The Prince Of Highland Park (2 page)

“Yes we are
.” I hear Jules answer beside me, looking around at all the people looking like they just stepped out of the fucking Stepford wives nightmare all prim and proper.  I spot the bearer of my pyrotechnic.  Nervousness sets in when I see Ryan coming over to where we are standing close to the door.  “Why are you standing so close to the door?  Are you planning on making a run for it?”  He asks smiling.

“No;
I’m not planning on running anywhere. We just got here about ten minutes ago so we were just observing what’s going on.”  

Looking Ryan up and down taking in all his manly beauty, I just want to jump his bones right here, right now in front of all these people, not giving a care who sees me.  My eye’s travels back up, stopping at his luscious lips watching his tongue run slowly over them.  So kissable, man, what I would give to have those lips on me right now.  A smile formed on his lips and I knew I was busted. From that smile he knows what I’ve been thinking.  I’m afraid to meet his eyes, embarrassed that I was caught checking him out. As I will my eyes to meet his, the intensity was enough to bring me to my knees.  I felt a nudge snapping me out of the spell I was under.  As I came back to reality I see Jules gawking, realizing my error. “Oh, Ryan, this is my girl Julie. Julie this is Ryan and this is his party.”  I try to sound unfazed by his presence, but failing miserably. I was oozing fake confidence I hope he doesn’t see.   I didn’t hear Jules answer so I looked over seeing that she was staring and what looks to be drooling.   I snapped my fingers trying to get her to snap out of it, all she said was “Hi” lamely, because she was still ogling Ryan right to his face.  Who could blame her; that’s the same way I acted the first time I saw him and every day after that. 

Seeing movement in my peripheral I looked over to see Samantha Huxley and Michelle Vanderhouse. Of course they would be here; they are the people he hangs with. I watch as I see them walking over toward us smiling.  When they got over to where we are the first thing that comes out of Michelle’s mouth is, “What are they doing here?” She asked looking at us like we were something she stepped on.  The scent of liquor tickles my nose, of course she would be drinking, that’s all they do at the club so why would anything change here.  “I invited them, is there a problem?” I hear Ryan ask. 

“No; I just never saw them at one of your parties before
.” She plastered on a false smile that you could see from a mile away.  “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere.”   He took my hand in his.  I was speechless so I just move my head up and down to let him know I’ll be here.  I couldn’t believe he jumped to our defense, I figured he would leave us to the firing squad.

As soon as Ryan was out of hearing distance Michelle and Samantha came closer and said, “Don’t get used to being here, this will be your first and last invite.  Next time he invites you, you’d better decline or you’ll say goodbye to your job at the club,” she said looking at me like I was beneath her.  This bitch must be losing her fucking mind thinking she can tell me what to do.  So I smiled as fake as she was and whispered “I don’t work for you, and if he does invite me again you can bet your asses I will be there enjoying every minute of it.  Now if the only way you think you can hold on to him is by threating me then, I guess he is really not yours, because if he is; then you have nothing to worry about now do you?”  Walking off, leaving both of them seething through their teeth looking at me like I just grew two heads.  I might be a-nobody in their opinion, but I was not going to stand and let then bully me telling me what I can or can’t do, hell fucking no.

“What was that all about?” Jules asked when we walked off. 

“I don’t know, I guess me be
ing here bothers them more than it should.  I know she wants to say more, but she won’t push, not here anyway, but I will be expecting an interrogation later.  We walked over to the other side of the hall trying to avoid bumping into those two bitches again for the night. I saw a couple of Ryan friends, the ones I usually see him with at the club.  They were laughing and talking and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were talking about me.  They probably see the way I stare at him at the club, so they know I have a crush on him. I would say I’m in love with him, not that I would admit it, but what the hell do I know about love?  I’ve never had a boyfriend and it’s not like home life is anything that replicates that emotion.  All I know is the bad examples from my folks that I won’t repeat.  

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up creepily, and when I looked over I saw Michelle, Samantha, and Chloe Henson talking and looking at me. Chloe was Ryan’s ex-girlfriend. There’s something about her, but I just can’t put my finger on it.  I see the way she looks at him, well it could be that she’s missing what she let get away; I know I would.   By the look on their faces I guess I should start watching my back at the club. Those bitches were about to become the biggest pain in my ass imaginable to man.  I see a guy in the corner looking at Jules with lust on his face.  I turned around and saw that her eyes were locked with his and I thought shit this is a bad idea.  I know she is rebelling right now, but I just don’t want her to find herself in any shit with any of these people.   Shaking her shoulders, to get her attention away from him I said “I don’t think you want to go there, that would be a bad idea.” Creasing her brow she met my eyes “Like falling for Ryan is a bad idea?”  I answered her truthfully, “Yes.” And I left it there.  I didn’t want to talk about that here.  I know how these people are and she doesn’t. It’s not like I’m not walking down the same path of doom, but I can handle it; at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

I’ve been condemned from the moment I was born. I could hear my father telling me, “
You’re nothing and you will never be anything except a good lay for some unfortunate bastard
.”  Tears coming to my eyes thinking how my father keeps beating into my head over and over again that I will never go to college. According to him, college was too good of a place for me. The only thing I could go there for was to lie on my back to relieve the stress of the athletic department.  Looking at Julie beside me I said, “I’ll be right back I’m just going outside for a bit to clear my head.”  All those fucking insecurities that he planted in my head are surfacing and I won’t let them.   She didn’t ask me anything, just nodded. Pushing my way through the sweaty bodies of people to get outside, just so I can get some fresh air.  When I reached outside I walked to the far end of the fence. It was dark back here, so I know I wouldn’t be easily seen from the house and right now I wanted to just sit and be by myself for a little while.  All that crazy shit my father used to say just got to me. 

Finally calming down, anxiety in check, I felt the light wind blowing cooling me down and it was refreshing.  I don’t know how long I sat there lost in my thoughts.   I was enjoying the freshness when I heard footsteps coming up behind me; I look over my shoulder to see who it is.  I was in shock at the person I saw standing looking back at me.              

“H…Hey, Ry… Ryan, what are you doing out here?” I uttered in a weak voice.  Confused as to why he would follow me out here. “I want to ask you a question, and don’t lie to me. Do you have a boyfriend?”  Where the hell did that come from; why would he want to know if I do or not.  What is it to him? I was about to give a smart-assed reply, but instead I answered “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”   He seemed as if was trying to figure out if I was lying or hiding something, because he just kept staring at me.  Though we were outside, the space seemed smaller with him standing here; I could feel the beating of my heart picking up speed.  I saw the bedlam written all over his face. 

I was unable to move as I watched him walk towards me, trapping me where I stood by the bushes.  There was no way of escaping him.  His eyes held mine, so intense, dropping to my lips.  I felt my body tingle with awareness. He smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing to me.  “I h-have to get back to my friend,” I said weakly, not really wanting to leave.  But I sure as hell wasn’t about to let him know that.  If I stay he will see how he’s affecting me.  I don’t think I could handle his rejection right now if he was not feeling the same. “I can’t seem to get you out of my head.”  He whispered as he leaned in closer.   Did he just say what I think he said?  I know I must be hearing things, because why would I be in his head?  Why would he be thinking about me? The wind blew and I could smell him; oh God; he smells so good. His scent was like fresh linen and ocean breeze and something else that was uniquely him.  I was so lost in what he was doing; just his presence has me flustered.  “I…I’m sorry.” I heard myself say even though I didn’t know what I was apologizing for, he’s making me so nervous, I can’t even think straight. 

He is so close, I want to push him away, at the same time I want to kiss him…before I could finish that thought he bent his head and crushed his mouth to mine.  Thank you Lord, this is what I’ve been dying to feel all these years and now it’s finally happening.  I needed to get the hell out of my head and enjoy this.  It may be a lapse in his judgment, but regardless I wanted to enjoy it, because it may never happen again.  I can analyze it later.

His kiss was hard and desperate, at the same time it was full of passion.  As his kiss deepened, his tongue was moving in and out, like he was discovering new and unfamiliar territory.  His tongue continued to stroke in and out awakening sexual desires I didn’t even know existed within me.  He groaned softly as I pressed against him, and he wrapped his arms around my waist shifting me closer to him.  Feeling him pulling me tightly against his body, I stopped resisting and sighed in submission and kissed him back with a fire I never knew I possess.

I have been kissed before, but I’ve never responded with such uncontrollable emotion.  Winding my arms around his neck, I leaned in even closer making my whole body blend with his.  I groaned as he plunged his tongue into my mouth.  He deepened the kiss, which I didn’t think was possible. The noise from inside broke me from my reverie reminding me where I am.   Breaking away from the kiss, and taking a step back to put some well needed distance between us, “Ryan what are you doing? I don’t think this is such a good idea.”   I heard my voice ask, but in my heart I knew it was perfect.   I closed my eyes as I quivered in front of him trying to reel in my disappointment from the look on his face.  When I open my eyes, I caught his eyes travelling down my body, looking at my hardened nipples as they stood erected against my sheer top.  Feeling self-conscious at my reaction to him, I folded my arms over my chest to hide the evidence that I desired him.  Yet it was only getting stronger with each lingering look he gave me.  “Why do you look so embarrass?” He asks.

“Maybe because I’m…
I wasn’t expecting you to…um… you know.” 

“
To kiss you and I do recollect you kissing me back.” 

“I know
I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

“What,
you kissing me back?” 

“No…not that…I mean, just for th
e um… you know…for it to happen,” I fumbled.  I could see that he was smiling at me knowing he was the cause of my flustering and then he smirked, “I am not sorry it happened.”

“What would your parents think? What are your friends going to think?  You know they would not approve of you fraternizing with me.  What would Samantha think, aren’t you guys together?”  I was spouting off questions that I didn’t want the answers to, but I needed him to think about what he was doing, how it was going
to affect his and my life if he kept at it.

“Why
are you asking those questions, is it because my parents have money? And guys like me don’t go after girls like you, is that what you are trying to tell me?”  My lips parted in shock wondering how to answer his question without sounding pathetic.  I’ve wanted Ryan for so long, but I don’t want to fool myself into thinking that I can have a life with him even after that kiss.  We are from different worlds and in the real world people like me don’t end up with people like him, regardless of what we want.  He was standing there waiting for me to say something, he run his tongue over his lips, my eyes lowered watching his every move, and a shiver ran through my body wanting to feel his lips on mine again. I need to get my mind under control.

Looking up at him I could tell he was angry and turned on all at the same time.  He seemed to be fighting which emotion he wanted to act on.  He looked like he wanted to kiss me and slap me all at the same time.  I was feeling a little frightened with the intense look coming from his eyes.  “No…yes…I mean why would you want to be with me? I have nothing to offer…not saying by you kissing me that you want to be with me.  I mean people like you just don’t go around kissing people like me right? I didn’t mean for it to come off like… you know…I don’t know; I just don’t want you to use me trying to prove a point or win a bet or whatever this is that you are doing.”

“I see you think poorly of me, based on what you just said and I don’t like that.  Evelyn I’m not playing any games here, I want to get to know you and I would like the opportunity to change your opinion of me.”  I
must say I like the sound of my name rolling of his tongue; it was stroking a type of heat between my thighs that I’ve never experienced with just hearing my name. “Ok, I’ll take you at your word that you are not playing any games, and I will give you the opportunity to change what I think of you. Fair?”  I was jumping for joy inside, wanting to spend time with him wanting to get to know him better, the real him instead of the rumors around the club.