ON THE WAY

6 - Fireworks

"Good, I like a selection." Sarah says as she messes with the hose. "I think this is broken."

"You turned it on at the tap?" Sarah nods. Rory begins walking over, "What about that lever-" Water sprays all over her. Sarah lets out a howl as she turns it off again. Rory is soaked. Her white shirt now see through to her blue bra. Sarah is literally rolling around on the floor as she stands there like a drowned dog. "Uh-huh, laugh it up. I'll get ya back."

Once Sarah has composed herself, sort of, she point to the door, "There are towels inside." Rory nods disappearing inside.

She disregards her shirt, wringing it out over the sink. A throat clears behind her. She is certain that it isn't Sarah. She slowly turns around. Nope, definitely not Sarah, unless she has aged 22 years, grown over a foot taller and a beard, and gained a couple more pounds and muscle. Her face burns up when she realises she's stood in his kitchen, in her bra and shorts, wet. At least she is on theme for the day. Red face, white shirt, and a blue bra.

He's just staring, not staring. Admiring. His eyes snap up to hers. He had paused grabbing his wallet from the counter. Of course now of all times he had to come back for his wallet. So much for not embarrassing herself in front of him.

"You're wet." He states. Thank you Captain Obvious.

"Yeah, Sarah got me with the hose." They stand, not moving. She can tell he's having a hard time keeping his eyes on hers. A tension is building in the kitchen. Her eyes find those soft lips of his, slightly parted. There is a yearning filling the room. His jaw seems to tense as his restraints slip, his eyes on her chest.

Sarah then comes inside. The two immediately stand straighter. Joel grabs his wallet lifting it up as if to show Sarah. "Forgot this, will be back in ten." He says before rushing out.

Rory is still staring a head where he was standing. She clears her throat grabbing her shirt from the sink. "I'm gonna go get a new shirt." She says heading to the door.

"See you later." Sarah says, oblivious to the tension that was happening in that room just moments before she barged in.

Joel's car is driving away along the same road as before by the time Rory gets outside. She hurries over inside her house. The way he was looking at her replaying in her mind.

The sun had set, a couple fireworks heard in the distance. Music played throughout the yard. People talking, laughing, singing and dancing all over. Sizzling coming from the barbecue. A couple garden lights planted around the garden, and fairy lights along the fence, light up the garden. Rory had found herself on the patio, her eyes trained to Joel who was accompanying her father as he grilled the burgers and sausages. If he accused her of spying or being a nosey neighbour, she really couldn't deny it at this point.

The worst part was he knew she was watching. He didn't only feel her eyes begging for him, but his own eyes fall to her. Like a strong magnet in the crowd. Even when they move around they just seem to find each other. She has to look away when her mother calls her over. She is then trapped smiling and nodding along as her mother speaks about her to her friend as if she wasn't stood next to them.

They're stood close to the shed. She then turns to look up to her bedroom window, seeing how the view looks from down here. What can he see when she's looking out over him? She can see her full window. She can't really see into the room due to it being dark, but she knows if someone where to be stood in the window she would be able to see them looking down into the garden. She then looks back to the barbecue. Her eyes meet his. A glimpse of that look he had in the kitchen before mixed with the soft look he kept giving her the other night she babysat Sarah.

She makes an escape from he mother and her friend. She finds herself next to the barbecue, her father separating the two.

"Y'all right, Roro?" Her dad asks as he flips a burger.

"Yes." She replies, her eyes watching the way Joel's throat bobs as he swallows his swig of his beer.

"Fireworks should be starting soon. Go find a good spot to watch 'em from." She doesn't want to. She wants to be close to Joel. Figure out this silent conversation they have been having all day. She is slightly startled when he started speaking.

"Help me grab another couple beers? Then I'll show ya a good spot to watch them from." Joel nods to the house for Aurora to follow. She complies following him.

Once they are alone inside, Joel grabs four beers handing them to her before grabbing another four. They can hear the distant chatter and music from outside. Away from everyone, the tension they had earlier in this kitchen returning. They aren't making any effort to return to the garden. There is something new, yet familiar about this atmosphere they have right now.

"We best get back, don't want to miss the show." He murmured. She nodded. They didn't move. It wasn't until Tommy came inside that they turned around.

"Oh, hey there you are. Shows about to start." Tommy says as he trashes a napkin he had in his hand. They all head outside. Joel and Aurora heading over to where the beers where being kept in the kiddie pool. They weren't running low. They still put the eight beers in the pool. Then to her surprise, he takes her arm guiding her through the crowd.

"Here, they're usually really good from here." Joel says, stopping. They stand side by side. The hand on her arm slowly dropping to her hand. She looks down to the two hands linked. And then back up to his face. His eyes are trained up to the sky, but she can tell he knows what he is doing.

The fireworks start. The lights dance over his face as they explode in the sky. Usually she would be captivated by the pretty lights in the sky. But not this year. No, this year, the way the lights reflect onto his face hypnotises her. His profile is gorgeous, his eyes on the sky hers trapped on him. She feels like she is in a kaleidoscope, the colours, the shapes, him. Her heart flutters as his head turns, his eyes locking on hers. The usual gruff gone. Pure softness, fondness. And then there it is. That little smile., the same one from that night in his living room. The way his eyes crinkle softly makes her heart throb.

No-one in the garden notices the silent conversation happening between them. It's like a movie, when two characters meet eyes in a crowd. Forbidden, not as innocent as it appears on the surface. Everything felt so right, yet so wrong. That familiar flutter in her stomach, the need between her thighs.

And that is it.

She is gone.

She wants him.