Filed to story: Love on the Sidelines (Natalie & Karl)
He grinned, his gaze skimming down my body. “Maybe nothing. You gonna share that bottle, Miss Priss?”
Devon was a good-looking kid, blond hair, dark brown eyes, and the star player on our basketball team. And he’d never so much as glanced in my direction before.
“Nope,” I told him. “It’s mine.” I took another long drink and his grin widened. The world was spinning around me, but for the first time since Karl had kissed me, I was relaxed and semi-happy. So much so that a giggle escaped my lips. This’ll show him, I thought.
Devon pried me out from under Cody’s arm. “Tell you what, Miss Priss. Dance with me and maybe I’ll share my bottle with you.” I squinted at the green bottle he was holding, trying to focus on the label. “What is it?”
“Wine.”
Hadn’t I heard somewhere that wine wasn’t as strong as whiskey? From the way I felt, it might be a good idea to cut back a bit.
“Okay.” I shoved the whiskey at Cody and reached for the wine.
“Not so fast. Dance first, drink later.”
“You’re stooping kind of low on the food chain these days, aren’t you, Dev?” The question came from a chunky blonde girl. Oh, lord. Piggy Treece. I might as well take an ad out in the local paper and save her the trouble of running her mouth about my drinking.
“It has its advantages,” he shot back. “As you should know.” That sounded a bit odd to me, but then, everything sounded odd, and I couldn’t seem to stop giggling. Devon pulled me right up against his body, and I wondered why we were slow dancing when it was a fast song. Oh, well. One was as good as another.
I dropped my head onto his chest and closed my eyes. Then promptly opened them again, wide, when bright lights spun behind my eyelids in a mad circle.
“Whoa,” I murmured. Couldn’t make that mistake again. I pushed away from Devon and yanked the bottle from his hand. Now this stuff wasn’t half-bad. At least, not compared to the whiskey. I raised the bottle and took another long drink.
“Hey, save some for the rest of us.” He retrieved his wine from my limp hand.
“I think I need to sit down,” I confided.
“Sure thing.” His hands went to my waist and he lifted me onto the hood of a car, then stepped closer. He seemed to loom in front of me, and I blinked several times to see if he’d go back to normal size. He didn’t.
“You ever been kissed before, Miss Priss?”
My chin went up. “Of course I have.”
“Show me.”
I leaned forward and bumped into his head. Oh, my! That’s why he looked so big.
He’d only been an inch away. I adjusted for distance and plastered my mouth to his.
I was only dimly aware that he’d pried my lips open, that his hands had slid under my shirt. I felt my bra loosen, but couldn’t muster the energy to protest.
“Let’s get in the car,” Devon murmured, his mouth moving down my neck.
I gazed around blurrily, the other kids seeming to blend together and then apart in a manner I’d never experienced before. “Where are my cousins?”
“They’re busy.” He opened the car door.
“Why are we getting in the back?”
“It’ll be more comfortable.”
Something was wrong here. I wasn’t sure what, I only knew I didn’t want to get in that car. “The wine,” I hedged.
“Got it.” He waved the bottle.
“I really should find my cousins.”
His grip tightened on my arm. “Later. Now get in the car.”
“No. Let go of me.” I struggled desperately to free myself, fear overcoming some of the effects of the liquor.
“You heard her, Garner. Let go.”
Karl! I spun to face him when Devon released me, my heart pounding so hard I could hear the blood rushing through my veins. “What are you doing here?” His expression could have frozen the flames on a welding torch. “What do you think I’m doing? Go get in the truck, Natalie.”
I suddenly remembered why I’d come to the Burger Zone in the first place, and I didn’t like his tone. “No. I’m having fun.”
Devon slipped his arm around my waist. “Beat it, Hayes. She’s staying with me.”