Agnes in JackieLand

Chapter 4

It was an awkward silence for the first half of the drive to the party. I was a little intimidated and shy in the car with this seriously hot guy. When I got into the car, those chocolate brown eyes of his caroused my body, making me squirm. His eyes lit up in appreciation, and I gave him a tentative smile.

"You look great," he said, as he pulled away from the curb.

"So do you," I replied, instantly wanting to retract my words. Girls probably didn't say things like that to boys. He smirked like he knew he looked good. Man, I was way in over my head.

He did look good, though. He had recently shaved his head for the summer swimming months ahead. He was wearing a black t-shirt that fit tight across his muscular chest. His equally muscular arms bulged when he turned the steering wheel.

"When does your summer swimming training start?"
Mason looked over at me for a quick second before turning his attention back to the road. I thought I had seen shock in his eyes at my question but couldn't be sure.

"I start my summer training program this Saturday. I got a new coach. He's supposedly a hard ass. You swim?"

I laughed. "Me. No, I'm more of a doggie paddler."

Mason laughed too, and it was melodious music to my ears. "It's really not that hard. I could teach you if you want?" He slid a look over at me again.

"Sure," I managed to squeak out. I felt my cheeks heat. My heart was thundering at the prospect of those well-toned arms wrapped around my torso, helping me do a backstroke.

"So, what do you do? I mean for fun," he asked.

That threw me. What could I say? How do I answer this without coming off as a total loser? I never had fun. Do I lie, make something up, or tell the truth? I answered it somewhere in the middle.

"I just relax, watch movies and hang out with Graham when he has the time."

"What's the deal with you and Evans? You date before or something?"

I choked on a burst of laughter. "No. we most certainly did not date, ever. We are simply good friends."

Mason shrugged his shoulders. "Could have fooled me. The guy texted me before I picked you up and pretty much threatened me to treat you right tonight."

Anger and embarrassment surged through me. I was going to kill Graham Evans. I would string him up by his toes from my clothesline in the backyard and beat him with a stick within an inch of his life, which still wouldn't be good enough. He could not text me, but he could text Mason with a warning. Who the heck did he think he was?

"I'm sorry about that. I'm going to have to have a little talk with him about boundaries."

Mason gave me a killer smile. "No problem. I'm not scared of Evans. We're here."

The beach parking lot was full of cars and teenagers piling out of them. I feel anxious now. What if I didn't fit in? Who was I kidding? I didn't fit in. This wasn't my scene at all.

All too soon, Mason opened my door and offered me his hand. I took it, hoping he didn't notice the trembling in it. If he did, he didn't let on. He shut my door, went into the back of his truck, and grabbed his acoustic guitar.

My heart swooned. I loved his singing. His voice was smooth, like butter melting over popcorn. Mason grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd of people. A huge bonfire was roaring in the center of the designated party zone. I suddenly wondered if we were allowed to be here. My dad would kill me if I got a fine or something. I must have lagged because I felt Mason give my hand a gentle tug.