Accidental Kiss

Heading into Tobias’s truck, Sara thrusts me in first, which means I’m reluctantly sitting next to him.

Still wearing his sweaty T-shirt, I slide in. He does that up-and-down look, which causes my cheeks to flush when his eyes linger longer than necessary.

Sara and Lee push me closer to him, and I sigh as he smiles at me.

He stops the truck outside his house, so I assume I’m invited to the party. I’m unexpectedly excited at the prospect of going into his house, and I blame the alcohol again.

After seeing him on that stage and fifteen minutes of bumping around next to him in the truck, I have been looking at him in a new light.

I don’t know if it’s the booze or the fact that I feel so lonely here, but I find myself drawn to him.

I follow Sara into his house and take a seat next to her on the sofa. Tobias heads into his kitchen and I can hear bottles rustling as he opens his fridge door.

He returns and puts some bottles of beer and a large bottle of Jack Daniel’s down on the table. I continue to watch him as he walks over to the other side of the room, where he puts some music on.

~That damn country music again!~

“Hey, y’all,” Tanner shouts as he enters with Chelsea under his arm.

Lynn and another man follow him in. I look at Tobias when I see Lynn. I figure from his reaction earlier he won’t be happy she is here.

When he sighs loudly and takes a large gulp from his glass, I assume I read the signs right.

“That guy there is Nick, he’s from the band,” Sara says as she updates me on the people who enter the house. “Lynn will be after Tobias all night. Sometimes he gives in, sometimes he doesn’t. The guys have bets on which way it will go.”

I fill up a glass with JD and Coke and sit back, watching them all. They laugh and take the piss out of each other. I like it. It reminds me of friends with their siblings, and I guess that’s what these guys are like.

I never had any siblings, so it always fascinates me how much love and hate can be consumed in one relationship.

I have had way too much to drink when Sara and Lee say they are heading off. I really like Sara and agree to meet up with her again—I sure could use a friend around here, and she seems pretty normal.

I stagger my way to the toilet before heading back to Frankie’s. I hadn’t realized how desperate I was until I stood up and everything moved south.

Of course, someone is in there, so I stand cross-legged, trying not to piss myself.

“There is another toilet in my room if you’re that desperate.” Tobias is waiting by me, smirking as I dance around trying not to let the pee escape.

“Do you mind?” I ask.

When he nods in the direction of the stairs, I run up them in search of the second toilet. The first door I open is a bedroom, but it has no toilet, so I move on to the next room.

I know it’s his as soon as I open the door. It smells just like him, and the large wooden bed has caps hanging above it, I recognize one of them.

I head to the other door, and I’ve never been so happy to see a toilet. I almost piss myself as I wrestle my tight black pants down.

The relief is immense, and I hardly notice how amazing his bathroom is in my haste to get to his toilet.

Why can’t Frankie’s house be as nice as this? The double shower cubicle with a rain spray showerhead is a dream compared to my moldy eighties plastic cubicle.

When I walk out into his bedroom, I catch myself in his mirror, still wearing his Drake White T-shirt. I have no fucking clue who Drake White is. I pull it off and fold it on the end of his bed.

“You too good for my shirt now?” he asks as he appears in the doorway.

I shake my head. “That’s a big chip you have on your shoulder there.”

He grins shyly as he rubs his hands together. “I ain’t got no chip, darlin’. I just know when someone’s a spoiled brat.”

I move closer to him. How dare he! And to think I thought he looked cute tonight.

“You don’t fucking know me,” I say as I stop inches away from him.

He grins again and his eyes narrow as I glare into them. He’s a dick, but I can’t deny that he has the most delightful eyes that I have ever looked into.

The dimples that form from his grin make me curse myself. How can I find such an arse so attractive?

He moves his face closer to mine and I freeze. All the confidence that usually consumes me seems to disperse when I’m confronted by him like this, and I wonder if he is going to kiss me.

I don’t know how these Southern guys work, but I’m pretty sure even they won’t insult a girl before moving in for a smooch. I wait though, to see how it plays out.

If he does kiss me, it won’t be the end of the world. His lips look smooth, and he seems the type to practice good basic hygiene.

I’m holding my breath, waiting, but he stops as his lips are almost touching mine. I can feel his whiskey breath on my face and my eyes go to his lips as they start to move.

“Sorry though, darlin’, you’re not my type.”

I shove him and he chuckles.

“As if I would touch a hick like you,” I bellow as I start to march out of his room.

“Hey,” he shouts after me. He clasps my hand harshly. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t nice of me. I’m just—”

I interject. “You’re just a dick.”

He releases my hand and I hear him shout sorry again as I trudge down the stairs.

I head straight out of the front door and stop on the porch to get my bearings. Last time I was on this porch, I hadn’t consumed a row of tequila shots, Jack Daniel shots, and beers.

Plus, it’s raining and I have no jacket.

~Can it get any worse?~

Yes, it most definitely can get worse. As I start to brave the rain, I hear fucking Tobias shouting that I’m walking the wrong way.

“Fuck you,” I shout back.

He jogs up to me, panting. “No, seriously, you’re heading the complete wrong way.”

“And why should I trust you? You’re probably sending me to some hick, inbred rapist’s farm.”

He laughs. “You have no fucking clue, do you?”

“Sorry, don’t tell me. I’m already at that farm!”

“You see, that’s the problem with you people. You think you know everything, and you really know fuck all about real life.”

“People like me?” I question. “Have you really come out of your way to insult me some more?”

He clenches his fists in anger and shakes his head. His cap peak hides his forehead, which I assume is frowning to hell right now.

I’m taken aback when he grabs my arm harshly and pulls me in the direction he said Frankie’s place was.

I shrug his tight grip off. “Will you just leave me alone,” I cry.

The rain is working its way through my clothes, and I feel the fabric sticking to my body. When it starts to feel like a wet T-shirt competition, I find myself wishing I had kept his shirt on.

“I need to make sure you get back for Frank. God forbid he should lose another person.”

“Well, stop manhandling me. I can walk myself.”

He grins again and gestures for me to walk in front of him. I tut and oblige. I can hear him behind me as I stumble down the dirt track.

Even though it’s still raining, it feels nice, fresh. I always hated the rain back home, but here it’s welcomed for the cool breeze it brings.

I feel like I might be walking the wrong way and don’t want to ask him, so I pull my phone out and try my Google Maps—of course it doesn’t work.

“You might have to learn to fend for yourself while you’re here, princess,” he spouts from behind me.

I stop abruptly and turn to give him a mouthful, but the mouthful I get isn’t what I had in mind.

It seems he was closer than I thought and as I turned, he continued—smack-bang into my lips. He pulls back with a scowl on his face. Then as our eyes lock, to my utter surprise he moves back in.

I feel his soft lips pressed hard against mine. Then his tongue enters my mouth with as much strength as his hand that had gripped me earlier.

My hands go up to his stubbled face as the rain continues to beat down on us and I lose my head.

It takes me a few seconds to come to my senses. Then I remember who I am. In my old life, I would have kneed this guy in the balls for kissing me after the way he’s been treating me.

When I pull away, he stands stiff and silent in the rain. I take one final look at him before running the rest of the way back.