“See that was painless.”
“No it hurt real bad.”
“You’re such a baby.”
“Am not. Where’s my present?”
“I don’t recall…”
“I should get a present for going through this.”
“I see." Abe tapped her index finger against her pursed lips, while thinking. "Let me think…I’ve got it.”
“Let me have it.”
“Your present is knowing this part is over and you only have two more steps left.”
“Two? How ya figure," Nick asked, sitting up on the couch.
“There is the getting and then there is the wrapping.”
“I don’t wrap.”
“You’ll learn.”
“This isn’t a fun present.”
“Stop pouting. It had to be done.”
Giving a pointed look at the man sitting at the table. “You think this is funny?”
Setting his book down, Pat said, "leave me out of it.”
“Fine.”
Pat and Abe watched Nick stomp to the back of the bus and close the door to his room.
“Great,” stated Abe, heaving a heavy sigh. “Rock, paper, scissors to see who goes back there and deals with him.”
Pat placed his book back in front of his face and said, “like I said, leave me out of it.”
“Fine.”
His laughter followed her to the back of the bus. Gingerly opening the door, she stepped inside and closed it. Nick was laying face up on the bed. He sat up and stared at her. She couldn’t suppress the squeak of surprise, when he quickly pulled her down on top of him.
“What are you doing,” she whispered.
He laughed, “Why ya whisperin’?”
“I thought you were mad,” she replied in a normal voice.
“Because you made me figure out what I want to give everyone for Christmas?”
“Yes.”
“No…I wanted to get you alone and this was the easiest way.”
“It was almost Pat.”
“No it wasn’t.”
“Only because he refused to play rock, paper, scissors with me.”
Nick studied her for a moment. “You really didn’t want to come back here?”
“No. I really didn’t want you mad at me.”
“Well I’m not.”
“Baby,” she retorted.
“Oh say it again,” he teased.
Abe leaned close to his ear. Allowing her warm breath to tickle his skin, she whispered, “baby.”
“Like the way that sounded, but I’m still not wrappin’.”
“Oh you,” scolded Abe, sitting up on him. “besides, if we time it right we can shop online and everything will be delivered the day you get there.”
He pouted, “but there is still the wrappin.”
“Most companies will wrap them for you.”
“Aww yeah that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” he said wiggling underneath her.
“You are in a silly mood tonight,” she said with a smile.
“I’m just happy. Life’s good.”
“It is,” she agreed.
“Bella,” he said in a singsong fashion.
“What,” she replied with an eyebrow cocked.
“You’ve been sitting on me for the last couple of minutes.” Seeing the look of mortification, he immediately sat up and stopped her from moving.
“Nick let go.”
“No,” he said, firmly. “I like you sitting on me. You were even laying on me earlier and that felt real good.”
“Nick,” she said, refusing to look at him.
“Honest Bella. You’re not too heavy. You’re not heavy at all.” She studied him for a moment. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I want you sit on me. Okay?”
She could only nod. He took her face in his hands and placed delicate kisses on her cheeks, nose and finally her lips. He felt her begin to relax.
“Now how about the backrub you started the other night.”
Letting her head fall to the side, she began to smile as she looked into his eyes. Nick slowly pulled his T-shirt over his head and dropped it by the bed. He protested when she moved off the bed, but she quieted him with a kiss. She stepped out to her bunk, but soon returned with a bottle of lotion. Smiling, Nick flipped onto his stomach.
Abe hesitated only a moment before sitting on him. With a mischievous smile, she squeezed some of the cold lotion onto his back causing him to jump. He settled down upon feeling her small hands moving on his back. Abe relished the feel of his warm skin. She kneaded the tight muscles and felt them relax. Her heart skipped a beat each time he sighed. Wiping any lotion left on her hands onto her sweats, she began to massage his scalp. Her hands froze the second he groaned. The sound came from down deep inside him.
“Don’t stop,” he begged.
Her fingers began to work their magic again. Nick was in heaven and hell. Her touch was relaxing him in some ways and in other ways it was driving him insane. She had worked out all the kinks in his back, but in doing so had awakened his desire. He had become very aware of the tiny rocking motion of her hips as she worked on his back. Now feeling her fingers in his hair was making his crazy.
“Lift up for a second,” he commanded. When she did as he asked, he immediately turned onto his back, pulling her back down on him.
“Better,” she innocently asked.
“Yeah,” he lied.
He bit his bottom lip as he watched her warm some lotion in her hands and went back to work. Goosebumps appeared as her fingers danced across his chest.
“Cold?”
He moaned, “no.”
His fingers gripped her thighs when her fingers brushed over his nipples, which were as hard as pebbles. He laughed and wiggled around, because her fingers lightly skimming down his sides tickled. She shifted her weight as her hands moved down to work on his stomach. He arched and moaned.
“Nick,” she softly said.
“I’m okay,” he replied.
“Nicky.”
Opening his eyes, he looked at her and was surprised. Her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her bottom lip. Her eyes were languid with desire. Her breathing was shallow.
“Bella,” he replied, before pulling her into a kiss. “God I want you.”
“I know. Me too.”
“I’m not rushing you. I want your first time to be amazing.”
“What?”
“I promise I will make your first time everything it should be."
Sitting up, she slid to sit on the bed beside him. His brows furrowed.
"What?"
"You think I'm a virgin?"
"Yeah. Don't be embarrassed."
"I'm not."
"Good, because it is nothing to be embarrassed about."
"I'm not a virgin," she corrected, in a voice devoid of emotion.
"You're not?"
"Thanks Nick," she said, turning her back on him.
Nick became agitated. "What'd I do?"
"Of course no one would want the fat girl."
"That’s not what I said."
"No, you just assumed I was a virgin."
"You're the one who acted like you'd never dated."
"I didn't date," she replied in a small voice.
"What?"
Spinning around to face him, she replied bitterly, "I didn't date."
"Oh God! You were…"
"Raped? No."
"Oh." His eyes clouded with confusion.
"Fine! I'll spell it out. I decided I wasn't turning 21 a virgin, so I talk a friend into it. So I guess you were right. No one wanted the fat girl."
"Stop that," he said, his voice edging up in volume. Taking in a calming breath, he continued, "I never said that. Also Bella, he wanted you, otherwise he wouldn't have done it."
"I was a warm place to put it."
"Stop putting yourself down. It's not like I'm a angel."
"You're famous and in music. You're suppose to be a stud."
He laughed ruefully. "Yeah got me nowhere."
They sat for a moment lost in their own thoughts.
"Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"So only the one guy and only the one time?"
"No. I tried to do the casual thing once or twice."
"How'd that go?"
"I figured out I'm not a casual kind of girl."
"Shoot I could have told you that," he said, smiling.
"Yeah well when no one is interested the options are narrowed."
"I’m interested."
"I know you are and I still don't get it."
"Okay that hurt," he stated.
"I mean, you can have anyone. There are girls everywhere who have hot bodies and they would be more than willing to be with you."
"No they don't want to be with me. They want to be with someone famous…Anyone famous. Why do you want to be with me?"
"Because you've got a good heart and you're funny. You're sweet and frustrating at times, but over all you're a good guy. It doesn't hurt that you're sexy or that your kisses make me forget my name."
"They do?"
"Oh yeah," she said, nodding her head.
"Well you feel what you do to me."
She blushed, but also smiled.
"All you need to know is I want you as my girl. You believe in me and I believe in you. I will continue to believe in you even after you believe in yourself."
Nick pulled her into his arms as he lay down.
After a moment, he said, "Bella?"
"Yes?"
"So…"
"We're still taking it slow."
"Just checking."
