Racing Savannah

Chapter 20. Future Plans

The little bell on the door jingles as we walk into Tennessee Ballers.

Jack and Rory head straight for the counter but Vanessa grabs my elbow. She loops her arm through mine.

“Tell me everything,” she whispers.

Jack took me on a day date to Fall Creek Falls today, where we went horseback riding around the waterfalls and did some hiking that involved lunch in a deserted meadow. And lunch led to dessert which led to more. Red and gold leaves fell around us as we stretched out on the picnic blanket, taking our time.

“We did it,” I whisper back, and Vanessa squeals.

“Details!”

“It was great…well, until Jasper—Jack’s dog—stole my shirt,” I say, laughing. “But I do have some questions…”

She pats my arm. “Let’s talk more later.”

I don’t regret giving myself to him, not one bit, but there’s stuff I need to know, and I’d rather sing a solo in the school musical than ask Rory stuff about sex. Like, what in the world are you supposed to do with your hands? And am I supposed to help him put the condom on?

“What do you want to eat?” Jack asks me.

“Cheese quesadillas and tortilla chips.”

He grins. “Stake out a seat for us.”

I weave around the tables, saying hi to kids from school, then grab the corner booth. While Jack collects our food and brings it to the table, Rory pushes Vanessa up against the counter and kisses her so passionately I have to look away.

“Whitfield! I’m sure that’s a health-code violation. Stop!”

My head pops up to find a humongous guy pointing at Rory, who keeps on kissing Vanessa like he can’t hear a thing.

“Who’s that?” I ask Jack.

“Joe Carter. He used to play football for Hundred Oaks and now he owns Tennessee Ballers.”

“I’ll kick you out of here, I swear, Whitfield, and you’ll never eat my tacos again,” Joe Carter says. “No tacos for you!”

Rory grins as he kisses Vanessa.

“That’s it,” Joe says, clearly exasperated. “If you don’t stop right now, I’m calling Vanessa’s brother—”

“No!” Rory roars, ripping away from Vanessa. He picks up their tray and yells over his shoulder, “You’re evil, Carter.”

Vanessa and Rory slide into the booth with us. “If he calls your brother, I’m dead,” Rory says.

“If my brother kills you, can I have your Star Wars sheets?” Vanessa asks, smiling at him sideways as she bites into a chip.

“And I want your truck,” I say.

“I’m glad my friends care about my welfare,” Rory says.

“Can I have your dog, Ava?” Jack asks, wiping his mouth.

“I hate you all,” Rory replies.

Across the room, now Joe Carter is raising his voice to Sam Henry, the hot usher from the wedding, and his blond girlfriend. “Get out if you don’t like it!”

“What is this?” Sam Henry says, looking disgusted. “I’ve had better tacos at Taco Bell!”

“Oh, you did not,” Joe Carter replies.

“Did.”

“Out!” Joe roars, pointing at the door, but Sam Henry just waves a hand at him and goes right back to shoveling chips into his mouth.

“Jordan, you really gotta try these,” Sam says to the blond girl, talking through a mouthful of chips.

Joe steals the chip basket away from Sam and speeds into the kitchen as if he’s carrying a football. Sam leaps to his feet and chases after Joe, and then I hear raucous yelling and the sound of silverware and pans crashing to the floor.

“Morons.” Jordan shakes her head and starts playing with the salt and pepper shakers. She stacks the pepper on the top of the salt and yanks the salt out from under the pepper.

I smile.

“What are you thinking about?” Jack murmurs in my ear.

“I hope that we’re all still friends when we grow up.”

He softly kisses the skin under my earlobe. “My mom told me that Jordan Woods got a job at the school. She’s gonna help coach football.”

“Really?” I ask. “A girl coaching football?”

“It’s true,” Vanessa says. “She told my brother that she’s starting in the spring.”

That’s when Colton comes jogging up to our table. He squeezes in beside Rory and Vanessa. Kelsey pours in behind him and pulls a chair up to the table. She starts texting on her phone but Colton steals it from her, pocketing it. She gives him a look before digging into the tortilla chips.

“You’re late,” Vanessa says, throwing a chip at Colton.

He picks it off his shirt and eats it, shrugging. “I was watching this new show called I’ll Eat Anything. It’s disgusting! But I couldn’t look away. People win money based on how much weird shit they eat. Like, today, this one lady had to eat a coconut shell full of frog fallopian tubes!”

Vanessa chokes on her food and gives Colton the look of death, but he doesn’t notice because he’s eyeing Kelsey.

“Annnnywayyyy,” Rory says, talking with his mouth full. “I’ve been thinking. Do y’all want to go to that Halloween Haunted Forest thing up in Cookeville next weekend after the homecoming dance?”

“I’m in,” Jack says, squeezing my hand under the table. “As long as we take some fireworks with us.”

“And set them off in the Haunted Forest?” Rory asks.

Vanessa says, “That should definitely get us kicked out.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Jack says with a laugh. He faces Rory. “You’ll bring the fireworks?”

Rory grins. “Sure thing.”