“But that’s it? That was just your physical reaction to the way I look?” Libby scooted further away snatching her hands back.
“Christ, Libby! It isn’t like that.” Frustrated in more than one way Tony dragged his hand through his hair.
“You’re seventeen!”
“Eighteen.” Libby chewed on her lip.
Tony’s eyes narrowed on her. “Mel is seventeen.”
“My birthday is in January, hers is in December. I am almost a year older.” Libby’s whisper was barely audible, because it took al her remaining energy to keep from crying. Had she ever felt so smal?
Tony nodded. He knew that—he just hadn’t been thinking clearly. “Eighteen. Okay, but you stil just graduated high school. I don’t know if the actual number makes a difference. And— not now Libby. I can’t do this with you.”
Libby nodded. She couldn’t trust her voice.
“What about Parker? For crying out loud Lib
—you are here with someone else. I am not about to snake another man’s date.” Now Tony was just talking. He thought if he could keep talking than he could take the pain out of her eyes. If he could keep talking he just might be able to convince himself he was doing the right thing.
“It isn’t like that.” Libby’s voice shook slightly.
“Lib. He’s here like once a month. Do you have any idea what it costs to fly to and from New York?
Trust me—it’s like that.” Libby started to walk away.
“Wait. Let’s just… Can we talk? We’re stil friends…we can go back to when you first walked back here…” Tony jogged after her until she spun on her heels to face him again.
“I’m sorry Tony. I think I have neglected my date long enough.” Libby turned and fled back to the party as fast as she could. Tony was left dumb founded staring after her. Eventualy he headed back towards the house.
Angry and hurt and lonely and wishing he was stil stuck in that damn airport.
Libby focused on being angry. Angry that Tony could flirt with her and kiss her and touch her and not realy want to be with her. Angry that she wasn’t enough. Angry that she had wasted her time on him. Angry that she had ever thought they could be more than pen pals. Angry was better than sad. Better than devastated. Better than that lump of insecurity she felt growing heavy in her stomach.
She found Parker easily enough in a crowd of guys stil discussing some sport or another. Puling him along with her Libby went straight into the house, and into Mel’s empty bedroom. She didn’t have a clear idea of what she was doing. It just suddenly seemed paramount that she prove, at least to herself, that she was a desirable woman. So she least to herself, that she was a desirable woman. So she kissed him.
Parker kissed back. Expertly. He parted her lips with his tongue, he drew her hips into his, and he trailed his fingers up and down her spine. Libby’s heart sank straight to the floor. “Wait.” She puled away.
“It’s okay.” Parker whispered puling her back and trailed kisses down her throat. “I’m prepared.” What was he talking about… OH! The meaning of his words sank in and snapped Libby back to reality.
“No.” She said taking another step back. “I’m sorry-- this was a mistake. I know it was my idea but…” she let the sentence trail into nothing, because she didn’t have an excuse. Tony was at least right about this. She had treated Parker terribly.
“Hey. It’s alright Libby. We don’t have to do this. To be honest I was pretty surprised. I mean I have thought about it, us more than casualy dating, especialy since it looks like you wil be at NYU with me next year.
But it’s not the end of the world and wel—at least now we know.”
Wel that decided it-- no way could she be at NYU with Parker next year. Florida State wins… hands down. “I am sorry Parker; I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Stop apologizing Libby. Just friends. That’s cool.” He puled her back towards him but it was a light friendly hug, and Libby realy needed a friend. “So friend, can I ask you a favor?” Libby looked up at him. “John and Mel left in our rental car about an hour ago… so…”
“So you need a ride to your hotel?” Libby smiled at her friend. “Come on, I need to get out of here anyway.” Parker threw a companionable arm around Libby and pressed a light reassuring kiss to her temple as they headed for the front door.
“Parker?”
“Hmm?”
“How much does it cost to fly down here?” Parker barked out a laugh. “Just a little humiliation.” Libby must have looked confused because after they were settled in the car Parker explained. “John’s grandfather owns an airline. You know— corporate charters, but John works off the price of his flights, mostly as an air steward, and it doesn’t cost the old man anything extra if I tag along so realy it only costs John a little humiliation.”