Leap (6 page)

“Hello. Earth to Rinny. You in there?” He waves his hands in front of my face, and I jump.

“Oh . . . hmm. What? Sorry I was thinking about what kind of flowers I want Mark to get me. What’d you want?”

“Tell them at the front desk I’ll pick it up next Thursday.” I nod as Mack hands me his credit card.

I gather my wits about me and head to the front of the store. I hear Mack call my name as I begin to walk.

“Hey, Rinny?” I motion to him with my chin.

“Thank you for helping me. It means a lot.” With a tight-lipped smile, his eyes find their way to mine, and he continues after pausing. “I don’t think my mom was up for this. Not like I asked her for help anyway. She’s not with it these days.” Mack looks at me, his ghostly half-smile disappearing for a moment, our eyes still connected. By now, he’s used to Jocelyn’s depression over the loss of her husband. Without any words, I know that’s what his eyes are telling me. He’s always had these deep, intense, soulful eyes. They could stop you dead in your tracks and stop your every thought. I don’t know why I’m just discovering this now—or maybe I’ve always known this.

Since I know everything about him.

Mack pulls back his shoulders, breaks his eye contact with me and clears his throat after drifting away momentarily.

“I think Veronica is going to love it.” I do my usual nod in acceptance. He reaches the door to the dressing room and looks back over his shoulder at me, giving me a grin that makes the eyes I know so well sparkle. I don’t want
her
to be the reason for that sparkle. I hate to even think it.

“I’ll tell her you get all the credit for making me look good.”

No, Mack. That part you can take all the credit for.

“Mae, I got it. God, can you please just let me finish. Mark is going to be here any second.” I shrug my mother’s hands off my hair as I continue to stare into the mirror and observe the way I look.

“Corrine, please don’t take that tone with me. You had a few strands that were out of place.” I roll my eyes at her and puff out an aggravated burst of air from my lungs.

I look all wrong. My hair is too poofy. This dress is the wrong color, and I hate my shoes. I don’t wear heels. Mark towers over me so I had to at least get something with height. I look stupid.

Proms are stupid.

The doorbell rings and my stomach flips. My mother looks to me and smiles.

“He’s here.” I shoo her out of my room, and she leaves as I stick a few things in this stupid purse. I hear voices coming from downstairs and realize it’s Mack and not Mark.

I don’t know how I let him talk me into all of us going together. Yeah, my date, Mack, Veronica, and me. I must be crazy. Now in the limo on the way to the hotel, I’ll have to probably sit there and witness her trying to feel Mack’s crotch through his tux pants. I’ll bet she tries to put her tongue in his ear, too. I don’t get it. Can they just save it till the after party at the hotel?

I hear my dad yell up to me that Mack is here and the limo has just pulled up. I grab my overnight bag and check to see if I have all my comfy clothes I’ll be wearing after I take this damn dress off. I only have to wear it for three hours, but it’ll feel like an eternity.

Our group of friends rented rooms at the hotel where the prom is being held. The only reason my parents are allowing me to stay is because Mack is. Anything Mack does, I can do. I don’t know why they wouldn’t trust me if Mack wasn’t staying. It’s not like he’s my keeper.

As I make my way down the hall to the top of the stairs, I can hear my mom, dad, Jocelyn, and Mack talking. I hear cheerfulness in their voices, which surprises me with Jocelyn. She hasn’t been her usual cheerful self since John died. I take a deep breath in, not really feeling prepared for this evening. I’m not feeling what usually happens on prom night.

Sex.

I don’t think I’m ready to do it. Especially with Mark. I mean I like him, and he’s hot and he’s a great kisser. We’ve kissed and felt each other over the clothes. I felt him through his pants, and he has encouraged me to do more, but hasn’t pushed the issue. Over the bra is as far as he’s gotten with me. I don’t want to do it with anyone I don’t love. And I don’t love Mark. I have lukewarm feelings for him. My heart doesn’t race when I see him. My hormones sort of do, but I’m chalking it up to exactly that—teenage hormones. I feel vanilla when I see him. There’s no chocolatey center to Mark. There’s not even strawberry.

I carefully walk in my death trap pair of heels down the stairs. Holding on for dear life, I get midway down, and I look up from concentrating on my feet.

And my heart . . . races.

I feel it coming out of my chest. I feel it constrict. I hear the beats of my heart through my ears. It sounds like drums.

Everyone who’s at the bottom of the steps turns to look at me. I hear my parents and Jocelyn gasp. But all I hear is Mack’s voice and all I see are his eyes.

“Corrine, you look . . . beautiful.”

Mack called me beautiful. He called me Corrine.

No, Mack. You look . . . beautiful.

I think I may have to go to the hospital. I think there’s something wrong with me because, suddenly, all the air from my lungs is pulled from me, and I may faint. I know I’m breathing funny. I know I have to get it under control before someone notices and wants to call 911. Mack walks to the bottom of the stairs to greet me. He holds out his hand for me to take, and I wish I didn’t have this stupid dress on so I could wipe the sweat from my palm on it.

What the hell is wrong with me? Maybe it’s a fever. Maybe I’m starting with the flu. Maybe I should just stay home. Or maybe it’s something else . . . impossible.

I take in all that is MacIntyre Cooper. Strong and lean, broad and statuesque. I don’t even pay attention to the hideous ensemble I made him rent. That’s
her
problem.

I step off the last step, and Mack unexpectedly takes my elbow and turns me around so my back is resting on his chest. I’m sure my heartbeat can be felt through my back—that’s how hard it’s beating. His hand leaves my elbow as both of his hands wrap around mine.

I’m going to faint. I’m going to drop right to the ground right now. God help me.

“Photo op, ‘rents. Hurry it up,” I hear Mack say. I blink a few times as what seems like a million flashes are cast upon us. Mack whispers in my ear, sending chills down my spine.

“Smile, Rinny. Let’s give them all something to put in our baby books.”

I force a smile on my face as I try to focus on my mom's words, my dad's words, but I can’t because Mack’s arm encircles me. He rests his chin on my shoulder and turns his mouth again to my ear as our parents still talk around us.

“I’m serious, Rinny. You don’t look like you belong with a bat in your hand. At least not tonight. Tonight . . . you’re just.” He pauses and releases an easy breath that I feel on the exposed skin. “Beaut . . .” He stops when the bane of my existence walks in the room.

Veronica.

“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry I’m late.” She rushes in my parent's foyer and goes right to Mack, who releases me as soon as she makes her grand entrance. I step aside. She goes to him and reaches up- tilting his face so it’s pointing down to hers, and she kisses him.

Right on the mouth in front of his mother. It’s not even a peck or a church kiss. It’s a long, lip-smacking kiss that seems to linger a little too long.

My dad coughs.

Nice move, Pops.

She acts as though she’s embarrassed by this, but I see through her like a thin skin. I glare at her cautiously. But Jocelyn notices and speaks up, so I guess it wasn’t as inconspicuous as I wanted it to be.

“Corrine, thank you for taking the time to help Mack pick out his tux. You did . . .”

Veronica
finally
looks Mack’s ensemble over instead of looking at him like he’s dinner.

After she her eyes scan him, she snaps her head up and her eyes definitely tell me that I suck.

But knowing how damn fake she is, I expect what I get.

“You helped him, Corrine? Wow . . . I’m speechless.”

There’s a first for everything I suppose.

Her lips are pursed and she nods. Her momentary, icy stare is frightening. Why doesn’t Mack see this?

I stand straight up—proud as a peacock and cross my arms in front of me. I cock my hip out to the side because these damn shoes are killing me.

“I sure did. We had fun. I knew you’d love it, Veronica.”

You want cocky; I’ll give you cocky.

I throw her a look right along the same lines as hers. We square each other up, and if there were no one in this room I could take her. I know she’d be no match for me.

“It’s quite . . .”

I snap and answer with great smugness before she has a chance to, “Perfect.”

She chuckles. “Oh, yes, and the green and the gray go perfect with my pink dress.” I guess no one else catches on to the way she emphasizes the word ‘pink’ and says it through her teeth.

I feel a sense of accomplishment because she’s clearly not happy. I’m not a vindictive person, but there are things about Veronica Matthews that I can see but Mack can’t. I’ve heard her in the girls bathroom at school when I was hiding out in one of the stalls. I’ve heard her say she’s never letting him go. She’s going to be a MLB wife, have whatever her heart desires, and that Mack would take her away from Long Island. My interpretation of that conversation: he’s the meal ticket. She’s the hawk preparing herself to swoop down and collect her prey. I’m not sure how she’s going to do it. I only wish Mack would open his eyes and see what she really is. A climber.

Another knock at my parents' door signals that my date is here. My dad opens the door and Mark appears. Totally matching the purple in my dress with his tie and flower coming out of his lapel, he holds a small white, bakery type box and smiles when he sees me. I smile at him, and even though he looks handsome, no breaths are stolen. No butterflies take flight in my belly. Only recognition of his good looks. Mark, on the other hand, looks at me like I’m not even wearing a dress.

Mark walks up to me after shaking my dad's hand and giving a polite hello to my mother and Jocelyn. He ignores Mack and Veronica. I open the box and see the adorable little bouquet of flowers. They are a mixture of roses in different shades of pink, which complement the iridescence in my dress.

“Wow, Corrine. You are stunningly beautiful. That dress is . . . something.” The emotion in his voice and the look he gives me tells me there is a hidden meaning behind his last few words. He kisses my cheek and I feel heat creep up my face, but it’s only because I can feel eyes on me. Intensely. I turn my face to where my Spidey sense tells me where the stare is coming from. Mack stands beside Veronica in her hideous Pepto Bismol colored dress. They look like an Easter egg standing beside each other.

My job here is done.

Mack rolls his neck slightly, and his planted legs seem to be widened. I can see that it’s his eyes on me. Not even on Mark, but on me. His knuckles are pure white from tightening his fists. Dad clears his throat and makes the suggestion of a few more pictures before we become late.

This is where the uncomfortableness comes into play. We all take our positions for parent pictures, and I can’t wait to see them once they’re developed so I can see all the fake smiles on our faces.

Yeah, one for the baby books for sure.

There’s a gap between each couple, but I can smell Mack from where I stand, which is on the other side of me. I know it’s not Mark. It’s Mack’s signature scent. Hell, I’m the one who helped him pick it out. I should recognize the difference between him and Mark. Mark smells like . . . he doesn’t smell like Mack.

A few more shots are taken, and I roll my eyes and ask for all of them to be finished.

Mae, of course starts to fix my hair again, and I swat her hand away. Through my teeth I tell her I’m fine.

My dad takes me aside and he whispers in my ear, “Sweetie, remember we won’t be home the rest of the weekend. Your mom and I are taking Jocelyn away tonight to Montauk. It’s her and John’s anniversary, and she didn’t want to be alone. There’s a spa at the hotel that your mom and Joce want to visit, and I am meeting a client for golf so you guys will be on your own tomorrow night. We should be home sometime Sunday, but I’ll call. I’ll leave money for you and Mack to get dinner in case he doesn't have plans.”

I love how my dad automatically includes Mack and me together in a scenario. He kisses my head and pats me on the shoulder. I hug him back and whisper to him, “You’re a good friend to her, Dad. You and Mom. Jocelyn needs an escape. I’ll make sure I feed the dog.” I motion over my head towards Mack and wink at my dad. He smiles at me and shakes his head.

I kiss my dad. Mom hugs me—I pat her back with my usual frosty demeanor. Mark takes my overnight bag for me and Mack grabs his. I can’t even imagine how big or how small it is—depending how much or how little she packed. If it’s small . . . never mind. I don’t even want to think about it.

We make it to the limo. Mark allows me to enter first, then Mack lets Veronica in. When the doors close, just as expected, she’s on Mack like a cheap suit. Mark grabs my hand, and I allow it and pretend that I’m not watching Veronica whisper stuff in Mack’s ear. His hand is on her knee and he's smiling shyly at whatever disgusting thing she’s saying to him. I’m trying not to stare, but the two of them together makes my skin crawl.