Chapter 37: Emily
"This place is beautiful." I gushed as we walked to the entrance of the resort. My hand was placed firmly in Jay's and he rolled my suitcase with his overnight bag tossed over his shoulder. I might have overpacked, just a little.
"I was trying to go for a cabin in the woods, but closer to civilization."
"I would say you nailed it." I stood on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. The resort was made of wood, with balconies overlooking the Little Pigeon River. I spotted a common area with a firepit and several chairs pulled around it. As we stepped inside the resort, I wandered to the picture glass window, looking out at the view as Jay checked us in. Being here, alone with him felt surreal. Everything he has said in the truck hit me right in the feels. I wanted more than anything to call him mine. I watched as other couples held hands and laughed as they walked up the riverbank. Could we ever be that carefree and happy?
His arm slid around my waist and his face buried in my neck. "All checked in."
I smiled and turned in his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. He rubbed his nose against mine and my heart flopped.
"We have dinner reservations at 7:30." His voice was low and husky. I looked at the clock over his head.
"Hmmm...that means we have about an hour," I smiled up at him. "And I believe I saw a hot tub out there."
He laughed. "If I see you in a swimsuit there is no way I am going to make it to dinner on time."
I blushed and took his hand in mine. "How about we go up to our room and get settled in then."
"I like that plan."
He led me to the elevator and hit the button for the fourteenth floor.
The room was cozy and large. Wood beams criss-crossed across the ceiling and a wooden bed sat in the center of the room. He pulled me into his arms as soon as we were in the room and kissed me deep and hard.
"Do you have one of those cute little sundressed in that suitcase of yours?" he asked.
"Of course I do."
"Wear that." He planted a kiss on my cheek. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" I pouted. He smiled and winked.
"To make sure a couple things are in place."
I narrowed my eyes at him, but he just smirked and rushed out the door. I rocked back on my heels and stared at the closed door. My chest tightened with worry. What was he going off to do? Was he calling Lucy?
I shook that thought right out of my head. I knew that wasn't true. He hadn't once called her or reached out to her when we were together. It was always the other way around. I pulled my suitcase up on the small settee and unzipped it, clothes spilling out the top. Definitely packed too much. I rummaged around inside until I found the dress I was looking for. I slipped out of my shorts and pulled my top over my head, letting them heap on the floor at my feet. I unhooked my bra and let it join the other garments on the floor. I slipped into a cute, open back pink sundress. The top was baby pink and hugged my breast while the bottom flowed out and was covered in flowers. I took my makeup and headed to the bathroom to make a few touch ups.
I heard the room door open and poked my head out of the bathroom. He held his hand out to me, a glint in his eyes. I stepped out of the bathroom taking his hand. He twirled me around, whistling as he took me in.
"Damn, you're gorgeous." He spun me right into his arms, his mouth pressing to mine. I fell into his arms. Reluctantly he pulled away from me and cleared his throat, adjusting himself. I giggled.
"We should head out."
"Right, dinner." I interlocked my hand with his and the two of us headed out.
We walked up the busy street to a small steak house.
"I hope you like steak." He said as he opened the door.
"Actually, I'm vegetarian."
He stopped and turned to face me, his face turning red. "Shit, are you serious?"
I laughed and shook my head. "No, I'm messing with you."
He smiled and shook his head. "Shit, you had me fretting for a second."
Once inside, he gave his name to the hostess and she escorted us to a small table in the back of the restaurant.
"Someone will be right with you to take your order." The hostess gave Jay a megawatt smile, then looked down her nose at me.
"Wow," I laughed. "You just got hardcore eye fucked."
"What?" He scooted his chair up and took my hand.
"The hostess," I nodded in her direction. "She was checking you out."
"Well, she can look all she wants." He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. "I'm taken."
Oh be still my heart! I leaned over and kissed his cheek, but he turned his head and captured my mouth.
A throat clearing had us separating.
"Hi y'all my name is Megan. And I'll be taking care of y'all tonight." The waitress greeted us. She was petite with dirty blonde hair she wore pulled up in a ponytail. She pushed her glasses up on her face, smiling at us. "Can I bring y'all something to drink?"
"I'll have the YeeHaw Kolsch," he ordered. He pulled his ID out of his wallet showing it to Megan. She nodded and handed it back to him.
"Just water for me."
"Alright, I'll be right back with those drinks."
"Just water, huh."
"There's something about having to be twenty one to order beer if I recall." I tapped my finger against my cheek.
"Right. I forgot." He scooted closer to me. "So when do you turn twenty one?"
I smiled. It had been so easy to throw him off earlier I couldn't resist doing it now.
"In four years."
He paled and his eyes widened.
"Wh..ar... I..." he stumbled. I started giggling, just as Megan sat our drinks down.
"Are y'all ready to order."
"Give us just a minute, Megan."
"Sure thing," she bounced off
"Emily," his voice was low and gravely. "How old are you?"
I laughed. "Don't you think that's something you should have asked me before you slept with me?" I batted my eyes at him, enjoying him struggling very much.
"I thought...I assumed...Shit." he released my hand and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.
"I'm messing with you." I decided to put him out of his misery. "I'll be twenty one next week."
"Jesus," he sighed with relief, taking several gulps of his beer. He sat back in his chair and shook his head at me. A grin spread across his face. "You really are going to be the death of me."
"That's right. You're practically ready for the geriatric ward."
He placed his arms on the table and gazed at me intently. "So, you're turning twenty one next week and you weren't going to tell me?"
"I just told you, didn't I?"
"So that makes you a Libra, right?"
I nodded, surprised he was up on his zodiac.
"Why am I not surprised?" He chuckled.
"Hey," I slapped him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you are beautiful and charming. Well balanced and generous. You're creative and kind of a social butterfly."
"Wow. I never pegged you as an astrologist."
He chuckled. "My sister is way into horoscopes and shit. I've learned by proximity.
It felt like he had just given me another little part of himself.
"I love that. My mom believed in everything from the daily horoscopes to the fortune cookies from the local chinese restaurant."
I tilted my head and looked at him. "And let's see, you are charming and affectionate. Sociable, but can also turn very serious. You have a side you show to the world and then a side you only share with a few select people. You are the perfect counterpart to my scales. Which makes you a Gemini."
"And you are always full of surprises." He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Becky would love you."
I felt my skin blush. I was already aware that he didn't talk about his family much, and he has already told me he never introduced girls to his family. But in this moment, I felt like I was getting to know that other side of him. The side that might consider introducing me to his sister. Or maybe I was reading too much into this.
Thankfully Megan returned and took our orders.
"So, you will be twenty two when?" I asked.
"Actually," he took a sip of his beer and cleared his throat. "I'll be twenty four on June thirteenth."
"Wow," I threw my head back and laughed. "You really are an old man. No wonder you are worried about your heart."
He placed his hand on my knee and leaned in close to me. "Don't worry about my heart, baby. The doctor put me on this new little blue pill." His eyes crinkled in the corner.
I snorted. "I'm here to say you don't need that little blue pill either."
"Damn right I don't." He placed his finger under my chin then leaned in and kissed me. A warmth spread over me and all my worries drifted away. I could pretend, just for the night, that things could always be like this between us.
After dinner, we walked hand in hand up the bustling Parkway. We stopped in a couple souvenir shops and laughed together at the outlandish gifts. I bought Mia a keychain shaped like a penis that said 'My BFF went to Pigeon Forge and got me some dick.' And I got a couple shot glasses for Ashley and Will with a cat and a rooster on them. They read 'I like her...' and 'I like his...'
After our shopping spree, we watched a man in the window as he strung taffy on a giant spool. Then we bought a bar of fudge and split it. Everything felt so perfect.
I let him drag me into an arcade, where he was confident he could beat me in skeeball. The machines whirled and whizzed around us. I watched him as he put money into the quarter machine. He never noticed the other girls who turned to stare at him. He walked straight back to me, kissed me and handed me a handful of change.
"Shall we?" He motioned to the skeeball machine. I smiled and let him lead the way. He took up one machine and I stepped up to the one beside him. I nodded for him to go first, and pretended to be impressed when he sank three balls into the hole marked as thirty. I took my turn and all my balls fell easily into the fifty hole. He stared at me with his mouth open.
"Just lucky, I guess."
"Right."
I walked through the arcade and stopped in front of Mortal Kombat. "Think you can beat me at this?" I smiled.
He narrowed his eyes. "Thirty minutes ago I would have said yes. But now I'm not so sure." He took up the spot beside me at the arcade.
"Winner gets a foot massage from the loser." I pumped my eyebrows at him.
"You're on."
After I completed my third finishing move on him. He grabbed me by the waist and spun me around.
"I feel like I just got played."
"Oh, the player gets played. How does that feel?" I teased. He flinched at my words.
"I never intended to be a player, Emily. Especially not with you."
"I know." I dropped my gaze to the floor. "Sorry."
"Don't be." He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my neck. "How about we get out of here and see what else this night holds."
I nodded. "I like that idea."
When he opened the door to our hotel room, I gasped, a hand flying to my mouth. Candles burned from every surface of the room and a bottle of champagne chilled on the dresser.
"Jay..." I started, but found myself speechless. He took my hand and let me into the room. Candles sat on the nightstand, the dresser and even on the windowsill. He drew me into his arms as my heart banged against my chest.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" He stroked his hand down my cheek. I ran my finger along his shirt collar, then toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Why don't you tell me?"
"You have these mesmerizing green eyes." He placed feather light kisses on my eyelids. "And this smile that lights up a room." He kissed the corner of my mouth. He ran his hand through my hair and sniffed it. "Your hair is so soft and always smells like lavender." His hands trailed down my body, cupping my breast. "Your breast are so fucking perky and you have the sexiest body I have ever laid eyes on."
I trembled in his arms, my knees suddenly feeling like they might give out. But he held on to me. His name was a whisper on my lips as his mouth found mine. He kissed me soft and slow. This wasn't like any other kiss. This was a kiss that stirred my soul, that had me losing myself in him.
"I don't want to rush tonight. I don't want to fuck you." He kissed down my neck as he slowly walked towards the bed. "I want to savor you. I want tonight to be slow and sweet. Over and over again. I want to show you how much you mean to me."
I whimpered, gripping his shirt. "I want that too."
Just as his lips met mine again, his cellphone rang from the nightstand.
"Shit," he cursed and lunged for it, but not before I saw Lucy's name flash across the screen. "I meant to turn it off."
He reached for me again, but the phone buzzed against the nightstand. I crossed my arms across my chest.
"Just answer it." I told him. So much for him being truly mine tonight. So much for pretending.
"No," he tried to gather me back in his arms, but I stepped away fighting back tears. I was so stupid to open myself up to this. I was so naive to think that I could have him all to myself; that the two of us could spend one night together, savoring each other like he had suggested, without any interruption.
"She's just going to keep calling." I walked over to the dresser and started blowing out the candles. "Go ahead. Answer it."
He sighed and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He reached for the phone.
"What Lucy?" his voice was strained as he answered. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but her voice was shrill. He sighed and mouthed sorry to me again as he stepped out onto the balcony.
I watched him for a few moments as he paced back and forth, running his fingers through his hair. He glanced at me momentarily, but I turned away. I blew out the rest of the candles, leaving the room in darkness and stepped into the bathroom. I wiped the tears that had started to escape from my eyes. I refused to cry. I refused to let him see me cry. I plugged up the tub and turned on the water. I slowly peeled off my dress and stepped into the steaming water. I tried to suppress all the feelings I had for a man who I knew would never be mine.
Tonight could have been perfect. But instead, I'm sitting in a bath by myself, hiding my tears behind the steam that filled the room.