Page 3 of My Sweet Cherry
Benny clicked his tongue like he was disappointed, but he was still smiling. I fidgeted, unsure where to put my hands when he pulled me closer. I settled for resting them on his shoulders, growing nervous when his muscles twitched beneath my fingertips.
“That’s a bummer,” he said, turning us so he could see more clearly where I pointed. Then he winked, and I could practically feel my friends swooning on my behalf. “Maybe I can take you out tomorrow then. If you tell me yes, I’m still lucky tonight.”
“You want to take me out?” I found it hard to believe, even as I danced with him. No guy like Benny had ever tried asking me out before—no guy at all had ever asked me out before. What was the catch?
“A fox like you? Absolutely.” My cheeks warmed beneath his compliment, and I was thankful for the neon lights that probably hid the hue. “So what do you think? I’ll pick you up tomorrow at six?”
“Okay, yeah. Why not?”You need to have stupid-girl-in-college fun!What could be more fun than going out with the complete stranger that hit on me at the bar? The song ended, segueing into another while the butterflies in my stomach continued to dance along.
"Great," he said, smiling. He stopped moving, but it felt like we were still dancing as the crowd continued to move around us. Maybe it was just the sudden nerves or the tequila shot in my gut that made it feel that way. Benny reached into his pocket, pullingout a small piece of cardstock with a number on it. “Hit me on my beeper tomorrow. Here’s the number.”
I took it from him, turning it over in my hands. “Okay, I will.” My voice got caught behind the mixed disbelief and excitement, and I cleared it, thankful for the heavy bassline that covered the sound.
“Tight.” He smiled, slowly backing away and leaving me on the dance floor, already worrying about what I was supposed to wear on our date. “I’ll see you tomorrow, hot stuff.”
Chapter 4
Beth
“This is going to be fun,” Benny said as we walked into the skating rink. “I’ll even make sure you don’t fall, unless it’s for me.” He winked before he half-jogged to the counter to grab a couple pairs of skates. As he walked back toward me with each pair of skates tied together and hanging over his fingers, he swung his hips, and I laughed.
“For you.” He handed me the smaller pair, and I sat down on one of the many benches scattered around the carpeted area surrounding the rink.
“Thank you.” I tied the laces tight, wiggling my toes before I stood up. It took me a second to get my balance. Once I did, Irolled my skates back and forth. “Shall we do this thing?” I asked when the song changed and Madonna started to play over the speakers.
“Can’t say no to that.” He laughed and held out his arm.
When we got to the edge of the carpet, I paused, staring at the transition from the bright pattern to the smooth, polished-wood surface. “You don’t have to be nervous,” Benny said, dropping his arm to grab my hand.
“Oh, I’m not.” I giggled when he tilted his head like he hadn’t been expecting that answer. “I’ve been roller skating since I was like seven years old because my older sister got invited to a lot of parties, and she always had to take me with her.”
“I bet she loved that.” He chuckled, watching while I stepped onto the wood and turned around on the skates to face him.
Then I shook my head, giggling. “She hated it actually. Nobody wants to drag their younger sister along with them when they go out with their friends, even if they’re only thirteen and it’s not the end of the world.” I shrugged, remembering the way my sister would throw a fit each time our parents demanded that she take me with her. I think they just wanted us both out of the house at the same time. “She especially hated that I was a better skater than her.”
“Oh, were you?” He smirked like he was ready for a challenge. I took a deep breath and swallowed the competitive lump that started to form in my throat—the one that usually got my sister and me sent to our rooms.
“I was. I bet I skate better than you too,” I said. Apparently I never learned my lesson growing up. “Come get me.”
Then I skated away before Benny had even fully stepped onto the rink himself. The same music that was currently on the tape in my Walkman played overhead and made my hips sway while I rounded the corner. When I turned around to skate backward,Benny was still near the entrance. He moved slowly, like he was still trying to find his balance.
“Are you coming?” I asked, giggling when he narrowed his eyes.
He nodded. “Yeah, it just takes me a second to warm up!” I rounded the last corner quickly, coming up behind him and stopping next to him.
“Do you know how to skate?” When he pursed his lips slightly, I took it to mean he knew how to skate well enough that he thought he’d be the one leading me in laps while I struggled to balance.
“Of course I do.” He smirked. “I just didn’t expect you to be so good at it. What else are you so good at?” Benny winked, and my stomach sank. Surely he wasn’t looking for me to tell him that I was good at algebra or that I made really good cinnamon rolls. What would he do when he found out I had never done any of the things he was picturing me excelling at?
I shrugged. “Maybe you’ll find out sometime.”Who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls?
“I’d like that.” Benny took my hand, pulling me toward him as if he had lost all interest in pretending he could skate circles around me. “Hey, what do you say we get out of here? Go someplace a little quieter? I want to get to know you—see what else you’ll surprise me with.”
“Sure,” I said. I hadn’t ever had a guy so interested in getting to know me. Usually they didn’t look past the stack of books to really see me. “What do you have in mind?”
Benny took my hand, skating slowly back toward the carpet. When he almost came close to losing his balance, he tightened his grip, and I bit back a giggle. “I was thinking a movie at my place? We just got a new VCR.” He looked relieved when he was back on the carpet and even more so when he was at the bench.
“Do you have snacks too?” I sat on the bench next to him, pulling the lace and kicking off the loosened skates.
