Chasing Leah (Journey Series) (2 page)

“Yup I’m a big boy now, ‘member?
Me and
Rissa
are
gonna
have
fun. And Auntie Ally promised me cookies.” I look over my shoulder at Ally who
was standing behind me trying to quiet Caleb down. I roll my eyes at her, she
was always trying to spoil and bribe him, most of the time with cookies.

“’Kay well be a good boy and go
to bed for Clarissa. Love you.” I turned towards Clarissa who was sitting on
the floor with Caleb, looking completely in her element. I couldn’t imagine
watching kids for a
living,
Caleb was about the only
one I could handle. “I should be back around 11:00 hopefully. Make sure he gets
to bed by 8:30, I’m sure he’ll try to talk you into later though.” She giggled
before pulling Caleb into her lap and tickling his little belly. “I’m sure
he’ll pass out anyways, were going have loads of fun huh little buddy? Stay out
as late as you want Leah. Have fun.”

With one more kiss to Caleb and
making sure Clarissa had my phone number, twice, Ally was able to shove me out
the door.

“Alright,
alright.
You have your phone. Nothing’s going to happen.
Fun.
Now.”

Leah

We pull onto the street that’s lined
by fraternity and sorority houses, they're all so close together it’s like
there’s one huge block party going on and everyone is in attendance. The whole
car is rattling by the music flowing out of the open windows on the breezy
August night.

We had both been accepted to
Indiana University at the beginning of our senior year, Ally would still be
within driving distance to her family. She was granted with parents who gave a
damn about her and her two older brothers, Owen and Ben. They had a truly awesome
relationship that I was often secretly jealous of but we were also included in
a lot of their family activities and her brothers acted like I was another
little sister to have around, which was sometimes a good thing, sometimes bad,
depending on the situation.

Her dad also set us up with our
new apartment instead of being stuck in the campus dorms eating ramen noodle
soup and having to worry about catching athletes foot at the community showers.
That was kind of a good thing too since I certainly wasn’t going to be allowed
in a dorm with a three year old. I would still be able to visit with grandma
too, but we never really developed a close knit relationship and I’m pretty
sure she was more than happy to have us out of her hair.

Even before we had a single box
unpacked in our new apartment, Ally was out scoping the sorority scene. It was
something she had always talked about getting into and of course she had.
Tonight was sort of a big
hoo
ha before the semester
started, a time for all of the new and existing members to mingle, more like a
drink fest, but that’s what college is all about, right? 

Ally squeezed her Impala into an
impossibly tiny spot, I'm pretty sure we ended up dinging the bumper in front
of us.
“Ready to party L?
I need me a drink and a hot
college guy to get the whole college experience, don't
ya
think?" Ally tosses her keys into my hands, the ever ready designated
driver waiting to cart around her and whoever she decides to bring home.

 “Ok, just remember don't
take any drinks from random guys, keep your phone on you so we keep in contact
and please, please keep the noise down if you do make it home with some guy, ok
sweetie?"
Ally huffs out a breath, “Yes Mom!
There was just that one time you heard me and Matt. Jeez, you make it out to be
like I'm some kind of sex freak, they at least need to buy me dinner or
something first till they meet the freak,” she turns and winks at me.

Ally had been a frequent dater
throughout highs school and even though she offered to babysit Caleb plenty of
times so I could go out on dates, I always declined. I had plenty of guys
asking me but I knew how high school boys were, they wanted one thing.
Sex.
And I already had one baby I was taking care of I
surely didn’t need another one and I would of rather spent my time with him
anyways. I could date when I had a stable career and on my own two feet, giving
the little
man
an awesome life.

“But I told you we don’t need a
bunch of random guys running around with Caleb in the house.”

“I know Al but you can still
bring guys home, just
cause
we’re there I don’t want
to cramp your style or anything. I’ll just make sure to keep Caleb in our
room,
he won’t even know the difference.”

“Whatever Leah,” she says with
an
eyeroll
. “If the situation happens to come up we
can always go to the lucky fellows place.”

“Ally!
You made it, now the party can begin!" I recognize two girls from Ally’s
sorority as we enter through the door of the party that is already in full
swing.
A girl with long black hair and a short midnight blue
dress that just barely covers all the goods, shoves two red cups towards us.
"Just what I needed Tara, how did
ya
know?"
Ally gulps down half her cup in one sip and points towards me. “Tara, I think
you guys have met, this is my roommate and BFF Leah. Leah, this is my 'big'
Tara, she’s in charge of showing me all the ropes of the sorority, keeping me
in line and all that shit."

“Nice to officially meet you, “I
say as I wave my hand at the cup she’s offering. “No thanks. You really have
your hands full with this one," I motion my thumb at Ally as I plop a big
smooch on her cheek. Ally rolls her eyes at me, “You know you love me! You
girls ready to dance?" I look around the ‘dance floor' which is a super
small area blocked off by two oversized couches.
Guys and
girls all
smooshed
together, grinding and sweating
all over each other.
“I think I'm good for right now, I'm going to grab
a drink. You girls go have some fun!"

I weave my way over to the
makeshift bar manned by a guy who looks like he was suckered into the job by
the boredom that’s clearly running across his face. He perks up a bit as I walk
closer to him and winks at me when I rest my elbows on the counter, “What can I
get
ya
pretty girl?" Oh Mr. Suave over here.
“Can I get a Diet, please?"  He glances back at me with his eyebrows
raised, “Nothing else?" I roll my eyes, “No some people have to work at 5
a.m." His lips creep up into a smirk, "Oh, I know how that is, I'm a
runner so I always try to be up at the crack of dawn to get some miles in. I'm
Gage by the way. Where'd you score a job at so quickly?"

I stick out my hand to shake his
oversized masculine hand and introduce myself. “Leah Rossi. This is my first
year here. I got a job waitressing tables over at
Ginos
downtown.”
Ginos
was one of the first places we
stopped at when we came to town and they just happened to be hiring, I was
luckily hired on the spot and it would work perfectly with my schedule once
classes started. Mr. James, Ally’s dad, wanted us to get situated before having
to worry about bills but I was always a hard worker and didn't like being a
charity case, even though the James family didn't see it that way.

“Oh yeah,” Gage looked down at
me as he shook my hand. He had to be over six feet tall, which meant he towered
over my petite height even with my heeled boots on. The view from down here
wasn't bad at all with his shaggy blonde hair and piercing turquoise eyes. “I
run by that place every morning.” He pats his stomach which I can tell is
completely flat and doesn’t have an ounce of fat on it, complimented by what
looks to be a
very
chiseled chest, by the way his
black polo shirt is pulled tight.
“Helps me keep off the
pounds that I put on when I stop by there for pizza and beer, once or a twice a
week.
Probably more often now that I know they have a gorgeous new
waitress." He grins at me and flashes me his perfect white teeth that
contrast nicely against his tan left over from the summer.

I shrug at him, “Well make sure
you request me next time you come in, I'll let you leave an extra nice
tip.”  I feel two hands on my hips before wrapping around my waist and
giving a slight tug.
“C'mon, Leah.
The
floors not as crowded, dance with me.
Please!" Ally pouts her
bottom lip out at me that reminds me of a certain little toddler that I’m
already missing and I can tell by the glossy look to her blue eyes she has most
definitely been getting her 'drink on' and there’s no sense in arguing with her
now. “Ok, I'm coming....."

I let her drag me away as I
throw a wave over my shoulder at Gage, who looks amused by Ally’s condition.
I’m sure he’s used to that sort of thing by now especially being the bartender.
And she’s right it’s not so bad, a lot of people have started migrated off the
dance floor, probably into the many empty bedrooms that this big old house has.
I start to sway my hips to the music-Ally and I move together as we dance to
the beat. I close my eyes and continue to dance; when I pop them open Ally is
no longer my partner. I catch her blonde head a few feet away, she grins at me
and waves. Oh I see how it is; she ditches me for some guy whose back is turned
to me. I swivel my head around as I feel Gage’s piercing eyes on me. Yup, sure
enough I caught him looking and I don't mind one bit putting on a show for him.

Chase

I scan my eyes through the crowd
as I sip on the warm beer that Teddy shoved my way before taking off with a
group of girls. Just thinking of it makes me cringe and I’m a guy. I should be
knocking him with a fist pump and asking him if I can join in on the action but
I’m just not into that
sorta
thing. I’ll let Teddy
take that title since he’s the lead singer in our band and all. Isn’t that like
a golden rule that lead singers get all the chicks even if it’s some local
college band?

“Hey
Chaaaaase
!”
I hear a high pitched voice scream from
across the room and see a tall figure flying towards me.
“Whoa,
you all right?”
I ask as I wrap my arms around her small waist to steady
her wobbly feet. Yup she’s definitely had one too many and it’s still pretty
early. “Chase I was totally hoping you would be here. You really need to meet
my roommate Leah, you’re like made for each other or something, it’s some crazy
shit but I think I’m a little bit psychic so you’ll just have to trust me on
this, ‘
kay
?”

“Alright Ally whatever you say,
how much have you had to drink tonight exactly?” I don’t get a response from
her and before I know it I’m being dragged into the middle of the overcrowded
dance floor as she twirls around me. The minute I met Ally I could tell she was
well a little crazy but in a good way I guess. Her roommate that she keeps
insisting on me meeting hadn’t made it up yet from their hometown and ever
since then she’d been trying to introduce us. And I don’t think that’s going to
happen tonight with the way
Allys
been downing her
drink that she carried with us onto the dance floor. I catch her from face
planting on the floor and she giggles right before planting a wet kiss on my
cheek. “Thanks
hotstuff
, that
woulda
been
realllllly
bad!”

                                                                                                                                                               
******************************

Leah

After dancing for a while longer
I head back to grab another drink and check my phone for any missed calls or
texts from Clarissa. I shoot her a short text and she replies that Caleb was a
little sweetheart all night and he’s tucked away in bed. Just thinking about
the little man tugs on my heart and makes me wish I was there instead of here.
I scan the crowd and see a guy heading my way with Ally leaning against him and
his arm swung around her shoulders. As they get closer Ally lunges my way and I
grab her in a hug.

 "L! This party is ah-
mazing
,
can you believe it'll be like this the next four years?" The guy that was
basically holding Ally up straight grins at me, flashing me two dimples on
either side and says in a low husky voice, “I think it’s time for Ally to go
home.” Ally giggles and pokes him in the chest, “
Ahh
my Knight in shining armor ready to escort me home now too.” Yeah I bet that’s
what he's going to do- and escort her into her room, then the bed, out of her
clothes then who knows where depending on his skills and I bet they are some
excellent skills if I'm judging the book by the cover.

From the pair of vans on his
feet, to the interesting looking tattoos peaking out the sleeves of his vintage
looking Metallica shirt that’s stretched tight over his broad chest, I can tell
this guy isn't Ally’s usual type. Not that he's bad looking-far from it. Ally
just normally goes for the more hippy type- dreads, flowing clothes, and peace
signs. His dark brown hair looks to be cut close to his head and no flowing
clothes
here,
I think I can count his abs through his
shirt. His eyes complete a nice package with the most unusual shade of green
I've ever seen, he must be wearing contacts. And was that a tongue ring I saw?
Ah I see- Ally was really going to have some fun tonight.

“Well you ladies ready to go
then?" He looks over at me as I pluck out the keys. “Yup let’s go princess
your chariot awaits," I reply as I lead the way to
Allys
car. He flips his black cap backwards and picks Ally up like a sack of potatoes
as she squeals and I can see the cords straining in his muscular arms. Yeah, he
definitely works out. "It'll be a lot quicker this way," he grins at
me as I feel myself stare a little too long at the sexiest smile I think I’ve
ever seen that looks just a little bit crooked. And those dimples did I mention
those yet? I open the back door for him and he effortlessly slides Ally over
and scoots in next to her. Wow, I guess I really am the chauffer for the night.
Well then.