I laugh lightly, and my sight moves towards the others seated around us, taking in the busy scene. Across the way, Shannon sits in a booth among her friends, glaring our way. When our eyes connect, a skinny brow arches upward in question. My heart instantly drops into my stomach.
Like it or Not
Veronica removes her hand from my grasp, which causes me to look up. Her skin is lacking color and her lips are in a tight line. What the hell? I sit up straight in the booth and ask, "What's wrong?"
Her face whips my way. Both fear and worry are written all over her expression. "What?" I repeat, louder this time. I find myself looking around the booth, but I’m not seeing anything out of the ordinary, "V, you're worrying me."
"Shannon," she says softly.
"Don't worry about her," I dismiss. I don’t want to touch on that topic again.
"No. She was just staring at us."
"So?" I don’t see the problem.
"So, she may have seen what you just did."
"And?"
"What if she tells my brothers?" she asks, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"Well, then we should tell them before she does."
"Chase!"
"What?"
She huffs and shakes her head. "How can you be so calm over this? You know how they are!"
I nod. "I do. Look, I can talk to Vance. He's a lot of talk, but he does care for you."
She’s not entirely satisfied, "Can you at least wait until after the weekend?"
"Yeah. Let's have a good time at the lake. Maybe I can get together with him after."
The waitress returns. "Ready?" she asks, smiling at us both. I look at V, and she nods. I wave my hand for her to order first. She orders very light-- a soup and salad--and I put in an order for their ‘Cowboy’ burger.
"Victor invited us all up to his condo afterward, but I think he forgot I have school," She laughs lightly, "So, maybe, we can go up the next weekend? Together?"
"Yeah, I’d like that."
Her posture goes from stiff to relaxed, and she smiles. We have a very easy conversation, and I find myself thinking about how our whole relationship has moved to a different level. It doesn't feel awkward or unnatural; it feels almost perfect. I've never dated anyone that I was friends with beforehand. Maybe that's what all my previous relationships were missing, or maybe it's just Veronica. They weren't her.
Taylor comes through and informs Veronica that her brothers--in true Russo fashion--have secured new conquests and most likely won’t be home until late. We take our time at the diner and stay until we are some of the last customers. A yawn escapes her--and as much as I never want to take her home--I know she has an early morning ahead of her and it'd be selfish of me to keep her out all night.
"Are you ready?"
A sleepy, happy smile spreads across her beautiful lips. "No. I don't want this night to end."
"Neither do I, but we'll have plenty more."
"Promise?" she rasps.
"Promise," I confirm.
"Okay," she whispers, "Take me home."
I stand up and move towards her side of the booth, reaching out for her. She places her small dainty hand in mine, and I help her out of her seat. "Such a gentleman," she teases.
"Only for you," I respond without hesitation. She smiles shyly and looks away. "After you, madame." I wave my hand in front of me with a slight bow, trying to make her laugh.
I succeed as a small laugh escapes her, "You're so cheesy."
We stop at the counter to pay for our meal and Veronica can’t help but grab a sealed mint from the bowl stationed in front of us. The hostess kindly greets us and asks us how everything was as I hand her my credit card. Meanwhile, V seems to be struggling with opening the little wrapper. I watch her, slightly amused, until she gives up using her fingers and places the candy’s wrapper in the corner of her mouth. It rips open easily, but the mint flings out and falls to the floor. Her body sags, her lips pout, and whimpers. She looks so incredibly cute. I grab another one from the bowl, open it without any problems, and hold it out to her. Her eyes meet mine, "Thanks."
The hostess places the receipt on the counter for me to sign. I grab myself a mint for the road and open the door for Veronica to walk through. I place my hand on her lower back as we walk to the car. I make sure to open the door for her as we reach the Z. She turns around swiftly, surprising me. "Thank you, Chase."
"You're welcome," I tell her, assuming she's thanking me for dinner.
"I mean, for like, everything. You make me feel...," she pauses. "You make me feel special."
"You are special and you really shouldn't think otherwise." I kiss the tip of her nose, watching her face light up. "C'mon, let's get you home."
Once we pull into Veronica's driveway, the lack of cars confirms that her brothers are still not home. She seems hesitant and nervous as she unbuckles her seat belt. I don't want her to be nervous around me for any reason. I grab her hand with a, "I'll see you tomorrow?" She only nods.
"Text me," I tell her.
"Okay," she whispers, her eyes scanning my face. "I want to kiss you," she confesses.
"I wouldn’t object."
Her lips meet mine a second after the words are out of my mouth. The feeling of her hand at the back of my neck gives me goosebumps. My hand moves to the soft spot under her chin, and then into her hair. My free hand travels to her hip. This time it's Veronica who deepens the kiss. She takes me by surprise when her mouth opens slightly, allowing our tongues to meet. A moan escapes her body, and my hand grips her hip. If only I had more room. I'd pull her over the console and into my lap. Damn it! Should have brought my truck. She sucks on my bottom lip--it's so hot. If I was a pubescent boy I'd probably be...unloading already.
Subconsciously, we both slow our movements--the kisses turning soft and slow--until it ends in a sweet peck. Our foreheads rest together as we allow our breathing to return to a normal pace. I open my eyes. Her eyes remain closed, but the smile on her lips tells me she enjoyed our make-out session.
I squeeze her waist. "You better go inside," I advise. Her eyes flutter open, staring into mine. She slowly moves away and widens the space between us.
"Yeah, I better," she agrees. Her hand blindly fumbles for the door handle until she finds it and pulls. I grab her chin. She visibly shivers before I kiss her inviting lips once more. "Good night," I whisper. She smiles and removes herself from my car. I watch her until she disappears safely behind the door and allow myself to calm down before pulling away from the house.
Driving home, my phone dings. The thought of it being from her, even though we just separated, has me smiling. Once I'm parked and inside the house, I check my phone, and kick off my shoes. My smile drops as I read the text--it’s not from Veronica.
Shannon: So. You and the little Russo sister?
I type out my message as I head up the stairs and into my room. I sit on the end of my bed.
Me: What do you mean?
Shannon: You guys seemed quite cozy.