When I woke the next morning I could see through the crack in Jake’s curtains that it was just getting bright outside. I glanced at his alarm clock, which read 4:45, and snuggled back into his warm body, which was curled around mine, happy that I had a few hours to nap before I’d have to go home, before my parents checked on me. I grabbed his arm, which was draped loosely across my waist, and pulled it tighter around me, just relishing the sensation of his bare chest pressed against my back.
‘Ughnn,’ Jake groaned, but pulled me tighter against him and snuggled his face into my neck. ‘Why do you wake so early?’ His hot breath tickled my skin and I wriggled happily.
‘I don’t need sleep,’ I replied, my voice thick with it.
‘Liar,’ Jake said, shifting slightly, and his feet rubbed off mine.
‘Footsie in bed, how original,’ I teased.
‘Yeah, shut up. What’s the plan for today?’
‘Well,’ I said, rolling over to face him and laying my forehead against his. I was a few inches below him in the bed so I was looking up at him, and his midnight blue eyes almost sent me into a daze. ‘I’m gonna sneak home soon and try to shimmy up the drainpipe so my parents don’t notice I snuck out to see a boy last night.’
‘Mmm.’ Without his calcium fix Jake was still dopey with sleep, and closed his eyes so I was no longer in any daze-related danger. ‘I’ll come with you. Watch you shimmying up the pipe.’
‘Ha, and, indeed, ha,’ I said sarcastically. ‘You have to stay here. You can pick me up later for our date.’
‘Our date?’ Jake’s eyes had snapped open again.
‘Yeah, this magnificent first date you seem to think you can pull off.’ I paused and put on a girly voice. ‘If I’m gonna be the girl then you’ll have to wine and dine me first,’ I teased.
-----------------
One hour, a lot of cuddling, and one sweaty make-out session later I was standing underneath my bedroom window, regarding the grey porridge I’d thrown out the night before as it congealed on the rose bushes. I was about to grab onto the trellis and climb back inside when my mother’s head stuck out through my bedroom window.
‘He’s home,’ she called to someone, presumably my dad.
I dropped my head into my hands as she pulled her head back and moments later the front door opened. What on earth were they doing up at six am?
‘Anything you want to tell us?’ my dad asked nonchalantly as we sat down in the sitting room, them on one couch making a united front, and me on the other, alone.
‘I stayed over at Jake’s,’ I said. It was one of those rare occasions where telling the truth will get you in less trouble than any lie.
‘We had a call from Stacey,’ my mom said, ‘after we went to bed last night. She seems to think you’ve come out.’
I swallowed.
‘Have you?’
‘In a manner of speaking,’ I said. I sensed I was going to be in a lot of trouble. If they found out I was with Jake now, would the sleepovers stop?
‘Care to elaborate on that?’
‘Well, I went to a gay club,’ I said, conveniently leaving out the part where I got drugged and almost raped. ‘And I’m... Seeing someone.’
‘Would this be the boy you’ve been in love with for the past two years, or is it someone new?’ my dad interjected pleasantly.
I swallowed again. I had never told them about liking Jake.
‘The former,’ I muttered, blushing.
My mother squealed – squealed! My mother! – and jumped up from the couch, rushing over to me and enveloping me in a hug. My dad shook my hand. I was confused.
‘How did you know?’ I asked in a strangled voice after a minute.
‘You’re an open book dear,’ my mom said, distracted now as she stood up to get ready for work. Why do people keep saying this to me?
‘Do you know my laptop password?’ I asked suspiciously.
‘Yes,’ they both answered.
‘But we’re too scared to check up on you,’ my dad added, causing me to drop my head into my hands again.
An hour later as they were leaving for work, and I was getting excited about my date, my mom called over her shoulder, ‘Oh and you’re grounded for a week for sneaking out. House arrest,’ and slammed the door behind her.
Wha’?!
Jake’s POV
When I eventually emerged from my room in search of milk, I was surprised to find my parents in the kitchen, sitting around the island with Kelly. One look at my sister confirmed that she hadn’t yet told them about the Jenny-Hancroft thing, and I certainly wasn’t about to.
‘Going out?’ my dad asked mildly.
‘Yeah... What are you guys doing home?’
‘We won a major case yesterday,’ my mom said. That explained the “working late” then. ‘So we’re taking the day off. Where are you going?’
‘Got a date.’
‘A date? But didn’t Jenny just leave for her aunt’s place?’
‘It’s not with Jenny.’
‘You move fast,’ my mom said at the same time my dad said, ‘That’s my boy,’ and put his hand up for a high five.
‘Who’s the lucky girl?’ my mom asked.
‘Yeah Jake,’ Kelly interjected, making a face at me. ‘Who’s the lucky girl.’
I scowled at her, then turned back to my parents. ‘Taylor,’ I said mildly, grabbing a muffin from the basket on the island.
My parents both raised their gazes from their cereal and looked at me. Then my dad dropped his head into his hands groaning, ‘Not you too,’ and my mom waved her hand at the ceiling, muttering, ‘Goodbye, grandchildren.’
But they were joking. I think.
‘Catch ya later,’ I said slipping out before the interrogation could start and slamming the door behind me. Let Kelly deal with it.
---------------------------------
‘There were a shortage of white horses so I just brought my car,’ I quipped when Taylor opened the door.
‘Don’t think he’d have enjoyed a day in my back garden anyway,’ Taylor said gloomily, stepping back to let me in. ‘I’m under house arrest.’
‘Oh that’s fine,’ I replied. ‘It’s not like I had the most amazing date planned or anything.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Taylor whined, scrunching his face up in apology.
‘Am I allowed to be here?’
‘There were no specifications against it...’
‘Good. What’d you do anyway?’ I asked walking into the kitchen like I owned the place and picking up the phone.
Taylor explained about getting caught trying to sneak back in, and telling his parents about us.
‘Yeah, I told mine too... Probably something we should have done together.’
‘Can you believe they knew?’ Taylor was ignoring me. He put on a deep voice I recognized as his version of his dad’s, and said, ‘ “Would this be the boy you’ve been in love with for the past two years, or is it someone new?” ’
‘Two years?’ I interrupted him, taking the phone away from my ear.
Taylor’s eyes widened and he turned red. ‘He was exaggerating,’ he mumbled.
‘You’ve been in love with me for two years.’ I put the phone down and started walking around the island towards him.
‘No. Don’t be so self-centred. It’s more like, two minutes.’
‘Twenty-four months.’ I was standing in front of him now.
‘Twenty-four seconds.’
I stopped so we were almost touching, electricity bouncing back and forth between our bodies. ‘That is such a turn on,’ I said quietly. Taylor didn’t say anything, just looked up at me, wide-eyed. ‘Now go away,’ I said, taking a step back from him. ‘I have a date to salvage.’ I picked up the phone again and ushered him out of the kitchen, closing the door behind him.
Taylor’s POV
Stupid, stupid, stupid! What did I have to go and say that for?
I paced over and across the sitting room, smacking myself on the head. He probably thought I was some sort of creeper. Although, the way he got right up in my face in and started talking all seductively kind of lends towards the opposite.
After twenty minutes Jake came out of the kitchen and caught me by the wrist mid-headsmack. ‘None of your self-destruction,’ he said mildly, manipulating my wrist so he could twirl me around as if we were dancing. He was really happy today.
‘I haven’t really been in love with you for two years,’ I warned him.
‘You so have. You’re an easy read.’
‘Hid it from you for that long,’ I muttered.
‘Aha! So you admit it.’
‘I admit nothing. When is this supposedly amazing date starting?’
‘It started when I got here,’ Jake faked a wounded look. ‘Is my company not amazing enough for you?’
‘You spent the last twenty minutes alone in the kitchen.’
‘Fair point, well made. The entertainment should be here soon. Til then...’ He pushed me backwards onto the couch and straddled me. ‘We’ll have to make our own.’
A steamy half hour later the doorbell rang.
‘Ignore it,’ I muttered, kissing down his neck softly. ‘I can do without the entertainment.’
‘You stay here,’ Jake ignored me. ‘No peeking.’
I groaned as he climbed off me. ‘I won’t enjoy it as much as this!’ I called after him in warning as he closed the sitting room door behind him, but I caught his grin.
Jake’s POV
I opened Taylor’s front door without stopping to check how I looked, and realised I was pretty much a walking dead giveaway when the delivery guy grinned at me. My hair was a complete mess on top of my head, my t-shirt was both back-to-front and inside-out as I’d had to throw it back on quickly when the doorbell sounded, and my shorts were twisted.
‘Got a girl over?’ the guy asked conversationally as two others unloaded the surprise from the back of a truck, and winked.
‘Guy, actually,’ I said pleasantly, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet to pay him. The delivery man looked flustered all of a sudden as he took the cash and handed over the clipboard for me to sign.
‘Where do you want it?’ he asked, motioning to the crate and blushing, as if everything he said now took on an entendre just because he knew I was gay.
‘Through that gate,’ I pointed to the side gate that led through to Taylor’s back garden. I closed the door before he could embarrass himself anymore and went back into the sitting room.
‘Now where were we?’ I asked, moving to sit on Taylor’s lap again.
‘What’s that big truck for?’ he asked.
‘Hey! I said no peeking.’
‘I told you I’m the one in charge.’
‘If you’re in charge and the insecure one, what does that leave for me?’ I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his.
‘Mysterious, annoying-’ I leaned down and kissed his jawbone, ‘irritating, secretive-’ I moved down to kiss his neck, ‘exasperating, teasing-’ I nibbled on his earlobe, ‘don’t stop...’
I smiled into the kiss and moved my lips back to his for a few moments, the pulled away and stood up. ‘Come on!’ I said, holding out my hand.
Taylor groaned in annoyance. ‘This had better be good,’ he replied, taking my hand and letting me lead him out to the back garden.
The delivery guys had left at this point, and all that stood in the back garden was a big, pulsating bouncing castle. Taylor started laughing.
‘You’re insane,’ he said, dragging me towards it. ‘Is it because you have put me on a pedestal due to my ultimate kissing abilities and you now see me as a prince in peasant’s clothing?’ He climbed into the bouncing castle.
‘No, it’s cos I was gonna take you to Funderland.’
‘Is it cos I’m under house arrest, locked in the highest room in the tallest tower?’ Taylor was bouncing enthusiastically now.
‘No it’s cos you’re about as mature as a five year old.’
‘Is it cos you think you’re Prince Charming and want me to break my ankle so you can come in here and rescue me on your noble steed?’
‘No it’s cos...’ I trailed off, slightly embarrassed.
Taylor stopped bouncing and just stood there. ‘It’s cos why?’ he asked, his grammar also regressing to that of a five year old.
‘Nothing. It’s just you really, really wanted one for your birthday a few years ago and you didn’t get one.’
‘You remember what I wanted for my tenth birthday?’
I shrugged.
Taylor grinned. ‘In that case you’ve been in love with me for seven years and I have nothing to be embarrassed about.’
I climbed up into the bouncing castle with him and bounced a bit, keeping my feet on its air-filled floor. ‘You have everything to be embarrassed about,’ I said, suddenly starting to bounce really hard and causing him to fall over. ‘You’re centre of gravity is in shocking condition.’
We stayed in the bouncing castle for the next two hours, messing about and doing stupid things that boys do, like climbing up the sides and bouncing into each other on purpose. Eventually, we fell back, exhausted.
‘They’ll be back to collect it soon,’ I said, still panting.
‘It was a pretty amazing date,’ Taylor conceded.
I propped myself up on my elbows. ‘Oh, you think it’s over? Oh no. Not at all.’ Taylor made a face and started to say something, but I interrupted him. ‘Get your mind out of the gutter, Hannon. I meant, we still have to eat.’
Taylor’s tummy grumbled as soon as I said it and he blushed. ‘You’re going to cook?’ he asked, looking nervous. I am not what you might call a good cook. I am, in fact, what you might call a bad cook. I can burn water.
‘Don’t look so scared,’ I said confidently. ‘I’m relatively certain I can do this.’
Just as we were getting up to go back inside, the side gate opened and the same delivery guy from before stuck his head in.
‘Any complaints?’ he asked, walking over followed by the other two, who went around the back and started letting out the air.
I shook my head and he gave me my deposit back, then I signed his clipboard again where he pointed. ‘Thanks.’
I grabbed Taylor’s hand and led him back inside.
‘How much did that cost you?’ he asked suspiciously.
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you really think I’m going to tell you?’
‘Tell me half then, so I can pay you back.’
‘How about you pay for the next date and we’ll call it square?’
‘So you’re the girl next time?’
I sighed. ‘Yes Taylor. I’m the girl next time. Now go amuse yourself while I try to not burn down your kitchen.’
‘You make me nervous,’ he muttered, wandering back into the sitting room and turning on the TV.
Taylor’s POV
I lay out on the couch and flicked through the channels for twenty minutes, flinching every time I heard clattering, banging, or swearing coming from the kitchen. It was difficult to concentrate on Dora the Explorer at the best of times, but with the mini heart attacks I was having every five seconds she was downright impossible.
Eventually Jake emerged from the kitchen, carrying two huge bowls – one covered with nachos, cheese, and a really spicy-smelling salsa, and the other with large scoops of vanilla ice cream.
‘You’re a culinary genius,’ I said dryly as he laid them on the table.
‘Just you wait,’ he said, grinning wickedly, and I realised he had some ulterior motive. He dragged the table closer to the couch and sat down beside me. ‘Choose one.’
‘What?’
‘You only get one. Choose.’
‘You’re generous,’ I muttered, and selfishly pulled the nachos towards me. Then I sat there waiting, for some reason.
‘Well,’ Jake said, picking up the spoon, ‘dig in.’ He shovelled a spoon of ice cream into his mouth. Suspicious, I picked up a nacho, scooped a generous amount of salsa, and put it in my mouth.
Immediately my tongue went on fire and I swallowed quickly, scrabbling around for a glass of water. Before I could get up and run to the kitchen though, Jake put his hand on my neck and kissed me, his ice-cream cold tongue cooling my mouth instantly. He pulled away, grinning.
‘You’re a sneaky one,’ I said, but couldn’t help laughing. I swapped the bowls around. ‘See how you like it,’ I challenged.
‘I have no doubts I’ll like it,’ he teased, picking up a nacho while I had some ice cream. I leaned in a kissed him as soon as he’d swallowed. ‘I may have made the salsa a bit hot,’ he admitted once I’d pulled away.
‘No shit,’ I joked, swapping the bowls back again.