Not even
her mom had called. She leaned back in her
chair, pressing her speed dial. “Lauren? What’s going
on?” She grinned. The sound of
his voice somehow made her feel giddy every time she talked to him.
“Not much. I tried to be a good teacher today. I stayed after school
and tried to grade all my tests. Then I was going to copy off all my
papers for next week, but I didn’t even get through half of the tests
and got distracted…” “Uh oh, what distracted
you this time?” “Hey, it’s not like I
get this distracted every day, you know. Just today, I couldn’t stop
thinking about you.” “Oh really? Well, I
hope you had good thoughts about me.” Lauren could hear the smile in
his voice. “Oh they were. Like for
example you going with me to homecoming tonight and then helping me
chaperone the dance. Because I am the youngest teacher there and I will
have no one to dance with if you don’t go.” Ethan chuckled. “Oh,
I’m sure that one Joe kid would love to spend the night dancing with
you.” Lauren cringed. “Please
tell me you are joking. Come on, it’ll be fun. There’s pizza and
stuff at the football game, and I know for a fact you like to watch
football. I already convinced Chelsea and Andrew to go to the game, at
least. Then afterwards I will completely ignore the fact that I am
supposed to prevent the kids from inappropriately grinding on each other
and dance with you.” “You know I’m just joking. Of course I will be there. I mean, we haven’t seen each other since like, two hours ago today when I brought you lunch.” Lauren leaned forward and
tapped her fingers on her desk. “Okay, mister, the sarcasm can go. Did
Mike call you about your book tour schedule yet?” “Ugh, please don’t
mention the tour. Yes, Mike left me a voicemail with my schedule. And I
am not happy with it at all. If the schedule doesn’t change, I am just
not going to go. They have me working over Christmas and New Years.
Well, not actually working, but I wont be anywhere near enough to home
to make it back here. I was really looking forward to spending the
holidays relaxing here at home with you.” Lauren smiled at the
thought of the two of them decorating a Christmas tree and camping out
next to his gigantic fireplace. “Well, I don’t work over Christmas
break. Maybe I could fly out and we could spend the holidays together
wherever you are.” Ethan huffed. “I know,
I just had this all planned out in my head…” Lauren raised her
eyebrows. “You already had CHRISTMAS all planned out? Ethan, it
isn’t even Thanksgiving yet. What all did you want to do?” She was greeted with a
few seconds of silence. “Well, I just wanted it to be special. Anyway,
I couldn’t get a hold of Mike, so I left him a message letting him
know I hate the schedule.” Lauren shook her head.
“Ethan, you would hate the schedule even if you didn’t work over the
holidays. But I do hope you can get out of it. Well, I suppose I should
head back home and change. Are you going to come over before the game or
are we meeting there?” “I was thinking of picking you up. Do you want to eat something or just eat at the game?” She shrugged, then
remembering he couldn’t see her, “Um, pizza actually doesn’t sound
that bad, but if you want to eat something else before we go that’s
cool too. I am not really picky about food, you know.” Lauren was smiling. That
was pretty much how she ended every conversation with Ethan. She was
amazed at how comfortable she felt being with him. The past few weeks
she had spent almost every second of her spare time with him, catching
up, getting reacquainted. It felt great to have him back in her life. It
was hard sometimes to comprehend that he was real, after so many years
of daydreaming what might have happened between them if she had just
told him from the beginning how she felt. She stood and stretched.
Looking regretfully at her large folder of un-graded papers, she picked
up her purse and left for her car. A quick glance at her watch told her
she had two hours to get home and prepare for homecoming. She passed by
the gym, loud music blaring over the sound system. The entire
cheerleading squad had stayed late, running through their halftime
performance. Banners had been painted, and the dance committee was hard
at work setting up for the dance in the hallway while they waited for
the okay to move into the gym. Lauren smiled and nodded
at one of the Ashley’s from her last period class, who was busy
setting up the ticket booth. Lauren walked out of the
double doors and into the late afternoon sunshine. For Oregon, the
weather had been unusually dry and sunny. Lauren sure didn’t mind; it
meant that it shouldn’t be too cold at the football game. Lauren dug through her
purse for her keys as she walked towards her car. She moved to unlock
her door, and the sight of something stuck under her windshield wiper
caught her attention. It was a single red rose. She carefully picked it
up, wondering who could have left it. Ethan could have done it after he
brought her lunch as a surprise. There was no note or anything attached
to it. She looked around the parking lot. “I see you got my
flower,” Lauren felt the hairs on
her neck stand at attention. She whipped around to face Ryan. “Get
away from me, Ryan. I have a restraining order against you.” Ryan rolled his eyes and
snorted. “Yeah, that was a bitch move if I’ve ever seen one. You act
like I am some horrible wife-beating scum. I didn’t go and do anything
this stupid when you decided to fuck that asshole behind my back.” He
took a step towards Lauren. Lauren held her keys out
defensively. She was suddenly very thankful to Andrew and Chelsea for
the self-defense moves they had been teaching her. She had no idea what
Ryan was capable of. To make matters worse, she was completely alone in
the parking lot; everyone was either gone or inside the school. Ryan stopped his forward
movements when he saw the fear in her eyes. He sniffed and shook his
head. “You are a fucking bitch, Lauren Paisley. It’s because of you
everyone in this god damned town thinks I am nothing but a drunk. And
now you are making damn sure everyone thinks I am some sort of fucking
pervert following you around. Well for your information, I haven’t
been following you. I do things like grocery shop and go out on Friday
nights too. I have to fucking eat too. Because I am not some pretty,
rich, mama’s boy who has his servants do all his fucking errands for
him, you know. We could have been good together, you and me. We still
can be, Lauren. Just ditch that son of a bitch and come back to me.” Lauren was shaking. She
was frantically trying to scan the parking lot for anyone who could come
to her aid without turning her back on Ryan. No one. “I know you cut
the brakes on Chelsea’s car, Ryan. What makes you think that I would
want to go anywhere near someone who tried to kill me?” Ryan blinked. “I never
tried to kill you.” Lauren narrowed her eyes.
“Oh sure. So you haven’t been sitting around for almost three weeks
planning out how to finish what you started?” Ryan slowly shook his
head and narrowed his eyes. “If I wanted you dead, Lauren, you already
would be. I’m fucking telling you I never tried to kill you.” His
voice was low, the words sounded strained through his gritted teeth. There was a ringing in
Lauren’s head and her heart seemed to stop beating. She reached into
her jeans pocket and pulled out her cell phone while one handedly
holding Ryan off with her car keys. She blindly punched in Andrew’s
speed dial. Ryan shook his head and
stepped away. “Fine. Go ahead and call the damn cops. What are you
going to tell them this time? I attacked you with a flower? One day,
Lauren, you’ll see. It’ll be you and me. Just like it’s always
been. Ethan might have blinded you for a while, but one day you’ll
come around.” He turned and walked away, leaving Lauren standing next
to her car. “This is Andrew.” Lauren took a calming
breath. “Andrew? It’s Lauren. Where are you at?” “Uh, I just finished
responding to a call out near Chelsea’s. Why?” Lauren opened her car and
locked herself inside. “Well, I just had a run in with Ryan…” Andrew turned on his
siren and flipped a u-turn. “Is he still there? Lauren, are you
alright?” Lauren leaned back in her
seat and sighed. “I’m fine. He didn’t do anything but try to talk
to me. But I still have the restraining order. It doesn’t expire until
tomorrow…” “You’re sure he
didn’t try to hurt you? He didn’t touch you at all?” Lauren rubbed her arms.
“No, Andrew. He just wanted to talk. But, he really crept me out. He
told me that if he wanted me dead, I already would be.” Andrew furrowed his
eyebrows in concern. “Lauren? I’ll be there in five minutes. Just
stay where you are.” Lauren turned on her
radio and listened quietly while waiting for Andrew’s squad car. The
conversation with Ryan kept repeating itself over and over in her head.
He hadn’t really threatened her. And she had been surprised to see the
absolute look of shock and anger cross his face when she accused him of
trying to kill her. She had never known Ryan to be very good at lying or
acting, so she was pretty sure his reaction had been genuine. She didn’t want to
think about Ryan anymore. She just wanted to be left alone. Andrew parked his car
next to hers. Lauren got out and leaned against her door. “Thanks for
coming, Andrew.” Andrew walked around his
car to stand in front of her. “No problem. So he actually told you
that you would be dead if he really wanted you to be?” Lauren nodded.
“Yeah.” “I’m sorry this is
happening.” Andrew rubbed his eyes and dug out a notepad. “Okay,
walk me through everything that happened.” After unlocking the front
door, Lauren dropped everything into a pile on the floor and locked
herself in. She kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the sofa. She
was suddenly very tired, and didn’t feel up to homecoming or
chaperoning the dance. She leaned her head back
on the arm of the chair and curled her feet up on the other cushion. She
let her eyes rest, her eyelids fluttering shut. She let her muscles
relax, enjoying the warm heavy feeling of sleep as it washed over her
tired body. Ethan paced on the front porch. It wasn’t like Lauren to not answer her cell phone. Her car was parked in the driveway, but he had been knocking on the front door for the past five minutes and there had been not even one sign of movement from inside the house the whole time. He reached for his phone, dialing Chelsea’s number. She picked it up on the first ring. “What?” Ethan raised his eyebrows. “Wow. I hope you don’t always answer your phone like that. I was just wondering if you had a spare key to your house anywhere. Lauren’s car is here, but she isn’t answering her cell phone and she isn’t answering the door.” “Wait, are you
absolutely sure she’s there, Ethan?” “Chelsea, I don’t
like the concern in your voice. Did something happen?” She sighed into the
phone. “Yeah. Ryan Jones happened. He approached her after school
today. Andrew went to get her statement, but since then has been
searching for Ryan. He said she went home after that. But with Ryan
missing… check under the flower pot for the key.” Ethan felt his heart skip
a beat. He easily found the key and opened the door. He opened the door
and glanced around the dim room. He stepped over a pile of papers and a
purse he recognized as Lauren’s. He walked into the living room and
felt his breathing return to normal. She was sound asleep on the couch.
“Chelsea? Lauren is fine. She’s just asleep.” “Yeah. I am glad to
hear that. Andrew and Frank just brought in Ryan, so I’m going to have
to let you go. Tell Lauren we will meet you guys at the game as soon as
we can get away from here. I will probably have a shit load of paperwork
to deal with, but we will see you guys.” Ethan disconnected and
kneeled in front of the sofa. Lauren looked peaceful. She was curled up
against the back of the couch, lying on her side, her lips slightly
parted; a few loose strands of hair covered her face. He smiled and
moved to brush the hair away. “Lauren? Sweetie, wake up.” She
groaned and rolled away from the sound of his voice. Ethan smiled and
stood. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. “Lauren? Come
on, it’s time to get up.” He pushed her shoulder. Lauren moaned and swatted
his hand away. “Go away. I’m sleeping.” Ethan laughed. “Yeah, I
see that. But if you don’t wake up now, you are going to make us late
for the football game.” Lauren shot up and looked
around the room. “Oh shit. What time is it? I was just resting my eyes
for a little while, and I fell asleep.” He checked his watch.
“It’s almost six. The game starts at seven, so we have an hour to
eat and be there.” He watched her stand and wipe the sleep from her
eyes. “So was there anything that you wanted to talk to me about?” Lauren turned to face
him. “Um…well, it sounds like you already heard.” Ethan put his hands on
her shoulders. “I want to hear it from you.” Lauren closed her eyes.
“I just want to forget about it, Ethan. I just want this to stop.” Ethan pulled her into his
arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed him in. He rubbed
slow circles on her back. “I wish I could tell you this was all over,
baby. But until that day comes, I want to know about it when he tries to
approach you. Because I will snap him into pieces if he ever even thinks
about hurting you again.” Lauren leaned into his
embrace. “He was waiting for me when I went out to my car. He was
trying to convince me to get back together with him. I confronted him
about Chelsea’s car… Ethan, he said he didn’t do it.” Ethan snorted. “Of
course he’s going to say he didn’t do it.” Lauren shook her head.
“I don’t know. He seemed really surprised and kind of upset that I
accused him of wanting me dead. But then, he also said…” Ethan pulled out of their
embrace to hold her at arms length. “Lauren, tell me.” She cringed. “He also
said, if he wanted me dead, I already would be. What the hell is that
all about?” Ethan’s expression
turned cold. “I’ll tell you what it means. It means that he thinks
he can walk around threatening my girlfriend. Lauren, did he say
anything else?” Lauren shook her head.
“No. He just walked away.” Ethan cocked an eyebrow at her. “You sure that’s all?” “Yes. He just walked
away, then I called Andrew, who took my statement, copied the
information off my restraining order, and then he went off to look for
him. I came back here and fell asleep on the couch.” Lauren pulled him
back into her arms. Ethan ran a hand through
her hair. “Andrew just brought in Ryan like fifteen minutes ago. I
called Chelsea to ask where she keeps her spare key, since you were out
cold on the couch and wouldn’t let me in. She said they might be late
getting to the football game, but they are still planning on going. You
need to put on something warm for the game. It’s starting to get
really cold outside.” Thankful for a change of
subject, Lauren smiled. “I figured the good weather wouldn’t hold
out. So did we ever decide whether to eat now or just eat at the
game?” Ethan smirked and leaned
forward until their lips were almost touching. “I don’t care. I’m
really hungry, though.” Lauren felt Ethan’s
breath on her lips, causing her heart to flutter. “Oh yeah? Me too. So
what do you think about pizza?” “Oh, I think pizza is great.” She pushed herself out of
his embrace. “Well then let me grab my coat and we can go get some.”
She trotted off to grab her coat out of the entryway coat closet. Ethan groaned and sank
into the couch. “You didn’t even let me kiss you.” Lauren laughed. “Well,
you were being a big tease.” “Well, yeah. But you
know you liked it.” “Sure I did. But I am
hungry.” Lauren shrugged on her coat and picked her purse up from the
floor. Ethan stood and walked
out the front door. “Yeah. So am I.” Lauren locked the door
behind them and they made their way to Ethan’s car. “Well unlike
you, I am hungry for food.” Ethan beeped open the
doors and they climbed in. “Okay, fine. We’ll get some food. But you
owe me a kiss before this night is over.” Lauren rolled her eyes
and giggled. “As long as there is food involved.” Ethan backed out of the
driveway and drove towards the nearest Pizza Hut. Forty minutes later,
they had both eaten and were standing in line to get their football
tickets. “It feels so weird to be here. It’s been a long time.” Lauren nodded in
agreement. “I’m really glad I decided to wear this coat. My other
one would not have been warm enough.” Ethan draped his arm
across her shoulders. “Are you cold?” Lauren smiled. “Yeah.” A vibrating sensation in her pocket alerted her to her cell phone ringing. She dug it out and flipped open the case. “Hello?” “Hey Lauren, it’s Chelsea. We are now on our way to the game.” Ethan looked at her
curiously. “Who is it?” “Chelsea.” She
whispered. “Yeah, it went a lot
faster than we thought it would. Andrew said Ryan didn’t even put up a
fight when he arrested him. The only hang up was having to fill out all
the paperwork. But Ryan is in jail for the weekend, with a court date
scheduled on Monday afternoon in Newport for violating his restraining
order.” Lauren sighed. “So do I
have to tell my principal that I need Monday off?” “It would be a good
idea for you to be there, yes. Anyway, have you guys bought tickets
yet?” Lauren looked at the long
line ahead of them. “Not yet. Although we are getting close to the
front of the line. Only fifteen more people to go. Hey, why don’t I
just buy your guys tickets and you can pay me back later so you don’t
have to stand in line?” “Hey that would be
sweet. We are just pulling into the parking lot, looking for somewhere
to park. So where can we meet? At the gate?” “Yeah, sure. Just walk
around the line and we’ll let them know we have your tickets. See you
in a few minutes.” The line slowly moved
forward until they were next in line. Lauren recognized the cashier as
another one of the Ashley’s in her class. “Four adults please.”
Ethan handed over some cash and received the tickets. They walked
through the entrance that lead to the bleachers. A few seconds later
they spotted Chelsea and Andrew pushing their way towards the gate.
Ethan handed them their tickets and they made their way to the
overcrowded bleachers. “I can’t believe I
forgot to bring my gloves. Look, it’s so cold out here I can see my
breath.” Andrew rolled his eyes.
“You absolutely can’t complain one more time about the gloves,
Chelsea. I told you to bring them. I even asked you if you had them. But
you still forgot them. There’s only so much I can do to remind you
about stuff like this.” Lauren laughed. “It’s
alright, Chelsea, I don’t have gloves either.” Chelsea raised an
eyebrow. “Maybe not, but you are looking mighty toasty over there in
your ski coat all cuddled up next to Ethan. Who is keeping your fingers
from getting frostbitten like a good boyfriend.” Andrew narrowed his eyes.
“Hey, now. You better watch it missy. I don’t like your tone.” Chelsea put her hands on
her hips. “What are you going to do about it?” Andrew smiled devilishly
then leaned forward to kiss her deeply. They slowly pulled apart. Chelsea was flushed. Andrew grinned. “There.
Now you shouldn’t be cold anymore.” “Whew. That kiss was
not meant for public viewing. You two should take it somewhere where all
these kids wont see you. Like under the bleachers. Or, you know, in the
backseat in the parking lot.” Chelsea turned her full
attention to Ethan. “Excuse me? What did you just say?” Ethan smiled innocently.
“I said you two should go somewhere more private. There are kids
around, you know.” Chelsea narrowed her
eyes. “That is not what you said, Ethan.” “Whoo! Touchdown!”
The crowd erupted into applause. The band began playing the fight song,
and the cheerleaders lead the crowd in a spirit-full rendition of “go
fight win.” Chelsea’s rants were
lost in the noise. “Andrew Lawrence. Did you tell Ethan about
homecoming?” Andrew tried pretending
he didn’t hear her. She pinched his side. “Ouch! Hey that kind of
hurt.” “Did you tell him about
homecoming?” Andrew rubbed his side.
“No, he guessed correctly and I didn’t tell him otherwise.” Lauren leaned forward
with a smile. “Yeah, Chelsea, I’m pretty sure we all figured it out
on our own. You two thought you were being all sneaky, but we all knew
you two didn’t take forty five minutes to buy popcorn.” Chelsea blushed. “Hey
look at that. They got the extra point.” “Nothing like a good football game on a cold
Friday night,” Andrew remarked as the foursome waded their way through
the crowd, making their way towards the gate. Andrew’s arm was around
Chelsea’s shoulders as she huddled closer to him in attempt to stay
warm. “And the night’s just starting. We still have a date,” he
said, rubbing Chelsea’s arm vigorously. “I don’t think I can feel my nose,” Chelsea
said blandly. She touched her nose, which was bright red, tentatively. Lauren chuckled. “You look like Rudolph.”
Before Chelsea could retort, Lauren went on. “I can’t believe how
cold it has got over the past few weeks.” “Well, it’s going to be plenty warm in the
gymnasium with five hundred teenagers crowding the floor,” Ethan said.
He was behind Lauren, his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading. He
leaned forward so his lips were a breath away from her ear. “We could
always ditch, Ms. Paisley. No one would notice, I promise. We could go
somewhere and…. warm up.” He laid a kiss just behind her ear. Despite the shivering cold, Lauren was suddenly
very warm. She wanted nothing more than do steal away with Ethan instead
of chaperoning the homecoming dance. But her principal, Alan Cooper,
would expect her to be there, and no doubt search her out periodically
throughout the evening. “As good as that sounds,” She said, “My
presence is required by Mr. Cooper.” They came to the gate, where the crowd split. The
adults headed for their cars and the teenagers for the gymnasium.
Chelsea and Andrew turned to them. “We’ll catch you guys later,”
Andrew said with a wave. “Don’t have too much fun,” Lauren called out
as she and Ethan followed the teenagers towards the gym. “Oh I wont.” Lauren slapped Ethan on the arm. “Shush up. We can dance too, you know. As long as
I have time to pry the hormonal teenies off of each other.” Ethan laughed. “If I had my way you
wouldn’t.” Lauren led him through the side entrance, using her
key to unlock the door. A line had already begun to form outside the
main entrance. Lauren locked the door behind them and they walked hand
in hand to the teachers lounge. They hung their coats and Lauren put her
purse under her coat. Lauren smiled. “Yeah. It really isn’t going to
be that bad, Ethan.” Ethan offered his hand again. “I know. I just
want to spend some alone time with you.” Lauren kissed him on the cheek. “We will have
some alone time. After the dance.” They walked into the darkened gym, which was
littered with balloons and scattered chairs. Loud music pumped through
the speakers, vibrating the air around them. They made their way towards
a small group of adults next to the refreshment table. “Ms. Paisley, good to see you.” Lauren introduced Ethan to Mr. Cooper, who had been
their principal, and a few other teachers who had either volunteered or
had drawn the short sticks. They excused themselves and walked around
the gym. They had opened the front doors and kids began to slowly
trickle into the room. Ethan pulled her into his arms. “So are you going
to dance with me or what?” Lauren smiled. “Perhaps.” “Lets show all those old people you work with
just how cool you are.” Ethan led her out onto the dance floor among the
crowds of teenagers. “Too bad they are playing crappy music. They
should put on some Jason Mraz. That guy makes some cool music.” “Ethan, I am supposed to be working, you know,”
Lauren protested as he spun her around. He smiled. “And what better way to make sure
these kids aren’t sexing each other up than to be in the middle of it
all?” He pulled her back to him and they swayed to their own rhythm. “Well, I just can’t argue with that logic.” “Hey! Ms. Paisley! How’re you doing?” Lauren turned to see Joe Schiedland from her first
period class standing behind her. “Um, I’m doing well. Did you catch
the football game?” He nodded excitedly. “Yeah, we creamed those
guys. So do you think I could cut in?” “Sorry, she’s my date. But I’m sure someone
with your charm shouldn’t have any problems finding a nice girl your
own age to dance with,” Joe looked at Ethan with mild surprise. He probably
hadn’t even noticed Ethan standing there. “Yeah, I already have a
date. I’m not sure where she went.” Lauren regained her composure. “Well, you should
go find her. Have fun tonight, Joe.” Ethan watched with mild amusement as he walked back
towards his group of friends. “I told you he wouldn’t mind dancing
with you all night. Although I would mind.” Lauren shook her head. “That is just so wrong. I can’t believe he really asked me to dance. That would violate probably a million ethics codes of being a teacher.” Ethan chuckled. “I know why he asked you. You are
the youngest, most beautiful teacher in the entire school. I’m sure
lots of guys in your classes have crushes on you.” Lauren shuddered. “New topic, please.” He practically beamed. “If we hadn’t come to the dance, you wouldn’t have had to deal with Joe Schiedland.” The DJ switched to a slower song. Lauren rested her
head on Ethan’s shoulder and they slowly swayed to the music. “I need to be around you, I want to fall into
your eyes, I love to feel you close to me,” Ethan let his fingers
absently twirl a few loose strands of her hair, and rested his cheek on
her head. “But there's no peace of mind, I live to hear
you laughing, I long to feel your hands fall down along the side of
me,” Lauren wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, bringing him
closer. “A change of life is hard to find, there's no
peace of mind, if you ever need somebody, if you ever need somebody to
love you, if you ever need somebody, you can count on me.” The two were so lost in each other they were
still swaying to their own slow rhythm when the song ended, hardly
noticing the DJ had switched back to the rap play list. Chelsea used her keyless entry to find her car and paused when she reached the SUV. “Honestly, Andrew, I can’t feel my appendages. Will you drive?” Andrew smiled and took the keys she offered.
“You’re actually letting me drive? You would never let me drive
Henry.” Chelsea climbed into the passenger seat and
hunkered down into her coat. “You never wanted to drive Henry. You
always made fun of him.” When Andrew turned the ignition and started
the truck, Chelsea immediately turned on the heat. She thrust her hands
at the fan, rubbing her palms together and letting the heat sink in.
“Ah, so much better.” Andrew leaned over to kiss her lightly. “You know, there’s an alternate solution to that problem.” He moved a strand of hair out of her face. “We could climb in the roomy back seat and reenact Homecoming of our senior year.” “I am not having sex in the backseat of my car,
Andrew,” Chelsea said sternly. “Now, you promised me this date, so
we’re going to go on it. Don’t try to weasel out of it again.” Andrew returned to his side of the truck.
“Alright, cheese factory, here we come!” Chelsea hit him playfully and laughed. “No
cheese.” Andrew looked at her with a smile, his eyes
twinkling. “No cheese.” Twenty minutes later, they were seated at a table
for two at Mariucci’s Restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Andrew
had made reservations the week before, securing one of the best tables
in the restaurant. It was relatively secluded, far from the kitchen, and
had a spectacular view of the ocean. The restaurant itself was a sight
to see. It was decorated in everything characteristically Italian. Vines
crept up the walls and black and white photos of Venice, Florence, and
Rome filled up the rest of the wall space. The lights were low, but a
candle on the table and the small lights that hung in the vines made the
atmosphere very intimate. After they ordered food and wine, Andrew leaned
over the table to take Chelsea’s hand in his. “You know, this is our
first date in almost six months.” Chelsea sighed. “I know. We haven’t really been
able to get out. With work and everything else piling up…well, we’ve
been busy.” The waiter approached them with their wine, and
Andrew nodded his approval. He waited until the man had left before
replying. “We’re here now. And it’s just the two of us.” He
played with her fingers. “Tell me about work. How are you doing on the
restraining order?” Chelsea shook her head. “This is going to be
tough. We have little to no evidence that Ryan Jones is a threat to
Lauren. He hasn’t been physical with her, and he doesn’t even have
the criminal record to suggest he is a physical threat. For weeks I’ve
been scrounging up details and putting together the report, but today
Ryan helped us out a lot.” “He messed up,” Andrew said. “By violating
the temporary restraining order and spending a few nights in jail, he
poses more of a threat than just a simple harasser. He broke the law.” “Exactly,” Chelsea replied, nodding her head.
“Hopefully a judge will see it that way. In the mean time, he’ll be
spending some time in jail.” “You’ll convince the judge,” Andrew said,
smiling and kissing her hand, “I’m sure of it.” He leaned closer
so their noses were inches apart. “If not, just tell me the name of
the judge, and I’ll get my buddy in Newport to boot his car.” Chelsea laughed. “I don’t think a boot is going to solve our problem. Unless that iron boot is on Ryan Jones so he has to stay home all day. And all alcoholic beverages are out of reach.” “That would be a solution,” Andrew said with a
half smile. “Anything else? Does Anne still want to jump my bones?” Chelsea cringed, but smiled. “Anne thinks you are
a hunk. She wants to know if you have a brother.” Andrew leaned back in his chair. “A hunk, huh? I
am, aren’t I?” Chelsea studied him, a small smile on her face. He
certainly was, she thought. She often thought he would have made a good
model, perhaps an underwear model. She certainly liked looking at
him in his underwear. He had an excellent body and kept in perfect shape
for the Sheriff’s Department; something she had fallen in love with,
along with his chocolate eyes, sharp mind, fun-loving nature, loving
heart, and gentle touch. Plus, he let her ring the siren in his police
car. But she wasn’t about to inflate his ego. “Well,
for a farmer’s son, growing up with three sisters and sixty cows,
I’d say you turned out alright. For a hick.” His eyes narrowed, but there was a smile in them.
“I am not a hick. And don’t you badmouth our cows; you know you love
our cheese. In fact,” he went on, “I think you are the hick,
Chelsea. You stubbornly drove and fawned over an ugly pickup for ten
years of your life, grew up with two very hick-like brothers who also
drove ugly pickups, you go to honky tonks and like country music, and
you know how to square dance.” She leaned forward, elbows on the table, hands
folded in contemplation. “Well, Deputy, that all depends on what your
definition of ‘hick’ is, now isn’t it?” Andrew threw back his head and laughed. “I swear;
you are such a lawyer.” “Well, that’s good thing,” Chelsea said with
a smile. Moments later, their dinner was served, and they spent the
evening talking about the chances of the Denver Broncos to make it to
the Super Bowl this year. “I still think they’ll screw it up somehow,”
Chelsea said as they left the restaurant. “Consistently, they have
started out well in the first half of the season and ended, well,
mediocre. I think the Broncos will make it to the playoffs, but lose
first round.” “Oh ye of little faith,” Andrew said as he
beeped her truck. “As a true Bronco fan, I believe they will go all
the way this season. Jake Plummer as quarterback, mustache and all.” Chelsea climbed in the passenger side. “Wanna
bet?” Andrew threw her a daring smile. “Fifty bucks.” “Done,” Chelsea said and they shook on it.
Andrew backed out of the parking lot and turned towards the highway. “Where are you going? I live that way,” she
said, pointing her thumb to the back of the truck. “I know where you live. There’s one more place
I’d like to go. You wanted a romantic evening, and I plan on making it
so romantic, it’s ‘absolutely ridiculous’. So sit tight,” Andrew
said. A few minutes later, he parked at a deserted outlook over Devils
Lake and turned to Chelsea. “Do you remember this place?” Chelsea looked out over the glassy dark water. The
moon cast an eerie light across the water and caused her to shiver. She
remembered it all right, but she was surprised Andrew did. Her heart
nearly burst with the love she felt for him. He got out of the car and came around to her side,
opening the door for her. “You do remember, I can see it on your
face.” He helped her out of the car, all the while her eyes fixed on
his. He led her to the railing and held her hands in his, partly for
warmth, partly for comfort. “This is where I first told you I loved
you.” She could have cried. The memory flooded her and
she slowly leaned into him, allowing his arms to encircle her. “Do you remember that night?” he asked gently
as he ran a hand down her hair. “It was a month after your parents
died. You wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t show any emotion. You were like a
zombie all month.” He kissed the top of her head. “It was the summer
of our sophomore year in college. I thought I had lost you, Chelsea.” Chelsea felt warm tears slide down her cheeks,
landing on Andrew’s shirt. She wrapped her arms around him inside his
coat and let the silent tears fall. She could remember that summer all
too clearly. She remembered being told the news that her parents
had been involved in a car accident. It was rainy; the roads were very
slick, Sheriff Hargrove had said. He had said much more after that, but
Chelsea didn’t hear. She had simply shut down. Her brothers were
scattered around the country with their respective families, so she had
been alone. Except for Andrew. He had been there, that was all she could
remember of that summer. Even at the funeral, with her brothers there,
she had felt so alone. But then Andrew would wrap his arm around her
shoulders and she would feel something warm inside her again. Andrew pulled her gently away from him. “I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said, wiping tears away with his thumb. “No,” she said and gave a shaky laugh. “It
just brings back memories, Andrew. Sad ones,” she said and touched his
cheek, “and sweet ones.” Andrew covered her hand on his cheek with his. “I
took you here. The whole drive you were silent, staring out the window.
Then when we got here, you started to cry.” “I remember it all just hitting me,” Chelsea
said, “and you were there, Andrew. You were there for me when there
was no one else. I loved you for that. I love you still.” She smiled.
“Guys aren’t supposed to remember things like this.” “I won’t tell the guys at the station if you
don’t,” he said. “I love you, too, Chelsea.” He kissed her deep,
warm, and lovingly. The chill in her bones faded under the heat of his
touch. When they eased apart, Andrew leaned his forehead
on hers. “Do you remember the first time we kissed?” Chelsea chuckled at the memory. “We were in the
third grade. Bobby Modeena called me a prissy, so you hit him. And I let
you kiss me on the tire swing.” Andrew shook his head. “While that is true, I’m
talking about the first real kiss. Our junior year in high school. I was
all bent out of shape because you were dating Peter Clark. We were
friends at the time, but I had this secret crush on you. After three
weeks of hell, watching him put his punk hands on you, I couldn’t take
it anymore.” “You hit him,” Chelsea said in mock disgust.
“Is that how you solve problems Deputy?” Andrew kissed her on the nose. “Only when
you’re involved.” Seeing her shiver, he pulled her closer inside his
jacket. “You were so mad at me. You came over to my house that night
and yelled at me. I couldn’t help myself; I kissed you to shut you
up.” She remembered being completely stunned by his
kiss. As a teenager, the feelings she had had were foreign to her, but
now she saw that she felt the love right at the beginning. So it took
them awhile to realize it, but it was worth the wait, she decided. She
hoped now that if she waited patiently enough, he would ask to marry
her. Sometimes Andrew moved as slow as the cows his parents raised. “You’re the only man I’ve ever loved,
Andrew,” she said quietly. Andrew let his lips linger on the top of her forehead. “You’ve been there for me, too, Chelsea. When my parents split up in high school, you took me out for ice cream. Not much of a solution, but I was grateful. When I broke my leg in college and couldn’t go to the national championships, you stayed with me. Every night, you let me lay next to you in bed, sometimes even make love to you. And I love you for those things, Chelsea. Those things and more.” Chelsea pulled away to frame his face with her
hands. “This has been the most romantic night in so many years,
Andrew. Thank you.” Andrew touched his lips to hers. “Things are
about to get more busy. Sheriff Hargrove had to lay off a few more
secretaries and another deputy today. Funding is tight. I’ll be
working longer hours.” He crooked a finger under her chin. “That
won’t stop me from seeing you, but this might be our last real date
for a while. Let’s make it last.” Chelsea smiled seductively. “Come home with me,
Andrew.” “I was planning on it.” With one last look at
the lake, Andrew led Chelsea to the truck and opened the door for her.
When he got in and turned the ignition, he glanced at Chelsea, who’s
eyes were fixed on the lake, lost in thought. The four of them had many memories involving Devils Lake. Tears, laughter, and love surrounded the lake. Yet unbeknownst to them, something more sinister frequented the lake as well. Something that would test their love and friendship, and make their lives a living hell. -Send Feedback-
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