The Shortstop (31 page)

The Shortstop – Bonus Scene

Annie

I give myself one more thorough glance-over in the mirror. My pale pink satin gown is a little fancy for my taste, but it’s better than the alternate one that my mom wanted. At least the one we compromised on is ruffle-free, understated, and elegant. I did lose the battle on my hairstyle. Though I preferred to wear it just the way I do every day, Mom wouldn’t have it. She dragged me to her salon and instructed them to style a very complicated up-do. It’ll take me hours to get all the bobby pins out.

As long as Quint likes it, that’s all I care about. Of course I know that he will. I could be wearing my favorite cutoffs and Yankees shirt for all he cares. He loves me just the way I am. I’ve never been the frilly, girly type. But it’s a special night. Prom. I want to wow him, knock his socks off. It may be the only time he sees me in pink satin, heels, and Academy Award-worthy hair. I want everything about tonight to be special.

“Annie. Quint’s here!”

“Coming.”

I snatch up my tiny bag and carefully make my way down the stairs to the living room. It would be just my luck to trip and break my neck on prom night. I hear their voices and silently slip into the doorway undetected. My dad sees me first, his eyes widening as a smile spreads across his face. Quint’s back is to me, but upon seeing my dad grinning, he flips around and his eyes land on mine.

“Holy shit.” He says what I’m thinking. He looks amazing.

“Quint!” his mom scolds.

“Sorry, Mom,” he says halfheartedly. In two strides, he reaches me at the door.

Quint in a black tux instantly makes me horny for him. His pink tie and pocket square match my dress. His hair is neatly styled. I can’t help but stand gawking at how hot he looks.

“Quint, you look so handsome.”

He gives me a sexy smile and says, “And you look so beautiful.”

“See, I told you so,” my mom quips with arms folded. “She argued with me about each gown she tried on.”

“You need to trust your mom, Annie,” Mrs. Lawson says with a nod. “She has great taste.”

As our parents converse amongst themselves, Quint holds up a clear plastic box. “Can I put on your corsage?”

“It’s so pretty.” I lift my wrist with a smile. I feel like a princess on her way to the ball. He opens the container and delicately removes the cluster of tiny roses and baby’s breath. With a soft touch, he gently slides the elastic over my wrist. His fingers circle where the corsage sits, and his eyes tell me exactly what he’s thinking.

“I love you,” he mouths silently while staring into my eyes.

“Me too,” I mouth back.

“Picture time!” my mom says, killing the moment between us.

I’m sure our parents know we are in love, but they haven’t asked and we haven’t admitted…mainly because I don’t want to open up that can of worms. If they
knew
we were in love, they might start scrutinizing our behavior a bit more, and I selfishly want to keep our secret rendezvous to ourselves. Especially the one we will be having tonight.

Quint and I are joining a bunch of our friends for a weekend in Wildwood. Girls are staying at one motel, boys at another…or that’s what our parents all think. It took a lot of coordinating, but we worked it out. Q and I will be sharing a room all weekend, just the two of us.

Q thinks they know. “
Of course they know
,” he said just last night. “
We’re dating, and it’s prom weekend. They’re not that dumb, Annie.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I shook my head in denial.

Staring at my dad as he watches me with a proud smile, I really don’t want to think about him thinking about me having sex for the first time. Yuck.

Our moms torture us, taking picture after picture until the arrival of our limo forces them to stop. A few more shots outside in front of the white stretch limo, and we’re finally on our way to our prom.

We’re picking up our friends along the way. The minute we settle into the backseat and the door slams shut, blocking our parents from seeing us through the dark glass, Quint grabs my face in his hands and kisses me long and hard.

“Damn, I wanted to do that inside. I should have.”

“Um, no, you shouldn’t have.”

“You’re such a chicken,” he teases.

“Really, hotshot? Once my dad knows you are screwing his little girl, you think he’s going to be so chummy with you?”

“Of course he will be. He’ll love me even more.”

“Oh, really? Why’s that?”

“Because he’ll know how much I love his little girl.”

I can’t help but smile warmly at his words. This is just like him. He can instantly turn my annoyance around with just a smile, a few words, or a wink.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” he says while palming my check. He strokes his thumb across my lips and bends to kiss them gently. “You’re my world, Annie Weber.”

“And you’re mine, Quint Lawson.”

We make out until the limo stops at the next location, and at each additional as we collect our friends along the way. The girls all look beautiful, the guys dapper, but none of them looks as good as my guy. The eyes that follow him wherever we go is testament to how insanely handsome Quint is. Put him in a tux and ovaries begin to explode.

While we dance, while we mingle, girls are constantly watching my guy. I stand smugly at his side, knowing I’m the one he’s going home with tonight. As the night progresses, my excitement heightens for what the rest of the weekend will bring.

Prom is a whirlwind of activity, causing the hours to fly by. Graduation is in a few weeks. We all know there are some classmates we’ll never see again. Many we’ve known since grammar school. It’s a bittersweet time, as we get ready to embark on our separate journeys. My journey will be right by Quint’s side. I can’t wait until we get to Florida State University this fall. 

By the time we climb back into the limo, I’m wiped out. No one speaks as we wind down from one of the most important nights in our high school careers. I snuggle closer to Quint’s side, dozing off during the short ride back home.

“Let me do the talking,” he says when we arrive at our homes.

It’s late, but we all decided to drive down to Wildwood tonight to start our weekend early. Even though it’s only a twenty-minute ride, our parents won’t be happy with our decision.

“Please. Everyone’s going, Mom,” I plead when Quint’s attempts aren’t working. Unlike him, I’m not above begging. After a conference with the Lawsons, my parents finally concede.

As Quint puts our bags into the car, my mom pulls me aside. “Sweetie, I have a feeling tonight is a special night for you and Quint.”

“Mom.” I try to stop her before she embarrasses herself—and me.

She holds my hands in hers, ignoring my mortified expression. “I just want you to be careful. Please don’t take this lightly. It’s a big deal. I’m not dumb. I’m a mom of a teenage girl who’s dating a handsome boy. I’m also a woman who appreciates romance. My first time was a disaster. I’m happy my daughter’s experience will be wonderful because of whom she’s with. He’s a good boy, but he’s a boy. They think differently than we do. If you’re not ready, it’s okay. He’ll understand.”

“Mom, I love him.” I finally voice what I’ve hidden from her for so long.

“I know you do, and I know that he loves you. It’s a serious decision, and it puts your relationship into new territory. Please be careful.” She surprises me with her keen perception of our relationship. I should feel embarrassed, but instead, I feel like a weight is lifted. I can relax knowing I’m not lying to her or sneaking around. She understands.

“Will you tell Dad?” I ask in a panic.

“Hell, no,” she immediately responds. “This is between us. If you need to talk things out or need advice, I’m here. You’re my only daughter. I’m your mother, first and foremost…but I’m also your friend.”

I give her a crushing hug. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome. One more thing.” She waits until I pull away to look into her eyes. “I’m too young to be a grandmother. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good. Drive carefully and have fun.”

Halfway into our drive, and I still haven’t told Q what my mom said. I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable around her. He may act cocky, but I know that my parents’ opinion means the world to him.

“You’re quiet. Are you okay?”

“I’m great. Except that my hair hurts. How can hair hurt?” I ask, like he’ll have an answer for me. “Thirty-eight bobby pins, I counted them.”

He chuckles as I scrub my fingers through my hair to relieve the aches on my scalp. “My feet are killing me, too. I’m not meant for heels.”

Quint smiles at me before focusing on the road. “But you looked so hot in them.”

“So I don’t look hot in my favorite Chucks?” I tease.

“Babe, I’ve seen you make soccer cleats look hot.” He reaches for my hand and places a soft kiss on it.

Quietly, I stare out the window at the dark landscape as we drive by. My thoughts are filled with what will be happening in a very short time. I’m nervous. I shouldn’t be. Most would consider losing their virginity to their best friend a lucky circumstance. Especially when said best friend will be losing his as well.

That doesn’t mean I don’t want it to be special for him. I don’t want to disappoint him in any way. I have no idea what I’m doing, and I usually follow his lead when we fool around. I’m hoping he knows what to do tonight.

He tugs on my hand, forcing me to look his way. “Stop worrying. You’re with me,” he says, completely reading my mind.

“I know.”

“We’re amazing together, Annie.” He places our entwined hands over his crotch. “Feel that? Just from thinking about it.”

“Q, that’s not hard to do.” My boyfriend can get a hard-on at any moment. His claim doesn’t impress me.

“Let’s not mistake the reason I’m constantly sporting a boner, Annie.”

“Because you’re a horndog?” I tease.

“I’m your horndog.”

“All mine.” I pull our hands away from his evidence to kiss his knuckles. He flashes my special smile. The one reserved just for me, the one that reaches down to my crotch and causes it to tremble with excitement. It’s my version of a boner at the mere sight of Quint Lawson.

It’s not long after when we pull up to the motel parking lot. A few of our friends arrive just as we do. Those who are paired off check in, anxious to get behind closed doors. We decide to meet on the beach at sunrise, since none of us will be doing any sleeping tonight.

My nervous silence continues until we are in our room. Quint locks our door, places our bags in a corner, and pulls me into his arms. His embrace is just what I need at the moment. Having him pressed up against me with his strong arms wrapped around me calms my racing heart.

He tilts my chin up with one finger.

“It’s me. I won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” I agree, meeting his heated gaze. I could stare into his eyes all day. They are deep chocolate brown, yet when he’s happy or excited, they turn even darker. His straight nose and full lips make him look like a runway model. His chin is now clean-shaven, but most days it shows sexy scruff.

I watched him transform this past year. His looks went from boyishly cute to drop-dead gorgeous. His shoulders widened. His athleticism has sculpted his abs, forearms, and back with hard muscles. Quint went from being tall and lanky to tall and beefy.

I’ve seen him naked plenty of times over the years. The changes in his body from boy to man have mesmerized me. He now has just enough chest hair to drive me crazy. There’s this ridge on his hips forming a V that makes me squirm. My favorite part is the trail of dark hair that stretches from his belly button to his manhood. The sight of him naked causes my body to react in a way that’s almost embarrassing. He knows it, and he uses it to his advantage. His claim that my body drives him wild in similar ways is hard to believe. He’s a work of art, and I’m not.

A few weeks ago, while our parents were out to dinner, he stripped me naked and kissed all the parts of my body he said he loved. It was the first time he did that for me, and it felt amazing. I came embarrassingly loudly as he licked and kissed every part of me. I reciprocated and gave him his first blow job. I worried that I wasn’t good at it. Based on his reaction, I must have done something right. I loved how he responded to what I was doing to him. He tried to pull out and spare me from him coming in my mouth. I held him tighter, determined to finish what I started.

Up until now, all our sexual encounters have been experimental while learning each other’s likes. I considered it all prep work, training for a race. Tonight is the main event, and no one can fault me for being nervous.

Placing both hands on the sides of my face, he holds me still as he skims his gaze over my features in awe. “I’m such a lucky guy. I’m about to make love for the first time to the most beautiful girl on earth. Who gets to say that?”

“You’re biased.”

“Nope. You are blind to your own beauty, Annie.” Bending to kiss me, he traces the outline of my lips with his tongue before slipping it into my mouth. Instantly, I’m aroused and wanting more of his touch. When he feels my entire body press up against his, he releases my face to slide his hands beneath my T-shirt. He breaks our kiss to remove my shirt. I’m still wearing my new lace strapless bra bought specifically for my dress. His eyes devour the sight of me before his hands mold over the pale pink lace. He smirks deviously, slipping his hands around my back to unfasten my bra. It falls at our feet, and his smirk turns into something else. It’s that look he gives me whenever I’m exposed to him.