Lost in the Moment (A Savioe Family Novel) (3 page)

I
grabbed another fry and just as I was about to pop it in my mouth. She grabbed it from me and got nose to nose with me. Her breath fanned my face hinting of chocolate and mint before she said in a voice that immediately brought to mind silk sheets and tangled limbs. “Dat’s no’ my problem, Shug.” She leaned back and ate the fry. My sight was drawn to her lips. I kept my groan to myself as her lips encircled the potato; my body instantly wished she’d do that to it instead.

I
turned away and tried to pay attention to what Beau was saying. Marie was pretending to ignore me. I could tell I made her nervous. Every time she reached for some of her fries or her drink, her hand would tremble a bit. I hid my smile behind my hand as I coughed.
She’s off limits, mate. Beau would kill you if you messed with his sister.
I reminded myself.

“Drez, want a burger? My treat for keeping that stupid
imitation bacon away from me.” Roxy asked looking through her bag completely startling me.

“Imitation bacon?”
I asked in utter confusion.

“Security guards. Jess and I started calling them that when we found out a few of them flunked out of law enforcement training. You know cops are called pigs. Pig is where we get
bacon. Hence imitation bacon.” She explained pulling out a twenty from the bottom of her messenger bag.

Charles laughed so hard he snorted out the milkshake he was drinking. That caused
everyone else to laugh harder.

I
shook my head at her. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine really.” My stomach cramped in denial.

She
raised an eyebrow at me, as she looked me over. I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. Her gaze seemed to penetrate right through me. Just how much did she really notice? She shook her head at me. “Puh-lease. I’m getting you a burger and fries. I will not take no for an answer. Now is there anything you will not eat on it?”

“No.”
I mumbled looking down at my dirty jeans.

“Good.” She
pressed the intercom and ordered a double cheese with the works, large fry and a soda.

“You’re a bossy bit of goods aren’t you?”
I stared at her with uncertainty in my eyes.

Luke chuckled as he kissed
her neck. “You have no idea.”

             
                                          *****

Marie

Oh my God he is sitting next to me.
My heart pounded a steady rhythm against my chest. My leg bounced under the table shaking the metal seats Jess and I were sitting on. I wiped my palms on my jeans under the table to try to remove the moisture gathering on them. He was turned toward Beau talking about some stupid car stuff. His black T-shirt stretched across those broad shoulders emphasizing the muscle he had hidden beneath. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it trying to regain some sort of composure.

Jess
stomped on my foot and whispered. “Stop. You are shaking the entire table. He’s just a guy. Albeit a very hot guy but a guy none the less.”

The carhop delivered his food and just stood there gawking at him. Her mouth dropped open before she stuttered out the total.
Glad to know I wasn’t the only one susceptible to his looks.
Roxy cleared her throat to get the girl’s attention. That’s when she noticed my brothers and turned several shades of red. Jess laughed at her. “I know how you feel, girl. It should be against the law for the four of them to be in the same place at the same time.”

I muttered under my breath
as I slowly shredded a paper napkin. “Or at least come with a warning label. Caution: Due to severe cases of hormone overload. Overexposure may cause women to experience the following symptoms, inability to think coherently, unable to form a complete sentence, inexplicable rise in body temperature, and a sudden need to act out your baser instincts. Approach with the utmost caution.”

Jess
spat out her drink the sticky liquid landed on the table next to Beau’s elbow. Both he and Drez turned to look at us. She, completely oblivious to the commotion she was making, swung her head in my direction and cackled. “Ah, damn that is so true! You bet your ass as soon as we get back to school I’m going to have to change my underwear. Because I am drenched here.”

My hand flew to my mouth as I turned bright red.
A soft snicker sounded to my left when I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“You’ll get used to it. I’ve embarrassed Roxy so many times I’ve lost count.” Jess shrugged before taking a sip from her straw
.

“Yeah, I kinda doubt that.” I muttered under my breath
before I bit into another fry. While I liked Jess and thought she was fun to hang around. She tended to be a bit crass and crude. She had absolutely no brain to mouth filter. Whatever random thought popped in her head usually came straight out of her mouth moments later. The only time she seemed to censor herself was when she was around Roxy’s dad. Not that I blamed her there he was a bit intimidating. Especially after witnessing him throw a lamp at my brother’s head this past Saturday. I shivered at that terrifying memory.

I glanced at the table and quietly picked up the trash on it. I had to do something to keep my mind and eyes from wondering over to him sitting beside me.
I released a deep breath after I had walked over to the trashcan. Just being this close to him and trying to not let on that I had a crush on him was going to kill me. I placed my right hand against my chest and took a few more calming breaths to slow down my heartbeat. A few days of it beating like this and I’ll end up having a heart attack.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked the time.
Crap!
I still had twenty-five minutes of potential cardiac arrest left. I placed my phone back in my jeans and turned to walk back to the table.
This is so going to suck.

             
                                          *****

                           
Chapter Two

Drez

The bell rang signaling the end of school. I gathered my tattered notebook and books together before heading out of the classroom. If I could time this right, I should be able to head down to the boy’s locker room and finally take a shower.
I quickly closed my locker door after getting my knapsack that had my toiletries in it and ran toward the athletic building.

I skidded to a halt just before the door
that headed down the steps to the locker rooms. They usually kept the doors unlocked for the football players heading to practice. Today was no exception. Thank god. I really needed to bathe. During the ride back to school from Frank’s, I caught a whiff of myself and almost gagged. The stench emanating from my armpits was that powerful.

I jogged down the steps and opened the locker room door. The white tiled floor was littered with dirty towels, a few lockers were left partially opened and someone had left their tennis shoes sitting on the wooden bench. The janitor, Joe Blankenship, nodded to me as he bent down to pick up some of the rubbish.

Only a handful of the administration and staff were aware of my situation at home. Joe was one of them. Some nights when my uncle was really on a bender, Joe and his wife would let me crash on their sofa until the rat bastard sobered up.

“Things okay, son?” He asked as I grabbed a clean towel from the shelves next to the gym teacher’s office.

I shrugged. “He gave me until the end of the month to either get a job, give him the money I make from it or get out.”

He clicked his tongue while he shook his head. “Sorry to hear that.” He pushed his large waste bin toward the office and yelled back to me. “Sheryl was asking about you the other day. I know she’s making a meatloaf tonight. If you want to swing by later and keep a few old people company you are more than welcome.”

I gave him a sad smile before I ducked into the shower stall. “Thank you, Joe. I just might do that.” He nodded again at me and wheeled the waste bin out of the room.

I stripped out of my clothes and turned on the hot water. The steam from the stall started filtering into the locker room and fogged up the mirrors. I set my cl
othing on the bench and grabbed my shower stuff. As I stepped under the scalding water, I hissed out a sigh of relief. I lathered up my hair twice before I heard it squeaking in its cleanliness. I should take Joe up on the implied offer. It would be nice to have a full stomach and get some sleep that’s not interrupted by an insect looking for a snack in the middle of the night.

I shut off the water now that I no longer had swamp ass and wrapped the towel around me. I picked up my stuff put it back in my knapsack and stared at my dirty clothes. Damn there’s no point to put them back on and just get filthy again. I wonder if there is a spare gym uniform around here that I can borrow until tomorrow. I shoved my things back on the bench and walked i
nto the supply closet.

After finding the grey and maroon shorts and shirt, I quickly put them on
sans boxers. I hated freeballing. I always feel like the boys are going to make a surprise appearance at any time. It will have to do until I get to the laundry mat and wash everything. With my dirty clothes in my knapsack, I sat down on the bench and started pulling on my boots.

The locker room door flung open as the players started filing in. “Dude that was a sick pass. I swear those Cougars aren’t gonna know what hit them Friday night.”

“Damn straight!” Another member shouted out.

The team this year consisted of the typical gits, the ones that are either the biggest assholes in the school or the golden boys. Including the second string and the ones that consistently sit on the bench, there were about thirty-eight on the team.
Like most high schools that I’ve heard about, the starters were a tight knit group. They played together, had the same classes, partied together and some shared the same girls.

I shook my head in disgust as I gathered my things. Just as I stood up to leave the
room, I heard one say, “Bus, so what’s the ETA on that hot little Latina getting added?”

“Roxy?” His smooth baritone voice asked. I immediately sat back down and paid attention to the rest of the conversation so I could inform Beau the next time I saw him.

“Yeah Roxy. Who else did you think I was talking about?” The other guy scoffed.

“Soon, man. Her and that Cajun asshole broke up over the weekend. So it’ll be real soon.”

“Rebound fuck. Nice.” The guys laughed and the sound of a high five echoed in the room.

“You know her purity level is in question. I heard that they’ve been going at each other like crazy.” Another guy spat out.

“Yeah, Bus you can’t claim to have taken that cherry.”

“Scott, who says I was going after that one anyway. That bitch’s ass is too fine to not take a shot at her black cherry.”

They started laughing again. My upper lip curled up in disgust. I hate when men make a game out of treating women like toys. Leading them on with any little thing they can just to have a quick bang and bragging rights. At least the girls I’m with, not that there were many, know from the start what I want from them, what exactly I’m willing to give them and that I won’t kiss and tell. I grabbed my things and quietly left the locker room. Damn, I wish I had a mobile to call Beau. He needs to know what they’ve said.

             
                                          *****

Marie

After finishing up my chores and homework, I went up to my room and locked the door. I sat at my vanity table and stared at myself in the mirror. My curly light brown hair frizzed about my head in a halo as I noticed how the makeup on my eyelids had faded from this morning. I let out a
deep sigh before grabbing my brush. I wish I had straight hair like my brothers, but no, I just had to get my father’s curls. I grabbed a hair tie and quickly pulled my hair back wrapping it up in a tight bun.

I got up and walked over to my old dark wooden dresser in the corner of my room. At the sleepover at Roxy’s both her and Jess told me that I should try to wear more skirts or, like today, skinny jeans to show off my legs
which I had plenty of those. The only problem, I don’t have many skirts unless you count the plaid pleated ones from my old Catholic school uniform. I opened the middle drawer and pulled out the dark red, white, and grey skirt in question.

I stripped out of my jeans and tried it on. The last time I wore this I was six inches shorter. I fastened the button in the back while I walked over to the mirror on my closet door. My eyes widened as I let out a sharp breath.
Gawd was it short. The hem hit mid-thigh, I had just enough material to cover my butt and not to show anything when I sat down. I bit my lip frowning at my reflection. I need a second opinion on this. I grabbed my phone from my vanity and took a picture in front of the mirror. I quickly pulled up Jess’s number and sent it to her.

Me: Hey this is Marie. Need your opinion on this skirt.

A few moments later, an unknown number called me. I swiped across the screen and answered it. “Hello?”

“Girl, you look hot in that. Seriously wear it. You will have guys drooling over your legs.”
Jess enthused on the other end.

“You sure?
I mean, it seems a bit too short.” I asked.

“So just do the fingertip test.”

“The what?” I scrunched my face up in confusion.

“Stand up straight and put your arms down beside you. If the tip of your middle finger is longer than the skirt hem then yes it’s too short. If not
, you’re golden.” She let out an aggravated breath and explained.

I put my phone on speaker and placed it on top of my dresser. I let out a huff and stood in front of the mirror as straight as I could. I placed my arms beside me and noticed that the hem hit just at the tip of my middle finger. “Ha! Well, I guess it’s not too short. What kind of top should I wear with this?”

She laughed at my enthusiasm. “Awesome. Go with either something white or black. With your coloring I’d say black would be good. Stay away from something button up. That would look too much like a school uniform.”

“The skirt is part of a uniform.” I admitted.

“Seriously? You went to Catholic school?” She giggled. “That is so in your favor. You know, you can capitalize on that if you really want to break out of your shell.”

“One step at a time. The past few days I’ve just been trying to get used to looking feminine.” I halted her train of thought before she could try to talk me into it. “This skirt is pushing me way out of my comfort zone. Hmm, I just found the tight black polo shirt that Roxy swiped from her mom for me. Would that work? Oh and what shoes?”
I held up the shirt to my chest as I tried to judge my reflection.

“Yeah that’d work. Heels are a must.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes. “I don’t have any.”

“What! Are you serious?” She screeched.
“Wait what size do you wear I’ll see if I have any here you can borrow.”

“I doubt it. I’m in a ten.” I took off the skirt and put on a pair of
cotton lounge pants.

“Well shit. Do you have a license?” She asked after a long pause.

“Yeah just not a car.” I admitted sitting on the edge of my bed.

“You have any money on you?”

“Where are you going with this?” I got up, stalked over to my dresser, picked up my phone and took her off speaker.

“We could hit the mall and get you some much needed kicks. That is if you are allowed to go.”

I pursed my lips and glanced at the clock. It was a quarter till five. My dad would be home in thirty minutes and dinner would be served no later than six thirty. I rushed over to my window and stared at the garage. Beau was home. I could probably borrow his truck. “Hmm, hold on. I’m going to ask my mom if I can.”

I placed my phone on my bed, unlocked my door and rushed out it passing the twins room then Charles’s before stomping down the steps. I heard water running in the kitchen and peered in to see who it was in there. My mother, Eva, stood in front of the sink with her shirtsleeves pulled up to her elbows as she scrubbed the dirt off some potatoes. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a sloppy bun.

“Hey mom?” I asked as I entered the room and leaned against the center island.

“What, Marie?” She glanced over her shoulder at me.

“Can I go to the mall with Jess?” I asked crossing my fingers under the lip of the counter.

She turned around and pinned me with her blue gaze. “You want to go out?”

“Yeah, she said she spotted a really cute pair of shoes that would look killer on me.” I looked down at the marble counter top and acted like I was flicking off a piece of dirt.

“You want to go out?” She stood there with
an eyebrow raised in surprise.

“Yes. Can I mom, please?” I looked up at her and stuck out my bottom lip in a pout.

“Sure. How much do you think you’ll need?” She asked as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel before heading over to her purse beside the refrigerator.

I stood there for a second and tried to think. “I really don’t know.
How much do a pair of heels or boots cost?”

“Depends on where you go. Here take three hundred. I’ll consider it an advance on you
r allowance.” She pulled out her wallet and handed me three bills.

Stunned I took it from her. “This is too much, Momma.”

“Trust me, Pumpkin. It will go faster than you’d think. If Beau won’t let you take the truck go ahead and use the van.” She put her purse back by the fridge and went back to washing off the potatoes.

I rushed over to her and hugged her. “Thanks, Momma.” I headed out of the kitchen, down the hall past the laundry room and into the garage. I walked by the van and Luke’s motorcycle to the sta
irs that led up to Beau’s room.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. His footsteps were muffled as he crossed over to
it. He flung it open and gave me an annoyed look. “What?”

“Can I borrow your truck so I can go to the mall with Jess?” I stumbled out.

He took a step back, his dark brows rose in shock. “Um… yeah. Let me get the keys for you.” He turned from the door and walked back into the darkened room. “What’s this about?”

“I need to get some new shoes. I’m tired of wearing sneakers all the time.” I shrugged and leaned against the railing.

“You have any money?” He tossed his keys at me.

I caught them in the air inches from my face. “Yes, mom just gave me some.”

“Cool. Be careful with my baby. You scratch her and I’ll hang you over the balcony.” He threatened before he closed his door.

I rolled my eyes at his empty threat
and bounded down the steps. When I got back to my room, I picked up the phone to see if Jess was still there. “Hey?”

“So what’s up?” She asked with her mouth clearly full of food.

My nose twitched up in disgust at her lack of manners. “I’ll be there in a few.”