27
So this was what shy felt like.
Evan and Teena had left about five minutes ago, and Leo and Sarabeth had basically been sipping their drinks and half grinning goofily at each other ever since. He didn’t quite know what to do. He was a guy who prided himself on being a natural, on not having any studied and practiced “moves,” but right now he could have used some.
Every time he looked over at Sarabeth, seated on the outdoor double chaise longue next to him, he was struck dumb by how much he liked her. Right now, acting natural was making him feel like an idiot.
He wasn’t used to it.
He was the guy who read girls like books—and by books, he meant simple books with no subtext, like the Berenstain Bears, not fucking James Joyce. But Sarabeth was more complex than Ulysses. A metaphor, like he’d told Evan. No, a metaphor wrapped in a simile with some intransitive verbs for good measure.
Their legs were touching on the lounger, and they were both looking up at the ceiling, as though there were a starry sky to see above them and not just a banner encouraging couples to start their wedding registry at Bed Bath & Beyond.
“So, what do you think Teena and Evan are up to?” Leo finally asked, cursing himself almost as soon as the question left his lips. It sounded kind of creepy to ask, plus it brought up Teena. Sarabeth didn’t yet know about him and Teena, and he really didn’t want to make her insecure. And besides, he knew what they were “up to.” Teena had led Brighton to bedding. Leo was glad his advice to Evan had worked, and it didn’t sting even a little to see Teena saunter away. He was happy for them.
Sarabeth swirled the liquor in her glass. “I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, I don’t think we should bother them. Unless it’s an emergency.”
Leo reached out and grabbed her arm. “Believe me,” he said. “I don’t want to be anywhere but here.” It was total cheese, but it was true.
Sarabeth’s long lashes fluttered against her cheek as she raised her eyes to look at him. “Really?”
Leo shook his head and laughed, almost disbelieving. How could she not see right through him? He felt like the skin above his chest should have gone transparent by now, so she could see his heart single-mindedly beating away while ticker tape that read SARABETH over and over again came spiraling out of it.
He took her hand. “Yeah, really,” he said. “I mean, well, how do I put this? Remember that day in string ensemble, when I was trying to pull off that mash-up?”
Sarabeth squinted at him. “You mean the Chopin-meets-Pantera thing?”
Leo grinned. “Yeah, that one. You practically ripped my balls off over that. I mean, you didn’t, and I thank you for that, but you totally let me have it. It was unusual.”
“What, because usually girls are impressed when you mix classical string compositions with death metal?” Sarabeth raised an eyebrow.
“No, they’re probably not, but most wouldn’t tell me so,” Leo said. “You have conviction.”
“Sometimes I wish I knew how to break the rules like you. You get to be Mr. Improvisation, and I’m still looking for sheet music to play along with.” Sarabeth looked at her bent knees with a half-smile. “Also, I think I said I would snap your bow in half. Your balls never entered the equation.”
She was too much. Leo tried to determine if she’d moved a little closer on the chaise longue in the time they’d been talking. Or had she moved farther away?
“Well, you’ve been breaking the rules tonight. It was half your idea to take this recess at the mall. If it makes any difference, I’ve liked you since then.” Leo searched her face for some reaction, but he didn’t feel like she had one. Oh well, it felt good to just tell her. He’d never been so honest with a girl before.
“Since four hours ago?” Sarabeth smirked.
“No, since that day in string ensemble.”
Now would be the time to kiss her. Right? When had he gotten so neurotic? He felt like his life would be incomplete if he died tomorrow not having kissed Sarabeth.
He looked at her, trying to gauge her face for a sign. He couldn’t tell. She was staring back at him, but he wasn’t sure if her studious look was one of mutual admiration or one of how-do-I-tell-this-creep-to-leave-me-alone? He could lean in and go for it. Or he could keep talking and hope she seemed more receptive.
But then she was kissing him. While he was trying to man up, Sarabeth had taken matters into her own hands and kissed him. And the kiss was … good. Good verging on life-altering. And was that her tongue flicking ever so faintly against his? Holy shit, she was a good kisser.
Okay, he could die now.
Then her hands ran up his back, her graceful fingers lightly brushing his neck.
All right, he could die now, but he really hoped he got to stick around for more of this.
In response, he touched the sides of her face, his fingertips running along her jawline, tickling the delicate skin of her neck just under her ear. She kissed him harder, and he let his hands wander down her sides, the curves of her body pressing into his palm as he did so.
Hard as it was to do, he pulled back from her and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. “Is this just an end-of-the-world thing, or do you like me, too?”
Sarabeth just grinned devilishly. “Maybe a little bit of both.” She kissed his jaw, and then his neck, right alongside his throat, and he sucked in a breath at how insanely good it felt. His baser instincts wanted more of her, all of her, but the noble Leo, who had just started showing his face tonight, knew she would be worth waiting for.
He pulled back from her again. “So, can I ask you something really cheesy?” He started playing with Sarabeth’s hair again, partly because he liked the way it felt around his finger and partly because he liked the way she looked at him when he did it, like it was a totally novel sensation for someone to be touching her hair like this.
“Of course, I’d expect no less,” Sarabeth said.
“If we survive this thing, will you be my date for prom?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Prom’s in May. I’d hope you could at least take me mini-golfing before then.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Total given. Haunted Trails.” He named the horror-movie-themed putt-putt course a few towns over. “But I need an answer on prom.”
“I’ll pencil it in.” Sarabeth’s half smile raised the bar on all half smiles till the end of time.
“Pencil? You don’t pencil in prom. That’s pen all the way.”
“Pencil. You might back out on me if the theme song is some irritatingly forgettable ballad from a very special episode of a CW show.”
“Nope, I’m in for all the slow dances. And I’ll even get one of those tuxedo belts that match your dress, like we tried on at Macy’s.”
“Cummerbunds?”
“Cummer what? Sorry, Sarabeth, I’m not that kind of boy.”
She laughed then, throwing her head back and giggling wildly. Leo knew that he was a goner.
He kissed her again, so that he wouldn’t blurt out I love you and freak her the hell out.
They went on like that for a while, kissing until they both needed to try breathing for a little while. Sarabeth laid her head on Leo’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Their bodies fit together nicely, he thought.
“Should we get some sleep?” Leo said.
“We could try,” Sarabeth said, and he liked that he could hear in her voice that she was enjoying this as much as he was. “First, I need to find a ladies’ room.”
Leo sat up, easing Sarabeth up with him. “There’s one just inside the mall. I’ll go with you.”
Sarabeth smiled. “That’s okay,” she said. “I have to maintain some mystery, don’t I? I’ll take a flashlight.”
She grabbed her flashlight and a Gussy Me Up tote bag where he knew she’d stashed a notebook with some drawings she’d done of the ship. Leo wondered if maybe she’d written something about him in the little journal, too, and that was why she didn’t leave him alone with it. She kissed him once more in a way that made him look forward to prom and not for the reason most people looked forward to prom. He wanted to see her come down the stairs in some dress made amazing because she was wearing it. He wanted to slow dance with her for all the world to see. Forget his bull-crap, kiss-her-once-die-happy sentiment of moments before.
She’d given him what he wanted to live for.