On my way home I stopped at the deli and got a sandwich to go. I really had to get to the store one of these days for more than the bare necessities. Although the small kitchenette in my apartment didn’t really allow for any gourmet cooking. This weekend I would have time to go to the store and get some easy single guy food like cereal and frozen pizzas. Monday was Labor Day, so I had a nice three day weekend ahead of me. And I didn’t have anything planned other than the football game tonight.
After devouring the sandwich and chips, I changed out of my work clothes and into a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt. I traded my glasses for contacts and threw a baseball cap on my head. Then I grabbed my wallet and keys and locked up my apartment.
I was halfway down the stairs when Brooke’s back door opened and she emerged. Almost missing a step or two, I took in her appearance. Her long hair was up in a high ponytail that swung back and forth with every step she took. She wore a very short denim skirt, a red t-shirt with a deep V in the front and a pair of sparkly black flip flops. It made me feel better when she glanced over and almost tripped over her own feet when she saw me.
“Hey, Brooke,” I greeted her when we met in the middle of the driveway.
“Hi, Adam. How are you?” she said very politely.
“Good. And you?”
“I’m…good too.” She looked me up and down. “You look…different.”
“I’m not wearing my principal costume tonight. Just a regular guy until Tuesday morning at 8:00 am.”
She smiled.
“Do you have big plans tonight?” I asked, trying to turn our awkward small talk into a normal conversation.
She tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder with a flick of her hand. “No big plans. I’m meeting Poppy at the football game. It’s Ford’s coaching debut.”
“That’s where I’m headed too,” I said. Brooke looked unsure how to respond to that, and I found myself not wanting to stop talking to her. “Can I give you a ride?”
She sank her teeth into her full bottom lip and looked at me uncertainly. “Oh, um…okay. You don’t have to though.”
“I know I don’t have to. But I’d like to.”
Her green eyes looked even brighter than usual, the color enhanced by her red shirt. “Okay, that would be great. Thanks.”
I ushered her to my boring four door sedan and opened the passenger door for her. She looked slightly surprised, and I wondered if no one had ever opened her car door before.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
Sliding into the drivers’ seat, I couldn’t help but notice her skirt was even shorter when she sat down, exposing miles of tan creamy skin. Her toes were painted a bright turquoise as were her fingernails. Clearing my throat in an attempt to clear my head of the thoughts of Brooke’s legs and how they would feel wrapped around my waist, I started the car and drove us the few blocks to the high school.
The parking lot was full when we arrived and there were students milling around the entrance to the field. The sun was just beginning to set, and the lights were on, illuminating the field and the players warming up.
I walked beside Brooke with my hands in my pockets. Otherwise I would undoubtedly find a reason, any reason, to touch her. And considering what happened last Friday night, I needed to tread carefully.
“You can sit with us,” Brooke offered, giving me a genuine smile. She was always beautiful, but when she smiled…it was on a whole other level.
“Brooke!” a voice yelled from the stands, and we both turned to see Poppy waving at us.
Brooke waved back and maneuvered her way up the steps to the row where Poppy was sitting. More than a few high school guys, and their dads, watched Brooke walk by. I knew exactly how they felt.
Brooke sat down next to Poppy, sending her skirt past mid thigh again. “Hi, Poppy. You remember Adam?”
“Of course. It’s good to see you again Adam,” Poppy said, giving Brooke a funny look.
“We were both leaving at the same time, and it turns out Adam was headed here too. So, he gave me a ride,” Brooke explained.
“Brooke was nice enough to invite me to join you.”
“Brooke’s very nice like that,” Poppy said cryptically, giving Brooke a pointed look.
Brooke rolled her eyes, and I felt like I was missing something.
“So, Poppy, Ford told me you’re planning on going to medical school. Do you know where you would like to go?” I asked.
My seemingly innocent question seemed to immediately turn Poppy’s mood dark. She narrowed her eyes at the back of Ford’s head as he stood down on the sidelines talking to the quarterback.