Out of Sight

Chapter 8

“Got a hot date?” Jamie asked me, coming into the bathroom without knocking.

I was currently standing in front of the mirror putting an extra brush of mascara on my eyelashes. I wore a small amount of makeup on a regular basis, so my first reaction to Jamie’s comment was to grab the tissues and start blotting it off.

“Is it trampy?” I asked her, realizing too late the irony of my question. This was the girl who constantly wore dark eye makeup that was definitely too much for her young face.

She shook her head profusely.

“No way. You look hot,” she said with a wink.

I sighed and put the mascara back on the counter, looking at myself one final time. It was probably my outfit that had tipped her off to my future whereabouts. Instead of my usual tee shirt and jean shorts, I was wearing casual but cute khaki shorts with a dark blue sleeveless button up. It was something Megan would wear, but I wanted to look nice. After all, the last time Jeremy saw me I had been wearing a Green Café uniform.

Jamie walked over to the counter and picked up a lip gloss. She opened it and put a small amount on my lips, indicating that I should apparently wear some. I blended it in as she used some for her own lips.

“So, where are you going?” she asked me.

“The pier for lunch.”

“Woah, don’t get crazy now,” she said jokingly, nudging me with her elbow.

I was scrunching the last bit of mousse out of my hair when the doorbell rang.

It was like the sound of the starter’s gun. I had to physically restrain from sprinting towards the door.

“I got it!” I yelled automatically, walking quickly but calmly down the hallway to the front door. My heart was beating quickly as if I had just sprinted and I begged it to calm down.

I breathed in as I turned the knob. I could hear Jamie following my path down the hall and I prayed she had the courtesy and common sense to stay behind for a moment.

He looked up as if he didn’t expect anyone to answer the door at all. As soon as the deer in the headlights look left his face, he broke into a kind smile that lit up his hazel eyes, bright from reflecting the summer sun.

“Hi,” I said, an uncontrollable smile coming over my own face.

“Hi,” he repeated back to me.

“Come in.” I moved aside so he could cross the entry way and shut the door gently behind him.

I had offered to meet him at the pier, but he insisted on picking me up at my house. The feminist inside had protested at first, but I finally caved. I was glad I did because my father later made it clear he wanted to meet “this kid” before he took me out.

“How are you?” he asked, reaching down tentatively to give me a quick hug. It was the kind of hug you awkwardly give your fifth cousins.

“I’m good,” I answered when he stood back up again. I wasn’t short. He was just tall. For some reason, I found it extremely attractive to have to look up at him when we spoke.

Jamie appeared then from down the hallway. Her hands were in her back pockets as she strolled to where we were standing.

“Who’s there, Desi?” she asked me innocently. I tried not to visibly cringe at the nickname.

“Hi,” Jeremy said, politely holding out a hand for her to shake.

I guess he can make his own introductions, I thought in response to his overwhelmingly relaxed confidence.