CHAPTER 13
Justin released his hold on his towel and it slipped down an inch or so until it hung precariously on his hips. He put one hand on her back and the other on the nape of her neck bringing it closer to him. Ariel felt her precaution and reservations flee as she wound her arms around him neck adding pressure to their embrace. Justin's tongue parted Ariel's lips and mingled with hers. Slowly Justin broke off the kiss, breathing hard, his eyes full of passion.
"This is not the time or the place, my Ariel. But one day soon.......I promise."
Justin brushed his lips lightly over hers and left Ariel alone, stunned in the bathroom. She couldn't believe how he made her lose control so quickly. "Maybe it's about time I put the past behind me and move on...."
****
Justin entered his room and closed the door behind him, before letting out the breath he had been holding. "God I want her," he thought as he rummaged through his clothes looking for something suitable to wear. "I have to make her know how special she is, that she's not just a fling. But how can I do that when we could be leaving in a matter of hours?" Justin shook his head and pulled on his clothes before venturing out into the main house to join everyone else.
****
"Guys," JC said leaning against the window looking outside, "I don't think we'll be able to leave today.....I'm not even sure we could get the front door open."
Sure enough the blizzard had created mountains of snow, one of which blocked the doorway.
"No sh*t dude. I can't even see the freakin bus!" Joey exclaimed joining JC at the window
"I guess we'll be staying here for another night." Lance whispered to Jessica
"I guess so.....a lot can happen in one night." Jessica replied
"I know, and I'm ready if you are." Lance murmured so only she could hear. Jessica gave him a secret smile and nod of her head in response.
"Guys, I'm gonna call Lou and let him know about the snag in our plans." JC said reaching for his cell phone
"Dude, he is gonna be pissed." Chris said
"Well, that's just to damn bad.....like we can do anything to stop a freakin blizzard!" Joey exclaimed throwing up his hands
Ariel came into the kitchen then, joining the rest of the group and pulled Eric out of his booster seat.
"Come on bugaboo, let's go play!" she said to her son
She took him over into the living room where his bin of toys was. He immediately began pulling out every toy. Eventually, Ariel knew, they would be strewn all around the room, and she would clean them up, only for them to be pulled out again, without fail, the next day.
"What are you playing?" Justin asked Eric as he took a seat on the floor with them "Choo-choos." Eric said without looking up, his tongue sticking slightly out of his mouth in concentration
"Can I play too?" Justin asked
"K, you be Thomas." Eric said
"Which one's Thomas?" Justin asked
"The boo one, Wustin." Eric said in exasperation
"Oh, ok."
Justin gave Ariel a sheepish shrug as she giggled at his lack of "choo-choo" knowledge.
"Don't laugh," he growled at her in a low voice, "how was I supposed to know?"
"I'm sorry, Justin...it's just he gave you this look like that was the stupidest question in the world...."
"Be quiet girlie. I may not know my choo-choo's, but when it comes to Barney.....I am all over that."
"BARNEY!!!!" Eric screeched upon hearing the name of the infamous purple dinosaur
Ariel groaned. "Oh now you've gone and done it. Now we're stuck in this house and we will all have to be subjected to hours of torture by way of children's television." "So he watches one show, no big deal."
"No Justin, that's just it. It doesn't end at one show. Once he starts he has to watch all of our tapes. I swear, tonight, when you are getting ready for bed, you will be singing the 'I Love You' song."
"BARNEY NOW!!!" Eric yelled pushing Justin's shoulder
"Ok sport, hold on a sec."
Ariel found the dreaded tape and reluctantly put it in the VCR and pressed play. Eric lay sprawled on the floor, his eyes fixated on the TV. Justin had moved to the couch. Ariel, feeling bold, strode over to the couch and sat down next to him. Justin smiled, and wrapped his arm around her.
****
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but Barney is not my thang. Who wants to watch 'James Bond' with me in the guest room?"
Four hands shot up into the air.
"That's what I figured. Come with me boys."
The boys followed Jessica into her room and settled in various pieces of furniture. Jessica glanced out the window and noticed it was still snowing. "Oh God, keep snowing.....the more snow we get, the more time I get with Lance." Jessica gave Lance a coy smiled and sat down next to him on her bed, getting dangerously close to him, considering there were three other people in the room.
"You're a bad girl." Lance whispered deeply in her ear
"I know it." Jessica whispered back
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