Past
My final track meet was postponed so this was my first free weekend. I didn’t hesitate. I found Parker in between classes.
“Are you cheering this weekend? Do you have any plans?”
Parker leaned against her locker and held her chemistry book against her chest. “Nope. Nothing.” She lowered her gaze and then looked up at me. She bit her bottom lip and right then I knew for sure she was into me. I always suspected, but she had been spending a lot of time with Harrison, one of our offensive linemen. But even in our group, she always gravitated toward me.
“Would you like to go out with me Saturday night?”
Parker looked around to see if anyone overheard. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”
My heartbeat was so loud that I barely heard her question. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Working up the nerve to even ask her was the only thing on my mind. “Uh, I’ll come up with something.” Thankfully, the first bell rang. “Talk to you later.” I shoved off her locker and scrambled to my next class with my heart full of excitement and possibility.
I wanted to do more than just take Parker out for burgers and a movie, but I was severely limited financially and creatively. I’d never been on a date before, nor tasked with the responsibility of planning one. I decided on a picnic at the lake and asked my dad to whip up some of his chicken salad with grapes and walnuts. Just in case she had food allergies, I packed fruit and cut up some vegetables. By the time I was ready to go, the basket weighed a solid ten pounds.
“Are you secretly moving out and not telling me?” Dad asked.
I wanted to scowl at him, but I was too excited to play the disgruntled teenager and smiled at him instead. “Nope. Just trying to make a good first impression.”
He slung the dishtowel over his shoulder and leaned against the counter. The ribbing had only just begun. “So, this is the girl who’s been occupying your head for the last several months. What’s her name again? Patty?”
I gave him the obligatory eye roll. “Parker, Dad. And you’ve met her a thousand times. She’s a cheerleader and new to the school.” He gave me a blank stare.
“I’ve seen all the cheerleaders and they’re all blondes. Which one is she?”
I pushed his shoulder playfully because he knew a lot of the students in the high school. “They’re not all blond.”
“Is she?”
I looked at him. “Yes, with really pretty blue eyes and red lips.”
He shook his head. “Still doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Well, she’s beautiful and smart and funny.” I smiled just thinking about her. It took months for me to work up enough nerve to ask her out. We’d hung out a bunch of times, but it was always with our group of friends. Tonight, it would be just us. I grabbed a blanket from the front closet and was met with my father’s raised eyebrows. “It’s for the picnic. This is our first date. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Take some bug spray and at least one flashlight. And make sure your car is gassed up.”
“If we can’t find anything to do after we eat, we’ll just come back here and watch a movie. That’s okay, right?”
“Of course. I’ll even make myself scarce.” He used the dishtowel as a cape and pretended to vanish like a magician behind it. He held it up and ducked behind the kitchen island as it floated down to the counter, giving the appearance that he disappeared. I was impressed but also appalled that he might try to be this cheesy tonight.
* * *
“This is yummy. Your dad is a good cook,” Parker said, taking another bite of chicken salad on a croissant. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin from Taco Bell I found in the glove compartment of my car. I remembered everything for our date except napkins. We were sitting on a bench in Tilly’s Park. It had rained when I was driving to pick up Parker so the romantic picnic I planned fell apart. I knew Parker was nervous being out in the open so I found a bench tucked away from the road. Discretion was a must and I didn’t care. She wanted to go out with me and that meant everything.
“My dad is amazing.” I meant it. If the assistant principal gig didn’t work out, he could start the catering business my mother never had the chance to get off the ground.
“Tell me about your mother.” Parker’s smile was gentle and encouraging. I missed talking about my mom.
“She used to read to me every night. Even if I was mad at her. I pretended I wasn’t listening, but I clung to her every word. She had all these great voices and acted out each part. She was wonderful.” I smiled at my memories. I was fortunate that I still had them.
“Did she support you playing sports?”
“She loved it because I loved it. She hated when I got knocked down, but honestly, it didn’t happen that much. I think she would have a hard time watching me play high school football though. Pop Warner was hard enough for her.”
“So how long have you been playing?” she asked.
“Since I was five. I was fascinated with the game and spent every weekend watching college and NFL games. It was how my dad and I bonded.”
“You don’t look like a quarterback.”
“Thank God.” I pretended to wipe my brow in relief.
She touched my hand. I froze. Her fingertips were soft. I almost melted when she linked our fingers. “I like that about you. You always look so sweet and innocent on game day in your skirts and dresses.”
I blushed at her appraisal. “I feel so awkward.”
“Why? You look amazing,” Parker said.
“I’m one of the tallest students in the school.”
“So?”
“It’s embarrassing to have everyone staring at you when you walk by.” I groaned and put my head down on the table. I smiled when I felt her fingers touch my hair.
“It’s because you’re gorgeous and tall.”
I looked up at her and got lost in her wildly blue eyes. My cheeks burned and I took a long drink of iced tea, but it did nothing to cool the rush of lava. “You’re just saying that.”
“Are you kidding me? I have a hard time keeping eye contact with you.”
Her voice trailed off, making my heart swell. She was beautiful and shy and here with me. She was nervous but so was I. We’d figure this out together. “I think I’m the lucky one here. Popular girl, cheerleader, smart, funny.”
“Let’s just agree that we’re both lucky,” she said.
I laughed nervously. “We are. And since this park turned out to be kind of a bust, let me salvage the rest of this date by taking you somewhere less buggy and humid.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“My dad made cookies and said we can hang out over there. I’m sure there’s a good movie we can watch. I know it’s not the best first date, but it’s private.” She helped me pack up the food and raised her eyebrows at me when she saw the blanket in the back of my car. I shrugged sheepishly. “I had visions of a nice picnic by the lake before today’s downpour.”
“It was a great idea,” she said.
“I’m sorry the weather ruined our date,” I mumbled and closed the trunk. I stopped when she put her hand on mine.
“It’s not ruined at all. Plus, the dates that don’t go according to plan are always the most memorable.”
I didn’t think it was possible for me to fall harder for Parker, but in that moment, with the sun setting behind her and the soft chirp of crickets beating around us, her words weaved inside and squeezed my heart. She was fine doing whatever as long as we were together. I crawled into the driver’s seat hoping the five-mile drive home would be quick. Being this close to Parker was driving me wild. I didn’t know what was acceptable first date behavior. I wanted to hold her hand again, but was that okay?
When we pulled up at my house, my dad was out front weeding the garden beds. “You girls go on in. Fresh cookies are cooling in the kitchen.”
“Thanks, Mr. McCoy.”
Parker didn’t seem nervous around my dad, whereas I was a hot mess. I brought home a girl. My first date. My dad winked at me as we walked by and I blushed. I was equally proud and mortified.
“What kind of movie are you in the mood for?” I asked and pointed to the living room.
“Sutton McCoy. Are you not going to give me a tour of your house? Look at this kitchen. It’s beautiful.” Parker ran her hand over the granite countertop. “I love this kitchen and the color.”
“My mom picked the scheme.”
“It’s perfect.”
I looked closely at the blue flecks in the granite. “Your eyes are this color.” I pointed and looked at her.
“Your eyes are blue, too.”
“No. Yours are prettier.” I didn’t know who moved, but suddenly we were in each other’s space. I wanted to kiss her. I had been kissed once before, but it was a long time ago, and the kiss was with a girl who didn’t care about me. The girl who stood in front of me now made my knees weak. I’d been dreaming of kissing Parker since I saw her in the office on the first day of school. I didn’t know the first thing about making a move. Did I ask first? It would be so easy to just lean down and press my lips against hers. She was doing that thing where she bit her bottom lip and looked at my mouth. “Can I—” I never finished because she threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. My hands automatically snaked around her waist. I had to hold her for fear that I would float away. When I felt her tongue gently stroke my lip, my knees threatened to buckle. I put one hand on the counter to brace myself. When she pulled away, I felt disoriented and completely invigorated. It felt like my blood was bouncing in my veins and a new energy spinning inside me. “Uh, that was nice.”
“That was really nice.” Parker took a step back. She took my hand but looked down at the tile as though shy or embarrassed. “And the first time I kissed a girl.”
I felt a little cocky and a little empowered by her confession. She touched my jawline slowly and brushed my cheek with her thumb.
“I like the way you kiss,” she said.
“Come on. Let’s go find a movie.” We snuggled under a blanket and watched a movie I’d seen a million times, but the only thing I could think about was how wonderful it was to finally kiss her and what it meant to be hungry for another person.