9. The Demand
756 Words
- Tucker Kahn -
Watching the beautiful Aurora interact with my family is a sight I hadn't expected to see this soon. I had planned to at least buy her dinner first. I mean, that's just southern gentleman hospitality at its best.
My mother, Theodosia, her face lights up when she hears that Aurora is newly single. "Well, I know just the guy to help show you around this town," she tells her, biting into her roll of bread.
"He's a local police officer. Honey, you remember Blake Emery, don't you?" She asks my father, Jason. He nods through his bite of food and Ma proceeds to ask Rora if she'd like to meet him, making me almost see red.
"Ma, you're not introducing them," I somewhat growl at her. Her eyebrows raise in question and I rush to explain.
"Aurora and I are already scheduled for a date tonight."
"What?!" Both Ma, Tabby, and Rora exclaim.
* * *
Five Minutes Later...
"Aurora, wait!" I rush after her as she exits to her car, a furious look coating her beautiful features. She ignores my call and keeps walking.
After stating to my mother that I had asked Aurora out to dinner, she excused herself from the remainder of lunch. Which brings us to the predicament at hand. I know I should have asked Aurora first before mentioning a nonexistent date, but she needs to come out of her shell.
I catch up to her and grab her by the shoulders, halting her. "Will you please just talk to me?"
"Maybe I should be asking you the same question. I mean, after all, you were the one who broached the idea of us dating to your mother!" She screeches, her eyes flaring wildly.
"What else was I supposed to do to open you up?" I growl back at her, wanting her to see how much I want to get to know her. "You're so closed off, Aurora. Even with Dominic. Why do you think he wanted me to meet you?"
Her lips quiver and I know I've hit a soft spot. "What happened in my past has nothing to do with my father. And, frankly, I can't believe the two of you would even talk about me like that. Now, let me go and get out of my way," she whispers, her walls crumbling down.
I shake my head and grip her tighter. "Your father loves you, sweetheart. More than you can understand and you need to open up to somebody, whether it's me or him." I wipe at the tears that cascade down her cheeks. "Where are your keys?"
"What?"
"Your keys, babe. I'm taking you for a drive."
After I convince her to hand me her car keys, the two of us head to a spot close by where I used to spend the summer with friends. During the drive, Aurora is quiet in the passenger seat and I reach a hand over to her, capturing her fingers with mine. She squeezes them tightly and I know she's about to break. She continues to look out through her window until we arrive and I shut the ignition off. Elixir Lake is a beautiful, untouched place in the middle of nowhere. Hardly anyone knows about Elixir Lake and locals usually don't share it with the world.
"Where are we?" Aurora asks quietly.
I turn to look at her as she gazes at the lake from the windshield. "Elixir Lake or the Lake of Miracles. At least, that's what some of us locals call it."
"It's beautiful," she says, looking at me.
"Not as beautiful as the woman beside me," I tell her. A blush warms her cheeks and I can't resist her any longer. Our lips connect passionately and frantically when I lean over in her direction. Aurora races to unbuckle her seatbelt and I pull her over onto my lap. Her small hands hold onto my shoulders as mine have a hold on a handful of her hair and the small of her back.
We continue to kiss for the next few moments until I pull away to check that she's still with me. Her breathing is heavy and a light blush covers her cheeks. I rest my forehead against hers as I give my body a moment to calm the raging storm inside of me.
"I'm taking you out tonight," I tell her. "I'm going to teach you how to enjoy living life, Aurora."
"I'm scared," she admits.
I tilt her head up to face me. "I know you are, baby. And I promise you I won't let anything happen that you don't want. Okay?"
"Whatever you say, mountain man."
- Writer
