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Jeanie licked her ice cream cone just suggestive enough to let Mark know that she was not bluffing; he had never seen a woman look so sensual in his life, she pretended not to notice his reaction, but she knew the effect she was having on him. If he wanted to play games, Jeanie just upped the ante.
His jaw must have hit the floor because Jeanie pointed at the table, where he saw a small puddle of white crème that had melted from his cone. Even though Assad had to air-condition, it always seemed warm inside his store, and you had to eat the ice cream fast before it melted from the heat.
Jeannie handed him some napkins from the dispenser on the table, but instead of absorbing the mess, they smeared it, making an even bigger mess.”
“Look what you made me do,” he said.
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” she laughed.
“I’m going in the back to get a towel, Mark said.
“Do you want me to help?”
“No, you’ve done enough.”
Jeanie laughed.
After Mark cleaned up the mess, he threw the towels in the sink and washed his hands.
Mark noticed a stack of empty transparent cups with matching lids nearby. Suddenly he had an idea.
When he came out a second time, Jeanie reminded him of the time again.
“Mark, it’s getting late. Let's start heading back.”
“Yea, your right,” Mark said, looking at the digital clock, on the wall, and then he offered Jeanie his hand to escort her out.
Before leaving the store, they waved and said their goodbyes to Assad. He was busy with customers but stopped long enough to wave back.
“Okay, thank you for coming in. I want to see you two again real soon, though.”
Assad commented to the customer that they did make a very handsome couple.
Mark held on to Jeanie’s hand almost the entire way back to his house, he loved how she felt, and if she had let him, he would never have let her go.
“Did the ice cream spoil your appetite?” Jeanie asked.
“No, by the way, my mom invited you for dinner. Why don’t you stay?”
“I can’t, Jeanie replied.”
“Why not?”
“My parents, she said.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“They're strict,” she said, “If they see me holding hands with you right now, I will be grounded this weekend.”
“For holding hands?” he asked.
“Yes,’ she replied, “They're old-fashioned.”
“Hey, wait a minute, I just thought of something. We have a test on Friday, so why don’t we study together.”
“Uh, well, I can ask them. It’s just that you’re a guy, and they don’t want me dating.”
“I’m only talking about studying together,” he said, “not running you off to Vegas.”
“I know, but if I came home with a guy, I just met the first day of school, they would lose it.”
“I just thought it might be easier for you to pass the test studying with a partner instead of by yourself, especially with you having to take it on Monday with the rest of us.”
“Mark, it's not you,” she said, “Okay?”
“No, no, I get it. I’m no stranger to weird parents; remember my dad with the gun? But now that I think about it, Ms. Payne was acting strangely too.”
“What do you mean?” Jeanie asked.
“Do you remember earlier in class today when Ms. Payne asked me if I was paying attention when she knew I wasn’t?”
“Yes.”
“Usually, when I bluff myself out of a bad situation, Ms. Payne lets me off the hook, but today for some reason, she was giving me a hard time.”
“Why?” Jeanie asked.
“Maybe she sensed I like you and wanted to ruin my chances of asking you out.”
“I would have said ‘No’ anyway.”
Mark laughed.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLo5Ea75kJ
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogGIK2EzpJ
“But why would she care? She’s a teacher.”
“Because she’s a redhead and a 40-year-old flake. For all I know, she has a crush on me.”
Jeanie laughed.
“Maybe Redheads aren’t for you then,” she replied.
“No, I can handle redheads,” he said, “but I don’t understand why Ms. Payne would make a new student study for a test the same week she just moved here.”
“Maybe she was planning to give the test on Monday,” Jeanie said, “and the timing was just a coincidence.”
“Maybe,” he said.
“Maybe she doesn’t like me?” Jeanie said.
“Maybe she’s jealousy of you?” Mark replied.
“If she is so jealous, why didn’t she stay behind instead of going to the teacher’s lounge?”
“I told you, she likes to drink.”
Jeanie shook her head, “I think you’re just making something out of nothing.”
“Like I said, sometimes I can see things others miss.”
Mark got so involved in the conversation that he didn’t realize they were almost back at his house.
“Okay, Mark, thank you for the ice cream,” Jeanie said abruptly, “but we better say our goodbye here…
“What?” Mark asked.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but my parents probably wonder where I am.”
“I don’t understand,” Mark said, “I can’t even walk you home?”
“No,” she said, “I can’t be seen holding hands with a strange boy my first day after school.”
“Strange?” Mark repeated. “Who’s strange?”
“I’m sorry,” Jeanie apologized, “I meant strange as in unknown to them.”
“Look, Jeanie. I won’t try to kiss you, okay?”
“Kiss me?” Jeanie asked, “What are you talking about?”
“The real reason you don’t want me to walk you home is that you’re afraid I’ll try to kiss you, and you’re too embarrassed to admit you've never kissed a guy before.”
“What?” Jeanie asked.
Mark had not forgotten how Jeanie licked the ice cream cone, but he was trying to throw her off-balance so he could change her mind about walking her home.
“You never kissed a guy before,” he said, “so you don’t know how.”
Then Mark started making fish lips with puckering sounds.
“Ewwwww,” she said, “No, that’s not why, and I have so kissed before.”
“Who?”
“My first kiss was in fourth grade,” she pouted, “and with another boy in the sixth grade, and he was a very good teacher.”
“Prove it,” Mark said, wiping his mouth and moving in.
“No,” she said, “I don’t have to prove anything to some cocky, arrogant, daydreaming narcoleptic with fish lips.”
Then Jeanie made a face like she was going to gag.
“But Narcoleptics need to be kissed the most,” Mark said, and then he puckered up again.
“Sorry, Charlie, if my parents saw me kissing you after my first day at this school, they would have me enrolled back in my old one tomorrow.
“Back to Oklahoma?” Mark said.
“No, Nebraska dummy.”
“What’s the difference? Mark said.
“None -as far as you’re concerned because you’re not getting me moved to either.”
“How about if I walk you to your driveway but stay out of sight?”
“No, Jeanie said, taking off his jacket and handing it to him.
“Just so I know you got home safe, he said, “otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep, and tonight’s a school night.”
“You’ll be fine,” Jeanie replied.
“But I bought you ice cream,” Mark said.
“So?” Jeanie said, suddenly feeling guilty and crossing her arms defensively.
“Don’t you remember the statute?”
“What statute?”
“The Ice-Cream Statute,” Mark said.
“Are you going to start with that bullshit again?”
“Kiss your mother with that mouth?”
Jeanie put her hand to her lips as if embarrassed, “I’m sorry, it’s just that you’re getting me all whipped up with that bogus ice cream talk.”
“With sprinkles,” Mark said.
“Whatever, Jeanie replied.
“You’re not going to break the law, are you?”
“I don’t know what “law” you’re talking about,” she said, “but whatever it is, it’s not valid in this state, any more than my previous one.”
Jeanie was starting to lose her cool.
“Well, until you know or are certain,” Mark said, “I demand you honor my eminent domain.”
And then he walked past her.
Jeanie had to run to catch up with him.
“Eminent Domain,” she repeated, “what the hell does that mean?”
But Mark didn’t bother to answer. He just started walking toward her house, even though he didn’t exactly know where she lived.
“Mark, please don’t do this, Jeanie begged.
The tone of her pleading was unintentionally sexy.
“I can’t let you walk thru this sub-division alone,” he said, “didn’t I tell you how dangerous it’s become?
They even want to make it a gated community.”
“Believe me. I’m in more danger with you than without you.”
“All you girls use the same lines,” Mark said.
“What girls?” Jeanie asked curiously.
“Remember the jacket?” he said. “I’m old-fashioned. We shared ice cream, I shared my jacket, and now I feel responsible for you -like a girlfriend.”
“Well, don’t,” Jeanie snapped.
“Just to your driveway,” he asked.
“I said No, Mark.”
Mark stopped walking and dropped to his knees; he begged her in the street. He would stop at nothing to get his way, even if it meant embarrassing her in front of the entire subdivision. Jeanie could not believe how childish he was acting.
God, he was adorable.
No guy had ever been willing to embarrass himself like this before. She was so impressed -despite her embarrassment that she fell for him right there on the spot.
“Get up, you damn fool,” Jeanie screamed, “you’re embarrassing the shit out of me.”
“I’ll stay here all day if I have to.”
“Yes, you can,” she said, helping him up.
After he did, he dusted off his jeans at the knees.
“Just to my driveway,” she said, “and no tricks. I want you to promise me Mark Winters.”
And then she pointed her finger at him. Now she even sounded like his girlfriend.
“Yeah, no problem,” he replied, taking her hand -without asking. Jeanie was furious at how he just took control. And how comfortable she felt with him despite only knowing him for only a few hours.
After they walked another block, Jeanie stopped short of their driveway and tried to get him to leave before they got to her house.
“Okay,” she said, “I’m home so you can go now.”
“Hold-On their Cherry Bomb, the agreement was to the driveway.”
“Don’t you call me Cherry Bomb!” Jeanie exploded, trying not to laugh by being angry.
Mark crept as much as he could, but Jeanie stopped him just short of her driveway. She wouldn’t even let him walk on the concrete.
Her house was smaller than Mark’s but just as nice.
“Beautiful house,” he complimented.
“Thank you,” she said, “you can go now.”
And then she tried to shoo him away as if he were a pest.
Finally, Jeanie put out her hand so that he could shake it goodbye.
Mark stared at her hand like he was unfamiliar with the custom.
“Thank You for walking me home,” she said, glancing back at her house. “That was nice of you, and I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
Mark looked up from her hand. He immediately dropped his smile, then stared at her chin.
“What are you looking at?” Jeanie asked.
“Don’t move, Jeanie,” Mark whispered.
“Why?” Jeanie whispered back.”
“Did you say you were allergic to Wasp’s?”
“I don’t know,” Jeanie said, frightened.
“Shhh, don’t talk,” he said, “close your eyes, and don’t move.”
“What are you going to do?” Jeanie whispered.
Mark took out the plastic cup he took from the Oasis. He had it hidden in the front pocket of his hooded pullover. It was filled with sprinkles, he was going to surprise Jeanie at the driveway, but now he wanted to bait the wasp instead.
“I brought a plastic cup filled with sprinkles so you could have some with the ice cream -in your freezer. But now, I’m going to bait the wasp with it instead.”
“No, Mark,” she pleaded, “please don’t.”
Her eyes were still closed, but Mark could see tears starting to fall from them.
Jeanie stood frozen, waiting for him to tell her when it was safe. But instead, he quickly grabbed her waist, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her lips, shoving his hips into his.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tQoZ6vmox
