Why don't we go for a ride before you take me home ?" "Any special place you want to go," he asked.Why don't we go for a ride before you take me home ?" "Any special place you want to go," he asked. "No," she said. "Just anywhere that we can be alone for a little while. The dance was so crowded that I feel like I haven't really been with you hardly at all." Driving past her house, and hoping that noone there had seen them drive by, Mike was a little surprised when Juliann stayed sitting next to him as they drove. Instead of sitting close to the door she stayed close enough that he could feel her thigh against his own. Figuring "nothing ventured, nothing gained" he took his right hand off the wheel and put it around her shoulders. While she stiffened reflexively at his touch, she forced herself to relax and finally laid her head on his shoulder. She was close enough to smell the scent from his hair tonic and to feel the hardness of his chest and shoulder. Somewhat to her surprise, the weakness in the pit of her stomach that she always felt when they kissed started up and grew as they drove. Her heart was beginning to beat so hard that she was certain that he could hear it. While it seemed that he was driving aimlessly, in fact Mike was headed for the edge of town where there was a sort of "Lovers' Lane" that all the kids went to after a dance. Dimming his headlights as he drove up, Mike parked the car far enough from everyone else so as to have privacy, but close enough that there was a mutual protection among the occupants of the various cars. Turning the car off, but leaving the radio running, Mike turned to Juliann and held her with both arms in a strong, but tender, embrace. All the way on the drive out, Juliann was - in a corner of her mind - analyzing the feelings that she was experiencing. The pounding of her heart and the weakness that she felt were getting stronger each minute. |