Chapter Ten
February Fourth
Juniper
June blushed as she slid out before he put the car in park, “Please don’t get out,”
she pleaded, “ I’ll see you tonight.”
She grabbed her bag and looked at him, his lips were in a tight line unimpressed.
“That’s dangerous.”
He shifted the gear into park.
She ignored him, “What time can I expect you?”
“Six thirty?”
“Sounds good.”
She smiled and turned to walk up the driveway. “See you soon.”
June beamed into the house where Brittanya sat at the kitchen table. “Hey,”
She said putting down her pen.
“Hello.”
June sang.
“How was your time at the beach?”
“Good.”
June smiled, “I need to shower and get ready for tonight.”
“For what?”
Brittanya stood, stalking her down the hall. “Are you guys seeing each other again?”
“He wants to go to the movies.”
June didn’t stop walking.
“Is that how well things are going between you two?”
June stopped in her room and set her bag down, looking at Brittanya, “I think?”
A puzzled look came across her face. “Why?”
June was curious if Wolfie had said anything to her.
“Do you like him?”
“I do.”
June sat on her bed. “And I hate that I do. I didn’t want to jump in this quickly.”
Brittanya leaned against the door frame, “Wolfgang hasn’t really dated. Like me, he grew up knowing everything about all the girls his age and firstborns are so eager to get married. Whitney thought he was gay since she met him. I’ve noticed he is more out and about after Placement Day lately, just like a lot of people are. He’s been looking June and I think he’s been looking for you. Do you think he likes you?”
“I pushed him away.”
She became devastated in herself recalling their kiss from earlier.
“What do you mean?”
“We kissed, and I- I got scared, so I stopped by pushing him away. Not hard or anything and when he dropped me off, I jumped out of his Jeep to avoid another kiss.”
“Did you kiss him or did he kiss you?”
“He kissed me.”
June realized he had kissed her and he had kissed her the week before too. “I think I’m just scared or nervous.”
“He likes you.”
Brittanya shuffled back to her feet smiling. “I wouldn’t worry about it. He probably thinks you’re being a tease.”
“Why do you sound so confident?”
“Remember, Wolfie and I are friends. He likes you. But, I’m going to meet up with Emma tonight, so, have fun.”
“Thank you.”
*****
Juniper opened her bathroom door in her towel freshly showered. A dress had been laid on her bed with a note scribbled on it, ‘wear this! xo- Whitney’. June opened her door to the hallway, “Whitney?”
She waited for a response, nothing. She walked towards her bedroom window and pulled a section of blinds down to see the car was gone. Her phone blinked two red lights, she palmed it as the screen lit up automatically and she tapped on her messages.
Whitney ‘wear it! I want a picture! Ps if you need a jacket, you can use one of mine or one of Brittanya's, I don't care.’
Juniper draped the black satin dress over her head. Its straps hooked onto her bare shoulders and the hem stopped high on her thighs. She applied mascara and let her fine hair air dry into its natural wave. At the end of the hall she opened the coat closet and grabbed a jean jacket, she would need one. The dress required no bra and any breeze cool enough, would show off a little too much. ‘oh, I almost forgot the picture.’ She reminded herself and turned to enter her room and held up her phone. A tapping at the front door startled her and she quickly turned on her camera and snapped a picture to send on the way out.
June closed her bedroom door behind her fumbling with her message to Whitney as she trailed to the front door. She hit send and opened the door, “Hi.”
“Hey.”
He grinned as she stepped out, “Ready?”
Her cheeks lifted to her eyes as she smiled, “Yes.”
Wolfie grabbed the door handle behind her, closing the door. “You look nice.”
He escorted her to the vehicle.
“Thank you, so do you.”
His doors were replaced on his Jeep and he thanked him again as he helped her inside. With that dress on she really needed the help. June sat with her knees together and her ankles crossed. She examined Wolfie as he slid into his seat, his hair slicked and angled to the side. June couldn’t figure out if his shirts were too tight or he was just brawny, every shirt she had seen him in including this new light blue button down he was in, fit him almost too perfectly. His dark jeans wrapped around his thighs as his unnecessary leather belt sat jobless around his hips. June looked back up at his face and he was looking at her.
“What are you looking at?”
He beamed, putting the car in drive.
“I wasn’t joking when I said you looked good as well.”
Her hands cradled her phone in her lap.
“Thank you.”
His smile didn’t subside.
The Jeep was headed south and they ended up in the Family District for the first time. June stayed seated as he got out and opened her door. Walking towards the small building June felt his hand brush against her arm sliding down towards her hand. His giant, clammy hand engulfed and stuck to June’s damp hand. She accepted opening her palm and fingers as they interlaced.
They walked into the propped open door and up to the counter. “Two.”
Wolfie dropped her hand to pay for their tickets. “Do you want popcorn or anything?”
“Sure.”
“And popcorn.”
He spoke to the attendant.
“Wolf!”
A tall, husky man shouted across the lobby and Wolfgang darted his head in the direction before replying, “Oh, hey Max!”
“What are you doing here?”
He smacked Wolfie on the back as June timidly stood behind him observing their interaction and noticed that Wolfgang was still a head taller than his roommate.
“I’m on a date,”
He turned around to expose her, “With June.”
He smiled proudly.
“Oh, Juniper.”
He smiled at her, reaching his hand out, “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
She softly responded while shaking his hand momentarily.
“Are you here with anyone?”
Wolfie had asked.
“Yeah, I’m taking this girl out.”
“Ah, I’ll see you at home then.”
“You too.”
Max waved and walked towards the women's bathroom greeting a tall blonde making eye contact with June. Shianne. June’s eyes widened and stood behind Wolfgang as he grabbed the popcorn. Why was she dating Wolfgang’s roommate? Was it her way to get to Him? June glanced back seeing them vanish into the dark room and her body tensed up.
“What's up?”
Wolfie turned to her, noticing her body language.
“Max is here with Shianne.”
June’s eyes watered a little bit as she looked up at him.
“Well,”
He touched June’s arm, “Do you want to go?”
“No, it’s fine.”
June faked a smile as he squeezed his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She was thrown off by his kiss and felt comforted and heard by his action. Wolfie led her into the dark theater room. She could see the outline of seats and glimpses of faces in them and spotted Max across the room, Wolfgang snatched June’s hand and led her up the aisle out of Shianne’s view. He kissed the back of her hand and spun her into a seat.
The screen played silent advertisements with music over them. The room was nearly half full as more couples of various ages filled the seats. June chuckled as she spotted a piece of popcorn is his beard and pulled it out, dropping it on the floor.
“Thanks.”
He mumbled.
“What are we watching?”
“Something that’s over thirty years old.”
“Wait what? I thought you said this was one of your favorites?”
“I might have lied to get you to see me again tonight.”
He grabbed the armrest in between them, pulled it up and threw his arm around June in a smooth, single motion.
“You don’t have to lie to me.”
She was glad to be close to him, the room had gotten cool as the air conditioner kicked on. She felt his thumb caress the jean texture of her borrowed jacket. Her phone buzzed and she flipped it right side up.
Whitney ‘You look HOT. Wanna get ice cream after your movie? Us four?’
“I agree.”
Wolfie’s breath on June’s ear sent chills down her, not helping the cold room situation. He shortly chuckled.
“What?”
June was startled that he was reading her phone.
Wolfie cleared his throat, “Let’s get ice cream after.”
He corrected himself. “I like your necklace.”
His fingers tenderly grazed her chest to collect the pendant.
“Thank you, it’s my mothers.”
The lights dimmed and the screen flooded with light, June adjusted her body, dismissing the gap between them. She couldn’t help but to look down at Shianne and Max. Maybe Max was her back up plan. June didn’t want to concern herself with what Shianne’s motive was. Wolfie’s beard oil caught her off guard and pulled her attention back towards him and placed her hand on his thigh, wrapping less than half way around it. She tried to focus on the movie, she thought of Wolfie in her ear, She thought of Shianne, and she thought of Ben.
One long hour and a half later the credits began to roll. Wolfie, being one of the first to stand before the lights were on, grabbed June by the hand and led her down the steps. At the bottom he put his arm around her. “Let’s go get ice cream.”
He closed his door to the Jeep and stared straight ahead. “I’m sorry.”
“What?”
June was confused.
“I’m sorry for invading your privacy by reading your messages and saying you look hot, I slipped and that was not very respectful of me.”
June looked straight at him, “Are you saying I don’t look hot?”
“No,”
He realized what he had done, “I’m not saying that.”
He grabbed her hand. “I like you and any standard or value I have set for myself, they’re gone.”
He tripped over his words. “I feel like a juvenile since I met you and I have had a hard time keeping myself composed. Juniper-”
Wolfgang was a mess. He was speaking so fast and came to a complete stop. This exposed side of him made June feel safe with her own feelings towards him, she wasn’t over thinking things.
She was smiling at him, afraid she might start laughing and filled the silence after he said her full name. “I like you too Wolfgang.”.
“Thank god.”
Wolfgang exhaled and looked at June, “Can I just,”
He leaned forward stopping inches from her face. June’s eyes went from his green eyes to his lips, wondering if she needed to make the last move. “There we go.”
He pulled his hand back around revealing a comb stored in the passenger door and flipped his mirror down to fix his unbothered hair. “Let’s go.”
He turned the Jeep on, tossing the comb in the cup holder and June was speechless.
Wolfgang
Wolfgang could barely control himself and felt stupid for blurting out what he had just said. Seeing her cold in the movies made it more difficult, jacket or not, he could see she was without a bra. He could see down the top as it shadowed between her breast and when she stood, he didn’t understand how her back half stayed covered with the sway of her hips. He wasn’t mad about it, he was pissed at himself because he couldn’t kiss her for fear of getting handsy or regressing to a teenage boy even more.
Juniper
June slid into the booth before Wolfie across from Whitney and Fade. “This is fun,”
Whitney picked up her menu. June looked across at Whitney like she had something to say as Fade leaned over to whisper in her ear, “I know, it’s just a dress.”
She rolled her eyes and reached under the table to grab his knee. June caught Fade’s eyes and he smiled at her.
“What looks good to you?”
Wolfie leaned into June. She hardly looked at the menu with Whitney and Fade’s interaction about her outfit.
“Hm.”
She looked down and glanced over the menu. “That looks tasty.”
She pointed to ‘brownie a la mode’.
“Alright,”
He grabbed their menus and slid them to the end of the table.
“How was the movie?”
Whitney closed her menu and propped her elbows on the table.
“Fine,”
June looked at her trying to impersonate Brittanya to get her attention but wasn’t getting the response she needed. She felt Wolfie’s hand caress her thigh, planting it on the hem of her dress and his fingers pressed against her skin. Wolfie’s hand heating her thigh made her heart race, especially when his thumb started moving back and forth. “Guess who we saw there.”
June whispered.
“Um,”
Whitney thought, “Who?”
She seemed puzzled and took a sip of her water.
“Shianne.”
June practically mouthed, she was so quiet. Under the table she felt Wolfie’s hand tighten around her thigh softly. She crossed her legs the opposite way, trying to get rid of him, with no luck and instead trapped him between her thighs.
A snort came out of Whitney followed by a coughing fit, “What?”
She asked between coughs as Fade tried to help her.
“She was with Max.”
Wolfie’s hand twitched.
Whitney looked at Wolfie and cleared her throat, “That’s uh, that’s quite the jump. And so fast too.”
She sniffled with her eyes watering.
“Mhm.”
Wolfie’s eyes crinkled at the sides with a smirk.
“How did you two meet?”
June looked across the table.
Fade threw his arm around Whitney as she began, “We actually met on Placement Day, we flew over here together.”
“No way.”
Wolfie expressed he was surprised by this information.
“And we kept running into each other, him being an electrician and my job in the office. It didn’t take long for us to get to know each other.”
“That’s incredible.”
June replied.
Whitney looked into Fade’s profile as he stared forward, “And to think we only lived twenty miles away pre-island.”
“You’re kidding?”
June added as the waiter placed two plates of ice cream with brownies in front of them. She uncrossed her legs, letting him free, only to feel his hand run up and down her exposed thigh and stop again before swinging it behind her shoulders.
Wolfgang
He stopped behind her on the doorstep, “Thank you for coming out with me tonight, I had fun.”
“I did too.”
She smirked up at him palming her phone with both hands. Without hesitation he leaned in and kissed her, he was confident in his move and it paid off. June kissed him back quickly, opening her mouth as her tongue grazed his lips. He gripped her hips trying to not let his hands slip on the slick material, until he gave in, letting them fall to feel her ass while her hands wrapped around his neck.
He stepped towards the house, almost pinning her to it. His hands moved up, stopping on her arm and cheek before he pulled back. June placed her hand on his chest and gave him a few small kisses before dismissing herself, “Good night Wolfgang.”
“Hm, Juniper.”
He hugged her, “Good night.”
She kissed him one last time until she opened the door and watched him walk away as she slowly closed it.