Southern Seduction (68 page)

Plink.

What the …?

Plink. Plink.

I turned over to my bedroom window. Another plink. Something small hit the window. I slid off the bed and went to the window. Down below, Wesley stood waving his arms. When I opened the window he hollered for me to come down. I nodded.

I grabbed a pair of sandals and slipped them on before heading outside. Wesley was swinging in one of the hammocks near the pool. He smiled when I reached him and scooted over to make room for me in the hammock. I laid down beside him and stared up at the sky. It was full of stars.

“How you doing?” Wesley asked after several minutes of silence.

“It’s been a hell of a night.”

“Why’s that?” I swear Wesley’s baritone voice dropped another octave. I’d love to listen to him read the ingredients off a box of dog treats.

“You really want to know?”

“No. I just asked to be friendly but I prefer silence.”

“Oh. Okay.” I went silent turning back to my stargazing. I know sarcasm too.

Wesley elbowed me, “I’m kidding. Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it.”

I pinched his arm, “I know. You’re a pain.”

“Tell me why your night was the pits?”

“Okay, but I’ll remind you later that you asked for it. Tonight at dinner I found out why my Uncle and my mom stopped speaking. My Uncle came out of the closet to her and she freaked. My mom touted equality. Went to rallies, spoke of everyone being the same but then she can’t accept her own brother being gay. She’s such a hypocrite.”

“Did you know your Uncle was gay?”

“No. It was a shock, but only for a second. I love my Uncle regardless. But I can’t wrap my head around why my mom would stop speaking to him over it. What’s worse… she lied about it, she told me he walked away. She kept me from my Uncle because of her bias. I mean if she would deceive me about that, well then what else did she fabricate? Shit, for all I know she took the same liberties with my entire childhood.”

Which made me think about my dad. I wasn’t totally naive, I knew relationships took two to come together just as they took two to fall apart, but I might have let my mom’s personal perspective color my own opinions of my dad. Was I seeing him through my own eyes? Or hers?

Wesley took my hand in his and pulled it to his chest, “I get you’re mad, I would be too, but … well, I guess there really ain’t no but here.”

“No buts for sure, she was wrong period. What’s really got me is I’m mad at her and we can’t even talk it out, you know? And what kind of horrible daughter am I to be mad at my mom? She can’t defend herself.”

Wesley tapped our entwined hands to his chest, “It sounds like your momma wasn’t perfect, but she loved you—”

“Are you defending her?”

“Absolutely not, wouldn’t dream of such a thing. I’m just trying to keep you from being too hard on yourself.”

After all the dramatic reveals of tonight I was tired. Normally after a day like today Donovan would allow me to bother him, if only for an hour. I don’t know what made me do it, but I snuggled my face into the crook of Wesley’s neck. “Thanks for listening.”

He squeezed my hand. “I want to apologize for my behavior earlier.”

“Huh?” I said, my eyes growing heavy.

He nudged me but I didn’t react. I snuggled in closer. “For acting a fool earlier with you, though I stick to my guns about JR. Stay away from him, he’s bad news.”

“Mm hmm,” I said not really listening, “I forgive you.” Snuggled in closer until I could feel the warmth of his body and shut my eyes all the way.

“And don’t eat grapes because they’ll give ya’ worms.”

“Yes, exactly,” I mumbled, before giving into sleep.

I was awoken by a splash of water to the face. “What the hell,” I hollered and sat up. More water splashed my face. “What the hell’s your problem.” I rubbed my face, realizing too late I was still in the hammock. I lost my balance and hit the grass with a thud. “Fuck!”

The sun was barely peeking on the horizon, the sky a fiery orange and me alone on the wet grass being splashed by sprinkler as it rotated. What the …

I was alone.

More water splashed my face. I got up cussing and screaming as I hurried to the back patio doors to escape inside.

The clock on my bed table said 5:45. Way too early to be awake. I stripped off my wet things and crawled under the covers and promptly fell back to sleep.

The weekend went by in a haze. The ant bites on my legs were slowly fading, making me look less like the chicken pox monster and more like me. Lounging by the pool, eating barbecue, taking after dinner walks with Brayden and obsessing over mom. And maybe I was spending an unhealthy amount of time fantasizing about JR. After that hot make-out session in my room it was hard not to. His lips were divine.

Of course, all I could do was daydream about him. I wouldn’t have reason to bump into him since we were no longer boarding his father’s stud. Nope, no chance of seeing him again. He didn't ask for my number or give me his. A hint was a hint.

Besides there were a million other things for me to think about besides JR. Like Uncle Ollie. He and I made plans to have lunch together. Still a lot of catching up to do. Gram wanted to go shopping during the week, and to me nothing cured what ailed you better than shopping. And I planned on shopping like I was dying.

Sunday night I spent down in the basement. Dad was kind enough to turn one of the storage rooms into a makeshift darkroom for me. I was in there developing the roll of film I’d taken before the ants incident. I snapped my gum. And pulled my negatives from the developer to the stop bath and then on to the fixer. As I finished the process with the negatives. I repeated it again for the photos. As I hung up a photo to dry I moved on to developing the next one.

It took a few hours but I had over twenty photos. When they were done curing I flipped the regular light on to study them. In the picture I’d taken of me in my bedroom mirror there was an odd haze in the corner of the picture. My mom must have been in the room with me after all. Why didn’t she talk to me? I’m sure she was avoiding me now. She had to know by now that I knew about Uncle Ollie?

I moved on to the next pictures. A tissue balled up in my hand. The side of my wedge heels. Random foliage. The horse stalls. Horse reins. Thunder the horse. Thunder nibbling hay from my hand. Random tree and sky shots and … I paused. There was no photo of Wesley in any of the shots I’d developed so far.

I could have sworn I captured one of his face and at least two or three of his hands and feet. I grabbed up my negatives to look through them and found a strip of negatives I hadn’t developed into photos yet. One was definitely a face. Well, I had to see whose face. I shut off the light and started the developing process over.

The first three were a waste. To fuzzy to make out a single detail. Couldn’t even tell where or what I was trying to take a picture of. The next two weren’t much better although at least in them I could make out a … hmm it might be a hoof or possibly a half-eaten burger?

All my hope hinged on the last negative. It better turn out. I didn’t need an entire strip of six photos to be a bust. I was planning on making a photo montage scrapbook, using my random photos for the life essay portion of my Graduate Photography Thesis Writing. The class wasn’t for another semester but I wanted to start early so I wouldn’t feel rushed.

I placed the photo paper in the stop bath I held my breath and waited. I gasped at the face staring back at me. I quickly put it in the fixer. My leg tapped anxiously as I waited for the image to set before removing it and rinsing then hanging it to dry.

There in all the 8 1/2 x 11, black and white glory, was JR. It was a selfie of him squinting an eye while making a duck-face. It was hilarious and adorable. He must have taken it before he returned my camera to me. In his free hand he was holding up a piece of paper with numbers written on it. Oh my god it was his phone number. I hurried up to my room with the photograph and stood in my mirror so the number was right way instead of backwards. I jotted it down.
Now what? Should I call him? He gave me his number. But … this picture was taken before we made out and he booked it. I stared at the picture while images of JR in his undies flashed in my head. Fuck it.

I grabbed my phone off the bed table, plugged in his number and sent a text:

I appreciate the save, but photo paper is expensive
.

Not even a second passed and he responded.

Refresh my memory who is this?

Me: You save that many people huh?

JR: Yeah!

Me: Then guess

JR: What if I guess wrong then what?

Me: Then this picture of you duck-facing it goes viral.

JR: Ouch

Me: Yep, trust me no one should have to see this.

JR: Damn you’re tough whoever you are.

Me: Whoever I am huh? Guess you WANT to go VIRAL

JR: Alright no need to get shouty let me see … I’m seeing red hair.

Me: yes

JR: hazel eyes

Me: yes

JR: Perfect size C tits that fit perfectly in my mouth

Um?

JR: And a sexy mouth I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

Uh?

JR: I’m guessing this is Samantha?

Me: Samantha?! Fuck you. Internet says hello

JR: Kidding Maddie. I know it’s you. I’ve only waited like four days for you to text me. Started to worry you developed that film and were like fuck him.

Me: I debated doing that.

JR: What are you doing right now?

Should I be honest or lie? Didn’t want to sound like a total loser. Then again …

Me: Nothing.

JR: Be outside in ten minutes.

Me: What? Why?

No response. Well, shit. I hurried to the bathroom. Ten minutes? That wasn’t enough time. I freshened up as fast as I could. Brushed my hair. Pulled it back into a ponytail. A little mascara, some blush, gloss and
oh god did I look tired
. I exchanged my cotton bra and underwear for something in pale blue lace. And put on a light pink polo dress in lieu of the sweats I’d worn all weekend. I slipped on a pair of white espadrilles, grabbed my purse and phone and headed downstairs.

I opened the front door and ran straight into Brayden. “Where you off to?” he asked.

Another voice answered for me. “She’s going out.” JR came walking up the stairs behind Brayden, “with me.”

Brayden spun, “JR?”

“Hey Brayden.”

An awkward handshake was followed by an even more awkward stare-down. “Well, if you guys are done, I’m ready.”

JR held out his arm I looped my arm through his and looked back at Brayden still standing in the doorway, “I’ll see you later.”

Brayden shook his head, but didn’t say a word as he went inside and closed the door behind him.

“I take it you and my brother don’t get along.”

“We get along fine. I think that look has more to do with you than me. I’d give every guy who wanted to take out my sister the same look.”

“Oh, so it’s an overbearing big brother thing?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Right, so where are we going?”

“Wherever you like. I just wanted to see you.”

Even if he was full of it, I was blushing liking an idiot anyway. We walked down the path to the u-shaped drive where an old, black, pickup truck was parked. “Is this yours?”

“Yep. Not what you expected?”

“I don’t really know what I was expecting. I mean a few days ago this would have totally fit you but now? Not so much.”

“Why before but not now?”

My cheeks were on fire. “I didn’t realize, you know, who you are.”

His grey eyes studied me, “Who I am?” He said it like he was unsure who he was too. He opened my door for me.

“Yeah, you’re a Rutherford and their like the Beatles of oil or something. Whereas when I first saw you I thought you were like a ranch hand or you know whatever.” Before I could get in he slammed the door shut caging me in against it.

He didn’t say a word just stared. Oh god, I offended him by not knowing how powerful the Rutherfords were or that he was one? This had to be a record for me. Donovan lasted through dinner before he told me that “him and I” couldn’t work. Of course Donovan didn’t mind banging ghost girl, he just couldn’t date her.

“That’s hot,” JR finally said. He leaned in closer, “God you look hot.” In a blink his lips were on mine, he slipped his tongue into my mouth. His kiss was deep, frantic and then he stopped. Placed a light kiss on my cheek and an even gentler kiss on my lips before pulling away. “I’ve been dying to do that since the last time.” He was all composed and able to talk, while I on the other hand was seeing spots.

WOW.

I was so confused and turned on.

He opened my door and held my hand as I climbed in. He gave my hand a kiss before letting it go and closing the door. He slapped the hood of the truck as he went around to his side and climbed in. He gave me one more of those sexy grins before starting the truck. “You hungry?”

“A little.”

“Do you like italian?”

“Only if it’s pizza.”

He pulled around and down the driveway, “Is there any other kind?”

I was smiling and happy and as quick as the butterflies flew into my stomach to flutter about, they suffocated and died. Sank to my guts and formed a knot. This could never go anywhere. For the same reason it was never going to go anywhere with Donovan. Eventually, JR was going to ask the question I hated and I’d have to give the answer nobody ever understands.