Waiting on the Sidelines

While I was excited to have my own car again, I also wasn’t ready to give up my commutes with Reed. He wrote back instantly:

You know it! Not sure I’m ready to let you drive yourself. You do drive like a woman, you know :-p

I knew he was kidding. But I was still going to ride his ass about being a pig anyhow.

Do you need me to kick your ass in the pool just to show you who’s boss?

He wrote right back:

Uh, no. I know who the boss is, and I’m pretty sure it’s you. I’m totally alright with that, tho.

I blushed at his words and my stomach did flips. I turned the light off in my room and plopped down on my bed, curling up to text him back.

Alright, glad we have that settled. So is that what all of the secret service style protection was about today?

I waited for him to take my bait. I wanted to talk about what today meant, where this was going and what he was thinking. But I also didn’t want to come off whiny and typical. Minutes passed and I started to worry that I had scared him off. I was about to type something else to change the subject when his next text came in.

Secret service, no. I must admit that today’s stunt was all about me figuring out how to flirt with you. Pathetic, I know. But you’re… different. I know I’ve said it to you before, and you hear me, but I think you just dismiss what I’m saying, so let me be clear, Nolan. You. Are. Beautiful.

Holy shit! I shot up from my bed and started pacing the room reading his words over and over again. I wish I could print this out and tuck it away in my jewelry box. As it is, I’m never deleting it and I will read it, every hour for the rest of the night. I had no idea what to say. I just started typing, hoping the right thing would come out.

You really think that? I have never really seen myself that way. I… I wish you could see the face I’m making right now. You are pretty good at this flirting thing, Reed Johnson. You pretty much just took my breath away.

There. That’s about as real as I can get. I was getting ready to plug my phone into its charger and call it a night when Reed sent one final text.

You think that’s good. Just wait until you see what I have planned for tomorrow ;-)

Tomorrow would not come soon enough.

Reed picked me up at noon, an hour before our training shift. I wasn’t quite ready when he arrived, so I ran to the door and let him in while I ran back to my room to grab a few things and finish my hair off in a braid. I was grabbing the can of spray sunscreen from my bathroom medicine cabinet when I felt the shadow of his presence fill the door frame.

He seemed so nervous, and it was refreshing since I always seemed to be the one acting completely idiotic. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his long cargo shorts and kept shifting his weight around, almost like he wasn’t quite sure how to stand.

“You ok there, soldier,” I said, passing by him and brushing against his chest as I passed. This small touch sent shivers through me, and for once, I could see he was affected to. I was pretty proud of myself.

Reed followed me back to the front of the house and we walked out to the porch. I locked the door and tossed my keys in my bag and turned around to see him semi talking to himself. It didn’t look like real words, but I could tell his lips were moving. I just giggled a little and he saw that I caught him and turned for the Jeep, a bit embarrassed.

I took control of the stereo again when we hit the road and this time I turned it to the classic rock station he had been blaring before. It was amazing how he knew every song, often most of the words.

“What are you, some time traveler from the ‘70s?” I joked.

Reed smiled and just started to sing louder before he explained. “My dad loves this shit, and he played it in the garage every summer. It’s all they play in the shops, which is where I spent A LOT of my childhood. When I stayed with my dad, I’d usually have to make visits to the lots with him and the mechanics were a lot like family to me.”

I loved to watch him talk about his dad. Even though Buck was busy, it seemed like he always made time for his son. And it was clear he loved him, that they loved each other. It made me wonder why he lived primarily with his mom before he moved out here for high school.

“What’s your mother like,” I blurted out, not really framing the question how I wanted, but it was too late now.

Reed seemed to think about this for a while, scrunching his brows and taking a deep breath through his nose before he started. “Well… she would like me to say that she’s perfect. And I don’t mean that in a mean way. I mean, that’s what she wants everyone to think, that she’s perfect,” he started.