I met his gorgeous eyes, trying to resist the urge to bite down on my lower lip. He was so handsome, in that rugged, rebellious way, but he was always so respectful with me. Not at all what I expected.
But I liked that, too.
“Okay,” I said, the word coming out like a soft puff of smoke.
With a big grin he flashed me a wink and chomped down into the last of his sandwich, polishin’ it off and washin’ it down.
“I don’t have any fancy clothes to wear though, is the only thing. Only got my work clothes,” he lamented, but then I remembered pa’s old things. Still sittin’ in the dresser in his old room. Right with ma. They looked about the same size too. Asher and pa, I mean.
Big, broad men, tall and filled out.
“Maybe I can find somethin’ in the house. We didn’t get rid of pa’s old things, and he and ma used to always go to the dances. They loved things like that.”
His smile grew wider and he nodded his head as he wiped off his hands on a cloth.
“It’s a date then,” he announced as he stood up, adjustin’ his belt and jeans. “Guess I’d better hustle and get my work done over on the east side before nightfall then. Don’t wanna be late gettin’ ready for the dance, now do I?”
My stomach was doing flips of excitement as I stood up, and I was sure I was beamin’. I’d never been so happy in all my days, and I knew I’d fret about it all afternoon.
I wished ma still had her mind about her so I could ask for advice about what to do. That was one of the worst parts of it, just feelin’ so lonely even though she’s still around. Wantin’ to share in my happiness with her and knowin’ she’ll never really understand.
Still, I couldn’t let that get to me, and I quickly packed up our picnic.
“We can eat here then go on if you want or else they have a small buffet thing before hand,” I suggested.
“Why not eat out? You’ve been bustin’ your ass cooking for us every day,” he said with a smile. “Dinner and a date sounds even better anyhow,” he remarked, and set off, brushing against me as he let his hand run down my arm. “I’ll be in to clean up early as I can,” he promised.
“Alright, I’ll try to find somethin’ nice,” I said, looking at him with such renewed affection and desire. My eyes roamed over his body before I turned on my heel, headin’ back to the farm. Each step felt lighter and more meaningful.
My first real date!
* * *
True to his word, Asher finished up his work early enough to get on back and get cleaned up. When he came out of the bath, I had a fresh set of pa’s date clothes waitin’ for him. I didn’t wait around to peek or nothin’, so don’t go thinkin’ me a total perv. But when he came on down, he was dressed up all nice.
Though he was a lil’ bigger’n pa was, it only helped him fill out the clothes even better. And he kept the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, so his bulgin’ forearms were left exposed, just like I preferred.
I wonder if he’d noticed or just liked it that way too...
I guess it didn’t matter, I was just too stunned by him to really think about much else. Even after I’d washed my hair and put on my little bit of lipstick, all I could think about was him and if he’d like it. I even talked with ma a bit, though I doubt she remembered any of it, but she said I looked just like a vision and I figured that meant I looked nice.
“Wow,” I finally said, my fingers on the hem of my light yellow sundress. “You clean up some nice.”
I was too busy ogling him to notice he was doin’ the same to me, but when he let out a whistle I clued in some.
“Speak for yourself, hun. You’re a vision in that dress, I gotta say,” he remarked, and reached out, takin’ my hand in his like we was in some kind of movie! “Gimme a lil’ twirl, will ya?” he asked, with a lopsided smile on his face. Though he didn’t so much as wait for me to deliver, he lifted my hand and helped give me the twirl in question.
My sundress flared out over my thighs as I went up on tiptoe, still barefooted and without tights. I knew it was proper to wear them, but I hated the damn itchy things and it was too warm anyhow.
The dress dipped low, showing off the top of my breasts, and I knew I probably had the biggest in the town, though that weren’t sayin’ much when you’re in a town of three hundred odd souls. But I liked showin’ them off.
At least, I liked showin’ them off to Asher, right and wrong be damned.
After watchin’ my dress flare up and twirl, he helped me slow down and come to a halt, reachin’ out to grasp me by my hip and waist as he smile down from his towerin’ height.
“Safe to say I’m gonna be the luckiest man there tonight. With the most beautiful woman in the whole township on his arm,” he remarked, almost all his dark, rugged look hidden beneath that nice shirt and pants. Though his forearms still betrayed the dark lines of his markings, keepin’ him from losin’ all his edge.
And despite his words, I knew that I was really gonna be the one everyone’d be jealous of.