Face the Music (26 page)

“
Are you finished
?” he asked after he signed the receipt.

I nodded and put my fork down.

We were standing next to his bike, and j
ust as I was pulling the helmet over my head, I felt his “spider” hand cr
awl up my side.  “Shit!” I screamed, laughing
.

He pulled away. 
“Miss Banks, such language! 
I had no idea you had it in you!”   

I
leaned over the bike and
caught my breath. 

“Are you ticklish?”
he asked.

“Yes, very much so.”

“Good to know.”  He stifled his laughter before clearing his throat.  “Are you ready to go?”

I looked into his eyes, all traces of humor gone.  “Where?”  I whispered.

“Wherever you want.  Where would you like to go, Allie?”

“Nowhere in particular.”  I shivered, and wasn’t sure if it was because of a chill in the air or something else.  The electricity between us was almost tangible.  “Can’t we just ride around?”

He took off his
coat
and
draped it over my shoulders.  It smelled like him.  I
t was way too big, but I
pushed my arms into it and tightened it around me.  I could have drowned in that smell.

***

It was nearly eleven when we pulled up in front of my building.  “Thank you for a wonderful evening, Chris.”  I climbed off the motorcycle and handed him his helmet and jacket.  “I had a great time.”

He set the helmet
on the seat
and pulled
on
his coat.
 
The moonlight reflected off his eyes as he looked at me, creating silver slivers
against his dark brown irises.
 
“
So,
are you still not interested?  In me, I mean?”
he asked.

I could tell from his expression that he was being serious.  “I don’t know what I am,” I answered honestly.  I liked Chris, more than I was willing to admit, but the last thing I wanted to do was get involved with someone.  The wounds Paul had left were just barely starting to scab over, and I couldn’t bear to have them ripped open.  “It’s complicated.”  I leaned against the side of the building and looked up at the stars.

In three long strides, Chris was leaning into me, pressing my back up against the building.  His palms flattened against mine, our fingers interlocking as he held my hands above my head.
  “Let me help uncomplicate
things for you.”  He closed his eyes, leaned
his head forward
, and pressed his lips against mine
.

Fireworks went off in my head.  I saw nothing, heard nothing, only felt the jolt of heat that boiled my insides.  Once the
surprise
wore off, I leaned in to kiss him back
, but he pulled his lips away.

“Just think about it,” he said with an unrepentant grin.

Without another word
he got on his bike and took off.  I stood beside the building, breathless, and watched the red tailli
ghts disappear
down the road.

Chapter 14

“I take i
t things went well last night?”  Emily was watching
me from over the top of her
Celebrity Magazine
.
  I was making pancakes, humming as I whisked the batter.

The smile that spread across my lips must have given her all the answers she needed.  She slammed her fists on the table, splattering coffee up over the sides of her mug.  “You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?” 

I thought carefully before I spoke.  “No.”  I shook my head as I lifted the corner of a pancake to see if it was ready to be flipped.  “Definitely not.  I have a huge crush on him,
I’ll admit.  B
ut I have not fallen for him.”  I laughed.  “Could you imagine?  Me falling for a rock star?  Better yet, him falling for me?  Let’s live in the real world, Em.”  I poured mor
e batter onto the hot griddle.

“So this is just a crush?  A stupid, schoolgirl crush has you acting this way?”  She was trying to be stern, but I could tell she was holding back a smile.

“Yep.  Don’t get me wrong, we had a great time.  Dinner was good, and he was so easy to talk to, but we’re just friends, you know?  All his family is in Virginia.  He doesn’t know anyone around here.”  I flipped a pancake and restated the fact:  “Just friends.  Nothin
g more.”  Whatever reservations I had
about the status of my relationship with Chris, I knew it was for the best.  It had to be enough.

***

M
onday proved to be a hard day.  I
was having trouble focusing on my work
.  I led Melody and Sam through a literature lesson and gave them the rest of the morning to work on their literary analysis packets.  I sat at my desk and daydreamed about Friday night.  Dinner,
riding around on his motorcycle
, that
incredible
kiss…

“Earth to Allie, you-hoo!” 

I almost fell out of my chair when Jake came into focus.  He was leaning over my desk, inches from my face, waving his hand back and forth.  Sam and Melody giggled. 

I recovered myself. 
“Jake, hi!  You look better.  How’s the nose?”

He reached up and touched it.  “It’s good.  Do anything exciting over the weekend?” 

I smiled to myself but decided not to say anything about Chris.
  Jak
e always got so weird whenever his name came up.

“Nope.”  I shook my head.  “You?”

“I went out with Heather.  You know, the girl from audio?” 

I didn’t know her but nodded anyway. 

“Yeah, she was great,” he continued.  “We went to…”  He told me about his evening, but my thoughts drifted back to Chris.  That kiss had been amazing, nothing like I’d ever felt before.  I wondered how serious he was, or if he was just giving me a hard time because he’d heard me say I wasn’t into him.  That must be a rare thing for a guy like him.  He was probably used to girls throwing themselves at his feet.

“Allie!”

I snapped to attention and looked at Jake.  “What?”

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” 

I blinked a few times and pushed Chris from my thoughts.  “Sorry.  I’ve got a lot on my mind this morning.  What were you saying?” 

The greatest thing about Jake was that it was really easy to be his friend.  He just wanted someone to listen to him talk, or at least pretend to
, as it was
in my case.  Usually
,
he didn’t even care if I talked back.  I tried to force myself to pay attention as he repeated his story, but I honestly had no interest in his affair with Heather
, aside from the fact that he wasn’t harassing me anymore
. 

He paused and looked at the clock.  “Well, breaks over, I should go.”  He started to leave but turned back.  “Oh, I almost forgot!  What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Why, what’s going on?”

“It’s St. Patty’s Day, we’re having a poker tournament in the hotel lo
bby.  We’re starting at eight.
” 

“
That sounds fun! 
I’ll definitely try.  Thanks!”  He grinned and headed
for
the door, kicking the front of Sam’s chair as he walked by.  Sam stuck out his leg and tried to trip him.  I snickered at their display of brotherly affection. 

***

Later that night, I turned on the tube to watch the competition.  After this show, there would only be six more episodes left.  Things were getting increasingly serious.

Chris was the first to take the stage.  An electric guitar played the melody, the tempo had been
upped, and more guitar and drum
arrangement
s
had been added, but it was definitely the Journey song he’d caught me singing Friday night.

I held my breath through the performance, not sure how to feel. 

Something throughout the week usually inspires me…

***

The next afternoon
I was at the university heading towards the lab when my cell beeped.
  I had a voicemail from Chris. 
He
was inviting
me to the poker party.  “I would ha
ve told you about it sooner,” his voice went on
, “but it was all just thrown together last minute.  I hope you can come.”

Lauren
poked her head through the door just as I finished listening.  I snapped the phone closed and shoved it in my pocket. 

“Let me guess, Chris?”

“How’d you know?”
  I couldn’t help
but
grin.

“
Aside from the
enraptured
glow?
” she observed.  “Any new developments I should be aware of?”

“He took me to dinner the other night,” I admitted.  “We went to a place called Gigi’s.”

“And you didn’t call me?”

“I know, I’m sorry!  I’m such a bad friend.”  I measured out a batch of nutrient agar and told her about the night.  “He asked if I was interested.
  You know, in him.
”

Lauren’s eyes were the size of saucers.  “What did you say?”

“I told him things were complicated.”

She groaned. 
“Why would you do that?  You’re making it so much harder than it has to be!”

“You didn’t let me finish.”
 
I told her about the kiss.
  “He
said, ‘let me help uncomplicate
things for you’.”

Lauren was leaning so far forward in her chair I thought she might fall off. 
“
That is so hot.  Oh
,
my gosh. 
Do you have any idea how many girls would murder y
ou if they knew?
”

“Give me a break,” I groaned.
 
“It was just a kiss
.”

She
frowned
and gave me a pitiful look.  “
‘Just
a kiss? 
Y
ou didn’t feel it, huh? 
Too bad. 
Let me guess, n
o chemistry?  Does he kiss like a fish?  Or was it too sloppy, more like making out with a great dane?”

I laughed.  “Where do you come up with these things? 
It was great, actually.
” 
I shuddered just remembering.  “
In fact, I coul
dn’t imagine anything better. 
I just don’t understand it.”