Page 4 of Cold Snap

Terry Teresa

I hit my back and stare up at the ceiling, almost at the same time, my phone starts ringing. I grab it quickly, so it doesn’t wake my mom and dad. I answer it, then hold my breath, which is kind of stupid.

“Hey.”

“Hey, did you get home okay?”

I would love to think that he’s really checking in on me, but he’s probably just doing it out of some misguided favor to my brother. Hell, for all I know, Waylon called him and asked him to do it, so I wouldn’t be mad at him.

“Yeah. I’m home. Tucked into my bed, safe and snug.”

“Yeah, what are you wearing?”

My mouth splits into a big grin, and I roll my eyes. “Granny jammies.”

“Oh, you know those turn me on. All that polyester.”

I giggle. I can’t help it. He makes me laugh and I love it…and him for it.

I pluck at the strap of my nightgown and look down at it. Would he love it if he could see it? It’s not really sexy, considering it’s got little flowers printed on it and lace, but not the see-through kind, more the sweet little sister kind. Damn it.

“It’ll keep you warm for sure.”

“I bet you could keep a man warm all night long even without the polyester.”

Holy hell, it got a lot hotter all of a sudden.

“Hmm, you’ll just have to find out, won’t you?”

Silence meets my question, and I roll my lips around my teeth in a nervous gesture. Did I go too far with that one? Wasn’t I doing the same thing he was just doing? Flirting my ass off.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything. Anything at all.”

“What was your brother talking about when he said I was serving underage girls?”

“I…Oakley isn’t twenty-one yet.”

“And how old are you?”

Oh, shit! How old did I tell him I was?

“How old do you want me to be, baby?”

“Teresa.” Damn, when he says my whole name…

“Twenty-four.”

“I thought you said you were twenty-six.”

Shit, shit, shit!

Then I remember why I lied. It’s what he gets for not knowing.

“I lied. Are you upset about it?”

“I don’t like being lied to, baby.” That’s too bad. I don’t like the fact that you forgot my birthday! “You do it again and I’ll have to spank that ass.”

Holy flaming arrows! How the hell do I get that?

“Really? Well, in that case, I’m not a woman, I’ve never set foot in your bar, and I don’t believe you and I have ever met.”

He laughs and shivers run down my body. I love this man’s voice, and I love how it rumbles so sexily over the phone.

“Naughty girl.”

“Yeah, you want me to be real naughty? What are you wearing?”

“Me? I’m not wearing anything, baby. In fact, I just got out of the shower.”

“Oh, that’s a dreamy image. Did you dry off, or is there still water I can lick off you?”

“Oh, Teresa. Sweet, sweet little girl. You keep talking like this, and I might take you up on the offer.”

“I could be at your place in less than ten minutes.”

His soft laugh makes me wonder if it would even take me that long.

“Alright, naughty baby, get some rest. It’s late.”

Not too late for me to run through the streets to get to his apartment over the bar.

“I’m not tired.”

“But I am, and if your father knew you were talking to me like this, he would skin me alive.”

“He doesn’t need to know. I won’t tell.”

“Yeah, you’d keep it a secret.”

“I’d keep all your secrets.”

Silence greets me.

“Get some sleep, kid.” Not the response I was hoping for. Pain slices through me at the name he just had to tack on. “And don’t bring Oakley back in the bar to drink any more until she’s of age.”

What the hell happened? We were flirting so well. I was so close to him inviting me over.

“Goodnight, kid.”

“Goodnight, old man.”

I hang up, and the sadness sets in. Was he reminding me I was little more than a kid to him, or was he reminding himself?

Is the reason we have no future because Land won’t get out of our way?

I always thought it was because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, I didn’t realize when to go for it, and when to stop flirting and get serious. Was I wrong?

I toss and turn for most of the night and am up early the next morning so I can make my way over to Waylon’s and check up on my bestie. But apparently not early enough.

Standing outside my brother’s door is my mom…and my grandmother, who we all call Nan.

“Hey, why is everybody standing outside?”

“Great news!” Nan gives me a big, toothy smile. “Your little friend, Oakley, is in there with Waylon. I’m pretty sure they had sex!”

My mouth drops open and my brows climb.

“Nan,” my mom’s voice cuts in, “we don’t know if that’s what happened just yet.”

She turns to me with a dreamy look in her eyes despite her words. “But wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were in love. You would have your best friend as a sister.”

“Mom, I already think of Oakley as a sister, and I’m sure it isn’t what Nan…where is Nan?”

We turn just in time to see her hop on the city bus. “Oh, no!”

“She’s going to the Senior Center, isn’t she?” And there she can cause all sorts of trouble.

“Most likely.” My mom doesn’t seem any happier about it than I am.

“I’m going to see if I can help them. I’m fairly certain they are not…” I wave my hands around, “you know what? I’m gonna…”.

I let myself in and make my way to the back, only to find…that I might be wrong after all!