Page 3 of Bump and Run

“This is the first summer I’ve been here, Jones. Makes me wish that I had come down earlier so we could have met sooner.” Charlie said it so casually, but it took all I had not to spit my cider out into the fire.

Was he flirting? That sounded like flirting. I wouldn’t know. I had never tried it before. I watched as he stretched out his long legs. They were nice, too. Toned, muscular, and tanned. Covered in a dusting of dark hair.

I felt like my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. “We could go to the track,” I managed to say. “If you wanted.”

“Track?” Charlie twisted his body to face mine, his face shaded by the dark, but the fire still danced in his brown eyes.

I nodded as I dragged my toe through the sand. “Yeah, I race late-model cars.”

“Like racecars?” He sounded interested, and when I nodded, Charlie clapped his hands. “That’s so bad ass, Jones. Hell yeah! I’m in.”

My face burned with happiness. “Cool.”

“Just tell me where and when. I’ll be there.” Charlie hummed.

When the silence settled between us, it wasn’t awkward or strange. Kind of nice. Like when I hung out with Travis and Ollie. Boys I had known my entire life.

I took my phone from my pocket so I could take some photos of the fire. I skipped the bottles of cider. I’d text my friends about that later.

“Mind if I take your picture?” I asked.

“My picture?” Charlie blinked his eyes and titled his head.

“It’s just this thing I do. I like to take pictures of everything, so I don’t forget. You know, when I’m older.”

“Sure, I mean, if you want.” He dragged his fingers through his dark hair, before he turned to face me.

I waved a hand at him. “No, go back to the way you were. Looking at the fire.”

Charlie did as I asked. I took a couple of shots, and my heart thumped in my chest as my heartrate shot up. At least I would have these memories if I never saw him again after tonight. “Thanks.”

“What about you?” He turned to look at me.

I was staring at the pictures of him. “Me?” I dragged my gaze away from his striking profile.

“You have any of yourself? Here.” Charlie held out his hand. “Give me your phone so I can take a couple of you, Jones.”

I felt myself grow warm. “I don’t... Oh, no... I’m fine.”

“Camera shy?” he teased. “I can use mine and text them to you.” He was already yanking his cell from his pocket before I could object. “You have a nice smile.”

My lips twitched. “I don’t.”

“You do, it’s great,” Charlie assured me as he held his phone up and I dropped my chin. “You’re kind of shy but a little outgoing at the same time. It’s adorable.”

Now I was really confused. “I should probably get going. It’s late.” I stood up just as Charlie did the same.

“Did I offend you? I didn’t mean to.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Put your number in my phone, and I’ll send you the pictures I took.”

I stared up at him. He was so handsome. Out of my league. Dressed in a white t-shirt that was bursting around the biceps and a pair of tan shorts that did nothing to hide his thick thighs. I shouldn’t be checking him out like this.

“Yeah, okay.” I quickly added my number for him. “I really should go before my mama gets worried. I told her I would only be out for a short while.”

“It was nice to meet you, Jones. Let me know about the race tomorrow. If that’s something you still want to do.” Charlie smiled at me in the flicker of the firelight.

I nodded. “The pleasure was all mine,” I assured him, then walked back to the trailer park. It wasn’t until I had undressed and climbed into bed that I checked my phone again. Charlie had sent me the pictures he took of me. Theyweren’t horrible. Not like the usual ones I had to suffer through, where I looked a little nervous, a little unsure of myself.

Charlie:I had fun tonight.