Monday Minute Fiction: Forever

Monday Minute Fiction

"Forever"

This work belongs to Ashley Ladd and may not be duplicated.

Peggy Hyatt drove around the block of her alma mater several times. Did she really want to see people who  called her "Piggy"? Who had given her a complex during her crazy, impressionable teen years?

She scowled at her CD player when a song came on she didn't like. Quickly, she skipped over it. Why hadn't she been able to skip over those morons as easily? She could this time. All she had to do was keep driving in a straight line and not look back.

But she wouldn't get to see Gabe, her best friend. He was the one guy who had been nice to her, that had never called her by that awful nickname. Surely she could brave a few bullies and jerks for the chance to see him. She'd kicked herself for a long time for letting him get away. By now he must be married with kids. After all, fifteen years had passed since graduation. Still, it would be nice to see him.

Decision made, she pulled into the teeming driveway and parked. She girded herself for the inevitable but hoped for the best.

When she spied Dwayne Henderson, her worst nightmare, she stayed in the car, waiting for him to go in before she ventured out.

But Dwayne veered toward her car with his hated swagger. He rapped on her window until she lowered it a smidge.

"Soo-ee. I didn't think you'd show your face here again, Miss Piggy."

"Grow up." She rolled her eyes and wound up the window.

Dwayne pushed up his nose with his finger and squealed like a pig. Then he let loose several roiling belly laughs her glass window didn't muffle.

"Screw it," she mumbled under her breath and turned the key in the ignition. "I don't need this shit. High school sucked. Still does."

In her rear view mirror she saw movement. Sure one of Dwayne's idiot buddies was coming to help him grunt and squeal, she scrunched her nose.

But when the giant of a man approached Dwayne, she sucked in her breath. Her heart did a funny little flip, and her gaze glued itself on the newcomer. Gabe.

She couldn't take her eyes off him. He was sexier than ever, muscled in all the right places. Matured.

Gabe stopped a foot from her but his attention was fully riveted on her heckler. "Stop bothering the lady. What are you? Thirteen?"

Dwayne held his belly and laughed again. "Ha ha. You're so damned funny...looking."

From where she sat, Dwayne was the funny-looking one. Tattoos covered his otherwise bald head. Huge earrings elongated his ears. And a gold ring pierced his nose. On top of that, his gut was twice the size it had been the last time she'd seen him.

"FU! Get outta my way, moron." Dwayne shoved Gabe then stomped away, calling soo-ee at the top of his lungs.

Peggy rolled down her window and smiled up at Gabe. "You okay? I almost didn't come because of him."

Gabe grinned. He leaned against her car nonchalantly. "I'm glad you did. I only came to see you. I would've been very disappointed if I'd missed you."

She started to glow from the inside out. It was hard to keep the radiance out of her smile. She felt the same. "You could've just called, saved us both from running into that jerk. I'm in the phone book."

Gabe ran his fingers through his hair. His jaw flexed. "I figured some lucky guy would've snatched you up long ago." He paused then asked, "Has some guy put a ring on your finger?"

That made her chuckle. She flashed her ringless hand out the window. "Hardly."

Gabe looked over his shoulder and scowled. Then he turned back and winked. "I don't really want to go in there. What do you say we blow this joint? Go somewhere we can talk."

Her heart swelled. It sounded perfect. There was no one else here she wanted to see. "Hop in."

When he slid in beside her, she tried not to grin like a maniac but her happiness won out. She beamed at him. "Where should we go? There's a Starbucks close by."

Gabe shook his head. "Too many people. Too noisy. I want you all to myself."

His words made her feel giddy. She moved the car forward slowly and breathed a sigh of relief when she could no longer see the high school in their rear view mirror. "Where then?"

Gabe gave her directions. When they wound up at a playground, he said, "Here."

The park was deserted. Dim light from a nearby street lamp spared it from being completely dark. She put the car into Park and arched her brow. "Here?"

He nodded. Before she could say more, he hopped out and rounded the car. Then he opened her door for her. Once she alighted, he captured her hand and held it.

As if they were kids again, they swung their hands. Then they claimed adjoining swings, still holding hands.

Gabe turned to her. His eyes glittered and his thumb stroked the top of her hand. "I've missed you."

"Ditto. Why did we lose touch?"

He heaved a sigh. "Colleges on opposite coasts. Life. But we're here now. I'm back to stay."

Was he trying to tell her something? She wanted to know more but was afraid to assume too much.

When she remained silent for several moments he asked, "Would you see me again if I asked?"

Would she?! "Yes."

She cursed the breathiness of her voice. He hadn't asked her to spend the rest of her life with him, to be his.

Breathe.

He pulled her swing closer until his lips were mere inches from hers, until his breath tickled her neck. "May I kiss you?"

"I thought you'd never ask." She tilted her head and leaned in to close the distance. At first the kiss was tentative, sweet. Then they parted their lips. Their tongues duelled.

His free hand circled her waist, drew her closer. But the swings groaned and twisted.

Laughing, they broke apart. Then he stood and pulled her up and into his embrace. "Would you like to come home with me?"

She molded herself to him, feeling the hot bulge in his pants. She rubbed noses with him. "The sooner the better."

"How about forever?"

Giddiness overtook her and she nodded. "Forever."


To read past Monday Minute Fiction stories visit:

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Ashley's MMF

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