These Coming Years

Chapter Eight: Acquaintance

The plane landed smoothly on the runway as I stared out the window. Las Vegas. Did Brendon plan on buying me drinks and trinkets whiled I gambled to make it up to me? He woke up with a shiver as I put on my stone face. I was pretty sure the swelling beneath my eyes had gone down. My mini freak out was not something I was in the mood to talk about. I simply wanted to enjoy that day.

"Ah," he leaned over to peer through the glass, "Surprised?" He was so close to me and I couldn't help the fluttering in my heart as I could smell him.

"I suppose," I stated, forcing myself out of whatever trance in which he was putting me.

"You suppose?" He seemed displeased.

"I suppose I don't know what I was expecting," I shrugged. Vegas certainly wasn't the surprise I ever would have thought of.

I watched him stretch his long body against the seat as he groaned. His t-shirt lifted just enough for me to see his firm belly peek out. I averted my eyes, remembering seeing him with his shirt off. It was years ago, and his stomach was a lot softer back then than it seemed to be in that moment. A smile snuck across my face.

"What's that about?" He asked, a coy grin beaming softly towards me. I was still in my memory. My mind flashed back to one of our desert nights.

He fell off the tailgate and pulled off his shirt because it was full of sand. I helped dust his back off, and then tugged him back in the bed of my truck. He relaxed on his back and I swung my leg over him to comfortably straddle him.

"What are you doing, you crazy girl?" He laughed, gently gripping my hips. It took me a few moments to register his voice. For those couple of seconds, life was without sound, and I saw everything. It all happened in slow motion.

His hair bounced as his head hit the pillow. He blinked once, twice, and the corners of his full lips began to curl up and stretch to either side. I watched his pretty teeth peek out from behind his lips as his smile widened. His throat moved with his laughter.

Hands. His hands slid up to my hips. I didn't see them, but I felt them. He pushed them up my jeans and let them find their way under my shirt. His fingers were against my skin first. They struck me with lightening. My nerves tingled and my muscles tightened. I felt the heat of his palms on me then. His hands sent tornadoes through my body. He made me a natural catastrophe with just his touch.

"...you crazy girl," I finally heard him. He waited patiently and expectantly for me to respond somehow, but his eyes were digging into mine. He was searching for something.

"I'm just," I began. How would I explain it? It was as though, there weren't enough words for me to describe him, and describe my heart's pull towards him. "I'm just enjoying you."

"Hm?"

Oh, right. I was on a plane. It wasn't high school anymore.

"Sorry," I laughed at myself, "I'm just thinking."

"What about?" he urged. We were both startled out of our seats as Zack slapped his hand down on Brendon's shoulder.

"Ready for some fun, kids?" he shook Brendon, causing him to forget about our previous conversation.

We took a cab to the strip. I couldn't help but continue to stare out the window. It was all so bright and beautiful. The buildings stood so high with flashing lights to get your attention. Circus Circus. MGM Grand. The Luxor. All names I had heard a thousand times, but I had never seen attached to a building. Brendon must have been watching my excitement grow the further through the strip the drove. He leaned closer to me and whispered, "I told you I'd bring you here one day."