Page 3 of Ghosted By Texas

“I seem to be a fan, too.” My voice sounded breathy and not at all like it usually did. I’d never had a kiss that took my breath away before.

As the lights dimmed, Austin reached over and took my hand in his. “I’ve never connected so easily with anyone else on this planet,” he admitted. I turned to see him ducking his head, almost as if he was embarrassed by admitting something like that to me.

“I feel the same,” I agreed. “I don’t know why. Normally,” I paused, hesitating to say the rest.

“Normally?” He prompted.

“When I date,” I groaned in frustration with myself over what I was about to say. “I could take them or leave them and mostly, if I’m being honest, leave them. It’s been about three years since I went out on a third date with anyone because they usually just feel lackluster in some way.”

Austin leaned in and kissed me again as the pre-movie local commercials swapped to a preview of the latest super-hero blockbuster. As our lips parted, he smiled warmly at me. “You took the words right out of my mouth, Trouble.”

It was probably a good thing that the lights were too low for him to make out the blush that stole across my cheeks in the wake of his agreement. I was stuck in my head, thinking about the tingly sensation left behind on my lips, when his groan of pleasure forced me to look his way again.

Austin’s eyes were on mine as his jaw worked while he chewed. “You were right. Now, I wonder why I never thought to do this before.”

“Do what?” I asked, still in a kiss-induced la-la-land.

“Add the Reese’s Pieces to the popcorn. The hot popcorn kind of made it slightly melty, but the candy coating resisted the melt and held it all together until it got in my mouth. Mixed with the buttery popcorn, it’s the best thing I’ve put in my mouth, next to your lips.” He winked and grabbed another handful from the bucket.

Austin raised the arm of the theater seat that was between us and pulled me closer to him so that I ended up snuggled into his side for the duration of the movie as we munched, occasionally trash-talked a character, and just enjoyed being with one another. I never knew movie dates could be so damn perfect.

~*~

As we walked out of the movie theater, and into the parking lot while holding hands, Austin stiffened and looked nervously toward where we’d parked earlier. He spun me, so that my back was to the car, and I faced him. It was such a quick move, that I giggled, thinking he was trying to be romantic and steal another kiss.

I continued to think that, until I noticed that he was watching something, or someone, over my shoulder with what seemed like trepidation in his gaze and maybe a little guilt. The butterfly feeling in my gut moments ago, transferred into something heavier, souring the popcorn and candy I’d ingested during the movie.

“Is something wrong?” I asked Austin. His eyes came down to meet my own briefly before he sighed and shifted his gaze to stare at his feet. I took the opportunity to glance over my shoulder, where I found a woman standing there with a hurt look on her face. She wasn’t so much standing as leaning on a car parked right behind Austin’s. It was obvious, by the popcorn bag still in her hands, that she had just been in the theater to see a movie as well. The problem was, her sullen look shifted to a scornful one as her eyes left my date’s and moved to take me in.

“Who is that?” I asked before turning my attention back to Austin.

“She’s, fuck, it’s hard to explain.”

“It’s really not, Austin. Who is she to you?”

“She’s been my best friend ever since I could remember,” was his answer. That wasn’t so bad. Maybe he had blown her off to go on our date. If that was the case, I could understand her being angry with the situation. “We’ve grown into something more though,” he admitted which completely burst the platonic bubble I’d been shaping around them.

“Something more?” I prompted, hoping he meant anything other than what it sounded like.

“We’re not dating, serious or anything, Becs. It’s not like that. It’s just that when neither of us is seeing someone, we sometimes hook up, too.”

“So, that’s your fuck buddy over there giving me the evil eye?” I snipped at him.

“Don’t say it like that. We’ve done nothing wrong,” he insisted.

“It sure does feel like you’re doing something wrong, considering the death glares that are heating up my backside,” I argued.

“We’re not like that. She has no right to be angry or jealous or whatever the hell is going on. We’re friends,” he tried to reiterate.

“You are friends who fuck. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you can’t be fuck buddies with your best friend? It doesn’t work like that. There are feelings involved.”

“I promise, it isn’t like that.”

“Oh? Then you don’t mind calling her over here to straighten that out while I’m able to hear her confirm?”

“What? No, that would just be cruel and awkward.”

“Cruel to whom?”