The Rugby Player and Me

8.The Late Night Adventures of Olivia and Cherry Boy

If anyone ever called me babe I would scream.

"Anyone want a drink?" I asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Mark said. "Sober driver and all."

I nodded.

A few of Jake's friends said they wanted one, and one of them offered to help me get the drinks. We walked toward the kitchen.

"I'm Derek, by the way." The guy said.

I nodded. "I'm-"

"-Olivia." Derek cut in. "I was listening." A smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah," I frowned.

"So, you're friends with Kate, then?"

"Yeah."

Derek sniggered beside me. "Not in the talkative mood, then?"

"Oh! No, I am, I'm just a bit distracted," I told him with wide eyes. "Sorry."

We got to the kitchen. Derek began rifling through the cabinets under the bench.

"Um," I began. "Are you sure you should be doing that? Isn't it like, an invasion of privacy or something?" Derek gave me a look and I immediately closed my mouth. Someone needed to shut me up.

That sounded pretty lame even to my own ears. Who would be hiding something private under a kitchen counter?

If Derek had noticed my embarrassment, he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he laughed.

"Oh, they didn't tell you? This is my house."

I leant awkwardly against one of the granite counters. "Right." I mumbled.

The smile on Derek's face only grew.

"So, how come I haven't seen you around at dances and stuff?" he asked.

It was my turn to laugh.

"I don't go to Girls. I go to Sainsbury High. And," I added. "Even if I did go to Sainsbury Girls, I'm not the dancing type anyway."

Derek stood up and raised an eyebrow. He leaned across the opposite side of the counter, towards me.

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Why so many questions?" I threw back.

He raised his hands in submission. "Is it a crime to want to make new friends?" I softened my expression and he laughed.

Derek crouched back in the cupboard, grabbing two unlabelled bottles of god-knows-what.

I snorted just as he placed the bottles in between us.

"Cherry liqueur," he explained. "My parents make it."

"Right," I replied. I didn't bother telling him I hated cherries.

We maintained eye contact for longer than necessary. I guess he was pretty good-looking, if I stared at him in a certain way.

"What?" Derek asked, breaking the silence.

Grabbing the bottles, I took a step away from the counter and smirked.

"Let's go, Cherry Boy."

I turned my back on Derek and walked out of the kitchen, slowly making my way back to the living room. I had to squeeze past more people than I had when we had initially made it to the kitchen.

I felt a tug on my arm, and turned around to see Derek, still clutching my wrist.

"Do you mind taking the drinks back by yourself?" he asked me. "I really need to use the bathroom."