Sweet Caroline

Andrew huffed, kicking a rock along the ground as he admitted, “Um… well, I’m not sure where to even start if I’m honest with you.”

Caroline glanced over at him silently, saying nothing because she had no idea what he wanted to tell her. So, how was she to know where he needed to start?

He glanced at her, his face sheepish, before he said, “Okay, I suppose I’ll start with, I have no clue what to say to you, not really. In truth, I’ve mostly just ignored girls and focused on my studies. That changed recently, though.”

“I kind of noticed the ignoring part. You might explain what has changed to me, though,” Caroline suggested as she watched him rub at his chest in an absent-minded way.

“Well, that’s the hard thing to explain. So, let me start with something a bit easier for me,” Andrew suggested before blowing out a breath. “When we were in the fourth grade, you were injured, and I remember for at least a week afterward I hardly let you out of my sight.”

Caroline remembered that too and felt herself flush at how much she had idolized him, then and now. It seemed just like last week, the two of them were seated on the couch, her head on his shoulder as they watched TV together. “Yeah, I remember. Then suddenly, you just stopped. I admit, I thought we had become friends, and you suddenly ignoring me really hurt.”

Andrew reached out and took her hand as he pulled her to a stop.

One glance told Caroline they were now at the end of her driveway.

“I blocked a lot of it from my mind, but even as I stand here talking to you, those memories are slowly returning. Caroline, I was ten years old, and my feeling for you, every moment we were together, grew stronger and stronger.” Andrew’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I was too young to understand why that was. All I knew was that by the end of that week, I didn’t want to leave you at night. When my mom came and got me that last night, I didn’t want to leave you, Caroline. I wanted to stay, to cuddle you up in my arms and drift into sleep with you. For a ten-year-old boy to be having that strong of a feeling for a girl was scary.”

Caroline studied his face, her eyes moving over it. She searched for any sign that he was lying and found nothing.

“I cried when I got home that night. I cried because I wanted to be with you, not in my cold bed alone. My arms felt empty, and so I decided it had to stop. I decided I was too young to have such feelings for a girl, so I started ignoring you and made myself forget. I know it was stupid, but I….”

Caroline placed a finger on his lips. “Hush, Andrew, I understand because I felt the same way, except it wasn’t just that last night that I cried. It was every night. You know, I can still remember how it felt to have you carry me to the nurse. I still remember how you always smelled like peppermint when we would sit watching TV.”

He chuckled at that comment. “It was the only candy Mom would keep in the house because of Dad’s sweet tooth.”

“I still love the smell of peppermint,” Caroline shyly admitted.

“Oh, Doll, I still love to eat it too. Although I don’t tote a piece everywhere with me as I did back then, but I’ll start if you want me to,” Andrew whispered before pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly.

Breathing in the musky male scent that was uniquely Andrew, she sighed contentedly. Gone was the peppermint of childhood, but this new scent, a mix of musky male and deodorant, was just as addictive. His arms felt so good wrapped around her, and even though she wasn’t sure where this was going, she planned to enjoy the ride. “No, I like the way you smell now.”

“May I kiss you, Caroline?”

Looking up at him, she saw his eyes had darkened, and his face held an intent expression as he waited. So, giving him a nod, she tilted her chin up, and suddenly his lips were on hers

A kiss, I’m receiving a kiss from my crush, and this time it’s the real thing, not a dream.

Andrew pulled back after a moment and gazed into her eyes.

Curious, she asked, “Why do you call me ‘doll’?”

“That day, I picked you up, and you told me I shouldn’t carry you because you were fat. I didn’t see that at all. What I saw was a cute, dimple-faced doll, like the one my little cousin Sheila was always toting around. It made me better understand her attachment to it because I was fast becoming attached to you,” Andrew explained.

“But I was… well, not fat, but chunky. I eventually outgrew my baby fat, but I’m no size two even now.”

Andrew moved her backward until her back was to a tree. Then he leaned in to kiss up and down her neck before whispering in her ear, “That’s alright, it just means I don’t have to worry about breaking you if I get a bit rough.”

Caroline felt heat move up her face at the implications of that sentence.

“I want you to give me a chance to prove myself to you,” Andrew whispered. “Will you do that?”

Caroline nodded, unable to tell him no when she wanted that chance too.

“Let me kiss you again.”

Caroline lifted her face, bringing her arms up to wrap them around his neck. As she did, his hands gripped her waist, and his lips ravished hers. When he nipped at her lower lip, she parted them, and his tongue slipped in to tangle with hers. He pulled her even closer to her, rubbing gently against her. She whimpered when he pulled back, not wanting him to leave her. So, she tried to pull him back for another kiss.

“No, I need to go now, or I won’t be able to,” Andrew murmured as he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. His hand moved soothingly over her hip, and she sighed. “Besides, it’s late, and we have school tomorrow.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to go because I’ve waited so long for you to…” Caroline let the sentence trail off as she once more felt heat flood her face.

“To what?”

Caroline sighed before she whispered, “To acknowledge me, I guess. It’s just, I’ve liked you for so long, Andrew, and now that I kind of have you, I don’t want to let you go.”

Andrew raised her chin so that she was looking at him. “There is no kind of about it. I’m yours, and I want you to be mine. I have so many things I need to tell you, but it really is late, and as much as I want to stay, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Caroline’s shoulders drooped thought of him leaving, but still, she gave him an accepting nod and whispered, “Good night.”

Andrew whispered good night also and headed off down the street.

Caroline turned and went into the house, heading straight to bed.

“Good morning, Doll,” a familiar male voice said.

That husky voice sent shivers down Caroline’s spine and caused her to pull her head from her locker. Seeing Andrew standing there looking so handsome as he gazed at her made her smile. As she stood up, she said, “Good morning.”

Andrew surprised her by pulling her into a hug and shoving his face into her hair. After a moment, he kissed her cheek and asked, “Do you work tonight?”

Caroline just shook her head, no, unable to speak after his display of affection.

“Good. Will you go out with me tonight then?”

Caroline stared up at him in shock. He wants to go out tonight with me. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Um… like a date?”

“Yes, Caroline, a date. You said you’d give me a chance, so I thought we could have one,” he agreed as he chuckled and squeezed her hip.

“It sounds nice. How do I need to dress?”

“What you have on is fine. I thought we’d—” Andrew stopped talking as he stared at something he saw behind her.

Caroline glanced over her shoulder. Dale and Rebecca, along with Maggie, were headed their way. Looking up at Andrew, she mentioned, “Now you can meet my three best friends.”

Andrew gave a slight nod.

Caroline turned to greet the three, saying, “Hi, guys.”

Rebecca was the first to speak. “Good morning, Caroline. Aren’t you chipper this morning.”

“Andrew, meet Rebecca, and you already know Dale and Maggie from Tasty Treats.” Caroline laughed as she glanced at Andrew, only to find him glaring at Dale. She sighed. I’m not sure what his problem with Dale is, but it will have to stop if we’re going to date.

“Ah… the infamous Andrew. The man of Caroline’s dreams and the man who hates my boyfriend for some odd reason,” Rebecca retorted, never one to mince words.

“I don’t hate him. I barely know him,” Andrew disagreed in a low growly tone.

“Mm-hm… that glare on your face directed at him says differently,” Rebecca countered defensively and turned to leave.