Three Weeks [COMPLETED]

Chapter 32 - "Don't touch her!"

A small crease of concentration cut between Kit's eyes as she studied the food store shelves before her. Gummy versus chocolate, sweet or sour, fruity or nutty. Should she make a choice at all? Or just buy every single kind of candy? 

She was seriously thinking over the last option when someone whistled as her. She whipped her head around and found Drew at the end of the aisle, his arms weighed down with several bags of ice.

"What are you doing?" he asked. 

"What are you doing?" she repeated back as she walked over to him and took two bags of ice off his pile.  

"Where's Eddie?"

He looked around like Edison must be there if Kit was. 

"Why should I know?" she shrugged. She nodded at the ice. "I know it's hot outside but this seems extreme." 

He laughed, his dimples sinking deep into his cheeks. Free of Edison's shadow, she was struck by how cute Drew was.

"They're for Grant's party," he explained. 

She quickly ran through the names she had learned over the last two weeks, but Grant was not one of them.

"He's Neil's older brother," Drew added. "He always throws this crazy party when their parents go out of town for their anniversary. I can get you in."

He gave her a flirty smile. 

"Really? What a gentleman."

His smile turned sheepish. "Well, not exactly..." She raised her eyes in interest. "The thing is, if we supply all the paper goods and ice, Grant gives us alcohol and let's us hang out in the basement."

She laughed. "Sounds like a savvy party man to me."

"It's a win-win," he said. "He gets what he wants, and we get what we want."

"And it sounds like I'll be getting what I want."

"What's that?" he asked, eyeing her curiously. 

"A good time, and another chance at the game of pool that got stolen from us," she said. 

He grinned. "If you are coming, it's a win all around. The admission price is ice, but you can get in with me."

"You're too kind," she mocked with a bow. 

"Come on, let's pay for these and go before all the ice melts."

Drew led the way to an open check out aisle. 

"Do you think Neil's brother will accept really really cold water?" Kit asked as they piled the already melting ice onto the conveyor belt.

She pulled her damp shirt away from her skin and added a bag of M&Ms to the pile. 

He chuckled. "No. But I got a cooler in my trunk."

She smiled brightly. "You came prepared."

"Of course, this is one of the biggest parties of the summer. Neil's brother started it six years ago when he was a junior, and he has done it every summer since. Everyone in Lighthouse knows about it."

She nodded. "I know I'm not from around here, but there seems to be a lot of parties and organized activities," she said. "I mean, the Fourth of July was only two days ago, and before that there was the fair and capture the flag."

He gave a knowing smile.

"Football," he said.

She gave him a questioning look.