All I Want for Christmas Is You
Chapter Nineteen: Taking Over Me
“Do you know who your father is?” JC asked me curiously as we walked
along aside of each other as we shared the sidewalk.
I made a face. “Sort of. Depends on how you defined the word “know”. My mom pointed him out to me once when we were over here, actually, in Sunset. He was getting out of his Porsche. My mom said he was an executive of some software company.”
JC looked at me in disbelief. “Does he know he has a daughter?”
“No, my mom broke all ties with him after she found out she was pregnant with me. She said he would have married her if he had found out she was pregnant, but she wasn’t cut out for marriage or raising a family.”
“What’s his name?”
“Ryan Tate,” I said, stopping and looking through a store window when spotting a familiar purse in the window display. I laughed to myself. “So this is where Veronica bought her purse. What store is this?”
“Gucci,” said JC.
I rolled my eyes. “Figures. She has expensive taste and Justin has the wallet for it.” I turned and walked away.
JC watched me walk away and a smile formed on his face. He came after me. “Are you jealous?”
“A little I guess, but I’m not jealous of the things Justin is buying her. What he’s buying her is that, just things. I’m not a material person. I guess you can say I’m jealous of what she’s found.” I glanced at JC. “She’s found someone who loves her. I never had that.” I looked ahead of me and spotted a store I loved going to. I smiled and pointed. “Love it. Got to go inside.” I ran ahead, leaving JC behind to think about what I said.
Later that night, JC pulled up in front of the orphanage and turned off the engine. I looked out my window and my eyes went straight to the Hope Orphanage sign. “I really need to start looking for an apartment. I’m 18, I don’t need to be here anymore.” I turned to JC. “Well I had a great time.” I smiled.
JC looked at me, amazed. “It amazes me how you can act so serious one second and be so friendly the next and how you act so casual about it.”
I chuckled softly and looked down, tucking my hair behind my ears. I could feel his eyes watching my eyes move. “Don’t do that.” I looked back up at JC.
He smiled at me. “Do what?”
“Stare at me. You make me nervous.”
“I’m sorry.” His eyes met mine for a moment; I held his gaze for a second, maybe two and I turned away.
“I better go inside.” I grabbed my purse.
“Amanda,” JC reached for my hand. I looked at him, and then passed him seeing Justin and Veronica coming up the sidewalk making kissy faces at me and JC. “I really had a good time today. I really would like it if we could do this again.” He paused for a moment and then said, “I know you work tomorrow evening, but let’s do something in that morning. Let’s have breakfast. What do you say?” he asked in a hopeful tone.
I looked back at JC, not hearing what he’d just said. I just smiled at him and said, “Well, goodnight.”
He paused for a moment, being caught off guard and then finally nodded. “Let me get the door for you.”
“No that’s okay. I have two hands.”
“I insist.” JC smiled at me.
“Well if you INSIST.” I chuckled softly and JC stepped out the car and walked around to my door, opening it. I stepped out and thanked him and gave him a smile. “Well, good night again.” I laughed softly and I turned to walk away.
“Wait, let me walk you to the door.”
I threw my head back in laughter and turned back to JC. “That won’t be necessary.”
JC’s smile never left his face. “Now what kind of gentlemen would I be if I don’t walk my date to the door?”
I thought for a moment and smiled. “I have a list of names.”
He chuckled. “Exactly. Let me walk you to your door.” I nodded with a smile and JC walked me to the short distance to the door. He then turned to me. “Well, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” I watched JC walk away, then I turned to the door and was about to open it when I heard my name called. I turn around to JC. He was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and I saw Veronica and Justin coming up to the gate.
“What did I do wrong?” JC asked with confusion.
I looked at him puzzled. “What?”
“What did I do wrong? I thought we had a good time today. I thought you had a good time.”
“I did.”
“Then what did I do wrong? Tell me.”
I shook my head. “Nothing. You did everything right, all the way down to walking me to my door.”
“Then why won’t you go out with me again?” JC walked up to me. “Amanda, I am in love with you. Hands down, I am totally in love with you. Do you want to know when I fell in love with you? The exact moment?” I nodded slightly unable to find my voice. “When you poured that glass of ice tea over Justin’s head.”
I grinned. “You noticed.”
“It’s not everyday a pretty girl like you comes to my defense. Give me a second chance.”
“JC, I’m confused. Why would I give you a second chance if you haven’t done anything wrong? Tonight was perfect.”
“It was?” I nodded with a smile. “Then why won’t you go out with me again?”
I looked at him baffled. “Don’t you have to ask me first?”
“I asked you in the car.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
I turned away to Veronica and Justin who suddenly found the night sky highly fascinating. I turned back to JC. “I am so sorry I didn’t hear you. Those two idiots over there were acting like idiots. They were distracting me. JC, I would love to go out with you again.”
“Really?” he said a little taken back.
I laughed softly. “Don’t be so shocked.” I smiled at JC and reached up and played with the buttons on his shirt. “It’s not everyday I get told by a guy that I’m in love with that he’s in love with me.”
“So it’s true?” I nodded, my smile never leaving my face and my eyes locking with JC’s. He brought his hand up and caressed my cheek and slowly trailed across my lips before my eyes closed and our lips touched, softly at first, but then with more passion as he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. I pressed my hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating heavily and I pulled back. “It’s getting late.”
He just nodded his head, trying to regain his composure. “Can I come by tomorrow morning?”
I chuckled softly. “You can, but I might be asleep.”
“I’ll wait for you.” He smiled and kissed me again. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” I watched JC walk away and I saw Veronica come up the sidewalk. I smiled at her.
“I swear,” I said “you and Justin are worst than 5 year olds. No privacy.” She laughed.
“Where did you expect us to go? Its midnight and we already walked around the neighborhood.”
“Justin has a car. Did you ever think about driving around the neighborhood a couple times?”
She thought for a moment and said, “Never thought of that.”
I laughed, opening the front door and walking in. “Suuure.”
“No I’m serious. You’re just mad cause…” She giggled once she realized she had nothing else to back that up with.
“Right girl, I think Justin’s cologne messed you up, you need to rest.”
“Noooooo I don’t. Hey, he smells hella good, get off.” She laughed, trying to keep it down. “As a matter of fact. I bet he’s still out there.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, and Veronica nodded, heading to the door. She opened it and Justin was sitting with JC on the porch. She winked at him, and I looked at JC in shock.
“Do you boys ever go home?”
“You beautiful ladies just have such an affect on us, we can’t leave you.” Justin said with a devilish grin on his face that was making Veronica blush.
“Well…sorry.” I stepped back, pulling Veronica with me, and I slammed the door. I heard them chuckling and I smiled. “They’re cute.”
“My word.”
“Whatever girl. Come on, it’s bed time.”