As I walked into the main building on campus, I felt a heavy weight on my chest. What would Mary think of the lipstick? I had to come up with a good cover story. That meant I had to avoid her until lunch, when I usually picked her up.
"Jake!" I heard a voice call over the bustle of all the college students talking and walking their way around. I quickly glanced to my right, and saw Mary heading towards me. She looked completely fine, like she hadn't seen anything in my car. I sighed, relieved. That meant I didn't need to come up with a cover story.
"Where do you want to go to lunch today? Deven and Caroline are joining us," she told me, smiling. She looked really good for a Friday. Too good. So that little hope I had clutched onto, that she hadn't seen the lipstick was gone.
"I was thinking about the classy choice of McDonalds," I said smiling at her nervously.
"Hmm, wonderful decision Mr.Wate," she said, while waving bye. As she walked to her next class, I snapped my head to get to my class.
The day passed by in a blur, like every time it did when I was dreading something. Soon enough it was lunchtime.
Mary grabbed my hand, and led me to my car, as I had just come from a very challenging dance class. I was still breathing hard.
"Come on," she whined, as I was walking so slow that I was dragging her back. I didn't want to get back to my car. Then we would truly be alone. I wasn't ready for that. The wind blew her golden brown hair and her light blue dress all over. I succumbed to her and let her weave me through the crowds. Soon, too soon, we were in front of my car.
I felt her hands go through my pockets, and I tensed up, but I just felt her hand clasp around my car keys. I sighed in relief, wondering why I felt so uncomfortable around her. She pressed the unlock button and got in. I crossed the other side of the car and got in. She dropped the keys into my open palm, and I slipped it in the ignition. Then out of nowhere she tugged on my shirt, and when I turned to face her she pressed her lips against mine.
At first she seemed hesitant, but then she quickly deepened the kiss, which made me tingle from head to toe. It made me feel guilty for even looking at another girl.
I pulled away, and looked at her, my eyes holding confusion. I was pretty sure she had seen Emma's lipstick. Why would she be kissing me even more now then before?
"You love me, right?" she asked me, her eyes soft and pleading. The only thing keeping me from telling her about Emma or Janie was how I would lose her if I did.
"Of course," I said smiling at her, which I was returned with a small shy smile. Then she turned away as I started to pull out of our parking spot. I saw Caroline's car right behind us, so I drove into the busy streets of Florida.
We stopped at the first McDonald's we saw, by the gas station. I slid my car into one of the open spots. Caroline's pink Mini Cooper slid into the spot next to mine.
"Be careful not to scratch my ride!" I yelled at Caroline.
"Oh, honey, I wouldn't even if you let me. I still don't get how a guy like you got a car like that," she said, sarcastically.
"Working hard, and a rich daddy," I told her rolling my eyes. I got out of the car, but I saw Mary still sitting in her seat. I walked over to her side and opened her door.
"What's wrong?" I asked her as she looked up at me.
"No-nothing," she stuttered again like she did yesterday. But as I she started to get out, I picked her up, bridal style, and brought her inside the McDonald's. Caroline closed Mary's door and walked behind me with Deven. Once we were inside I placed Mary in a booth and went to order the food.
I came back to our booth and slid in the seat next to Mary, who was looking at Caroline.
"Since when have you two been a couple?" she asked Caroline, who turned bright red.
"We're not a couple..." they both stuttered together. Then Mary laughed.
"Come on, Caroline, stop playing dumb. When I woke up in the middle of the night, you didn't think I could hear you guys? Also you guys are sitting really close together," she said, while I was squirming in my seat. She had found this out so easily what if she found out about...
"Okay, okay, we didn't want to say anything, but yeah..." she said smiling.
"Are you kidding me? This is great news!" Mary screamed across the table.
They both started smiling, and soon it was contagious enough that even Deven and I started smiling. And then we started eating our burgers.
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I drove back to our apartment complex and dropped Mary off at her place and then started to head down. The sun had gone down in the time we had gone out to dinner to Olive Garden.
"Wait. Can you- never mind," she said cutting herself off. I walked back towards her and smirked.
"What? Do you want me to stay?" I asked her grabbing her hand and clasping her hand in between mine. She nodded and I came inside. She closed the door behind her and gave me a big hug. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and mine went to wrap around her waist.
"I have to go take a shower," she told me, grabbing her stuff and heading into the bathroom. I sat down on her bed, looking at her ratty black sketchbook that was mocking me from her dresser. I turned my head and looked around her room at the canvases that covered the ugly beige walls.
There were many sunsets and starry nights. But the other ones were of me and her. Sometimes we were silhouettes, others were shadows. Sometimes it was just us. The way her paintings made me feel was so hard to describe. All of them, excitement, fear, happiness, heart ache, broke through the surface that I kept. I had to bite my tongue to stop from yelling out the truth.
I heard the door open and Mary step inside her room with wet hair and a towel she was using to dry it. She came and sat down next to me on her bed.
"Okay. We're completely alone. Tell me what's wrong," she said frowning at me. When she frowned it made her look like she had just aged a couple years. I brought my fingers to her face and unraveled her frown.
"It's nothing," I told her, getting up. She put her hands on my shoulders and gave me a look that said 'tell me what's wrong.' I sighed. I didn't know what to tell her. I couldn't just say that I was cheating on her.
"Have you talked to Lily?" she asked me. Lily, was my mother.
"No, I haven't," I told her, confessing.
"If you won't talk to me, at least talk to her," she told me, her frown reappearing.
"You know-" I started. I didn't want her to feel like I was keeping things from her. Even though I was. I felt a surge, like an angel telling me to leave her. I wasn't good enough for her. I was a dirty, lying, cheater.
"I know there are some things that you can't tell anyone, not even me. But, Jake, you can talk to your mom," she told me. And she was right, but so was I. She deserved somebody so much better than me.
"Yeah, you're right," I told her, "I should go."
"Only if you want to," she said to me. And I wanted to stay. I wanted to hug her, and I wanted to lie close to her. But I shook my head.
"Bye," I heard her soft, chiming voice call out towards me.
I climbed up the stairs to the seventh floor, where my apartment was. I opened the door, and saw Caroline pressed up against the wall with Deven hovering above her.
"Oh!" I heard Caroline yelp, when she saw me inching myself across the living room with my hands covering my eyes.
"Dude, I thought you were staying at Mary's," I heard Deven's booming voice.
"Well, as you can clearly see, I'm not. Keep it down, would you?" I asked them, entering my bedroom.
I got into my bed and soon fell asleep listening to some very uncomfortable noises from the living room.
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I got up and grabbed my bag, tying my shoes. I sneaked past Caroline and Deven, who were lying on the couch. I opened the door, noiselessly, and creeped out.
Soon I got into my car, and drove to the hotel.
The hotels sign was bright and luminous, even though the sun was up. I drove in, and parked my car in one of the slots.
I grabbed my bag, and opened the door of my car, closing it behind me. I stepped inside the bright hotel lobby, with sun pouring in from all sides. I went up to the receptionist.
"Hello," I said clearing my throat, "I have a meeting with Emma Pendrew."
The receptionist looked up, with sharp hazel eyes and dark brown hair. She had way too much makeup on, but she looked beautiful.
"Yeah, you're Jake Wate?" she asked me, handing me a key for a room. 966. I grabbed it, thanking her. I headed toward the elevator, and once I got in, I pressed the button 9.
The doors opened revealing the ninth floor. I stepped inside the brightly lit hallway.
I followed the dull blue arrows, till the door was right in front of me. I swiped the key card and the door swung open. The last thing I saw were her lips crashing against mine.
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I woke up to a series of several beeps. By the ringtone I guessed they were texts from Mary.
"Ugh, that little bitch finds a way to ruin the little time we have alone together," Emma murmured against my chest. She grabbed my phone and started typing.
"Hey, hey," I said snatching the phone from her hands. Emma had already sent the text.
From Mary:
Hey, good morning!
From Mary:
do you wanna do anything tonight?
From Mary:
Deven said you weren't home?
From Mary:
Are you visiting your mom?
To Mary:
I need a little me time. Chill.
I quickly typed something in so that the first text didn't seem to harsh.
To Mary:
Yeah, I'm visiting my mom. I'll see you in a bit. (:
Then I got up, throwing Emma her mini skirt and tank top that honestly looked more like a bra. I shoved my legs in my jeans and grabbed my shirt. As I was putting it on, I opened the door and stepped out. But before I could go far, she dragged me back in and started pressing her lips against mine ferociously. I put my hands around her bare waist, because she hadn't put on her clothes yet. She dragged me in even more and then fell on the bed with me. When her hands started to reach up, and try to lift it up again, I pulled away, sighing.
"I've got to go. I'll see you Monday night after your shift at the post office. Okay?" I asked her walking out the door once again. This time she stayed on the bed, putting on her skirt and top. Then she slipped her shoes on and grabbed my arm.
"Okay," she said, kissing me once more, but this time ending it before it became too much. I waved goodbye to her and took the stairs down.
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I got into my car, thinking about the first time Emma and I had met. It was in a bar, where I was almost collapsing, because I was really that drunk. She had taken me to her car, and driven me to her hotel room.
The reason I was drunk was Mary. I mean she wasn't directly giving me the alcohol or hurting me, but it all led back to her.
I wasn't a virgin at that point, but she was. She would barely touch me, even when we were alone. She was too timid, too shy, too innocent. I tried to break through that shell, but nothing seemed to work. I had given up. But I didn't want to give up what we had, because when we did touch it was something I had never felt something so real. I found myself craving those small touches too much.
That had led me to some no name bar to get drunk.
Emma had taken me to her home, and that was when I realized I could be with Mary, and have the... intimacy I wanted.
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