Ben672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7cy3ANQdH
672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvg8BZkYsx
December 31, 2004
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Same day
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672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb8xBinqiW
After Nate orders another round, I convince him that I need to switch seats so I can watch the game. I can't believe he bought my lame ass excuse. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf53qr8iydA
Nate slides out to help Red back into the booth. I can feel Kat's eyes on me, as I stare at the football game, hoping she will just sit down. Kat waits as our new drinks arrive, before turning her anger on me.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMoodjpqOO
"Can you please get out of my seat?" She frowns down at me. I should have known my little hurricane would have a problem. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FMP8lt5oE
"He just wanted to see the TV." Nate explains for me as though I can't speak for myself. And for once I am thankful that he's speaking for me. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsf8VVmBgTl
Red leans into him and my friend is gone again. I try to give Kat an innocent smile, but I probably just look like a creeper. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xN8N3eCQr
"There's not enough room for me." She sighs, looking defeated. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiqFp2YrT3
I look down at the empty spot next to me. There's more than enough room for her to sit, this booth is massive. I scoot out to let her slide in next to her friend. I'm just relieved that she didn't pull me out of the booth and beat my ass. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0iNHfJT52
"Thank you." She leans towards me as she speaks, but it wasn't long enough. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYGbyD1393
"No problem." I give her a half smile while leaning my head on my arms propped up on the table. I try to casually lean towards her, thankful we are seated in a curved booth. This is so bad. I'm already longing to be near her, to breathe the same air. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdPTmGU72q
She doesn't pull back, but she also doesn't move closer. I can't tell if she wants me or wants to kill me... maybe both. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuOMzyU6a0
I switch my attention to the game as I scoot closer, hoping she will think I'm just trying to get a better view. When I glance back at her, we are as close as we can be without touching. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1D0mUirBf
As though she can feel me looking at her, she turns her head, gasping when our eyes meet. But she doesn't move away. Her breathing picks up and her chest begins to heave. Again, is that because of me?672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj3QisXrOi
God, she's so intoxicating. I need to drink her in or maybe that's the alcohol talking. Shit. I don't even remember drinking. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHXL2r22Tz
"Hey, Ben," Vanessa pulls me out of my daze. "You need someone to kiss at midnight?" She giggles as Kat turns bright red. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SeTgtGRtb
"Are you offering?" I tease. "I'm not sure you're my type." 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwohIJy2a5
Kat stifles a laugh, sliding her hand in front of her mouth. Guess she didn't see that coming. I try to ignore Nate's glare as I revel in the magical sound coming from Kat.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLv0YZ0EF0
"No silly, not me." She nods towards Kat, not getting that I was making a joke. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajpcd3cYTX
"Vanessa! Shut. Up." Kat hisses at her friend, her face turning an even darker shade of red. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylGFp8Q2bc
"What? I'm just trying to help, Katie-bug." Red pouts, but at this point she just looks like a drunk fish.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RQ2H7QN6G
"I don't need your help. And I don't need you forcing him to kiss me." She sighs, gesturing towards me.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6IDQkXfS7
"Forcing?" I can't help but interject, while laughing at the image of her trying to force me to do anything. She might be feisty, but she can't make me do anything. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6CdFjWri8
Not that she would need to force me, I would kiss Kat willingly... and so much more. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV2WcYUWxt
"Oh come on, Katie-bug... Loosen up. It's just a New Year's Eve kiss, everyone does it." Kat rolls her eyes at her friend. Well, shit, she clearly wants nothing to do with me. I wonder why she hates me so much.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iFEi4Wve7
"Katarina Rose Burke, don't make me say it." The redhead looks dead serious and I wonder what "it" could be. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21WexKgu8p
Kat's eyes grow wide and she's violently shaking her head, while her face shows defeat. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QPqrqrnau
"Don't push me Katie-bug." Her friend still looks serious, but there's a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth, like she knows she's already won.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ268hXlNInI
"Fiiiine..." Kat doesn't look up from the table. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj0gvEImjx
"Ben?" She asks shyly.672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wlnD8pZ6P
"Yes, Kat?" I ask, genuinely curious where this is going. She looks into my eyes when I say her name, but she still seems nervous. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCmAh1Iliz
"Do you have anyone to kiss at midnight?" She blushes and looks away. I feel like we are in grade school and I just got a note on my desk asking me to check yes or no. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LCmC7LuLi
"What?" is all I can think to say. Why am I questioning this? Am I a complete idiot? 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUQ5fr8zb0
Kat glances over at her friend, pleading with her to say something, but she is only met with a silent dare. "Would you like to... maybe... kiss me at midnight?"672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9LNcBs9CJ
"Fuck yes." Ah shit. That is totally not playing it cool. I clear my throat. "I mean, you know, if I don't get a better offer before then." 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCm4Zqe1Ss
Her face falls slightly, but she nods. And now I feel like shit. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBhsSyiXx4
I lean forward, so only she can hear me. "Sorry, that was a bad joke. I would be honored to kiss you." I desperately want to make her feel better, anything to get that sad look off her face. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7ugPeeqwQ
She gives a small smile, but I don't think she's completely convinced. Her face falls again when she thinks I'm not looking anymore. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lEX5JMGcY
But I am. 672Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAtMyPYyMa
I couldn't look away from her even if I wanted to.
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