Chapter 16
Riley's alarm went off at 5, like every Sunday and just like every Sunday she immediately put her hair up in a messy bun. The brunette hurriedly got dressed in jeans, and her HEB shirt with a belt and her tennis shoes. She brushed her teeth and put on a wand of mascara. The cheerleader never tried to hard on Sunday's, it was early enough as is. She slid her phone in her back pocket and grabbed a banana on her way out the door. The car started and she saw that it was 5:30. The brunette called Lucas to make sure he was awake while she opened the garage.
Hello?
Hey, i'm making sure you're awake.
Look in your rearview mirror.
She glanced and after a quick smirk she ended the phone call and saw him standing in the driveway with a flower he picked from his backyard. "Good morning beautiful."
"It's definitely better than most Sunday's." His laugh made her butterflies stretch their wings and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'm still taking my own car."
"Ugh, fine. But the middle seat in my truck is vacant." He walked backwards to his truck.
"I would hope so. It's 5:30 in the morning."
"Alright, Riley's feelin' sassy this morning. I can keep up." She rolled her eyes and got into her car to drive to work.
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"RILEY, LUCAS! Good morning."
"Adam, how do you have so much energy in the mornings?" Riley entered her partner number and stood beside him.
"It's called sleep Ms. Matthews. I suggest you get some."
"Or is it called coffee? I've thought about trying that stuff." Lucas stood beside her after clocking in.
"I'm workin' on my 3rd cup. Okay, so you and Mr. Friar are here. Fantastic. Lucas, how are you liking it here?"
"I like it a lot. Everyone's really friendly." Adam saw Lucas glance at the brunette.
"Don't lie to her."
"Yeah," Riley looked up at him. "My personality bites." Everyone started laughing.
"So, we have a register open and lots of people here this morning. The scheduling is a little weird today. So, if I feel like it I may cut you two. I've been hearing great things about you Lucas, keep it up. Have you done returns before?"
"No sir."
"Riley get on it. The return fridge is full as well as the buckets." The brunette turned on her heels and Lucas followed.
"So, we're getting off early?" He smiled thinking about spending the day with Riley.
"Maybe. If we're lucky. We have those projects we need to work on." The brunette pulled a basket out and started loading it with items from the fridge. "Basically all we have to do is put these items back out on the shelves where they belong. It's supposed to be done at night, in case you ever close. But, it isn't a top priority."
"MORE?" There were a few more partners walking towards Adam. "Riley, will you take the board please? I have to go pull up the full schedule for today."
"Sure." Riley stood up and walked to go steal the phone Adam had in his hands. "Beverly, and Ian. Good morning." She took a stylus and pressed a few buttons, Lucas didn't know what to do. "Beverly can you please do returns?" Beverly immediately did as Riley asked. "Ian do you want to bag? Or would you like to clear the corrals before it gets too hot?"
"Corrals."
"Great, you'll be manager until you get off at 2:45." She skipped to the white board down the hall and filled his name in the blank space next to 'Parking Lot Manager'. He hadn't seen Riley take charge before and it was sexy. "Whenever you need help just come grab a guy, but you'll be on your own for now."
"Thanks Riles." Ian ran outside.
"So, you just tell people what to do and they do it?"
"Only when I have this thing." She held up the phone.
"What is that?"
"It basically alerts us when someone is due for a break and lunch, when people are supposed to be here and you can make notes. Like Whitley is on register 8."
"So, boss. What do you want me to do?" Riley ignored him and was looking at the board.
"5 more people by 7:30? Did no one look this over?" He leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"It's sexy when you take charge."
"Clearly someone doesn't like the lack of attention." Lucas started laughing.
"Thank you Riley. What do we got?" Adam grabbed the board away from her.
"Ian and Bev. Ian is clearing corrals and he is parking lot manager until he gets off. Bev is doing returns. Pretty uneventful. Besides the fact 5 more people will be here by 7:30. Devin didn't make the schedule did she?"
"No. We had Kim make it, Devin's been sick. We will have plenty of people the whole day, but it's almost like no one got the day off."
"What would you like for us to do?" He looked at the returns, the amount of baggers and cashiers. He looked at the board, and sighed. "Do you want the hours?"
"They aren't necessary for me, I have 2 projects."
"Lucas? We can find someone else to shadow you if you want to stay."
"I am actually partnered with her on one of the 2 I have. So it wouldn't bother me." He was skeptical to be cut when he was so new.
"Get out of here you two."
"Later Adam, call me if you need me."
"Bull, you wouldn't answer if I called." Riley walked away with Lucas by her side,
"Yeah, you're right. No harm in trying though." She laughed and waved bye. Lucas could hardly contain his excitement. "Stay calm till we walk out the double doors, he can sense happiness." Lucas started laughing and Riley pulled out her phone. "20 minutes. 20 minutes into my shift and I was cut, that's a new record."
"I can't believe that just happened. We can spend the whole day together."
"Easy cowboy, we have to work on our projects."
"That just gives you an excuse to come back to my place, we can start now."
"Okay crackhead, it is 6:20 in the morning. I definitely don't want to work on a project this early."
"So you don't want to hang out with me?" He stared into her soul hoping to change her mind.
"I'd love too, but i'm worn out from the past few days. Can I text you and maybe we can meet up later?"
"You're breakin' my heart. You said you'd never!" She tilted her head to the side, trying to remember when she said that. "The night I got hired, when you turned me down for ice cream."
"Oh, I forgot." She stepped closer to him, and his heart sped up while a smile approached his face. "It would break your heart if I didn't come over?"
"In half." He placed his hands on her back.
"I'll mend it later." She giggled and walked away. "I'll text you, or call. Or both. We'll see."
"You better." She winked and got into her car.
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Riley was working on her english project, and was extremely tired of tracing. It was noon and it had rained since the moment she left Lucas in the parking lot. The brunette couldn't go back to sleep once she got home, which is why she didn't always like getting cut.
She's as free as bluebonnets in the summer, she's as hot as the Padre island sun.
Hey Maya, what's up?
Wanna have some fun? Riley perked up and smiled knowing exactly what Maya was thinking.
ATV?
Get your boy toy and get over to Josh's. It stopped raining.
Be there as soon as I can.
The brunette hung up the phone and immediately dialed Lucas.
I thought you'd never call.
You busy?
I have a feelin' i'm about to be.
Come get me as soon as possible. And, wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, you don't mind your truck getting dirty do you?
Lucas smiled. Not at all. Be there in 20.
The cheerleader hung up the phone and put on her bikini with a camo shirt and jean shorts over it. She looked in her closet and grabbed her old boots, that she specifically used for this occasion.
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"Josh is going to let his precious jeep get dirty?" Riley joked. "I guess that's better for Lucas' truck."
"He took the doors, and top off. He said he'd get it detailed. So now, we have the ATV and jeep. This'll be fun." Josh turned the corner in the ATV and Lucas was followin' behind him.
"Alright ladies, i've got first round on ATV."
Lucas glanced at Riley who had just taken her shirt off. "Looks like you 2 beautiful ladies are gonna ride with me."
"Luke, we have a small drive to make before you can start tearing stuff up. There's a pond about 5 minutes away from here, that has been dried up. My parents don't want pits in their yard. It should be a good time. Let's go!" The girls jumped into the jeep and followed Josh.
"Good call peaches, I was so bored working on my project."
"You didn't have to go home." He raised his eyebrows and grinned.
"Riles, did you bring your iPod." The cheerleader pulled it out of her pocket and plugged it into the auxiliary cord right as they had pulled up to where Josh was talking about.
"Alright girls, take your position." Maya buckled her seatbelt and Riley stood up in the trunk.
"Good call taking the top off also. I can stand back here." Lucas looked at her in the rearview mirror, he was skeptical.
"Sweetheart, you sure that's safe?" He heard a click noise and saw that she strapped herself to the jeep.
"Yep. Maya press play."
Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise. Lucas took off and started pullin' wheelies. Mud was slingin' everywhere. Baby you a song you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise. The girls were screaming and laughing hysterically. She hopped right up into the cab of my truck, and said Fire it up let's go get this thing stuck. Lucas looked in his rearview mirror and saw her bright smile. Girl you sure got the beat in my chest pumpin, hell I can't get you out of my head. That's exactly how he felt, he'd never met someone like her before. Riley was constantly down to do anything, she didn't care about getting mud in her hair or if she broke a nail. He made a sharp turn and slung some mud on Josh. He was having so much fun, he'd never done this with girls before. And, quite frankly he enjoyed the rearview mirror more now that he was.
"FASTER!" Riley yelled and he did as instructed. He flipped on the windshield wipers and stopped when he saw Josh come to halt.
"WHAT'S UP MAN?"
"ANYONE WANNA SWITCH AND DRIVE?"
"ME!" Riley unclipped herself and jogged towards the ATV. Lucas only wished he could go with her. Maya took her spot and Josh ended up driving the jeep. "Y'ALL READY?"
Maya pressed play on the muddy iPod and gave her a thumbs up.
Well here you come again and your looking so fine. you don't notice me but its alright. I'm just a guy who wishes that I could be your man someday. A picture paints a thousand words its true, but its still not enough for how i feel about you.
Lucas watched Riley throwin' mud everywhere and started smiling. I wanna put you in my car and drive and turn you up real loud roll down all the windows and shout it out. I love this girl. Oh if i could press play, repeat how happy i'd be. Wherever i'd go i'd have you there with me, you'd be right where you belong I wanna put you in a song.
The brown eyed girl locked eyes with Lucas and winked as she started making donuts. He started laughing and wanted to be with her so bad. Well i'd sing about your smile and the way your hair shimmers in the sunlight. It'd be so easy, i'd just write it from my heart. Cause I got to tell the world what you mean to me. Wrap you up in a melody so you'll be stuck in my head all day, cause you're already there anyway. Lucas was genuinely happy that his parents made him move. He had a great group of friends, and a very beautiful girl he was determined to make his. After another 30 minutes of mud slingin' and singing Josh ushered them back to the house. Lucas watched Riley step out of the ATV and she looked so sexy, even covered in mud.
"Hello sexy." He walked up to her.
"Please!" She laughed. "Where can we rinse off at Josh?"
"There's a hose on the side and the pool shower over there. I think Maya wants the shower." Everyone laughed watching Maya run towards it.
"Hose it is." Lucas followed Riley to where it was and watched her rinse off. "I don't even know where to start." She glanced at Lucas. "I say that everytime we go mudding."
"That was a lot of fun. It was a nice break from waiting on you to call." The brunette took off her boots, hat and shorts. "I can help if you need it."
"I think I can handle it. But, if I do then you'll be the first to know." The cheerleader had brown water flowing off of her. "I'll try to hurry."
"Take your time." he winked. "So good news."
"What's that?" She leaned over to rinse out her hair.
"My buddy Zay is comin' down for the weekend. He's gonna meet me at my truck after the game."
"That's awesome! Y'all goin' to the pit?"
"Yeah. I didn't tell him about you though." She grinned and flipped her hair back.
"Why? I'd like to think we're friends."
"Yeah, me too. But, if I did then he'd be askin' me a million questions."
"And?" She tried to manuever herself to rinse her back. He grabbed the hose from her and gently started wiping the dried mud off. His fingertips felt good touching her and caused bumps to pop up on her skin.
"And, you're hard to explain. Even if I could explain you, he wouldn't believe me."
She laughed. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment."
"You should." He was only a few inches away from her and his heart was pounding. "You're an amazing woman." His hands stopped at her waist and gently pulled her back into him. "You're gonna have to stop me." He whispered, Riley could feel his breath on her neck.
The brunette woke up from her daze and took the hose from him. "I think it's your turn." The running back slid his shirt off and tossed it to the side. No matter how many times she'd seen it, she was still in awe. The mud fell off of his arms and legs, and Riley shook her head to wake herself up. "So, what are you doin' the rest of the day?"
"Workin' on that project. Missy wants to meet up again."
"Of course she does." She smiled. "That's what i'm doin' too."
Lucas looked at her with his signature grin. "You ready for practice tomorrow?"
"I guess so, it's always hard to get guys to concentrate when they have a reason to touch a female." She laughed. "The dance is pretty cool actually. If we have enough guys wanting to, we are going to add in a section of that country swing thing. I texted Darby about it."
"I'm in. As long as it's with you."
"I'll let her know." The brunette walked away, leaving Lucas to admire her backside.
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