Page 2 of Tease
Smacking her butt, I whisper into her ear, “Thank you, beautiful! You look quite sexy yourself.” And she really does. Brittney is five feet tall, and what the guys call “fun size.” She’s wearing a pair of light jean cutoff shorts, which most likely used to be pants, a white blouse, and black cowgirl boots. Her blonde hair hangs in a loose side ponytail over her left shoulder.
Brittney closes the passenger door softly, leaning her body over the middle console, and grabs my shoulder. “I hope you are finally ready to have some fun.” Settling back into her seat, she grabs the seat belt. “The guys should already be there.” Turning to face her, I pull her in for a quick hug.
Revving the engine while in neutral, I assure her, “Oh, I’m more than ready.” I shift the car into drive while Britt cranks theradio up.“Ridin’ Solo”by Jason Derulo spills out of the car. It’s time to get this show on the road.
CHAPTER 3
Kailey
Our drive to the next town has been smooth and loud. We’re singing “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain, just as the tail-end of the cruise strip comes into view. A small hum starts inside my chest, radiating down to my hands. Stopped at a red light, strong bass beats carry from the car next to us, shaking my car as it's idling. Brittney looks over at the driver, only to be met with tinted glass that can’t be seen through. Once I see green, I floor the gas pedal.
Cruising in this small town has always been exciting for me, ever since my sister Beth brought me with her when I was thirteen and she was eighteen. Of the two of us, she’s the wilder one. She dropped out of high school, received her GED, and now she manages a perfume store in town. Beth is well known as being fun, loud, and down to try anything. Which reminds me, I should text her and see if we can meet up for a Mexican lunch date next week.
Tapping the stereo with the tip of my finger, I skip a few songs on my newly burnt CD. When I get to the song “Play” byDavid Banner, I stop, instantly loving the way the bass sounds coming out of my speakers. Pulling up to the back of the cruise line, I turn up the volume even louder. Looking up and out of myside of the T-top, the sky is beautiful. Lit up with stars that look like scattered glitter, no clouds in sight. A bright half-moon is shining back at me, and there’s a strong smell of exhaust in the air.
Brittney starts hollering and waving as people pass our vehicle, and they give us a friendly honk. These nights are about playing loud music and showing off what you drive. Sometimes we like to ride with strangers, hollering for a cute guy to pull over so we can hop in and cruise with his group for a bit. Other times we like to be teases, wanting to be noticed but not touched. I’m feeling like that’s the play for tonight.
Sticking to our typical cruising route, I turn left into the car wash parking lot, where the strip ends. Following the line of cars, we double back to take another lap, when I hear a piercing whistle cut through the brisk air. Our heads swivel at the same time to see who’s being obnoxious to catch our attention. Brittney pokes me in the ribcage. “Geez. So dramatic.” Of course, it’s Greg and Steffan, our guy besties. I give them two honks of acknowledgment while Brittney blows each of them a kiss. She gives me a nod to continue driving. We want to get a few laps in before we park at the car wash to visit with them.
Right as I’m about to pull back out onto the cruise strip, tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. A chill runs over my body. My eyes casually sweep the parking lot, and I notice a third guy standing by Greg and Steffan. He’s staring right at me. Catching me off guard, I do a double take.Wow, he is the definition ofdrop-dead sexy.The new guy shifts his stare to Greg, and I take the opportunity to assess him. He’s wearing a crisp white baseball cap with dark hair spilling out from the bottom, a tight black V-neck shirt with dark denim jeans, and black boots. When I look back up at his face, a small grin forms. When our eyes connect, it takes my breath away, and warmth floods into my core. Reactively, my thighs clench together.
Oh my god, he even has straight white teeth. It’s a definite first thought of mine when it comes to a guy being attractive. Does he have nice teeth? Or a nice smile? Yes, I know it isn’t all about the looks, but let’s be honest for a second: thatiswhat catches our attention.
“Whois that absolute god over there?” Brittney’s voice pulls my focus back to the road. When I don’t respond immediately, she nudges my elbow, waiting for acknowledgment
Lifting my right shoulder, I try my best to sound nonchalant. “No clue. I’ve never seen him before.” Rolling my eyes at her, I try to seem unaffected. “I mean, he isn’t anything to write home about.” I’m hoping that my voice sounds more casual than I feel. Thisfeeling, an instant spark of heat that travels to my core when looking at someone attractive, is definitely not an everyday occurrence for me.What the hell is happening?!
Relaxing her chin into her palm, Britt says, “Well, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.”
Knowing exactly what she’s doing—looking for some sort of reaction out of me—I give her a devilish grin, then continue our drive, pressing the gas pedal down further. “Maybe he thought my Camaro was pretty.”
Brittney rolls her eyes and gets a serious tone. “Come on, girl. You have got to start dating again. Kailey, you are beautiful! You’re going to rock it as a nurse, but you also deserve to be happy. Shoot, maybe even be spoiled by a hot guy, am I right?!”
“Meh, men can’t be trusted.” Emptiness consumes me, thinking about Brandon and his manipulation. Fuck that guy…
“Goodies”by Ciarastarts playing through my speaker, causing the perfect distraction. Brittney and I belt the lyrics at the top of our lungs, dancing and shaking our butts, the seat belts digging into our shoulders. Internally, I’m chanting to myself,I will not be a Debbie Downer tonight.
We cruise a few more laps, jamming to our favorite tunes. Every time the car wash parking lot comes into view, I actively have to force myself not to look at the guy who continues to chat it up with Greg and Steffan like they’re all long-lost friends.
Deciding this was the last lap, it’s time to visit with our friends. They’ve waited long enough. Slowing my car down, I park next to Steffan’s midnight blue F-150 truck. Before I have time to unlatch my seat belt, Greg yanks my door open, looking down at me and showing off a toothy grin that makes his right dimple pop out.
“Hey, handsome.” Giggling, I try to get up and out of the seat without falling into him. Camaro seats are no joke, very low to the ground.
Greg picks me up into one of his famous bear hugs; my legs dangle as he twirls us in a circle. The movement almost caused a sandal to fly off. His breath hits the sensitive part of my neck, the crease. Unintentionally, my nipples perk up on instinct. Softly, he lowers my body to the ground, placing my feet onto the pavement. “Hello, beautiful ladies, we were wondering how long it would take you to get bored of driving around.”
Looking over his shoulder, I notice Steffan and Cap Guy are standing a few feet away behind Greg. I hear “Candy Shop”by 50 Cent blasting from a parked vehicle next to us and I realize I’m nodding my head to the beat.Damn, their bass sounds amazing.
Brittney wraps her arms around Greg’s waist from behind. She’s tiny compared to his six-foot-two frame. “Well, you knew we’d make our appearance atsome point.”
“Oh, for sure, you two can only resist us for so long,” he says with that smile that would typically make girls drop to their knees, rubbing his butt against her front until she unlatches herself from the hug. Brittney laughs, smacking his bubble butt, and then takes up a spot standing next to him.
Greg is a football player at a local college. With his height and muscles, you’d notice him a mile away. He’s showing off tonight, wearing a flannel with rolled up sleeves. Steffan is also an athlete, a former baseball player. He’s leaner, shorter by an inch or two, but definitely not behind in the muscle department. These two have known each other since diapers and binkies. They’re even more inseparable than Brittney and I. We all start walking toward a small group that’s formed where the music is coming from. Steffan wraps an arm around Brittney and me. “Ah, my favorite kind of snack… The KB sandwich!!!” Leaning my body into him, he smells of wintergreen; I think it’s his gum.
Conversation flows smoothly, with everyone sharing details about their past week. Absent-mindedly, my hips are swaying to the music, and I chime in to the conversation here and there. I feel those tiny hairs on the back of my neck again, and a tinge of heat sparks to life inside my chest. My heart continues to beat faster as I look around the group of people, and notice that Cap Guy’s vibrant emerald green eyes are staring at me, through me, into my soul. He takes my breath away.
While maintaining eye contact, his finger pokes Steffan’s rib cage. The jab makes Steffan spill the fountain drink in his hand. “Hey, none of that funny business. I’m ticklish!” Cap Guy gestures toward Brittney and me, asking Steff if he’s going to introduce him to the “beautiful ladies.” Internally I cringe, rolling my eyes as an unwanted heated blush creeps into my cheeks. Does this guy really think that a cheesy pick-upline will work on us? I thinknot.
Steffan places his empty cup on the ground, crossing his arms across his chest. “Jared, this is Brittney and Kailey. We’ve all known each other foryears.” Taking a step back, he watches the introductions happen.
