Chapter 3

Kaleigh was thinking about the hard on she had felt against her thigh when she hugged him. And the way he blushed when he was thinking about the places her tattoo could be. She smiled when she thought of what she would wear Saturday night. She had gone shopping and bought a black leather mini skirt, black ankle boots and a black lace top that showed off her flat tummy. Everyone was used to her dressing like that now, everyone except him that is.

She was late because she was still having trouble with her car. She finally got it started and she pulled into the parking lot at the high school at 7:45. There were a lot of cars there. His mom must have invited the whole town! Damn! She wouldn't get a minute alone with him. Oh well, she had a whole month to convince him she was the woman for him. She walked in and the party was already in full swing. She saw AJ's parents dancing and his sister talking to some cousins she knew. Mike was at the food table of course, stuffing his face. She finally spotted him talking to a group of people including Mike's wife Beth and several of her friends. He looked over as she came in and a smile lit up his face. She waved and walked toward Nancy and the cousins. "Hi Nance!" She said. "Great turnout!"

"Hi Kaleigh! We were beginning to wonder if you were coming!" She smiled at Kaleigh

"Car trouble as usual! I'm gong to have to get a new one soon. Do you think anyone would mind if I take some pictures for the paper? The sports department wants to do a story on AJ."

"It's fine. Just keep me out of them ok?" Nancy had always hated having her picture taken. Kaleigh remembered her mother dragging her kicking and screaming to have her senior pictures taken.

"No Problem Nancy! I will"

Kaleigh dug out her camera and was taking general group shots when she heard someone come up behind her.

"Hi Little Bit!"

She turned, "Hi AJ."

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," His eyes traveled up and down her body. "Do you always dress like that?" He asked

"Yes I do. What's the matter don't you like what you see?" She purred she could tell he was trying to figure out if she was flirting with him.

"Actually we match pretty well wouldn't you say?" She said. He was wearing black leather pants, black boots and a black button down shirt.

"Touche" he said. Mike was waving to him from across the room

"I better go mingle"

"Ok, see you later" she smiled at his back as he walked away.

"He likes what he sees a little too much I'd say" she heard Beth's voice behind her.

She smiled at Beth "I sure hope so!"

Across the room the elder Martin's and Monroe's sat at a table watching their offspring.

"Andy is in for the surprise of his life!" Anna Martin said

"What are you talking about?" Gary Monroe asked.

"She's talking about Andrew and Kaleigh, you dope!" Bess Monroe answered

"What about them?" Ted Martin asked

"Kaleigh has been in love with him for as long as I can remember." Bess answered

"And if you had seen the way Andy so casually looked out the window toward the Monroe's every 5 minutes for the last 5 days... Well let's just say he has noticed how much our little Kaleigh

has grown up!" Anna said

Both men looked confused.

Anna and Bess just looked at each other

"Men!" They exclaimed simultaneously

It was getting late and Kaleigh was tired. She'd danced with Jeff, Mike, Her dad, Ted Martin, several of AJ's cousins but not AJ. She decided it was time for her to go home.

She was walking to the door when Andrew caught up with her

"You're not leaving yet are you?"

"Yeah I'm tired."

"I've been saving a dance for you, come on."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to where everyone was dancing. He pulled her to him and put his arms around her waist he was holding her so close she could feel his breath on her forehead.
"Kaleigh, I want to talk to you, privately, sometime soon ok?" It was the first time in her life she could ever remember him calling her by her name.

"Ok AJ. Why don't you come over for dinner sometime next week?"

"Name the day and time, I'll be there!"

"I'll call you ok? Thanks for the dance."

Her stupid car wouldn't start again! She swore as she kicked the tire. Guess I'll have to go get my dad to take me home she thought to herself. She was walking back toward the door when she saw Andrew come out. He saw her.

"Hey Kaleigh, I thought you were heading home."

"I was but my car won't start, again"

"Sounds like you need a new one!"

"Tell me about it!"

"I'll give you a lift, just let me go tell my folks ok? The party is starting to break up anyway."

He came back out and they got in his rental car.

He looked over to see her skirt riding up her thighs and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. She didn't miss that.

She turned in the seat slightly

"So what did you want to talk to me about AJ?"

He didn't look at her. But kept his eyes on the road.

"Kaleigh, We've known each other for a long time. I shouldn't be feeling the way I am about you. It's not right. I've known you since you were a little girl! Damn it! I can't get you out of my head."

He glanced over at her.

"Kaleigh, will you go out with me?" Her heart raced as he said the words she'd been waiting 10 years to hear from him.

"On a date?" She asked

"Yes on a date, do you have to make this any harder than it already is? And pull your skirt down! I can see way too much!" He sounded mad and she was confused. She tugged the hem of her skirt down.

"I would like that."

He stopped in front of her house.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow around 12:00 ok? Wear shorts and Tennis shoes."

She got out

"Good night AJ" she said.

He drove around for awhile, he shouldn't have snapped at her. It wasn't her fault. He felt like such an ass. He was having a lot of trouble reconciling his feeling for her. She was a woman now, not a little girl. Just because he'd known her forever and they were friends was no reason to feel guilty for wanting more than that now. He'd always liked her, it was just that he had never thought of her that way before. Would Mike be pissed? Her parents? They all liked him he knew but this was their little girl he was talking about. How many times had he and Mike stood up for her when they were kids, kept other kids from picking on her? She'd been quiet and shy around everyone but them and look at her now, dressing sexy, swearing, and getting tattoo's! And where was that tattoo by the way. Don't go there man, he thought to himself.

He dreamt about her that night, the long legs, the long red hair, her eyes as green as summer grass.