Her small smile makes me want to forget about Tayla, her brown eyes looking at me, and for the first time, I'm the one catching her stare at me.
"Hey," Callie says softly, like she's afraid of talking too loud. But I'm too surprised. Callie Quinn is talking to me. The pretty rich girl with a boyfriend from the football team is talking to me. To my face. "My dad, he, uh, he saw your offer to help with yard work. Brandon Foster, right?"
"Uh, oh yeah, that's me," I say awkwardly, surprised that a man like Robert Quinn would want my help. "When does he want me to start?"
Callie looks at me, not saying anything, and I think that I said something wrong. "Next week," She eventually says. "Need the address?"
"Uh, no. I've been to your house before." I tell her before thinking about how weird it would sound to her, but she doesn't say anything about it.
"I'm Callie, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," I say, rubbing the back of my next nervously. A job offer from Robert Quinn and his daughter talking to me. "And, uh, tell your dad that I'll start Monday."
Callie doesn't answer as she walks away, but I know she heard me. I probably was too nervous around her, and it doesn't bother me that much anyways.
"Robert Quinn offered you a job?" My mother demands, clearly upset about the idea. "Is he even going to pay you?"
"I don't know," I say quietly, looking down at me food, embarrassed. She doesn't understand that I'm going to Mack money by playing piano. "I took it on an impulse."
"Brandon, this is Robert Quinn."
I sigh angrily, shaking my head. "Mom. I know. Maybe he isn't that bad. Besides, I know his daughter." I look over at Lena, who is leaning against the counter, quietly listening to everything we say. "Lena, come on! Tell mom it's not that big of a deal!"
"Stef, maybe yo-"
"This is Robert Quinn."
"And I'll never be able to play piano again the way I used too! So let me do it!"
Stef and Lena both stare at me in shock, and even I am surprised by my anger and my words, but it's the truth. I'll never be able to play the way I used to.
The dirt in front of me only makes me angrier, and I decide to take my anger out on it, digging the shovel into it. So much stuff to do for him. I surprised Robert when I showed up at his door thirty minutes ago, a day early, but I didn't care. I had to get out of my house. It's barely 6 in the morning, and my shirt already clings to my body, wet with sweat.
"Hey, Brandon?" Robert calls, and I look up to see him next to his car in his suit and coffee in his hand.
"Yeah?"
"Don't work too hard! Get yourself some water when you need it!" Then he's in his car, driving away and I sigh, wiping the sweat off of my forehead. I really should've thought it through when I took up the offer. His backyard is huge.
Half of his yard is still covered in branches and garbage, no doubt from the last party he had, and his grass desperately needs to be mowed. Sighing I grab my earbuds and put on my music before getting a garbage bag.
When I decided that most of the yard is clean of garbage, I start piling the broken tree branches and wish that I can throw them into their neighbors backyard, but I just waste more time by bringing them to the front of the house. I'm surprised when I see Callie walk out of the door, a cup in her hand. Probably has nothing better to do then watch a teenage boy clean her backyard.
"Water?" Callie asks, holding the cup towards me, and I shake my head, bending over to pick another pile of wood. "Brandon, you've been doing this since six in the morning. I think you can drink a cup of water."
"What time is it?" I ask as I give in, pulling out my earbuds as I take the cup from her hand.
"Almost eleven."
"Thanks for the water. But don't you have anything better to do then staying around here all day and watch me?"
Callie just shrugs as she looks at the cup in my hand. "Are you actually going to drink that?"
I wipe my forehead again before I take a sip of the water, just realizing how dry my throat is. "Thanks." I mumble again, putting my earbuds back in my ears, and she goes back inside. I peel off my shirt and stuff it into my pocket, staring the lawnmower. As it roars to life, I see Callie and her younger sister watching me as I start pushing it across their huge piece of grass.
Callie comes out of her house again when I finish mowing the lawn. "Want lunch?"
"No I'm go-"
"Brandon, if you work out here for another minute, I will feel like a complete asshole," Callie says, crossing her arms over her chest. When I don't say anything, she sighs. "I'm not leaving until you agree to come inside."
I roll my eyes at her stubbornness start pushing the mower again, leaving it at the side of their house. When I get back, she's still standing there, her arms still crossed over her chest. Her eyes are on me, and I decide that it wouldn't be a complete asshole move if I look at her. Pajama shorts. A tank top.
"You're still here." I say once I pull my eyes away from her body.
"I said I was going to stay here until you agree to come inside," Callie tells me, picking up the water bottle at her feet. "I figured this would last longer than the cup."
"Just go back inside. I'm at work. It's called work for a reason."
"Brandon, please. I feel like such a bitch just watching you work."
"Don't say that," I say quickly, shaking my head, running my fingers through my hair. "You're way too nice."
"I'll make you lunch," Callie offers desperately. "Please come in before you collapse of heat stroke."
Callie's eyes seem to beg me, and I sigh, giving in. "Fine," I say, grabbing her hand on a impulsive thought, and start walking towards her back door. I look back at her, and suddenly let go of her hand. Way to go, Brandon. "What's for lunch?" I ask quickly, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.
"Mac n cheese." Callie tells me cheerfully.
"Really?"
"Unless you want biscuits and gravy," Callie says, already getting a box of pasta out. "The only two things that I can actually cook."
I can't help but smile, leaning against the counter. "No, Mac n cheese is good. I can't remember the last time I ate it."
"That, Foster, is something we are going to change." Callie says, putting water on the stove, and I can't help but stare at her. Something about the way she said Foster wants me to kiss her.
"Oh, really?" I ask playfully as I notice a piano sitting in the living room. "You have a piano?"
"Wh- oh yeah. I know a little bit. I'm more of a guitar person though. Do you play?"
"Used to." I grumble, hating myself for even bringing it up. Ever since the accident with Vico, I do my best to forget about the piano.
"Used to?" Callie asks, looking at me, and I nod.
"My hand's all messed up now. It got slammed in a car door."
The expression on Callie's hand makes me wish that I didn't even tell her, and her lips curve into a frown, and I'm standing there, wanting to tell her that it's okay. Callie stares right at me, and then suddenly she gives me a small smile, and pulls out her phone. "Give me a song."
"Uh, what do you have?" I ask awkwardly, and Callie just shrugs.
"Horrible music, sadly." I can't help but laugh, lacing my fingers with hers, the image of her having a boyfriend disappearing from my head as I pull her closer to me.
"That's okay, the water is gonna take forever to boil," I tell her as I hear the first few notes of Let it go. "Tell me you have the Lion King too."
"But you can't dance to it," Callie says, laughing as I wrap on of my arms around her waist, looking through the music on her phone. "You can't dance to Frozen either, turn it off."
"All I see is Disney music. God, where have you been all my life? Mulan? Hercules? Jeez."
Callie takes the phone out of my hand, looking through it. A few seconds later she successfully finds a song, which I assume is not from a Disney movie.
It's a song that I don't recognize, but I don't care. I'm just surprised by how comfortable Callie is being around me. I thought that she would be more... guarded.
We don't have to be ordinary.
Make your best mistakes.
'Cause we don't have the time to be sorry.
So baby be the life of the party.
It's a the only part of the song that I can make out before Callie's fingers link through mine again, and I forget that the music is even playing. "Which hand was it?" She asks quietly, running her thumb along my fingers softly, like she's afraid to hurt me.
At first, I'm confused about what she's talking about, and I just close my eyes, resting my forehead against hers. "Right." I mumble, pushing the memories of that night out of my head.
Callie lets go of my left hand, and I just stand there, not asking her about what she's doing. All I know is that I don't want her to stop. "I'm sorry," Callie whispers, and I want to say something about it not mattering any more, but it does. "I wish I could make it better."
I don't respond to that. There's the surgery, but if things go wrong, then I'd never be able to play again, if it's classical music or not. The next action surprises me so much, I didn't think Callie would ever show this much affection towards me.
Her hot breath is on my fingers as she kisses them slowly, and I want to stop her and remind her about her boyfriend, but then at the same time I don't want her to stop.
"Callie? Sophia?" A woman's voice reaches my ears, and Callie and I look at each other.
"I'm in the kitchen, mom!" Callie calls back, and I run my fingers through my hair awkwardly as the woman come in. I should Callie's mom.
"Oh! You must be Brandon," She says, a smile on her face. "I'm Colleen, Robert's wife. And the girls mother, but I guess you already figured that out."
I hold out my hand, and she takes it. "Yeah, I'm Brandon. I should be able to start building the fence tomorrow."
"I have a better idea," Colleen says happily. "You can come over for dinner."
"So, Brandon, why are you doing this. I know that your family isn't struggling. Is the money for college?" Robert asks, and I stare at my plate awkwardly, trying to figure out what I would tell him.
"For college," I finally say, my hand resting on Callie's thigh, and she stops talking to whoever is sitting next to her for a few seconds. "Better to start now than later." I tell him and he nods.
"Callie talks about you a lot. That's why I decided to give you the job."
I give him a small smile, though this is news to me. My hand slides higher, and Callie turns her attention to Robert and I's conversation. "Really?" I ask, surprised.
"Yeah. Callie, you told me that I should let Brandon have the job, right?"
"Oh, uh y-yeah," Callie stutters, and I know she's trying her hardest to not say something to me. "He can play piano too."
Robert looks at me, clearly surprised, like he expected me to not do anything else. "You can?"
I only nod in response, not sure of what he's thinking. "Well, Brandon, you won't mind playing, right?"
I look over a Callie, who gives me a small smile, and I sigh. "Now?"
"Now."
I get up, and sit down at the piano, staring at the black and white keys. "I, uh, what do you want me to play?"
"Anything." Robert says, his eyes still on me. I look over at Callie, who's giving me a small smile. Judging by the look on her face, she really wants me to play. That's why she told her dad. Sighing, I start to play, not exactly sure why. I could've just told him that I don't play anymore. But instead I sit there, and play the easiest song that I know.
Once I finish, Callie gives me a smile. "That was great." She whispers into my ear when I sit down.
"I bet the kisses made it better."
A hour later Callie is dragging me into her room. "If I'm with them for another minute, I swear that I-"
"Callie," I say as she closes the door behind her. "You don't have to explain. I think your family hates me."
Callie laughs, shaking my head. "My dad likes you. My mom already loves you, and my sister thinks you're cute."
"Well, am I?"
Callie stares at me for a few seconds before she says anything. "No, you're way more than cute. You... you're attractive." She mutters, and I smile.
"So you like it when I do this?" I ask her quietly, my hands sliding down her sides.
"Y-yeah." She stutters, biting her lip, and have to remind myself that her family is downstairs.
"How 'bout this?" I ask, running my fingers along the waistband of her jeans, hooking them in the belt loops and pulls her towards me.
Callie doesn't answer me, but she nods, and I smirk. "And this?" I whisper into her ear, and kiss her neck gently, not sure of her response. Her hands rest on my chest, but she doesn't stop me.
"What about me?" She murmurs, and at first I'm confused, but then I smile.
"I think you're beautiful."
"So..." Callie whispers, her hands running down my chest, sliding underneath the fabric. "You like it when I do this?" She asks as she balls my shirt in her hands, tugging at it.
I swallow before I answer, not wanting to sound like an asshole, but it's the truth. "Yeah," Without thinking, I pull my shirt over my head, and Callie bites her lip, and I force myself to not do anything. "But it'd feel better if you kiss me."
Callie doesn't say anything, or seem to be surprised by what I say, and I want to take it back, but at the same time I don't. I'm surprised when her lips are against mine, but I don't care. I wrap my arms around her waist, her fingers finding my hair. Her tongue runs along my lip before she pulls away.
"Like that?" Callie asks quietly, and I know that she knows what she's doing. Making me want her about a thousand times more than I did a second ago.
"Like that," I confirm, not able to stop my smile. "Do I get another one?"
"Maybe," Callie answers, brushing her lips against mine. "If you finish what you started."
"You mean this?" I whisper, kissing her collarbone, my fingers playing with the hem of her shirt. Callie doesn't answer, and I pull it over her head, pushing her onto her bed, sucking on her neck gently.
"Brandon." Callie moans, her hips bucking against mine.
My hands start to unbutton her jeans, pulling them over her hips, throwing it wherever. "T-this is okay, right?" I ask suddenly, remembering what Robert told me earlier. About that asshole.
Callie's fingers find my hair as she kisses me again, not saying anything, and can't help but smile against her lips. She has no idea how many times she surprises me. My hand moves down her body, sliding underneath her underwear. I throw the fabric carelessly again, I let my lips go to her neck, biting and sucking until I knew she was going insane.
"Please." Is all she moans before I slip two fingers deep inside of her. She moans loudly, her back arching off the bed to the point where she was pressed against me and I keep my fingers still for a moment. Just as she begins to fall back to the mattress, I start pumping my fingers slowly. Another loud moan filled the room as I rest my forehead against hers. "Fuck, Brandon." She moans loudly, and I pul my fingers out of her.
"Be quiet. Your family is right downstairs."
"I know," Callie says, tugging on my jeans, our bodies pressing together. "And you're right here." Her hands start to unbutton my jeans, and I push them off, my boxers quick to follow.
She moans loudly when I push into her slowly. "Fuck, Brandon." Callie moans, her nails digging into my back. I place small kisses on her neck until I meet her lips with mine.
"Fuck," I groan. "Callie, you're so wet for me."
She doesn't answer, another moan escaping her lips, and her nails scratch roughly up my back. I'm sure she's close to drawing blood. I don't care; it only make me dip my head down and crash my lips to hers.
I knew she was close. I could feel her getting there; a couple more quick, hard thrusts and she would fall over the edge.
Her teeth bite down on my bottom lip, and I pick up the pace. She pulls on my lip before her teeth grazed over it, roughly. I slam into her harder and faster.
"Oh, God," she says. "I'm gonna come, I'm almost there-don't stop."
"Fuck, Callie." I bury my face in her neck, thrusting into her again, coming undone myself.
I wrap my arm around her waist, burying my face in the crook of her neck, pulling her closer to me. "Your dad is so gonna fire me when he finds out."
Callie punches my arm playfully. "You know I won't let that happen."