Chapter 90: Will You?
Roughly half an hour later...
Zak and I arrived back at his place, and while Zak tipped the driver, I ran up to the front door with his keys - quickly unlocking the door and stepping inside.
"Damn rain!" I grumbled, wiping a bit of water from my face. It was still pouring outside, and I just barely manage to step aside in time for Zak to run in behind me.
"Damn it!" He muttered, slicking his hair back off his forehead and trying to shape it back into place, as if he was embarrassed to be seen with his hair not shaped in his traditional "Zak Fin" style.
I smiled to myself as I closed the door behind him, and then laughed quietly to see him looking in a mirror that was on the wall near the front door.
"So that's why that mirror is there, huh?" I teased.
Zak laughed as he made a sheepish face.
"We can't all look as beautiful as you do all the time," Zak replied, with a smirk on his face.
I felt my face flush, and before I could say a word, Zak kissed me briefly.
I kissed him back, and then saw him grinning from ear to ear as he pulled back.
"What?" I asked softly, smiling slightly at how sweet he looked.
"I'm glad I can do that now," Zak replied, smiling still.
I smiled, feeling my face flush slightly again.
"I just hope I don't-" I started to say, but Zak cut me off.
"You do not suck at kissing, so don't you dare say it," Zak said softly, completely serious.
I felt my face flush a bit more, but feeling a bit more confident, I leaned up and gently kissed him. I felt Zak smile against my lips before he kissed me back, and I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Before the kiss could become more passionate, we were both startled by a familiar bark.
"Gracie!" Zak jokingly groaned as we pulled back, causing us both to laugh.
I looked down to see Gracie standing near us, happily wagging her tail.
"Hi Gracie," I said, smiling as she looked up at me.
"Well, with that moment interrupted," Zak started with a small laugh. "Let me get us some towels and change of clothes before we freeze to death," Zak added, slipping off his shoes and then jogged upstairs.
I smiled and slipped off my own shoes, glad to be rid of the heels, and kneeled down and gave some attention to a waiting Gracie.
~*~*~*~*~
After a few minutes of affection with Gracie, I stood back up and looked at myself in the mirror. My previously teased up, reverse French braid had become a flat, tangled mess from the rain.
"Ugh, this is going to take forever to comb out," I grumbled to myself.
"Let me do that, after you change," Zak suddenly said, as he came back downstairs, carrying a few towels and a change of clothes for me.
He had changed out of his wet clothes - now wearing a pair of black pyjama pants and a black, short sleeved shirt. And as usual, the shirt clung to his muscular form well. His hair was a messier version of his "Zak fin" – and it looked incredibly sexy.
I tried to ignore the slightly dirty thoughts that came into my head as I looked at him in surprise.
"You want to comb out my hair?" I questioned.
Zak smiled slightly to one side.
"Would be easier on you," Zak said softly, holding the towels and change of clothes out to me. "But you better not tell anyone, I have a manly reputation to keep up," Zak added, jokingly.
I laughed quietly as I took the towels and change of clothes.
"I won't tell a soul," I promised as I headed to the bathroom.
"Good, or no more kisses for you," Zak teased.
I laughed again and jokingly rolled my eyes as I shut the bathroom door.
~*~*~*~*~
As I was taking off my pants, I realized I had a HUGE problem.
My clothes had been soaked straight through, which meant I had to take off my bra and underwear, or they'd just get Zak's clothes wet.
Oh god...I thought in embarrassment.
I grabbed one of the towels Zak had given me and wrapped it around my waist, and then opened the door just enough to peek out.
"Zak?" I called, not seeing him anywhere nearby.
"One sec!" I heard Zak call back, his voice coming from the kitchen area.
A minute later, he appeared, with a wet Gracie following behind him.
He must have let her outside to relieve herself.
"What's up doll?" Zak asked.
I smiled at the nickname, but avoided looking at him.
"Um...do you wear boxers?" I asked shyly.
"Yes...why are you suddenly asking about my underwear choices? Want to see?" Zak asked, jokingly hooking his thumb in the waistband of his pyjama pants and pulling them down enough that I could see the waistband of his boxers.
My eyes widened in surprise, and despite my shock, I laughed.
"No!" I retorted, my face flushing.
Ugh, why do I have to blush at everything?!
"My clothes are soaked straight through...so I was wondering..." I trailed off, becoming shy again.
Thankfully, Zak quickly realized as he readjusted his pyjama pants.
"Right, I'll grab a pair for you," Zak said, giving me a playful smirk before he jogged upstairs.
I couldn't help but laugh, before resting my forehead against the door frame.
I'm officially going to die of embarrassment one of these days...
~*~*~*~*~
After Zak came back with a pair of boxers, I finished changing and then I gathered up my wet clothes. Then I found myself - once again - somewhat shyly, opening the bathroom door.
I'm wearing Zak's underwear and have no bra on...
Thank god the black pyjama pants and black shirt he had given me were baggy – though that was to be expected, since I was so tiny compared to him.
"Why are you blushing now- oh," Zak said, then started to chuckle as he saw my clothes in my hands – with part of my bra clearly visible.
I quickly shoved my bra out of sight.
Zak smirked as he walked over to me.
"Naked under there, huh? And in my boxers...I like it..." Zak said, looking me up and down.
"Shut up Bagans!" I muttered in embarrassment, my face beet red as I shoved past him and made my way to his laundry room to throw my clothes in the dryer, hearing Zak's laughter the entire way.
"You're adorable, you know that?" Zak called after me.
I smiled as I began putting my clothes in the dryer.
"I'm surprised 'adorable' is in your vocabulary, with your manly reputation!" I called back, teasing him.
I heard Zak laughing.
"I have a soft side too ya know!" He called back.
I laughed and smiled again.
"I know you do...and I love it," I said quietly to myself.
~*~*~*~*~
After I put my clothes in the dryer, I walked back out into the hall to see Zak carrying a bar stool from the island in the kitchen, into the bathroom.
I can't believe he really wants to help me with my hair...
I grabbed my clutch from the table near the front door and followed Zak into the bathroom. I opened the clutch and took out a wide tooth comb I had put into it earlier.
Zak took the comb from me and jokingly held his hand out toward the seat.
"What would you like done today dahling?" Zak jokingly asked, talking in a silly accent he often uses in his social media videos.
I laughed as I sat down on the bar stool, facing the mirror.
"Oh I dunno, how about a hot pink Mohawk?" I joked.
Zak couldn't help but laugh.
"Okey-dokey," Zak joked, before carefully taking the elastic out from the end of my braid, leaning forward to set it on the counter before standing up straight again.
I watched him via his reflection in the mirror.
"Have you ever done this before?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Nope...you're the first," Zak admitted, as I felt his fingers begin to carefully undo the French braid – his attention fully on my hair. He seemed a little unsure of how to undo the braid at first, but once he got the first bit of it undone, he seemed to make better progress.
"Guess we've both experienced a first tonight then..." I said, smiling slightly.
I still couldn't believed we had kissed, but I also felt like we had kissed numerous times before.
I saw Zak smile to one side as he continued undoing the braid.
"I suppose so..." Zak said, then suddenly looked sort of sad.
"What's wrong?" I asked, confused.
"Here goes my manly reputation..." Zak said, chuckling quietly. "But I'm sorry your first kiss ended up in the rain...and because of...well, let's just say that wasn't how I wanted it to go," Zak said softly, keeping his eyes focused on my hair.
"I'm not sorry...it was better than anything I've ever imagined..." I replied softly, trying not to be shy.
Zak looked up at my reflection in the mirror, and started to smile.
"Really? You're not upset it wasn't...I dunno, in a more romantic setting? Man, I sound like such a girl," Zak said, causing me to laugh.
"You don't. I'm touched that you were thinking about that, but honestly...no regrets," I said.
Zak smiled at me and he leaned down and gently kissed my cheek.
"I'm glad," Zak said softly, before standing back up and started to undo the rest of the braid on the top of my head.
I smiled, but then winced as my hair started to come undone. The pitfalls of having thick, long hair – if you wear it in a style you're not used to, it tends to hurt your scalp after a while.
Zak's hands froze in my hair.
"Am I hurting you?" Zak questioned.
"No, no – just tender from having it in a different style," I replied.
Zak visibly relaxed, and finished undoing the braid. Now it was time to comb it out.
"Jeez, how did Jennifer even do this?" Zak asked, gently holding one section of my hair with one hand, and gently working through the tangles with the comb.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"I don't know," I replied, as I watched him in the mirror.
It touched me so much to watch this six foot, dark, muscular man, carefully combing out my hair.
"What are you smiling at?" Zak teased, glancing at my reflection in the mirror.
I chuckled.
"I'm just happy..." I admitted, honestly.
Zak smiled as he continued carefully combing out my hair.
"I'm glad, because I have a very important question to ask you," Zak said.
I momentarily felt my heart stop.
A very important question...?
"What is it...?" I asked, nervously.
Zak was smiling as he stopped combing out my hair briefly to lean down and he spoke near my ear.
"Since we've kissed...will you be my girlfriend?" Zak asked, softly.
I felt relief, and also joy, run through me.
"Hmmm..." I said softly, pretending to be thinking about it.
I smiled as Zak laughed.
"Oh come on!" He jokingly whined.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"You realize we haven't gone on a date yet, right?" I teased him.
It didn't really matter now, if you want to go in the "proper order" of things, since we had kissed already.
Zak was momentarily speechless.
"Shit..." He mumbled, looking a bit down.
I felt bad then.
"Aww, hey," I said, turning a bit on the stool to look at him. "I'm sorry, I was only teasing you. I would love to be your girlfriend..." I said softly, a bit shyly.
I felt my heart skip a few beats when he looked at me, our faces inches apart.
"You would?" Zak asked softly, his face and eyes beginning to light up.
I smiled and nodded.
"I would," I answered softly.
Zak practically beamed and pumped a fist into the air.
"Yes!" Zak exclaimed.
I laughed, and before I could tell him how silly he was, he leaned in and kissed me.
I smiled as I kissed him back.
Oh my god...I have a boyfriend!