Under His Skin

By Emeline Piaget

Stephen Pascarelli is gorgeous, rich and successful. He built his multi-million dollar business from the ground up. He's seemingly unshakable. Somewhat by chance he runs into Addie McDaniels, the high school crush he thought he was over, but is he really? Is twenty years long enough to extinguish the fire that burned for her or did it only make it burn hotter? Will Addison notice Stephen this time around?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emeline Piaget
• Release date: Mar 31, 2015

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to my two sweet girls. You are growing so fast and I’m so proud. I love you endlessly.

To my mother, I love you. You are the reason I am who I am, thank you!

To my sisters from different misters, Michelle Symone and Amanda Lauzier, words can’t express how grateful I am that you’ve been on this journey with me. You are the pieces of my heart!

Mike Fields (#mfc) Mike Fields Coaching, thank you for keeping me from turning into a big blob. You are not just my trainer, but my friend. You have helped me not just physically, but mentally. I can’t thank you enough.

And to my beautiful cousins Megan and Sara, you guys are so amazing to me!  Thank you for all of your support!  I love you guys!

I’ve fallen in love many times… always with you.

~Anonymous

Chapter 1

June26, 2015

Nick

When I walked into the meeting that morning I never expected to hear her name. Ten years ago, I founded a software company. Initially we began as a small start-up.  It was just me, Petey and Joey in the beginning.  I brought Petey and Joey on to help after I developed my first program.  Petey has been my best friend since the fifth grade when I moved into the area.  As a kid, I was really awkward and Petey was the first person to befriend me. We had a lot in common back then.  Neither of us was very athletic.  We both loved Star Trek and action figures.  As we grew older that love of action figures translated into an obsession with gaming systems. Between computers, gaming systems and my love of math I found my passion for software development, -especially gaming software.

My company had grown quite a bit over the last ten years and my main focus then shifted to my CEO duties:  I became the chief strategist, product marketer, lead salesperson, and lead product developer.  Having started a company from the ground up, I knew how hard it could be and I liked to give back to the community that helped me become a success.  About three years ago I started a fund called Progetto Aiuto, a nod to my Italian heritage. P.A. was a fund that was intended to help starting or struggling businesses. Local businesses looking for investors were encouraged to apply for grants through the P.A. fund.  We usually toured the business, looked over the financials and followed their social media presence as a way to get a feel for the companies.  Every three months the board that I created for Progetto Aiuto, which included Petey, who now went by, Peter or just Pete, and I held a meeting to discuss which business we would pick for that quarter.

It was Friday and I was geared up for the weekend. I usually let the board decide which business we chose, chiming in only when absolutely necessary.  I was zoning out just a little bit thinking about my upcoming ski trip, when Jay, the director of P.A. started to name off some of the businesses that were under consideration this month. 

We have five businesses to consider this time around.  Yesterday I met with a small business that’s looking to expand by opening a second location and selling merchandise online, Jay said.

What type of business is it? Pete asked.

It’s a clothing boutique:  Bree Elle Boutique on Main Street. They need help tying together both locations on a network and keeping track of inventory, along with billing and payroll for the sales associates.

Sounds simple enough. When are you meeting with them again, and who’s the owner? Pete asked.

Well, we have some other businesses scheduled first.  We have an appointment three weeks from Monday on July thirteenth at 9am. We’re set to meet with the owner before the store opens.  Her name is Addison McDaniels.

I shook out of my mental fog and looked up just as Pete looked at me.

Chapter 2

June 1994

It was 3:45 pm and school had just ended for the weekend.  I was sitting on a bench studying for Monday’s math exam. Actually, I was doing less studying and more waiting-waiting for her like I did almost every day. I sat and waited and watched. I used to worry about getting beaten up by her boyfriend, but for some reason that I didn’t know nor care about, I was invisible to the it crowd.  I liked it and used it to my advantage. The clock hitS 3:46 pm and there she is. She is so beautiful it hurts.  I look up as she walks out of the locker room, but not long enough to attract her attention though.  I like my invisible status.  She is flawless.  Perfect honey-brown skin; gorgeous almond-shaped eyes; full, succulent lips; small, perky breasts; toned arms and legs, and a firm ass.  She is the perfect woman.  She’s also captain of the cheerleading squad, which partly explains her incredible shape.  Some days after cheer practice, she hit the gym with her boyfriend, a senior named Chad Reynolds.  Chad is the center for the school hockey team and he played lacrosse in the spring. Today is just a practice day and yes, I do know her schedule. You could say I’m just a little obsessed with her.  As she heads to the gym for practice, just like I have done almost every day for the past four years since I started high school, I sit on a bench and steal glances at her:  Addie McDaniels.

Chapter 3

Hey Nicky, Pete said. Still pining away, I see. He walked over to where I was sitting.

How’s it going, Petey? I chuckle. You ready for the test Monday?

You know it’s going to be brutal. Mr. Mitchell said it counts as half of our grade. I’ll be studying all weekend.  I’m sure you’ll ace it, though.

"I don’t think the test will be that bad."

Not that bad, says the math genius. Hey, you feel like coming over this weekend for some Nintendo action?

Yeah, sure, I’ll swing by and kick your ass in some Zelda.

We both laughed and continued talking.

I wouldn’t say I was a genius, but I was really into math.  I’d also found out recently that I really liked computers.  My father had recently purchased one for his home office and he let me use it a few times to type up some papers for school.  The speed of that thing amazed me.  Soon after, I discovered computer games and was hooked.

Practice was almost over and I knew she would be heading back this way any moment. Petey and I were still talking when I saw her walk around the corner. She looked right at me and smiled. I thought I was going to die of happiness. She finally noticed me, I thought and smiled back.  Then I thought that my eyes were deceiving me because she waved.  I blinked really hard a few times and she was still smiling right at me.  I blinked again and she was walking in my direction; I must have been dreaming.  I lifted my arm to wave at her just as she reached me.

Hi Addie, I said.  She didn’t break her stride as she walked right past me. She didn’t even notice me.  I just watched her, pretending to listen to Petey.

Hey Trish! She said.

I turned and looked behind me to see Trish Maloney standing there.

Hey Addie! Are we still on for tonight?

The party at Jeff’s?  Hell yes, it’s the end of the year and I’m ready to celebrate.

Is Chad going too?

I don’t know. He said he and the guys from the lacrosse team were going to hang out for a bit and then they might show up.  I hope he doesn’t.

Why, what’s up with you guys?

He’s been flirting with that bitch Shelby.  He says it’s all her, but I think he’s a liar.

Well Todd told me she had been showing up at practices, but that Chad kinda blew her off.

Lisa told me there was blowing going on, but it wasn’t him blowing her off.

Seriously? Did you ask him about it?

All he said was that she flirts with him but he’s not interested.  ‘Baby, you are the hottest girl in school, why would I want anyone else’?

Addie he’d be crazy to cheat on you.

I don’t even want to think about. I just want to party tonight! I’ll swing by and pick you up about 8.

Okay, see you then.

I continued to watch her walk down the hall toward her locker. I watched until she was out of sight.

Does that sound cool Nicky?

Huh? What?

I should have known if Princess Addie was in sight you wouldn’t hear a word I said.  I said do you wanna come by for pizza tonight?

Petey, it’s our senior year and we only have a few weeks of school left, let’s do something different.

What’s that?

Let’s go to the party!

You mean the one at Jeff’s house?

People had been talking about this party for weeks.  Jeff’s parties had been legendary.  A tradition passed down from his older brother Billy.  Every year they threw an end of the year bash that people talked about until the next year.

Yeah, why not?

Are you trying to get us gutted and stuffed man?

Seriously Petey we’re seniors and from what I hear there are so many people at those parties they’d never notice us. Come on Petey let’s live a little.

Aw man, I don’t know.

I’m going either way so you might as well come with me.

If it meant there was a chance to see Addie McDaniels, I would fly to the moon and back.

Yeah, okay fine!  What time do you want to meet?

I’ll be by at 8:30.

Chapter 4

For my eighteenth birthday, I asked for a car.  I told my parents I didn’t care what kind, I just wanted a car.  That old expression, be careful what you wish for smacked me right in the face when they presented me with a brand new Buick Century Station Wagon.  My dad worked for a used car lot and he got it at a great bargain.  I should have been grateful to get a car, but it was embarrassing pulling up to school in that thing.  Fortunately, there were only a few more weeks of high school remaining.

I pulled up to Petey’s house right at 8:30 and honked the horn.

I’m coming chill man. The party’s not going anywhere! He yelled out the front door. 

He turned back to say something to someone inside.  I fidgeted with the radio and when I looked up, he was in the car.

Your precious Addie will still be there when we get there man.

Fuck you Petey, it’s not all about Addie.  I told you we are seniors and we’re graduating in a few weeks.  I want to do something different.

Yeah, yeah, whatever man.  Come on, let’s go.

Jeff’s family had a cabin off of Lake Erie that they used in the summer months.  There were cars and people everywhere.  I recognized most of the people I passed as we drove up to the house, but there were quite a few I didn’t.  I figured they were lower classmen trying to make reputations for themselves with the upper classmen in crowd or they were from other schools.

I found a spot on the side of the house and parked.  Petey immediately spotted Emily Parks, a junior, he’d been crushing on.  He liked to talk smack about me and my crush on Addie, but Petey had it just as bad for Emily.

Hey man, I’ll catch up with you, Petey said as he jumped out of the wagon.

Are you going to say something to her tonight?

Hey, we’re seniors and trying new things right? Maybe I will, he smirked and walked off.

As I sat in the driver’s seat looking for some gum, a strange feeling hit me.  I couldn’t figure out if it was good or bad, but I knew something major would happen at this party that would impact me in a major way. 

Chapter 5

I walked up the stairs to the cabin and ran into Drew Spellman coming out.

Hey Nick man, what’s up?

Drew and I grew up around the corner from each other.  We had been good friends until freshman year.  Wanting to start a new time in our lives on the popular side of things we tried out for the basketball team.  He made it and I didn’t.  After that, he became part of an entirely different social circle.  He hung out with the jocks and I, well didn’t.  He was always cool whenever we ran into each other, but he never attempted to hang out like we used to.  High school politics, it’s something you learn fast.

Hey Drew not much. How is it in there?

It’s pretty wild man.  I’m headed out for a beer run right now.  I’m glad you made it Nick!

Thanks man, I’ll see you when you get back.

I walked into the cabin half expecting the football or hockey team to terrorize me, but no one noticed me as I walked through.  You would think that after years of going unnoticed I would be used to it and in the beginning I was.  As a freshman, I was short for my age; I stood 5’5.  The summer before my sophomore something changed.  Maybe it was the Wheaties I had been eating, but I had a major growth spurt and didn’t stop until I hit 6’2.  I thought for sure when I went back to school it would make a difference.  Sadly, it didn’t. 

I moved through the crowd with one thing on my mind, finding Addie.  Just a glimpse was all I needed to make me happy.  I had no idea what I would do after graduation when I couldn’t see her every day.  I didn’t even want to think that far ahead, right now it was all about seeing her. 

There was a big table that had food and punch on it. I grabbed a glass and scooped some punch into a red solo cup. As soon as I put the cup to my mouth to take a sip I immediately smelled the alcohol.  I had never really had alcohol before that.  Before that I never saw the appeal in it.  Tonight I decided what the hell.  Plus that nagging feeling that had started in my gut when I first arrived was gnawing away at me. I needed something to distract me from it.

I took a big swig, blech that’s nasty, I thought.  I shook my head and took another big swig.  It wasn’t long before I felt my face flush.  I was leaning up against a counter taking in the scene when I saw her.  She was standing next to Chad. He had his arm around her waist and a red cup in his other hand.  He was talking to one of his buddies and she looked upset.  Trish walked over and they started talking.  She shrugged and turned to say something to Chad.  He didn’t even acknowledge her.  She swatted him on the chest and he turned his attention toward her like she was an annoying little bug he was about to squash.  She began talking to him in an animated fashion, he shrugged and smirked at her then she reached up and slapped him across the face. The whole party turned to see the commotion.

I knew you were sleeping with her! You lying bastard.

Baby, calm down. I didn’t sleep with her, I promise.

Liar!  Shelby told Tammy, Tammy told Angie, who told Lisa, who told Trish!

Seriously, do you know how ridiculous that sounds?  Let’s go somewhere and talk about this.

He grabbed her elbow and led her to a room off to the side. My guess was that it must have been the master bedroom. I wanted to get closer, to hear what was going on. I took another swig of punch, filled my cup up and crossed the room.

I was standing directly outside of the bedroom door, it was cracked just enough to her what was happening on the other side. I heard her voice.

Chad, please don’t lie. Just tell me. Did you sleep with Shelby?

Addie, I did not sleep with her.

Why is she telling everyone you did?

I don’t know! That chick is crazy. She wants me bad. She started showing up to lacrosse practices and she would follow me around school sometimes.

Okay, but she knows that we are together right?

Of course Ad, everyone knows.

"Did you tell