With the Guys
Alicia’s conservative driving from earlier in the day vanished on the way home. She appeared to be enjoying the peppiness of her new little car and needed to be reminded to watch for cops where they usually zapped speeders with radar because she was going a little too fast. Alicia just smiled, pushing down even further on the accelerator. After about fifteen minutes of dancing with the speed limit, she pulled into the driveway of the Meyers’ house and shut off the engine.
“Did you change your mind about staying to watch movies?” I asked, surprised that she didn’t just drop me off.
“No, like I said, James and I have other plans.” She gave me the same look again. “I just need to change and grab some stuff before going over to James’ house.”
Alicia dashed towards the house, taking the porch steps two at a time. I quickly followed her to keep up, and upon entering the house we were met by the sound of the guys playfully yelling and Alice in Chains drifting up the stairs from the first floor.
“Whoa! Sounds like testosterone city down there. I have to get ready to meet up with James, but you enjoy yourself,” Alicia announced with her voice trailing off as she dashed up the stairs to her room.
“You know I will,” I yelled up at her, rolling my eyes before making my way down the stairs to enter into what Alicia had described as testosterone city. There in the Meyers’ theatre room were Jensen, Gabe, Tyler, and Karl in various poses in front of the TV, playing a video game on the console. No one saw me right away because they were engrossed in the game and the music was blaring, which told me Jensen’s parents weren’t home. I made my way over to the couch, and when I was about half-way there they all noticed me. Karl was the first to ask if I wanted to play. Smiling, I shook my head no and watched as Tyler frantically worked the game controller while Gabe stood readily by. Both took a moment to turn and nod hello before immediately turning back to the game. Jensen abandoned his controller and came over to me.
“Hey, babe,” he yelled over the music. How was it?”
“Nothing special,” I said, closer to his ear so I wouldn’t have to yell above the loud music. “Are you guys having fun?”
“Always.” He kissed my temple and grinned. "I love that ensemble on you, by the way. It really hugs your curves." He looked at me suggestively and I elbowed him, feeling my face beginning to flush.
“Can I turn down the music just a little?”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll do it. Sorry about that.”
I sat down on the couch and just as Jensen went over to turn the stereo down, Karl and Tyler erupted into a loud yell, presumably because one of them had just passed a level they’d been working on for a while.
“Don’t fuck up my guy, Karl,” Jensen warned him. “It took forever to get that far.” Apparently he had been the one to pick up the controller Jensen abandoned, taking over the game. Karl saluted Jensen and went back to the game.
“What movies did you get?” I wanted to know.
“Oh, shit!” Jensen’s hands went to the top of his head. “Gabe was supposed to pick those up. I guess he forgot.”
“I live to serve. Any requests?” I asked sweetly before getting up from the couch. “And yes, I’ll grab some Bullwinkle’s Pizza while I’m out.”
Jensen got up and pulled me close, kissing my lips lightly and stealthily moving his hand around to my behind, cupping me lightly. “Definitely my favorite outfit on you."
I looked at his friends to see if they'd witnessed our exchange, but to my relief they were so engrossed in the game that our private moment remained ours.
"Which movies should I pick up?"
"Just get whatever is new. Let me get you some cash.”
“I can get it,” I protested, but Jensen shook his head and disappeared into his room. A moment later he returned with a wad of cash that I estimated to be close to a hundred bucks or so, most of it for the pizza.
“Guys, what kind of pizza do you want?” he yelled, quickly jotting down what the guys asked for. “And for movies?”
“Singles,” Tyler yelled.
“Candyman,” Karl and Gabe shouted out in unison.
Jensen wrote their selections on the same piece of paper the pizza order was on and handed it to me along with my purse that was on the couch. Turning to leave, I didn’t get very far before Jensen smacked my butt lightly. With a narrowed gaze I turned and instantly melted as Jensen looked at me and mouthed that he loved me.
With money and list in hand, I made my way upstairs away from the commotion. Karl yelled up after me that I was the best girlfriend ever, and the music steadily made its way back to the volume it was at when I first walked in. I made it to the top of the stairs just as Alicia was preparing to rush out the door. She skidded to a stop as we nearly collided and blinked in surprise when she saw I was ready to go.
“Why are you leaving? Too much?” she joked.
“Oh, no, they forgot the two most important things.”
“Movies and food,” we both said together, laughing.
“Come on, I’ll give you a ride to your house. You probably want to change, too.”
Alicia was right. Even though I had one of Jensen’s favorite skirts on, I really didn’t want to be watching movies all dressed up. Hanging with the guys definitely called for wearing more comfortable clothes. She dropped me at my place and sped off to start her night with James. I ran up the steps to my house and unlocked the door, racing back to my room where I found my favorite purple jeans and matching B.U.M. Equipment hoodie. After sliding a sleeveless turtleneck over my head and then the hoodie, I slipped into the pants and a pair of black Keds. Leaving my dress clothes on the bed, I grabbed my keys and purse on the way out and headed to the mall to pick up the pizza and movies.
After ordering five large pizzas and learning I’d have to wait at least thirty minutes, I headed over to the video store to pick up the movies. It wasn’t quite five o’clock, the time when people normally swarmed the joint, and I checked my watch to see I had at least a good ten minutes or so to browse the New Release section first. As I did so, I recalled the last time I had gotten movies. Jensen and I had taken the next big step in our relationship—adding me to his video store membership as he had his own membership that he opened once he’d turned 18. I recalled the day very well as it was the day after his senior graduation party, in the afternoon after we'd gotten some sleep.
“You don’t think it will be weird?”
“It’s not weird if you’re engaged.”
“But they don’t know that.”
Jensen and I had been having a back-and-forth whispered conversation in the middle of the video store. I caught a few stares here and there from other customers and figured they could only guess what we were talking about. Some probably thought we were planning to rob the place, I assumed as I followed Jensen up to the counter with our video selections. As the clerk scanned the tapes Jensen inquired about adding me. It was simpler than I had expected.
“Do I put your last name or
