Page 163 of One More Kiss

Phoenix

TIME SEEMEDTO FLY TOO quickly when I was with Tori. It seemed like two minutes holding her on the swing rather than hours. Now it was the middle of the week, and it was time for our first official date. I couldn’t call her because she had no phone, so when I visited her, I practically threw her off guard.

Though every time I visited Tori, she was more than willing to see me and spend time with me. We would touch more often, and we’d talk about everything under the sun. Her goal was to graduate and possibly get a scholarship for a college nearby. She didn’t want to be like the rest of her family and have no goal in life. She knew mine, the military. Past that, I had no other goals. At least not until recently.

What Tori didn’t know was the reason I spoke to her father outside on the front porch. I wanted so badly to tell her but refused to give up my secret just yet. I figured if everything worked out perfectly, I would reveal my secret after Homecoming. And boy, did I have plans for her. I wanted to treat her like the Queen she was and lavish her with what I could afford.

There was a huge issue standing in our way, and one I’m sure Tori already figured, the military. When I enlisted, I never thought I’d fall in love. I never thought someone would catch my attention, hold it, and basically merge with my heart. I wanted to up and leave because I didn’t know what path I desired. Now, I know my path, but it was too late. Once a person enlisted, that was it. That didn’t mean I would leave Tori behind. But that was a discussion for another day.

Today, I wanted to bring her out and talk, to spend quality time together. I wanted to devote every waking moment with her and only her. Unfortunately, other things had to be dealt with, but as soon as my time was cleared up, I was heading to her house.

Tori didn’t live far from me, but her neighborhood was run-down. It was like being in the worse part of town, where you had to lock everything up and hope for the best. In Tori’s case, locking doors wouldn’t stop the thieves. Her house was falling apart so badly that the thieves would probably take pity on them. The road had dips causing my Bronco to jolt from the impact. The trees weren’t perfectly lined, and some even hung on the power lines. It was almost scary because of the electricity coursing through them.

I parked my vehicle, then ambled to the front door. I knocked loudly causing the door and the house to slightly shake. I was worried the damn thing would come off the hinges.

“Coming!” A voice yelled from the other side.

A moment later, a girl stood in the doorway. I vaguely remembered seeing her before. It seemed like every time I visited, Tori’s siblings weren’t around. I knew this was one of her sister’s because she resembled Tori with brown hair and blue eyes. They had the same skin complexion and spoke the same way, though Tori looked much better.

“I’m here for Tori,” I said as soon as she opened the door.

“Oh, hey. Tori talks about you all the time,” the girl said, “my name’s April. We’ve seen each other around, but I’m not usually here when you’re visiting. I’m usually hanging out with my boyfriend a few streets down from here.”

“Oh, okay. It’s nice to meet you. Where did you say Tori was?” I replied.

I knew she never mentioned where Tori was, but I didn’t want to keep talking to this girl in the doorway. It felt awkward with Tori not around.

“Oh, right. Come this way. Tori is in her room. If you wait in the living room, I’ll go get her,” April said.

She walked toward the back of the house, at least that’s where I thought she went. This wasn’t the first time I’d been in the living room, but this was the first time I had been left alone. Usually, I would sit with Tori on the couch, and she would lean against me as my arm settled on her shoulders. Her parents never seemed to mind that move, so we always did that knowing we wouldn’t get in trouble.

I knew I shouldn’t have to worry. I was eighteen and she was old enough for Christ’s sake, but it was a show of respect. I didn’t want her dad to throw me out because I didn’t follow his rules, so we never took our touches any further.

I chose to stand and lean against the wall furthest from where April went so that I could see when they returned. I didn’t want to sit on the old, dusty couch. I never showed how much I thought the piece of furniture was creepy in front of Tori. I figured they couldn’t afford better furniture. The damn thing was a brown material, which was frayed around the edges. It could fit maybe four people but seemed to bow in the middle. It was on its last leg, but still kicking.

I glanced around the room and noticed the numerous Jesus and Mary photos all over. It seemed Tori’s parents were religious. She never spoke of religion to me, so I didn’t think she was. The walls were paneled but had seen better days. The brown paneling seemed to be peeling, showing holes to the outside of the house. Right next to me was a rickety dining table. It was built with shitty wood, and the chairs seemed to be lopsided. In the middle of the table was two ashtrays with unlit cigarettes sitting on the sides.

I knew Tori didn’t smoke because she mentioned it in passing, but I could still smell the distasteful scent on her. It was clearly from living in a house that held onto the smoke inside. My eyes would water every time I stayed inside for a long period, which was why I always suggested Tori and I sit on the outside swing.

“Hey,” Tori announced, smiling. “I’m sorry if I kept you waiting. I was still getting dressed.”

My face lit up when I saw Tori. Each and every time I laid eyes on her, I felt lucky that she chose me. Although she would say she was the lucky one. Not a chance was what I’d tell anyone she told that to.

I walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and squeezed gently. I just wanted to feel her warmth. “Are you ready for our date?”

“My parents aren’t home, but I told them earlier that once you get here, we’d leave,” Tori mentioned walking toward the door.

“No problem,” I said, “let’s go. Do you have a curfew or anything? I don’t want to upset your parents.”

“Home before dark is usually what they tell me when I leave the house,” Tori revealed as I opened the passenger side of the Bronco. I thanked the lucky stars that dark didn’t arrive until about eight at night.

She hopped inside and buckled her belt before I walked to the driver’s side. It felt perfect having her inside of my vehicle. It seemed like Tori was meant to share everything I had.

“Okay,” I said, “We’re staying in town anyway. I saw a place on the edge of town, which is just a few blocks away. It’s called ‘Two Bites’.”

Tori laughed. “I know that place, though I’ve never eaten there. I was told it’s called ‘Two Bites’ because they sell tiny burgers that literally take only two bites to finish.”

I laughed with Tori. “That seems legit. Want to order some and see if it’s true?”

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