Page 47 of A Better Place

“Yeah, Jack, it is. But the thing is? I’m willing to lie in front of that car and conquer the world for her even if I don’t get the kiss.”

“Really?”

“Yup. But we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you and your girl. And I’ll deny this if you ever tell her father I’m the one who told you to go for it, but kiss the girl. Imagine I’m Sebastian, and I’m telling you… Kiss. The. Girl.”

“You just Disney’d me.”

“Hey, I raised a girl on my own. Disney princesses were running amuck in my house.”

“You really think she won’t like, knee me in the balls or something if I try to kiss her? Or ask her on an official date?”

“If she’s looking at you the way you say she is, giving you those small touches that you can feel all the way to your toes, then no way is she gonna knee you in the balls or say no to a date. Ask her out. Pick her up at her door. Talk to her dad, no matter how many guns he greets you at the door holding.” I grin as his eyes go enormous. “Be respectful. Hold the door for her. Never forget that she’s worth it all. Kiss her goodnight but show her that you’re willing to wait for her if she doesn’t feel comfortable kissing you right away. And if you’re out on a date and you have questions or freak out? Call me. Or text me. Whatever.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Just remember what I said, and whether you’re dating my niece or some girl you meet at culinary school — because you will be going to culinary school — you’ll be totally fine. Women are meant to be treated with respect. Their hearts? They’re fragile, man, and you hold that key. Respect, patience, and caring. At all times. Got me?”

“I got you. Trust me. That I get.”

I don’t really know what to make of that statement, but it’s branded into my mind, and I know I’ll struggle not finding out what it means.

“Thank you, James. So… kissing?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, what do I do?”

“What do you mean?”

Is he really asking…

“Hands, where do I put them? Tongue? No tongue?”

Yup, he’s really asking literally how to kiss my niece. I’m so dead.

“Not my niece. Not my niece. Not my niece,” I chant to myself.

He winces, and I feel a little bad. “I’m sorry. This is weird, right?”

“No, bud, it’s not. I just need to remind myself you’re not talking about my niece.” I blow out a breath and look him square in the eye. I’ve never had to tell a person how to kiss someone before, and honestly, I have no clue what to say.

I take a deep breath and let it out. “So, here’s the deal. This is your first kiss. You don’t need to be an overeager and use too much… t-tongue.” I almost choke on the word that tastes like bile in my throat. “Hand placement? Keep it clean, dude,” I say with a low voice, and he nods quickly with his eyes wide. “You’ll know, trust me on that. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Touch her face, cup her cheeks — on her face, not her… you know — with both hands or lightly wrap one around the back of her neck to hold her close. Keep it soft and remember, just don’t let your head get in the way. You’ll know what to do. Trust me.”

He bites his lip just like I’ve seen his mom do so many times, then he blinks a couple of times. “I can do that. Thanks, man. I know that was super awkward, but I didn’t really know who else to ask about this. It’s kind of embarrassing anyway that I’ve never kissed a girl, and I’m sixteen, so I didn’t want to ask any of my friends — or risk them telling Grady — and Mom just wasn’t an option, you know?”

“Hey, sixteen isn’t old. Don’t sweat it. And, just to say, I’m sure your mom would have been super cool about explaining it to you, but I’m really glad you called. You’re welcome to come to me any time, about anything.” I hope he understands the underlying meaning when I said the word anything. I don’t want him going behind his mom’s back and telling me something she doesn’t want me knowing. But it’s also clear that he has a lot of demons that still haunt him, and I want him to know that I’m here to help defeat them, if he wants me to be.

“I like that. Thanks. Again,” he says sheepishly.

I grin at his awkwardness. Teens really own that.

“Wanna stop by early next week? You’re off for Christmas break, right?”

He nods.

“Then stop in. You can see what Barrett and I have been doing. It’s not much. We kind of got started on the apartment above the restaurant, so I had a place to stay.”

“Yeah? That’s cool. I’d love to stop by.”

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