As much as she had tried all day to avoid him Jessa had run out of luck while walking home after school. She watched as Dusty covered the ground between them in huge, pounding strides. Everything about him, body language and face, screamed intimidating and fierce at that moment. It was so different from the laughing smiling guy who somehow managed to ease through life with no troubles at all, except for when she was around.
He was by her side and far too close for comfort in seconds.
Grabbing her arm he growled into her ear. “Let’s talk Newman.”
Jessa stood her ground and wouldn’t let him pull her anywhere. He seemed almost surprised when he met with so much resistance.
Dusty dropped her arm but didn’t back off. “I heard what you did.”
She shrugged.
“Why?” Dusty continued to growl. “My mom took you seriously.”
“Serves you right for making me have tea with your mother.” Jessa spat out. Striding indignantly away was a good idea and even what she had planned, but it didn’t work out that way. He stepped in her way as she turned to go around him. Stupid basketball allstar.
Without warning his arms swooped around her, carrying her in close to him. She couldn’t read the look on his face until it was too late and he was kissing her. Stunned and shocked, she didn’t think to pull away until he was pulling away himself. His arms dropped to his side, freeing her. After a stumbling and unsteady step back she managed to rebalance herself.
As he was running a hand through his hair, Jessa slapped him hard.
“What was that for?!” He yelped, covering his now bright red cheek.
Her mouth dropped open. “I could ask you the same thing! You kissed me! Dusty, you just yelled at me and then kissed me!”
Standing there on the sidewalk they faced each other. He had gone from growling at her to kissing her then back to looking even angrier than before the kiss. They weren’t even friends. She watched as he folded his arms, his muscles accentuated by the gesture. It wasn’t fair that he looked so good and caused her so much grief at the same time.
“I didn’t make you have tea with my mother. She did that on her own.”
“Wait what? No. She specifically said that she had invited me over because of you.” After enduring all that tea Jessa was not going to be denied her revenge. “Why would your mother invite me over for tea?”
She watched as a smug smile crossed his face before it disappeared behind a scowl. “I don’t know. Maybe she couldn’t believe that the princess of our neighborhood would stoop so low as to prank me.”
She shook her head with a smile. “No that’s not it.”
“You don’t deny the princess part?”
Jessa rolled her eyes. “I’ve been called worse…by you, in fact. My mom worked hard to make everyone think it, so I won’t go denying it to make you happy.”
“But why would you tell my mom I secretly have been wanting to take cooking classes? Cooking!”
“It could have been worse. I almost said ballet instead of cooking.” Jessa smirked. It had been a flash of brilliance during her tea time with Mrs. Hargrove. After nearly an hour of patiently listening to her drone on and on about Dusty’s many fine achievements she couldn’t take it anymore. It had become too overwhelming to not spice it up a little.
He took a rather menacing step toward her. “She signed me up.”
“For what? Tea parties?”
He scowled harder at her. “Cooking class. She signed me up for a cooking class.”
With a laugh, Jessa nearly doubled over. It bubbled up and out and she didn’t try to stop it.
He leaned in slowly. “You are coming with me.” His voice was low and serious, right next to her ear.
She shot up straight and looked him in the eye. Maybe he was bluffing. He didn’t look to be bluffing. He almost seemed pleased with himself.
“No.”
Jessa backed up several steps, as if distance would make a difference. Unfortunately he followed, charm eeking from his smug handsome face. She wanted to slap him again.
“Yes. I insisted. Your mother thinks it’s a wonderful idea Jessie. Says you can’t even boil water.” His arms went around her again as if he were giving her a hug. She wasn’t fooled. He didn’t want her to escape while he was still taunting her. He moved in so that his forehead was touching hers, his eyes so close that she couldn’t focus on them. Her breathing shortened and in the back of her mind her brain was screaming that she was going to get kissed again.
However he didn’t. She didn’t. They stood there, so very close. All her thoughts scattered as her hands went up to his arms to try and get him to step back. Stupid biceps! So strong. So big. So hard.
She was almost startled when he whispered softly. “I’ll pick you up at 6.” He almost sounded happy about the idea.
“Tonight?” Jessa struggled to focus on what he was saying. “Why?”
“Our first class is tonight. My mom figured the less time she gave me to figure out how to get out of it, the better. You will be coming with me.”
With that pronouncement Dusty’s arms dropped and he moved away, keeping a steady eye on her and then abruptly he turned and strode off with that distance-eating stomp.
As she watched him go she gave a sigh. One day Dusty Hargrove would realize why she pulled as many pranks on him as she did. He made her heart sizzle, always had. If that kiss was any indication, she was making progress, very delightful wonderful progress. She would need to figure out some way to get him to kiss her when he wasn’t mad at her.
And now that she knew he hadn’t tricked his mom into inviting her for tea, his mom might have figured things out before he did. And hopefully his mom wouldn’t ruin any of Jessa’s carefully laid plans.
Cooking class might prove to be helpful though. As long as she didn’t accidentally kill him. She was an absolute klutz in the kitchen.
