Popcorn Love (33 page)

Allison squeezed Elena’s hand. “I think I can handle
that.”

“You’re lucky,” Vivian said. “She must really like
you, because she’s being way less embarrassing than usual.”

“That’s true,” Elena said.

“How many times has this happened?”

“Oh, too many to count,” Vivian said.

“Damn.” Allison looked at Elena. “How many people
have you dated?”

“Oh, it’s not just for me.” Elena shook her head.
“She does this to
everyone
—potential employees, drivers,
maids.”

“Yeah, she’s thorough like that,” Vivian laughed.
“She just likes it best when it involves Elena somehow, because
then she gets to watch her squirm. You should have seen some of our
teachers at prep school. It was hilarious.”

“Yes.” Elena cleared her throat and shook her head.
She gently patted Allison’s arm. “So, as Vivian said, consider
yourself lucky.”

Allison took a deep breath and motioned for Elena to
lead her back to the living room, mumbling, “Yeah, but it’s not
over yet.” The two of them followed Vivian out of the room, their
fingers still laced together.

When Allison, Elena, and Vivian returned to the
living room, they found Nora poised on the edge of the couch
cushion, just as they left her. Allison caught her eye, and they
smiled at one another.

“Better?” Nora asked.

Allison tightened her grip around Elena’s hand. It
was comforting but also addicting—that feeling she got when Elena’s
fingertips slipped across her own and their gazes met, when they
laughed together, when Elena’s breath whispered across her lips,
and when their bodies molded together in a gentle embrace. It was
like waking up and falling asleep all at once—a hazy stirring that
somehow managed to be both gentle and jolting, numbing and yet
teeming with sensation. It was powerful and heady, and it was
something that Allison couldn’t even begin to comprehend yet
already cherished.

She was in this, even if it felt fast, even if it
felt somehow unreal. She was in this.

“Yeah,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

Nora licked her lips as if preparing for a long
speech. “Allison, I won’t apologize for being cautious or even
curious. I know that, at times, I can be rather invasive, and I am
more than aware that much of what I ask is truly none of my
business. As such, you are always free not to answer; however, I
assume you do so, regardless, because you worry that I will reject
you.”

“Well, I d—” Nora waved a hand to stop her again.
Allison clamped her mouth closed and nodded, letting her
continue.

“It is true that I may form particular opinions about
whomever my daughter chooses to become involved with.”

Vivian snorted and Elena’s lips tilted up as Nora
rolled her eyes at the two of them and raised her voice just a bit.
“At the end of the day, though, all I truly want is for Elena to be
happy and to be with someone who makes her truly happy. Her father
and I have always told her as much.”

Allison smiled at the soft pink tint of Elena’s
cheeks and the way her eyes lit with affection as Elena stared at
her mother. Allison’s own eyes stung with tears. It moved her to
see something like this firsthand, to literally be able to feel the
love radiating between Elena and her mother. She had never known
that kind of love, but was glad that Elena did. The sting of her
teeth biting into her tongue kept any tears from falling as she
squeezed Elena’s hand and laughed softly when Elena scoffed,
“Mother, it’s only our first date. Stop acting like she asked your
permission to marry me.”

“You never know.” Nora turned back to Allison. “I do,
however, apologize if I have managed to dredge up painful memories
for you, Allison. That was certainly not my aim. I am merely trying
to get to know you a bit better, and I don’t like to skirt around
touchy subjects.”

Allison nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I mean, it’s a
little invasive, yeah, but I’ve honestly got nothing but respect
for how much you obviously love Elena. I never got to have that, so
it’s really nice to see that
she
does.”

“Mm.” Nora hummed as Elena squeezed Allison’s hand
and moved a bit closer to her.

Allison smacked her lips together with a loud pop.
“So, does that about cover everything, Nora,” she asked, “or do you
want some more sticky information like maybe my bra size? It’s not
very impressive, I’ll warn you.”

Vivian and Elena burst into laughter, while Nora
merely shook her head. “Well,” Vivian said, clapping her hands
together, “I think you just got owned, Mom.
I’m
sold,
anyway.” She bumped Nora’s shoulder. “She had a way better attitude
about her Nora Vega Inquisition than I had about mine.”

“I thought you and Elena were practically sisters?”
Allison cut in. “Why would you get one?”

“Oh, it didn’t have anything to do with Elena.”
Vivian leaned over to lay her head on Nora’s shoulder. “It was when
I lost my virginity. She grilled me for like an hour, and then she
grilled Elena about whether or not she had done it as well.”

“Which, of course, I hadn’t.” Elena said, smug smile
in place.

“Oh Elena, don’t even. There’s a lot that your mom
knows, but there’s a lot that she doesn’t. I could change that
pretty easily, you know.”

Elena narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, darling.” Nora patted Vivian’s knee. “You know
she is easily swayed. Don’t tempt her.”

“Good point. She would roll on me in a heartbeat with
the right persuasion.”

“Loyal when it counts though!” Vivian grinned. “Nah,
you know I’ve got your back, babe.”

“I wish somebody had
my
back right now,”
Allison sighed, her mouth slanting up in a half smile.

Elena released Allison’s hand to slip her arm around
her back instead. “There, dear. I’ve got it.”

“God, you two are sickening.” Vivian rolled her eyes.
“Just have babies together already. I need more nieces and
nephews.”

Allison flushed.

“Cállate,” Elena groaned, throwing
a small pillow at her best friend.

“Manners, dear.” Nora’s reprimand
had Vivian poking her tongue out at Elena.

Elena merely rolled her eyes. “Por
favor.”

Suddenly feeling entirely lost,
Allison cleared her throat and said, “Uh, I guess I’m the only one
in the room who doesn’t speak Spanish.”

“She told me to shut up,” Vivian
said, “though
why
she couldn’t have just said that in English, I don’t know.
Oh, wait. Maybe she just didn’t want you to know that she’s a lot
more sensitive than she lets on.”

Tilting her head back against the
couch, Elena sighed as she stared at the ceiling, and groaned
again.

Allison chuckled, leaned into
Elena’s side, and whispered, “Will you teach me?”

Elena looked at her, eyebrows
curving upward. “Spanish?”

“Yeah. Is that weird, you know, for
me to ask?” Allison paused at Elena’s silence. “I mean, you don’t
have to if you don’t want to.”

“No, no,” Elena said. “I am just a
bit surprised. Why do you want to learn?”

Allison shrugged. As if simply
talking about the weather, she said, “It’s a part of
you.”

“Yes…?”

“It’s important, right? It’s an
important part of who you are, so why wouldn’t I want to
learn?”

“Oh hell, Mom,” Vivian said. “You
may as well just get your purse and come on. If
that
didn’t win you over, I don’t
know what will. I’m swooning over here. Jesus.”

Nora smacked Vivian’s knee as if to
tell her to shut up.

With more affection in her voice
than she rarely ever offered anyone other than Lucas, Elena
whispered, “Thank you, Allison. I’m touched that you would even
consider learning another language simply because it is important
to me.”

Allison, feeling that stirring in
her chest and stomach that she now associated with Elena, caught
herself leaning forward before remembering that they had an
audience and quickly jerking back. She cleared her throat. “Yeah,
uh, no problem. I mean, it’s not like it wouldn’t do me some good
anyway. Like I said, I’d get to share in an important part of who
you are, and it would definitely benefit me where social work is
concerned. So, it’s a win-win really, though I think we both know
I’m probably just gonna sound really lame and…I don’t know,
white
, trying to speak
Spanish.”

“Join the club, girl,” Vivian
said.

“
You
sound awesome, though,” Allison
told Elena.

“You’ve only heard me say one
word.”

“Yeah, but that one word sounded…”
She squirmed a bit before licking her lips. “Well, let’s just say I
really liked it.”

Elena cleared her throat and
crossed her legs. “I will have to keep that in mind,
dear.”

“I think that’s our cue to leave.”
Vivian nudged Nora with her elbow and both women rose from the
couch.

Scrambling to her feet, Allison held out a hand. Nora
stared at it for a long moment before offering her own. With a firm
shake, Allison said, “I don’t really know how you feel about me,
but thanks for taking the time to ask, even if it
was
a bit
embarrassing.”

Nora chuckled as she squeezed Allison’s hand. “I
don’t believe you have anything to worry about, dear.” She winked
at Allison before turning to press a kiss to her daughter’s
cheek.

Elena and Allison walked the inquisition squad to the
door and bade them goodnight. Hands scrunched into her pockets and
blonde hair cascading over one shoulder, Allison leaned all her
weight on her right foot, the left looped around the back. She
smiled at Elena as they stood just inside the door together, their
gazes each devouring the other.

“Some first date, huh?” Allison whispered.

“Yes it was.”

“Would you change anything about it?”

Elena smiled slyly at her. “Would
you
?”

“Maybe just this part,” Allison said, grinning.

“Which part?” Elena asked, cocking her head to the
side.

“Just the leaving part.”

“You could stay.”

“Yeah?” Allison asked, taking a step forward. Her
gaze shifted back and forth between Elena’s steadily darkening eyes
and her supple lips. “And do what?”

She took another step forward, and Elena’s breath
caught tightly in her throat. Without another word, her hands shot
out and latched onto the front of Allison’s shirt. She yanked
Allison flush against her and molded their mouths together, her
back pressing firmly into the door.

Allison shuddered as Elena’s tongue slipped through
her lips and teased at her own. She groaned as she pulled back just
enough to part the kiss. Their breathing had already spiraled out
of control, both panting hotly against the other’s lips as Allison
whispered, “That’s why I have to go.”

“Perhaps that is why you should stay.”

Allison leaned forward to rest her forehead against
Elena’s and brace a hand against the door. “I know, I know,” she
said against Elena’s lips. “I want to, but in this one sense I
guess I am just a little traditional. No sex on the first date, not
when I plan on sticking around for a while, and I do.”

“You do?” Elena asked, smiling into a brief kiss.

“I do.” Allison ran her hands down Elena’s arms. “The
second date, though…”

Elena laughed, the sound raspy as it floated over
Allison’s ears. “And when will that be?”

“Oh soon. Definitely soon. I don’t think I’ll be able
to stay away for more than a couple days, tops.”

“Perhaps I could plan this one?” Elena ran her
fingers down the length of Allison’s sides, making her tremble.

“Whatever you want, babe.”

Eyes fluttering closed, Elena whispered, “I like
that.”

“Yeah? Good, because it just sort of slipped out, so
it’d be hard to avoid it.”

Elena wrapped her arms fully around Allison. “Thank
you for the date.”

Smiling against the heat of Elena’s neck, Allison
returned the embrace. “Thank
you
.” When she pulled back, she
pressed a gentle kiss to Elena’s lips and then another to her
forehead. She then slipped out the door.

“Wait, wait.” Macy waved her hands to stop her
roommate mid-story. They lay on their beds across from one another
with their backs up against the opposite walls and tossed a ball
back and forth. Macy’s auburn hair, pulled up in a messy bun,
squashed against the wall, and she wore only a baggy gray
sweatshirt and neon pink panties. Her attire mostly matched
Allison’s, except for Allison’s boxer shorts and fuzzy socks. “So
you’re telling me that you couldn’t even get through one date
without her mum showing up?”

“No,” Allison said. “That’s not what I’m saying at
all. I mean, our actual date was supposed to just be the zoo thing,
so we
did
have our entire date in full, uninterrupted, and
it was awesome. I just happened to, you know, hang around long
after the date was over.”

Macy made a loud whip-cracking sound, snapping her
right hand down at her side. “One date and you’re already hooked.
The odds aren’t in your favor, mate. You’re whipped.”

“Oh shut up.” Allison chucked the ball at her
roommate a little harder than usual. Macy caught it with an
oof
and a loud laugh. “Aren’t people supposed to be a little
more obsessed with each other than usual at the beginning of a
relationship or whatever? I mean, it’s that whole new-and-exciting
thing, right?”