CONVICTION (INTERFERENCE)

A Chance Meeting

I was walking through the mall with my best friend Jillian, holding onto Daddy’s gold card. I was told to buy a dress for the up-coming formal at my parent’s country club.  I hated shopping, but I was a
Brigham
, and
Brigham’s
shopped!

“What are we doing
here
?” Jillian asked.

“Shopping.”

“But, we’re at a ‘mall,’” she said snidely. “You have a Gold card in your hand, why don’t we head to Rodeo Drive?”

“Why?
I don’t see the point of spending thousands of dollars on a dress that I’ll only wear once.”

“Well, if your dad gave you his gold card, he must want you to use it.”

“I will use it…here.”

“You’re no fun!”

“Oh, excuse me!” Some guy said as he ran into me outside of Old Navy.

“Well, that was rude,” Jillian said.

“He didn’t mean to do it,” I said, and we walked into the popular store that I’d heard so much about, but had yet to see for myself.

“Give it back to her Jeff!”

“Oh, come on! It’s not like her old man’s going to go broke over the loss of one Gold Card! You know who she is, right?”

“Yeah, I do. Now give it back!” 

“I’ll only use it myself. I won’t sell it to anyone.”

“Don’t make me hurt you. Give it back to her…NOW!”

Jef
f moaned, but finally relented. “Fine, but you give it to her. It’ll look suspicious if I do it.”

“No, you took it from her…you can give it back.”

“How am I supposed to explain how I ended up with it after running into her a few minutes ago?”

Shane sighed and said, “Fine. Give it to me. I’ll do your dirty work.”

“Why do you care, anyway?”

“I don’t.”

“You have a thing for her or something?” Jeff asked.

“I don’t even know her!”

“But, you said you knew who she was, so you obviously…”

“I don’t know her!  I just know
of
her and I don’t want you to get into any more trouble.”

Jeff grinned and said, “Yeah, you’re worried about me. Sure. I’ll see you later.  Have fun!”

“I’m just cleaning up your mess!” he yelled to deaf ears. Jeff had moved on and was already stalking his next prey.

“Um, excuse me, Miss?”

I turned to the sound of the voice behind me.  “Y-yes?” I stammered when I saw the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen standing in front of me.

“I think this belongs to you,” the gorgeous guy said, holding out my father’s credit card.

“Oh, yes…thank you.  I must have left it in one of the stores.”

He shrugged.

“Oh, well, thank you again. My dad wouldn’t be too happy if I told him I’d lost it,” I said, smiling up at him.

“No worries. Um, see you around.” 

He started to walk by me and I moved in the same direction and then we both over-corrected ourselves and once again blocked each other’s path.

Jillian laughed out loud and then turned away to contain further outbursts of laughter.

“Is she okay?” the gorgeous guy asked when he noticed Jillian’s fits of laughter.

“I’m not sure. The jury’s still out on this one.”

He smiled…and that’s when I knew. I knew right then that I wanted to know him…everything about him. I was already lost in those eyes, but when he smiled, my world stopped. My pulse quickened, my mouth was suddenly dry and I started to tremble.

I never would have known that my face had also turned a bright shade of red, had my best friend not said, “What’s wrong with you?  Are you blushing?” Jillian asked, looking irritated. 
Some best friend!

This forced me back into reality, and although I knew it had only been a
few seconds that our eyes were locked, it felt like a lifetime.  “No!” I finally snapped.

Jillian glanced up at him and snidely said,
“Well…thanks. You can go now, there’s no reward or anything!”

“Jillian!”  I looked up at him and said, “You’ll have to excuse my friend. She’s too much of a snob to even know when she’s being rude!”

He smiled again and this time I
felt
the blush spread up my neck and into my cheeks.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing she has you around to keep her in line.”

“I can’t even
begin
to keep her in line,” I smiled back.

“Rebecca, we have to go.  Now!” Jillian ordered.

“It was nice meeting you,” he said and turned to leave.

I didn’t want him to go. “Um, but we didn’t actually meet. I’m Rebecca Brigham,” I said, hoping he’d offer his name in response.

“Rebecca; got it.” 

He started to walk away again and I said, “You didn’t tell me your name.”

He turned back around and before he could stop himself, he said, “Come back Monday afternoon, and I’ll tell you,” he smiled that gorgeous smile again and walked away with me staring after him, wishing he’d come back.

“Rebecca!” Jillian shouted.

“What?” I said, coming out of my stupor.

“Are you deaf? I said, let’s go…like three times. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

It was the longest weekend of my life. The formal dance at the country club was exhausting, and just as I suspected, I had to spend the night evading the advances of Parker, my parent’s best friends’ son.  All in all, it was a night from Hell, and all I could think about was that smile on the nameless guy I couldn’t stop thinking about.

I knew I shouldn’t go, but since all I could think of was that perfect smile; I knew nothing was going to keep me from meeting him at the mall Monday after school.   

“Where are you going?” Jillian asked me as I raced out of class on Monday afternoon.

I froze in my tracks, not wanting to tell my best friend of 13 years that I was going back to the mall to meet the guy that I hadn’t stopped thinking about for three days.  But, I didn’t
want to lie either, “I’m going…shopping.”

“Alone?”

“I’m going alone…yes.” That wasn’t a lie, I
was
going alone. I just hoped I wouldn’t be alone for long.

“Well, wait up, I’ll go with you.”

“Um, you don’t…I mean, yeah, okay,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment and not hurt her feelings.

“Oh, wait, I have an orthodontist appointment in an hour. I guess I can’t go. Only eight more weeks and these stupid things come off!” She smiled with a mouth full of metal.

“That’s going to be so nice. Okay, have fun. See you tomorrow,” I said and headed off to my car, trying not to run, but having a very difficult time not racing to my car at top speed. I smiled to myself as I got in the front seat of my Mercedes and buckled up. I was going to see him, and I was so relieved that Jillian couldn’t go. I knew she would make some snide remarks or just be flat out rude, so I breathed a sigh of relief as I drove out of the seniors’ parking lot of St. Vincent High School.

“I didn’t really think you’d show,” he said.

“Well, I had some more shopping…” I didn’t lie well and I knew he’d see right through me, “Um, actually, I don’t have any shopping to do,” I said, feeling the color flow into my cheeks.

“Good, then we can get something to drink and talk for a while,” he grinned.

I almost melted. His smile was so mesmerizing. I was so captivated by him that I couldn’t speak.  I nodded and followed him to the Subway counter.

“Do you want a sandwich or something?” he asked, pulling out his wallet.

“Oh, no thank y
ou, just a diet soda, please.” He ordered two drinks and led me to a table in the back of the food court.

“So, what’s your story?” he asked, once we were sitting down.

“My story?”

“Yeah, tell me about yourself.”

There’s not much to tell. I um, I’m pretty boring.”

“I doubt that. So, where’s your friend?”

“Oh, she had an orthodontist appointment and couldn’t come.”

“So, then you did invite her? To be your chaperone?” he grinned again.

“No, I didn’t invite her. She invited herself, and then remembered she had the appointment. Do I need a chaperone?”

“Maybe
; but, seeing as she doesn’t like me, I’m glad it’s not her.”

“She doesn’t like anyone.”

“She likes you.”

“We’ve been friends since pre-school. She kind of has to like me.”

“How old are you, Rebecca?”

For some reason, I didn’t want to tell him. I skipped a grade in school, so by all rights, as a senior in high school, I should be 17 or 18, but I was only 16. “I’m 17,” I lied before I could stop myself. “How old are you?”

“I’m 19.”

“So, um, it’s Monday. Are you going to tell me your name?” I grinned at him, but
I still felt guilty about such a stupid lie.
Why did I think he’d care that I was only 16?

“I’m not sure.”

“Why? You promised.”   

“I know, but if I don’t tell you, I might be able to talk you into meeting me again.”

I blushed. “You promised. Aren’t you a man of your word?”