Sweethearts Read online

  She did get her cell phone back at the end of the day but with a strict warning to not get it out during class again. Her mother laughed at the entire incident and even made a comment about there not being cell phones when she was in high school. It was always folded-up notes they passed

  “I don’t think you should drop me off,” Ruby said.

  “You’ve got your cell phone, and if you’re not happy with how your date is going, call me. You know I’ll answer no matter what.”

  “I don’t like this, Mom.”

  “You’re going to have fun tonight.”

  “That sounded like an order.”

  “It was.” Her mother chuckled.

  Releasing the seatbelt, Ruby stared out into the night, wishing for something to come up. A random phone call, anything that would stop her from getting out of the car. Nothing came. Opening the door, she said a final goodbye to her mother, who gave her a thumbs-up. She stood in the parking lot just as the last car drove away.

  Rubbing her hands together to ward off the chill, she spun toward the main high school building. Football meant a great deal to a lot of people in town. She’d never shared the same sentiments about it. Even her mother enjoyed a good game of football, and often made a load of snacks for the street to enjoy while Ruby watched on in amazement as a bunch of people who rarely spoke came together in food and football.

  The cheerleaders were the first to leave.

  Several of them took one look at her and giggled. She couldn’t stand it when they did that. Next, a few of the team left. Again, a couple looked her way and smirked. Did it look like she was hanging out here waiting for Theo when he was the one to ask her on a date?

  She pushed the doubt aside, and she didn’t have to wait much longer for Theo.

  He walked out with Mike, who she knew was his best friend.

  The moment Theo saw her, he stepped right up to her. “I was worried you wouldn’t come. I didn’t see you at the game.”

  “I’ve been studying. Mom just dropped me off.”

  Mike approached, and she sensed the awkwardness of the moment.

  “You two coming to the party?”

  “Nah, we’re out of here. See you tomorrow? Practice?” Theo said.

  “You practice on a weekend?” she asked.

  “Mike comes to my place. We take some practice shots and tackles, that kind of thing.”

  “Oh, right. Sounds fun.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. She wondered, not for the first time, if she should have put it up.

  “You don’t have to pretend. I know sports isn’t your thing. You look beautiful,” Theo said. He held out his hand, and her heart sped up. “You ready?”

  She wanted to scream that she was so not ready for any of this.

  She took his hand. He was so much bigger than she was. Large, football hands.

  Interesting.

  They walked toward his car, and he held open the door and she slid inside. Her cell phone was inside her pocket so if anything bad happened, her mother was a phone call away. Callie had already told her she’d buy ice cream for them to talk for when she got home. This was why she loved her mom. Callie always knew what she needed even before she realized it.

  Theo dumped his bag into the trunk before climbing behind the wheel. His car wasn’t flashy, or an up-to-date model.

  Again, she didn’t really know anything about cars.

  They pulled out of the parking lot, and he pressed on his horn, giving his teammates a wave before they left.

  “Did you win?” she asked.

  “You really want to know?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t be able to understand the game or anything, but I hope you won.”

  “Hell, yeah, we did. The crowd was going wild.”

  “Cool.” She smiled.

  “I see that look. Are you interested yet in watching a football game at all?”

  “Nope. It doesn’t appeal really, but if you want me to, I will. You’ll have to tell me everything that is going on, but I can learn.”

  “We’ll leave that for now. What do you like to do for fun? Besides studying.”

  “Come on, studying can be fun. Just think about the future you want and realize it all depends on how well you do in high school. You get the best colleges wanting your ass, and you move up in this world. Easy.”

  “College is important to you?” he asked.

  “It is. Especially for what I want.” She didn’t tell him what she wanted to become.

  “Your dad went to a good college, didn’t he?”

  She didn’t like talking about her dad but saw there was no point in avoiding it. “He did.”

  “I’m sorry about him leaving you.”

  She chuckled. “It was a long time ago.”

  “I’m nervous. I don’t know what to say to you.”

  “You’re nervous?”

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “You’re one of the most popular guys in school and you’re nervous.”

  “I’m with a girl I really, really want to impress. Yeah, I’m nervous.”

  She stared down at her thighs. She liked that he was nervous. It was a good thing for him to be nervous, right?

  “I’m nervous too. I’ve never been on a date before.”

  “You haven’t?”

  “You’re the first guy to ask me and for me to accept.”

  “You’ve been asked before. You have to be.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “You’re beautiful, smart. You’ve got this incredible smile that won’t let any guy look away.”

  She leaned her head back on the chair and looked at him. He didn’t seem to be speaking bullshit or trying to string her along. “You’re sweet.”

  “I’m speaking the truth. That’s all I can do.”

  Chapter Three

  The pizza parlor was incredibly busy when they entered. The moment the locals saw him, they started to talk about the game. They waited in line, and he wasn’t willing to be rude to the team’s fans. Theo had no illusions they were his fans. It was all about the school football team, and he was merely on it.

  However, he didn’t like that Ruby kept getting ignored.

  Talking with her was so easy, even with her nerves, and so much fun. He loved listening to her as she spoke and of course, making her laugh.

  It was a date.

  He’d made sure she was aware of them being together, together. So, while one guy was talking about one of the shots he made, he wrapped his arm around Ruby, drawing her close.

  She looked ready to run off at any minute.

  The guy, who he believed ran the hardware store, seemed to take the hint, finished his point, and got back in line.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m making sure everyone knows I’m here on a date.”

  “You really have to make a show of it like this?”

  “Do you want me to talk about football all night?” he asked, watching her.

  “If that’s what you want to do.”

  He smiled. “And you could brand this the worst date ever. Not happening.”

  “It wouldn’t be a terrible date. Just one I don’t understand.”

  The line soon got down, and he ordered himself a pepperoni. Ruby asked for the same, and they both waited for their order to be ready. There was a small booth in the back, and he kept eyeing it, hoping no one took it.

  Their pizza didn’t take long, and he was more than happy to be given the hot wings, free of charge.

  No one took the booth, and carrying their food over, he waited for Ruby to slide in. The booth had a round table, but only had one way of getting in and out. By making sure Ruby sat on the other side of him, she couldn’t escape.

  “You’re a celebrity in this town,” she said.

  “You know that already.”

  “True.” She took a piece of pizza, and he watched her take a large bite. He and a bunch of the team had come to the pizza parlor with the
cheerleading squad. Most of them chewed their way through a salad, never once touching the pizza. He often found it sad. Pizza, with all the gooey melting cheese and assortment of toppings, was the best thing in the world. “Have I got cheese on my chin?” She wiped at her face.

  “No, you’re perfect.”

  “You keep staring.”

  “I enjoy spending time with you.”

  “You know, this date is not going the way I thought it would.”

  “It’s only just started, but I’m intrigued. How did you think it would go?”

  “I don’t know. You’d talk about nothing but football. Stuff like that. I judged you even before I got here. I’m sorry about that.”

  He rolled his eyes, playfully. “Don’t worry about it. The only thing I want to talk about is you.”

  “I’m not good with talking about myself. Besides, you’ve got me curious about you, Theo West, star player, who wants to date me. So, what are your plans for the future?” she asked.

  “Ugh, don’t you get sick and tired of people asking that?” He was growing tired of his parents, the counselors, teachers, all of them wanting to have a suitable answer.

  “Agreed. My mom is the best though. She told me to let her know my plans and she’d work around them.”

  “You love your mom?”

  “Totally. She’s the best. She’s a rock, even after everything with my dad. I know she still misses him at times, but she’s never once let me down.”

  “She sounds amazing. Maybe one day I could meet her,” Theo offered.

  “That’s a giant leap from one date, right? Meeting a parent?”

  “You can meet both of mine. I don’t mind.”

  “Theo, what’s really going on here? Aren’t guys supposed to be terrified at the idea of meeting parents?”

  “You’ve clearly watched too many movies. I want to go on a date with you. Actually, scrap that, many dates. Lots of dates.”

  “No, that’s impossible.” She took a bite of pizza, but couldn’t help but smile.

  “Why is that impossible?” He reached out, pushing a curl of hair off her face.

  She didn’t push him away, but he didn’t press for more. Taking another slice of pizza, he waited.

  “You’re supposed to enjoy being the party animal. Sleeping with random girls. Doing crazy stuff that no other eighteen-year-old should want to do, but wish they could. You could get away with everything.”

  He chuckled. “You think I’m a crazy jock?”

  “Aren’t you?” she asked.

  He sucked on the straw of his drink, waiting. “First, you really need to watch a whole lot of different movies. I think I should start over. I’m Theo West. I’m a football player. A really good one. I also get straight As in all of my classes, and I’m not looking to get a football scholarship, but I wouldn’t mind because I love the game. I’m not obsessed with it. I do enjoy horror movies and hard rock music, which drives my family crazy. I enjoy spy novels, and while we’re at it, I make a mean lasagna. It’s the only thing I can cook, and whenever my family gets sick, I tend to cook it for them even though they can’t eat it. Also, I like you, Ruby James. A lot. A whole lot. So much so that I decided to break the mold of my football lifestyle and take you on a date. I’d love for this to work, even though you are being somewhat judgmental. I will grant you, I love looking at your ass and have been admiring it for years.” He finished with a bite of his pizza.

  Ruby was red-faced. “Oh.”

  “I’m not just some dumb jock now, huh?”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Want to kiss my cheek in apology?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll give you the same.” He watched her take a deep breath, and he didn’t even check her tits out. A giant leap forward for him. “I’m Ruby James. I guess you can say I’m a bit of a nerd. I like eating lunch in the library and studying. I have good grades. A couple of As and Bs but nothing too bad. My dad left when I was young, and he does keep in touch, but I find it hard to communicate with him for what he did. I’ve never been on a single date before. I love romance. You can mock if you wish, but you’ll never get another date out of me. Also, I like pop music and country. I’ve never listened to a single heavy metal song, and I cook with my mom. We have several days in one month where we make things in advance, so we don’t have to order takeout. This is the first pizza I’ve ever eaten that wasn’t my mom’s. Also, I don’t think you’re a dumb jock, not anymore.”

  “See, turned your thoughts around in one date. How is it?” he asked.

  “How’s what?”

  “The pizza?”

  “It’s good but not as good as hers.” He watched her swallow some more. “Maybe one day, if we’re still dating, you can come and try some.”

  “Now that, I’d like.”

  Progress.

  ****

  Three hours later

  It was late, but tomorrow was the weekend. The main light was still on so Ruby knew her mother was waiting. Their date was … amazing. They ate pizza, and after they shared pieces of themselves, it seemed to go a lot easier.

  Theo stopped the car outside of her house, leaving the engine running.

  “I actually had a really nice time.”

  He’d taken her stargazing. They had sat on the hood of his car, on a blanket, and he pointed out each of the stars. He also brought with him some binoculars to make it easier for her to see. She loved the date. Much to her surprise, he was very romantic.

  Now though, her nerves were back.

  End of date jitters.

  “I want to take you out again,” he said.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah. How about next Friday? We don’t have a game, and we can, I don’t know, go to the mall.”

  “The mall?”

  “There’s a movie place. They’re playing something good, I’m sure. Not for stereotypical jock types either.”

  “I don’t mind the movies. How about going paintballing?”

  “You’d like to do that?”

  “Hell, yeah, it’s always a lot of fun. I’ve gone with my mom a few times. I love it. You can shoot at me and teach me sports.”

  “Consider it a date.”

  “I will.”

  Theo reached out, stroking her cheek. She didn’t know what to do. His gaze went from her eyes to her lips, then back. Ruby knew what he wanted, but she also knew she couldn’t exactly give in to him. Not yet.

  “Erm, I better go.” She pulled out of his hold, and climbed out of the car.

  “Ruby, wait.”

  She stopped on her front steps, waiting. “What is it?”

  “Look, I was just going to kiss you.”

  “I’m not ready for that.”

  “Okay. I can wait. Whenever you’re comfortable, I can wait. You still don’t trust me.”

  “It’s not that. Please, don’t think that. It’s a lot to take in, and it’s like, wow. You’re blowing my mind right now, Theo. A kiss is … it has to mean something. I don’t know. I don’t go around kissing random guys.”

  “Then these lips are for you when you’re ready. Can I coax a cheek kiss from you?”

  “A cheek kiss?”

  “Yes.”

  He took her hands. She tensed up as he moved in close. His lips grazed her cheek. “A cheek kiss, nothing more. I had a wonderful night, Ruby.” She watched as he stepped back. “I’ll wait for you to go in.”

  “Oh, right.” She pulled out her key, unlocking her front door. She turned to him and gave him a wave. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Closing the door, she flicked the lock and stared at her mother, who was waiting, arms folded, against the doorframe.

  “I like that smile.”

  “Mom?”

  “I got ice cream, and it’s ready for us. Go, get changed. Tell me all about it.”

  Her mother rushed her upstairs, and Ruby took a quick shower before changing into a pair of pajamas. She found four diffe
rent ice cream flavors waiting for her.

  “All of these looked amazing, and I didn’t want us to go without. It’s not every single day my only daughter goes on a date. What do you want?”

  “I’ll take the chocolate,” she said.

  “Good.” Her mother didn’t scoop out ice cream. No, she handed her the tub, and Ruby loved her even more for it.

  “Tell me every single part.”

  She told her mother everything. From the pizza, to their talk, and then the stargazing, plans for the future, and then the kiss.

  “Why didn’t you let him kiss you?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I do, but it’s stupid.”

  “Come on. I’m your mother. You can tell me everything.”

  “I wonder if you’d be this cool when I have sex.”

  “I’d like to think I’ll be.”

  Ruby chuckled. “Fine. Fine. I’ve never been kissed before in my life. You and Dad don’t count. Neither do any of my teddies or anything that is not breathing.”

  “You kissed a tree once, that was breathing.”

  “I was five, and again, doesn’t count. Please, don’t ever mention that.”

  “You fell in love with trees. It’s sweet and cute.”

  “It’s weird.”

  “Not for me.” Her mother smirked. “I get it. Your father was the only guy I kissed throughout high school.”

  “Do you hate him?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? He just got up and left.”

  “I know, but it was time for him to leave. I know you’ll never understand it, but your father and I, we work the way we do.”

  “You’re dating him?”

  “No. He calls often asking about you. We talk. It works for us, especially now. He wants to be involved in your future.”

  She didn’t know her parents talked.

  “When are you going to move on?” Ruby asked.

  “When I’m good and ready. You know me, honey. I’m happy the way I am.”

  “I know. It’s what scares me.”

  Her mother smiled. “I can meddle in my daughter’s life, just fine. I like the sound of this boy.”

  “I promised him you’d make him some pizza if we were still dating.”

  “I’ve got a feeling you will be,” Callie said.

  “Why?”

  “Just a hunch is all.” Her mother winked at her. “Enjoy your ice cream while it’s still cold.”