“You know, you really didn’t have to walk me to the doorstep,” Rhiannon announced softly, glancing up at her tall suitor with an adoring smile. She had been truly enchanted during the course of their first date, seeming to fall harder for him than any man in the universe. But, she decided not to make a fool of herself and admit to that small fact. She would wait for him to say it first, just so she knew that her previous idolization of the man hadn’t heightened her need to fall into some romantic fantasy. But, she had to give herself some headway and the evening with Kevin had been absolutely perfect. She truly regretted having to release his hand in order to find her keys as they settled onto the porch of the elegant condo, their bodies basked in the warm yellow lighting.
“My mother would slap me silly if I didn’t walk a beautiful lady to the door. We believe in the truth southern hospitality of Kentucky and we have a whole list of dating rules,” Kevin explained with a shake of his head and warm smile. “Besides, how else would I get my good night kiss?”
“A good night kiss?” Rhiannon questioned with a happy sigh, leaning on the door as her heart actually fluttered with the soft tune of his voice.
“Was it a good night?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then I believe a good night kiss is in order,” Kevin insisted, bending down to her five feet, four inch stature to capture her lips in a passionate kiss that seemed to cool the muggy night air. Gently, he cupped his large hand underneath her chin, tipping her slightly to deepen the kiss before even attempting to pull away. She had cast a truly dazzling spell over him in a matter of moments. He was convinced that she would be unlike any other woman he had ever met. A woman that could never compare to his horrid ex-wife and hopefully erase the pain she had caused in her wake.
“I will never question another good night kiss,” Rhiannon breathed with a faint blush teasing her cheeks.
“Good, but what’s your take on good morning and afternoon kisses?”
“It’ll be the same for any kiss you offer,” Rhiannon promised, popping onto her tip-toes to kiss underneath his chin.
“So, I can come over tomorrow?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Great,” Kevin answered with what he assumed was his lamest grin, but it seemed to do wonders as Rhiannon beckoned him down for another kiss.
“Good night, Kev,” Rhiannon whispered, disappearing into her house as he skipped down the steps of her porch and to his car. She leaned against the back of the door till she heard the soft purr of his engine. Sighing with delight, she kicked off her heels, and sauntered into the living room in search of her best friend. Only, she ended up finding Savannah lying against AJ, between his legs, with his arms wrapped around the lower part of her abdomen. Not used to seeing her younger best friend in such a charged position, Rhiannon naturally gasped in shock. “I thought you guys were going out!”
“Ann’s home!” Savannah announced loudly when she heard Rhiannon, her voice coated with true relief. She shot up from the couch like lightening and away from AJ, looking fully prepared to leap to her feet if it wasn’t for her broken leg. But, instead, she started pushing her slightly unwelcome visitor off the plush couch. AJ had been quite sexually aroused that night, his hands seeming to slip lower and lower on her bare abdomen even with her hands grasping his. Savannah had found herself irritated with the prospect, just wanting him to leave for the evening. “Time to go, AJ!”
“You don’t need help up to your bedroom?” AJ drawled in confusion.
“God no!” Savannah blurted without thought, causing her dark jade eyes to widen when she realized the mental words had formed into her public voice when AJ visibly winced. She felt a slight guilt wash over her body, but she couldn’t imagine AJ whisking her up to bed after their night had gone completely haywire. She just wanted to escape in hopes that it was all a horrendous nightmare. But things seemed to be getting worse as she struggled to grasp her crutches. “I meant that Ann can help me up the stairs—”
“Are you sure—”
“Yes, AJ,” Savannah insisted as he stood from the couch. She crutched toward the door and motioned for him to follow.
AJ just glanced at Savannah with confusion, utterly perplexed as to what he could have done so wrong. He wanted to reach out and kiss her goodbye, but she pulled away the second his hand landed gently on her bare shoulder. His throat constricted with pain, knowing the night had gone terribly wrong, but wanting to fix it quickly. “Savvy—”
“I’ll see you later, AJ,” Savannah interrupted, leaning to peck a quick kiss to his cheek. Though, it was evident that Savannah felt forced to do so and made it as friendly as possible. Her entire posture had stiffened dramatically when AJ neared her. She even refused to make eye contact, making no future plans for dates as he simply shuffled out the door like a dog with his tail between his legs. But, Savannah didn’t seem concerned as she immediately turned for the stairs, having no qualms about whether he called or not. She was foolish to think that a man so sexually geared would be able to handle himself properly when she insisted she was ready for sex.
“What the Hell was that about?” Rhiannon instantly fired.
“Why is it that when men hear that a woman is a virgin that they immediately make it some goldenly dickheaded conquest to deflower her by any means necessary in the shortest amount of time possible?” Savannah retorted with a grunt, doing her best to concentrate on the steps so she didn’t fall and injure herself again.
“You told AJ you were a virgin?” Rhiannon squealed from behind her friend, instantly following Savannah into her bedroom for the necessary details. She had been best friends with Savannah long enough to read into her rhetorical questions that were charged with a sarcastic venom.
“Why the Hell wouldn’t I tell him that I was a virgin? I wanted everything out in the open. I’m not ready for sex and I didn’t want him jumping into this relationship thinking he could tap my ass whenever he felt like it,” Savannah admitted frankly, falling back onto her thick bed and reaching for her boxers and tank top that were thrown on the edge. She grunted in frustration when she couldn’t reach, but Rhiannon followed suite and handed them over. Growling with frustration at her situation, Savannah snatched them and attempted to undress herself for the evening.
“And he was okay with that?” Rhiannon breathed, pitching in when necessary to help her friend.
“He said that he would take it slow and respect my wishes. God, what kind of asshole am I to think that he would actually listen? Women must have constantly been laying down for him for years. He probably can’t take no for an answer, right?”
Rhiannon paled for a moment. “He didn’t…”
“No! Lord, no! I stopped him before anything could start. But then I had to keep stopping him throughout the night. I think he wanted to go out tonight and I suggested that we stay in to watch a movie. I had the lights off and… Do you think I sent some kind of wrong message? ”
“Since when has Savannah Grace ever doubted herself?”
“I’ve never really been in a strong relationship before. I don’t know how this shit works.”
“Do you want to have sex with AJ?”
“No, not yet.”
“And you told him?”
“Yes.”
“Then, trust me, you didn’t send any kind of wrong messages,” Rhiannon assured as she helped Savannah into bed while propping up her delicate leg. Then, when Savannah seemed situated, Rhiannon undressed, clicked off the light, and moved to crawl in bed with Savannah. It was obvious that the younger girl needed comforting and Rhiannon didn’t want to leave her alone.
“Well,” Savannah drawled into the darkness of her room with a sigh, not wanting to dwell on her frustrations. And, quickly, Savannah seemed to remember what the purpose of the evening had been. “How was your date with Kevin?”
“Fantastic!”
“Oh really? Just fantastic?”
“Savvy, I think I’m in love!”
“What are you doing here?” Howie questioned in surprise, watching AJ storm into his home with a dark cloud of depression lingering in his slumped posture. It was obvious that Howie didn’t expect to see his best friend and confidant, especially after AJ had made an official serious status of his relationship with Savannah. If anything, AJ was always swarming Savannah and Rhiannon’s home in what Howie thought was an almost obsessive love affair. That’s why he was even more surprised when Savannah called, asking if he would take her to the orthopedic surgeon appointment. Howie had quickly agreed, despite his surprise, to remain her knight in shining armor and escort her to the appointment. And, truth be told, Howie had first been excited when she asked, thinking that she was starting to see him as more than just a simple best friend. Yet, he quickly remembered that AJ wasn’t exactly the doting boyfriend that would take Savannah to various appointments. If it didn’t involve having fun, then AJ would become easily bored and irritated. So, Howie soon realized he had been second choice in her heart.
“Do I have to have a reason for coming to see you?” AJ quipped back, though the sarcasm was hardly apparent as he wilted into a nearby recliner. He had been miserable since Savannah bluntly pushed him out the door after an extremely awkward date. He couldn’t imagine what had gone wrong so quickly, but realized something was wrong inside her heart. And, when she never bothered to return his phone calls, the realization sunk quickly. He felt his heart practically shatter into pieces, knowing he had done something foolish to cause her pain. And, he could only figure that Howie would have the quickest way to her heart, because he was like an older brother to her.
“Not usually, but you’ve been so caught up with Savvy that—”
“I need your help, okay?”
“Need my help with what?”
“With Savvy.”
“Why would you need my help when it comes to Savvy?”
“Because you’re like a mix of a best gay guy friend and big brother. She tells you every little single detail in her life. Stuff that a boyfriend isn’t allowed to hear. Stuff that I need to know to fix things.”
“Thanks, J,” Howie sighed.
“So will you help?” AJ questioned, subconsciously ignoring whatever might be wrong with his friend as he focused on his own ordeals.
“Well…” Howie trailed for a moment, not really sure if he wanted to help. If AJ and Savannah were already having problems, there was hope for him still. But, he had to act as if he cared, so he swallowed any gleeful smiles, seating himself back on the couch. “What happened, J?”
“We had a date planned the other day, so I came over to pick her up. Only, she was sitting on the couch in the dark watching a movie. She invited me to sit down and suggested that we stay in for the night. I was all into that, y’know, but I have that ADD-shit or something… So, I started kissing her and she was enjoying it. I moved so we could get more comfortable and—”
“You guys…” Howie couldn’t even find the courage to finish his sentence. It truly felt as if his heart had been ripped away from his body. And AJ was the bastard holding the beating heart just out of Howie’s grasp for a sadistic torture.
“No, that’s the problem!” AJ burst, frowning at the thought that he wasn’t able to go as far as he was longing to go. “We were enjoying ourselves and she just sends this huge block of ice at me. She stops everything and says she’s not ready—”
“Dear God, J, she’s still a virgin, y’know?”
“Of course I know she’s still a virgin—”
“So what made you think that she would be willing—”
“I don’t know okay?”
“She’s not like those other girls you’ve dated before—”
“I know, okay?” AJ practically growled. “I fucked up, plain and simple. But now she won’t answer any of my phone calls, she won’t call me back, and I’m going insane. I need your help to think of some romantic way to say I’m sorry. Please?”
“I don’t know how you want me—”
“Howie, you’re the most romantic idiot I know. Please? The last time I did something romantic for her it blew up in my face. I just get so nervous because she is different like my other girlfriends. She’s special and someone I can see spending the rest of my life with.”
“J, this isn’t my place—”
“Please, Howie? God, I’m begging you here!”
“I know, but—”
“I love her, D.”
Howie immediately broke eye contact with his best friend, overly ashamed with himself for being so selfish. The rules of dating had played fairly in this love triangle. AJ had asked Savannah for a date first, so Howie should back down gracefully. If anything, he should have been grateful that AJ found such a wonderful girl compared to all the mishaps he found at dingy bars in the past. And, AJ had admitted that he loved her, which had attacked Howie’s heart like a lethal bacteria. So, he caved, “Savvy told me that she loved playing board games when she was little and when she was in the hospital, I brought some games and we played all night long. So, go buy the game Sorry for her. Attach a red rose and an apology letter onto the box, telling her to call when she’s ready for a game.”
“God, D, that’s brilliant!” AJ perked immediately. “She’s going to love me forever!”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping for, J…”
“Damn, Savvy! You’re about twenty pounds lighter without that heaping mound of metal wrapped around your leg!” Howie teased brightly, boosting Savannah gingerly onto his back as she requested. They had just returned from a somewhat hopeful doctor’s appointment, so Howie demanded that he make her a fancy feast for a celebratory dinner. Savannah had no reason to oppose, simply wrapping her arms around his neck from behind as she demanded a piggyback. Howie had cheered her up immensely since the disastrous date with AJ. She honestly couldn’t have asked for a better friend or companion, besides Rhiannon of course.
“Glad to know that I’m not classified as a porker anymore,” Savannah chirped back, causing Howie to laugh with approval. “But, thank you so much for going with me today. It means—”
“I wanted to come and wouldn’t ever think about letting you go with anyone else,” Howie interjected, popping open her front door and stepping inside. He instantly pushed her crutches into the corner, fully content on carrying her everywhere she needed for the night. So, refusing to let her slip from his back and making sure to hold tight to her still painful leg, he walked into the living room. He turned his back to the couch, preparing to let her down, but she yelped with a screech of laughter.
“DON’T PUT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT MESS!”
Howie jumped in surprise, whipping around with Savannah still clinging to him. His dark brown eyes widened in shock to find Kevin and Rhiannon wrapped in each others arms, obviously having been interrupted from an entirely too private moment. Howie’s cheeks immediately blushed crimson despite his dark features as Savannah laughed hysterically into his back.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t know that you were – well I didn’t even know that you two – Er – I am so sorry—”
“It’s okay,” Kevin assured with a soft chuckle, helping Rhiannon sit up as she covered her face with obvious humiliation. “We were waiting for you two.”
“That’s what you call waiting for friends?” Savannah quipped, pulling herself up on Howie’s back to peek over his shoulder.
“Nice to see you again, too, Savvy,” Kevin greeted, “I see we might have to invest in saddles for us boys when we come to visit. You seem to like riding us around.”
“If you’d help break in the leather with me,” Savannah approved, obviously not bothered by his quips.
“Savannah!” Rhiannon groaned in mortification.
“Sorry, Ann,” Savannah snickered, allowing Howie to settle her onto the opposite couch before taking a seat beside her.
“How was your appointment?” Kevin asked, allowing Rhiannon to gather herself as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“It was okay, I guess. I got the immobilizer off and everything seems stabilized. The bone is actually starting to grow and heal, but I still have to stay completely off the leg. Crutches for another few weeks and if everything goes okay, maybe, just maybe, we’ll start physical rehabilitation afterwards,” Savannah sighed, glancing down at her propped leg. The doctor had suggested keeping a tight sleeve of fabric over the leg from high thigh to foot, explaining that it would keep the swelling to a minimum. Savannah didn’t mind too much, still highly self-conscious about the surgical scarring and where the bone had been popped out from the skin. She was still obviously stressed with the idea of being bed ridden for several more weeks. She had been so active with dancing and it seemed like a waste not being able to move without fiery pains.
“What’d he say about dancing?” Rhiannon questioned softly, swallowing her embarrassment as she glanced to her best friend.
“I’d rather not talk about that,” Savannah quickly replied, averting her gaze. The doctor had been extremely blunt about her career, mostly stemmed with the idea that she should look elsewhere for financial support. It had hurt worse than the original accident, because dancing had been her life. She felt at peace whenever she expressed herself through dance. It gave her confidence and the passion she put behind it could never be matched by any other dancer. And to have it taken so quickly was heart wrenching.
Rhiannon sighed softly with disappointment, “Savvy—”
“What are you two doing tonight?” Savannah rounded, stressing the point that she refused to talk about that subject.
“Staying in, I suppose?” Kevin murmured, glancing to Rhiannon.
“Sounds good to me,” she agreed.
“Then you should spend the night!” Savannah announced quickly, glancing back to Howie with a broad smile. She patted his knee with delight, causing him to furl his dark brows in confusion. “I really don’t want to be alone tonight with these two. And, I’d actually like to try to take a bath tonight, but there’s no way that Ann can support me with her arm still being sore. I’ll even let you stay in my room and even sleep in my bed. It’s not like I have to worry about some virgin sacrifice with my best guy friend—”
“Oh! AJ stopped by and put something in your room, Savvy.”
“Thanks…” Savannah trailed, not really knowing why Kevin picked that moment to announce AJ. She brushed the thought off, glancing back to Howie with hope. “So, will you spend the night?”
“Sure…” Howie agreed, never letting Savannah see the longing radiating from his dark eyes when he realized that what he felt for her would probably never be reciprocated.
