Tommy, I thought.
“Are you guys going to kiss or something?” Tommy asked, stepping around to the front of the bench.
Jacob pulled away and cleared his throat. He shifted in his seat, trying to play it cool. It was the first time I'd seen him even a little bit flustered, but he shrugged and was suddenly totally collected yet again.
“No, we were just hanging out, playing some Monster GO,” Jacob explained.
“Tommy, what in the hell are you doing here?” I asked, doing my best to stay calm.
“Last I checked, we live in a free country,” he said, as he crossed his arms to stand his ground in front of me. “I finished cleaning my room and Mom said I should come find you. It was just lucky I looked here first.”
“Tommy, I’m going to give you three seconds to turn around and go home.” I stated, my words slow and measured. Inside, I was ready to pummel the kid for interrupting what would have been an amazing first kiss.
“Or what?” he snapped back. “What, Alicia? What are you going to do?”
“Three.” I narrowed my eyes.
“Whatever, I’ll just tell Mom if you try to hurt me.” He took a small step back, but kept his chin up defiantly. “I told you I wanted to come play Monster GO.”
“Two.”
“I’m not moving,” Tommy said, but he glanced around like he was planning his escape.
“One,” the last word came out of my mouth and I took a step forward. Tommy’s faux bravery faded instantly and he ran quickly away, screaming out at the top of his lungs. A few people in the park looked over. I had only taken one step forward, but it was enough to get my point across.
“You know, I don’t mind if your little brother hangs out with us,” Jacob said quietly. “It’s not a big deal.”
I sighed and sat back down on the bench. Tommy had run over to the oak tree nearby and was standing there with his tongue out at me.
“He wasn’t supposed to come with me today,” I said. “He promised that he’d stay home and leave me alone for a little while. He's a great kid, but I'm just not used to having someone too young to drive around all the time. It's different living with him than it is just coming home for a holiday.”
“Let me go talk to him,” Jacob offered. “I have a way with kids.”
I turned to face him, flashing an expression that showed just how insane I thought he must be for offering something like that. When Tommy wanted something, he could be as stubborn as me. It was definitely a family trait. “You sure?”
Jacob just chuckled as he stood up from the bench. “I'm going to give it a try.”
He turned and made his way toward Tommy. This ought to be good, I thought. I sat on the bench, petting Athena. I had no idea what Jacob was going to do to convince Tommy to leave him alone for a while.
The two were out of earshot, but in perfect view. Jacob strolled up and knelt down. I saw them exchange a few words. A few seconds later, Tommy smiled as he nodded quickly. They gave each other a high five and then immediately after, Tommy turned and skipped away, making his way back across the park in the direction of home.
What the…? I thought. No way.
Jacob came and sat back down on the bench with a relaxed smirk. The man was pure confidence with the ability to back it up.
“How did you just do that?” I asked in complete disbelief. “What kind of magic do you have?”
He just shrugged like it was nothing. “I told him that it was incredibly important that I spend the time with you to get you leveled up in the game.”
“That’s it?” I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. There was no way that was all he said.
“Pretty much.” He shrugged and grinned at me.
I playfully slapped Jacob’s shoulder. “I know for a fact that it took more than that to get him to go away. I know Tommy, and he’s not easily persuaded. What else did you say?”
“You really want to know?” His blue eyes sparkled as he waited for me to answer. “It's my amazing secret ability.”
“Yes, tell me,” I begged. I needed to know how he had performed this miracle.
Jacob shrugged. “I gave him ten bucks.”
“Seriously?” My jaw opened and stayed there.
“Yeah. Ten bucks for ten minutes alone with you,” he admitted. He grinned sheepishly as he smoothly wrapped his arm over my shoulder once again. “It was worth every penny.”
“I can’t believe you did that,” I said, laughing so hard I nearly fell off the bench. It was one of the funniest things I had ever heard, and also a pretty darn good way of getting Tommy to get out of our hair. “But I like the technique. It’s also another reason why I need a job so I can make some money. Maybe I can start getting Tommy to listen to me with a little bit of cash...”
He didn't wait for me to stop talking, he just leaned in and brought his lips to mine. He took what he wanted, what he knew I wanted, without waiting another second.
I gasped, as the air was practically pulled out of my lungs in shock. Our lips were electric, sparking with energy as they touched. I closed my eyes and brought a hand to Jacob’s cheek. For a moment, he and I were the only ones in the entire park. The entire world, for that matter.
The passion between us was so apparent. It felt like we had known each other for decades, not days. This was more than just a basic first kiss. It was a first kiss that promised more kisses. It promised going beyond kissing. It was the kind of thing that made me feel more alive than I had in a long time.
After what seemed like a beautiful eternity, we slowly broke the kiss. But we only stayed apart long enough to grab a breath of air and glance into each other’s eyes. Our lips collided once more. A moan crept up into my throat, so soft that it didn’t make it to my mouth. My senses exploded as we opened our lips just enough to let the tip of our tongues touch, dancing passionately.
Our phones vibrated. I would have kissed him like that all day if I had had the chance. We slowly opened our eyes and pulled apart. The interruption was annoying, but since it had affected our moment anyway, we decided to see what the notification was all about.
“There’s a Monster nearby,” Jacob laughed. He casually glanced down at his phone before slipping it back into his pocket. “But who cares about that?”
He kissed me again. Our phones continued to vibrate, attempting to notify us of the Monster that was close. I didn’t care, though. It was just a game, and what mattered in that moment was what was right in front of me.
My hands drifted from Jacob’s cheeks, to his shoulders and around to his chest. My fingers landed on the top button of his shirt. I paused there, wishing I could undo just the top button and let myself in to feel some skin. I wanted to. I wanted nothing more than that. But I couldn’t. We were in a public park, and I knew that Tommy was likely somewhere nearby, spying on us.
Thinking of my little brother reminded me that I had responsibilities. I couldn't just sit and make out in the park like some teenager. Even though it was fun. The morning was ending, and I needed to get home.
“Can I see you again?” I asked, pulling back slightly and watching his reaction. “This was fun.”
“Absolutely,” Jacob replied. His smile was warm and genuine. “I’ll bring us some replacement creamsicles next time we hang out.”