Page 21 of Grease Monkey
“It’s not that bad. They are just doing what they think is best,” I say, pushing out of her hold, and Shay rolls her eyes, thankfully dropping it. “C’mon, we better get to school.”
She groans, throwing her head back to the sky. “Why couldn’t my best friend break the rules just this once?”
She stomps behind me, her satchel scraping along the ground like a child mid-tantrum when the roar of a car rumbles down the road before pulling up alongside us. My stomach flutters as Teddy grins, leaning across the center console. His fingers curl around the open window, his corded forearms flexing as he peers up at me, reminding me that my hand was wrapped around those strong arms not that long ago while he kissed me.
“Hey, Ana Banana,” he says, his tongue swiping along his lower lip after raking his gaze up the length of my body. “Want a ride to school?”
“We’d love one,” Shay interjects, leaping forward and thrusting her hand into the car. “I’m Shay, bestie of this one.”
Teddy shakes her hand, looking over her shoulder with an amused look flitting over his face. “I’m Teddy, Ana’s neighbor.”
“Oh, I know all about you,” she drawls, her tone suggestive and mocking. I want to kill her, but then she rushes forward, opens the door, and plops herself inside, grinning widely as I scowl.
“You going to join your friend?” Teddy asks, and Shay jolts forward, pulling the chair back so I can’t join her in the back.
“You called shotgun,” she says, squeezing her head between the empty passenger chair and the door frame.
“I don’t think I did,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Huh. Weird. I could have sworn I heard you call it.” She grins wide like she’s just won the biggest prize at the county fair. “Oh well. Get your bony ass in the car, Morgs. We’re gonna be late.”
Mouthing, “I hate you,”I drop into the seat, and we make our way to school in what must be the longest drive of short rides. The whole time, Shay does not stop talking. Her incessant need to fill a silence with her constant chatter is bordering obnoxious. No topic is off-limits as she asks Teddy any question that pops into her head; childhood, siblings, last sexual encounter—which I know was mainly for me when she pokes my shoulder from behind and winks when I turn to glare at her.
“Don’t feel like you have to answer that,” I say, my cheeks flaming. “Shay doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries.”
Teddy chuckles, flicking on his signal before turning.
“Last sexual encounter was… torture,” he says easily, and my heart drops into my stomach. I fight to not bring up my breakfast. Puking in front of him would almost be as mortifying as knowing he didn’t feel what I did back in his kitchen. Why did I think what I found to be the most exhilarating experience of my life would have been different for him? Wringing my hands together on my lap, I silently wish we hadn’t accepted his offer to drive us to school.
“Oh, really?” Shay enquires, her head popping through the gap between the front seats. Her arms dangle loosely over the back of them as she looks between Teddy and me. “That’s a shame. Shit sex is the worst.”
I am so embarrassed I could cry. The backs of my eyes prickle as I swallow hard against the lump rising in my throat. I know she didn’t bring up this topic to hurt me—she doesn’t know about last week, so the last encounter she thinks she’s asking about would be with Brittany—but right now, every laugh between the pair slashes my poor, naive heart.
“We’re here,” I croak as the school comes into view. Teddy pulls through the gates and parks in a visitor’s space, shutting off the engine. As he watches me with a weird intensity, I quickly jump out of the car and slide the chair forward to let Shay out. Just as I lean back inside to grab my bag, Teddy wraps his hand around my wrist, tugging me down, and I unceremoniously tumble back into the seat.
“Teddy, what the—?”
He reaches across me and grabs the door, slamming it shut, trapping me inside, and my breath catches when his dark orbs pin me in place.
“To make it clear, Ana. You are the best kind of torture.” His eyes drop to my lips, and I swallow thickly.
“It wasn’t terrible?” I mean, we just kissed, but it was more than I’d ever imagined.
He smirks. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the little moans you made when you were pressed against me.”
“Teddy.” It’s a breathy whisper.
“Or that… the way you breathe my name.” His hand reaches up like he is going to run his fingers against my heated flesh, when he catches himself and clears his throat. Leaning back, he scratches along the stubble on his jaw. “What are you doing Saturday?”
I blink, my brain screaming,you, you, you. “Nothing.”
“You promised me a date.” This time when he reaches up, his hand threads into my hair. “Let me take you out on Saturday.”
What? In five days? That’s not enough time to prepare.
“She’d love that,” Shay coos, leaning against the car, head through Teddy’s window, watching us closely. Teddy’s hand drops from my hair as he turns to face her, and my eyes widen with menace. She stands, holding her hands up placatingly, with a shit-eating grin on her face that says she’s not even sorry she was eavesdropping on our conversation. “What? You two are too cute not to watch. And maybe if you didn’t keep your windows down, you’d have had privacy.”
“Or you could just turn around and give us a sec?” he growls. Shay huffs, turning her back to the car and tapping her foot on the path leading up to the entrance of the school. Teddy spins back around, his fingers curling around my nape and crashing his mouth to mine. It’s fast and hot and I practically melt against him, whimpering a little when doesn’t last nearly as long as I want.
