Confidence Building 101 Read online

  Kevin took a long sip while he debated her statement in his head. “Are we talking Scarlett Johansson now, or Scarlett Johansson of like 2006?”

  “Is there a difference?”

  “Umm…yeah, there’s a difference,” he answered. “There’s a big difference. Scarlett Johansson now isn’t in your league. Like, at all. Now, prime Scarlett Johansson might be able to give you a run for your money. You know, whatever year those pictures are from where she’s wearing that red dress. Maybe that version of Scarlett could compete with you. I’m not totally sure though.”

  She pulled out her phone, and a quick search for “Scarlett Johansson red dress” resulted in hundreds of the exact picture he’d referred to. She’d seen it before. Who hadn’t? The Hollywood bombshell was on the red carpet in a stunning red dress, her unbelievable cleavage on full display, her blonde hair looking amazing, and her beautiful face more flawless than ever. Lisa was sure of one thing.

  “I’m not hotter than this girl!” she loudly announced while holding up her phone.

  His eyes peered to get a look at the picture in an attempt to refresh his drunken memory. His attention shifted back to the dazzling brunette sitting next to him after he’d fully processed the situation. “Are you asking who I’d prefer to date?”

  She hesitantly glanced away before looking back at him. “Yeah, I am…”

  He took a swig of his wine before telling her his honest thoughts. It was time to get everything out in the open. “Now, I don’t know Scarlett Johansson personally. I have no idea what kind of person she is, or what her sense of humor is like, or any of that; but I can guarantee that she doesn’t stack up to you. No one does. You’re unmatchable when it comes to who you are as a human being, but, Ms. B, no one can match up to you looks-wise either. Was Scarlett Johansson super hot? Absolutely. Peak Scarlett Johansson may have been the second hottest woman in the world, but she still couldn’t compete with the hottest.”

  Her jaw was on the floor.

  “Yeah, you,” Kevin smiled. “You’re perfection. You know, sometimes I think you ruined me when it comes to other women. I always find myself comparing other girls to you. Like, if I’m into a girl, I immediately start stacking her up to you in my head; and none of them come close to matching up, obviously. Rachel never got any of my jokes like you do. It always bugged me. I mean, why can’t I find a girl like you?”

  A lifetime of compliments, love confessions, pick-up lines, and romantic gestures flooded her mind as she blankly stared at him. Twenty-eight years of being flirted with her had resulted in a cornucopia of attention and praise, so why was she having such a hard time finding something that topped the past five minutes of her life? No amount of money, sex appeal, or status had ever made her feel more lusted after than this very moment. Why couldn’t he find a girl like her? He really just said that! This eighteen-year-old high school kid was bummed that he couldn’t find a girl like his friend’s thirty-eight-year-old mother! And he thought that she was sexier than the most sought-after celebrities on the planet!

  She calmly set her wineglass down on the coffee table before reaching out and removing his glass from his hand. It found a spot next to hers.

  “Scott can never know about this.” she spoke up.

  “Know about what?” Kevin asked.

  For the second time tonight, Lisa lunged at him. She quickly found herself lying on top of him as the length of his tall frame sprawled along the couch. His back was pressed against the cushions and her lips were locked on his mouth. She didn’t care anymore. Was it the tabooness of the situation that egging her on? Kevin was young enough to be her son; yet here she was, smothering his body while her tongue explored the inside of his mouth. Or maybe this was her way of really boosting his confidence? How assured of himself would he be if he hooked up with the hottest woman alive (his words). And then she did something she never imagined doing. She did something solely reserved for those promiscuous girls in the erotic novels she loved to read.

  She squeezed his cock through his jeans.

  She had felt his hard-on the second she fell on top of him. She assumed their making out probably had some kind of effect on his manhood, but rubbing against his throbbing erection had caused her head to spin. Perhaps he wasn’t exaggerating his feelings toward her. She tightened her grip on his rock hard cock and heard a groan escape from his mouth as her tongue remained buried inside it. Hey, this was fun!

  Kevin wasn’t reacting. The high school senior was a deer in the headlights as this gorgeous woman pressed against his body. As if being jumped and then passionately made out with wasn’t enough, now her petite hand was rubbing his dick over his jeans as well. His dick! And this wasn’t the delicate, mellow kissing from before. This was two long-lost lovers finally reuniting after years apart. His hands wanted to move to so many places: her breasts, that flat tummy, her shapely hips; but more than anything, he needed to grab a big handful of the most fit, perky, immaculate ass on the planet.

  His hands finally got with the program and slithered up to her butt before pausing to soak in what was really happening. He didn’t want to rush things. He needed to fully appreciate what was about to happen. He was about to squeeze her ass! The same ass he’d spent eleven years staring at, lusting over, and fantasizing about, was about to be firmly in his grasp. His fingers slid to her backside before something caused him to stop.

  Her hand was off his cock. Not only that, but her lips weren’t locked on his anymore. She was just gazing down at him with those sparkling blue eyes.

  “We can’t do this.”

  That was the last thing he wanted to hear. “What?”

  “We can’t do this,” she quietly repeated. “It’s…it’s wrong.”

  Lust took a backseat to reality. She was right. He’d gotten so caught up in the heat of the moment that he’d completely forgotten about Scott. His best friend was off losing his virginity; and here he was, drunkenly making out with his mom. How big of an asshole was he?

  “You’re right,” he embarrassingly agreed while moving his eyes away from her beautiful face. “I’m sorry.”

  Lisa rushed to roll off of him. “You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s my fault.”

  All he wanted to do was leave. He needed to get as far away from her as possible. He had to be alone so that he could regroup. “I’m gonna leave.”

  “No!”

  Her loud yell caused him to freeze. He’d hopped off the couch in an attempt to leave, but now he was just standing in the middle of the room, motionless. Why did she shout at him? Was she going to freak out? Maybe it’d fully kicked in for her just how messed up this situation truly was. And who would she blame? Him! But Ms. B wasn’t like that. She wasn’t that kind of girl. He needed to calm down and relax.

  “There’s no way you’re driving home.”

  He let out a long exhale now that he understood the reason for her protests. She wasn’t mad at him. She was simply worried. “Trust me. I’m not drunk.”

  Lisa wasn’t having it. “Yes, you are. There’s no chance I’m letting you get behind the wheel tonight.”

  “Well—”

  “You can either sleep here…” she cut in.

  That was the last thing he wanted to do. He couldn’t be anywhere near his friend’s house tonight; and the sooner he got away, the better.

  “…or I can drive you home,” she finished.

  He considered her proposal for a moment. A car ride home would probably be the best way to go, but how awkward would that be? It certainly wouldn’t be the usual effortless conversation he’d grown accustomed to having with her over the years. A minute ago she had her hand on his cock! Now he was supposed to act like everything was back to normal?

  “Are you okay to drive?” he asked. “You had a couple of glasses too.”

  She brushed away his worries. “I’m fine.”

  “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  His urgency caught her off guard. “You don’t have to leave right
away. I mean, you can hang out for a while if you want. I don’t want you to feel like you’re getting kicked out or something.”

  “It’s probably best if I just go now,” he shyly told her, looking away the entire time. “So…”

  She took the hint and headed into the kitchen to retrieve her keys. Moments later, the two were pulling out of the driveway and starting the ten minute journey to Kevin’s house.

  Three minutes of silence passed before Kevin decided to speak up. Something had been on his mind for the past seven hours, and he couldn’t look past it any longer. Sure, this would only bring attention to the topic of him spying on her which had somehow yet to come up, but an unanswered question had been bugging him since earlier in the afternoon. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he really needed to know.

  “What were you dancing to earlier?”

  She took a quick glance in his direction before focusing back on the road. “What?”

  “In the laundry room,” he specified. “What were you dancing to?”

  A big smile swept across her face. “What was I dancing to? Only the greatest band of all time.”

  He waited.

  “That isn’t enough of a hint?” Lisa asked with a smirk.

  “How am I supposed to know who the greatest band of all time is?” he asked. “That’s such a subjective question.”

  “No, it isn’t,” she disputed. “There’s only one answer to that question, sweetheart.”

  “What bands do old people like…?” he thought to himself.

  “Hey!”

  Perhaps he was more drunk than he thought. He could’ve sworn he hadn’t said that out loud. Shit, he really was drunk!

  “You spent like ten minutes earlier telling me how young I look!” she yelled, playful yet a little annoyed at the same time.

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” he quickly apologized. “I just…never mind. Okay…um…let’s see here. “The Beatles?”

  She shot him a mystified look before turning back to the windshield. “The Beatles?”

  “Don’t people your age love The Beatles?” he asked.

  “I’m thirty-eight,” she laughed. “I’m not sixty-eight. And who dances that way to The Beatles? We’re talking about the world’s greatest rock and roll band here. Their music just makes you get up and move. You can’t help but shake your hips when your hear ‘em. Honey, that’s not The Beatles!”

  “Elvis?” he guessed again.

  She flipped her turn signal on and carefully pulled over to the side of the road. “Get out.”

  He had no idea what was going on. “What?”

  “Get out,” she repeated, her eyes continuing to stare straight-ahead.

  He reached for the door handle.

  “I’m joking!” she loudly laughed. “Oh my God, will you relax?”

  He was having a hard time deciphering sarcasm as the minutes ticked by. He’d probably indulged in too much wine, and he’d definitely drank it too fast. Everything was starting to get a little loopy at this point.

  She checked her rearview mirror before pulling back out into the road. “But accusing me of listening to Elvis is even more insulting than The Beatles. My grandparents listened to Elvis, for God’s sake!”

  Kevin was out of guesses. He honestly just wanted to go to bed. “I give up.”

  “The Rolling Stones!” she revealed.

  He turned to his friend’s mom who was focused on the road. “Isn’t that a magazine?”

  She looked over at him, completely shocked. He was so cute, sweet, and innocent; but at this very moment, she wanted nothing more than to put her fist through his face. “Oh…my…God…”

  “Isn’t it though?” he questioned again.

  This cutie’s generation didn’t have a chance. “Yes, Rolling Stone is a magazine, but The Rolling Stones are a band. The greatest band ever!”

  “Oh, those are the t-shirts with the big tongues on them, right?” he asked.

  “That’s how you know them?” she inquired, genuinely unamused and dumbstruck. “Really?”

  “I’ll have to check ‘em out,” he noted.

  An idea came to her as their journey continued along the dark road. “I’ll make you a CD!”

  Was he that drunk or had he heard her correctly? “What?”

  “I’ll make you a CD!” she emphatically repeated.

  He asked, “Um…what year is it, Ms. B?”

  “Your generation is so jaded!” she told him. “Burning a CD for someone is the coolest thing ever! Is having every song in the world on your phone awesome? Absolutely. I love it. But there’s nothing better than getting a CD from someone. I bet you never have, have you?”

  “No,” he answered.

  “Could I recommend some songs and have you add them to your phone right now?” she continued before turning onto a side street. “Sure, but you want to know what’s way cooler? Popping a CD into a player and having my top twenty favorite songs on it. It’s so much more personal and authentic. It’s the same way renting movies from the store was better than streaming them online. Is Netflix easier than Blockbuster? You bet. But was going to Blockbuster on a Friday night and searching for the perfect movie more fun than cycling through ten thousand titles on Netflix? Without a doubt. All this technology has ruined the simple things that were so awesome.”

  “I totally want a CD from you.”

  She glanced over at him before asking, “Really?”

  “Absolutely,” he smiled. “Your top twenty Rolling Stones songs. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Her attention turned back to the road, all excited from what she’d just heard. Sometimes it was the little things that did it for her—like having a man in her life to make a mixtape for.

  She finally pulled in front of his house. “Alrighty, we’ve arrived at your destination, your highness.”

  He wasn’t drunk enough to miss that sarcastic remark. “I could’ve driven.”

  “Not a chance,” she argued. “Well, tonight was fun.”

  “You could say that again…” Kevin lightly chuckled. “I-I…um…just want to apologize again if things got weird. I—”

  His words were cut short by an index finger placed on his lips for the second time tonight. Even in the relative darkness of the dim SUV, those radiant blue eyes seemed to sparkle. Her mind was perfect and her body breathtaking. Day or night, light or dark, spring or fall; this was his dream girl.

  “Stop apologizing,” she told him. “Tonight was the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and it was all because of you. It was a blast.”

  He flashed her a smile before turning to open the passenger side door, but then his hand froze. The night would be over if he opened the door and walked inside his house. There wouldn’t be any more awkwardness if he just quietly left, but he couldn’t.

  The offer to make him a CD was playing over and over in his head. How amazing was that? She could’ve just recommended some songs to check out; or even easier, she could’ve had him look up some best of list online—but she didn’t. She offered to make him a CD. She would have to gather her top twenty songs, rank them, burn them onto a disc, and then give them to him. She was right: it was more personal. It was more personal, genuine, and awesome, and it summed up everything he loved about her.

  He turned back and leaned across the vehicle. His hand found the back of her neck as he pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. But it wasn’t some quick peck. He held her there as his tongue took that unbelievable trek inside her inviting mouth for the final time tonight.

  He broke off their embrace and told that surprised face, “I had a great time too.” And just like that, the door opened and for the first time in his life, he made a cool exit.

  Chapter 5 – A Confidence Builder

  Saturday Morning. 9:45 AM.

  Wind ripped through Kevin’s thick brown hair as he whipped around another turn. He was in a race against himself; but at the same time, he was taking on the world. His journey had sent him over m
ountains, across bridges, and through treacherous valleys; and now one more long stretch of hell separated him from his final destination. Every few feet consisted of a trap which was meant to derail his mission. Seven billion people wanted to see him fail, but nothing could stop him from completing his life’s goal.

  The high schooler’s bicycle pulled in front of Scott’s house. He leaned it against the large oak tree a mere few feet away from his parked car in the street. Okay, that bike ride may have had a little nostalgia to it. He was temporarily sent back to his elementary school days, but reality was quickly setting in. He wasn’t a fourth grader playing pretend anymore. Last night really happened, and his hangover only proved that.

  He hadn’t gotten much sleep as he replayed last night’s events over and over in his head while staring up at his bedroom ceiling. He made out with Ms. B, he drunkenly confessed his true feelings to her, she felt his dick, and then he kissed her one final time before the night was over. But the more he thought about that last kiss, the less cool it felt. He kind of ran away again, didn’t he? Sure, he kissed her; and yes, he had a smooth line to go with it; but he booked out of there in a similar fashion to his first time with Rachel. Maybe it was time to accept what he really was. Perhaps it would be best to admit that he was just an awkward dork.

  His phone abruptly rang while he retrieved his car keys from his pocket and opened his backdoor to throw his bike inside. He pulled it out and was immediately hit by a multitude of emotions: excitement, guilt, and anxiety were a few to start. It was best that this was a phone call, because he wasn’t sure if he could ever look this guy in the eyes again.

  Scott was calling him

  “Hey, dude,” Kevin answered, his tone nervous and shaky.

  There was silence on the other end before his buddy’s voice finally spoke up. “Please address me as ‘man’ from now on.”

  “Alright!” Kevin cheered, his guilt taking a backseat to the feeling of excitement for his best friend. “So, it happened?”