(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 9 - Middle American Saturday Nights
"So, come on. Details, Miss Mars!" said Mac, even as she worked on Veronica's computer issues. "What exactly happened on this amazing first date with Weevil Navarro?"
Veronica laid back on her bed, stretching her arms above her head and feigning innocence.
"Mac, you know I am not the type to kiss and tell."
"So, there was kissing, huh?" said Mac with a look. "Oh, my!" she added, pretending to fan herself with her hand before putting her attention back on the laptop on her friend's desk.
Veronica really didn't know what to say for the best, but just thinking about her date with Weevil the other night put a smile on her face that simply wouldn't budge. It had felt strange to start off with, going out for a romantic dinner with a guy who, up to now, had been nothing more than an associate, a friend, and a bodyguard when she needed one. Still, they got over the worst of the weird as the night wore on, and there was certainly nothing at all awkward about what happened at Weevil's place later in the evening.
The man could certainly kiss, that was for sure, and it wasn't just car engines that his hands were good at working on. It hadn't gone as far as it could have. Veronica had been tempted, but in the end, it was all a little too fast. When she told him, Eli could not have been sweeter about it. For a guy like him, with the rep he had, most never would believe he could be so kind or thoughtful, but Veronica knew better, she had for a long time.
Despite her own reputation, Veronica had told him the truth, that other than Duncan and Logan, she never gave herself to anyone else and she just wasn't ready to make the leap yet. Though he made a face at the sound of her exes' names, which was to be expected, that was as bad as it got. They slowed down, still had a good time, and then when the hour got late, Weevil drove Veronica home.
It was almost midnight when they arrived back. He opened her car door for her like a gentleman, the way he had been all night, then pulled her close and kissed her not like a gentleman at all. Honestly, Veronica would have been disappointed if he had done anything else.
"I guess this is goodnight, Cinderella," he said with a smirk, his arms still around her yet.
"I guess so," she agreed. "You know as Prince Charmings go, you're more qualified than you think" she had assured him, her hand at his cheek. "I had a great night tonight, Eli."
"Yeah, me too," he promised her, planting one last kiss on her lips before he let her go.
When Veronica watched him drive away, she almost wished she hadn't said goodnight at all. A part of her wished she had decided to stay over at his place. Of course, there was always next time.
"Veronica?" Mac's voice cut through her thoughts very suddenly and Veronica sat up fast to look at her. "You still alive there?" Mac teased.
"I'm here," she agreed, nodding her head as she sat up on the edge of the bed. "I have to admit, that was one great night."
It was unfair to say that much and not share. After all, Mac had told her plenty about her romance with Bronson. Veronica supposed she just wasn't quite used to having a girl friend to share that kind of stuff with yet. After Lilly, it was Wallace that she told all her secrets too, and he hardly wanted to hear about the love life of a person he looked upon as a sister. They rarely talked about who they were dating, it was just easier that way, but Veronica had to admit, she kind of liked having a fellow female that understood again. That said, she really did need to talk to Wallace and tell him about the whole her and Weevil thing. It probably wasn't going to go so well, given how the two of them first met and all, and it was part of the reason why Veronica hadn't exactly made an effort to share even that much information. The other part was that Wallace really hadn't been around much lately. He just seemed so busy all of the time.
"So, you make another date yet?" asked Mac when Veronica was through telling her about her first date with Weevil.
"Nothing definite." Veronica shook her head. "He called the next day and then I ran into him at Hearst once. He's kind of busy, I'm kind of busy, or I would be if my computer would play ball," she said with a sigh.
"Another half hour, you'll be good to go," Mac promised, gently patting Veronica's poor overworked laptop.
"Honestly? As much as I appreciate the hard work, I was kind of hoping to still be swamped with work this weekend," Veronica admitted then. "I ran into Logan yesterday. Apparently, I'm cordially invited to Parker's surprise birthday party."
"And does that offer extend to a plus one?" asked Mac with a look.
"Can you even imagine Weevil in that situation?"
"I can." Mac nodded. "That could, potentially, be very entertaining."
"That could, potentially, be very much a disaster. Come on, Mac, my ex, his new girlfriend, and my new guy, all in one room? Plus, please note, my ex and my new guy really, really don't like each other. Actually, my best guy friend and my new guy don't like each other much either."
The more she thought about, the more Veronica felt all of the awkward weighing down on her, her fingers twisting together in her lap as she considered it.
"Ugh. I thought the worst part of all this was telling my dad about me and Weevil."
"It can't be so bad," Mac shrugged. "I mean, if Wallace and Logan and Weevil all care about you - and we both know they all do - they'll accept the situation like adults, right?"
Veronica made a face. "You do know who you're talking about, don't you?"
Mac couldn't help but laugh at the expression her friend wore, but she had to admit, maybe she hadn't thought the situation through properly. How it was supposed to be fixed, she had no idea at all.
"Hey, all I promised when I came here was to fix the computer. All that relationship stuff?" she said with a vague hand gesture. "Nothing to do with me."
Heaving a huge sigh, Veronica flopped bodily onto her bed again with a thud. Why could her life never be simple at all?
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" asked Veronica as she and Weevil came in through the front doors of the Neptune Grand and headed for the elevators. "I mean, I never actually said we were going to show, I only said 'maybe', so we really don't have to-"
"Veronica," he cut in, pulling on her arm when she went to step into the elevator ahead of him. "I'm gonna ask you this question one time and I'm hopin' you're gonna give me a straight answer that I can believe."
"Okay," she said, nodding her head and wondering what was about to happen.
Weevil looked a little too serious for her liking, and a little too hot for this occasion, if she were honest. She wasn't sure what made him don the leather jacket tonight. He hadn't worn it so much since the death of his beloved bike, but now it was back and Veronica wasn't at all sorry to see it. She could only assume it was a reaction to attending a party Logan was throwing, though the rest of his reactions to the whole affair had been shockingly calm, up to now.
"Are you ashamed to be seen with me at this party with your college friends and your ex and his new girl?"
Veronica's eyes went wide at the sound of the question. She intended to answer with a question of her own, asking how he could ever accuse of her of such a thing, and yet, she knew how he could. She was making such a big deal about them not going to Parker's party, giving Weevil every opportunity to back out, even though he showed no real sign of wanting to. It was quite clear how she had made him feel and Veronica felt sick the moment she realised it.
Stepping away from the elevators to let others through, Veronica grabbed Weevil's sleeve and pulled him with her into a dark corner. She made sure to meet his eyes straight on when she gave him her answer.
"If you think for one second that I am ever ashamed to be seen with you, anywhere or in front of anyone, then you don't know me as well as I thought you did, Eli Navarro," she said definitely. "I promise you, the only reason I was babbling about escape is for your benefit. I know how you feel about 09ers, about Logan in particular, and yes, there will be comments made about the fact we're going to show up together, but I don't care. That and I have Mr Sparky in my purse," she told him, smirking terribly, "so I can handle all the jealous women who will want a piece of my man."
Weevil smiled back at her, he couldn't help himself, his arms sliding around her as she pulled him closer by the lapels of his jacket.
"You've got class, Mars," he told her.
"So long as I've got you, Navarro, I'm all good," she promised him. "Also, did I tell you how good you look in this?" she said, running her hands over the leather of his jacket. "I mean, trust me, you don't really need the help, but I've kinda missed it anyway."
"Oh, yeah?" he said, smirking the same as her, as they both leaned into a kiss.
It would've been so easy to get lost in the moment, blow off the party, and go do their own thing someplace else, but both Veronica and Weevil were well aware of the significance of tonight, more now than ever.
Before long, they were headed into the elevator, holding hands, and putting on their game faces, ready to face their public.
"Your girl Mac already knows about this," said Weevil as they headed up. "Anybody else?"
"I managed to catch up with Wallace, which was an interesting conversation," she said, looking sideways at Weevil. "You do remember taping him to a flagpole in his underwear, right?"
"Right." Weevil nodded once. "Guy has a long memory. Not that I don't get it," he said thoughtfully then.
Veronica kept her mouth shut. She remembered the day Weevil was strung up the exact same way Senior year. She even mentioned it to Wallace when she was pitching the idea of her and Weevil dating. It hadn't helped much. She got a promise out of her BFF to be civil with her new guy and give him a real chance, but that was all.
"Wow, this party is going to be fun," she said, all full of her oft-heard sarcasm. "I guess I should be grateful you don't have a biker gang that can all hate me anymore."
"Trust me, with those guys, not liking you would not have been the problem," said Weevil, smirking when she looked his way.
"Seriously?"
"Hey, come on, you know my buddy Felix had a thing for blondes."
"Okay then," said Veronica, shaking her head.
She really had not been expecting that one. The elevator arrived at the right floor then, the doors opening to an empty hallway. Veronica gripped Weevil's hand a little tighter and was glad to feel him squeeze back. They headed towards Logan's suite, finding the door already open and the party in full swing. It felt bizarre to Veronica, walking into a scene like that, with Weevil by her side.
"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right," she quoted with a sigh.
"Here we are," Weevil added, looking around at the sight.
"Hey, you came!" a voice cried happily as Parker came barrelling towards them. "I'm so glad you're here!" she told Veronica, hugging her with all the enthusiasm in the world.
"Happy birthday, Parker," she told her, patting her back. "Um, you know Weevil, right?"
"Yeah, sure," Parker nodded, though the smile she wore looked a little fake when she glanced at Veronica's date. "You fixed the flickering light in the hallway outside my dorm."
"That would be me," he told her, looking as awkward as he probably felt.
Veronica winced on his behalf, glad in the next moment to see Mac waving her over towards a couch. It was where Veronica and Weevil would spend the next half hour, trying to look like they belonged, neither one of them feeling like they really did.
Wallace wandered by with Piz and both said 'hi', though neither seemed like they wanted to be friendly. Veronica understood, even if she didn't particularly like it at all. She and Mac got into a conversation until Bronson finally put in an appearance. Veronica turned back to Weevil then, feeling bad for ignoring him too long.
"I'm a neglectful date," she said sadly. "I'm sorry."
"You can make it up to me later," he told her with a look that was unmistakable.
"I just might," she told him, planting a kiss on his lips.
They got a little lost in their own private moment, not noticing they had company until someone cleared their throat too loudly.
"Logan, hi," said Veronica squirming some. "Great party."
"Glad you could come," he told her, smiling somehow despite the weirdness of the situation. "Hey, Weevs. Good to see you. Kinda like old times," he said with a terrible smirk.
"Rockin' party, dude," Weevil replied, just as sarcastic as Logan, complete with overdone surfer voice and a hang ten sign to boot.
Veronica bit her lip so hard not to laugh she almost caused herself an injury.
"It is good that you stopped by... for Parker," said Logan, looking at Veronica again now.
"We wouldn't've missed it, but we do have to go pretty soon. Prior engagement, you know how it is."
"Sure." Logan nodded, finding her another brief smile before he turned away to talk to someone else.
"Prior engagement?" said Weevil, looking curiously at her.
"You really wanna spend the whole night here?"
As she asked, someone brought in a cake and Parker started bouncing and squealing. Someone turned up the volume on another overtly girly pop tune, and Logan looked ready to make a speech for the birthday girl.
"Right now, I'm actually missing the cell they had me in last summer."
Veronica smiled and got up, her hand still in Weevil's as she attempted to pull him up beside her.
"Then it's definitely time to make like the shepherd and get the flock out of here."
To Be Continued...
