“What?” I asked, feeling myself flush to the roots of my hair.
“Uh, is this the McKinley house?” He asked, frowning at me.
“Okay, that will be twenty-six seventy-five.”
“Huh?”
His smirk caused my attention to be drawn back to his lips. “Pizza.”
“Oh! Yeah, hold on.” I quickly headed back into the living room. Dad was already reaching for his wallet with a bemused smile on his face. I sighed and held my hand out to him. “Don't ask.”
“Oh, I don't have to. We overheard your lady-like tendency in action.”
“Perfect, now my utter embarrassment is fulfilled! I can die a happy woman, knowing my greatest dream is accomplished.”
Dad's smirk flared into a full out smile. “Oh, I'm sure you have the potential for something truly epic,” he said, placing the money in my awaiting hands. I glared at him then stalked off, tempted to give him the one finger salute.
I caught the pizza guy looking around at all the boxes scattered everywhere. I think it should be illegal to have a delivery guy look like that. I frowned at him. He quickly turned his attention to me, smiling slightly. A fluttering sensation erupted in my stomach, causing me to pause.
Still frowning, I handed him the money. “You can keep the change.” He grinned again, and I noticed he had a dimple on his left cheek. I wanted to lick it. Taken aback, I wondered where in the hell that thought came from. Sure I've been attracted to guys before, but I've never had any overly sexual thoughts about them. Being seventeen and a virgin was testament to that fact. The delivery guy was busy opening the carrying bag, giving me free reign to stare at him. Great, he's going to think I'm some type of creepy stalker on top of being an idiot. I shouldn't care. Crazy plus hot guy doesn't equal anything good. Bringing myself back to the present, I reached for the pizzas.
Pizza boxes safely in hand, I moved to close the door. “Well, have a good night.” I said with a small smile.
“Yeah, you too.” Smiling in return, he turned away. I took a moment to watch him go. The backside was even more pleasing than the front. I shook my head and moved forward, my eyes glued to his retreating form. I moved with the narrowing gap of the door, trying to keep him in sight for as long as possible.
I forgot that I had the pizza boxes in my hand and jerked back when I felt them bounce against the door frame. They lost their balance and started to fall. “Shit!” I jumped forward, trying to catch them only to find myself falling forward as I tripped over the lip of the door, face first into an upended pizza box.
I thought about staying where I was, smothered to death by mozzarella cheese as I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. I huffed out a breath and almost groaned as the expulsion of air caused a cheese bubble. I felt cheese and sauce slide down my nose as I lifted my face. I sat back and rubbed the soreness out of my knee. “Are you alright?” The pizza guy asked as he crouched down beside me.
“Oh, I'm perfect. Nothing says how great a pizza is better than falling face first into it.” I wiped the residue from my face, refusing to look up at him. I cast a glare over my shoulder toward the living room as I heard Dad's bellow of laughter.
I froze as his fingertips softly touched my face.
“You've got something right here.”
I could hear the suppressed laughter in his voice. I turned and saw him holding up a slice of pepperoni, laughter lighting up his amber eyes. “Thanks.” I was trying hard not to lash out like my anger was begging me too. I picked up the boxes and stood, turning to stomp angrily through the doorway.
“Hey, I'm—”
“Have a good night!” I snarled, cutting him off by slamming the door in his face. If there was a God I prayed to never see him again. I leaned against the door, flushing with absolute embarrassment.
“Epic!” Dad yelled from the recesses of the living room. I rolled my eyes as I headed toward them with the face printed pizza.
I sat on the living room floor, watching as my parents ate their last slices of pizza. Mom daintily finished off her final bite, perfect white teeth flashing, then wiped the grease residue gently from her face with a napkin. At her look, Dad nodded his head quickly, shoved the last remnants of his slice into his mouth then wiped his hands on his pants.
I studied them, wondering how they fell in love when there was such a contrast between them. Mom was always so proper. Dad, on the other hand, had me wondering if he wasn't raised in the northern forests, surrounded by he-man lumberjacks who held daily snot rocket competitions.
Shaking my thoughts away, I put down my half eaten slice and leaned back against a box.
“So, as we were saying before, if you talk to the therapist, and I mean talk, then your mother and I will buy you a car. You'll be responsible for paying for the gas and insurance of course—'
“And it won't be anything new.”
“Unless your mother can 'talk' the salesman down.” He emphasized 'talk' in such a way that it made me wonder if Mom was secretly a prostitute or a master of torture. I hoped it was torture.
“But, it will be enough to give you the freedom that you've been wanting for the past year,” she continued. “It's a win-win situation Star, so please just think it over—”
“I mean, you really wouldn't want to have us drop you off everywhere, would you? We'd be sure to make every exchange as embarrassing as possible for you—”
“Your father doesn't mean that, we'd never do that to you. Well, he probably would, but I'd try my best to restrain him.” She finished with a shrug and a tight smile.
I was bemused. I wasn't even arguing, yet they were going on and on like they thought I would. They were right to assume as much, but they couldn't pick a better bribe than that of freedom. I held up my hand to stall their further arguments.
“You do realize that this is bribery, right? And with Dads threat it moves it up a notch to blackmail?” Mom cast her eyes downward while Dad turned a lovely shade of red.
“We don't like to look at it that way.” Mom said softly, still refusing to look at me.
“Of course you wouldn't. It's unseemly to be like normal parents and use guilt and coercion to get your bratty kid to straighten up.”
“Star, you're not a brat. You just have some issues.”
“Oh, issues. I see. Isn't that just a polite term for crazy?” I asked Dad with a raised brow.
Seeing the amused gleam in my eyes, Dad jumped right into the fun. “You know, you may be right.”
Mom paled visibly. “Of course that's not what I meant! I'd never— Star, you're not—” she trailed off and waved her hands helplessly, her mouth opening and closing but nothing was coming out.
I took mercy on her and motioned for her to stop. “Well, since you put it that way— Okay.”
“Seriously?” Dad asked.
“Yup. You used the one thing I couldn't turn down. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it.”
“You're not going to wail about it? Give us a lecture about the injustice of it all and how we're just determined to throw you into an asylum with all the other crazies? Are you sure you don't want to— oomph!” Dad rubbed his ribs while Mom sat with an innocent look on her face like she didn't just elbow him.
“This is great, pumpkin! You'll see that it won't be as bad as you're imagining.” Her obvious delight was bubbling over, causing a blinding smile to spread across her face.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're happy, I'll be happy, it's the right thing to do. Now, let's get down to the good part. When do we go car shopping?”
“Well, we can go out tomorrow after we unpack some, then afterward you can check out the town, look for potential job opportunities.” Mom was beaming at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread.
“They’ll work.” I stood up and stretched. “I'll leave you guys to your bubble of happiness. Night.” Giving them a small wave, I headed toward my room
I sighed as I looked at my own oasis of solitude. Maybe they were right. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
