Chapter Fourteen
Morgan
We leave the table and head to the change machine. Dex deposits several dollars into it and then places his cupped hand under the spout where the quarters pour out.
We spend the next hour laughing, talking, and playing arcade games. I kick his butt every time we play skee-ball, but I'm hopeless when it comes to all the standard arcade games. It doesn't matter though; just spending time with him is so much fun.
He just beat me in one of those racing games where you get to sit in the fake car seats and use actual wheels. As I climb out of the seat and stand up, I stumble on the step and fall forward toward Dex, who catches me, and as I look up at him, I realize how close I am to him. His arms are wrapped around my waist, and both of us are breathing heavily. Just then, my phone whistles from my purse.
With a nervous giggle, I say, “I’m sorry, but you should probably know now that I’m kind of clumsy.”
There is heat in his eyes and warmth in his smile when he says, “Oh, I thought you just wanted to get closer to me.”
I start to right myself when my phone reminds me that I have a text. I fish out my phone, but his hands stay planted on my hips. I look at my phone and see a text from Ruby asking how the date is going.
“Ruby wants to know how our date is going.”
“Oh yeah? What are you going to tell her?” he asks in a slightly less husky tone than before.
“Hmm, I should probably just tell her the truth,” I say with a grin. I start to text her back as I turn, then lean into him and hold the phone out to snap a picture of us. “Here, let’s just show her. Smile!” I’ve made sure to get some of the games in the background so she can see where we are.
He snakes his arms around my stomach like a hug and pulls me into him. “That sounds like a great idea,” he whispers into my ear.
I smile, hoping that the warmth I feel from his body being so close to mine isn't showing on my cheeks. I say, “Ready…” and snap the picture. I don’t move other than to bring the phone back to us to look at the photo.
And there it is, the perfect phone selfie of the two of us. He is so handsome with his confident smirk on his face, and even though I’m not blushing in the photo, I look different. I look so darn happy…
Funny, I thought I was happy before.
I send it off to Ruby, and Dex whispers in my ear, “We look pretty damn good together, Morgan.” I smile with my focus on my phone and send the pic to him as well.
Eventually, we end up sitting down at one of the tables for a few minutes to get a drink. After a while, we play a couple more games, and after spending way too much in the arcade, we head back to the car so he can take me home.
The car ride home is missing that first date jitters awkwardness, but in its place, is the sense of dread that our date is almost over.
We both take our time getting out of the car. It’s obvious that neither of us wants the date to end. After crossing in front of his vehicle, he grabs my hand as he reaches me then we mosey on to my building. We don’t say a word as we enter the building and then the elevator. The door slides closed, and he turns to me and says, “I had a great time with you tonight.”
I smile. “Me too. I’m going to think about that pizza for days.”
He chuckles, “Yeah? Good, but my thoughts won't be on the pizza.”
Heat shoots to my cheeks, and the butterflies go mad.
He leans in, moving his free hand to the back of my neck. He smiles, looking at my lips and says, “I’ll be thinking about this,” and then he kisses me.
His kiss is soft at first, but then it turns hurried. I let go of all my normal control and let him claim my mouth as the butterflies in my belly cause tingles in the most intimate of places. All too soon, the elevator beeps the announcement of my floor, and the door slides open.
He reluctantly breaks the kiss but leaves his hand on my neck and the other cupping my face. With an unsteady breath, he asks, “Why can’t you live on the fifth floor?”
All I can do is softly giggle as I struggle to get my own breathing under control.
He releases my face then grabs my hand and says, “Come on.”
I pout, actually sticking my lip out and say, “Do we have to? I’d like to do that again.”
The look in his eyes grows wild momentarily, and he stops right where he is, pulls my face to his and claims my mouth again.
This time, the kiss is neither soft nor hurried. It is deep and passionate. It doesn’t quite last as long, though, because we hear the elevator door close; a reminder that we are no longer alone but in the middle of the hall. This time, when we break, he throws his arm around my shoulders as we walk to my apartment door.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“I don’t know. Why? Have something in mind?”
“Why don’t you bring Ruby and Gia over and we can hang out. Simon and Link will be there. Bernie wanted to see you and Ruby again so she will want to come over, too.”
“That sounds fun. Let me ask the girls, and I will let you know. Is that ok?”
"Ok, but even if they say no, would you want to come over?"
"Yes," I say without a second thought.
He pulls me in with his arm and kisses my forehead.
"Good night, Morgan." He drops his arm and starts to back away. I dig out my key and unlock the door, but I'm in a state of dreaminess, so it takes me a bit longer than normal to open the door. By the time, I get the door open, he is standing in front of the elevator, which opens. I give him a little wave and a smile and walk into my apartment at the same time he walks backward into the elevator.
I close my apartment door and turn around and lean the back of my head onto it.
"Based on that dreamy look on your face, I’m betting you were just kissed like you've never been kissed before. Am I right?" I hear Ruby ask.
I slowly open my eyes to see both Ruby and Gia in their PJ’s snuggled under a blanket on each end of the couch, smiling at me like they knew a secret I was yet to be let in on.
"That and the amount of time it took for her to get the door open would support that theory," Gia adds.
"I would say, based on that super adorable photo she sent me, she had an amazing date," Ruby says.
"Maybe once she realizes that she’s still standing there with a dazed look on her face, she will return to Earth. Until then, we are just going to have to keep speculating about her date," Gia says, dryly.
Ruby starts to laugh, "Ok Mo. I can't take it anymore." I focus on her more now that my heart rate is back to normal, and I have returned to Earth. She's bouncing again. The dreamy smile never leaves my face as I walk across the room and sit in the recliner. With a sigh, I finally give in to their prying, "The date was fantastic."
"Ok...we need more. The anticipation is killing us,” Ruby prods.
"I don't know how to describe it other than amazing. We ate the best pizza at an arcade, and we talked, and played games, and laughed, and then he kissed me, twice. And he said he wants to do it again. Amazing."
Ruby lets out a squeal, "I knew it! I knew he was different. You're falling for him!"
"Yeah, I've never seen you like this, Mo. You've never been this gushy about a single date before. Actually, you’ve never gushed about any guy like this."
I think about what she just said, cock my head and look at her thoughtfully, "You know, I think you're right. When I looked at that picture of Dex and me after I took it, I can see how happy I am. Do I not usually look happy?" I resist the urge to pick up my phone and study every photo of myself to find out.
Both Ruby and Gia's faces fall, but Gia catches hers sooner and says, "Morgan, you look happy. And I know you are happy, but sometimes, as the people closest to you, we can tell that you’re not as happy as you could be."
With a lump in my throat and tears threatening at the back of my eyes, I nod a little, "I was worried about that," I murmur. I try to shrug it off by making a joke, "Guess I shouldn’t pursue my dream of acting, eh?"
I can see the sadness still in their eyes, but they both smile because they know what makes me sad. They know I miss my parents. I miss having a family. They are my family now, and I'd be lost without them, but I still feel like something is missing. I shake this off, though. I don't want to be sad. I want to bask in the glory of an amazing date because, honestly, I've never had a better one.
"Oh! Do you guys want to go over to Dex's place on Saturday? Simon, Link, and Bernie will be there. I think it would be really fun."
"I'm in!" says Ruby without a thought.
"Gia? You want to go?"
"Uh, yeah. But just to warn you, it might be awkward since Simon will be there."
"Well, you'll have to see him eventually. I think Dex and Morgan are officially a thing." Ruby puts air quotes around thing.
"I guess you’re right. Ok, let’s do this. It will give me an opportunity to interrogate Lover Boy."
I roll my eyes. "Please tell me that Lover Boy is not the nickname you guys are going to give him."
Both of them are laughing now, and Gia says through a snort, "It's so his nickname."
I stand up, tell them I'm going to go get my PJ’s on and head back to my room. I text Dex as I sit down on my bed.
Me: We are all down for Saturday night.
Dex: Awesome. I can't wait.
Me: :) I'll need your address.
He sends me his address and tells me to be there at 7:00 p.m. I plug in my phone on my nightstand and go change and wash off my makeup. As I walk back by the stand to get a hair tie, my phone whistles.
Dex: I can't wait to kiss you again.