The Final Lesson Plan (12 page)

"Hmmmm...dare?" I asked, playing with the edge of my bottoms and wiggling slightly, careful not to fall off the diving board.

"I dare you to strip," Leo commanded in a voice that made me quiver and want him even more—if that was even possible. He sounded so forceful, so sure of himself. Holy smokers, he was hot as Hell. Leo was toying with me, and I loved being a part of his game. Damn near loved the fuck out of it.

Without hesitating, I shimmied my bottoms down and threw them on the side of the pool. I stood up and relished in the look on his face. I loved the way Leo looked at me. Nobody had ever looked at me the way he did. Leo reached for me. Without missing a beat, I completed my utmost polished back dive into the icy water. Once I resurfaced, I looked at the diving board. It was still bobbing and springing, but Leo was nowhere in sight. Seconds later his arms were wrapped tightly around me as he too resurfaced. Wrapping my legs around him, I realized his swim trunks were missing.

"What're you? Fucking Superman? How'd you change that—" Leo's lips cut me off in mid-sentence as his tongue continued to explore my mouth, neck, and chest. His hands began an exploration of their own. His fingers journeyed and traveled to places that reminded me why I loved a well-read and highly studious man. After his fingers did more walking than the yellow pages, and I was as limp and weak as those pages inside, breathlessly, I said, "Let's go…in…my house." My legs were wrapped firmly around him for support as I felt his desire against me.

Kissing me again, holding me tightly, he groaned, and said, "I'm sorry; I can't."

"Well, I get that you might have a bit of difficulty walking right now, but oh you can, you certainly can." I said, tugging on his arm. "You have to let things settle and ummm…soften…a bit, but I'll fix that right up once we get into my bedroom." I walked up the steps to grab our towels. "Are you coming, Mr. Cling?"

"Janelle," Leo whimpered. "I'm serious; I can't." He reluctantly pulled himself from the water as I tossed a towel to him that he immediately wrapped around his dripping wet waist.

"Alright hottie, start talking. What's up?" I asked, slumping down on the chair, in no mood to get all serious and emotional right now.

"I gotta go," he admitted, walking over to retrieve his shorts from the bushes and then sitting down on a chair opposite me.

"Say what?" I asked, standing back up. I was certain that I hadn't heard him correctly. "You're leaving? Now? On our only night together…in almost two weeks?"

"GOD! I know...don't remind me," he whined. "Come…sit," he said, tapping the spot next to him on the chair.

I sat down and immediately started talking, "Leo, I know this is hard, but I still don't know what I want—"

Leo covered my lips with his one finger, "Shhh doll, I'm still in this. You are seriously not getting rid of me that easily," he said, kissing me tenderly. "But, I've already stayed longer than I should've...I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him as I laid my head down on his shoulder. "It's just so hard to leave you."

"Then don't." Seemed pretty simple to me.

"I have to. My sister's flight got in three hours ago. I haven't seen her two months. I promised my niece and nephew I'd watch a movie with them tonight," he explained, looking remorseful.

"Leo Cling! You did
not
have to come here today if you were missing time with your family. I know how much they mean to you," I admonished. "I would've understood…completely."

"I know…I know…it's…it's just that you mean a lot to me too," he said.

I loved how honest and sincere he always was, never holding back his words, his emotions, his wants. Leo wasn't like any other guy I had ever known. It was so refreshing, so real, and so pure. "Well, when will I see you next?" I asked.

"Tomorrow. You know we have plans tomorrow afternoon," he reminded me.

"Oh no, you are not missing any more time with them to be with me," I confirmed.

"Oh, I know that. You're coming over. It's time you met the Cling-a-lings," he said grinning, making me melt with those irresistible dimples.

"Cling-a-lings? Oh boy, what're you getting me into?" I asked, chuckling.

"Oh doll, you ain't seen nothing yet," he joked, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, I'm in. As long as you're sure that your parents still don't hate me for that Howard Stern thing?" I asked, worrying about what they thought of me, especially now with the media shit storm regarding my sordid affairs. "Nah, they're over that. They're more pissed off now at ya for taking their only son's virginity."

"What? Are you fucking kidding me? There is no goddamn way I am—"

"Kidding. Kidding. Kidding. I'm just screwing with you," he said laughing and wiping his eyes. "You should've seen the look on your face."

"Ya know Cling, I'm older and wiser than you. You're getting awfully cocky," I said, glaring at him.

"I'm only cocky when I know what I want and when I'm sure I'm not giving up on it," he said, winking at me as he stood up, pulling me up with him.

"Now Miss Garrity, I will see you tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. I'll text you my address. Don't wear something too sexy," he said, kissing my forehead. "My dad's a dirty old man."

"No, he's not. I've met him," I argued.

"You've met him when he's on his best behavior. A few beers tomorrow and that's all out the window," he admitted.

"Noted," I said, exaggerating a check-marking gesture.

Leo grabbed me and kissed me, making me groan. I did not want him to leave. I didn't care that his sister was in town. Fuck her. I wanted him to fuck me. "Are you sure I cannot persuade you to stay?" I asked coyly, as my hands traveled a very unladylike trail down his chest and waist.

"You're killing me, Smalls. I've got to go," he said firmly and began backing away from me. "Aren't you satisfied? I thought I took care of you in the pool," he joked.

"Not even close…Bud," I said in my best John Bender imitation.

Getting the reference and laughing, he said, "Hmmm…who knew Judd Nelson could be so hot?" he said.

"Molly Ringwald."

"Touché Claire, Touché," he said, nodding.

I walked Leo to his car, refusing to believe that he was really leaving. I pulled out all of my most feminine persuasion. I knew that I'd never be able to relay this story to Char or she'd go ballistic, claiming that Leo was gay or a pansy or a Mama's boy.

Hell, I was starting to question his actual interest in me. How could a man walk away from a night of hot, sweaty passion to hang out with his sister and her kids? Family. Fuck 'em.

Women, we're ridiculous. We want a man who values family and relationships, but we don't want him to value them too much, especially over us. How could a man ever win if he has to try to figure out how a woman thinks? For God's sake, we don't know what we're thinking most of the time. Or why we're thinking it. Hell, we change our minds faster and more often than we change out of underwear during our cotton-stuffing weeks. How could guys possibly figure us out? Poor things.

As Leo humbled me by actually backing out of the driveway and waving goodbye, he stopped, put down his window, and said, "Just so you know, every part of my body is calling me a 'dickhead' right now and trying to revolt against me."

"Good, because so am I," I said, leaning in the window to kiss him again. Then, he really did leave. Backed right out of my driveway and went to see his sister and her kids.

Leo left me quite amorous, but I opted out of calling Briggs to come over to fill my void…voids…fill whatever he wanted. I went to bed crabby and frustrated, looking forward to seeing Leo the next day. I wanted him to feel as frustrated as I did, so I snapped a rather lewd and provocative picture of myself. It was pretty hot; I was even impressed to be honest. Granted, I took about nine of them until I was happy with the result, but he didn't need to know that. I hit send feeling very vindictive and validated.

He sent a text immediately back:

Sweet dreams Janelle

I wasn't happy with his standoffish attitude or with the fact that he left me tonight to hang out with his family. And now, now, not even a cute, witty, flirty comeback? No, this was not how things were going to roll. Apparently, Leo Cling and I were going to have our first fight as a "pseudo" couple. And believe me fella, it was not going to be pretty.

After I got out of the shower, I moped on my bed, not having a clue as to what I should wear to meet the Clings. I should've cleared it with Char or Joz yesterday before they left, but I didn't know about the plan until after they'd already gone. I knew Jocelyn was having the soccer team over for a Fourth of July family picnic, so I couldn't call her. She'd be elbow-deep in potato salad and macaroni salad right about now. I knew better to call Char. She knew Leo stayed after the pool party, so she'd fish for details, details that I couldn't provide, details that pissed me off. Nope, as far as my wardrobe went for the day, I was on my own.

I tried on a grand total of eight different ensembles, reluctantly deciding on tan shorts and a white and gold peasant blouse, hating that I didn't have anything red, white, or blue to wear. My tan shorts were the only shorts I owned that seemed to be a "parentally-acceptable" length for a family picnic. I let my hair air dry in waves and secured it back with my sunglasses. I rarely used sunglasses for their intended, God-given use. Every pair I'd ever owned were bought for the sole fact of how good they looked on my head as a summer hair accessory. I slid on my gold gladiator sandals and was ready for my afternoon with the "Cling-a-lings."

As I was driving to the Clings, I slammed on my brakes, almost getting rear-ended by a pick-up truck, when I realized that I didn't have anything with me. Fuck. Growing up sucked sometimes. I should have some side dish or appetizer or something! How could I be so goddamn stupid? I should've made deviled eggs or potato salad or some dumb shit like that. Potato salad! Jocelyn! She'd have shit for me to bring. Score.

"No Nelle, I'm not budging. You cannot have it," Joz said, blocking me from her beautifully cut and sculpted watermelon fruit salad creation. "Take the deviled eggs. Take potato salad. Hell, you can even take my trifle or the Better-than-Sex Cake, but you're not taking the watermelon." I don't know how in God's name she did it. She sculpted a watermelon to look like half an American flag, carving out stars and stripes on the side of the melon. It was beautiful. It would make me look so good if I brought it. Where did Jocelyn find the time? She was a machine. Most mothers, especially mothers of four, did not pull themselves and things together as well as Joz did. Man, she was my hero.

"Five Saturdays?" I offered.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head.

"Seriously? I'm offering to babysit…at your house…five Saturdays in a row and you're still saying, 'No?' Are you high?" I asked.

"It took me forever. No chance," she said.

"Five Saturdays and an entire weekend in August before the kids go back to school. They can even stay with me, so we won't fuck up your house." I upped the offer.

"Deal," she said, smirking.

"Well that was fast," I said. "Usually, you're more stubborn and hold out for more than that."

"I was waiting for the weekend; it usually takes you longer put it on the table," she grinned.