Southern Bell Part One

Belmont, Georgia. I stepped of the plane and the humidity hit me like a freight train. Instantly my clothes began to stick to me, and my hair became flat and clung to my face. Heading over to the baggage claim, where my friend waited for me. Best friends to be exact. Together since high school, but she got offered an amazing job opportunity down here, so she moved away from me.

"Kenzie!" She squealed while waving her arms around like I hadn't noticed her when I was descending the escalator. The thing is you could spot her anywhere with her fire engine red hair. Pixie cut is how she liked her hair, which matched her sassy attitude. Once close enough she pulled me in for a hug so strong it felt like getting strangled by a boa. Her being 5'2, a tiny little package, but with the brute force to take down anyone twice her size. "Rachel, I-I can't breathe," I struggled to say. Letting me go with a smile on her face, "Sorry Kenzie, it's just been too long, and I missed my best friend!"

I chuckled as we walked over to the baggage claim to wait for my luggage. She filled me in on her job and how much she loves being here. "Oh, that’s the one!" Pointing at the large red suitcase. I move closer to pull it off the belt, but just as I am reaching for it a man's hand beats me to it and pulls it off and sets it down. My long brunette hair blocking him in my peripherals, while standing back up straight I look to see who has tried to take my bag. We make eye contact and the only thing I see are those all too familiar amber eyes staring back at me.

My jaw drops almost instantly. Hunter Smith. I never thought I would see him after college. It's been almost 4 years since he broke my heart. Speechless I stand there gaping at this now man before me. "Hi Mac." He says my nickname so effortlessly. Regaining my composure, I force myself to say, "I actually go by Kenzie. No one calls me Mac anymore." Inhaling quickly reminding myself to breathe. He goes to say something else, but I quickly cut him off. "This is actually my suitcase." He looks down and his dark eyebrows draw in confusion. I point at the 'Young Forever' patch on the side. "See this here. It's how I know it is mine.” He nods replying, "Sorry Mac it looks just like mine." "Kenzie, and whatever you say."

Just when I finish talking an identical red suitcase rolls down the baggage claim. I feel heat rise to my cheeks and while he leans down to grab the bag I walk quickly over to Rachel. She just witnessed the whole thing and has big eyes. "What the actual fuck?!" I mouth to her. "Well he wasn't supposed to get here until after you, but then your flight got delayed and well..." "Well what?" I was whisper yelling now. "You know how he's Jasper's best friend." Jasper Peterson, Rachel's college sweetheart and now pretty serious live-in boyfriend. She continues, "He's also going to be staying with us." I felt the blood leaving my face. "Kenzie, you don't look so good. Maybe we should get you to the car." We head over to the exit with Hunter on our heels.

A short and painfully quite car ride to their little rancher, my mind was whirling. We walked into the house and Jasper had music playing with drinks waiting for us. A huge grin on his face, he greets Rachel with a long kiss as Hunter and I stand awkwardly by the front door. "Come on in you two!" He waves us over and Hunter gestures for me to go first. Knowing he can't see the face I am making I only hope Rachel can read me. "Why don't I show you where you guys are staying." "Hunter, you will be staying in this room here." The room closest to the kitchen, good hopefully she puts me on the other side of the house. We move a few doors down and she stops. Oh, hell no. "Kenzie, this is where you are staying." Glancing behind us Hunter is nowhere to be seen.

Stepping inside my room, she shuts the door behind her. I look at her and can feel my eyes about to burst from my head as if I am a cartoon character waiting for an explanation. "Well?" "Well what?" "Are you going to tell me why he's here?" "Oh, him?" "Yes, don't play dumb with me." Trying to calm the anger bubbling in my chest. "Well apparently when you called to say you were wanting to come stay, I said yes. When I told Jasper about you coming to visit, he said he just got off the phone talking to Hunter about staying with us during the same time." "YOU didn't think to call me to change the dates?" "Well no. I was just so excited to see you I didn't want to risk you not coming down for this visit." I took a few deep breaths before she spoke again. "Look Kenzie, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal." "Rach, he broke my heart, why didn't you think it would matter?" She stepped closer to me, "It was four years ago, I hoped you wouldn't care." "I would have been fine." Inhaling slowly trying to calm myself, "It just would have been nice to have had a warning." "I'm sorry." She followed up the apology with puppy eyes and a lower lip jutted out. "Forgive me?" Rolling my eyes with a smile, "I guess." "Yay!" She says with another squeal.

"Now that you know, would you please take a look at your view." She moves past me to the doors on the other side of the room. Pulling open the curtains she then pulls the doors open as we step outside. I take a long slow breath of the fresh air. Her rancher sits atop a small cliff overlooking the ocean. The sun had gone down so the dusk sky began to shift into darkness. Leaning on the balcony railing, letting the wind dance over me. "You're right. This view is amazing." We stand there for a minute or two before she says, "Now freshen up and come join us for drinks in the kitchen. The night seems calm enough maybe we will sit outside with a fire."

Leaving my room before I can protest, I roll my eyes and put my suitcase on the bed. Unzipping my bag, I throw it open and unpack a little. I put my makeup and toiletries in the bathroom attached to my room. I dig through for a fresh tee and shorts. Changing quickly, I also reapply my perfume and do a quick spritz of dry shampoo in my hair. I run my fingers through my hair to smooth it out a little. I head to the door and take a few deep breaths before stepping out.

I make my way down the hall and can hear laughing with light country music playing in the background. First, I notice Hunter leaning against a door frame. His black hair now not so smooth with a few loose strands tipping into his face. I can’t help but notice how his shirt strains against his muscular chest. Moving closer, we lock eyes for a split-second before I make myself known. "Now where's my drink?" Avoiding Hunters gaze I make my way over to Rach who's finishing topping off a glass for me. Handing it to me she says, "Let's take this out back. With this cool night, we can have a bonfire."

She takes my hand and I follow her outside, a few chairs gathered around a fire pit. "Hey Hunter man, help me get this blaze goin'." Jasper shouts at him as Rachel and I stand by the house as they get it ready. Watching them talking makes me slightly curious if he is upset, I am here too. As if reading my mind Rachel chimes in, "No, he's not mad you are here." My head snaps over to meet her gaze. "I never-" "I can read your face Kenzie, we have been best friends since forever. I know your question face and when you were staring at him, I just put it together." "I-I don't care what he thinks." I stammered caught up in her answering my thoughts.

Before long Jasper called out to us, and we see they have a nice fire going. I walk over trying not to focus too much on Hunter and I pick a seat opposite of where he's standing. Rachel comes over to us holding blankets. Handing me one she says with a huge smile on her face, "I only have two, so if Hunter gets cold you will have to share." I didn't bother hiding the glare on my face. With there being only four chairs around the fire, he had to sit close to me. Sitting down he says, "Don't worry, I don't bite. Unless you ask me too." I scoff at his joke and take a big swig of my drink. "Relax Mac, I'm only joking." He says holding up his hands in surrender as he laughed.

A few hours pass by, we talk about life and what we have been up to. With being a few drinks in, the tension releases from my shoulders. The air changes suddenly, and you can feel it's dropped a few more degrees. Jasper stands and says, "You know what this night is missing?" "What bud?" Hunter is the only one who responds as Rach and I wait for the answer. Instead, he disappears in the house only to return with two long roasting sticks and a bag. Once he is close enough to us all he says, "S'mores." "Hell yes!" Hunter replies giving him a high five and then taking a roaster stick. "Y'all have to share." I look at Hunter as he scoots closer to me. Liquid courage taking over I ask, "It's colder now out here, do you w-want to share my blanket?" "Okay," he says scooting again. Luckily the blanket is rather large, but he still gets close to me.

I finish off my drink and get another as Hunter roasts a marshmallow. Once he is done and I grab some chocolate and graham crackers for his s'more. He lays it down, so I can use the cracker to slide the marshmallow off the roaster. He sticks another one on the roaster and I reach out for it, but he pulls it away from me. I can't help showing my disappointment and before I can say anything he says, "That one's for you." "What?" "You eat that one, I'll make another for me. Now hurry up and eat it before it gets too cold." My drunken hunger takes over as I take a huge bite and warm marshmallow seeps out the sides. Hunter looks at me and a deep laugh rumbles through his chest. Too preoccupied I finish my s'more and I see a glint in his eyes when our eyes lock again. He reaches over and uses the back of his finger to wipe some marshmallow off the side of my mouth.

I laugh because I know how messy I am, but I really don't care now due to my new found liquid courage. Without even thinking I lick the marshmallow off his finger. Startled by this he just stares at me. Adrenaline courses through me as I realize what I just did. I panic, but just in time his new marshmallow catches on fire. "Um, you're on fire." "What?" He says looking at me with his brows furrowed. Now pointing at his roasting stick, "You're on fire." Looking where I am pointing, "Shit." He pulls it out and blows out the fire. Getting a new cracker and chocolate for his s'more. You can hear the crispness of how burnt it is when sliding it off the roaster. I hand him the s'more and again his amber eyes flicker with this almost familiar look. One I had not seen in a long time. While he eats the burnt s'more I have to cross in front of him to get another marshmallow. When I bend over and get one in my hand, there's suddenly two hands on my hips. Hunter pulls me into his lap playfully, and at this point my inhibition has abandoned me and I decided to just let go and not care too much. Sitting on his lap we cuddle under the blanket. We are reminiscing about college and all the crazy things we had done. From freshman year to senior year, we had all been hanging out together.

While sitting there on Hunter's lap his hands never leave my body. In fact, his thumb rubs my side where my skin peeks out from my shirt. The conversation changes where we talk about all of us on a camping trip. One where Hunter and I had gotten hot and heavy in our tent basically the whole weekend. Bringing it up, causes my skin to flush a little. Hopefully no one realizes or if they do its only from the fire. Underneath me Hunter shifts, and when he does, so do I. Landing more square on his lap, I realize now I was sitting on something hard. Adjusting myself in that spot by moving my hips, and he lets out a guttural groan. It was low enough only I heard it and I forgot how much fun it was to cause that reaction. A smile spread across my face, but I covered my smile with the drink in my hand as I took a sip.

Taking pride in how I still had this effect on him, I decided to shift again. He gripped my hips tighter, and I knew he enjoyed the movement. After a third time he leaned into my ear and whispered, "I am beginning to think you enjoy what you are doing to me." I just giggle. With that reaction, he started to pull me against him. With the blanket you couldn't really tell we were basically grinding against one another. We enjoyed the movements and being this close to the fire the temperature started to rise.

Getting late Rachel and Jasper take off to bed. "Night guys!" Rachel says to us as they make their way back into the house. Once they do Hunter flips my hair to one side and starts kissing and biting my neck as my hips grind against him faster. "Do you like that?" Hunter whispers in my ear as we continue to grind against one another. His groan is deeper and louder this time. His hand reaches up and pulls my face to the side as he looks into my eyes and then to my lips.

With the hand holding my chin he uses his thumb to trace my lip. Watching him pulls me back to when we were together. Do I take the next step?