“When we arrived home from the party the other week you told me you were with Eli before you fell asleep.” She pauses, hiding a smile. “It would be more accurate to say you went on and on and on about him. Apparently he has quite the . . . how do you say . . . package?”
My face heats as I throw my hands up to cover it. I can’t believe this. What the hell was I thinking? That’s right, I wasn’t—because I was illegally intoxicated. I’d made a stupid mistake that could cost Eli his fucking career. Do I trust Sophia enough to admit the truth? I hesitate. We are friends, but I’m nervous about anyone knowing about Eli and me.
“I’m so embarrassed.” I moan, shaking my head. “I was so drunk, I must have been fantasizing about him. I do that a lot. I may have a tiny crush on the guy.” I let out a small laugh.
Sophia raises her eyebrows and smiles. She believes me.
Well, I think she believes me.
“He is pretty hot, isn’t he? He’s got the best-looking derriere I’ve ever seen. So tight, just begging to be squeezed.”
I fake a laugh, but deep down, her comment has downright pissed me off. It’s not her fault, and I know that half the school would be thinking what she just said, but I’m jealous. It’s going to be a long five months.
***
The aroma of the spaghetti bolognaise fills the kitchen as Mom stirs the sauce. Sophia and I are sitting at the kitchen counter, making apple pie. Well, we are trying to make pie, that is. I’m pretty sure Grandma’s homemade recipe didn’t include getting flour everywhere except in the actual bowl.
“This is all gooey,” laughs Sophia, pressing her hands into the pastry. “I’ve never made pie before. This is so much fun.”
I gasp as I try and compose myself. Tears are running down my cheeks, I’m laughing that hard. This is definitely not how pie is made.
“Oh, girls.” Mom sighs, shaking her head. “What are you doing?” We all crack up in hysterics when we look at the clumps of pastry. “All right, how about I do the pastry and you girls start on the filling?”
Minutes later, I glance over at Mom and Sophia and smile. They’re talking about school, college, and France. I don’t contribute much to the conversation in front of me; instead, my mind is on Eli. Or more so, on all the dirty things I want to be doing with Eli.
My phone pings with a text and a smile stretches my cheeks. Speak of the devil.
Eli: Can I take you out tomorrow? That is, if you don’t have plans yet.
Me: As long as it involves you putting your hands on every inch of my body, then it’s a deal ;)
I love teasing him, but I’m serious. I need my fix of Eli. He’s an aphrodisiac. Besides, I can’t think of a better way to see in the new year than in his arms.
Eli: It wouldn’t be a date if it didn’t end with my cock deep inside you. I’ll pick you up at 5pm tomorrow. Wear something casual.
Me: Who said anything about ending? I was hoping for starting too. See you then x
I giggle and shove my phone back in my pocket. Looking up from the table, I see Mom and Sophia starting at me, both wearing strange expressions.
“What?” I ask, looking back and forth between them.
“Who’s got my daughter all tied up in knots?” Mom leans across the counter toward me. “I know that giggle. That’s the sound of a girl in love.”
I
duck out of the way as she tickles me, her hands trying to get hold of my phone.
I squeal and run away from her. She thinks we’re playing, but we’re so not. Like hell she’s getting ahold of my phone. “It’s just a funny text from Alice,” I beg, putting my hands up in surrender.
She narrows her eyes at me and turns to Sophia. “You’d tell me if my little girl has a boyfriend, right, Sophia?”
“Of course, Mrs. Wilson. I’m on this.” She winks at Mom, who laughs and throws a piece of apple at me. I stick my tongue out at her, but inside, I’m dying. The first thing I’m going to do when I’m out of sight is change his name in my phone and erase all our old messages.
Mom and Sophia chatter like old friends while I wait for my pulse to return to somewhere in the vicinity of normal. We were that close to being discovered. Mom wouldn’t have known who Eli was, but it wouldn’t be hard for her to figure it out, and then I’d have to explain to Sophia why I’d lied to her.
“So, tell me more about this boyfriend of yours,” Sophia says, rolling onto her stomach. We are both in my bed, trying to sleep after watching movies for half the night. My stomach tightens at the mention of Eli.
“What do you want to know?” I ask nervously.