After dinner, I stripped down to my panties, socks and bra and grabbed an old pair of pajamas from my closet. I crawled in bed, thinking that nobody would bother me for the rest of the night.
Just as I started to doze off, I heard the roar of an engine being revved in the driveway. My eyes shot open. I'd remember that sound anywhere.
It was the first day of my freshman year. James was a senior at the time and one of the most popular boys with his handsome charm and easy athleticism.
I was the opposite, of course. Awkward, petite, mousy, invisible.
I had been terrified by the size of the school. Everyone looked and acted so old, and the aggressiveness of the boys disturbed me. I had spent my entire life at an all girls prep school up to that point, and James was the only soul I knew on the entire campus.
I had to take the bus to school that first day. In the meantime, James had somehow sweet-talked my dad into getting him a mustang. I had heard my dad grumbling about the kid's negotiation skills even back then.
I was hoping that James would do me a favor and let me be seen riding home with him in that beautiful car. It might have made it easier for me to make some friends, or at least avoid being tortured by the older girls. To be seen with him would be a sort of stamp of approval.
It took all my courage to run out to the parking lot after the bell rang and ask him. But to my horror he shook me off, nearly knocking me over in the process, and laughed in my face. “Go take the bus, freshman.”
I blushed, embarrassed, and hurried back into the building with my tail between my legs, but not before half the senior girls saw what happened.
James had basically told the world it was open season on me as far as they were concerned, and the girls didn’t hesitate to take his cue. He was the top dog, so if he scorned me, then everyone else took it that they should too. While the girls at my old prep school had done some mean things to each other, these bitches didn’t stop at mean. They went straight for humiliating. Four years later and I still hadn’t gotten over some of the things they had put me through that first year.
But that was the old Allison, I thought to myself as I looked out the window. Of course that old Mustang was long gone, wrapped around a tree his freshman year of college. Now he had a yellow Camaro, even more beautiful than that old Mustang had ever been.
I heard the engine turn off and, a few moments later, the doorbell rang. From Nancy's delighted scream as the door opened, I could guess her boy was home. I was picturing James grabbing her and lifting her off her feet with one of his big bear hugs, usually reserved exclusively for Nancy. He might be a jerk with everyone else, but you didn’t dare touch his mother.
As I heard the dark rumble of his voice echoing up the stairs, I tried to make out what they were talking about, but it was impossible. Especially once my dad finally made it over to welcome him and added his booming voice to the mix.
I wondered if I should get up and go downstairs. My parents knew I was napping, so I didn’t have to, but I was curious to see him again. He had looked... I don't know, different on all the magazine covers. The change had shocked me. Give the boy a few million,
and suddenly he was a man.
It still surprised me that James was an actual business man. He had hit it big after his little start up my dad had bankrolled was invested in by some big Wall Street firm. I didn’t really understand what he did, but it was some sort of software that did math things that stock traders could use to make a lot of money.
Yeah, he was handsome and smart. And a total ass. Most of the time, anyway.
I was getting up to go say hello when I saw myself in the mirror. The old Allie stared back at me in her silly pajamas.
Hell no.
Maybe I would just sneak a peak at him down the stairwell and wait until I was dressed in that little black dress to have our official reintroduction. When he saw me for the first time I wanted to make an impression.
No, I corrected myself, slowly opening my door and tiptoeing to the edge of the stairs. You want to make him want you, you twisted girl.
I saw James' laptop bag by the door and could hear their voices moving around downstairs. I waited until I heard his shoes on the wood floor and craned my neck further. Then I saw him.
Tall, dark and handsome. Just like always.
He reached down, grabbing his bag, and when he turned around, he looked straight up at me.
“Well, hello, little sister.” He flashed his most charming smile. When he got a look at my outfit he raised his eyebrows, as if impressed. “Aren’t we looking good?”
I gave him a sarcastic smile, flipped him off, and retreated to my room.
So much for making that first impression.
Chapter 4
I heard them talking and laughing for a while down in the living room while I tried to fall asleep. Then I heard his door shut. Mercifully, I fell asleep before he decided to torture me like he did in high school.
When I woke up the next day, all I wanted to do was take a shower. I had set up all my stuff to take a shower last night, but decided that sleep was what I wanted more at the time. Right now, I could hear someone in there, but it would be so nice to finally get some time in that water.