During the photo shoot, a shy smile lifted the rose-tinted lips that I loved biting on. That led to thoughts of what would be happening after the prom. But a swift glance at her father had my cock shrinking back in self-preservation mode.
Now wasn’t the time to imagine what would be later. I first had to get through a few torturous hours of dancing and smiling. Only once we were in the limo, heading down the Shore, would I allow myself to become excited at what would happen.
Every detail had been perfectly planned. My parents had lent us our beach house for the weekend. My best friend, Chase, and his girlfriend, Kim, who was also Alivia’s best friend, would be joining us. On Trey’s insistence, Dad had arranged for our housekeeper to serve as chaperone. Like that would stop me. I had asked her to fill my room with pink rose petals, candles, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Okay, it wasn’t all my idea. Dad helped, enabled… whatever.
The man was as romantic as they came. He had me swear not to tell my mother, even though I knew she’d think the entire situation was sweet. As my dad had said, we were in love.
It was time to take our relationship toward a new juncture. Fuck, I was probably the last eighteen-year-old male virgin on earth. But for Alivia, I’d wait as long as it took.
And tonight… the wait would be over.
To say that was the longest night of my life would be an understatement. We had both waited an eternity for this moment to come. From the constant flush on her cheeks to the way she bit her lip whenever our eyes met, I knew she felt the same.
Until now, all our sexual encounters had included sneaking around on the beach as our parents partied a few hundred yards away. Or exploring each other’s bodies in my bedroom because it was safer for me than being caught in hers. I’d kissed and tasted every part of her, and all that was mere prep work, a whole load of foreplay for the main event that was finally upon us.
It was close to midnight when the limo pulled up the cobblestone drive and parked in front of my house. Alivia shimmied in her seat excitedly.
“This weekend is going to be epic,” Chase said, and I couldn’t agree more. He and I helped our girls out of the car while Alec retrieved our bags. Because of my father and his paranoia stemming from an ex–band member trying to kill my mother, Alec worked for Dad’s close friend Oscar’s security agency. In Dad’s defense, that dude Danny something was a psychopath. After he’d been killed in prison, Mom had convinced Dad to loosen the protective tentacles he kept around his band and their families. Still, for certain events or occasions, one of Oscar’s guys tagged along, most of the time posing as a driver.
“I’ll bring these in for you, Shane.”
“Thanks, Alec.” Alivia held my hand tightly as we entered the house and were immediately greeted by the sweet, jolly woman I adored. “Hey, Edna.”
“Mr. Shane, look how handsome you are. And Miss Alivia, simply breathtaking.”
“Thank you, Edna,” Alivia said, matching her expression. Edna had worked for my parents for years, and every summer she’d had a front-row seat to the two of us growing up.
I waved a hand behind me, where my best friend and his date hovered near the door. “I don’t know if you remember Chase and Kim.”
“Of course. Congratulations to you all. Prom weekend, what an exciting time. Come.” We all followed her through the foyer into the kitchen. “I’ve prepared some snacks for you guys. Those school dances always serve such awful food.”
“Thank you.” I glanced at my friends before nodding. “We’re starving.” Edna had a nice spread of cheese and crackers, fruit, and mini sandwiches, along with a dessert tray and a bottle of what appeared to be champagne chilling on ice.
“Good. Enjoy, and if you need me, I’ll be in the den.” She leaned closer conspiratorially. “The bubbly is from your mom and dad. Don’t get too excited; it’s sparkling grape juice.”
“Of course it is.” With the way they kept us on a tight leash, an outsider would never know we were the spawn of rock stars. But I loved that Edna knew to give us privacy. And although there to act as a chaperone, the woman wasn’t unaware as to what went on during prom weekend.
“She’s so sweet,” Kim said before snatching a strawberry off the platter. “Look, the cookies are tropical themed, like the dance.”
“That is definitely my mom and Aunt Leila’s doing,” Alivia countered as I poured us all a glass. That was true. Our moms were all about the details, while my dad was concerned only with proper protection the first time we had sex. It was a huge pet peeve of his. The why had to do with his ex-girlfriend wanting to forever be connected to my father through a pregnancy. She wanted the spoils that would come from his fame, and when he’d shared details only a few weeks ago, it had scared the living shit out of me. Real cooking-your-rabbit psychological thriller shit.
After passing the girls and Chase a fancy glass, I raised mine. “Tonight marks the first step toward graduation, and the beginning of a kick-ass summer.”
And damn if I wasn’t looking forward to it. Weeks of doing nothing but being with my girl and playing with my band. I used the term band loosely. No Rulz were good enough for local bars and parties, but otherwise it was just an opportunity for me to play.
In their defense, my buddies weren’t looking for a lifelong career in music. They each had plans for their futures. Even Chase played drums for us as a hobby, hoping to become an actor someday.
As for me, I was just buying time. Training from one of the most talented bassists on earth had created an appetite for stardom. I’d already performed with Devil’s Lair—at a charity benefit once to fill in for Mom’s brother Evan, and sometimes even for Trey if he had another obligation. How many other teenagers could say the same?
Being a musician was my goal, and many would think, with who my parents were, that it was a done deal. But that didn’t matter to them. Dad had dropped out of NYU to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. Mom hadn’t gone to college for the same reasons. It’d been a bone of contention between my grandparents and them. Because of that, my mom and dad had pushed me to go to college. I guessed I became a catalyst for their regrets.
There was one reason I agreed. Come fall, I’d be starting NYU along with Alivia. Together we applied to a few schools. Alivia had wanted to stay local and got into each one. By the skin of my teeth, I had gotten into NYU, and our decision was made. The plan was to eventually get an apartment together in the city. Knowing her father, that would create an argument. For our first year we’d live on campus in separate dorms. Living with some random dude over her held no appeal.
So, again, Alivia was the only reason I was going at all… and getting that stupid degree to make my parents happy.
“Buh-bye, high school,” Chase announced with his glass in the air. My buddy was heading to UCLA come August. Kim had accepted a scholarship at UMass and was heartbroken over it. Alivia hoped their relationship survived the distance. “High school won’t be missed.”
“Nope… because soon we’ll be taking the world by the balls,” I went on to say. “In the meantime, here’s to the summer of our lives. You three are my best friends, and I love you guys.” They echoed my words, and I tapped my glass on Alivia’s before taking a sip. Leaning closer, I kissed her softly. “I love you the most.”