Georgia Boys

16. in which we go to the drive-in

me after not updating for three months: 🤭

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QUINCY AND I continue to spend our days together, like we always have.

Our friends take up our time. We hang about the De Leon farm with them all, bask in the green. We drive out to the nearest city ever so often, talk on the bus rides there with our deep drawls and heartier laughs.

But wherever we are, my gaze finds Quincy. 

I'm familiar with wanting. I mean, at a point I wanted Robbie. But I am consumed with this massive want for Quincy Denton, like I was keeping my feelings stifled until they begged to be freed. And now that they're freed, they're going nuts. 

He catches me wanting him all the time.

We'll be by a bank or laying down on a porch or swimming in a pool, and our friends will be scattered around us, but at some point, I will blatantly ogle him. And at some point, he will catch me. 

And then his lips will curve upward, all sly, and I'll imagine how they feel, as though he hasn't kissed me smack on the lips at some point.

But we've kept out little arrangement secret from our friends. They'll catch on soon enough, if they haven't. Regardless, I keep my horny thoughts to myself. As much as I can, at least, whenever Quincy meets my gaze.

I know I can't grab his face and kiss him in front of everyone. I've never loved so publicly. But damn, he makes me want to. Even though I know that I never know what to do nowadays when we do catch ourselves alone, because it's always brief, and I never know what to do. 

So, when Quincy saunters into the bakery one Saturday afternoon, asking if we could go to a drive-in, it's all I can do to avoid sounding so excited as I agree to it. 

I don't know what movie we're watching, and I don't think I care. Quincy settles down on his designated stool, watching me work. I've come up with a berry cake idea for the competition, and my parents have agreed to it. Now, it's up to me to put everything together and figure out what frosting and fondant will work best for this cake. 

It has to be dramatic; it has to be perfect. Quincy doesn't speak too much, just watches me move. I'm trying to keep my back to him, so I don't get all distracted. However, it's not an easy feat. Just feeling his presence can throw me off. 

"Are you purposefully trying to sabotage me?" I finally ask, turning around. 

"What?" Quincy asks, and his eyes become so innocent, I nearly believe him.

"I can feel you staring at me."

"You're attractive."

My face goes hot. "You can't say that."

"Say what?" Quincy perches his chin on the heels of his hands. "You think you're the only one allowed to stare?"

"I don't stare."

"That's right," Quincy says. "You just undress me with your eyes whenever we're anywhere together."

If my face wasn't hot before, it's burning.

"Shut up."

"I'll take any orders you have willingly."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up."

"You can kiss me if you think that'll do it."

I turn around, and somehow, he's already behind me. Sometime when we were going back and forth, he had hopped over the counter. He's awfully irresistible, and his lips are full and inviting as he tilts his chin upward to meet my eyes.