Darkroom: A Moo U Hockey Romance

This time I wasn’t going to settle for a one and done. No, I wanted to feel his mouth on mine for a long while. I wanted to feel his tongue parting my lips, his strong arms around me.
We looked at each other and every one of my nerve endings tingled with awareness. My heart was beating so hard, I could feel my pulse in my fingertips. I swallowed and let my lips part and I saw his eyes drop to my mouth.
This was it.
I leaned forward and he brought his head closer to mine, reaching toward me to cup my neck as he had just a few hours ago at the Green Bean. Giving in and preparing for the kiss of my life, I closed my eyes.
Our lips met gently, again and again. With each soft kiss, he explored a different part of my mouth, pressing, nibbling, tasting. Then he drew back and gazed into my eyes as if gauging my reaction. I smiled and he came back for more and I was happy to give it to him. Kissing Hudson was more intoxicating than any cocktail I’d ever drunk. In a matter of moments, I was breathing hard, moaning softly and there was a restless ache between my legs.
We started fogging up the windows as he deepened the kiss, demanding more from me and getting it. Outside it had to be in the fifties, but inside the Jeep it was hotter than the tropics. I was contemplating taking his hand and putting it on my breast, but he placed it on my face instead and I was so lost in the kiss that I let him do it. I loved the feel of his big hand on my face and how his thumb stroked my cheek.
Shit. That’s when I realized.
He was stroking my cheek—the cheek with the birthmark on it.

13


Hudson
I’ll never understand the opposite sex. I know I’m not the first guy to ever say that, but I’d never been so baffled by a girl as I was by Indi that night. I mean, we were making out and it was great. Fantastic. Those little sexy moans of hers…fuck. I’d wished I’d worn pants with a lot more room in the crotch.
Then, all of a sudden, she freaked out. She gasped and pulled away like she’d been burned. And I hadn’t even been trying for a feel.
Before I knew it, she was out of the car, babbling an apology before she dashed up the concrete walk.
I sat there, alone and horny as hell, going over what had happened bit by bit but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why she’d bolted.
I picked up my phone and texted her.
Hudson: Are you okay?
The three dots appeared, indicating she was composing a return message. I sat and waited for her reply and for my erection to go away.
The dots disappeared.
Then they reappeared.
This happened twice more while I considered going up to her room. I didn’t actually know which place was hers, but I might be able to find someone in the halls who would tell me.
Indi: I’m sorry I left in such a hurry.
Hudson: It’s not a problem. I just want to know if you’re okay.
Indi: I’m fine. I just…I have this…
Three dots, more waiting.
Indi: I have this thing about people touching my face. I know it’s weird. I probably should have told you.
Hudson: No, it’s not weird. Everyone has their Kissy crakes.
Damn it.
Hudson: Stupid autocorrect. I meant idiosyncrasies. My dad won’t let anyone touch his feet. TMI?
Indi: Ha ha. No. Not TMI.
Hudson: So are you free sometime next week to shoot the portraits?
My phone rang. It was Indi.
“Yes. I only have two classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
“Hey, me too, but I have practice every afternoon.”
“Do you have a problem waking up early? Because I was looking at the sign-up for the studio and everyone wants the later times. For the darkroom too.”
“Wait. What? I thought the darkroom was extra credit.”
“It is. I always do extra credit. Are you telling me you want to wimp out and just do the minimum? Because it’ll be easy, especially with two of us figuring it out. The instruction video is only fifteen minutes long and I already signed out one of the SLR cameras. There’s something cool about real prints. It’ll be like cooking something on an open fire versus your stove, you know?”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
“And maybe they’ll come out good enough that I can frame one for my parents for Christmas.”
“Great idea. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re just a pretty face,” I said.
She didn’t reply for a second.
“Indi, did I lose you?”
“No, sorry. I’m here. I have to go. I’ll see you on Wednesday in class.”
I got a weird vibe from her goodbye, but I felt I’d fixed everything for the most part. All I really cared about was spending more time with her, especially in a conveniently private darkroom. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Our conversation at Tito’s had been as satisfying and fun as the one at the Green Bean, and I felt like we’d really made a connection.
When I got home, AJ was playing a video game. He didn’t look up when I sat next to him on the sofa. I watched him battle it out against aliens in a military installation on a distant planet. This was a level we’d both tried time and time again to get past. There were just too many aliens for the arsenal we were able to amass, but he had to be getting close. I saw him edging toward a pillar and on the other side, there was a disintegration grenade. Shit. That could shift the balance.
When there was a tiny break in the assault, AJ scooped up the grenade and launched it toward the enemy. When it exploded, it took out only four aliens.
“Damn it,” he swore. “Should have held it until…now.”
The creatures gathered in a tight group near a box