January, 2002
Abby Elliott
looked up with a tear stained face as the tiny baby girl was placed in her
arms. She had to sit down because she
was too shaken to stand. She looked at the tiny sleeping face, the soft
flawless skin, button nose and little curved mouth, held her as tight as she
could without hurting her and cried.
Joe turned to
his wife and new daughter, filled with such overwhelming joy and satisfaction
that he could fill the empty place inside of her. He knelt down on the kitchen
floor beside her chair, kissed the baby’s head then raised Abby’s to look in
her eyes.
"She’s
only 2 months old. She’s from Scotland. Her and her parents were in a car
accident a month ago. Her parents died from head injuries, but she survived in
the back in the car seat. The only immediate family she had after that was a
grandmother who was sick with cancer and unable to care for her. I had Norman
going out of his mind searching for a baby when he came upon their story. The
grandmother, although sick, immediately agreed that the baby's welfare was more
important and agreed to give her up for adoption."
Abby couldn’t
believe what she was hearing. She was torn between crying and laughing. She did
both. Suddenly, Joe helped her up.
"Come,
luv…there’s something I want you to see."
He led the two
of them up the stairs. Abby stopped and handed the baby to Joe. "Joe, I’m
shaking too much to carry her up the stairs. Please, take her."
"Of
course, luv. That’s what I’m here for. To protect my two ladies."
With the baby
nestled in the crook of one arm, he took Abby’s hand and walked up the stairs.
He led them to the room that Joe had been coming in and out of the last 5 days.
He opened the door and Abby almost collapsed.
The room was
done up in a nursery for a baby girl. The walls were awash with seashell pink
with little white clouds sponged here and there. A white, lacquer crib sat in
the center of the room with a mobile of sleeping angels hanging above it. A
matching changing table and dresser were against the other two walls.
"While we
were on tour, I commissioned all this to be done. Nuala was here everyday while
we were gone and kept a sharp eye on everything. Once we got back, I had to
keep the room locked but I was in and out trying to put the furniture together
without you knowing about it. Nuala bought all the supplies on the floor and my
mum bought all those outfits and shipped them here. She’s sooo excited and
can’t wait to see her ‘granddaughter’. Oh, by the way, Jewels, Lauren and Anita
are at Sav’s house and tomorrow, Paige is having a little baby shower for
you."
Abby couldn’t
take her tear filled eyes off of her wonderful, wonderful husband.
"You
did all this?" she barely whispered.
"Yes, I
did," Joe said as he shifted the wakening baby in his arms. "We have
three months alone with her before I have to go back on tour. We can then take
her with us with a nanny, if you’d like.
And…who knows. Once the tour is
over, maybe we can give her a baby brother."
Abby ran
forward and, careful not to disturb the baby, threw her arms around Joe and
kissed him passionately. "Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you!" she whispered tearfully in between kisses.
All of a
sudden, the baby opened her eyes and let out a yawn and a soft cooing sound.
Abby gasped when she saw her eyes.
"Joe! My
God. Look how green they are!"
"I know,
just like yours. All the more reason she belongs to us."
"We have
to name her."
"Well,
she already has a name, but we can change it. Her name is Grace."
"Grace," Abby whispered. "No, I
wouldn’t change it. Its perfect. She’s perfect. Lets just skip dinner and stare
at her all night. I can’t get over how beautiful she is. Wait until she grows
up. Hmmm, I think Tyler and Scott may fight over her."
Joe’s eyes
darkened. "My daughter isn’t getting anywhere near those Savage boys, especially if they grow up to be like their
father! I’m putting a padlock on her…you know…down there…and she’s not leaving
the house until she’s 30!"
::Hmmmm, lets see Joe!:::
1
11 years Later
Sheffield, England
Eleven year
old Grace Elliott came home from school and rushed right upstairs to her
room. All Joe saw of his daughter when
she came through the door was a blur, accompanied by muffled sobs.
He wasted no
time in going upstairs to see if she was alright. He got to her bedroom door and softly knocked on it.
“Grace? Grace, luv its dad.”
“Go away!”
Joe raised
startled eyes at her tone, even though she was upset over something and had
nothing to do with him.
“Luv,
please….I need to know if you’re okay.
Are you hurt? Did someone hurt
you?”
“Yes,” came a
tiny sound from the other side.
Joe was
coloring with anger thinking someone hurt his little girl.
“Grace, open
the door and tell me. Please, luv. You know if you don’t, I have a way of coming
in. This is my house, after all.”
Joe heard
silence, followed by tiny footsteps and then the turn of a knob. The door opened and there stood Grace. Five foot two, skinny with straight, dark
blonde hair.
Joe bent down
so that he was eye level with his daughter.
“Luv, tell me what happened.”
She turned and
flopped herself on the bed. “I hate
boys, that’s what! I hate them! I hate them!”
Joe walked
over and sat on the bed next to her, rubbing her back to soothe her.
“Why,
Grace? What happened?”
“I….I feel
funny telling you. Maybe I should talk
to mum.”
“Mum’s not
here right now. Grace, you know you can
tell me anything. Please, I’m
worried. What happened?”
She sat up and
wiped the tears from her eyes. “Well, I
was at the park with Beth and Allison.
We were watching the eighth graders footie practice. There were some other girls there
that….well….they’re a little older and more….you know.”
Joe supressed
a smirk and nodded.
“Anyway,
these….other girls, well….they get the boys’ attention a lot. But then the boys were mean to Beth, Allison
and I because we’re only eleven and not yet…….you know.”
Again, Joe
supressed a smirk. “Who were these
boys, Grace?”
“Um…well….they
were Ty’s friends from the team. We
were watching them practice.”
Joe raised his
eyebrows. “Tyler? Tyler was teasing you?”
“No..no,
daddy, he didn’t. But his friends did.”
“And he didn’t
stop them?”
“No. I..I
guess he didn’t want to be teased for sticking up for me. Why do boys have to
be so mean because I’m not yet….you know…grown up like the other girls?”
“Grace luv,
I’m sorry to say that its part of growing up.
I know its wrong, but sometimes kids can be cruel to one another, not so
much intentionally but to ‘go along with the group’. Peer pressure. And the
boys, well, they’re experiencing growing pains and noticing girls for the first
time. You’re only eleven so they
probably don’t see you in the same light as they see the …….older girls. However, someday they will….and I dread that
day.”
“Why?”
“Well, once
boys start noticing girls, and vice versa, you start to have different feelings
and thoughts about them than you were younger.
There’s a different kind of attraction.”
Grace folded
her arms. “Well, you don’t have to
worry about that, daddy. The way I
look, no boy will ever look at me or think of me in that way. I’m short, I’m skinny and I’m…..I’m……”
“What?”
Grace blushed
before whispering. “Flat!”
Joe bit his
lip to keep from laughing. “Grace,
trust me, that will all change, much to my dismay. Remember, you’re only eleven.
Give yourself a few more years and you’ll see changes.”
“Well, it
doesn’t matter if I change or not. Its
not gonna change the fact that I hate boys.”
Joe kissed her
on the head. “Trust me, luv. That’ll change too.”
Joe regretted
saying that as soon as he said it.
However, it was true. Being the
father of a pre-teen daughter was not fun.
He and Abby had been preparing for this phase for a while. Grace was now in the throes of the ‘in
between’ stage.
“Do you want me
to call Uncle Sav and talk to him about Tyler?”
“No! No, I don’t want him to know. Its okay, daddy. I’ll be alright. They’ll
get theirs someday.”
Joe let out
his long supressed chuckle. Even though
Grace was his adoptive daughter, she had his fire in her. As difficult at the years ahead of her were
going to be, he knew that she’d handle them head on.
If only he had
the same confidence.
“Well, I don’t
want you to sulk over this, Grace. Now,
your mum will be home soon and I want you to help her with dinner. If you have homework, get it done now so you
don’t have to worry about it after dinner.”
“Okay
daddy. Thank you. I feel a little better now.”
“You’re
welcome, luv. That’s what dad’s are
for.”
Joe kissed her
forehead, got up and walked out of her bedroom. He leaned against the closed door and blew out a frustrated
breath. This was only the beginning.
He went
downstairs and rethought about calling Sav about Tyler. Ever since they both
left Ireland behind several years ago for Sheffield, they knew that their
children would probably be attending the same schools together. They both promised each other that they
would make sure that their kids would lookout for one another. Grace and Sav’s youngest son, Scott, were
both in sixth grade together while Tyler was in eighth grade of the same
school.
Keeping his
promise to his longtime friend, Joe picked up the phone and called the Savage
residence.
******************************************
Several
minutes and several blocks away, Sav hung up the phone just as Ty came in the
front door and immediately scooted upstairs.
“Tyler
Kenneth!”
Ty bounded
back down the stairs, dirty, sweaty with a soccer ball under his arm.
“Yeah dad?”
“After you
clean up, wait in your room. I want to
talk to you.”
Ty’s blue eyes
popped. “What? What did I do?”
“We’ll talk
about it when I get upstairs. Now go.”
Ty looked at
his brother Scott who was sitting at the kitchen table wolfing down cookies and
milk. Scott gave his big brother smug
‘you’re gonna get it’ look before Ty made a face at him and headed upstairs.
Meanwhile,
Paige came in from the other room.
“What are you yelling about Rick?”
“Ty’s in
trouble,” Scott blurted.
“Quiet, you,”
Sav warned him. “Either go do your
homework or go downstairs and watch the telly.
And enough of those cookies!
Dinner will be in a few hours."
“Okay. Um….I think I’ll go upstairs and do my
homework,” Scott said with a shy, mischievous grin.
Sav saw right
through it. “Um, on second thought, go
downstairs. You just want to go
upstairs so you can overhear me and Ty.”
“Crikey,”
Scott muttered before putting his milk glass in the sink and heading down the
finished basement that served as an entertainment room to watch the telly.
“Rick, what is
it?”
Sav relayed
his conversation with Joe to Paige. “Oh
dear,” she said. “Rick, you know that
these things are bound to happen. Ty
and his friends are thirteen. You know
what that means.”
“Of course I
know what it means, Paige. I was a
thirteen year old lad once. Thoughts
are rampant and your body has no control over itself.”
“And its only
gonna get worse as he gets older,” Paige reminded him. “Not to mention that you’re gonna have to go
through the same thing with Scott when he reaches his teens.”
Sav blew out a
frustrated breath. “Maybe we should’ve
had girls. No! Wait!
Scratch that!”
“Um….Rick,”
Paige sheepishly said. “Ty is
thirteen. Have you um…..you
know…….talked to him?”
Sav’s face
colored. Even in his mid-50’s, he still
retained his shyness. “Um…no. I was kinda hoping that he’d learn on his
own.”
“The way you
did?”
Sav’s face
turned from shyness to shocked. “No
way! I mean….damn!”
“Rick, don’t
wait too long. I’m sure he knows the
basics. You can’t prevent kids from
finding these things out, especially if they’re around older kids who talk
and….brag.”
Sav heard the
shower turn off upstairs and knew that Ty was finished. “Wish me luck,” he said as he turned to go
upstairs to ‘talk’ with his son.
He knocked on
the door. “Ty…..you finished?”
“Yeah…..come
in.”
Sav entered
his room to find him laying on the bed in a pair of denim shorts and a t-shirt,
twirling a soccer ball in his hands.
His light brown, softly curled hair was damp from his shower. Sav couldn’t help but be amazed that looking
at Ty was like looking in a mirror when he was his age. Whereas Ty had his looks and features, he
possessed Paige’s Irish spirit. On the
flip side, Scott had Paige’s silky blonde hair and feautures, but Sav’s outward
shyness, with a little bit of inward mischief.
His boys were
as different as night and day.
“Dad, whatever
it is, I didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t be so
sure. What happened at practice today?”
Ty looked a
little bewildered. “Nothing, why?”
“Did some of
your mates tease Grace and her friends?”
Ty looked down
dejected. “What, did Uncle Joe call?”
“Nevermind the
questions, Ty….did they?”
“Yeah, they
were. But I didn’t.”
“Nor did you
do anything to stop them.”
“Dad, I……”
“Ty, listen to
me. Grace came home upset. Uncle Joe forced it out of her. She specifically didn’t want him to call me
on it, but he and I made a pact regarding you kids. We’re supposed to look out for one another. Now, I know your thirteen and getting older
and, well…..changing.”
Ty saw the
uneasy look on his father’s face. “What
do you mean, ‘changing’. I’m still the
same.”
“Well, in some
ways you are,” Sav began, not knowing where to go from there.
“Crikey, how
am I gonna do this?,” Sav thought to himself.
“Maybe if I relate ‘it’ to something else, it won’t be so bad.
“You see, as
you get older, you change. Not just
outside, but inside. You start to
develop different……interests.”
Ty’s blue eyes
twinkled a bit at his father’s uneasiness
“Such as?”
“Well…….playing
the guitar for instance.”
“But dad, I
already have a guitar. You’ve been
teaching me for a while now. That’s not
a new interest.”
Sav cleared
his throat. “Um, yeah but….lets just
say that the ‘level’ of interest in playing the guitar will change. You may not think about playing the guitar
now because you’re too into soccer, but, as you get older, um……playing the
guitar will become more…….appealing.”
Ty
smirked. “More than it is now.”
“Yes,
more. Much..much..much more,” Sav
stammered. “You see, you’ll develop
such an interest in…….playing the guitar…..that that’s all you’ll ever think
about. ALL the time.”
“You
mean….more than soccer?” Ty asked with interest.
“Oh, yes,” Sav
drawled out. “And, um….once your
interest in….playing the guitar…um….peaks, you’ll want to play it all the
time. Now, um…because you’re young, the
main way you’ll appease this interest is by..playing the guitar um……by
yourself.”
Ty was
beginning to catch on to where this was going and the wicked Irish blood in him
wanted to see how far his father would go before he’d crack with embarrassment.
“But dad….I
already play the guitar by myself. How
else do you play?”
Sav squirmed
on the bed. “Well, of course you play
it by yourself. But, as you get older,
your desire to play it by yourself will happen – a lot – but all the while
you’ll be thinking about someone, mainly a lass, that you’ll want to um…..play
the guitar with.”
“A lass?” Ty
asked with a mock sour face. “I’ll want
to play the guitar with a ‘lass’?”
“Very much
so,” Sav said. “However, when you come
across a lass that you think about……playing the guitar with…you have to
remember that she may not want to and you have to respect that. You should never force a lass to…..play the
guitar with you. You’re to always
respect girls and their wishes, you understand?”
Ty couldn’t
hold back, but forced himself. “So um,
dad. What if I do meet a lass who wants
to…..play the guitar…? Then what?”
Sav rolled his
eyes. “Oh Lord,” he thought.
“Well,
hopefully that won’t be for a while, but…..if and when that does happen and you
find yourself in a position where you can’t avoid….playing the guitar with a
lass, then you must make very sure that you always use a……..pick.”
“A pick?”
“Yes, a guitar
pick. Never, never…..play the guitar
without a ……pick. It protects your,
um…….fingers.”
“Mine and the
lass’ fingers?” Ty asked.
“Especially
the lass’…..fingers. Um….do…do you
understand what I’m talking about, Ty?”
Ty turned to
his father with innocent smugness. “Of
course I do, dad. This is my sex talk!”
Sav’s mouth
dropped and all the color drained from his face. His imp of a son knew all along and played him for a blushing,
stammering fool. However, he regained
his composure and leaned into him, remembering the matter at hand.
“You think
you’re smart, don’t you? Well, you’re
not. If you were smart, you would’ve
stopped those boys from teasing Grace.
C’mon, Ty. She’s like a sister
to you. I know you want to go along
with the crowd, but show some maturity and let me know that I raised you
right.”
Ty looked
down. “I know dad. Its just….its hard. Grace is only eleven. Her and her friends are just…little
girls. They’re so scrawny. When me and the lads spotted the freshman
girls from the highschool, we just…I don’t know…started comparing them.”
“I know,
Ty. Its natural for lads your age to do
that. But, just remember, in a few
years, Grace may not be so ‘scrawny’ and your friends just may wind up talking
about her the way they were talking about those older girls. I hope you come to her defense then. Now, I think I’ve made my point enough. I don’t want you to be mad at Grace for
this. She doesn’t know that Uncle Joe
called me on this. This is between you
and I, got it?”
“I got it,”
“Good. Dinner’s in a few hours,” Sav said as he got
up and left Ty’s room. After he did, he
leaned against the closed door and blew out a long, relieved breath.
“Well, that
wasn’t too bad,” he thought to himself.
Little did he
know, that it would only get worse in a few years.
2
Four Years
Later
Sheffield,
England
Grace Elliott
carefully applied a little bit of charcoal gray eyeliner on the outer corner of
her beautiful, deep green eyes. She
then dusted a little light pink blush on the tops of her high cheekbones then
dabbed a bit of lipshine on her full lips.
Just enough, but not enough so that her father would go through the
roof.
She stood back
and looked in the mirror. After running
her hand through her shoulder length, dark blonde silky locks, she adjusted her
mid-riff baring halter before hooking her finger in the pocket of her curve
hugging blue jeans.
All this at
just fifteen years old.
Her father was
not going to be happy.
Being Joe
Elliott’s daughter, she had to learn how to carefully handle him. She knew when it was the best time to approach
him when she wanted to get her way and she knew when she best keep her mouth
shut and lock herself in her room, else she’d feel his wrath.
But, she knew
she’d get her way dressing like this, only on the account that today was her
fifteenth birthday. And, she was
looking forward to her party tomorrow night with her friends from the
neighborhood and school.
She hopped
downstairs on a beautiful, summer Friday morning and found her mum and ten year
old brother, J.T., in the kitchen. Her
father was nowhere to be found.
“Mornin’,
mum,” Grace said before poking J.T. in the shoulder. “Mornin’ brat.”
“Shut up,
Grace,” he blurted back. “You think
you’re cool just because today’s your birthday.”
“That’s
right,” Grace shot back.
“Grace,” her
mum, Abby, warned. “I don’t want to
hear that attitude from you. Its bad
enough that I’ve got to deal with your father’s arrogance, I won’t have it from
you.”
“Sorry,
mum. I just feel so good today. And…I’m looking forward to my party tomorrow
night. Um….where’s dad?”
“He’s in the
office making some phone calls. Seems
this new up and coming band is ready to record and want to use the studio.”
“Wow, dad’s
been awful busy with this recording business,” Grace said.
Shortly after
Grace was adopted, Def Leppard had resumed the balance of their “X” tour. They then took much deserved rests to spend
time with their families before beginning what would be the band’s final studio
album. While on their last tour to
promote that album, one of their concerts was recorded for a long anticipated
‘live’ album, which was released approximately 6 months after the tour ended.
It was a
bittersweet end to a 30+ year career as a band, but they still kept their pulse
on the music business.
All five of
them bought out their management company, Q-Prime, after Pete and Cliff retired
from the business.
Phil owned two
very successful kick-boxing studios in posh Los Angeles and gives private
guitar lessons to the kids of the rich and famous.
Rick Allen
still operates the Raven Drum Foundation with passion while Viv has written and
played on soundtracks for several successful movies.
Meanwhile, on
this side of the Atlantic, Joe and Sav partnered up when Joe decided to move
his ‘Garage’ from his private home into London’s Central District. Over the years, it has become ‘the’ studio
to record in. As a matter of fact, they
became so successful, that they branced out and opened a New York studio for
American acts.
Even through
all this, they still manage to keep in constant, tight contact with one
another.
Grace retraced
her thoughts back to the matter at hand.
Her party.
“Mum, do you
think its still gonna rain tomorrow?”
“Weather’s
calling for it. Why?”
“Well, because
that means the party will have to be inside instead of having a pool
party. I so wanted it outside. I want to wear my new bikini.”
“In that case,
I hope it pours like a mother.”
Grace pursed
her lips and turned towards her father’s voice as he came into the kitchen.
“Daddy, stop.”
“Grace, I saw
that bikini. I’ve seen more material in
a napkin.”
J.T. snickered
and Grace shot him a dirty look before looking back at her father.
“Daddy…it’s
the style. Its all the stores sell.”
“Hmm, I’ll
bet. Um…by the way….is that your navel
I see?”
Grace
discreetly pulled her halter top down to cover her taut, flat midriff. “Um….no.”
“Grace
Elliott, I hope you’re not planning on leaving this house today like that.”
“Joe…she looks
fine,” Abby interrupted.
“Of course you
think she looks fine,” Joe fumed at his wife.
“You probably bought her that skimpy top and…….um…how tight are those
jeans?”
“Dad!” Grace
said, mortified.
“Joe, like she
said, it’s the style,” Abby reasoned.
“All the pertinent areas are covered.
Lets put it this way, it covers more than that bikini.”
Joe put his
elbows on the table and propped his chin up on his fist. “So, birthday girl. Where are you off to today?”
“Oh, the
junior team is having footie tryouts at the school. They’re gonna go up against some of the current team
members. Beth, Allison and I are gonna
go watch.”
“Oh, that’s
right,” Joe said. “Sav told me that Ty
had to go there today. Damn, I can’t
believe that when school starts in September, he’s gonna be a senior.”
“And I’m gonna
be a sophomore,” Grace replied. “No
more being a baby freshman.”
Joe stared at
his daughter protectively. “Sometimes I
wish you were still a baby,” he said.
“It was a lot easier then.”
Just then, a
car horn honked outside. Grace bolted
up. “That’s Beth’s mum. She’s taking us to the school. Allison’s mum’s gonna pick us up. I’ll be home by 3:00pm.”
“Take your
cell phone young lady,” Joe said sternly.
“And…make sure its on!”
“Yes, daddy,”
she said, kissing him on top of his head.
While she did, Joe grabbed the bottom of her halter and yanked it down
some more. She slapped his hand away.”
“Dad,
stop! If you keep yanking it down, then
I’m gonna fall out…you know…on top.”
Joe casually
eyed her growing upper endowments with a blush, not knowing which was
worse. “Crikey, Grace. Can’t you wear a bloody t-shirt?”
“Dad, its
summer. I could go upstairs and take my
jeans off and put on my real short shorts……”
“Get sassy
with me young lady and you’ll find half your wardrobe in the trash. Now, go have fun and…….behave!”
“Yes, daddy,”
she said with exasperation before kissing Abby. “Bye, mum.”
“Bye luv. Remember, no later than 3:00pm.”
“Okay,” she
said before looking at J.T. “Bye
squirt,”
“Bite me!”
“J.T.!” Joe
scolded his son. “Don’t let me hear
that talk again, lad.”
J.T. rolled
his eyes then headed out into the backyard.
Joe leaned back and looked at Abby, who was leaning up against the
counter looking at him wryly.
“What?”
“Oh, just
thinking of something you said the day we first got Grace,” Abby replied.
“Which is?”
“Oh the part
about you insisting that she’s not gonna leave the house till she’s 30. And…I see you allowed those ‘Savage boys’ as
you called them, go get within a mile of her.”
“Yeah, well,
as much as they’re like her brothers, they still have to be watched. That Ty has got his father’s eyes that
seduced too many innocent women way back when.
And Ty’s wasted no time in learning how to use him. He’s not as shy as Sav was, Scott’s got that. But that doesn’t make him safe either. It’s the shy, quiet ones that are the most
devilish. I guess I just don’t any boy
around my little girl.”
“Well, I don’t
think you’ll have to worry about Grace with the Savage boys. As you said, they’re almost like brother and
sister.”
“I know, I
know. Its just me. You know how I am.”
“Do I ever!”
Joe narrowed
his green eyes at her, which still sparkled with fire and wickedness even in
his 50’s.
“Now I see
where our daughter gets her sassiness from!
You know, I’m not too old to punish you either.”
“I hope not,”
Abby said with mischief. “I rather like
your punishments.”
Joe pushed
away from the table and crooked his finger.
“Why don’t you come on over here and bend over my knee and I’ll give you
a punishment you won’t forget.”
Abby feigned a
yawn. “Been there, done that.”
Joe shot out
of his chair and over to his wife. He
wrapped his arms around her and bent her back, capturing her mouth with his in
a deep, passionate kiss.
Even after 16
years of marriage, he still made her soften, and she still made him harden!
Joe released
the kiss and looked down at her. “The
house is empty. What do you say?”
“I’d say
you’re a horny old man!”
“Would you
have me any other way?”
Abby pulled
him down to the kitchen floor, on top of her.
“Never!”
3
Grace sat with
her friends, Beth and Allison, in the bleachers at Westfield School as they
watched a new batch of freshman and sophomore lads try out for the varsity
team. As they did, the girls chatted
about their favorite subject.
“Did you see
that tall lad with the dark hair and the white shorts?” Beth exclaimed. “I hope he’s not a freshman. I’d hate to date someone younger than
me. Too tacky.”
“So what
Beth,” Allison chimed in. “He’s quite a
looker. However, none of these
newcomers compare to our varsity lads.”
“Mmm, I agree,”
Grace quietly added.
“Ooooh, does
Grace have her eye on someone?”
Grace was
startled from her trance. “What? Who?
Me?”
“Um..yeah..you,”
Allison joked. “C’mon, which one is
he. You’re 15 and will be a sophomore
in the fall. Which means you’ll be able
to date juniors and seniors. They
wouldn’t even look at us when we were freshman.”
“Yeah, that is
if my dad lets me,” Graced huffed.
“He’s too protective. I even got
an offer to go spend the entire summer with Lily and Una in California. Uncle Viv called and offered it to daddy,
saying he’d be happy to have me till I went back to school.”
“Well…..what
did your dad say?”
Grace
sighed. “Well, I don’t remember his
exact words, but some of them included ‘over my dead body!’
“Well, at
least you get to have this fab party tomorrow night,” Allison said in
consolation.
“I know…and
some of these varsity lads are gonna be there, right Grace?” Beth asked
anxiously.
“Yeah, about
five of them. But they’re only coming
because they’re Ty’s friends.”
“Hmmm,
speaking of Ty Savage, he gets better looking every year,” Allison said with a
lick of her lips. She then noticed the
dreamy look on Grace’s face. “Don’t you
think so, Grace?”
“Who….Ty? He….he’s practically my brother.”
“Yeah, and
brothers and sisters marry in the south in the States, don’t they?”
“No, you
ninny. That’s cousins,” Grace adamantly
said.
“Well, still
and all…you have to admit that he’s one fine lad,” Allison said. “I remember going through some of my mum’s
old cassettes. She still has all the
Def Leppard ones. Ty looks just like
his dad. Man, he was gorgeous back in
the 1980’s.”
“So was Joe
Elliott,” Beth added with a smirk.
Grace was
appalled. “Stop! God, that’s my father and his best friend,
my ‘uncle’ that you’re talking about! I
don’t want to hear you talk about them like that…especially my dad. Yuk!”
“Hmm, my mum
wouldn’t think so,” Beth said. “She had
the major hots for your dad way back when.
If I didn’t know better, I think the only reason she drives me to and
from your house is because she thinks she may get a glimpse of him.”
“Yeah, and
my mum got that dreamy look on her face
when I told her that we go to school with Rick Savage’s sons,” Allison
added. “She’d like nothing better for
me than to date one of them. I think
I’d have a better chance with Scott since he’s in our class. He’s real cute and sweet, but a little
shy. I like that a bit, but Ty….man, I
wouldn’t mind having a crack at him.”
“Will you guys
stop it!” Grace said with embarrassment.
“Why, because
he’s your ‘brother’, or because you’re starting to get ‘interested’ in him?”
Beth asked.
“Yeah, he may
almost be family to you Grace, but he’s still a lad,” Allison said. “A fine looking lad. He’s not that scrawny string bean who used
to tease us. Its like he shot up
overnight, not to mention um…filled out.”
“I wonder if
he’s filled out ‘all over’,” Beth asked wickedly.
Grace was
about to shut her two best friends up again when a site on the soccer field
caused her eyes to bulge and her mouth to drop. Beth and Allison followed her stare to Tyler Savage, who just
removed his shirt.
“Bloody hell!”
Allison choked. “He did fill out.”
“I’ll say,”
Beth admitted.
Grace just
continued to stare, as Beth nudged her.
“Um…stop
staring at your ‘brother’ like that,
Grace! I believe that’s called incest!”
Grace eyes
snapped from the lean, young muscled, sweaty chest of Ty when she felt her
friend poke her in the side.
“W..w..what? I…I, no. I wasn’t staring at him. I was um…..wow, look at those dark clouds on
the horizon. I think its gonna rain
later.”
“Nice try,
Gracie,” Allison smirked. “You were
staring. I think you quite fancy him.”
“Well, if you
do, then I guess we don’t stand a chance,” Beth sulked. “I mean, you practically see each other all
the time. So….are you gonna have him
kiss you at your party tomorrow night?”
Grace slapped
her hands on her knees and stood up.
“You two need cold showers! I’m
going inside to get a soda from the cafeteria.
Want anything?”
“What I want
is on that field,” Allison said wickedly.
Grace knew her
boy-crazy friends were lost causes. She
got up and walked away towards the direction of the school entrance.
From the
field, Tyler Savage wiped the sweat from his face with his t-shirt before
tossing it on the sidelines. His eyes
adjusted just in time to see Grace Elliott get up from the bleachers and walk
away. And, like most of the lads on the
field, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
It was like
yesterday that his father gave him ‘the talk’ – comparing having sex to playing
the guitar. He still chuckled over his
dad’s awkwardness over trying to discuss the facts of life with him. Ty also remembered how he said that Grace
was a gawky little girl. However, he
forgot how his father reminded him that she would change in a few years. Boy, did she ever!
He stared
after her with the same blue-eyed intensity that his dad used so many years
ago. After all, the acorn didn’t fall
too far from the tree. However, he
wasn’t as shy as his dad. Scott was more
like that. Ty had his mother’s feisty
Irish blood in him. He had no problem
in chatting up a girl.
But,
Grace….Grace was different. The
thoughts he was having about her were rampant.
Even though she was practically his sister, in reality she wasn’t. She was worse. She was her ‘Uncle Joe’s’ daughter and he’d probably lose his
ballocks if he so much as touched a hair on her head.
Still, he
wasn’t afraid to ‘try’. Tomorrow night
was her birthday party and he planned on trying out his inherited seduction
skills.
“Hey Ty, if
you stare at her bum any harder your eyes might fall out!”
Ty turned to
his best mate Chad and frowned at him.
“I wasn’t staring at her.”
“Mate, you
were. We all were. Damn, she’s got one fine ass! And sweet fifteen on top of it. Man, I can’t wait for that party tomorrow
night. I’ve got me a flask of vodka to
spice things up a bit.”
Ty turned
warning eyes to Chad. “Mate, if my
Uncle Joe catches you with that, we’ll be out on our arses so fast our head’s
will spin. Then, my dad will knock mine
off! And watch what you say about Grace
and don’t try anything with her in her dad’s house. You’ll regret it.”
“Hmm, little
protective, aren’t we? C’mon,
mate. Enough with this sister
crap. You fancy her. A lot.
Aye, this party tomorrow will be a good reason to give her her first
real french kiss, huh?”
“Chad…I’m
warning you….”
“Aye, don’t
get your pecker in a twist. Which um…by
the way….I think you better put your shirt back on, mate. All that staring at your ‘sister’ is kinda showin’, ya know?”
Ty looked down
to see his young erection, which his thin, cotton shorts did nothing to
disguise.
“Crikey!” he
muttered before grabbing his dirty, sweaty t-shirt off the ground and throwing
back over his head. Chad chuckled at
him, which earned him a stiff punch in the upper arm from Ty.
With one last
look in Grace’s direction, Ty wickedly grinned in anticipation of the party
tomorrow night before running back on the field.
4
The night of
Grace’s birthday party arrived and, true to the weather forecast, it was
raining. But, that didn’t stop around
20 fifteen to seventeen year olds coming out for a bash.
The Elliott’s
had an expansive, finished entertainment room on the lower level, complete with
a wide screen telly, a satellite dish to get just about every movie and
sporting event under the sun, a separate telly specifically for playing the
latest Sony Playstations games, a jacuzzi room, snooker table, pinball machine,
and a card table.
It was a
teenager’s dream!
Grace
sometimes felt that the only reason kids liked her was because of her dad. But, she’d known her friends long enough
before they even discovered who Def Leppard were from their parents, so she
knew their friendships were true. Plus,
Joe wanted to create the type of room where Grace, J.T. and their friends could
hang out in rather than elsewhere.
Between his house and Sav’s, it was like Heathrow Airport just about
every weekend during the summer.
One by one,
the doorbell rang as kids began to show up.
Abby was busy in the kitchen uncovering the food that was delivered from
the caterer. Each time the doorbell
rang, Joe made Grace come upstairs and answer it. It was her party and he wanted her to show good manners by
greeting her guests.
A little
before 8:00pm, the doorbell rang and Grace was dragged upstairs to answer
it. She pulled the door open and was
greeted by the hypnotic blue eyes of Ty.
Next to him, almost as tall, very blonde and very adorable, was
Scott. Behind them was the man
responsible for siring such good looking lads.
“Happy
Birthday Gracie luv,” Sav said from behind his sons as he nudged them
inside. “C’mon lads , move…its flippin’
pouring out here.”
Ty walked in
first and wasted no time in taking in Grace’s short, pale green sundress which
accented her long, tanned arms and legs.
Her silky blonde hair was twisted around and caught up in a tortise
shell butterfly clip. Tiny diamond
studs sparkled from her earlobes, a birthday gift from her father.
When his
appreciative gaze met her gorgeous green eyes, he twinkled his own and flashed
her a sexy, upturned grin.
“Happy
Birthday luv,” he murmured as he leaned down and boldly kissed her on the mouth
before pulling back, winking and walking by.
“Th…thanks Ty.
Um…hi Scott.”
Scott Savage,
not as bold as his brother, grinned at her.
“Happy Birthday Grace.”
He then leaned
forward and whispered in her ear. “I
don’t want to give you a kiss in front of my dad.”
He leaned
back, rolled his eyes and followed his older brother. Sav stared after his two sons a little leery before looking at
Grace, who was a little flushed. He
gave her a polite kiss on the cheek.
“You okay,
luv?”
“Me, oh, uh
yeah Uncle Sav. Just um…frazzled. Daddy’s making me come upstairs everytime
the doorbell rings. I’m right knackered
and its only 8:00pm. He’s such a
slavedriver.”
Sav rolled his
eyes. “Ha! That’s nothing! You should’ve seen your dad when he first
joined the band. All he wanted to do
was practice and practice hour after hour.
He’s lucky we didn’t konk him unconscious and locked him away in that
spoon factory for no one to find.”
Grace giggled
and waved her hand. “Oh, Uncle Sav,
stop with all the horror stories about my dad.
If he’s that bad, then why do you still hang around him after all these
years?”
Sav thought on
that. “Some habits are hard to
break. Even bad ones. C’mon, luv….get to your guests downstairs. I’m gonna join your dad and Abby for the
evening.”
“Oh, to what
do I owe the pleasure?”
Sav looked up
as Joe approached him. “Well, Paige
decided, with all the men out of the house, that she’d have a little ‘alone’ time, that’s all.”
Joe folded his
arms. “Which translates into…..she’s
getting sick of seeing your pretty face day in and day out?”
“Joe, stop
referring to me like that! Crikey, 56
year old men don’t have pretty faces.”
“Sav, you’ll
always be a pretty boy, even when you’re 80!”
“Okay, this is
where I leave,” Grace said. “God, you
guys never quit, do you?”
Sav and Joe
looked at each other before agreeing.
“Nope, and we never will!”
Before Grace
left she turned around. “Um…daddy? Remember what we talked about earlier? No sneaking downstairs to check up on me.”
“Of course,
luv,” Joe said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “You know I’ll keep my word.”
Grace kissed
him quickly then went to rejoin her party.
Joe turned to
Sav and whispered. “Once the rain
stops, I’ll just go outside to peek in on them through the basement window,
that’s all!”
5
By 9:00pm, the
party was in full swing. Since Abby was
the only one Grace would allow downstairs, she brought down all the trays of
food and a huge bowl of ginger ale punch, which were quickly devoured. Lord, hungry teens!
Some of the
girls playfully fought with some of the lads over what satellite channel to
watch on the telly. A few lads played
poker, making sure that they hid the money they were using to bet whenever Abby
came downstairs. Ty and two of his
soccer mates played a game of snooker while a not-so-innocent looking redhead
hung around them as they did.
Her name was
Julie and Grace had made friends with her, despite the girl’s reputation around
school for being…well….a little easy.
It was thought to only be a rumor, but tonght, especially with so many
fine looking lads about, she looked to be on the prowl. And Ty looked to be her prey.
Grace sat with
Beth, Allison and two other girls chatting, as she casually eyed Ty and his
friends playing snooker. Every so
often, she’d catching him staring at her which caused her to flush. She just chalked it up that he was flirting
in front of his mates.
On the other
side of the room, Scott mastered the pinball machine, while a blonde haired,
blue eyed lass from his and Grace’s class leaned against it as he played,
staring dreamily at him. Every so
often, Scott would look up at her and flash her a shy grin, accompanied by a
blush, as he continued to play.
Grace shook
her head over how different the two Savage boys grew up to be. Scott was shy, whereas Ty was
shameless. Just then, one of the lads
left the snooker table and came over to Grace.
“Aye
Grace….I’ve um….gotta little flask of vodka in my coat pocket. Wanna spark up the punch a bit?”
Grace widened
her eyes, wondering if she should or not.
Well, who’d know? It was just a
little flask so no one would get that drunk.
Plus, no one’s driving.
“Chad, if
you’re gonna do it, do it quick before my mum comes back down.”
Chad grinned
and went over to the table and quickly emptied the contents of vodka into the
punch. When he was done, he turned
around and winked to the other lads, who caught onto Chad’s signal that he
succeeded.
“Hmm, I think
I’m a bit thirsty now,” Jack, another one of Ty’s soccer mates said.
“Yeah, me
too,” Ty said, catching on.
“Oooh, Ty….get
me a cup…pretty please,” Julie cooed at him.
“Um…sure,
luv,” Ty responsed.
Julie was
practically hanging all over him and Chad and Jack were urging him to go into
the jacuzzi room with her. At
seventeen, he hadn’t experienced anything sexual with a lass, just a snog and a
quick feel from two girls from the start of the school year. That was it.
However, ever
since he turned 17 in early July, his urges were becoming stronger. Especially towards the lovely, fifteen year
old birthday girl in the bloody short green sundress!
Ty knew that
he didn’t stand a chance with getting anywhere with Grace, unless he wanted his
Uncle Joe coming after him with an ax!
But, forbidden fruit was always the sweetest and he kept his promise to
try.
Meanwhile,
Scott had come up to Grace. “Aye
Grace. About before, I’m sorry I didn’t
kiss you when I came in. Not in front
of Ty and my dad.”
“Oh, that’s
okay Scott. You can give me one now if
you’d like.”
Grace knew how
shy he was, so she made it easier by telling him it was okay. Scott leaned down and gave her a chaste peck
on the cheek, very, very close to the corner of her mouth.
Scott
straightened up and Grace noticed his cheeks flush. She smiled at it. There
was just something so appealing about his shy, sweet nature that made her
warm. If the bad boy in Ty didn’t
innocently suck her in, she’d definitely wouldn’t turn Scott down.
“Thank you
Scott. I’m glad you’re here.”
“So am I,” he
replied, rolling his eyes down to the floor a bit. He then turned and left to join the lass who was hanging by the
pinball machine with him.
“Wow, isn’t he
quite the little charmer,” Beth exclaimed. “He disguises it, where Ty flaunts
it.”
“Speaking of
Ty, he’s looking mighty fine in those jeans and that white shirt. Its practically unbuttoned all the way down
to his waist,” Allison remarked.
“Well, he
isn’t shy about displaying that fine chest of his,” Beth said. “He’s
shameless! Positively shameless!”
“Yeah, well,
so is Julie,” Grace sneered as she nodded her head towards the snooker
table. “She’s practically hanging all
over those lads.”
“Hmm, and Ty
looks as if he wants her to choose him,” Beth noticed. “He just brought her some of Chad’s famous
spiked punch.”
Grace looked
over at the snooker table and saw Julie siding up to Ty. “Hmm,
no doubt he won’t turn down what she has to offer,” Grace thought to
herself. “Who am I kidding that he was interested, just because he kissed me on
the lips when he got here and has been staring at me most of the night. He’s nothing but a big flirt, that’s all!”
Over at the
snooker table, Ty handed Julie her ‘punch’.
“Thanks Ty,”
she purred.
“You’re
welcome,” he replied, glancing down at her chest in a fitted tank top. Although she was turning his young body on
in every way, the true object of his desire was sitting across the room with
her girlfriends.
“Aye
Ty…c’mere,” Chad called him over.
“Be right
back,” he said, winking at Julie
“I’ll be
here,” she promised.
Ty went over
to Chad and Jack. “What?”
“Man, that
Julie’s practically in your pants!
Listen, I understand there’s a little jacuzzi room around the
corner. Now’s your big chance,
mate. I can tell she wants to be alone
with you.”
Ty was tempted
by the thought, however he’d rather try to get alone with Grace. Crikey, if her father knew what he was
thinking he’d be floating in the Thames River!
“Guys, I don’t
know,” Ty said. “I mean…if my Uncle Joe
comes down…..”
“Nah, he
won’t. Grace said he promised to stay
upstairs.”
“Hey, wait a
minute,” Jack interrupted. “You know…Julie’s
no challenge. How’s about a real
challenge, mate?”
Ty narrowed
his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking
about you….Grace…and that French kiss she should have the pleasure of receiving
from you,” Jack answered.
The corner of
Ty’s mouth hitched up in a wicked grin.
Damn, he’d love nothing than to give Grace the kind of kiss he wanted to
give her when he came in. After all, he did promise himself that he would ‘try’
and the vodka in that punch was making his young body begin to stir.
Plus, he loved
a challenge.
“You’re on,
mates,” he said before taking off.
“Aye,” Chad
called out. “Go where we can see you.”
Ty looked
around before shrugging. “Where?”
“Over in the
corner.”
Ty nodded and
headed over to Grace. When Grace saw
him coming, the chatter stopped. And so
did her heart.
Ty looked at
her with persuasive blue eyes.
“Excuse me,
ladies. Um…Grace, can I talk to you a
minute? Over there?”
Grace saw that
Ty pointed to a secluded corner of the room then looked back. Acting confident, she stood up and led the
way. “Sure, lets go.”
Ty followed
Grace, before giving Chad and Jack a wink across the room. Once they got to the partially secluded
spot, Grace turned around and looked up into his gorgeous face and tried to stay
calm and cool.
“What do you
want to talk to me about?”
Ty used his
best feauture, his eyes, to suck her in.
“Um, well….I was wondering. You
know we’ve known each other since we were kids, right?”
“Right?”
“Well,” he
said, touching her bare shoulder. “It
is your birthday and I was wondering if I could give you a proper kiss.”
Graces heart
jumped to her throat. “Don’t act like a silly ninny,” she
thought to herself.
“Ty, you gave
me a kiss when you came in, remember?”
“Yeah,
but….not the kind that a fifteen year old lass should get. After all, you can trust me, since you know
me. If you don’t want to, I’ll
understand.”
Grace couldn’t
help herself from stuttering.
“Um..well..I…I guess, you’re right.
I’ve never been kissed….you know…..with tongue and all.”
Ty moved in
for the kill and bent down. “You
mean…..like this?”
He touched his
lips to hers and slowly moved them, waiting to see if she’d open hers. When he felt them part slightly, he slipped
his tongue inside.
Grace sighed
and softly whimpered at the feel and couldn’t help herself from reaching her
arms up to place on his broad shoulders.
Ty couldn’t help himself either and placed his hand on her narrow waist,
pulling her just a wee bit closer to him.
He opened his
mouth wider, causing her to do the same and their tongues wildly fought each
other. Both teens were breathing
heavily as their hands cautiously moved over one another.
Grace could’nt
help but reach her arms up to wrap around the back of his neck. Ty groaned softly in her mouth over how far
he was getting and wrapped his arms around he waist, pulling her closer to
where her bare thigh brushed up against the fly of his jeans, feeling the
obvious growing hardness.
Grace’s eyes
flew open and broke the kiss. She
stepped back and looked down at the floor, too embarrassed to look up at Ty’s
face. She couldn’t believe how far she
let that kiss go, but she couldn’t have stopped her young body from responding
if she tried.
Ty, on the
other hand, was sufficiently aroused to the point of actual discomfort. He needed so bad to reach down and shift his
hard-on to a more comfortable position, but not in front of Grace.
“Um….th…thanks,
Ty,” she shyly said, as she peered up at his face. His blue eyes were glazed and his lips were flushed and still
parted from their kiss. She wanted
nothing but to kiss him again, but she couldn’t. She was trembling from the experience which left he wickedly
wanting more. But she knew she’d look
just as easy as Julie if she did. It
was his idea, and only because it was her birthday and he wanted her to
experience a ‘true’ kiss..
“You’re
welcome, Grace,” he said a little shaky before turning to walk away. As soon as he turned, he reached down and
made himself a little more comfortable, and a little less conspicuous.
When he was
sufficiently adjusted, he walked back into full site to a grinning Chad and
Jack.
“Aye, way to
go mate,” Chad said, clapping him on the back.
“Shhh, not so
loud you wanker,” Ty warned. “She’ll
hear you.”
“Well..how was
it?” Jack asked.
Ty rolled his
eyes. “My ballocks are about to
explode, that’s how it was!”
The lads
snickered before they noticed Julie talking to a few girls. Chad grinned and turned to Ty.
“Well, there’s
your source of relief right there.
C’mon, Ty, do it! You’re on a
roll tonight.”
Ty drained his
spiked punched, shook the light brown curls from his eyes and walked over to
Julie. He was so empowered by the vodka
and Grace’s kiss that he felt invincable.
Not to mention, horny as hell.
No one would know if he was gone for a few minutes and was dying to see
what Julie had in store, if anything.
“Miss me?”
“You bet,”
Julie answered, licking her lips.
“Um…I bet you
didn’t know that there’s a jacuzzi down here,” Ty said with mischief.
Julie’s eyes
widened. “No, I didn’t. Care to play tour guide?”
Ty looked
around to make sure everyone was into their own thing before motioning with his
head for Julie to follow him.
6
Grace rejoined
her friends on shaky legs after that intoxicating kiss from Ty. She had never been kissed like that. Even though she looked at it as a present that he gave her just so she
could experience it with someone she knew, it turned out to be very heated – as
if he were really enjoying it. Well,
after what she felt against her thigh, it was obvious.
Could he
possibly be feeling the same thing for her that she was for him after all these
years of platonic friendship?
As she
approached her friends, Beth took one look at her and raised her eyebrows.
“And what did
sweet Ty want?”
Grace tried to
hide her trembling hands and compose herself.
“Uh..uh, oh, nothing. Just
um….wanting to tell me something.”
“Um, Grace,”
Allison said. “How come your lip gloss
is all smudged?”
“Its not
smudged, its gone,” Beth corrected.
Grace put her
fingers to her lips and looked at her friends, who suddenly caught on.
“He kissed
you!” Beth almost shouted. “Oh my God,
did he?”
“Tell, tell,”
Allison demanded.
Grace rolled
her eyes. “Okay, yes he kissed me. He just wanted to give me a proper kiss for
my birthday, you know. He thought I
never received one and thought it would be safe from someone I knew and trusted
all my life.”
“Is that what
he told you?” Allison mused. “Damn,
Grace, if you believe a line like that!”
“Well, whatever
the line, it worked,” Beth said.
“Gracie here said yes. So…how
was it. Did he use his tongue? Did he put his arms around you. Oh God…did…did…did you feel it?”
Grace turned
pink before answering. “Shhh, quiet
will ya? Yes, he used his tongue. Yes, he put his arm around me. And…..yes…I felt it. My um….thigh brushed up
against his um….fly.”
Beth and
Allison squealed before Grace shushed them again.
“Yep, the lad
was definitely into it if he was…um…hard,” Beth said.
“That doesn’t
mean anything,” Grace said. “Lads this
age get….you know….that way over anything!”
‘I don’t know
Grace,” Allison said. “I think that
kiss was meant to be more than just a present.”
Just then,
Grace looked over and saw Ty and Julie disapear around the corner in the
direction of the……jacuzzi room. Her
mouth dropped open and her heart sunk.
“What?” her friends asked.
Grace felt
like she was punched in the gut. Here
Ty was just giving her her first, real kiss – and felt like he meant it – and
now he was going off with…with…Julie. With her secret reputation in school,
she no doubt had something up her sleeve.
“You’re
wrong,” Grace said with anger and hurt.
“You’re both wrong. It didn’t
mean anything more than what he meant it to be. If it did, then he wouldn’t be sneaking off with Julie.”
Beth and
Allison craned their necks past Grace to see Ty and Julie disappear.
“Why…why…that
little….” Allison started.
“Doesn’t
matter,” Grace said, trying to play it cool.
“If that’s the way he wants to play it, fine. I’m not gonna give him the satisfaction that I’m pining for him
just because he kissed me. Hey…this is my birthday party. He’s not the only fine lad in the room.”
With resolve,
Grace got up and spotted one of the newest members of the varsity team that came
with Jack and Chad. She pulled her
butterfly clip out of her hair, letting it fall loose and shiny around her
shoulders and walked over to the dark haired, dark eyed lad.
“Hi, I don’t
believe we’ve formally met. I’m
Grace. I saw that you came with Jack
and Chad.”
The lad smiled
at the attention from the birthday girl.
“Yeah, I did. I hope you didn’t
mind. I know this was a private
birthday party but, they told me that you said they could bring a friend if
they wanted. I just made the varsity
squad yesterday. Um…I’m Ethan.”
“Nice to meet
you Ethan. I remember seeing you
yesterday. So, what year are you?”
“I’ll be a
senior this year. I just switched over
from another school.”
Grace smiled
up at him with interest and he smiled back.
She needed something to fuel her courage if she was gonna go through
with this flirting thing.
“Um…Ethan….would
you be a dear lad and get this thirsty birthday girl a cup of punch.”
Ethan grinned
broadly. “Sure luv…be right back.”
“I’m counting
on it,” she slyly said.
As Grace
watched Ethan go for punch, her insides fluttered at what she was
thinking. Just as she was about to
chicken out, she though of Ty and Julie –wherever they took off too.
“Two can play at this flirting game,
Ty,” she wickedly thought to herself.
7
“Abby, how
long has it been since you peeked in on them downstairs?”
Abby rolled
her eyes at the tenth time her husband asked that question in as many minutes.
“Joe, will you
relax,” she said. “I was just down
there not more than twenty minutes ago.
I just scanned the area for any possible warning signs than I came back
up before anyone saw me.”
“What was
Grace doing?”
“She was
sitting with Beth and Allison talking.
There were some kids watching a game on the telly, and there were some
kids playing cards. I think they were
betting too, but I guess there’s no harm in that.”
“And where
were my lads?” Sav asked.
Abby thought a
moment. “Um, Scott was on the couch
talking to some pretty blonde girl.”
Sav was
astonished. “Scott? Chatting up a girl? Are you sure it wasn’t the other way
around?”
Abby shook her
head. “Rick, he may be shy, but I think
he opens up after a bit.”
“Hmm, and just
was my firstborn up to?”
“Well, he was
playing a game of snooker with Chad and Jack and a, um…very brazen looking
redhead clinging close by him.”
Sav raised his
eyebrows. “Oh?”
Joe slapped
him on the back. “Just like their old
man, eh?”
“Joe, stop
referring to me as old, especially since you’re
older!” He then turned to Abby. “So…..what about this redhead?”
“Oh will you
two stop inquiring! It’s a party. They’re around their peers. They’re having a good time and well, they’re
teenagers. They’re harmlessly flirting.
They don’t need their father’s hovering over them.”
“I do not
hover,” Joe said emphatically.
“No, you
sneak,” Abby corrected.
“Hmm, speaking
of sneaking, how’s about doing a bit,” Joe said, nudging Sav. “The rain stopped. Lets go out around the other side of the house and look in
through the basement window.”
“Joe, stop!”
Abby scolded him. “Why don’t you just
trust them? My God, they’re in your
house for Pete’s sake! What on earth
would they possibly try right under our roof?”
*************************************
“In here,” Ty
said to Julie as he opened the door to the jacuzzi room.
Julie boldly
walked in and looked at the huge jacuzzi that sat about 8 people. She then turned around, looked at Ty, then
moved towards the door to shut them in.
She then approached him.
“Hmm, all
alone,” she cooed, running her finger down his smooth, exposed chest.
Ty tried hard
to control himself. “Yes, we are,” he
replied.
“You know, Ty,
I’ve had my eye on you since last year .”
“Really? I didn’t know.”
“Well, you
know now. Wanna know how really interested I am in you?”
Ty’s body was
beginning to respond to her offer, even as she slid her hands up around his
neck.
“Sure,” he
replied.
With that,
Julie pulled his head down and kissed him hungrily. Her tongue sought entrance to his mouth, which he wasted no time
in granting her. He momentarily thought
of his kiss earlier with Grace, but those thoughts quickly vanished when he
felt Julie lower her hand and run it all the way down his body until she was
brushing it over his fly.
Ty gasped in
her mouth at the feeling of a hand, other than his own, touching him. As soon as he responded to it, Julie further
responded by squeezing him through his jeans, which earned her a full fledged
groan.
She broke the
kiss then pushed him back, until he was leaning up against the wall. She then lowered her head to kiss his smooth
chest while her fingers worked to unfasten his jeans and pull them down a bit.
Ty stood
against the wall on shaky legs, unable to move, anticipating what was to
come. Oh crikey, its what he fantasized
about every time he wankered off in the darkness of his bedroom!
When his jeans
were down to his hips, Julie looked up with languid eyes.
“I know its
Grace’s birthday, but right now I’m gonna give you a present!”
***********************************
Back
inside, Grace was starting to get a
good, fuzzy feeling from the spiked punch.
Ethan had sat
down in a big leather easy chair and Grace was carefully balanced on the arm of
it. She stared down at Ethan with
glassy green eyes.
“Are you
having a good time, Ethan?”
Ethan shifted
in the chair and looked up at her, casually putting his arm around the arm of
the chair, close to where her bum was nestled.
“Yeah, I’m
having a great time. Especially now
that I’ve got the attention of the birthday girl. I have to admit that I saw you in the bleachers yesterday with
your friends, watching practice. I
wanted to ask one of the lads who you were, but I kinda got the idea that you
were Ty Savage’s girl.”
Grace knitted
her brows. “What made you think that?”
“Um…well, I
overheard him and his mates talking about you.
They were kinda teasing him about liking you and, well…kissing you
tonight.”
Grace fumed
inside. So….she was being discussed
with Ty and his friends as a little ‘conquest’? Well, he succeeded in kissing her tonight, nor did he waste any
time taking off with Julie right after.
So much for thinking that that kiss meant anything or that he was
starting to think of her in a non-sisterly way. Fine, let him be that way!
As she said to herself earlier, two can play this game!
“Well, Ethan,
I’m not Ty’s girl. Ty and I have been
around each other since we were babies. We grew up together. He’s made no mention to me about ‘liking’ me
other than a friend. So, that means I’m
perfectly available.”
“But….did he
kiss you tonight?”
“Well, yeah,
he did. But..it was just a birthday
kiss. Nothing special,” she lied, as
she reached up to brush her fingers through his hair.
“So….would you
like a special one?”
Grace felt
that offer go to her head, along with the spiked punch. “Sure, why not.”
Ethan took his
arm which was casually draped on the arm of the chair behind her bum and lifted
it to her waist. He then slid her off
the arm of the chair and onto his lap.
Grace giggled
a bit, then just casually looked around the room. Beth and Allison were on the
couch with Chad and Jack, doing some harmless snuggling. Some other lads were heavily involved in a
snooker game and the lads playing poker were still into it.
Scott was on
the Playstation with the blonde girl, laughing and nudging each other as they
played.
With everyone
looking to be in their own little world, Grace put her arms around Ethan as he
leaned up to kiss her.
8
Outside, Joe
and Sav bent down to peer into the basement window of the entertainment room.
“Crikey Joe,”
Sav whined. “I’m sinking in all this
mud out here. Hurry up and look in
before the ground sucks me up!”
“Quit
complaining,” Joe shot back. “Hold on…I
just gotta wipe the raindrops off the window so I can see. There…much better.”
“Well…..?”
“Um…lets
see…..your little Scott is on the Playstation with that pretty blonde lass Abby
saw him with.”
Sav
grinned. “That’s my boy!”
“Um…there’s a
few lads playing poker. Hmm, I see some
pound notes on the table there. Those
lads are betting!”
“Oh, that’s
nothing, Joe. What else?”
“Ummmmmmm, I
see……w…w..what the hell is my daugher doing?”
Sav nudged Joe
over to peer in. “What do you mean?”
“I mean she’s
sitting on the arm of the chair running her fingers in that lad’s hair.”
Sav looked in
and saw Grace flirting with the dark haired lad in the chair. He knew that was enough to send Joe through
the roof, however, he suddenly became concerned with the absence of his eldest
son.
“Uh……do you
see Ty anywhere?”
Joe didn’t
want to pry his protective eyes from his daughter, but he casually glanced
around.
“Hmm, no I
don’t,” Joe stated. “Matter of fact, I
don’t see that redhead that Abby said was hanging all over him either.”
*******************************
“Julie!
Julie!
I…..dammit!”
In the jacuzzi
room, Ty instinctively held the back of Julie’s neck as he quickly spilled
himself down her throat as she continued to suck him. The sensation, so much more intense than using his own hand,
caused his knees to finally give in as she slid down the wall all the way to
the floor.
The movement
made Julie release him. Ty felt as if
his eyeballs fell out of his head. “Crikey, that was bloody fantastic!” he
thought to himself.
His chest
heaving, he looked at Julie with glazed eyes.
She haughtily sat back on her heels, seductively licking her lips.
“First time?”
she asked.
All Ty had the
energy for was to nod. After catching a
few more breaths he looked at her.
“Yours too?”
“Hell no!”
Julie replied. “I’ve done that a few
times before.”
Well, at least
it confirmed that her reputation wasn’t a rumor. After collecting his bearings a bit, he realized that he’d been
gone from the party a little too long.
“C’mon,” he
said, as he stood and pulled his jeans up.
“We gotta get back before someone notices we’re gone.”
***********************************
“Bloody hell!”
Joe’s seething
curse caused Sav to almost topple over on his bum in the mud.
“What?”
“That lad just
pulled Grace down on his lap and…….oh, crap!
They’re making out! That’s
it! I don’t care what I promised! This was not on the agenda tonight. I think we’re gonna pay this little teenage
soiree a visit!”
Abby saw both
men trudge in the house. “Joe! Rick!
You’re tracking mud in the……”
“Screw the
bleedin’ floors! The cleaning people
can take care of it tomorrow. I’ve got
to disengage some lad’s mouth from our daughter’s!”
Abby was
incredulous. “What? Joe, what do you mean?”
“I mean, she’s
down there draped across some lad’s lap kissing. Didn’t you see anything when you went down there last?”
“No, I
didn’t. They must’ve waited until I
went back up. Now, Joe…don’t do
anything embarrassing. Just announce
yourself as you go down so they’ll hear you and stop. We’ll deal with her later after everyone leaves.”
Joe took a
deep breath to calm down his anger. He
didn’t want to ruin his daughter’s party, but he didn’t want any hanky panky
going on either.
He and Sav
agreed on a strategy before ascending the stairs. “Aye kids, is everything okay down here?” Joe announced as he
came down the stairs.
The lads at
the card table swiped the pound notes out of view. Beth and Allison quit fooling around on the couch with Chad and
Jack. And….Grace jumped off Ethan’s lap
with lightening speed.
Scott, not
doing anything wrong, continued on the Playstation with the blonde lass.
Grace’s eyes
widened as she saw the commanding, unwelcomed presence of her father. She smiled nervously at the other kids
before walking over to her father.
“Daddy!” she whispered, mortified. “What are you doing down here? You promised you wouldn’t come down here!”
“Well, that
was before I saw my fifteen year old daughter snogging some lad while sitting
on his lap,” he whispered back.
Grace looked
stunned. “How….how…?”
“Well, I did
promise not to come down here to check in on you, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t
look in through the basement window from outside.”
“I…I can’t
believe you,” she whispered back before looking to Sav for help. “Uncle Sav!
Tell him this isn’t fair!”
“Afraid not,
luv,” he replied. “By the way, where’s
Ty?”
As soon as Sav
said that, he looked up and, around the corner from the area of the jacuzzi
room, came a redhaired girl, followed by Ty..
Sav took in
the girl brazenly wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, not to mention
the dazed look on Ty’s face. He
inwardly groaned at the scenario. He’d
been in that position countless times in his past to know what just occurred.
Ty looked up
across the room and right into his father’s eyes as he rounded the corner. Joe took in the scene, almost immediately
figuring out what happened. His first
intention was to draw attention away from it.
“Okay lads,
listen up,” Joe said as he reached in his pocket, pulled out a few pound notes
and placed them on the snooker table.
“Who wants to
take a crack at trying to beat an old man?
I’ve got 50 pounds saying you can’t!”
The lads
grinned at the opportunity to beat a famous rock star at snooker and take his
money.
“You’re on,
Mr. Elliott,” one of the lads said as he cued up.
Joe grinned,
knowing that he saved the ‘cool’ factor of Grace’s party, yet still being able
to stay down and keep an eye on things.
Meanwhile, Sav
took his eyes off Ty for a moment and, catching onto what Joe was doing, went
over to the poker table. He, too,
pulled a few notes out of his pocket.
“Okay,
lads. I know you’re not playing for
pence over here. I’ll give you a chance
to take some of my money too.”
The lads at
the table heartily agreed before one took the deck of cards to shuffle them,
looking forward to some real action.
Before Sav sat
down, he walked over to Ty, who still remained leaning against the corner from
where he just came. Ty looked up and
confidently met his fathers eyes, pretending as if nothing happened.
“Aye dad.”
Sav just
leaned forward and whispered in his ear.
“Your fly’s
open, sport!”
9
After the last
guest left, Abby went downstairs to start bringing everything up. Grace was outwardly polite as she said
goodbye to everyone, except to Ty whom she met with a frozen stare as he walked
out the door.
Scott noticed
the visual exchange and just smirked to himself. He had seen Ty kiss Grace earlier, as well as disappear, and
reappear, with Julie. His mischievous
little brain was slowly digesting everything that happened, wondering how it’ll
all work to his advantage in the future.
As Grace
closed the front door for the night, she immediately went to head
upstairs. But…not before Joe caught
her.
“Don’t even
think about it, lass,” he sternly said, grabbing her arm as it hit the stair
rail. “Get your bum in that kitchen and
help your mum clean up. It’s the least
you can do after what happened.”
Without a
word, Grace snuck past her father back down the stairs and into the
kitchen. Joe quickly followed,
preparing to have a little talk with his daughter in front of his wife. He was thankful that he sent J.T. to sleep
over a friend’s house tonight, not having to worry about his ears overhearing
anything.
As soon as he
walked in, Grace noticed the look on his face, folded her arms and faced him.
“Okay, go
ahead. Get it over with.”
Joe raised a
cautionary eyebrow at his daughter’s sassiness. “I wouldn’t take that tone with me if I were you, young lady,” he
warned. “Not after what I walked in
on.”
Grace put her
hands on her hips. “Daddy, first of
all, you weren’t supposed to be…….”
“Nevermind
that, Grace! If I hadn’t gone down
there, who knows how far it would’ve gotten.”
Grace covered
her face with her hands before turning to Abby. “Mum?”
“Don’t look at
me to help you out, Grace,” Abby said.
“I’m in total agreement with your father. He agreed to stay up here in an effort to show that he trusts
you. And I stuck up for you, telling
him he had nothing to worry about. You
just betrayed that trust that I had for you, Grace.”
“But mum…I
wasn’t doing anything bad. Crikey, it was just a kiss!”
“Grace, to a
fifteen year old girl its ‘just a kiss’,” Joe stated. “But…to a seventeen year old lad, its an appetizer! You were sitting on his lap, in a bloody
short dress! Do you know what that does
to a lad?”
Grace looked
appalled. “Daddy, stop! Oh my God, you’re embarrassing me!”
“Grace, luv,
I’m just telling you a fact, one that I think you’re very aware of. I know its perfectly natural to wonder what
its like to kiss a lad and, well, you just gave into that curiousity. But luv…you’ve got to be careful how far you
let it go.”
“Well, if you
must know, Ethan wasn’t the first lad I kissed.”
Joe folded his
arms. “Oh?”
“That’s right. Tyler kissed me tonight, a lot better than
Ethan did.”
Joe paled a
bit. “Crikey! I had a feeling
something like this may happen someday,” he thought to himself.
He quickly
reigned in control of his anger.
“Anyone else I should know about, lass?”
Grace feigned
deep thought. “Mmm, nope. That’s about it.”
“I
said…..don’t take that attitude, Grace!
You’re forgetting that you’re the child and I’m the father and that this
is my house. I will not have my fifteen
year old daughter acting like that in, or out, of it, do you understand?”
Grace was
silent, looking as if she’d been bested.
Just then, as Abby was cleaning the punch bowl, she scooped up the
remaining punch left over with a cup and drank it down. And, as quickly, she spit it out.
“Oh…my..God,”
Abby exclaimed, before turning to Grace.
“What was put in this punch, young lady?”
Grace’s
horrified face watched her father step over and scoop some punch out and drink
it.
“Daddy! No……”
Joe had
already swallowed it, tasting the vodka as it burned down his throat. He then looked at Grace, who now hung her
head low.
“Who did
this?” he demanded.
Grace couldn’t
squeal on anyone from school. She just
couldn’t. “I….I don’t know daddy. All I know is that one of the new lads from
the team handed me some punch and told me to try it. When I drank it, I tasted something different. I don’t know if it was him who did it or
someone else.”
Joe ran his
hand through his hair. “Grace, for
God’s sake, someone snuck alcohol into this house and put it in the punch? And you went along with it?
Even though
she was their adopted daughter, Grace
possessed a lot of Joe’s fire and brazeness and wasn’t afraid to speak
her mind.
“Daddy….can I
be honest with you about something?”
Joe let out a
long sigh. “What?”
“Well….if you
don’t mind me saying so, I think you’re being a hypocrit.”
Abby saw the
anger that colored her husband’s face and nudged her daughter. Grace, you better quit while you’re
ahead. You’re already gonna be punished
for what took place tonight.”
Grace looked
at her mother with betrayal in her eyes.
“I…I can’t believe it! How can
you punish me for doing something that just about every teenagers tries – you
especially, dad.”
Joe was
nearing the edge. “Excuse me?”
“C’mon,
daddy. You were my age once. You probably tried the same exact
things. And, its practically legend at
school how you and the band snuck a bottle of brandy in the bass drum when you
played your very first gig there. And here you’re yelling at me for someone
doing the exact same thing.”
Joe inched
closer to his daughter, his voice a dangerous whisper. “First of all, I was nineteen years old at
the time. I was of a legal drinking
age. Second of all, sneaking alcohol
into a school is not that same thing as sneaking it into someone’s private
home. And third, just because
‘everyone’s tried it’, doesn’t make it alright. You’re a fifteen year old lass who shouldn’t be exposed to this
stuff?”
Grace answered
him by sarcastically rolling her eyes.
Joe saw it and inched a little closer.
“That look
better be because you’ve got something in your eye, Grace,” he warned.
“Daddy, I’m
sorry. Again, you’re being a
hypocrit. You say you don’t want me
‘exposed’ to this stuff. Well, it’s a
little hard not to when your father was in a rock band who wrote songs about
all the ‘stuff’ you don’t want me exposed to.
I listened to all your CD’s, Beth and Allison’s mums have them. We listened to all the lyrics. Hmm, lets see…..’High and Dry’ is all about
having fun drinking, oh and ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ is all about sex,
and….whats that song where you moan and
groan about ‘doing it all night’? Oh,
and ‘Let It Go’ is about what Ty
probably got from Julie tonight.”
Joe’s right
hand shook as he drew his arm back to crack his daughter right across the
mouth. As he did, he saw her cringe,
and halted his hand in the air. He was
so flipping angry right now that he knew he’d hurt her badly by hitting her
hard.
“Joe!” Abby
said nervously, when she saw her husband’s hand still.
Never taking
his eyes off his fear-filled daughter, Joe slowly lowered his hand and leaned
into her.
“Get upstairs
and get out of my sight now,” he seethed.
“And don’t you even think of locking that door because when I finally cool
off from that smart little mouth of yours, I’m coming up to deal with you.”
Grace didn’t
think twice, knowing that she definitely pushed him too far. She quickly scooted past him and ran up the
stairs, her sobs evident before her bedroom door slammed shut.
Joe wearily
sat down and held his shaking hands. He
didn’t know where his control came from, he was only glad it came when it did
else he knew that he’d hurt Grace badly.
Abby
immediately went to Joe and put comforting arms around him.
“God, you
scared me, Joe.”
“I scared
myself,” he admitted. “Damn, Abby I was
so bloody angry that I would’ve really hurt her. Regardless of what I did or wrote about in the band, that doesn’t
give her the right to compare. She’s
gotta learn that its different for boys than it is for girls, whether its right
or not.”
Abby began
massaging the tension out of his shoulders.
“Hmm, speaking of which, what was that remark she made about Tyler and
that girl Julie? Is it what I think it
was?”
Joe allowed
himself a grin. “Um, I think so. I don’t feel so bad having to deal with
Grace tonight. Sav’s gonna have to deal
with that randy son of his when they get home.
Abby thought a
moment. “You mean….that randy son who
also kissed our daughter tonight?”
Joe put his elbows
on the table and buried his face in his hands.
“Oh no!”
10
As soon as Sav
opened the front door, Ty sped in and right up the stairs. Scott noticed and smirked.
“Hmm, seems
like someone wants to avoid you, dad.
Now, why, I have no idea?”
Sav glared at
his youngest son. “Nevermind,
Scott. I don’t need any comments from
you.”
Scott touched
his fingers to his chest and widened his eyes.
“Aye, don’t get mad at me. I was
a perfect angel tonight.”
With that,
Scott turned to walk up the stairs. Sav
stared after him.
“Why does that worry me more?” he
murmured before climbing the stairs himself.
When he got to the landing, he saw Ty come out of the bathroom and head
back to his room, avoiding eye contact.
Sav caught him before he could escape to his room.
“Don’t plan on
going to sleep just yet, lad. We need
to have a talk.”
Ty had his
hand on his bedroom door as he sighed.
“Fine,” he mumbled before going inside.
Sav let his
head fall back, as if looking to heaven for some help. He then approached his bedroom and opened
the door to find Paige sitting up in bed – a pint of chocolate chip ice cream
in one hand, a trashy romance novel in the other.
She almost
dropped both when he walked in.
“Oh….home
already? I thought you were gonna be
gone longer.”
Sav stood
there feeling unwanted. “Do you want me
to go back out and circle the block for another hour or so?”
Paige grinned
and put her book and ice cream down on the nightstand. “No, I’m only kidding. So….how was the party?”
“Do you want
the mild version or the X-rated one?”
Paige widened
her eyes. “What? What happened?”
Sav blew out a
long, slow breath. “Oh, the usual stuff
that teens try. Snogging, gambling
and….well…….”
“Well what?”
“Lets just say
that it involves Ty and some very accommodating lass from school.”
Paige nearly
choked. “Rick……did..did they…..oh my
God!”
“I don’t think
it got that far, but far enough. I’m
going into talk to him right now.”
“What about
Scott?”
“On his best
behavior, as usual,” Sav said. “Though
that frightens me. That boy’s planning
something. What, I don’t know.”
“Rick,
please…don’t think the worst, okay?”
“Paige, I have
to prepare for the worst. I’ve got two
teenage lads for Pete’s sake! You know
what that means – the next few years is gonna be one painful road down the
Hormone Highway.”
Paige
giggled. “You should know, eh?”
Sav leaned
into her and nuzzled her neck. “So
should you,” he wickedly retorted before leaving to get this talk with Ty over
with.
He knocked on
Ty’s bedroom door. “Ty?”
A moment of
silence was followed by a dejected voice.
“Yeah, dad?”
Sav turned the
knob to find Ty sprawled on his bed, unable to look at his father. Sav closed the door and sat on the edge of
the bed.
“I think you
know what I’m here to talk about.”
Ty answered by
lowering his eyes, embarrassed.
“Lad, I’m not
gonna get into the details of what happened.
This is awkward enough. Look, I
know you’re experiencing changes and….you know…feelings. But, with the responsibility of becoming a
man comes exercising a little self control.
Ty….you gotta be careful what you get yourself into. You’re only seventeen.”
Ty sat up in
bed and looked at his father. “Crikey
dad! That’s a little odd coming from
you.”
Sav narrowed
his eyes at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“Well….you
were in a band by the time you were my age.
I’m sure you had girls all over you, and I don’t think you pushed them
all away. What I did was no different. You know the saying….like father, like son.”
The smug look
on Ty’s face showed that he was trying to exploit his father’s shyness. But Sav would not have Ty giving into all
his lusty urges only to wind up making a mistake that could jeopardize his
future.
Sav pointed a
finger right at Ty’s chest. “You listen
to me, and listen good lad. Don’t you dare go comparing yourself to me
when I was your age. It was a hell of a
lot different for me. I didn’t have
many choices. It was either work in a
factory for the rest of my life, or take a chance to make it in music. Your grandparents didn’t have the money for
me to go to university because they we’re helping to put your Uncle Brian
through medical school. I had no choice
to but to try to make something of myself on my own. You and your brother will never have to struggle like I did. I want the two of you to do something
important and meaningful with your lives, but I want it to be something that
makes you happy. And I’ll be there to
support you all the way. You’ve got
your whole life ahead of you Ty. Don’t
screw it up with a foolish mistake.”
Ty put his
head down. “You’re disappointed in me,
aren’t you?”
Sav put a
comforting hand on his shoulder. “Of
course I’m not. I’m just concerned,
that’s all. What you’re going through
is nothing new. I went through the same
thing. But you’ve got more choices to
look forward to than I ever did, and I want you to take advantage of them. And you will, only if you use your head –
the one on your shoulders!”
Ty rolled his
eyes and looked away, a little embarrassed.
“Okay, fine. I’m…I’m sorry.”
Sav looked at
him and knew that something else was wrong.
“Is there something else bothering you?”
Ty just
shrugged his shoulders.
“What?”
“I think Grace
hates me,” he confessed.
“Why do you
think that?”
“Well, she saw Julie hanging all over me and I
think that got her mad?”
“Any
particular reason why she should be mad?”
Ty rolled his
eyes, a little hesitant to answer. “I
guess…I don’t know, I guess because I kissed her before I, you know…..took off
with Julie.”
Sav squeezed
his eyes shut and inwardly chuckled. “I knew those two would take to each other
one day,” he thought.
“Well, was it
an innocent peck………..?”
“No!” Ty said
quickly, to embarrassed to finish.
Sav folded his
arms and regarded his son. “Hmm, so you
think that Grace thought you kissing her meant that you liked her other than a
friend, then got upset when you went off with Julie?”
Ty
frowned. “Yeah.”
“Do you like
her more than…..a friend?”
Ty look
mortified. “Dad!”
“What?”
“W…why are you
asking me that? Crikey, she’s like my
sister!”
“Brothers
don’t give sisters the kind of kiss you gave Grace. Well, maybe in Arkansas or something.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Ty, look, I gotta be honest that I was kinda
expecting this someday. I remember the
first day Abby brought Grace over the house.
It was the day after she and Uncle Joe first got her. Your mum had a little baby shower for her
that day. I remember Abby putting her
down on the floor in the baby seat. And
you - only two years old at the time - went strutting up to her to peer
inside. You stuck you hand in the
babyseat and Grace immediately latched onto your finger. Then she smiled at you. I think the two of you knew since then.”
“Yeah, well,
like I said. She probably hates me
now,” Ty said, grabbing his pillow and hugging it to his chest.
“Well, then I
think the first thing you should do tomorrow is either call or go over your
Uncle Joe’s and apologize to her, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I
guess.”
“I’ll go with
you,” Sav said. “And…since you’ll be
getting your license soon, I’ll let you drive.”
Ty perked up
and his eyes widened. “The Porsche?”
“Forget
it! We’ll take your mum’s car.”
Ty immediately
frowned and Sav shoved him playfully in the shoulder. “Oh, sorry you have to slum around Sheffield in your mum’s
Mercedes!”
Ty grinned at
his father. “Okay. Thanks dad.
And…thanks for not flipping out about….you know…..”
Now it was
Sav’s turn to grin. “Like I said,
lad. I was seventeen once, so I
understand perfectly. But, it is my job
to make sure you don’t let yourself get reckless and lose control, got it?”
“Got it.”
Sav got up and
went to leave. Before he did, he turned
around.
“Ty?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Ty glanced
down a bit, blushing. “Yeah. I love you
too, dad.”
Smiling to
himself, Sav left Ty’s bedroom. When he closed the door, he leaned up
against it, just like he did the time he gave him ‘the talk’ 4 years ago.
“Well, another crisis averted. For now!” he thought.
Just then, he
heard Scott open his bedroom door and peek his head out.
“So, did Ty
get it, or what?”
Sav pushed
himself away from the door and towards Scott.
“Get back to bed and mind your business!”
Scott
snickered and went back inside his room and closed the door.
Sav shook his
head. “Crikey, these two lads aren’t gonna let me see 60!”
11
Back at the
Elliott house, Grace had flopped on her bed after shutting herself inside her
bedroom.
She knew she
went too far with her father, bringing all that up, but she couldn’t help
herself. She took after him in that respect.
And…it almost earned her a crack across the mouth for it. She saw the look in her fathers eye as he
raised his hand to her and couldn’t believe that he had the control to stop
just in time. But, she knew she wasn’t
off the hook.
A calmed down
Joe Elliott can be just as dangerous as a pissed off one.
A few moments
later, there was a soft knock at the door, then the sound of her mum’s voice.
“Grace?’
“Come in,” she
said sitting up and wiping the tears from her face.
Abby stepped
inside and went to stand in front of her daughter. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t
know,” Grace replied. “I have yet to
see daddy. I though you were him. Where is he?”
Abby folded
her arms and smirked. “Oh, he’s surfing
the internet looking for modern day chastity belts!”
Grace colored
and hid her face with her pillow. “Oh
God!”
“Oh, stop…I’m
just kidding,” her mother mused. “I’m
just trying to lighten the mood a bit, although we’re not too thrilled about
what happened tonight, not to mention mouthing off to your father the way you
did. You should know better, Grace.”
“I’m sorry,
mum. But….he absolutely embarrassed me
by coming down there. He and Uncle Sav
together.”
“Well, from
what I heard from a few of the lads leaving tonight, they had quite a time
winning money off them. And….if you
didn’t give your father reason to go down there, he wouldn’t have.”
“Yeah, he had
to check up on me outside through the basement window. I can’t believe he did that!”
“Well, he just
had this gut feeling about something.
Turns out he was right. Grace,
you’re only fifteen. That lad you were
kissing is going to be a senior.”
“So? How come you’re not mad about Ty kissing
me? He’s gonna be a senior too, you
know?”
Abby
sighed. “I’m not saying I’m alright with
that either. I guess, I don’t know,
maybe because you’ve known Ty since you were a baby that I guess I can trust
him.”
Grace folded
her arms over her pillow. “Yeah, well
he’s not as innocent as he seems to be?
He snuck in the jacuzzi room with the biggest slut in school.”
“Grace
Elliott! Watch your mouth!”
“Well, its
true, mum. I mean, I thought it was
only a rumor, but I guess its true. He
probably just went off with her thinking he’d get….you know. And…..this was after he kissed me. How could he do that?”
Abby sat down
next to her daughter and put her arm around her. “Hmm, sounds to me like you like Ty more than in a ‘brotherly’
way.”
Grace
shrugged. “I…I don’t know. I mean, he’s like my best friend and
all. We’ve know each other forever. Its just that…..its different now. He’s, you know…not some little wanker who
used to tease me.”
“You’re seeing
him in a different light,” Abby said.
“He’s maturing from a lad into a young man – a very handsome young man -
and you’re noticing that. And…I think
he’s noticing that you’re turning into a beautiful young lady.”
“Yeah, well,
now that he knows he can get what he wants from Julie, why would he want to
have anything to do with me? I’m not
like that.”
“Well, I’m
glad to hear you have some sense after all,” Joe said as he entered the room.
Grace looked
up at her father’s much more calmer face, then glanced back down.
“Grace…don’t
you have something to say to your father?” Abby asked.
“I’m sorry I
mouthed off to you, daddy,” she whispered.
“And……?”
“I’m sorry
that I didn’t say something about the vodka being put in the punch.”
Joe sat down
next to her. “Grace, do you know what
kind of trouble your mum and I would’ve been in if those kid’s parents see them
come home a little intoxicated? Do
you?”
“Yes,” she
murmured. “I’m….I’m so sorry,” she
began to softly cry.
Joe hugged
Grace as she cried. Yes, he was still
very angry about what happened and the consequences that could’ve
occurred. But he also understood the
pressures and anxieties of being this age as well. Not to mention, the urges.
Joe pulled her
back a moment. “Now, about this
business of you kissing Ty…”
“Daddy,
please…I…I don’t want to talk about it.
It…it was nothing, obviously. I
was just telling mum that he’d have no reason to be interested in me that way
when he can be with Julie and get………”
She couldn’t
finish her sentence as she started to cry again. It was obvious to Joe that Grace liked Ty a lot more than she led
on and was hurt about seeing him and Julie together.
He remembered
his vow the day he and Abby adopted her about not letting her near “those
Savage boys”. But he did, and now it
looked as if they were beginning to discover each other in a more physical way. He guessed that if he could trust his daughter
with anyone it would be the son of his best friend. But, after knowing what his best friend’s son got a little taste
of tonight, concerned him. He didn’t
think Ty would ever pressure Grace into anything like that.
Joe kissed her
on the forehead. “Listen, luv, I want
you to get to bed. You’ve got a busy
day tomorrow.”
Grace looked
up. “Oh?”
Joe sternly
nodded. “Although I’m glad no harm came
of tonight, you’re still not escaping punishment for not using good sense. I told your mum to leave all the dirty
dishes from the party on the counter and in the sink. You’re to do them tomorrow.
Then, you’re to clean up the entertainment room. Vacuum, dust – the works. Then, you’re gonna mop all the mud off the
kitchen floor.”
Grace’s mouth
dropped. “But….the cleaning people do
that.”
“Not tomorrow
they won’t. I’m gonna call them and
cancel them. Than, after you’re done
cleaning, you’re to stay in. No phone,
no telly, no cd player, no internet – nothing.”
“Dad…….!”
“Do you think
you deserve less young lady?”
Grace dropped
her head. “No, I guess not.”
“Fine,” Joe
said kissing her one last time before getting up to leave.
After Joe
left, Grace turned to her mum. “Daddy
hates me.”
Abby was
appalled. “Grace, don’t you dare say
that! You have absolutely no idea how
much we love you. You, and your
brother, are our miracles. Your father
and I couldn’t have children of our own, but we were blessed to have gotten the
two of you when you were babies.”
“Yeah, well, I
bet daddy now wishes he had another daughter.”
“You think
so? Grace, I remember the night we
first got you. After we put you down to
sleep in your crib, we didn’t want to leave your room. We just wanted to stand there looking at
you. However, we did wind up going to
bed, only for me to wake up about 2:00 in the morning to find your father
gone. I found him in your room, resting
his chin on the edge of your crib, just watching you sleep. It made me cry to see that big, tough man
turned to mush. But, we knew that we
had a job to raise you and your brother right.
And that includes discipline.
Its not because we hate you, but because we love you and want you to
learn from your mistakes. Now, enough
of this foolish talk and go to sleep.”
Abby kissed
Grace goodnight and left. Grace just
laid there thinking how boring tomorrow was gonna be staying in all day
cleaning with no means of electronic entertainment. It was gonna kill her!
Still, nothing
hurt as much as what Ty did to her tonight.
So…..why did she want to see him so bad?
12
Late the next
morning, Ty came downstairs to grab something to eat before heading with his
father over to apologize to Grace.
Scott was already at the table when he got there.
“Well, you’re
still breathing – so I guess dad didn’t lace into you too bad,” Scott said.
“Ha, ha….very
funny,” Ty mocked. “I just got a
lecture.”
“About
what? Keeping it in your pants?”
Ty gave his
younger brother a warning look, before Scott threw his arms up.
“Aye, half the
room saw you disappear with Julie last night.
And, with her reputation, I’m sure it wasn’t to play darts, not that
Uncle Joe even has a dartboard in the jacuzzi room!”
Scott ended
that comment with a snicker while Ty rolled his eyes. “All right, you had your fun at my expense. But, lets see how long you continue to fool
dad with you’re ‘I’m so innocent’ act.”
Scott wasn’t
affected. “Its not an act, I assure
you. I’m just playing it cool. At least Grace still respects me this morning!”
“Yeah, well
I’m going over there to apologize to her,” Ty stated. “Dad’s gonna let me drive.”
“The Porsche?”
“I wish,” Ty
groaned, shoving a Pop Tart in his mouth.
“Hmm, I’ll
probably get to drive it before you do,” Scott said.
“Fat chance of
that happening!”
“Well, if you
keep screwing up like you did last night, you might not,” Scott confidently
stated.
“I didn’t
screw up! Crikey, I’m seventeen. Dad understands these things. Like I said, all I got was a lecture and I
have to apologize to Grace.”
“Think she’ll
accept?”
Ty shrugged
his shoulders as he took a swig of milk straight from the container, just as
his mum walked in.
“Tyler
Kenneth! Use a glass,” Paige
scolded. “We raised you with better
manners than that!”
“Sorry mum,”
Ty sheepishly said before getting a glass out of the cabinet. When Paige walked away, Scott chuckled.
“Boy, you’re
certainly on a roll at getting caught, big brother.”
Ty squeezed a
wet sponge out of the sink and threw it at his brother. “Sod off!”
Scott caught
the sponge just as Sav walked in and looked in the direction from which it
came.
“What are you
throwing, lad?”
Scott
snickered again and Ty just rolled his eyes at getting caught, yet again. “Just horsing around, dad. Um…are we leaving.”
“Yep,” Sav
said tossing the Mercedes keys to him.
“Lets go.”
Ty caught the
keys with one hand and put his glass in the sink with the other. On the way out, he poked Scott in the side
of his head.
“Ha! Later.”
As Ty left,
Scott just sat there smirking to himself.
“Yeah, it won’t be long before Ty
screws up again,” Scott thought to himself. “Especially with Grace. That’s okay…I’ll just be there to pick up
the pieces!”
13
Abby answered
the front door, letting Sav and Ty in the house.
“Rick? What are you doing here?”
“Well, it
seems this lad here has a few apologies to make,” Sav said, nodding to Ty.
“What do you
mean a few? I only have to apologize to
Grace.”
“Ty, I believe
you’re aunt and uncle here deserve one too, for um…..acting up downstairs?”
Sav wiggled
his brows at his son, letting him know what he meant, without so much as saying
it. Little did Sav know, that Abby knew
about what Ty experienced last night.
Ty took a deep
breath and looked at Abby. “I’m sorry,
Aunt Abby. I um….acted like a total
wanker last night.”
“Apology accepted,”
Abby said to the contrite lad. “Come on
in.”
Sav and Ty
followed Abby in the kitchen where Joe was sitting. Ty took one look at his Uncle Joe and gulped.
“So, what are
you two doing about today?” Joe asked.
“Well, I
believe that Ty owes Grace an apology for how he acted last night.”
“Well, you’ll
find her downstairs in the entertainment room – cleaning it. You can go down and talk to her after I find
out one thing – in front of your father.”
Ty’s eyes
widened with fear. “What?”
“Who put vodka
in the punch last night?”
Sav’s mouth
dropped open as he folded his arms and slowly turned to regard his son. “What’s this?”
Ty dropped his
head. Boy, he was really in for it
now! He just couldn’t squeal on
Chad. And, he didn’t want Grace to get any
flak for it either.
“Um…well…..I
did, Uncle Joe,” Ty lied.
Sav dropped
his arms and put them on his hips, making his son face him. “Excuse me?
And just where did you get vodka, lad?”
“I…I…um…..well…one
of the kids at school has an, um….older brother that um….got a pint from the
liquor store. I’m…I’m sorry. I…I wasn’t
thinking. Uncle Joe, please, don’t
punish Grace. She didn’t know until way
after it was done.”
Joe and Sav
stared at Ty and knew that he was lying to cover up for someone else. For some reason, they found it quite noble
and a bit charming that he was willing to take the heat for a friend, and for
Grace. Joe just put a hand on his
shoulder and turned him in the direction of the basement door.
“Go. Go downstairs and say what you have to say
to Grace while your dad and I talk.”
“Yes sir,” Ty
sheepishly said as he went downstairs.
When the door was closed, Sav turned to Joe.
“Well, I
didn’t know about that,” he said.
“Although I can tell he was lying for someone. He didn’t have a coat on when we came last night so there was no
way for him to hide it.”
“Yeah, I
thought so too,” Joe said. “Crikey Sav,
you try to teach these kids right and wrong, but we should know that they’re
curious and are going to test the limits.”
Sav pulled out
a chair and sat down. “Well, at least
you’re getting some first-hand knowledge so you can prepare for J.T., eh?”
“Don’t remind
me,” Joe agonzied. “So….did you
um….have a talk with him last night about……..?”
Sav blew out a
frustrated breath. “Yes, I did.”
“So…….did
he…..?”
Sav looked at
Joe wiggling his eyebrows in a flirtatous manner. “Joe, he didn’t’ come out and say and I didn’t come out and
ask. I didn’t have too. You saw him last night. Crikey, the lad was too delerious to
remember to zip his jeans back up!”
Joe looked
around a bit. “You know, I have an
unopened bottle of courvoisier around here.
Why don’t we celebrate Ty getting his first blowjob?”
Sav looked at
him with warning eyes. “Don’t start,
Joe!.”
Joe rethought
what he said and sat down too. “Yeah,
you’re right. Especially since he was
kissing my daughter right before Julie put his first big grin on his face.”
“Yeah, he told
me about kissing Grace,” Sav said.
“That’s why he’s here to apologize.
He thought he offended her by doing that, then um…disappearing with
Julie right afterwards. He was really
upset over the fact that Grace saw that last night. I think he likes her more than he lets on.”
“Grace too,”
Joe admitted before groaning. “Crikey,
I wish the summer was over! Once school
starts they’ll be too busy with homework and sports to worry about a young
romance budding. Hopefully everything
will be dull and boring until then.”
Just then the
phone rang. Joe picked it up.
“’Ello?”
“Aye old man!”
Joe made a face. “Aye Collen, if you’re gonna call someone
‘old’, make sure its someone who’s older than yourself!”
“Well, you
are. In body that is,” Phil snickered
on the other end.
“Bite me,” Joe
responded. “What’s up?”
“I hope you
and Sav don’t have anything planned in two weeks?”
“Um…I don’t
think we have to meet with this new band and their manager and producer till
the end of August. Why?”
“Great! Make your plane reservations and bring the
family on out here. Rory’s getting
married!”
14
Down in the
entertainment room, Grace had on a pair of denim shorts and a cropped t-shirt,
her hair in a high pony tail, as she furiously vacuumed the carpet. She already knew today was gonna suck. There was absolutely nothing that could take
her mind off the boredom she was about to face.
“Hi.”
A voice from
behind caused her to turn. Upon seeing
Ty’s face, her heart practically stopped and she shut off the vacuum. He looked so gorgeous that she almost forgot
that she was mad at him.
“Hi,” she
mumbled back, not trying to look like she was really happy to see him. “What are you doing here?”
Ty hooked his
thumbs in the pockets of his jeans as he thrust one hip out to the side, all
the while, looking down a bit. Grace
had to control the beginnings of a teenage girls lust for how incredibly sexy
he looked in that pose.
“Well, I’m
here to apologize…..for last night. You
know….kissing you and then….you know…..Julie.
I mean, I know I asked if you wanted to be kissed and you said yes. You um….acted like you liked it. I did too, which is why I shouldn’t have
been hanging with Julie. I didn’t mean
to insult you, Grace. Especially on
your birthday.”
Grace’s
insides were tumbling about. She
couldn’t believe that Ty actually came here to apologize to her, unless, his
dad made him.
“Did….did your
father make you come here today to apologize to me?”
“Well, he
suggested it after I told him that I thought you hated me for what I did last
night. But I agreed with him. He’s letting me do some driving since I’m getting
my license soon so he came with me.”
Grace’s eyes
perked up a bit. “The Porsche?”
Ty
frowned. “No. Got my mum’s Mercedes.”
“That’s still
not bad. Think your dad will let us go
for a spin alone?”
“I highly
doubt it!”
Grace then
remembered her punishment. “Yeah, it
wouldn’t matter anyway. I’m being
punished for last night. I’ve got to
clean downstairs then the kitchen and then I’m shut off from the phone, the
telly, the computer, music – everything!
Dad’s pissed.”
Ty narrowed
his eyes. “What are you being punished
for….oh…wait….the vodka in the punch, right?”
Grace
nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t tell my dad who
did it. Did he ask you about it when
you came in?”
“Yeah. I told him it was me.”
“You did? Why did you lie?”
“Well, I
couldn’t squeal on Chad. And…I didn’t
want you to get in trouble for it. I
already screwed up enough, one more wasn’t gonna matter. Boy, your dad must’ve blew his top when he
found out about that!”
“Trust me,
Ty. You didn’t want to be here last
night. I mean, it was bad enough he saw
me kissing Ethan and……..”
Ty’s face
paled. “What?”
Grace bit her
lip, realizing what she said. “I..um,
well, he um…just gave me a birthday kiss, you know?”
Ty folded his
arms and narrowed his eyes. “Well, if
it was enough to piss your father off, then it must’ve been quite a birthday
kiss, hmmm?”
Grace
huffed. “Alright, fine…I admit it. I only kissed Ethan because……well, because I
wanted to get back at you. You kissed
me in a way that….you know….told me that you like me differently. And then you just went off with Julie
to…….. When I saw you with her, I guess
I just wanted to fight fire with fire.
Little did I know, my dad and yours decided to peek in on us from the
basement window on the outside of the house.
He saw me kissing Ethan and decided it was time to crash the party. That’s why they came down last night and
stayed there till the party was over.”
Ty unfolded
his arms and slipped his hands in his back pockets. “So….are you interested in Ethan?”
Grace shrugged. “He’s nice.
But…I don’t know if I’m interested in him that way.”
“Well you
certainly led him to believe you were after kissing him,” Ty said. “He’s probably gonna shoot his mouth off at
footie practice about it.”
Grace look
horrified. “Ty, you don’t think he’ll
say anything about me, you know…..bad stuff like what’s being said about
Julie?”
“If he does,
I’ll flatten him,” Ty said adamantly.
“Besides, you’re nothing like Julie.”
Grace looked
down dejectedly. “Yeah, I know.”
Ty walked over
other and put his hands on her shoulders.
“You’re better than her. She’s a
little trollop. Everything that was
said about her is true.”
Grace looked
up at him, tingling from the feel of his hands on her shoulders. “I guess you would know firsthand, huh?”
Ty squeezed
his eyes shut at how hurt she sounded.
“Grace, please don’t bring that up.
It happened and there’s nothing I can do about it. My dad already gave me a talking to about
it.”
Grace’s eyes
bugged out. “Your dad knows?”
“Well, he
kinda put two and two together when he saw Julie and I come out from the
jacuzzi room. And, being who he is, I
guess he’s all too familiar with the signs, you know?”
Grace blushed
a bit, knowing that the same thing could be said about her father as well. “Was he mad?”
“No, not
really. But, he was concerned and
stressed the importance of …um…self control.”
Grace looked
down again, Ty’s hands still upon her shoulders. “Grace….do you forgive me?”
She looked up
and smiled. “Yeah.”
They stood
there just staring at each other, wondering if they should make a move. They were already so close and his hands
were still on her shoulders. Grace bit
her bottom lip and let her tongue run across it. Ty noticed this and his heart started to beat, wanting so bad to
kiss her again. He was already reacting
to her in those bloody denim shorts and a t-shirt that bared her flat, curvy
mid-riff.
He took a
chance and slowly lowered his head, leaving his eyes open a bit. Grace tipped her head up to meet his. As soon as their lips touched, both of them
closed their eyes and slid their arms around each other.
************************************
“Great,
Phil. We’ll see you in a few weeks,”
Joe said as he hung up.
“So….Rory’s
getting married?” Sav asked.
“Yep. In two weeks. He’s been seeing this girl Lynn for about seven months now. She has a 3 year old child from a marriage
when she was only nineteen. He’s
absolutely bonkers for both of them. He
asked her to marry him a few weeks ago, but, with his travel schedule for work,
their only time for a honeymoon will be in two weeks. They’re just doing something small. Close family, friends and….us.
Kids too. Just for a few
days. I think I may get a nanny to stay
with J.T. I don’t think a ten year old
will have much fun at a wedding."
Sav stood up
and rubbed his hands together. “Hmm, I
think a little jaunt to California may be what we need. It’ll break up the monotony till the kids go
back to school. Let me go downstairs
and tell Ty and Grace.
The basement
door was already ajar when Sav carefully went downstairs. It was awfully quiet and didn’t hear Ty and
Grace talking. He squinted his eyes and
grinned as he peeked his head down first to find his son and Grace in a lip
lock. He pulled back a bit and closed
the basement door behind him before he came fully down. The sound of the door closing caused Ty and
Grace to jump apart.
“Aye
kids. Everything okay?”
“Um, yeah
dad. Everythings fine.”
“Good. Its about to get better. We’re going to California for a few days in
two weeks. Rory’s getting married.”
Ty looked
about as interested as a seventeen year old could, while Grace squealed. “Ooooh, a wedding! Oh, I’ll get to see Una
and Lily too.”
“Yep,” Sav
said. “Um…if you’re done down here lad,
lets go. Your Uncle Joe has things for
Grace to do today.”
“O..okay,
dad,” Ty said a little skittish as he watched him go back up the stairs.
“Think he saw
us?” Grace asked.
“I don’t think
so.”
Back upstairs,
Sav re-entered Joe’s kitchen.
“Well…we’re
they excited?”
“Um, yeah,”
Sav said. “Oh…also…I think Grace has
forgiven Ty.”
15
The plane ride
from London to California was long and exhausting. Grace and Ty had been secretly hiding their newfound like for one
another the entire trip, not to mention, the last two weeks. They had barely seen each other since the
day they shared that kiss in the basement.
Both were
looking forward to being able to spend several days with Grace under the same
roof, however, thier hopes dropped when they found out that Ty, Scott and his
parents were staying with Phil while Joe, Abby and Grace were staying with
Viv. Although Grace’s heart fell a
bit, at least she’d have Lily and Una for company.
Rick Allen was
just unloading a houseful of company from late family parties to celebrate
Lauren Shane graduating from nursing school.
Everyone
arrived safely and, completely exhausted, had only the energy to say hello,
unpack a few things then headed to sleep.
The following day, Phil was having a poolside gathering for Rory and
Lynn and their immediately family members only to get everyone acquainted
before the wedding the day after that.
The day of the
party found Grace being shaken awake by Una.
“Grace,
c’mon…gotta get up. Party time!”
Grace groaned
and rolled over to find sixteen year old Una standing above clad in a navy blue
and white print bikini, which evidenced her tall, slender curvy body. Grace looked her up and down.
“So, when did
you get those boobs?”
Una adjusted
her bikini top a bit, shifting her newly popped teenage breasts.
“Um, they just
kinda appeared overnight,” she said proudly.
“Lily’s really pissed because I’ve got more than she does!”
Grace looked
down at her own budding chest. Her
breasts were a decent size for a fifteen year old, but not as big as Una. “You’ve got more than me, too.”
“Yeah, well
you are a year younger than me. Give
yourself another year and you’ll pop out too.”
“Yeah, only to
have my dad try to ‘pop’ them back inside,” Grace huffed.
“Oh….yours
too?” Una frowned.
“Yeah. Una, won’t your dad freak when he sees you
in that bikini?”
“Probably. I’ll just stay covered up till we get to
Uncle Phil’s house. Can’t do anything
about it once we’re there.”
“Unless he’s
like my dad and do an inspection before we leave,” Grace said.
“Oh God,
Grace. He’s really that bad?”
“Yeah, well,
considering what happened a few weeks ago, he’s even more cautious.”
“Ooooh,” Una
said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “What happened?”
“Well, he
caught me kissing this lad Ethan at my birthday party.”
Una’s eyes
widened. “Yikes! If Uncle Joe is as I remembered, he must’ve
went ballistic!”
“Well, not
exactly. He and Uncle Sav came
downstairs to ‘crash’ the party. He
played snooker with some lads while Uncle Sav played poker. It was their way of keeping an eye on things
without making the party seem uncool.
However, I did get the big lecture once everyone left.”
“Mmmmm, first
kiss huh?”
Grace blushed
a bit. “Um…well, no. Not really.
Actually, Ethan wasn’t the first lad I kissed that night. Someone else kissed me first – real
nice! Tongue too!”
Grace smirked
and blushed even further when she said that, which caused Una to squeal.
“Ooooh, better
than that Ethan guy?”
“Much!”
“Someone from
school?”
“Mmmm, you
could say that,” Grace leered.
“What’s he
like? How old is he? Is he cute?
Is he gorgeous? Is he tall? Oh God, does he have a fine bod? Does your dad know? Is he gonna flip?”
“Una, slow
down!”
“Well…..don’t
just lie there! Tell me!!”
Grace took a
deep breath, and propped herself up on her elbows, enjoying this moment.
“Um, well he’s
real nice. I’ve known him a long
time. He’s gonna be a senior this
year. And, no, he’s not cute. He’s gorgeous! He’s tall and will probably get taller. As far as his bod, well…..lets just say he’s to die for in just a
pair of soccer shorts and nothing else.
Um…my dad knows that he kissed me and he didn’t freak too much.”
“Wow, he
sounds fab,” Una gushed. “So…..what
does he look like. In detail!”
“God, you’re
so bad. Um, okay….like I said, he’s
tall, slender, but he’s starting to get, you know, muscles in his chest and
arms. His legs are nice and strong from
soccer. He’s got light brown hair, softly
curled and huge blue eyes that…that….”
“Oh God stop!”
Una exclaimed. “You’re getting me all
worked up here! And…you said you’ve
known him a long time?”
“Yup,” Grace
said. “Since about……I was a baby.”
Una knitted
her brows. “Huh?”
“That’s
right. And he looks like his father did
when he was his age. And, he’s got all
the girls starting to swoon over him, just like his father.”
Una sat there
with a puzzled look on her face while Grace stared at her with a smirk, waiting
for her clues to register. When it
finally did, Una covered her mouth with both her hands and bugged her eyes out.
“Oh my
God! You….you’re not talking about
Tyler, are you?”
Grace answered
with a smug smile, which caused Una to squeal again.
“Aaaak! I don’t believe it. Well, yeah, maybe I do. I always thought that maybe you and Scott
would be an item, since you’re in the same grade.”
“Yeah, I
know,” Grace said. “Funny thing,
though. Even though I’ve got the
willies for Ty, Scott……I don’t know.
There’s just something about him that I just can’t shake. Maybe because he’s so different from Ty that
it makes me curious. He’s shy, but in a
sweet way that…well…..kinda makes a lass sigh.
Ty’s more of a heartbreaker who knows it. But, Ty’s showed interest first and I’m, well…wanting to show it
back, ya know?”
“Mmm, I can’t
wait to see what he looks like now. I
haven’t seen him in so long.”
Grace poked
her in the shoulder. “Aye, you keep
your bloody hands off, ya hear?”
“Ooooooh,
jealous, aren’t we? Well, you won’t
have to worry about Lily. She’s been
seeing this guy on the football team since last year. Very steady. As for me,
my eye roves a bit and I’ve seen too many to choose from. Who knows, maybe I’ll flirt a bit with sweet
Scott.”
For some
reason, Grace didn’t like the sound of that.
“Una, go easy on him. He’s real
shy, ya know.”
“I know. Just like Uncle Sav. Oh, don’t worry. I’m not gonna chew him up and spit him out or anything. I do like guys a little forward, but this
shyness of his has got me intrigued.
We’ll see. Now, enough
talk. Get up, take a shower, put your
bikini on, cover up good and lets go. I
need some color for this wedding tomorrow.”
With that, Una
bounded from the room as Grace slowly got up.
She went to her suitcase and pulled out her new black and silver bikini
that she knew would give her father a heart attack.
However, she
had plans of making Ty’s heart stop!
16
The gathering
was in full swing at the Collen household by the time Joe, Abby, Grace, Viv,
Jewels and Una showed up. Lily had to
take college prep tests today and couldn’t make it. Rick Allen and Lauren were already there, as well as Lauren Shane
and her boyfriend.
Everybody
spent the first hour passing around hugs, kisses and congratulations, to Rory
and Lynn especially. Rory was lovingly
holding Lynn’s three year old daughter Brianna who seemed to shy away from all
the attention and new faces.
After Rory did
the introductions to Lynn, she in turn, introduced everyone to her immediate
family – her parents, her brother, his wife and two small children and her
older sister, her husband and their nineteen year old daughter.
On Phil’s
massive redwood deck, he had two huge cookers going, one for hotdogs, burgers
and ribs and one for non-meat foods.
“Can’t be
mixing up the two,” Phil said jokingly as he flipped several veggie
burgers. A young man from the catering
service that brought pasta, eggplant, potato salad, tossed salad and baked
chicken, stayed to work the meat cooker.
As the adults
mingled, the kids cooled off in Phils inground pool. The two young children of Lynn’s brother were in the shallow end
while Ty and Scott horsed around in the deep end.
“Ah, nothing
can be more perfect than this,” Phil proudly exclaimed to his mates. “I’ve got my son getting married, a
beautiful day, great food and my best mates are here. I just love pool parties.”
Joe was about
to comment when a site coming out from Phil’s deck slider door caught his
attention and caused him to groan.
“Yeah, well I
hate them,” he growled to Phil.
“And…that’s the reason why!”
All the adults
turned to see Grace come out in a black and silver bikini. Joe covered his face with his hands while
Phil whistled.
“Wow, where
did your baby go?”
“I don’t know,
but if you do, let me know so I can go get her back.”
“Oh Joe,
stop,” Phil said. “You knew this was
gonna happen sooner or later so get over it and get used to it.”
“He’ll never
get used to it,” Rick said. “My Lauren
may be 20, but she’s still my baby.”
“Could be
worse, Joe,” Viv added. “You could have
two like me, close in age, and be
going through it at the same time. If I
can survive it, so can you. I……..mother
of!”
Everyone
turned again to see Una follow Grace out, clad only in her bikini.
Joe turned a
smug face to Viv. “You were saying, oh
wise father of teenage girls?”
“Well, knowing
and actually seeing it are two different things,” Viv whined. “God, what can be worse?”
“Probably
having two teenage boys who are starting to notice daughers like yours,” Sav
added. “Ty and Scott may have to stay
in that cold water once they see those two.”
“If the water
doesn’t heat up once they get in,” Phil added with a smirk.
Joe and Viv
shouted at the same time. “Shut up!”
“What?” Phil
and Sav both said.
Joe shook his
head. “You know, why is it always the
fathers of sons who say stupid, hormonal crap like that? Those are our daughters you’re talking about
them lusting after!”
“I’m so glad
I’m past this stage,” Rick rubbed in.
“Oh pipe down
old man,” Phil said to Joe. “Crikey,
they’ve known each other since they were children. Nothing’s gonna happen.”
“Um, think
again Phil,” Sav said giggling.
Phil, Viv and
Rick looked inquisitive. “Um…..what are
you talking about?”
“Sav….shut
up,” Joe warned.
“Oh Joe,
they’re gonna find out sooner or later.
Those two won’t be able to hide their…um…interest in each other for too
long.”
“Who?” Viv
asked.
“What?” Rick
asked.
“Tell!” Phil
demanded.
“Ty and
Grace,” Sav sheepishly said. “We think
there’s a little romance budding.”
“Oh-ho,” Phil
exclaimed. “And how did this all
begin?”
“The night of
her birthday party,” Joe added. “She
told us afterwards that Ty kissed her.”
“And, he
kissed her the next day too,” Sav added.
“What? You didn’t tell me that,” Joe fumed.
“You’re right,
I didn’t,” Sav added. I’d like my son
to have all his parts, thank you! Don’t
worry, it wasn’t going too far. He
must’ve apologized, she accepted and they…you know…kissed and made up.”
Rick knitted
his brows. “Apologized for what?”
Sav realized
that he opened up a door he didn’t want to and clamped his mouth shut. “Oh, nothing. He just acted like a little twerp, that’s all.”
“No its not,”
Joe said with amusement. “Tell them,
Sav. You just blabbed about your son
kissing my daughter, not to mention you kept the fact that he kissed her again
from me.”
“Tell us
what?” Viv asked.
Sav got a
little uncomfortable, knowing that they weren’t gonna let it rest until he said
something juicy.
“Well, seems
Ty hooked himself up with some young lass at the party who was hanging all over
him and….well….they um….kinda….you know….disappeared for a bit.”
Phil was
grinning ear to ear. “And…..?”
Sav continued
to squirm. “And……what do you
think? He reappeared with a very dazed
look on his face, his jeans unzipped and this lass, well, wiping her mouth.”
Phil leaned
his head back and laughed.
“Woo-hoo! So, the lad got his
first hummer, eh?”
“Will you keep
it quiet, big mouth?” Sav whispered to Phil.
“Well, what do
you expect?” Rick asked. “Like father, like son?”
Sav smiled
nervously over at Paige before feigning ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Joe put an arm
around him. “Um, Sav…is your age really
affecting your memory, or have you just chosen to block the years 1981 through
1993? You know, the wild years that you
were single and on tour?”
Rick and Viv
laughed. Sav grimaced. “No, I haven’t Joe! Its just….Ty doesn’t
know about…you know….’those times’.
“Don’t bet on
it,” Phil said. “Remember, the mum’s of
their friends used to go to our concerts years ago. I’m sure they’ve heard the legacy.”
“Ah, well, who
cares,” Rick said. “So….he’s one step
away from becoming a full-fledged man, eh.”
All the guys
snickered before Sav turned to Joe.
“Yes he is. And…he just may have
your daughter to help him in his quest.”
Joe’s green
eyes darkened, knowing that Sav pushed the wrong button. “Look, I don’t care if they kiss and hold
hands. But, Tyler better keep that
seventeen year old pecker away from her else he’ll find it missing!”
All of a
sudden, Viv craned his neck to look in the pool and gulped. “Um, yeah Sav. Better warn Scott as well.
He looks a little too cozy there with Una.”
Sav turned
around to see his youngest son shyly flirting in the pool with Una, while Ty
and Grace playfully wrestled one another.
Phil clapped
Sav on the back. “Aye mate, if you have
any intentions of being a grandpa someday, then you best warn your lads there
before their family jewels wind up in the hand of these two here,” he motioned
to Joe and Viv.
“Oh, stop
it! All of you,” Sav said. “Man, they’re surrounded by adults
here. Nothings gonna happen.
Now…Phil…I’d love a big messy cheeseburger!”
Phil made a
face. “Ugghh, get it yourself,
mate. I don’t touch the stuff, let
alone eat it.”
All the Lep
men chuckled and took off to make themselves a plate, leaving their worries about
their children behind.
What they
should’ve been worried about was Lynn’s nineteen year old niece as she hungily
eyed Tyler.
17
While all the
adults ate, the kids continued to swim and mess around in the pool, working up
an appetite.
Just as Grace
predicted, Tyler popped his head out from under the water and looked up at her
as she walked to the edge. His eyes
completely bugged at the near naked sight of her
Grace bent
down at the edge and he swam over to her with a big grin on his face.
“Hows the
water?” she asked
“Why don’t you
come in and find out,” Ty replied as he grabbed her arm and pulled her in. She responded with a muffled scream before
she was completely submersed. When she
came to the top, she slicked her blonde hair back, cleared her eyes and sought
out Ty.
“Tyler
Savage! You bloody wanker! I can’t believe you did that!” Grace then hugged her arms about her. “Crikey, its so cold.”
Ty swam around
her, eyeing her slick body. When he got
to face her, he noticed her hardened little nipples through her black bikini
top. He felt his body immediately
react.
Grace saw the
direction of Ty’s eyes and looked down.
When she saw her reaction to the cold water, she immediately submerged
up to her neck.
“No fair,” Ty
mused.
“I think
you’ve seen more than enough, lad,” she shot back.
Ty quickly
swam by her and, as he did, whispered in her ear. “Not as much as I’d like,” before he dove under the water.
On the other
side of the deep end, Scott and Una were playfully fighting for use of the
raft. Everytime Scott got on, Una would
tip it over, and vice versa. They ended
up splashing and poking at one another.
“Stop it you
bloody tease,” Scott shot at her with a smile.
“Make me,
tough guy,” Una flirted back.
“Oooooh, you
asked for it,” Scott warned as he dove under the water towards her legs.
Una tried to
side step him and make it over to the part of the pool where she could stand,
but Scott grabbed her legs and pulled her under. When he did, he resurfaced, just to have Una do the same to him.
Both teens
were breathless from all their horseplay.
They finally moved over to where they could stand and began to catch
their breath.
“You’re such a
jerk, Scott,” Una stated as she poked his shoulder.
“You should
talk,” Scott retorted, poking her back.
“You’re
worse,” Una shot back, shoving him harder.
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“You like to
tease, don’t you Scott. You put that
shy act on, but you’re really a little demon with halo.”
“Aye, I’m not
gonna blow my cover,” Scott leered.
“Hmm, I wonder
if you’re as shy and innocent as you want people to think you are,” Una
challenged.
Scott rolled
his eyes and shrugged. “You’ll never
know now, will you?”
Una swam up to
him very close and slid her arms around his neck. “Wanna bet?”
After quickly
making sure no one was watching, Una pressed her lips to Scott’s. He was at first startled, then sufficiently
aroused when she felt her tongue in his mouth.
As shy as he was, there was no way he could hide his reaction to this,
especially after being taken by surprise.
Although he
knew Una practically forever, she was still a lass, clad in a bikini, pressing
her young, firm breasts up against him as she kissed him. Scott instinctively put his hands on her
waist, reacting even more to the feel of her firm, wet skin, and gave her his
tongue as well.
All of a
sudden, the thought of his parents, Uncle Viv, or anyone else catching, came to
mind and he pulled away.
“Crikey,
Una…someone may see us!”
“Nah, I
checked. Everyone’s sitting down eating. Hmm, I was right. You’re not as innocent as you seem, Scottie boy.”
“Don’t tease
me,” he warned.
“I’m
sorry. It was just harmless
flirting. So Scott, do you um…have a
girlfriend back in England?”
Scott waded
away from Una, as he turned his head to glance at Ty and Grace fumbling with
each other.
“Um, no…..no
one steady, that is,” he said a little dejectedly.
“So…..you have
your eye on someone?”
Scott blushed
a bit. “Um, yeah…you could say that.”
“Does she know
you like her?”
“No, she
doesn’t. I mean, she knows I like her,
but not in the way I want. I don’t
know, maybe when school starts or something.
But, I think she may have her eye on someone else.”
Scott
punctuated that by secretly glancing at Ty.
“Hmm, well,
maybe you can win her from him with your sweet, innocent act, huh?”
Scott splashed
Una right in the face. “That’s the
plan, smartie,” he stated with confidence before swimming towards the steps to
get out.
Meanwhile, Ty
and Grace continued to goof around. Ty
would occasionally look up and catch that girl, Lynn’s niece, staring at him
from where she was stretched out on a lawn chair, working on her tan. He didn’t think anything of it, but it
seemed that everytime he looked up, she was staring intently at him.
For some
reason, he was starting to feel very randy.
At first he thought it was the fun in the pool, Grace’s near naked body
and his own hormones acting up that caused it.
But then, he thought it had something to do with that girl staring at
him.
His ego
swelled a bit and he went after Grace.
This time, instead of playing, he put his arms around her, dipped them
under the water till only their heads were visible and kissed her – wildly.
Grace pulled
back. “Ty…are you crazy? They’ll see us.”
Ty looked over
to see everyone sitting down and eating.
He also saw Scott and Una get out to do the same.
“Nah, its just
us in the pool. C’mon, Grace. I want to kiss you again. Don’t you want to kiss me?”
Looking over
at her father to make sure he was out of sight, Grace turned back and twined
her arms around Ty’s neck.
“Sure I do.”
“Good,” he
said before resuming the kiss. Since
they were underwater, Ty thought to get a little daring and slide his hands
down from her lower back to her bum.
When he did, Grace whimpered in his mouth and jerked forward a bit. When she did that, she was pressed fully up
against his growing erection.
She then
pulled back when she felt it.
“Ty, I…I don’t
think we should……s..s..someone will see us.”
“No one will,
Grace,” he seductively whispered in her ear as he slid his hand up, dangerously
close to the side of her breast. Grace
felt how close he was and pulled back.
“Ty, we better
cool it. I…th…that’s a little too
close. O..okay?”
Ty let out a
frustrated breath. “Okay, I’m sorry. C’mon,
lets get out. I’m starving.”
Grace got out
first, grabbed her towel, wrapped it around her and headed over to get
something to eat.
Ty hopped out
himself and headed for the cabana area to get himself a towel. As soon as he disapeared inside, the girl in
the lawn chair got up and followed him.
18
Ty entered the
pool cabana and searched around for a clean towel. Once he found one, he briskly rubbed it over his head before
shaking his wet curls in place to dry naturally. He then dried his upper body then searched for his t-shirt.
As he was
about to leave, he saw the girl laying by the pool walk in.
“Oh,” she
feigned ignorance. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
know anyone was in here.”
Ty’s eyes
couldn’t help but peruse her firm, voluptuous body that was barely contained by
her golden brown bikini.
“Um..n..no
problem. I was just on my way out.”
“Tyler,
right?”
Ty turned
around. “Um, yeah.”
“I’m
sorry. I’m usually so good with
remembering names. Especially when
they’re attached to someone as good looking as you. I’m Diane. I’m Lynn’s
niece. Are um…..you here for the
wedding tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Rory’s dad and mine were in a band
together.”
“Mmm, so I’ve
heard. Def Leppard. My parents were big fans. You’re Rick Savage’s son, right?”
Ty
grinned. “Well, one of them. My brother Scott is here.”
“Yes, I
saw. He was in the pool with Viv’s
daughter, is it? Seems you Leppard
children are trying to keep it in the family, I see?”
“W…what do you
mean?”
“Oh, I’m
sorry. I…I didn’t mean to pry or
eavesdrop. Its just that, well, being
so close to the pool, I kinda overheard you with that girl you were in the pool
with. I was introduced to her and her
parents when they arrived. She’s Joe
Elliott’s daughter. I guess what I’m
trying to say is…..it looks like the two of you are…you know….an item.”
Ty couldn’t
help but blush at someone referring to him and Grace as an ‘item’.
“Well, I guess
over time Grace and I started liking each other differently.”
Diane slowly
and appreciatively raked his tall frame with calculating eyes. His lightly muscled chest and strong legs
made her lick her lips.
“So Tyler, how
old are you?”
“Uh,
seventeen. I’ll be a senior this year.”
“Wow, I
thought you were older. I guess its
because you’re tall and, well, developed.
Do you play sports?”
Ty was
starting to get very warm from her attention, seductive voice and barely naked
body.
“Y..y..yes. I play soccer.”
“Mmm,
figures. You’ve got strong legs. I figured you played….something. So um….are you and Grace steady?”
“Well, not
officially. We’re playing it cool. She just turned fifteen so we’re taking it
slow.”
“Hmm, so I
heard.”
“W…what?”
Diane stifled
a giggle. “Oh, I’m sorry Tyler. As I said, I didn’t mean to overhear
before. I couldn’t help it. Its just, well, you know…I heard the two of
you playing around in the pool and Grace kinda…you know….wanting to ease
off. I can understand, being fifteen
years old and all, that she wouldn’t want to go too far. I was like that when I was fifteen, though
it didn’t last too long.”
She ended that
sentence by burning her eyes in his. Ty
gulped and he became very warm.
“Um..how old
are you?”
“Nineteen. I’ll be a sophomore in college this
year. Can’t wait to go back, believe it
or not. Its been such a boring
summer. I’d do anything to have some
kind of excitement before I go back.”
Diane made
sure she stressed the word ‘anything’ and played it to the hilt when Ty
couldn’t take his eyes off her body.
She knew she had this randy young stud in the palm of her hand, however,
she’d play it cool today.
“So Tyler,
when do you go back to England?”
“The day after
the wedding. We’d stay longer, but my
dad and Uncle Joe own a recording studio in London and they’ve got business
there when they get back.”
“Ooooh, how
exciting,” she purred. “By the way, I
just love that British accent. I think
its so sexy.”
She punctuated
that remark by running her finger up his long, damp arm. All he could do was stand frozen still and
stare, not knowing what was gonna happen.
He knew he should get out of there – and fast – before anyone, Grace
especially, saw him in here alone with her.
But, then again, nothing was happening.
They were just talking.
So why was he
so friggin’ hard in his swim trunks?
“Well, Ty……I’m
famished. I’m gonna get something to
eat. I’ll um…look forward to seeing you
at the wedding tomorrow. I’m sure it’ll
be a blast. Perhaps we can have a
dance, if Grace doesn’t mind.”
“Oh, well, I
don’t really dance.”
Diane stepped
closer to him. “Not even a slow
one? I never heard a young man passing
up the opportunity to hold a woman close against his body, especially if
there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a
wedding – everyone dances like that.
Perhaps I can persuade you.”
She was
standing so close that the tips of her breasts brushed up against his
chest. The slight contact caused an
immediate reaction in his young body.
His breath began to quicken, causing his chest to rise and fall. His eyes were a bit clouded and his mouth
was parted slightly.
Diane noticed
the signs and knew she’d have no problem convincing him of anything.
“I’ll
uh….think about it,” Ty replied.
Diane stepped
back. “I’ll hold you to it. Well, let me just grab my t-shirt and head
on out. It was nice talking to you, Ty.”
“Yeah, nice
talking to you too.”
Diane’s eyes
casually perused the obvious hardness behind his wet swim shorts, then looked
back up with a gleam in her eye.
“I can see
that,” she wickedly said before turning to walk out.
Ty glanced
down and saw the evident affect Diane had on him and was immediatley
embarrassed. He threw his t-shirt over
his head, grateful that the length covered it up. Just then, Grace walked in.
“Ty, what’s
taking you so long?”
Ty looked at
Grace and gulped, hoping that his face didn’t give anything away.
“Nothing,
luv,” he cheerfully said. “Just drying
off and getting my t-shirt.”
Grace didn’t
look convinced. “What did Diane want?”
Ty inwardly
winced. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I saw
her walk out as I came in.”
“Nothing. She just came to get her clothes, that’s
all.”
“That’s all?”
Ty took a deep
breath. “Yes,” he lied, before walking
over to Grace to put his arms around here.
He thought to get his mind back on track by kissing her.
When he put
his arms around her, Grace immediately stretched hers up around his neck and
kissed him back.
However, Ty’s
body had a mind of its own and immediately sought to ease some of frustration
Diane caused by pulling Grace tight against him and rubbing himself against her
leg. Grace immediately gasped and
pulled back.
“T..T..Ty…..w…what?”
Ty backed away
and ran his fingers though his hair.
“Grace, I’m sorry. Its…its just
that….God, you feel so good.”
Grace didn’t
know whether to believe that his body’s reaction was because of her kiss or
Diane’s earlier presence. She knew that
Diane was 19 and probably had some experience, whereas she was a virgin and
didn’t want to go too far too fast. She
was confident that Tyler would understand and wait till she was ready.
Now, however,
she wasn’t so sure.
19
Later that
night, Grace tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. All she kept seeing was Diane and Ty
together, doing what he wants so bad to do.
As she thought
about it even harder, she clearly remembered the smug look on Diane’s face as
she exited the cabana. That, combined
with the fact that Ty was obviously aroused before Grace even walked in there,
made her suspicious of what really went on between him and Diane.
Even though it
was unspoken between her and Ty that they were a couple, they pretty much acted
it. And, as such, Ty had been acting as
if she were his girl. Right down to
wanting to venture into dangerous territory on her person.
She wasn’t
stupid to think that someone as good looking and sexy as Ty would want to be
satisfied with just kissing her. Hell,
he already had a sexual experience with Julie the night of her party which, she
was sure, made him wanting more. And
Grace was afraid that, if she didn’t give it to him, someone else would.
Someone older,
beautiful and more experienced like Diane.
Althought she
was experiencing feelings and sensations that she wanted to give into, she knew
that, being only fifteen – not to mention Joe Elliott’s daughter – that she
should be respectable and wait.
However, she didn’t know if she should or, if she did, how long?
Tired of
tossing and turning, she got up and softly knocked on Lily’s door. Being a few years older than Grace, maybe
she could offer some discreet advice on what to do.
“Who is it?”
“Its Grace,
Lily. Can I talk to you?”
“Yeah, come
in.”
Grace opened
the door to find Lily at her computer, even at this hour.
“Oh, I didn’t
know you were still up. Are you busy?”
“Nah, not
really. Just beginning to make my list
of stuff I gotta do before I go off to school.
Whats up, Gracie?”
She hated that
name. It made her feel like a kid. “Um…Lily, I….I need to ask you about
something. But, you’ve got to swear to
keep it confidential. Its….its kinda
personal. Well, really personal.”
Lily smiled,
knowing that it had to be about boys, or…Ty specifically.
“Absolutely,”
Lily agreed. “My lips are sealed. Go ahead.”
“Well, since
you’re older and, well, been in a relationship with someone for a while, I was
wondering if…… well, how…how old were you when you……you know, and um…..how long
did you go out with person before you decided to…..you know?”
Grace kept her
head down the entire time, she was so embarrassed. Lily concerned about what she was asking, but…it was only
natural.
“Um, well….to
tell you the truth, I had just turned seventeen when I first had sex. I had been going with this guy in my class
for about 6 months. We did it the night
of our prom. But Grace, everyone is
different. I’m not saying that just
because I did it at seventeen, or someone else did it at fifteen, doesn’t mean
there’s a right or wrong time. For me
to say to wait because you’re only fifteen would be hypocritical of me because
seventeen isn’t that much older. But, I
will say, that please…….please think long and hard before you do decide to do
anything. You really should wait till
you’re very, very sure and that you’re in love”
“Were you in
love with that guy?” Grace asked.
“Well, I did
love him,” Lily said. “But, the fact
that we’re not together anymore makes me kinda regret doing it with him. We ended our relationship on a not so nice
note and I’ll always have the memory of my ‘first time’ being with someone I
don’t like anymore. That’s where regret
can set in.”
“Lily, did you
do it because you were afraid that, if you didn’t, he’d find someone
more…..cooperative?”
“No, I
didn’t. It was my choice. I really felt close to him and decided I
wanted to share myself with him. But,
like I said, that was me. Everyone is
different.”
Lily then
looked at Grace with concerned eyes.
“Grace……can I ask you something now?”
Grace squirmed
around on the bed, knowing that she owed it to Lily to ask. “Yeah.”
“Well, I know
I showed up at the picnic late today because of my tests. But, I did happen to notice that you and
Tyler were kinda….together. Is he the
boy in question?”
Grace just
nodded.
“Is he
pressuring you?”
“No! Not at all.
Its just…well, he is seventeen and, well, you know teenage lads.”
Lily
chuckled. “Oh yeah. I think once all guys get their first teenage
hard-on it doesn’t go down until their twenty-five!”
Grace covered
her mouth and giggled into it, blushing profusely as well.
“Sorry, didn’t
mean to be so blunt,” Lily said. “But,
I’m sure you’re not ignorant to these things.”
“No, I’m
not. I guess I’m just wondering how
long I should hold out with him, that’s all.
Part of me says I should, for respect.
Plus, not only will my dad kill him if he finds out, he may kill Uncle
Sav too!”
Lily laughed
again. “I’m surprised the both of them
haven’t done each other in after all these years!”
“But, the
other part of me, well…wants to. Not
just because I think he might, but, when I’m with him, kissing and stuff,
it…..you know…..feels really good and…..oh, crikey, I can’t believe I’m talking
about this!”
“Grace, its
okay. We’re both women here. I’ve experienced the same thing. Hell, I still am! But Grace, I do think fifteen is young. And, I can see that certain look in Ty’s eyes when he looks at
you. That, and knowing who’s daughter
you are, will be enough incentive for him to respect you and your desire to
wait. If he does respect you for that,
then he’s one special guy that you should hang on to.”
“But, what if
I’m the one who doesn’t want to wait?”
Lily put a
hand on her arm. “Is that what you
really want? Is he the one? Remember, Grace, your first time is
special. I know Ty is special to you,
but this is your body you’re talking about.
Sex just isn’t physical, but emotional.
If you’re not sure about your feelings for him, and he for you, and you
get physical, then wind up breaking up, it could be devestating. Once you share your body with someone like
that, it opens up a whole new set of feelings and emotions. In my opinion, I don't know if you’re ready
to handle those now. Please, Grace,
please do some thinking on this. If the
subject comes up between you and Ty, then talk to him about it and find out
where he stands. If you’re gonna be in
a relationship with someone, then you have to communicate. Has the subject ever come up between you
two?”
“N..no, I
mean, not specifically. Sometimes when
were kissing, I can sense things getting a little out of control and I always
wind up being the one to ease up a bit.
I can sense his frustration, but he’s never really shown it. He just says things like ‘I’m driving him
crazy’ or ‘that he’s sorry for getting a little carried away, but it feels so
good’. Just stuff like that.”
“Well, no
doubt Ty would accept if you offered to go farther. But Grace, do think about what I said. Of course, the final decision is yours. Just make sure you know what you’re doing. And….make sure you ……use something.”
Now Grace
really blushed. “Oh, I..I know. I would never take a chance like that. I really do like Ty – a lot, and believe
that I could come to fall in love with him.
I…I just want to know what I should be prepared for, that’s all.”
“Well, that
shows maturity right there,” Lily said.
“But, you have to talk to him if the subject comes up. Let him know how you feel and that you’re
concerned. Then you’ll find out where
he stands.”
Grace digested
all that Lily said before she got up.
“I will. Thanks, Lily. You’ve been a big help.”
Grace give her
a quick kiss on the cheek and left. As
soon as she got back to her room she flopped back in bed and thought about
Ty. She was almost certain that he
would respect her wishes to wait.
But, the
question was, would he wait for her?
20
The following
morning, both the Collen and the Campbell households were a whirl as everyone
got ready for Rory’s. Jewels had a hair
stylist come to the house to do the girls’ hair.
As Grace
looked into the mirror at the small, enameled butterfly pins that adorned her
messy, yet stylish upsweep, she carefully applied some charcoal liner to her
eyes and a little pink blush. Her large
green eyes and teenage porcelain skin didn’t need much help to emphasize.
She then took
her brand new dress off the hanger and put it on. It was butter yellow and whisper soft chiffon. The color played up her blonde hair and made
her deep green eyes stand out even more.
She then called Una in to help her fasten the criss-crosses on the back
of her dress. That, combined with the
spaghetti straps, revealed her tanned back and arms. Fortunately, the dress was ankle length so that it wouldn’t upset
her father too much.
At least she
thought.
“Grace…..turn
around.”
Grace heard
her father’s voice as she decended the stairs.
She took a deep breath and did as she was told. Then heard her father groan.
“Do you and
your mother do this to me on purpose, lass?”
Grace turned
around and huffed. “Daddy, it’s a
formal dress. I’m going to a
wedding. Its perfectly appropriate.”
“Yeah, for a
twenty five year old, maybe. Crikey,
why am I even bothering? At least your
covered down to your ankles. C’mon, we
got to get moving.”
The wedding
took place around a flower strewn gazaebo outside the hall where the reception
would be held. Rory and Lynn didn’t
want any fuss or frills. As the
Elliott’s and Campbell’s were led to their seats for the ceremony, Ty turned
around from where his mother, father and brother were already sitting up a few
rows. When he saw Grace, his mouth
practically dropped.
Grace looked
up at him as soon as she was settled and saw the appreciative look on his face
and blushed. Weddings are so romantic
and she hoped that today would provide a little romance for her as well!
After the
ceremony, everyone ventured inside the air conditioned hall to escape the
August heat and enjoyed hot and cold hors d’oeuvre’s and champagne.
After getting
herself a soda, Grace walked to the catering table and popped a stuffed
mushroom in her mouth. Her eyes
wandered around until they fell upon Ty, looking extrodinarily handsome in a
charcoal gray suit and white collarless shirt.
Her heart thumped at the mere sight of him. Suddenly, all thoughts and anxieties over what she fretted over
the night before vanished. The more she
looked at him, the more she wondered if she would ever wait!
She glanced
down after catching his eye, but saw him walk over to her. As he got closer, she looked up and met him.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“You look very
handsome Ty. I’m so used to seeing you
in either jeans or your soccer uniform.”
Ty grinned
knowingly and ran his eyes up and down her form. “You look……wow! I love
that dress. It makes you look….grown
up.”
“Thanks. Dad freaked a bit, but then he calmed
down. Um, I think we’re all sitting at
the same table. The Campbell’s and the
Allen’s are at the table right next to us.”
“Hmm, that’s
too bad. I think Una has taken a bit of
a fancy to Scott. I saw her kiss him in
the pool yesterday.”
“Oh, I think
she was only flirting. She’s a big one
you know. Speaking of flirting, is that
Diane girl here?”
“Grace,
nothing went on. We were just talking,
that’s it.”
“Yeah,
well….would you look a nineteen year old guy cozying up to me?”
“No, I
wouldn’t. Look, lets forget about
her. Lets go find our table and sit
down. And….maybe we can take a walk
later?”
Grace regarded
him with veiled green eyes. “Maybe?”
Ty grinned at
the prospect of being alone with her for a bit before following her to the
table.
After dinner,
Rory and Lynn cut their cake, tossed the bouquet and garter and did the
traditional dances. Una unsuccessfully
tried to cajole Scott onto the dance floor.
The shy fifteen year old wouldn’t dream of dancing in public, especially
in front of his family. He was also
feeling funny around Una after she kissed him yesterday, wondering if anyone,
Grace especially, saw them. He wondered
why he cared so much if Grace saw. It
was clear that she and Ty fancied one another and that he would never have a
chance with her. Still, he continued to
play it cool and wait to see what the future brought.
Ty saw Diane
eyeing him every so often and did his best to avoid her. The last thing he wanted to do was screw
anything else up. It was obvious that
the girl was trouble and, even though any guy would be crazy not to give into what
she was offering, he was trying his best to restrain himself from it.
After a while,
Phil came over to the table and pulled Paige out of her chair. “Well, since you’ll never get this husband
of yours on the dance floor, you may as well settle for me. Abby….you’re nex luv.” Phil promised her
before leading Paige to the dance floor.
Sav shook his
head. “Man, he’s almost eligible for
social security and he’s still the biggest flirt of us all,” he said of Phil.
Just then,
Rory, Lynn and her daughter made their way over to the table to talk. Ty used it as his cue to take Grace by the
hand to lead her outside.
“C’mon,
luv. I saw a little path here that I
think leads to a garden area. Lets go
walk.”
Grace clasped
her hand in his and followed him down the stone path to a very secluded area,
filled with the most beautiful flowers and foliage she’d ever seen.
“Oh Ty…..this
is sooooo beautiful,” she exclaimed.
Ty turned to
her and touched the side of her face.
“Not as beautiful as you, luv.
God, you look so hot, Grace. I’m
so glad you’re mine.”
Grace’s heart
thumped. “Am I yours, Ty?”
He leaned down
till his lips were almost touching hers.
“Yes,” he huskily said before kissing her.
Grace wrapped
her arms around his neck, her body stretching up to meet his tall frame. Ty wrapped his around her waist, practically
dying from the feel of her young, curvy body through the soft, sheer
chiffon. Their tongues found their way
inside each others mouth as the kiss was turning hot.
Ty took the
willingness that Grace was showing as a sign to venture a little further. He slid his hands down until they ran over
her firm little bum. Grace whimpered in
his mouth as a slight protest, before she sighed and gave in, thinking it was
quite harmless.
But Ty took it
as an invitation to get even more daring.
He then slid his hands back up her back, his fingers feeling the exposed
skin there, until one hand reached around to her rib cage. It lingered there a bit as his thumb
dangerously grazed the side of her breast.
Grace jerked a
bit, never disrupting the kiss, but then relaxed. To her, it wasn’t that far and wasn’t concerned. Plus, the feelings coursing through her
young body were overwhelming her, making it impossible to stop.
And, when she
didn’t stop Ty, he went the final step and slid his hand all the way in front
and cupped her breast. He let a
satisfied groan escape into her mouth as Grace felt as if she was burned. She broke the kiss a bit and pulled away,
only to have Ty pull her back into the kiss.
“Grace, its
okay. I’ll only touch you there. Please, luv. I promise not to go farther.
God, you feel so damn good.
Please, luv. Remember, you’re
mine now.”
Although Grace
was bit frightened by being touched by
a boy for the first time in forbidden places, she admitted that she liked
it. And, if she was to allow anyone to
touch her, it would be Ty.
She resumed
the kiss and leaned back into him, giving him access to fondle her breast
again. As he did, he felt her nipple
begin to harden under the chiffon. He
ran the pad of his thumb over and over it, causing little moans and groans from
Grace that were driving him out of his mind.
“Grace, luv,”
he murmured in her mouth. “Will….will
you touch me too? Please, luv. I’m dying here. I want to feel your hand on me, the way you’re feeling my hand on
you. Please.”
Grace couldn’t
deny him the way he was pleading. His
sexy voice was making her witless. Not
sure exactly what to do, but having a pretty good idea what he wanted, she slid
one of her hands down from behind his neck and ran it down his back all the way
down and over his bum. He groaned his
delight in her mouth which caused her to smile. She left her hand there a bit before Ty got anxious.
“Please
luv….touch me….there. In front.”
Grace
cautiously dragged her hand around until it rested on the waistband of his trousers. She then slowly moved it down until it came
into contact with something very, very hard.
Both she and
Ty gasped at the same time; she at the new feeling, and he at the feel of a
soft feminine hand on the most sensitive throbbing part of him. She quickly pulled her hand away, as if it
burned her.
“No,
Grace. No. Please, its okay. Oh God,
it felt so good. Please touch me again. It’ll be okay. I promise.”
Grace touched
him again. First, just grazing the
length of him with her fingertips before boldly squeezing him. That caused him to almost lose it. He ground his body against hers to assuage
the lust growing in him as his fingers slipped inside the side of her dress to
feel her bare breast. It happened so
fast that Grace hadn’t realized it until her was squeezing her erect nipple
with his fingers.
“Yes! Yes, Grace, that’s it. Squeeze me harder. Oh, please, don’t stop.
Dammit, that feels so good.”
Grace was torn
between pleasing him and letting this go too far. Even though the feel of his hand on her bare breast was making
her mad, she knew it was too much. His
body grinding against her hand to get more of her touch was sending her over
the edge. She knew that if she kept
this up, his body would soon give into the natural response most boys get from
this kind of stimulation. That
frightened her a bit.
She removed
her hand, broke the kiss and pulled back, the move causing his hand to slip out
of the top of her dress.
Ty was visibly
shaken and at the point of exploding from his aroused state. “Grace, what? Please, luv….its okay.”
Grace covered
her face with her hands, feeling her burning cheeks from her arousal. “Ty, I…I think that was way too far than I
planned to go. Its…its just too much. I’m sorry.
Not yet. Not that much
anyway. Please, don’t be mad at me.”
Ty put his
hands on his hips and lowered his head, catching his breath from his excited,
frustrated state. He knew he couldn’t
leave himself like this, but he couldn’t force Grace. His father’s voice resounded in his brain about never forcing a
lass. And he definitely couldn’t force
Grace.
“Its..its okay
Grace,” he said with a trembled voice.
“I…I shouldn’t have pushed you too far.
You just felt so good that I couldn’t help myself. I’ll be alright.”
Grace was relieved
that he wasn’t mad. She turned around
and looked back. “Um, I think we better
get back before someone sees that we’re gone.”
“Yeah, okay,”
Ty said. “Um, why don’t you go on ahead
so no one sees us coming out together.”
“Okay,” Grace
said. “I’ll see you inside.”
Grace turned
to leave and, as soon as she was out of sight, he reached down and wrapped his
hand around himself, trying desperately to calm himself down. He knew that nothing short of satisfaction
would get his erection to go down. Safe
in the privacy of the area, he began to unfasten his belt and troushers a bit
until he could comfortably slip his hand inside. He then sat down on a stone bench to make himself a little
comfortable.
Feeling like
an absolutely idiot for what he was about to do, he began to slowly slowly
stroke himself until a noise from the clearing made him yank his hand out of
his trousers and look up.
“Need some
help with that?” Diane asked.
21
Tyler grabbed
the waistband of his trousers as he stood up and quickly did the zipper. His suit jacket kept him covered.
“W…what are
you doing here?”
Diane smiled
at him smugly over catching him trying to satisfy himself. “Well, you’ve been avoiding me since you got
here. I saw you walk out here with your
little girlfriend, but then I saw her come back without you. She looked a little shaken so I thought
maybe you two had a fight or something.
I just came to see if you were alright.
From the looks of it, I guess you’re not.”
“I don’t
appreciate being snuck up on,’ Ty retorted.
“I wasn’t
sneaking. You just didn’t hear me
because you were…um…busy.”
Ty knew she
was trouble, no matter how bloody fantastic she looked in a short, black dress
that fit her like a glove. It wasn’t
doing his horny body any good to look at her.
He had to get out of there and get back to the reception – fast.
He began to
walk by her. “Well, I’m not busy
anymore. I gotta get back before….”
He felt Diane
grab his arm and pull him back. “So
soon? Its so beautiful out here. Stay a bit.”
She looked up
at him with wicked, pleading eyes that automatically spoke what was on her
mind. Ty’s brain told him what he
should do, but his body was telling him quite another. And, a seventeen year old lad’s body has
more convincing power than his brain!
“Um…I’ve been
gone for a bit. Someone may come out
here looking. I don’t think…..”
“What were you
and Grace fighting about?”
Diane cut him
off with that question while the grip on his arm turned to a soft caress up it.
Ty’s heart
began to pound as his calmed body began to stir again quickly. “We..we weren’t fighting.”
Diane looked
him up and down and smiled. “Well,
something happened. She looked a little
shaken after leaving you, and here I find you sitting on the bench about
to…….hmm, did things get a little too hot for her maybe?”
Ty looked away
embarrassedly before responding. “A
little. But I care about Grace and I
respect her too. She just wants to take
it slow, that’s all.”
“So I heard
her say in the pool yesterday,” Diane replied.
“I gather that all this ‘taking it slow’ business is ‘taking its toll’
on you, hmmm?”
“W…what do you
mean?”
Diane pressed
herself up against him and ran her hand over the hardness in his trousers. Ty sucked his breath in and jumped at the
feel, both forbidden and exquisite.
“This! This is what I mean. Got you all worked up that you had no choice
but to….um…take care of it yourself.”
Ty knew this
was wrong, but her hand felt so good on his throbbing erection that was
screaming for relief. “D..D..Diane,” he
stammered. “I..I think you better stop.”
Diane took her
other hand and put it behind his neck, pulling his face down to hers. “Than stop me. Take my hand away.”
He
couldn’t. He just couldn’t. When he didn’t, Diane smiled knowingly and rubbed
him a little harder, causing a relieved groan to escape from his lips. Diane stood on her tiptoes and whispered in
his ear.
“You like
that, huh pretty boy.”
Ty had to
smile a bit. He remembered how that was
a favorite name used to describe his father years ago.
“Yeah,” Ty
huskily whispered back. “Feels good.”
“So does
this,” she replied as she captured his mouth with hers. Her tongue immediately sought entrance
inside and was quickly met by his. Both
were moaning and groaning in each others mouths as their hands searched each
other as well.
When Ty began
to grind against her hand, signaling his closeness, Diane switched gears.
Without
realizing it, she began to back him up towards the backless bench that was
secluded by most of the foliage. When
Ty felt his knees hit the back of it, he felt Diane’s fingers reach for his
zipper and pull it down. He then felt
his trousers fall to his hips before Diane made him sit down on the edge of the
bench on the end.
“Lay back a
bit,” she instructed.
Without a will
of his own, Ty did as she said. He then
watched her straddle him and the bench.
She settled herself down on him, her center very close to his exposed
erection. She leaned down into him and
kissed him again. As she did, she
reached for the hem of her short dress and pulled it up. Ty felt her do this and looked down to see
she wasn’t wearing any panties underneath.
He looked up
at her breathlessly. “W..w.what are you
doing?”
She positioned
herself over him as her face came dangerously close to his.
“I’m gonna
send you back to England a man,” she said before impaling herself on him.
“Holy fuck!”
Ty blurted out at his first experience with being inside a woman’s tight
wetness.”
“Oh, it’s a
fuck alright,” Diane reassured him as she moved over him, doing all the work on
the narrow bench. “Enjoy it pretty
Ty. May as well learn a woman’s
body. A guy like you is gonna need that.”
She whispered
those words in his ears as she expertly moved over him, knowing, because of his
age and aroused state, it wouldn’t take long.
And it didn’t. Ty instictively
grabbed her hips and moved her faster to accelerate the orgasm building up
inside him.
“Bloody
hell! I’m gonna…….YEAH!”
Ty shot his
release hard and fast inside Diane as he let out a muffled shout against her
shoulder.
As soon as he
calmed down, the realization of what just happened hit him like a ton of
bricks. Diane had him pegged since she
first laid eyes on him yesterday and she succeeded in her mission.
And, he
failed. He failed to do what his father
warned him about – exercising self control.
He also paled when he remembered what his father said about jeopardizing
his future because of a foolish mistake.
He immediately sat up, causing Diane to jump off him.
“Crikey!”
“Regrets, Ty?”
He looked at her. “We….you…..I mean….we didn’t use
protection.”
Diane rolled
her eyes. “Ty, I’m nineteen years
old. I’ve been on the pill since I was
sixteen. I’m not some cast iron virgin
like your Grace.”
Ty’s body had
calmed down enough that he could think with his brain. He was now full of anger and resentment.
“I happen to
care about her,” he seethed at Diane.
“But you didn’t seem to care about that fact. You took advantage of the situation. Well, you got what you wanted.
Just another conquest, I imagine.
And, yeah, I do regret it, but its my regret to live with. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going inside.”
With that, Ty
zipped and buttoned up, and left Diane in the garden. She just sat on the bench, watching him walk away.
“You’ll thank
me for this little lesson someday, Ty,” she said to herself.
22
The plane ride
back to Sheffield the following morning was long and exhausting. Ty was acting very moody, so Grace chose to
sit with her parents.
She noticed
that he’d been like that ever since their little encounter in the garden
yesterday at the wedding. She knew that
he said he understood about wanting to stop before it got farther than she’d
like. She had gone back to the
reception ahead of him like they agreed, but noticed that he hadn’t returned
right after her. She wondered if he
stayed out there to think.
Grace
remembered Ty coming back to the reception hall looking both agitated and
skittish. He had avoided her for the
remainder of the reception until the very end when he came up to her and
apologized for what happened.
However, when
Phil announced that he was having a little post-wedding gathering at his house,
Ty wound up hiding in his room, feigning an upset stomach.
The truth was,
Diane was there and he didn’t want to run into her with Grace around,
especially after what happened. Grace
had knocked on Ty’s door to at least come out in the living room so they could
watch the telly, but he refused, just in case Diane came in the house. She thought about going in his room to stay
with him, but that wouldn’t sit too well with her dad.
And now….here
they were, heading back home. She hoped
that maybe he was just a little homesick, for whatever reason. Once they got settled back into their
routines with soccer and getting ready for school, things would return to
normal.
And they
did. With the start of school in a
week, Abby took Grace out shopping for some new back to school clothes, only to
have the bags inspected by Joe once they got home. It has been a ritual ever since her body began to develop.
Joe
immediately snatched the bags out of Grace’s hands as soon as she came through
the door before she had a chance to go up to her room and hide them.
“Not so fast
there, lass,” her father warned. “Your
dad wants a peek.”
“Daddy,
please! You’re just gonna criticize
everything.”
Joe pulled out
several new pairs of jeans and groaned.
“Crikey, Grace! Not only do you
have at least a dozen pairs of jeans already, these are so friggin’ low. How do you wear knickers with these?”
Grace decided
to have a little fun. “Um, well,
actually I don’t wear knickers with those.”
She knew right
away that was the wrong thing to say.
“The hell you won’t!” Joe fumed back at her. “Its either that or these jeans….all of them…go back!”
“Daddy! I’m only kidding. I wear knickers – all the time.
I even bought some……”
Just as she
said that, Joe had opened another small bag that Grace was sure that she had
kept from his view. Joe reached in and
pulled out several pairs of jeweled colored thongs. She thought his eyes would fall out.”
“Grace…tell me
that your mother bought these for herself to surprise me with.”
Grace’s
inability to answer told Joe that was not the case. “Young lady! No way in
bloody, friggin’ hell are you going to wear these! I’ve seen strippers wear more than this!”
“Oh, and when
was that last?”
Joe turned
when he heard his wife’s voice and made a face. “Waaaaay too long. Which
reminds me, I’m overdue for a good night out with the boys,” he joked.
Grace made a
face. “Daddy…..yuk! Oh God, I can just picture you and Uncle Sav
watching those girlie shows like dirty old men!”
“Watch that
mouth, lass. And….do NOT call me old,
understand! And…do not change the
subject. You are not wearing this piece
of string under your jeans – and especially not under a dress! Dear God, I can just imagine!”
“I don’t think
you have to imagine, daddy. You were a
famous rock star once. I’m sure you’ve
seen worse than this.”
Joe folded his
arms and narrowed his eyes at her.
“Enough, Grace. That’s not for
you to speak about. Now….either get
some decent knickers or jeans that come to your waist. But…these are going back.”
“But da……….”
Joe just
looked at her with that ‘don’t even think about arguing with me’ look before
she grabbed her bags and dragged herself upstairs. He then turned to his wife.
“Abby, I can’t
believe you bought these for her!”
“Actually, I
didn’t. She bought those with some of
her birthday money. Must’ve been when I
was in the dressing room trying something on.”
Joe saw a
twinkle in her eye and already forgot about the matter at hand. He raised a curious eyebrow and moved closer
to Abby.
“Oh….something
you bought for yourself?”
Abby slid her
arms around Joe’s neck. “Mmmm,hmm,” she
answered. I bought it. I’m wearing it. And…its just as small as that little piece of material in your
hand.”
Joe still had
one of the thongs Grace purchased in his fingers. Knowing that Grace was in her room and J.T. was over a friends
house, he stuffed it back in the bag and dragged Abby down into the
entertainment room for a little game of show and tell.
23
Over at the
Savage household, Ty stood in front of the mirror, inspecting himself. Although he wasn’t comfortable with how it
came about, he was, so to speak, a man now and was looking for any
changes. He felt a little stupid, but
he thought that he’d at least see some kind of difference, at least on the
outside. Inside, he still felt like a
total wanker.
He knew he’d
never feel comfortable until he was safely back in England. He was so afraid Grace would find out about
him and Diane. As much as how it all
came about disgusted him, he couldn’t control himself at that moment. His little snog and grope session with Grace
in the garden wound him up to the point of almost erupting in his
trousers. And a seventeen year old
lad’s body doesn’t calm down too quickly.
He, once again, thought with the wrong head and allowed Diane to work
her wiles on him. Only until after it
was too late did he realize what a conniving bitch she really was.
As he looked
in the mirror, he was determined to make his last year in high school his
best. Now that he was a ‘man’, he was
gonna make a commitment to start acting like one. He had so much ahead of him to decide up. Whether or not to go to university and what
to do with the rest of his life. It
seemed like so much to be thrusted on his young shoulders, but he was getting
older and these decisions needed to be made.
His first
decision was about Grace. Although they
had known each other all their lives, that wasn’t enough for him to
automatically assume that he could take liberties with her. She was a lass and he had to respect her
wishes, even if it threw him into horny tizzy.
He had to start doing what his father warned him about – exercising self
control. He also knew that, once he
left school, she’d still have two more years there. Should he go off to university and meet new people, where would
that leave them?
He was
suddenly overwhelmed by all that he was thinking about and, instead, decided to
take one day at a time. As he continued
to peer at his reflection, Scott peeked in on him.
“Admiring
yourself?”
“Stuff it!” Ty
replied.
“Whatcha
looking for?”
“Signs of
manhood. You know…things you don’t have yet.”
“Ha ha..very
funny there. So tell me, are you
looking for possible whiskers or some sort of glow?”
Ty looked at
his brother with guilt. “W..w..what do
you mean?”
“You know
something, Ty. I remember Uncle Joe
once saying that dad had this bad habit of stuttering when he was guilty of
something. Guess you inherited it.”
“I…I…I…don’t
know what your’e talking about,” Ty said, before wincing at his
stammering. “What I mean is, I’m not
guilty of anything.”
“Then why are
you stuttering and getting so defensive?”
“N…nothing. Whats this rubbish about a ‘glow’?”
Scott rolled
his eyes around, looking towards the ceiling.
“Hmm, maybe you’re right. I
think I’m asking the wrong person.
Maybe I should’ve asked Diane.”
Ty turned on
his brother. “What re you talking
about?”
Scott
grinned. “Something wrong, bro?”
Ty didn’t
answer for it seemed everytime he opened up his mouth, he stuck his foot deeper
into it.
“Okay
Scott. What are you really getting at?”
“Well,” Scott
began to whisper, “its like this. “Una
and I saw you and Grace leave the wedding reception to go for a walk. After that, her and I went outside for a
bit. A while later, we saw Grace walk
back alone from the path that led to the garden. Una saw she looked a bit upset so she went back inside to talk to
her. I stayed outside and that’s when I
saw that Diane lass walk up that path.
She was gone for quite a bit.
Una then came back outside and said that you and Grace had a little
‘misunderstanding’ but everything was okay. Knowing that Diane was probably in the garden with you, I didn’t
want Una to see you two come out together, else she’d tell Grace for sure. We both went inside where we later saw you
walk in, looking a little sheepish.
When I didn’t see Diane, I went back outside until I saw her walk back
from the garden looking a bit flustered herself and her dress twisted about
her. Being the logical bloke that I am,
I just put two and two together. So,
big bro……does it equal four or what?”
Ty just stood
there dumbfounded that his younger brother had figured out what happened. He always knew that Scott was more of an
observer and figured things out rather quickly. But he never thought this.
Ty looked at
him with warning eyes. “Scott…..I
swear…if Grace finds out about this……”
Scott threw
his hands up. “Aye bro, don’t worry
about me. Its not for me to tell, even
though what I think you did to her was pretty crappy. Maybe you should confess before she finds out.”
“She’ll never
find out,” Ty adamantly stated. “That
wench is all the way on the other side of the Atlantic. Hell, Scott, I just want to forget about
it. I’ve been sick over it. I bloody screwed up big time!”
“Hmm, seems
you’ve been doing a lot of that lately,” Scott smugly said.
“No I’m
not! Crikey, I’m seventeen. These things happen. And, it just so happens that I know you’re
not a perfect, angel. I saw you and Una
kissing in the pool.”
Scott looked a
little mortified that he was seen.
“Yeah…well….we were just goofing around, that’s all. Una’s a big flirt and she thought it would
be safe with me.”
Ty crossed his
arms and smirked, happy that the subject was changed. “Hmm, you didn’t look too safe to me!”
Scott smacked
him in the arm. “Bugger off! I’m not interested in her that way. Besides, I’m interested in someone else.”
Ty raised his
eyebrows. “Oh? Let me guess…that cute little blonde from
Grace’s party?”
No way could
Scott tell him the truth, that he had feelings for Grace. And, knowing this evil little secret about
Ty and Diane would most assuredly split them up. But he couldn’t do that.
He just couldn’t. Grace had
chosen Ty and that’s where her feelings stood – for now. Scott would just have to keep it to himself
and, maybe, find someone who may help him to overcome his feelings for her.
“Um, yeah,”
Scott lied. “Its her. I haven’t seen her since the party, but
maybe she’ll come to soccer practice.
If not, I’ll see her at school.
Now..enough about me. Lets get
back to you. So….is it true?”
“Is what
true?”
Scott and Ty
both looked up when Sav peered in from coming down the hall.
“Um, nothing
dad,” Scott replied with a smirk. “Just
asking Ty if its true that he’s a man now.”
Ty almost
choked, as did Sav. He looked at his
eldest son. “Just what does that
supposed to mean?”
Ty was tongue
tied until Scott jumped in to save him.
“Oh, he’s been standing here for a half hour or so inspecting his face
for whiskers, tis all.”
Scott then
shoved Ty in the shoulder. “Keep
looking, bro. Sooner or later, one will
pop out,” he mused before leaving to head downstairs.
Ty looked at
his father with a stupid face and grinned.
Sav wasn’t sure about that look, but left it alone. Instead, he changed the subject.
“Um, the mail
came. There’s some university brochures
in there. You might want to start
checking into these things.”
Ty’s shoulders
dropped as he felt the heaviness of deciding upon his future. “Dad, I don’t know. I mean, I know I should go to university,
but…its just that I’m not sure what I want to be.”
“Ty, no one
knows as soon as they get there.
However, you may want to start pondering that now. Think about what interests you.”
Ty looked at
his dad and smiled. “Girls and
soccer. That’s what interests me!”
Sav couldn’t
help but laugh. That’s all he thought about
at that age – and…music. Which reminded
him….
“Aye, were you
playing the guitar late last night?”
“Um, yeah I
was. I couldn’t sleep. I was tossing and turning a lot so I just
picked it up and started strumming till I got tired.”
“I heard
you. Sounded pretty good. You haven’t picked that up in a long time.”
“I know. I just saw it standing in the corner and I
guess it called out to me.”
“That
happens,” Sav said. “It gets worse once
you start writing. You wind up waking
up from a deep sleep with an idea that you just have to get down, else you’ll
forget it. Needless to say, I rarely
had a good nights sleep when we were writing an album.”
“Well, I got
this tune in my head that I had to get down,” Ty said. “I put down some rough notes you taught
me. Just a stupid little tune, nothing
much. But, it sounded nice.”
“Yeah?” Sav
was suddenly interested in what his son conjured up. “I’d like to hear it sometime.”
“Maybe. Nothing I’d like critiqued, anyway. I’ll think about it.”
Sav respected
his son’s privacy and didn’t push him to show him anything. He already had enough on his mind with
deciding on his future.
As Sav walked
back downstairs, he thought how wonderful it would be if one of his son’s
followed in his footsteps!
24
The following
week was crazy. School had officially
begun the same day Sav and Joe headed to London for a few days to meet with a
new band and its management at their recording studio.
Both
households were swimming with activity between kids going through fashion
crisis with their wardrobes and husbands yelping for their wives to locate
their overnight luggage.
Thank God for
the women of the house!
“For Pete’s
sake, Rick,” Paige said with a roll of her eyes. “All those years you toured all over the world and now you can’t
even find one little overnight bag.”
Sav turned
bewildered eyes towards his wife who was standing on the other side of the bed,
chastising him.
“Well, I never
worried about anything back then.
That’s what we paid Malvin for.
He practically babysat us.”
Paige folded
her arms and regarded him. “Yep, baby
sure is the word!”
Sav pursed his
lips and narrowed his eyes at her. With
lightening speed, he jumped across the bed, grabbed her arm and dragged her
across it, pinning her under him.
Paige squealed
at the sudden move and being held motionless under him.
“That’s right,
luv. I’m a big baby. And now..baby’s going ‘bye-bye’ for a few
days. How’s about a quick little
send-off?”
Sav leaned
down and began to nibble her neck, causing laughter to escape her lips at the
tickling sensation.
“Rick…are you
nuts? Now?”
“No, I’m not
nuts. I’m horny. And, yes…now! I won’t be here later, or the day after that, or the day after
that. C’mon, don’t make me wait three
days, Paige.”
“I can’t
believe you’re like this!”
Sav sat up,
his body still straddling hers. “What
do you mean? Aye, I may almost be 57,
but I still can function, ya know.
And…its supposed to last a lot longer when you get older.”
“No, that’s
not it,” Paige countered. “Its supposed
to be more difficult um…getting it up..when you’re older.”
Sav’s mouth
dropped at her sassy comment. He
immediately took her hand and rubbed it over the fly of his trousers.
“Any doubts,
luv?”
Paige
flustered when her hand came in contact with his hardness before shaking her head ‘no’ before pulling
him down on top of her, unaware that their bedroom door was slightly ajar, or
that Scott couldn’t find his clean soccer jersey.
“Mum…do you
have my……….oh crikey!”
Sav jumped off
Paige when he heard his son come in.
“Hows about knocking next time,” Sav said with a little frustration.
“Dad! The door was open. If you were gonna…..you know…you should’ve shut it and locked
it. Bloody hell, now I’m gonna have
this image in my mind all day!”
“Aye, watch
your mouth, lad,” Sav scolded as he helped Paige off the bed. “And, don’t make your mum and I feel like
friggin’ fossils! I still have it, you
know!”
“Yeah, but do
I have time to get it?” Paige asked.
“Uggghhhh,”
Scott groaned as he got out of their bedroom fast, but not before Paige called
after him.
“Check the
dryer for your jersey Scott,” she yelled out before shutting and locking the
bedroom door.
“Okay,
stud….you’ve got ten minutes,” Paige announced.
Sav took her
by the hand and pushed her back on the bed.
“Well, I may not be the randy lad I used to, but I think I can manage!”
25
The next day
at soccer practice, Grace sat in the bleachers after school with Beth and
Allison. She barely had time since
getting home from California to fill her two best friends in on all that had
occurred.
In between
watching Ty with the varsity team and Scott with the juniors, Grace and her
friends chatted incessently.
“Oh my God, I
can’t believe that you let him get that far,” Beth exclaimed.
“Beth,
touching is not ‘too far’,” Allison added. “Now…touching ‘it’ with your mouth
is too far!”
Grace was
aghast. “Allison! Stop!”
“Sorry
sweetie, but that’s the next step.
Unless you plan on giving him handjobs for the rest of the school year.”
“I..I haven’t
even given him that,” Grace stammered.
“Well, I think it may have happened in the garden at the wedding if I
didn’t stop him in time.”
“Poor Ty,”
Beth said. “His ballock’s must’ve been
purple, poor lad! Don’t worry,
Grace. A handjob is nothing. I mean…its not sex! I’ve given Chad a few.”
“You….you
what? The two of you are going out?”
“Yep,” Beth
replied. “And…I believe Allison here is
pretty cozy with Jack, hmmm?”
“No comment,”
Allison said.
“Aye, you
better comment,” Grace said. “We’re
both spilling our guts here.”
Allison bit
her lip and looked a bit leery.
“Um…well…okay. I..I guess I can
tell you guys. You are my best friends,
after all.”
“Tell us
what?” Grace and Beth both asked.
“Well………Jack
and I….you know…..did it.”
Four sets of
eyes almost fell out. “You did? Oh my God…when?”
“About a week
ago. His parents went out and his
sister was out on a date so my mum dropped me off to watch telly with him. We started getting hot and heavy on the
couch and, well, before I knew it, our clothes were practically off. We got on the floor so no one would peek in
the window. He asked me if I was ready
and I said yes. He smiled, and got up
and ran quickly to get his prized condom that he probably had forever. And…well…that was that.”
“Well…what was
it like?” Grace asked.
Allison
smiled. “It was nice. The closeness was really special. I had feelings that……that I never got just
from kissing. Real intense ones. I think my eyeballs rolled back.”
“That means
you had an orgasm,” Beth proudly stated.
Grace covered
her face with her hands. “Oh God, I
can’t believe we’re talking about this!”
“Get used to
it missy, cuz you may be next,” Allison promised. “I mean, look at Ty? He’s
friggin’ gorgeous! And…look about you
at all the lasses here in the bleachers.
Soccer practice has turned into a lad-hunt. You better make your mark on him to let them know that he’s
taken. Crikey, even Scott’s getting
admirers already. Hell, if things
didn’t work out with Ty, I bet you wouldn’t have a problem convincing him.”
Grace looked
over at Scott practicing with the junior team. She then noticed a group of
three girls standing by the sidelines, pointing to him and whispering. One of the girls was the pretty blonde from
her party that Scott spent most of the night with. No doubt, he’d set his sights on her. For some reason, that made her a little envious.
Not knowing
where that thought came from, Grace quickly shook it from her head and looked
back over at Ty. Practice was wrapping
up and he was wiping himself down with a towel. As he walked over to the sidelines, he looked up at her and
flashed the infamous smile that his father used to melt the hearts of women in
his hey day.
Just as he
did, a couple of senior girls walked over to him to flirt. Grace’s eyes narrowed a bit.
“Better get on
down there lassie,” Beth warned. “Those
girls are eyeing your Ty like a sweet.
But, I must say, I don’t blame them.
Something about the lads after practice when they’re shirtless and
sweaty…….”
Beth was cut
off when Grace abrubtly got up and marched down the bleachers towards Ty. She was glad to have worn her new low rider
jeans and a white, short sleeved crop top that exposed a dangerous bit of her
taut mid-riff and navel.
As she
approached Ty, his gaze turned to her and his mouth fell open a bit. He excused himself from the two fawning
girls and went over to Grace.
“Aye luv. Did you enjoy watching practice?”
Grace took a
deep breath, put her arms around Ty and drew his damp, half naked body up
against hers for a very lusty kiss.
Several whoops
and whistles were heard, mostly Ty’s team mates, along with some very lewd
comments. Ty pulled away first, not
wanting Grace to be subjected to his mates raucious behavior. He turned around towards.
“Aye, stuff
it, mates.’
“Nah, more
like you’re gonna stuff it – to her,” one of his mates said.
Ty gave him a
warning look, which caused Grace to giggle.
He then turned back to her.
“Luv, you know better than doing that around these blokes.”
“Did you
mind?”
Ty couldn’t
hold back a smug look. “Not one
bit! That was an awfully hot kiss. And speaking of hot….I love that top. I can tell your dad is still away, else he
probably wouldn’t let you out of the house in that.”
“Ty,
listen. Since your dad and mine are
still away, my mom and yours are going out to dinner tonight. They asked me to come, but I’d rather stay
home. Why don’t you have your mum bring
you over our house when she comes to pick mine up. You can stay and we can watch the telly or play some games until
they come home.”
Ty smiled
wickedly at the thought of being alone with Grace for the night. Well, almost.
“Um, what
about J.T.?”
Grace
frowned. “I gotta watch him since I’m
staying home. Hopefully, he won’t be a
pest.”
“Well, sounds
good to me, luv. I don’t have much
homework, so I guess mum won’t mind.
This way here…you won’t be all alone.”
“Well, I
wouldn’t be alone. J.T. would be with
me.”
“Yes, but now
you’ll have a man around,” Ty said with confidence.
Grace widened
her eyes at that remark, wondering what kind tonight would hold. She had thought long and hard about her
relationship with Ty and how far she decided to go. She finally came to the decision that, if she was going to trust
her body to a lad, it may as well be someone she’s known all her life. She decided it was time to venture a bit
further with him, although, how far they’d get with J.T. nosing about tonight,
was yet to be seen!