Quarter of a Century – Part 3

Taking the baton from author Amity Grays is author DeeDee Lane

 

His voice tickled her ear sending delicious shivers of pleasure down her spine. Lana yearned to experience the promised good luck under a golden sky. Before she could call her rational mind to the forefront, she leaned into the tickle, leaned into the kiss.

Ray’s lips against hers were warm and oh so soft. His breath hitched, arms pulled her close to nestle against his chest. Lips tasted of the powdered sugar mini donuts shared on the plaza moments before. At five foot three Lana was used to men who towered over her, but with Ray she fit perfectly.
 
In Ray’s arms she wasn’t the same nose to the grindstone, blue power suit wearing real estate agent she was yesterday. Instead of out manipulating her fellow agents who ripped off her clients and asked her to fetch coffee she glowed in this beautiful sliver of Florida.  Lana reveled at the tingle inside as it grew into a nugget of desire. Ray's tongue...

Whoa...

Ray? How could "really good guy" Ray make all the pent up longing, she'd held at bay for three years blast to the surface? They'd actually slept together many times...in cheap motel rooms up and down the southeast coast. Lana spent many nights on motel floors or a lumpy pull out bed in order to follow the UNC Tar Heels basketball team. She and the gang were known for their crazy blue wigs, faces painted blue, and singing along with the pep band.

Ray was Ray. He was family.

On one of their trips they’d spent Thanksgiving at her folk's house in Raleigh, NC. Both he and Maddie had been kind enough to focus on her mom's sweet potato pie and ignore the 60's era furniture, threadbare carpet, and her dad's oxygen tank.

Warm fingertips traced the top of her spine. Her hands as if pulled by a magnet reached high to curl into his brown hair. Warmed skin, soft hair—Lana lost herself in the smell of him, the feel of his thighs against hers.

Loud applause jarred her back to reality. Dazed, Lana pulled out of the circle of Ray’s arms. They were surrounded by the gang and a group of curious onlookers. Her best friend Maddie and Sophie with her beau for the night, Mr. Pork Pie hat smiled and whistled as the commotion drew more attention.

Lana glanced up.  Ray eyes were dark brown pools of desire…until his gaze clashed with hers. He froze.  

Crap! Now they’d done it, turned a perfectly lovely friendship into somet—

“I’m sorry.” His apology grated on her ear.

She stepped back, but the dock’s railing blocked escape. "I can't do this."

His grip tightened on her elbows for a moment. "Lana, I didn't mean--"

"--Yeah, I get it...a mistake."

Lana was over men who told her their kiss was a “mistake.” Besides he was right. She and Ray? Total non-starter. His programming business and Geekette Squad kept him in California while her dreams were firmly planted in North Carolina. Someday she’d own a real estate firm that specialized in housing for people who lived and worked in the research triangle. Finally she’d make enough money to get her father the medical attention he needed.

"Not a mist--"

"--Is there a problem here?" Kyle's gravelly voice interrupted.

"We're fine." Lana lifted her chin determined to escape this unwelcome spotlight.

Sabrina, all blonde highlights and pink fingernails, drawled.  "Looks like Geek Head and Little Miss Control Freak are playing suck face on the pier...not a problem, but so... low class." 

Ray pivoted to Sabrina, "This is none of your business Sabrina, give it a rest."

“Lana, please.” Kyle leaned in to Lana and murmured. “I need to talk with you.”

Lost in his blue eyed gaze, Lana wondered again, how Kyle could be even hotter than Chris Hemsworth. To think any man could out hot the hottie was enough to blow her mind.

She flinched. "Not a good time Kyle, I’m not comfortable be--"

"--I need to tell you..." Kyle’s tone begged her to listen. "…Sabrina and I...we're not together, I thought…” He was whispering now, words only she could hear. “I hoped...you might care."

The warmth of Ray’s hand on her arm slowly faded as Lana turned to face Kyle. His words were a dream come to glorious life. All through college she’d longed for Kyle, the southern gentleman who lived in nearby Durham and worked in his family business. For the past three years she’d avoided even the mention of his name.

Sabrina’s strident tone snarled at Kyle. “You call this keeping our break up private for the reunion week?” Sabrina whirled on Lana, her beautifully made-up face twisted into a vicious scowl. “You look so innocent, but somehow you always manage to steal everything I want.”

Catcalls from the growing knot of people surrounding them sent Lana’s already frayed nerves into a tailspin. She’d never stole anything from anybody…had she?

“Me?” Lana’s thoughts careened in all directions.

What happens next?

A)     The gang is interrupted by Ray’s former fiancée Molly who shows up at the Pier.

OR

B)    Lana consumed by panic and long buried emotions, bolts away from the gang and into the Mallory Square free-for-all.