It's Up To You

Chapter 17

"Was that good?" I asked, patting his back softly as he laid on top of me. That was the closest I'd ever felt to Ricky. We connected more than we had ever done before.

"Uh huh." Ricky said out of breath. I wanted to know what he was thinking. Did he really enjoy it? It seemed like he did but I couldn't be sure.

"Are you okay?" I asked with concern.

"I'm not sure." He mumbled. "My heart feels like it's beating right out of my chest."

I laughed as he kissed my neck, wrapping me tightly into his arms and moving his body against mine. Suddenly, our little love fest was interrupted.

We heard someone coming.

My heart almost jumped out of my chest and Ricky quickly rolled off of me as we heard a sound.

"Lauren? What are you still doing awake at this time?" We heard Ozzie's voice call from down the hall.

"Dad!" Ricky whispered to me in a panicked state. He rolled off of me and looked toward his open bedroom door.

"What do we do?" I asked with risen eyebrows. Our feet was covered by our clothes that we tore off in the heat of the moment.

"Uh—" Ricky panicked, then quickly pulled the bedsheets over my head.

"What the hell is that going to do?" I asked as I pulled the sheet off. Grabbing my gown, I jumped off the bed and looked around the room for a place to hide.

"Ricky?" Ozzie asked from the hall, his voice getting closer. I got so shaken up, I dropped the dress. Then, I looked to Ricky's closet and quickly jumped in there, shutting the door. Ricky's closet door had a louvre, so I was still able to see outside through the slits of the door.

Ricky looked around, then noticed my gown on the floor. Jumping out of the bed, he quickly threw the gown on top of the bed and laid down. He quickly pulled the sheets up to his waist as he sat up, all of our discarded clothes were concealed under the comforter.

"Lauren?" Ozzie asked from across the hall.

"She's— she's not in there." Ricky nervously called out. Then, Ozzie walked across the hall into Ricky's room.

"Well, where could she be? She left her light on." Ozzie pointed behind him as he stood in front of the bed.

"I... I don't know." Ricky answered. "I don't know where she went."

"Then how do you know she's not in there?" Ozzie turned around. "Lauren?"

"She's just not!" Ricky interjected. Ozzie looked back to Ricky like he had three heads. "Maybe she's in the bathroom."

Ozzie paused for a moment.

"Maybe." Ozzie answered. "Where's your shirt?"

"Uh, it got hot." Ricky answered back quickly.

"Rick, it's not even that hot outside." Ozzie walked to the window beside Ricky's bed. Ricky's closet smelled just like him. I was surrounded by the clothes he used to wear, the conventional shirts and pants that his parents liked.

"I got warm, alright?" Ricky asked defensively. Ozzie looked to his son, then chuckled. On the other side of the closet were his newer pieces. Some would say he was even trying to dress like Elvis. I agreed, deep down, Ricky wanted that sex appeal.

"Okay, no need to get defensive." Ozzie said lightheartedly. "I'll just pretend like I didn't just catch you with one of them nudie magazines."

I let out a laugh from the closet, then quickly placed my hands over my mouth. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

"Say, what was that?" Ozzie asked as he turned toward the closet. Yes, he stood on he other side of Ricky's bed, farthest away from the closet and across the room. Still, my heart was beating so fast I couldn't even hear exactly what they were saying.

"Uh, maybe it came from outside." Ricky answered with a crazed look in his eye.

Ozzie turned back towards the window and looked through the blinds. "It's still dark, I can't see. Let me turn on the lamp."

"No!" Ricky shouted, but it was too late. Ozzie switched his lamp on. Ozzie looked outside through the blinds, the side table right in front of him.

"I don't see anything—" Ozzie began to move, bumping into the side table as he tried to turn out the light. Suddenly, he looked down and noticed the small metal case.

"Wait a minute now... these aren't mints." Ozzie picked up the case of condoms. It had all condoms inside in perfect condition, except one must've been missing at this point in time.

"Well, well, well." Ozzie looked down at the metal case. "I never knew you needed these."

"Well I do." Ricky answered defensively. "Why shouldn't I? I'm a good looking man."

Ricky wanted so much to be taken seriously.

"Rick, what happened to being a family man? Waiting until you find that special girl to call your wife?" Ozzie asked with a frown.

Ricky was silent.

"Who would've you even used these with?" Ozzie asked, I saw his face fall as he realized the answer. "I can't believe you'd do that to Lauren."

"It wasn't Lauren." Ricky lied on my behalf. "Trust me, I used it at a different time."

"With who?" Ozzie rose a brow. There was a silence again.

"Marianne." Ricky told him. Ozzie stared into Ricky's eyes, searching for the truth. Then finally, he gave in to Ricky's words.

"I'm surprised by Marianne. She seemed like such a nice girl." Ozzie huffed. Then, Ozzie shut Ricky's light off and headed towards the door. At the doorway, Ozzie placed his hand on the knob and turned around.

"Goodnight, Ricky." Ozzie nodded.

"Night, Dad." Ricky answered, then Ozzie shut the door and headed down the hall. With thorough embarrassment, I got my gown from under Ricky's sheet and ran back to my room across the hall.

With the slamming of my door, I spent the rest of the early morning alone in my room. The days passed and it was time for Ricky to go. He asked me once again to be by his side during that tour, but I declined.

I knew Elvis was the best man to be with. His career was more concrete and he was older with more experience.

As Ricky hugged me before he left, he whispered in my ear. "Thank you for allowing me to experience love."