The Nights Were Young by Calvin Wedgefield Page B

something around his neck, a silver chain, and it was a great something to change the conversation.
    Marie cleared her throat. “What is that? I’ve never noticed it before.”
                  Travis looked down. “My chain?”
                  “Yes.”
                  He moved his arm from around her and pulled out the chain. There was a nothing attached to it - just a silver chain.
    “My mom gave me this a few years back.” He took it off and put it Marie’s hand. “I want you to hold on to it for a while.”
                  “What. Why?”
                  “That way I’m pretty much guaranteed a second date.”
                  Marie blushed, and her eyes caught his. He was much gentler than she expected, and for a moment she regretted all the negative thoughts she had of him before tonight. He leaned in closer and closed his eyes.
                  Oh God, this is it , she thought. She’d never kissed anyone before, and in a split second her nerves were spiraling out of control. She closed her eyes quickly and her lips trembled. She wanted this, but it terrified her.
    She leaned forward to meet him.
                  It was a single kiss to start – deliberate, soft, and slow. And though she did not know it, she felt it; something had changed in her, permanently. They paused, and then Marie put the necklace into her jacket and, without thinking, pulled Travis closer to her. In that moment she didn’t care if he was right for her or wrong for her, or if he was a jerk; she wanted him.
                  “You’re a really good kisser,” he whispered.
                  “You too.” 
                  This time she pressed her lips against his and tugged at his shirt.
                  His hands moved too quickly, though. He slid up her stomach and placed his palm on her right breast.
                  The attraction was gone.
    She threw him off. “What are you doing?”
                  “What? What’s the problem?” He breathed fast as he looked around the truck, like he thought they were being attacked.
                  “I don’t remember telling you to go that far.” She wrapped her jacket around herself.
                  “What are you talking about?” he asked.
                  “You groped me,” she said. She tightened her jacket and folded her arms.
                  “Well you seemed like you were liking it,” he said.
                  “Well, I didn’t ask you to grope me.”
                  “I didn’t grope you.”
                  “Then what would you call it?”
                  Travis sat back in his seat and looked forward. “I don’t know. I guess I was just going with the moment, you know?”
                  “Whatever,” she said. “I didn’t want you to touch me there. That’s too – private.”
                  “Sorry. Jesus, all the other girls weren’t this uptight,” he muttered.
                  Marie sat up straight. Her eyes were wide and her fists clenched. “Are you kidding me? All the other girls?”
                  Travis groaned. “No, Marie. I didn’t mean--”
                  “You really are an ass!”
    She couldn’t stand it anymore. She got out of the truck and marched to the exit of the drive-in.
                  Travis jumped out and yelled after her, “Marie, come on!” People were staring from their cars. “Oh piss off,” he said to them.
                  He got back in the truck and drove out of the lot. He pulled the truck up beside her on the street. She saw him struggle to roll down the manual passenger window. “Marie, where are you going? You live, what, twenty miles from