MassaHJ
patreon
Chapter 86 - Another kiss
🕑 Added 2025-04-29 21:31:22 +0000 UTCTwo weeks later, I was on the deck of Uncle Charlie’s house, kissing Laura.
Not like those soft, shy kisses we exchanged when she first came here—this was deeper, a French kiss.
The sun was dipping low, casting everything in that golden hour glow. The ocean murmured nearby, and the breeze was just cool enough to make her lean a little closer.
Inside, in the kitchen, Dad and Uncle Charlie were both watching from the window.
Charlie let out a low whistle.
“He sure knows how to score...” Charlie said
Alan just stared, blinking. “Should I be proud or concerned?”
Back on the deck, Laura and I were still wrapped in a kiss when the song playing on the small radio beside us faded out.
A new track began—something with a familiar beat. I pulled back slightly. I started to hum along, then sing softly:
♪Where there's a will, there's a way, kind of beautiful
And every night has its day, so magical
And if there's love in this life, there's no obstacle
That can't be defeated♪
I raised one hand like a conductor, my finger dancing in the air like I was leading an invisible orchestra. Laura opened into a wide smile, watching me, then began to hum along too, her eyes lighting up with playful delight.
♪For every tyrant, a tear for the vulnerable
In every lost soul, the bones of a miracle
For every dreamer, a dream, we're unstoppable
With something to believe in♪
Yeah, I (Marshmello) released this song earlier this week—Waiting For Love (Avicii).
I turned back to Laura, her eyes still shining, and pulled her into another kiss.
The doorbell rang.
Neither of us noticed.
---
Inside, Alan shook his head and sighed, then went to answer it.
He opened the door to find Carly, Sam, and Freddie standing there.
Alan smiled warmly, but a bit awkward. “Hey, Kids. Come on in.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and pointed toward the deck. “Jake and Laura are out there…”
The three followed his gesture, spotting the two still kissing on the deck.
Carly murmured, “Why am I not surprised...”
“Maybe because we’ve seen something like that again, and again... and again,” Sam added, a little sarcastically.
The three of them laughed quietly and made their way out to the deck.
Laura was the first to notice them. She quickly pulled away from me, her cheeks flushing pink. “Hi, guys,” she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear
I spun around, totally unfazed, half-dancing my way toward them, singing along with the new song that started playing on the radio:
♪Leave excuses aside, speak out your mind, no And don't let it slide, you're not always right, no The things aren't easy, so just believe me now♪
I reached the entrance of the deck and gave them a wide grin. “Hey, guys.”
They all replied with a normal "Hey."
Carly looked slightly speechless at me. “Do you have any shame? Like ever?”
“No, why?” I asked, tilting my head like it was a weird question
“He’s just some exhibitionist,” Sam said, mocking.
“Our little Sam learned a new word,” I teased back.
“I’ll show your ‘little Sam’,” she said, giving me a playful punch on the arm.
The four of us made our way over to where Laura was still sitting, her smile returning as we approached.
“There are snacks and drinks, feel free to take whatever,” I said.
But Sam was already stuffing a piece of chocolate into her mouth before I could even finish the sentence.
Once everyone had taken a seat, I glanced around with a grin. “So... is everyone ready for the premiere tomorrow?”
A chorus of excited "Yeahs!" and nods came back instantly.
We spent the rest of the afternoon talking, laughing, and just enjoying the calm before the big day.
When it started getting dark, I asked again the driver to take Carly, Sam, and Freddie home. Even though Charlie and Dad both had cars in the garage with five seats, the driver still used my four-seater.
Then, when it came time to take Laura home, I did something different.
"Mind if I borrow the Mercedes?" I asked Uncle Charlie casually.
He raised an eyebrow but tossed me the keys anyway.
"Don't scratch it," he said.
I handed the keys to the driver instead. When Laura and I were both seated inside the Mercedes, she gave me a curious glance.
"What?" I asked, noticing the look.
She tilted her head slightly, still studying me.
"The four-seater's terrible for making-out in the back—there's that hard center console between the seats, makes it way more uncomfortable," I said as I shifted toward the middle seat, settling in beside her like I was simply explaining a practical matter.
Laura rolled her eyes with a laugh, then turned toward me, smiling. “You are... unbelievable,” she said, emphasizing the last word slowly and clearly.
"Hey Jimmy, Westwood again please," I said to the driver.
Jimmy gave me a knowing smile and nodded.
James 'Jimmy' Tong. I remember feeling weirdly disappointed when I saw his name on the résumé during the selection process for my driver. So this world doesn’t have a Jackie Chan? I actually checked online... and yeah, no Jackie Chan.
I should check in the future if Jimmy has any desire to become an actor. Man, I really liked some Jackie’s movies. And Jimmy? He’s pretty funny.
My thoughts were broken when Laura suddenly reached for my hand. I looked down, then back up at her, just as she raised one eyebrow with a teasing smirk.
“Girl, and you were judging me...” I murmured with a grin as I leaned in to kiss her.
---
After a while, we pulled up in front of Laura’s house. I walked her to the door and gave her a soft, simple kiss goodbye—just a gentle peck.
Then I climbed back into the car, this time taking the front passenger seat.
I reached into my jacket, pulled out a small roll of cash, and handed it to Jimmy.
"Thanks, man. Sorry for the awkward moment," I said with a sheepish grin.
Jimmy smiled, but held up a hand. “This is too much. I can’t take it. You’re already paying my salary…”
He handed the cash back toward me, but I pushed it gently back into his hand.
"Take it, Jimmy. Just think of it as a bonus for working with me," I said.
I’m generous with people I like
"And besides, I know you took the longer route to get here," I added with a grin.
Jimmy chuckled, and we bumped fists.
