On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 54

We drove up to B’s house where she parked the Ferrari. She drove it home, while James and I rode my brother’s car. I guess I was coming home alone like I was most days.

“Thanks for such an awesome night, guys,” B whispers, hugging me.

“You, too, babe,” I whispered back.

“Be careful going home, all right?” She says right before entering her house.

Then, it was James and I left on her front porch.

“I guess I should head on home. I’ll text you tomorrow, maybe,” I said, grabbing the keys to my brother’s car.

“I’ll drive you home,” he finally breaks his silence.

“No, that’d be impractical. We have two cars and two drivers. We can carry on home without having to drive the other,” I argue.

“You said it yourself you’re too drowsy to drive. It’d be dangerous.”

“I have to return Alex's car home.”

“Then, let’s drive that home.”

“You’d have no car to drive home.”

“I promised your father I’d take care of you tonight and make sure you come home in one piece. I won’t be able to sleep not knowing if you got home safe.”

“It’s honestly not my problem if you promised my dad a lot of things tonight. I don’t have to live up to those promises. Those aren’t my ends of the bargains.”

“Charlotte,” he said, my voice in a low whisper that made him one hundred times more attractive to me. But I was pissed at him and his stupid sarcastic attitude all night leading up from the driving session.

“Yes, James?”

He sat next to me in the passenger seat of Alex’s car. His eyes were intense but all I could think of was the comfort of my bed at home.

“We can take the Ferrari, leave this car here. I’ll come back for it in the morning. I promise,” he suggested, but that wouldn’t work. I had enough debt to Alex for letting me borrow his car. I didn’t want to hear an earful more of his whining if I didn’t get home tonight.

“No, my brother would be mad. Just let me drive it home.”

He sighed, seeing there was no other way to manipulate the situation in his favor.

“At least let me escort you back home. I literally cannot sleep not knowing you are damn safe and sound in your bed.”

“Okay.”

We finally settled down to drive each car. It wasn’t long before I reached my house. The road was rather slippery that night. The wintry season was definitely holding up its end of the bargain. I drove slowly because I was not confident in those conditions.

I look back in my rearview mirror to see James being so patient while literally following me bumper to bumper. His eyes wandered out to the trees. His lips pursed and his face tired.

We reached home and I parked Alex’s car by the sidewalk as dad’s car was in the garage. He must not have gone out tonight.

I waited for James to get out of the car to say goodnight at least. But before I could get out of the car, I felt something leaking.

“Ahh!”

“Lottie?” James immediately rushed over to me. I jumped out of the car as fast as I could, dreading to turn around to acknowledge the mess I must have made.

“Charlotte, what’s wrong?” James shakes me out of my drowsy reverie. “You screamed. What’s wrong?”

I prayed at that moment that I was wrong about what I felt.

“Can you check my back?” I whispered so faintly, feeling embarrassed.

“What?” He asks, probably not hearing what I said.

“Check my back,” I repeated.

“What do you mean?” Nope, he definitely heard me the first time. He just didn’t comprehend it. “Check your back for what?”

I sighed loudly before answering him. I felt all sorts of embarrassed. The last thing I needed tonight was my period. And to have my boyfriend of two days witness that, of all things. What a great way to end the night. I hope the next three years of winter formal will be better because this sucks.

“For blood, James,” again, it went out in the lowest of voices.

“Oh,” he whispered, realizing what I meant.

I turned around in my angelic white dress that must have probably been ruined by my body’s most natural disaster. I must look like Carrie in this. Bloody and donned in a gown.

“Um, Charlotte,” James’ squeaky voice revealed it all. He even had a hard time explaining to me that I just ruined a sixty dollar dress that could have looked good on my grandchildren had my period not ruined it. “You do have a little streak of blood here.”

I raised my palm up to my face, totally embarrassed.

I should not have had James check me. I should have just run right inside and changed, no matter the presence of my period. I should have trusted my damn instincts and fled as fast as I could from further embarrassment.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” James hugs me from behind. “It’s okay. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Stop sticking your suit over my back. I’d get blood on it,” I muttered incoherently through my fingers. I wouldn’t get blood on it, technically. I wasn’t bleeding like a butchered cow. I just felt so self-conscious and weird about my body at that moment that I just wanted him gone and out of my sight.

“That must have been why you were so strange and sensitive all night. My baby’s on her period,” he chuckles, bringing my face to turn around and meet his eyes.

I avoided it at all costs. I was embarrassed enough as it was.

“Stop being so crying,” I hissed.

“Well, I got you those period products yesterday, right?” I nodded without looking at him. “Go and pamper yourself tonight. Eat some cookies or drink some hot milk. Or go right to sleep. Get some rest and don’t bother about anything, all right? I forgive you for tonight. I’m sorry for being a little hard on you, too.”

His eyes were glistening as he talked. He was actually amused I was on my period. This jerk.

“Forgive me for what? I have done nothing wrong to you, mister. And wipe that smug smile off your face. My period is my business.”

“I know, baby. I’m just relieved this wasn’t us fighting or dealing with some stuff. This is just you on your period,” he continues to muses to himself.

The boy just dug himself a deeper hole.

“What did you just say?”

“Come on, I don’t want to fight. I thought you were mad at me for something. You were always picking on my words tonight. You were saucier than you regularly were, Lottie. I thought I had done something wrong. I guess that must’ve been your period, right? I know you get extra temperamental during your period. Don’t diss me because you set my hair on fire last month.”

Oh, right. That happened.

It was an accident. He was an ass in the laboratory. Who knew his hair would catch the fire I lit on the Bunsen burner?

“I guess you have a point. But I am not sorry for most of my behavior tonight. You have been sarcastic and weird since I rejected your offer for a drive,” I argued back.

“Yes, and I’m sorry. I should have taken your word when you said you were exhausted. Again, I thought you were mad at me for something, that’s why you refused to test the car.”

“Are you kidding me? I’d give up half my uterus for that chance of a lifetime. I just didn’t want to give up my entire life for a single drive. I could crash, you know that.”

“Maybe, I’d let you test it out some other time? I still have this bad boy for the whole week. It might as well serve some purpose.”

I smiled and hugged this amazing human in front of me. I felt relieved. The air was cleared and the tension cut. And I didn’t have to regret not taking him up on his offer earlier.

“I’d love that, James,” I said, pecking his lips lightly, which took him by surprise. Our three-inch height difference didn’t stop me.

“You just love surprises, don’t you?” He smirks back.

He grabs me by the waist and pulls me down halfway, holding my back steadily with one arm and caressing my face with the other hand.

“Thank you for tonight, James,” I faintly whispered, looking directly into his lips. Oh, those kissable lips. “I had lots of fun. Really.”

“I had a lot of fun with you, too, Lottie. Thank you for giving me a chance.”

He leans over to me and presses his lips over mine. I felt butterflies in my stomach right at that moment. My toes curled up at the excitement. The kiss went on for a minute. A full minute, if you ask me. But who’s counting, right?

His eyes smiled as he placed me steadily back on my feet.

“I'd best be going now,” he took my hand, laughing heartily. I did the same, for whatever reason. I felt jittery but so happy. I just wanted to scream inside.

“Goodnight. Drive home safe,” I told him, walking towards the door.

“Goodnight to you, too.”