Fever Pitch by Ann Marie Frohoff Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ann Marie Frohoff
for a minute, finally opening it. He was acting nervous. Could he really be? Could it possibly be more nerve-wracking for him because he knew he was about to take my virginity?
The door swung open, and I went to step inside, but he grabbed my arm. “Hold up.” He looked me in the eyes intently, smiling. “Come here.” He suddenly scooped me up into his arms, cradling me.
“Oh my God, Jake, stop it!” I laughed, burying my head in his chest.
“What? This is how we do it. Like old times.” He stepped inside. “Welcome to your temporary home, darlin’.”
I hugged him tightly as he dropped me to the floor. I turned, and the first thing I noticed were the black and white photos of me , hanging as big as life on the red wall across the room. The ones we’d taken all those years ago.
Holy shit.
I gasped, covering my mouth and looked at him. “Oh Jake.” I was in complete shock. This must have been the surprise, as I most certainly was. I wondered how long they’d been hanging there. “How long have you had those hanging there?”
He smiled and glinted at me. “For as long as I’ve been here…and every other place I’ve holed up in.” His eyes roamed me adoringly, pulling me to him.
Without a word, I stepped over to him, wrapping my hands around his neck, pulling his face to mine. I wove my fingers through his hair, and he slipped the jacket from my shoulders. It dropped to the floor. I unzipped his and eagerly untied his scarf from around his neck. We stood there, breathless in our expectation, and I rested my forehead against his chin. We were motionless, as if waiting for the other to make a move, and finally he did. He turned, grabbing my hand and my mind raced. Was this it? Was it gonna happen now?
We walked toward the…kitchen and living area. Really? Did I miss something? I sucked in some air. I really need to get a grip. I glanced around the modern kitchen with its stainless steel appliances and black granite counter tops and I wondered if he had any wine. I’d grown fond of wine from stealing sips from my mother’s glass over the years. “Do you have any wine?”
He turned and looked at me incredulously, grinning. “Really?”
“Yeah… you know to take the edge off,” I chirped.
He brushed my cheek with his fingers. “I’ve got some wine.” He let go of my hand and I relaxed a tiny bit, taking a seat at the small counter space. I looked back over at the wall of black and white photos. If I didn’t know they were of me, I supposed you couldn’t really tell. But if someone were to point it out, it would be obvious. I wondered what his bandmates thought. Looking back at Jake, he was uncorking a bottle of red wine.
“You see, it’s legal for me to drink here.” I nodded, matter-of-fact. “I could even go buy it if I wanted to,” I said it as if it was something he didn’t already know.
“Well you just might have the privilege to do that if you drink more than this,” he said, holding up the bottle. “It’s the only one I have.” His eyes continued to roam my face. I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes, he had something else on his mind, and it was killing me that he wouldn’t spit it out.
He took a stemless wine glass from an open shelf and filled it up halfway. To my continued amazement, he took another glass down and filled one for himself . I wasn’t sure what to think, because I knew he was in AA or some program where he wasn’t supposed to be drinking or anything else. I immediately felt bad.
I swallowed. “Aren’t you not supposed to be drinking?”
“Not really, but drinking
The door swung open, and I went to step inside, but he grabbed my arm. “Hold up.” He looked me in the eyes intently, smiling. “Come here.” He suddenly scooped me up into his arms, cradling me.
“Oh my God, Jake, stop it!” I laughed, burying my head in his chest.
“What? This is how we do it. Like old times.” He stepped inside. “Welcome to your temporary home, darlin’.”
I hugged him tightly as he dropped me to the floor. I turned, and the first thing I noticed were the black and white photos of me , hanging as big as life on the red wall across the room. The ones we’d taken all those years ago.
Holy shit.
I gasped, covering my mouth and looked at him. “Oh Jake.” I was in complete shock. This must have been the surprise, as I most certainly was. I wondered how long they’d been hanging there. “How long have you had those hanging there?”
He smiled and glinted at me. “For as long as I’ve been here…and every other place I’ve holed up in.” His eyes roamed me adoringly, pulling me to him.
Without a word, I stepped over to him, wrapping my hands around his neck, pulling his face to mine. I wove my fingers through his hair, and he slipped the jacket from my shoulders. It dropped to the floor. I unzipped his and eagerly untied his scarf from around his neck. We stood there, breathless in our expectation, and I rested my forehead against his chin. We were motionless, as if waiting for the other to make a move, and finally he did. He turned, grabbing my hand and my mind raced. Was this it? Was it gonna happen now?
We walked toward the…kitchen and living area. Really? Did I miss something? I sucked in some air. I really need to get a grip. I glanced around the modern kitchen with its stainless steel appliances and black granite counter tops and I wondered if he had any wine. I’d grown fond of wine from stealing sips from my mother’s glass over the years. “Do you have any wine?”
He turned and looked at me incredulously, grinning. “Really?”
“Yeah… you know to take the edge off,” I chirped.
He brushed my cheek with his fingers. “I’ve got some wine.” He let go of my hand and I relaxed a tiny bit, taking a seat at the small counter space. I looked back over at the wall of black and white photos. If I didn’t know they were of me, I supposed you couldn’t really tell. But if someone were to point it out, it would be obvious. I wondered what his bandmates thought. Looking back at Jake, he was uncorking a bottle of red wine.
“You see, it’s legal for me to drink here.” I nodded, matter-of-fact. “I could even go buy it if I wanted to,” I said it as if it was something he didn’t already know.
“Well you just might have the privilege to do that if you drink more than this,” he said, holding up the bottle. “It’s the only one I have.” His eyes continued to roam my face. I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes, he had something else on his mind, and it was killing me that he wouldn’t spit it out.
He took a stemless wine glass from an open shelf and filled it up halfway. To my continued amazement, he took another glass down and filled one for himself . I wasn’t sure what to think, because I knew he was in AA or some program where he wasn’t supposed to be drinking or anything else. I immediately felt bad.
I swallowed. “Aren’t you not supposed to be drinking?”
“Not really, but drinking