Chapter13
1612 Words
Anna decided to have Justin over for dinner and let him know she was leaving for a month. She owed him that much. He was very good to her, and she liked where things were headed.
She finished putting away the laundry, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed Justin’s number.
“Hey gorgeous,” he answered.
“Hey, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I want to talk to you about something.”
There was a short pause, and she frowned.
“Sure, where would you like to go?” he asked brightly.
“Sir,” she heard in the background.
He didn’t respond to her because he was waiting for Anna to answer.
“Actually, I am just going to whip up something here, but I wanted to ask if you want to come over?” she said as her voice wavered.
Justin heard the waver and wondered why.
Anna felt nervous, like a teenager going on her first date, and twirled a strand of hair.
“Sounds great, seven okay?” he asked.
“Make it six?”
“Sure.”
“See you tonight.”
She hung up, walked to the stereo, and turned on her favorite playlist. She danced, sang, and cooked hamburgers and fries. She opened the cupboard above the stove and saw a small wooden box. She tilted her head, pulled it down, and opened it.
Anna’s eyes widened, seeing it full of neatly stacked banknote straps, and she pulled them out. She counted over a hundred bands and saw a folded piece of paper at the bottom of the box. It was a letter from Laura. The woman who took her in when she was a baby.
She sat on the couch and read it.
Dear Annette and Johnathan,
I’m sorry I have to leave town and I don’t know if I can come back. Tell Anna I love her and always will. Please keep her away from the Mavericks. They are not good people. I want you to have this money so you never have to worry about taking care of our little girl.
Tell Anna I’m sorry I couldn’t stay and no matter what. She is special and going to grow up and do great things.
I love you all,
Laura
Anna wiped a tear from her cheek and stared at the money. Why did Laura have to leave, and where did she get all that money?
She got up, put the money back in the box, and carried it to her father’s safe. She locked it inside and finished cooking dinner.
********
Anna quickly showered, put on shorts and a shirt, braided her hair, and made dinner. Justin pulled in at six, and she walked out onto the front porch. He got out of his car with flowers and a small medium-sized gift bag and smiled as he walked up the steps.
He wore gray slacks, sneakers, an untucked button-down shirt, and a backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Hi, gorgeous,” he said with a charming smile.
She blushed and smiled.
“Hi.”
He pulled her into his arms, smirked, and kissed her lips. She hummed and kissed him back, sliding her arms around his shoulders.
He pulled back and searched her eyes.
“I have something for you,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow.
“Justin, you shouldn’t get me things.”
He leaned into her and pressed his lips to her ear.
“I wanted to, now, don’t hurt my feelings,” he said, and she laughed.
They went inside and sat on the couch. Justin handed her the gift bag, and she grinned, putting loose strands behind her ears.
Anna pulled out a replica of the dolphin mood light his friend broke at her fourteenth birthday party, and she looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” she said.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, and she grinned, wiping the tears away.
She opened her mother’s china cabinet, set the light inside, and closed the door. Justin spun her around and pressed his lips against hers. She hummed, kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his neck. She bit his lower lips, and he pulled back.
“Okay, you have to stop doing that,” he chuckled, squeezing her hips.
Anna laughed, picked up the flowers put them in a vase, and set them on the table. She poured them a drink and walked toward the couch. Justin set his backpack down and kicked off his shoes. He sat down with her, and she handed him a glass.
“They are beautiful, thank you.”
He smiled, and she took a sip.
“So, I wanted you to know that I am leaving Glee for a month. I am going to train with some military friends. It’s going to help me rescue my mother and the kids.”
Justin took a moment to process what she was saying and he frowned.
“A month?” he asked, and she nodded.
“I found a way to get to the Guatemala facility, and I am going to rescue them,” she said, and he swallowed hard.
He thought momentarily and sighed.
“Okay. If that is what you need to do, then I stand by you one hundred percent.”
She looked into his eyes and was surprised he didn’t feel the same way Paul did and didn’t want her to go.
“So, what’s for dinner?” he asked, rubbing her thigh.
“I hope you like little hamburgers and fries,” she said with a smile.
“Now, this is eating,” he laughed and downed his drink.
She looked at him momentarily and smiled. She liked him, and he was easy to talk to. She leaned forward, kissed him, and sat back. He touched her face, and they heard a car pull up.
“Are you expecting someone?” he asked, and she shook her head.
“No, I planned it just being you and me,” she said and pouted.
He chuckled, kissed her lips, pulled her off the couch, and led her onto the porch.
“Hey, Anna!” called Michelle as she and Paul got out of the car.
Anna shot Justin an apologetic look and squeezed his hand.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, and he chuckled, shaking his head.
Michelle and Paul walked toward them, and Michelle hugged Anna. She smiled and gave her friends a thoughtful look.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“Thought, since you were leaving in the morning, thought you could use the company, but I see someone has beaten us to the punch,” said Paul, handing her a bag and glancing at Justin.
Anna grinned at Justin and saw the bag had two bottles of liquor.
“Yeah, he did and thank you for the bottles,” she said, and Paul smiled, nodding.
Paul and Michelle headed into the house, and Anna grabbed Justin’s hand. He looked at her in question, and she looked at him through her eyelashes.
“Will you stay?”
He searched her eyes and felt his heart tingle. She looked cute and sexy at the same time, and he wanted her to himself. He wanted to send Paul and Michelle away, take her upstairs, and have his way with her but he knew that would have to wait.
He smiled and touched her face.
“Since you put it that way, how could I say no.”
She smiled as she bit her lip, and his heart sank. She slipped her hand into his and led him inside.
******
They talked, laughed, danced, and drank for a while, and Michelle passed out on Paul’s lap. Paul was pretty far gone as well and leaned his head back. Anna leaned against Justin and looked at her friends. She was going to miss them.
She looked at Paul and softly kicked his leg.
“What? Anna. I’m awake,” he slurred, and she snorted.
“You guys can take the guest room,” Anna slurred, and he gave her a thumbs up.
Justin and Anna went into the porch room and crawled on the bed. He held her in his arms, and she touched his face.
“Why did you make me beat you up?”
He looked at her and laughed.
“What?”
She looked at him, and he ran his fingers through her hair.
“Because you are hot when you are angry.”
She snickered and gave him a thoughtful look.
“Are you serious about continuing our friendship when I get back?”
He gave her a thoughtful look and kissed her passionately.
“Yes, gorgeous, I am,” he said, and she snuggled into his arms.
“You aren’t going to run off with another girl while I’m gone.”
Justin shook his head, and Anna bit her lower lip.
“No, the only girl I want to run away with is you. Plus I'm intrigued to see where this is going. If you wanted to get my attention, you sure have it, beautiful,” he said, running his hand up her thigh.
She pressed her lips against his, and he kissed her back, slipping his hand under her shirt. She stiffened, but his hand stopped on her side, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled back, licked his lips, and smiled. She snuggled against his chest and sighed happily. He wrapped his arms around her, and soon they were fast asleep.
- Writer
