Chapter 6: Double-Date Time

On the drive to Applebee's, Tara and Cory both barely speak for a few minutes. Neither one was still unsure of what to say about what occurred back at Tara's house, not until Cory finally just blurts out what he's thinking. "Well, your mom is something else, isn't she?"

"Uh, yeah, and thank you for not running off. She can pick up that you're shy. Take advantage of that."

Shifting gears, Cory takes a millisecond to reply, "Oh."

Tara shifts her body away from the window. She decides to try something her mother suggested.

"Did you get a good glance at me standing there or running in only a bath towel?"

Cory's eyes say it all when she witnesses them grow. It now dawns on him why her mother warned her to run back upstairs.

"Uh no, I missed it," he teases back, hoping to get Tara to keep playing along.

"Well, what if I give you a little preview of what you missed by unbuttoning my blouse and letting you get a decent look down my tank top?"

Cory can't resist dropping his jaw when he sees from of the corner of his eye that Tara is slowly pulling her jacket back and unbuttoning the top three buttons on her blouse. As she listens to him huff, she pulls back away to the door, lowering her head with a seductive smile glowing toward Cory.

"Wow, just yeah, holy hell," Cory mumbles, wanting to take his eyes off the road, but he knows he can't since black ice is horrible.

"Maybe some other time I'll let you get a much better view," Tara teases as she buttons up her blouse, zipping her jacket back up.

"Anytime you wanna. I won't complain." Tara chuckles and knows it has been effective when she stares over at Cory's khakis and notices that he's trying to hide the fact that it has had an obvious effect on his desires.

Now that the tension is finally broken, the couple drives into the heart of town, where they notice that Rick and Kayla are just pulling into the parking lot.

"Wow, I figured they would've been waiting on us," Cory admits, curious as to why they are just arriving a few cars ahead of Tara and himself.

Cory parks beside his friends.

"Ready to eat?" he asks his date, looking over at her with a soft, comforting look in his eyes.

Mesmerized by the glow of his eyes, Tara finds it difficult to speak. "Y-yes, I am ..." she's able to muster up as she waits for him to travel around the front of the Celica to open her door to take her hand, helping her out.

"Thank you. I love how you do that for me."

"You're a lady. You should expect that respect."

Once he closes the door gently behind her, Tara softly places her hand on his cheek to distract him for the first kiss of the evening.

"Woah! Get a room, you two," Kayla teases when Rick helps her out of the Man-Van.

Cory and Tara ignore the mockery and continue to kiss. He wraps his arms around her in hopes of making it feel more romantic.

"C'mon, let's get our table," Rick whispers, seeing his friends embraced in their moment.

Feeling her body wanting to give in to the temptation to forego the date, Tara finds a way to break away from the moment where her world is at a standstill.

"Oh, wow, that was better than the first time, but we better get inside. I think they went on in," Tara's able to mutter, touching her lips with her icy hand.

"Yeah, yeah, good idea. Let's go," Cory says, taking her hand.

Holding the door open for Tara as the couple walks inside, Cory is acknowledged with a "thank you" as they walk by him to get out of the cold.

"Hello, welcome to Applebee's. Just the two of you?" The host asks, getting menus out for them.

"No, actually, our friends came in a minute ago, and I don't see—"

Cory is cut off when he hears Rick hollering to get his attention. "Hey, Core, over here, homie!"

He points over to Rick. "That's them," Cory says. The host reaches to get a couple of menus and guides him and Tara over to the booth.

"Well, glad you two could finally break apart to join us," Rick teases, a smirk forming as they sit down across the table.

When an easy kick lands against her shin, Tara looks up from the menu to see Kayla motioning to follow her to the lady's room.

"Hey, boys, we will be right back."

Taking Tara by the wrist, Kayla quickly yanks her from the booth, giving Rick the time to explain why they were late.

"Hey, Core, you are not going to believe this, homie. She finally gave it up. Almost a year of waiting, and she finally gave in tonight. I got a surprising letter offering me a scholarship to Marshall City University. Well, since she's going to Central Michigan, that means we can stay closer than we thought."

Cory ignores the first half of what Rick has just said. "Wait, you're not going to Grambling?"

Stunned by what he's just heard, Rick acts like he's reaching over to slap Cory.

"Didn't you hear me? I finally got some action, brother."

That's when Cory gives two thumbs-up for approval.

While Rick shares his enthusiasm with Cory, the girls stand in front of the sinks, reapplying their lip gloss. "Was that the first kiss?" Kayla questions as Tara continues to glow.

"Oh no, but it was definitely one that made me weak in the knees."

Tara's eyes nearly roll back in her head.

"Girl, just wait. I finally let Rick get me, and—oh my God, I haven't ever felt anything like that. The heat, the feeling of him over top of me. The sensation of feeling him breathe in my ear and all the way inside of me and goosebumps all over my body."

Tara notices that Kayla begins to wiggle a little, remembering the sensations pulsing through her body.

"I kinda know that feeling, girl," Tara says, slapping her hand over her mouth.

"Oh, shut up! You're not a virgin?"

"Ain't most not one by our age?"

Dropping her mouth open even more, Kayla is beyond shocked by the revelation.

"Well, I guess not, but when I found out Rick's going to a Michigan college, I couldn't resist. I love that man."

"I thought I loved my ex too, which is why I slept with him. Then I found out he just wanted to try to get me pregnant so I wouldn't follow my dreams," Tara says, checking on her makeup.

That's all it takes for the shock effect to end and the protective best friend to take over.

"I'll kick his ass myself! Thank goodness Core isn't that way, and girl he'll bend over backward to do anything for you. We saw that with Vanessa, but she couldn't keep from fucking anyone except him."

Tara blushes as they begin to walk out of the bathroom so they can join the boys waiting for them.

"Now, I see Cory as a shy little brother, and you're exactly what he needs," Kayla finishes as they approach the table.

Taking her place beside Cory, she's taken aback by the fact that he guessed correctly that she would enjoy a sweet tea. "How did you know I like tea more than pop?"

The three of them give her a standoffish glare. "What's pop?" Rick asks, looking over at the others.

"You know, Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper—soda pop."

When they realize what she means, Cory speaks up next.

"We call it soda here. You had us a little confused with 'pop.'"

Tara slightly draws into her seat, feeling out of place again compared to Little Rock. "Sorry, y'all. Guess it'll take a little to get used to things up this way," she says. Her twang is still heavily present with certain words.

Quickly erasing the moment of cultural confusion, the two couples return to joking around, enjoying their time out before the movie. They sit and watch as Tara inhales every bit of steaming goodness from her plate once their food arrives.

She begins to show off her love for food when she looks around at everyone's plate. She tries to inhale the smells from what they ordered without having to ask.

Looking at the time, they realize that they need to get going if they want to make the movie on time.

"Hey, you all we need to pay and get moving if we wanna make this flick," Rick says as he reaches for his wallet; he stops Cory from getting his when he notices he's doing the same.

"Oh, hell no, son. Leave that wallet in your pocket. This is our treat for you two and our way to say welcome to miss Tara."

"Aw, that is so sweet, Rick, but, really, you don't have to."

Rick waves her off. "I know I don't, but I want to. This might not be the South, but we're still good people up this way."

Tara is touched and speechless by their acts of kindness. "Thank you," she manages to say, feeling special enough to cry with their acceptance.

The moment they walk away from the table, Tara clutches onto Cory's arm tightly as they approach the door. That doesn't settle well with the host since she's friends with Vanessa.

"Oh, fuck that sight. My girl isn't gonna like this," she mutters.

No one thinks anything of it as the fun keeps rising the longer the double date goes on. As luck would have it, the movie theater isn't far from the restaurant. Cory and Rick find a place to park along the curb. The boys look over the titles playing as they walk around to help the girls out of the vehicles.

"I guess it's girls' choice?" Rick asks, rolling his eyes between Tara and Kayla.

"Yup, and you know it's a chick-flick kind of night, boys," Kayla says.

Both boys drop their heads as they're escorted to the window to pay for tickets.

Once inside, the boys gently remove their dates' jackets. "What ya want? We'll come find you inside," Cory says as they approach the concession stand.

"Popcorn with lots of butter and something to drink. I'm a simple girl, and I like simple things," Tara says, allowing Rick to tease her, twisting her words.

"Well, that explains why you're so into our boy here. He's simple and shy, for sure!"

Cory begins to blush when Tara fires back without thinking, "Kiss him, and you'll find out differently. I can promise you that ain't simple at all."

Looking over at Cory, Rick extends his arms, continuing to play along. "Well, come here and gimme some sugar, big daddy."

Cory can't help but laugh as he pushes Rick away. "Sorry, man, not with that garlic breath!" he shouts, making a face of disgust as everyone watching can't help but laugh at their goofiness.

Once they're finished, they walk up to the counter and tell the cashier what they want, but they're taken aback by what she tells them when they go to pay.

"Boys, that was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. This is on the house since you made my day go so much better. This is my way to say thank you. Enjoy, gentlemen."

Taking the items, Cory says, "Hey, anytime. Glad we could help, and thank you."

The boys walk into the theater and start gawking around. They can't seem to locate their dates. They're caught off guard when the girls come from behind them, scaring them when they reach out, tickling the side of Cory's and Rick's ribs.

"Oh shit, don't do that!" Rick cries out, trying to contain his laughter. Cory is unable to contain himself as he pulls to the side, laughing.

"Okay, okay, you win!" he squeals, trying to get away.

The two girls giggle, having fun as they follow the boys to their seats just as the lights go dim. Settling into the seat, Tara leans over, resting her head against Cory's shoulder. All he can do is smile and stare at the screen so he doesn't make her uncomfortable.

One advantage to his slight discomfort is the angle. Cory can see down along the edge of Tara's blouse since it's just loose enough to give him a better view than he had in his car.

Damn, she's hot! Ugh, gotta be good, gotta be good, but can't look away, he says to himself over and over, trying to keep from drawing attention to the fact that he's staring down her shirt.

Forcing his concentration back to the screen, he sits there along with Rick, feeling bored as the movie plays. A couple of yawns near the end of the movie become noticeable when Kayla can feel Rick's chest expand and contrast.

Cory's a little better at hiding it when he sucks in air and coughs as he exhales. Leaning up to whisper in his ear, Tara stops when she feels her phone vibrate in her purse.

When the credits begin to roll up the screen, Tara reaches for her phone. Seeing that she has a voicemail waiting for her, she steps aside to listen as the people walk by her.

"Hey, it's Momma. Listen, I'll extend your curfew because your father made a surprise visit home. So, yeah, take your time, and I'll let you get away with it just this once. Love ya, kid. Goodnight. Don't stay out too late."

Listening to the voicemail, Tara has a disgusted expression written all over her face.

"Ugh, like that's so gross!" Concerned over what she heard, Cory walks over to her.

"What's wrong?"

She leans in, cups her hand, and whispers into his ear, "My parents told me not to come straight home because they're having sex."

A puzzling stare creeps over Cory face as he's not sure how to reply to that just yet.

"Well ... you could ... I don't know ... go with me down to the edge of the river, and we could chill with some music and talk."

Able to overhear what they're talking about, Rick speaks up, knowing that sitting in the Celica won't set the mood.

"Wait. Hold on. Oh, hell no. Here's what you two do. We take the cars, drop yours off around the corner from Kay's house. I sneak in so we can spend a little more time together and I let you take the Man-Van. Hell, my parents already know I'm crashing with you tonight, so we're good."

"I'm good with that, but don't think you're getting in my pants." Tara explains, shoving her phone back into her purse before she struts out of the movie theater.

She leaves Cory standing there as Rick and Kayla begin to walk behind her.

"I'm insulted. I'm better than that!" Cory says as he slowly begins to pick up the pace.

They wait for Cory to catch up before they all walk out into the blistering cold, windy night. The town appears to resemble a ghost town as they get into their vehicles, start them up, and idle, waiting for the heat to build up.

"Holy hell, it's cold!" Cory cries out, breathing into his hands, trying to keep them warm.

"Yeah, I'm not used to this at all," Tara reveals, chattering her teeth.

"Give it a minute. The turbo helps the car get warm quick."

Within a matter of minutes, the lights inside the theater go out, but luckily, there's just enough heat for Cory to start to pull out as he follows Rick over to Kayla's house and swap keys.

"Make it worth it, homie," Rick whispers, winking at his best friend.

Cory nods, just to keep Rick from making another comment. In the Man-Van, Cory drops it into gear and heads for the river's edge. By the time they arrive, Tara's comfy in the back, looking over the setup that Rick has slowly assembled in his ride.

"Wow, I've never seen hot plates, a microwave—and is that a fountain machine plus a mini sink?" she says, signaling for Cory to get back there with her.

"Yeah, it's pretty—"

He's cut off when she gets a grip on his shirt, pulling him down beside her.

"Am I really that pretty?" she asks him as they both use a folded arm to prop themselves up.

Cory reaches out, placing his hand on her side. He slowly begins to move his hand up and down along her blouse.

"Absolutely, my beautiful girl. Actually, you're beyond beautiful. You literally took my breath away when I first saw you."

Tara begins to blush and roll away, which causes Cory's hand to slide up underneath her blouse and undershirt. "Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't trying to—"

She places a finger on his lips. "Shush, it's okay. And if it wasn't, I would've removed your hand. You really are timid, but you're also awfully sweet—one of the reasons why I like you more every day."

"Likewise, with you. I can't stop thinking about you, and out of anyone, you picked me. I'm not sure why you did. I am not special. I just play hockey and dream about getting out of here."

"That's what makes you special—the fact that you're determined to do that and you believe in me."

Just as they both feel the urge to lean in for a kiss, they are interrupted by a set of headlights beaming directly into the Man-Van.

Leaning up, Cory's already beginning to sweat when he sees the cruiser switch on the lights.

"Oh, fuck me. It's my mom!" he groans, trying to help Tara scoot back up into the front seat.

Over the bullhorn, Sherriff Dubois isn't aware who is in the Man-Van, but he assumes its Rick and Kayla trying to find a spot for a quickie.

"All right, kids, get heading home. This isn't the time or place. Now, get going before I call your parents."

Cory hopes the floodlight will continue to conceal them. He quickly slides into the driver's seat and pulls away, trying to avoid getting busted by his mother.

"Thank you, and see you at the house, young man," she announces when the Man-Van pulls away.

Mortified, Cory takes the quickest route to Tara's so he can drop her off and end their date.

"I am so sorry that happened, but at least we didn't get busted," Cory says, feeling humiliated.

"It's cool, sweet pea. One day after practice, come over and we'll continue this. Hell, since my dad is home, my parents may go out and you can come over then."

Cory shakes his head as he pulls up as close to the house as he can to drop off Tara cut off. He watches to make sure she gets inside before he pulls away to wait on Rick to get his car back before they take off for home.