Southern Romance (5 page)

    
“I know all of this.  Don’t you think I have thought about it?  That’s all I think about.  Damn I don’t wanna scare her!  I don’t wanna hurt her either!  I really don’t know what the fuck to do.”  Everyone involved at this point, thought that it would be best if they didn’t mention anything else about Sara on the way home.

    
When they pulled in there she stood wearing a white sundress with brown boots.  Her long blonde hair blew in the warm breeze.  Her blue eyes lit up and shined in the sun.  She made country look really good, hell, Justin was ready to go country, Jacob was ready to feel country, and well Jade was just ready to make her his.

    
“Hey guys need some help?”  No one could ever accuse Sara of being impolite.  After standing there waiting for them to answer her, she walked up shaking her head as if saying what got into you guys and walked inside. 

    
Jade turned his attention away grabbed a bag and went to follow only stopping long enough to clear his throat and turn the others attention back to him and the groceries.  Both chuckled before grabbing the remaining items and followed him.

    
People began showing up shortly thereafter.  A lot of them were laughing, some were flirting, and some well found them a good shade tree and took naps.  The children ran around chasing each other. 

    
Something caught Sara’s eye.  Just to the south of the house was the old fishing pond.  There she saw a little girl running and not far behind her was a blonde haired boy chasing her with something in his hands.  Sara couldn’t take it and took off down there. 

    
“What do you think you’re doing young man?  Didn’t your Momma teach you it isn’t nice to scare people?  You’re being really bad!”

    
“Yes Ma’am.”  The boy was trembling with fear.

    
“Ease up there Sheriff.  I got this.  He’s just a little guy, Sara.”  Jade had seen her move quickly toward the pond and followed.  He patted the boy on his head suggesting he go on up the house and stay clear of Sara.  He turned back to her and was surprised by her reaction to this.  She had one hand on her stomach and the other across her forehead. 

    
“Did it really bother you that bad?”

    
“No.  I just don’t think it’s nice.  That’s all.”

    
“I didn’t mean for it to scare you like it obviously did.  Sara I hope you know that.  I mean, I was just a kid.  I wouldn’t do anything to hurt or scare you now.”

    
“I know its ok really.  You were just a kid.  I get that.  We better get back to the house.”  Jade and Sara walked side by side to house not so much as saying another word.  Jade’s mind however was doing so much more than practicing quiet mouse. 
Just ask her out.  Ask her to dance.  Kiss her, just stop right now and kiss her. 

    
“Where have you two been?”  The voice sounded familiar but Sara didn’t recognize the person speaking to them. 

    
“Sara busted Roger’s boy chasing around John’s girl with a frog down by the pond.  We went down to stop it.”

    
“Oh, I see.”  The lady didn’t say anything else just simply smiled and carried a bowel of potato salad to the table where everyone was waiting.  After everyone had been seated, George took Emmy’s hand and stood with her. 

     “
Who was that?”  Sara turned to Jade.

     “
Lori Ann.  Her family ranches next to us.”

     “
Oh.”  Sara felt jealousy running through her.  She didn’t even know why.  Sure, she was definitely attracted to Jade, but she wouldn’t act on it.  Not now, not ever.

    
“As all of you know, I have been very blessed.  On this beautiful and glorious day 35 years Emmy made my dreams come true when she took my name.  Today, I just wanted to tell her something.  Emmy you drive me crazy, your beauty is enough to drive any man crazy.  I can’t imagine where I would be without you telling me which foot to step with first.”  The crowd began laughing.  “There isn’t a day that goes by; I don’t take the time to thank God for bringing you to me.  I love you.”  George leaned down and kissed Emmy Jean.  The crowd was clapping, whistling, and screaming with joy. 

    
After everyone had finished eating, the music was turned up and dancing commenced.  There were hay bales lined around a huge makeshift dance floor.  Some people were sitting while other’s danced.  Justin, Jade, and Jacob stood over in the corner talking and cutting up.  It didn’t take Justin or Jacob that long at all to find them a partner.  Jade looked around and seen Sara sitting on one of the bails and went over to her.

    
“You wanna dance?”

    
“Oh thanks but I really don’t feel like dancing.”             

    
“I won’t get fancy with it I swear.  We can just do the same ole, same ole, slow dance you see

everyone else out there doing.”
             

    
“No, I don’t think so.  But thanks.”  Sara didn’t think she could handle herself being that close to Jade.  Just walking back and catching scent of his cologne took all she had.

    
“Ok, well if you’re not gonna dance with me, then I gotta find someone who will.”

    
Sara smiled back at him and then looked away.  Jade could tell something was bothering her.  Instead of trying to tease her into dancing with him he just sat down next to her. 

    
“I thought you were going to find someone to dance with?”  Sara was asking more of a question than a making a statement.

    
“Well it just happens I don’t feel like dancing with just someone.”  Jade never looked at her when he answered her question.  Instead he just watched and looked around. 

    
“Who was in charge of parking the cars?”  Sara’s expression was baffling.

    
“No one was, everyone just parked where they could find a spot.  That’s kinda how it goes here

Princess.  Why do you ask?”
 

    
“Well, look at them.  Don’t you see how chaotic it looks?  Cars are just put together,  kinda like

when you lay all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle out so you can pick out the edges, to put the boarder together first.  All of the other pieces are just crowded intogether.”

     “Is that what you have been staring at?”  He wrinkled his brows looking at her.

    
“Well yes, it’s driving me crazy.”

    
“I didn’t know you were OCD about stuff like that.  Do you wanna go straighten them all out?

The keys are probably in all of them.”
  Jade was teasing her.

    
“No, it doesn’t matter now.”  And apparently, she hadn’t picked up on that tease.

    
Sara and Jade continued to sit there while Jade tried to pretend he was taking in the view of the party but Sara could feel him turning and looking at her at different times.  It wasn’t very long when Ronnie came over and offered his hand to dance. 

    
Sara politely accepted and left Jade sitting there in confusion.  Why didn’t she want to dance with him?  Jade didn’t want to push the subject or himself at her, but he could feel the attraction between them and he knew damn well she was feeling it to. 

    
“Excuse me I do believe it would be my turn.”  Jim, Ronnies brother-in-law was taking his turn to.  Sara was dancing from one person to the next.  Matt came and took his turn.  Tyler was next.  Jade stood and went over to Jacob.  “Would you look at that?  She didn’t wanna dance with me but she sure doesn’t mind dancing with them.  What the hell?”  Jade questioned so seriously.

    
“Maybe it’s because I can see what’s going on here.  She’s playing hard to get so to speak.  I don’t think she knows she’s doing it though.”  Jade was totally dumb founded and Jacob knew it. 

    
“Look, when you talk to her, I don’t know what it is your saying, but she blushes.  And when she moves, you know right where she is.  Whether you see it or not, she watches you and you watch her.”

    
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.  You’re seeing way too much into this.  I just don’t wanna see her hurt again, that’s all.”  Although, knowing now that she blushed was news worth hearing.  Jade had a new found grasp of confidence when he walked out and just as slick as can be, slipped right in between Jack and Sara.  Sara didn’t say anything; she simply tilted her head down and kept dancing. 

    
“Why is it when you dance with any other man, you look at him and smile?  And now you’re dancing with me and you’re looking at my feet.  I promise I won’t step on your toes, if that’s what has you worried.”

    
“It’s not that.  I just,,, I don’t wanna talk about it. I think I’m finished dancing now.”  Jade didn’t stop dancing and he didn’t loosen his grip, even when she tried to pull away from him.

    
“The songs not over yet.  Finish the dance and then you can stop if you want.”  Sara didn’t say anything just continued to stare at his feet until the song ended.  Then it was almost as if she made a mad dash for the house.

    
“Yep, that worked out great for ya.   What did you say to her?”  Justin had been watching and he was fighting his laughter.

    
“I didn’t say anything wrong.  She didn’t wanna dance with me I don’t think.  You know she stared at my feet the entire time.  I couldn’t even see her face.”  Again, Jade looked totally confused.

    
“Hm-mm, that’s funny because if it would have gotten any redder it would have been glowing and we wouldn’t need to go and start the bon fire.  But just so you know, every time you get around her, you get this ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’ look on your face.  We were cut from the same cloth brother, you know what your doing.”

    
Jade nudged him in the side playfully and smiled at him.  After getting the fire lit everyone gathered around the equipment that had been sat up. 

    
“As all of you know and for those of you who don’t, it’s now time for our traditional karaoke contest.  So if you have stage fright too bad for you because you ate my food and I want some entertainment in return.  Let’s get it started.”

    
Stage fright was not the case here.  Stage hog maybe.  Sara had made her way back outside and had found her place by the bon fire and was enjoying the show.  Emmy Jean however had more than just a show in mind.  She intended to get Sara to loosen up a little bit.  She made her way to Sara and it wasn’t long when Della, Betty, Melly and Julie all found their way over to. 

    
“Hi, I’m Della, this is Melly, Julie and Betty.  You know we haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you on stage yet.”

    
Sara laughed out loud and then politely as it could be said, “There isn’t enough alcohol here.”

All of the women st
arted laughing and Betty left.  When she returned about 5 minutes later she had a drink made up for Sara. 

    
“Here ya go, let’s start with this one and see where it goes.”

    
“I don’t drink much alcohol.  You drink it for me though.”

    
“It’s ok dear, you don’t have to drink it, but you know it’s ok to cut lose here.”  Emmy Jean smiled at her in a way of telling her to go on and take.  Live a little.

    
Sara looked at Emmy Jean and when Emmy Jean nodded for her to take it, she did so.  She took a sip half expecting it to taste awful.  Instead it was like a sweet orange juice.  When Sara latched on to the straw this time, she took a long drink.  Everyone knew it was the drink that said, after a few of me, you’ll do almost anything. 

    
Three drinks later and true to Sara’s word, she still hadn’t sang anything yet.  She could feel the drink kicking in and switched over to lemonade.

    
Ronnie, Betty’s husband, took his turn singing and to Sara’s amazement he was good.  Everyone was grabbing their loves and dancing.  Sara swayed from side to side.  Jade caught it and didn’t give her a chance to decline him.  He was forceful when he walked up to her, took her hand and made her dance with him.  It didn’t take long when Jade could feel her relax and follow his movements. 

    
“Why don’t you look at me?  I need to know.”

    
“Because, I can’t ok.”

    
“Is it because your face turns red when you’re with me?  Why is that by the way, you didn’t have the reaction when you first arrived?  What happened, what changed?”

    
Sara’s head bolted up as if she wanted to ask how did he know and then she lowered it again just as quick, never answering his questions.  Jade curved one side of his mouth up.  “It’s not red now.”  He lied.  Her face hadn’t been so red before.  It worked.  Slowly, Sara raised her head back up.  But she didn’t look at him.  She looked around at all the dancers, at Ronnie singing, and everywhere she could that kept Jade from being able to see her eyes.  Just as the song ended, she darted.  She went back into the house and left Jade standing there.  Jade just shook his head and went to mingle with the other guest’s.