I hung up, flung off the covers, and raced for the bathroom. I took a quick shower, shaved, careful not to cut myself – all though a minor shaving cut would clot, and got dressed. I threw on a pair of jeans, boots, a t-shirt, and my new leather jacket. I also put on some of Amy’s favorite cologne. I grabbed her gift I’d gotten her for Christmas and thankfully I didn’t get a ticket driving over to Carlotta’s Diner.

I threw open the door to diner and saw Amy waiting for me at the counter, looking over a paper. I noted Nora, Brady, and Troy Buchanan sitting down at a booth but paid them no attention. Amy turned to look at me and when she did, her mouth dropped and she bit her lip.

I walked up to her slowly. We couldn’t take our eyes off of each other. I knew other people were in the diner but it was like they weren’t…in my world, if that made sense. Only Amy.

“What?” I whispered standing over her as she looked up into my eyes from her stool.

“New look Manning?” she whispered.

I tugged on my jacket’s collar, “I…ah…just threw it on…’cos I was…in a rush. You, ah…like it?”

“You kinda…look like…James Dean, Trev…” she whispered leaning up into me.

We were so close…so close…I leaned into her and we shared a breathless kiss.

“Ahem…” came a voice.

Amy and I parted. It was Diego Vega peering at us from over the counter.

“Your Dad and Taylor were in here earlier…” said Diego. Carlotta wasn’t around.

I just smiled at him, “How long ago?”

“About an hour ago,” said Diego. He noticed something, grabbed a coffeepot and walked off. I noticed Nora Buchanan get up and walked toward the bathroom.

I looked at Amy again and held up my small wrapped gift, “I got this for you…for Christmas.”

She smiled at me, “I got you something too.”

“Looking for Daddy, Big Tee?” came a sneer.

Amy and I turned around. It was Brady Buchanan standing next to his booth, glaring at us, his arms crossed.

“We weren’t bothering you,” I said crossing my own arms defensively. Amy stood up next to me.

“C’Mon Trev…let’s go…” whispered Amy, “I don’t want him to spoil our day together.”

“What’s a matter, Antigone? Daddy still won’t let you see Big Tee?” giggled Brady.

Troy Buchanan stood up next to Brady crossing his own arms, “Don’t do this Brady.”

While Troy was younger than Brady, he was just as tall and just as built. I think Troy was on the hockey team with Tyler.

The door opened and to my surprise, my sister, Taylor, walked in, holding a small plastic bag. She gave the bag to Diego, whispered something to him, and joined me at my side as we faced off against Brady.

“What’s going on here?” asked Taylor glaring at Brady.

“Where’s Dad?” I asked.

“Waiting for me in the car. I got a gift I wanted to leave with Carlotta,” explained Taylor.

“Well, with the overprotective younger brother out of town the younger sister steps up to fight your battles?” asked Brady sneering at us.

“I’d kick your ass if I could!” I said firmly.

“Brady stop it! Leave the Mannings alone. Dad doesn’t want you near them. You cause too many problems…” said Troy putting a hand on Brady’s arm. Brady shrugged him off.

“Dad doesn’t want you near the Mannings either,” said Brady, “But somehow…you keep finding ways to be near her…” Brady cocked his head and looked at my sister.

I looked at Taylor. All of a sudden, Taylor got a spark in her eyes and a sly grin crossed her face. She walked up to Troy, put a hand behind his neck and pulled him into a surprising kiss. She broke it off and met his shocked expression, “Don’t let my father shake your confidence Troy.” Troy nodded his head.

Then Taylor turned to Brady.

“A Manning just kissed a Buchanan. What are you going to do about it?” she said slyly grinning at Brady.

Brady looked shocked. Just as shocked as Troy. I suppose I did too. Amy just held my hand. And then Brady’s eyes…his eyes…found Taylor’s and he reached out, grabbing her arm, and pulled her into the same type of kiss she gave Troy.

I stepped forward but Taylor shrugged his lips off of hers. He continued to hold her arm and I couldn’t help but feel so damned helpless!

“There! A Buchanan just kissed a Manning. What do you think of that?” asked Brady licking his lips. I could have sworn he enjoyed kissing her and what surprised me even more – looking at Taylor’s face – I could have sworn she enjoyed that kiss as well.

“Believe me,” said Taylor, “If I was going to become involved with a Buchanan, it wouldn’t be you…”

Troy looked simply shocked.

“Taylor,” I instructed firmly, “Go wash your mouth out.”

Just then Nora Buchanan walked back in and grew furious as she saw the five of us, “Bradley Buchanan – I don’t know what you’re up too but you let Taylor Manning go!”

Brady dropped his hand.

“Are you all right Taylor? Where’s your father?” asked Nora.

“I’m fine, Ms. Buchanan. My father’s outside…waiting for me in the car…” said Taylor. She found my eyes and then walked out.

“Trev…” said Amy, “Let’s go…”

We walked out and I tried to put the haunting picture of Brady kissing my sister out of my mind.

***********************************************************************************************************

The Angel Square shopping plaza…

Well, the afternoon went a lot better than the morning did. I took Amy to the shopping plaza and we went from store to store laughing and giggling and just having fun, holding hands…

I got all kinds of gifts for my family and Amy was a big help in helping me pick out my gifts. At the end of the day, we went to the plaza’s Mexican cantina to hang out. We liked to hang out there because not too many people went there and the lighting was dark.

“I have to be going soon Trevor. My Dad will be expecting me soon. I wish you could take me home…” said Amy softly. We were sitting at our usual table in a dark corner. We sat next to each other, holding hands, oblivious to the world around us.

“I wish I could too, Amy,” I said sadly, “I wish…”

“What?” whispered Amy.

“I wish I could be alone with you Amy…” I said, “Just you and me.”

“Trev…I want that too. I think…of you all the time…” she said rubbing her hand on mine.

“Do you? ‘Cos I think of us…all the time too…” I said.

“I want to do more than just kiss your lips Trev…I want to share more than just my kisses with you…” said Amy awkwardly but sincerely as she looked into my eyes.

I took a deep breath. I wanted that as well. We’d been seeing each other since school started and as every month passed I found myself more and more attracted to Amy Kalariotes.

“Amy…how do you imagine it to be? Our first time?” I asked. I wanted our first time to be special. I didn’t want to sneak out of her bedroom because her father surprised us by unexpectingly coming home and I didn’t want Amy to get embarrassed because Terri just happened to saunter into my bedroom.

Amy rested her head on my shoulder, “I think…I dunno…it’s our wedding night, you know…and we’re dancing…alone in a ballroom…and you’re holding me tight…and we’re kissing while we’re dancing and we just know…you know? And we go upstairs to a really fancy suite…and it just happens Trevor…between us…and it’s tender and it’s sweet…so, ah, how do you imagine it to be between us?”

“You know that cabin my family owns up on Llantano Mountain?” I asked. I took my freehand and ran my fingers through her lucious curls.

“Yeah…” she whispered.

“I take you up there and you’ve got a nice evening dress on. I’ve got a tux. And there’s all these flowers and candles. Flowers and candles…” I whispered, pausing – thinking of how my father would give my mother flowers…and candles, “And we get the fireplace going and right in front of the fire we kiss…” I stopped.

“And then what?” she asked.

“I lift one of your straps off your shoulder…and I start there…” I whispered lowering my voice. We kissed and I pulled her close to me. We breathlessly paused, nuzzling each other.

“Trev…I think of you… your body…next to mine…I think of you all the time…You don’t scare me – I don’t ever want you to think that – your hemophilia – it doesn’t scare me…” she whispered.

“It scares me,” I replied.

“Don’t…” she said holding up a finger to my lips, “Sometimes…it’s hard…”

“…to hold back?” I finished.

“Yeah,” she answered, “Trev – I really like your idea…”

I bit my lip again and we kissed. I could get so lost in her lips…in her presence.

“What time is it?” I painfully asked suddenly aware of the time.

We parted and Amy looked at her watch, “Trev – I’ve got to go now. If I don’t, I’ll be late and my father will get suspicious…”

“That’s what I thought,” I muttered doing my best to tear away from her.

Amy stood up, “I like our cantina, Trevor. I like being here – with you.”

I stood up, “So do I.”

I reached into my pocket and held out my gift again, “For you. For Christmas. I met to give it to you earlier.”

She dug into her own pockets and presented me with a small gift wrapped package as well. We exchanged gifts.

“I’ll open it when I get home, okay?” whispered Amy.

“I’ll do the same,” I answered.

Amy bit her lip, looked at me, turned away and slowly walked off…looking so…sexy…so hot…in that skirt, and her hair…it was so perfect!

It was hard to just stand and watch her leave. She was best the Christmas gift I ever got and her father would not keep us apart forever. I put her gift in my pocket and walked out.

THE END.