What would be the harm in getting a little bit of attention, the chance to design a downtown loft space from scratch, and get a little something all with no strings attached?
I smiled up at him, resigned. “I’d love to.”
The song ended and Peter took a small step back, giving me a small bow while keeping hold of my hand. “I look forward to it.” He pressed a brief kiss to my knuckles. I had a feeling this guy was more frog than prince.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to see a very pissed off Drew. His normally bright blue eyes were narrow and full of fire, and not in a good way. His lips were set in a hard, straight line and his jaw was tense as he stared Peter down, who still had a hold on my hand.
“Hey,” I said, gesturing to Peter, “look who I found.”
Peter smiled, extending his hand to Drew. “Collins, it’s good to see you.”
“Russell,” Drew grunted, fixing Peter with a sharp glare. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, ignoring Peter’s outstretched hand.
Either the men shared an extreme dislike of one another or this was some sort of intimidation game. Either way I had to break this up, and fast.
Peter turned his attention back to me, luckily sparing me from having to throw myself between the two of them. “Alex, it was lovely to see you.” He stepped forward, softly kissed my cheek, then turned and headed for the exit.
I turned my attention to Drew, who was scowling at Peter’s back as he watched him disappear into the crowd. When he was satisfied that Peter was gone, he finally looked at me “You ready?”
I blinked. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“What was with the testosterone-fueled stare down?” I narrowed my eyes at him and propped my hand on my hip. What the hell had gotten into him?
“Nothing.” Drew shook his head. “I just don’t like the guy.”
Then he turned, heading for the exit. I stood there for a second, a little stunned. I had no idea what was going on. I shook off the shock and followed him out of the door to the waiting car.
***
The ride home was dead silent. Drew just looked out the window, his hand folded beneath his chin, the tension still clear in his jaw. I had no idea what was wrong with him. Had something happened with Peter I didn’t know about? Tonight was a big night for me and no way would Drew go through all of that effort to get me here just to ruin it over something petty, so whatever happened between them had to be big. I was going to get to the bottom of this. Drew obviously wasn’t planning on telling me, so I guess I would just have to get it out of Peter.
The driver dropped us off in front of Drew’s apartment. I was a little miffed at him for ruining what was an amazing night. I crossed my arms across my chest, waiting impatiently for him to come clean or even just say something, anything. Drew just stood there, his head hung low, hands in his pockets.
I sighed and headed across the square, toward home. Fine, if he wanted to end the night in silence, then that was just what he would get. Drew jogged to catch up to me, still looking down at his feet as we walked quietly toward my building.
His sour mood was killing my buzz. I tried to focus on something, anything else, as I glanced around the square. It was late and the square was empty and lit by a few soft lamp posts. It was really beautiful. I looked up. The sky was full of stars peeking through the trees overhead. It was a peaceful setting. Luckily, it did a good job of calming me down.
When we reached our place at the center of the square, Drew stopped. I took a few more steps before I realized he wasn’t following.
“We never got to dance,” he said, his eyes focused on his shoes, his voice so soft I barely heard him.
“What?”
He looked up, meeting my eyes. He took a few steps and slowly closed the gap between us. “Dance with me?” He offered me his hand. His voice was smooth and sure, but his eyes were pleading.
“Here?” I was a little confused. Something was wrong with him. He’d gone from rude to solemn to…I don’t know what, but it was freaking me out. I looked around the square, looking for something to tell me what the joke was. It was like I was being Punk’d and any minute now, Sean would jump out from behind a tree with a video camera, but we were alone and the square was quiet.
I studied him, trying to figure out his end game, but I got nothing, just that same pleading look. “There’s no music,” I pointed out.
Drew smiled and took his phone from his pocket, typing something I couldn’t see. He must have found what he wanted because his smile widened and a small chuckle escaped his throat. With one more tap, the opening bars to “La Vie en Rose” started to play through the tinny speakers. I loved that song. It was, by far, one of the most romantic songs ever made, and it seemed strangely appropriate.
Drew set his phone down on the bench next to us and reached for my waist, pulling me in close. He wrapped his arms around me as I slid my hand up his chest to his shoulder. Slowly, we began to sway. He pressed his hand to my back, pulling me in tighter against him. His fingertips were electric, sparking every nerve in my body to life.
Louis Armstrong warbled in the background and Drew pressed his cheek gently to mine. A small contented sigh escaped my lips and I closed my eyes, feeling the slight roughness of his cheek and the warmth of his hands.
We danced and swayed as Drew slowly led me around the square, our bodies in total sync with one another. It was too easy to get lost in the moment. Being in his arms and dancing underneath the stars in a place that was just ours seemed to overtake all of my senses. The square blurred around me and all I could feel was the soft touch of his fingers as they grazed my back’s naked skin, the warmth of his breath against the side of my neck.
My body relaxed into him, my lips parted, and my heart pounded as he began to softly sing the lyrics in my ear, asking me to give him my heart and soul.
The way I was reacting to him was not normal. The softest touch from him had my body screaming for more. I clung to his shoulder, feeling weightless and lightheaded, grounded only by the soft whisper of his voice in my ear.
The song sped up and he spun me, taking larger and larger steps, dancing me around the square. When the trumpet reached the highest point, he dipped me, my head dropping back. I laughed and he brought me back to my feet as the song ended.
He pressed his forehead to mine, still holding on to my waist, both of us smiling like fools. I looked up into those mesmerizing blue eyes and something sparked inside me. I felt it catch and ignite as he stared down at me. The intensity in his eyes made me swallow hard.
What the hell was going on? Then reality set in. Oh my God, what am I doing? He had to be drunk. It was the only way to explain the way he was looking at me. The look on my face must have sobered him up because he cleared his throat and took a step back. My body instantly chilled from the loss of contact, forcing me to wrap my arms around myself.
Drew reached down and picked up his phone from the bench, putting it back into his pocket. He looked up at me with a small smile and we turned, heading the last few yards to my building.
When we reached my door, he leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Good night, Alex.”
“Good night,” I whispered, turning the lock and pushing open my door. I stepped in and closed the door behind me, pressing my back hard against it.
“Damn you, Wiley.” I dropped my head to the door and looked up at the ceiling. A tear slipped down my cheek as I closed my eyes. Damn her, she was right.
Chapter 9
Drew (Then)
Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, I was a little restless, so I headed to the kitchen. I grabbed a slice of pizza from the fridge and leaned against the counter as I ate. I took a bite of the cold slice, gazing out the small window above the sink. Red was sitting on the tire swing, pushing at the dirt with the toe of her shoe.
I stepped outside. The grass was cold and soft under my bare feet. “What are you doing out here, Red?”
She sniffled quickly, wiping at her tearstained cheeks. “Nothing.” She jumped to her feet and started for the deck.
I reached out and wrapped my hand gently around her arm. “Whoa. Red, what’s wrong?”
She stopped and turned on me. Anger and sadness were clear in her eyes, causing a lump to form in my throat. She looked down at her feet, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Why didn’t you tell me about your mom?”
I didn’t want to get into this right now. I probably should have warned her after everything she went through last year, but what Mom was going through was not the same as what happened to her parents. Besides, I refused to believe that I was losing my mom. She was tough. She would make it through.
I sighed, releasing her arm and running a hand through my hair. “I didn’t want to upset you.” Her eyes widened, but she said nothing. “With everything that happened to you last year…” I trailed off, afraid I was just digging myself a hole.
“You thought I couldn’t handle it.” She nodded, her lips tight as she turned to head back into the house.
“I didn’t say you couldn’t handle it. I just didn’t want to add to everything you are dealing with,” I said, reaching for her again.
She whirled around to face me. The hurt and anger on her face forced me to take a step back. “Why did you bring me here?” Tears streaked her cheeks, but her voice was hard.
As I looked at her, the anger built inside me. Was she really pissed at me for trying to protect her? “I thought you could use a little fun. I thought it might be nice for you to be a part of something again.”
She stared at me, a look of disgust distorting her face. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms protectively across her chest. “Do you think I’m weak?”
“What? No!” I stammered. I couldn’t believe her. I was trying to be a friend to her, and she was throwing that shit at me. I was beyond frustrated. “I don’t know what else to do with you, Red! I know we didn’t have the best start, but I have been there for you every day and you still don’t seem to trust me.”
“Trust you. Why should I trust you? I know how you are with women, Drew. Everything you do is to get laid. How do I know you aren’t just going for another notch in your bed post?”
I took a step toward her so we were almost nose to nose. I ground my teeth. My jaw was clenched so tight it hurt. “Where the fuck is this coming from? Jesus, Red, are you really that scared of letting me get close to you? I’m not even trying to fuck you. I just want to be your friend. God help the poor bastard who tries to get in your pants.”
Her green eyes were bright and filling quickly with tears. I knew I went too far. I let my features relax and softened my voice, running my hands down her arms. “Look, I like you, but if this friendship is gonna work, you need to get on board. If you can’t do that, then tell me now. Contrary to what you may believe about me, I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to do.”
She looked down at her feet. “I know.”
When she looked back up at me, the tears were streaming down that beautiful face again. My heart clenched in my chest. This girl was going to be the death of me. I cupped her cheeks with my hands and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’m just…” she started. “I don’t know how to do this anymore.”
“Do what?”
“Let someone in.” She sniffled. “What if something happens?”
Something clicked. She had lost everyone she has ever cared about. She was terrified that if she let herself get close to me or to anyone, that it could happen again and that she would end up alone.
I pulled her tight against my chest, kissing the top of her head. “I’m right here, Red,” I whispered into her hair.
“For now.” She took a step back, looking down at her hands.
I reached out and tilted her chin up to look in her eyes. “Listen to me. I can’t guarantee the future, but you can’t go through life on your own afraid to get close to anyone. I care about you, okay? All you have to do is let me.”
I could see her searching my face for even an ounce of bullshit. When she couldn’t find anything, she took a deep breath and nodded.
“So, can you stop making me work so damn hard?” She chuckled and nodded her head. I dropped my arm around her shoulders pulled her in against my side. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” She nodded and I led her back into the house.
I said good night to Red and headed back to my room, but I couldn’t get to sleep. I just kept staring up at the ceiling, listening to Sean snore from the air mattress on the floor.
What I said was true. I do care about her. She lets me be myself. She was the first girl I have ever been around who I could talk to, I mean really talk to.
Red was so different from all the other girls on campus. She called me on my shit from the first moment I met her. She made me laugh. She stood up for Sean. I really valued her as a friend. She meant more to me than I cared to admit. She was quickly becoming one of my best friends, but fuck she was beautiful. I was still dangerously attracted to her. Sometimes it was difficult to be around her, but I couldn’t stay away. I was a complete fucking mess.
I rolled over, pulling the pillow over my head, trying not to think about those big green eyes, those full lips. Shit! I was in way over my head.
***
The next morning I headed into the kitchen for some coffee. I desperately needed the caffeine after only managing to get a few hours of sleep last night. David sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal.
“You do know you don’t live here anymore, right?”
He shrugged. “Neither do you.”
“Yeah, but my place isn’t three miles away.”
“Pop needed me to check something in the books for the bar.” He took another bite of his cereal and gestured to the laptop beside him.
“Is everything okay?” With everything that was going on with Mom, the last thing we needed was the bar to be losing money.
“Yeah, it’s fine. He couldn’t get the accounts to balance. He was reading the numbers wrong. Man is blind as a bat and refuses to wear his glasses.”
I chuckled and nodded, pouring myself a cup of coffee. I took a seat across from him and took a sip of the much needed caffeine, savoring the sweet hum making its way through my veins.
“So, what’s up with you and Alex?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.
“It’s not like that, asshole. We’re just friends”
“I didn’t think you could be just friends with a girl.” He chuckled. “Especially a hot one.”
“Dude, shut up!” I plucked a stray Cheerio from the table in front of me and chucked it at him. “There is nothing going on.”
David sat back in his chair, holding his hands up in defense. “Okay. It’s just weird, considering you got more tail freshman year than half my fraternity brothers.”
“More than half.”
David chuckled and nodded his head.
“Hey, do you remember a guy named Peter? He was a pledge that year,” I asked. I figured the easiest way to check the guy out was to talk to some of his fraternity brothers, and my brother was a good place to start.
“Peter Russell?”
“Yeah, I think that’s the guy.”
“A little. He was a bit of a dog, but then again, so are you.” He gave me a pointed look. “Why?”
“Red met him at a party a while ago and he asked her out. Just wanted to make sure I won’t have to hunt him down later.”
“Jealous?” David took a sip of coffee, an amused expression on his face.
“No, dickweed! I’m not jealous. I’m just looking out for her.”
“Well, I’ll call Frankie. See what he knows.”
“Thanks, man.”
Just then, Red came in. “Good morning,” she said. She picked up a cup from the counter and poured herself some coffee.
“Good morning,” David and I chorused.
David looked up at me, sh
aking his head. I narrowed my eyes at the smug smile that spread across his face. I loved my brother, but sometimes he could be a real dick.
***
Later on, I took Red to The Den for lunch. When we walked in, the place was pretty empty, so we just grabbed a table in the back, nodding to Papa Jack as we took a seat.
The Den was just as much my home as the house I grew up in. I was excited and a little nervous to show it to Red. The Den was basically a dive bar, just cleaner. The décor ranged from old boxing posters to blinking neon signs advertising beer companies that no longer existed. I found comfort in the sounds of old men screaming at the TV behind the bar and the old pinball machine that would light up and ring at random from the back. This place was a part of me as much as my family and I wanted to share it with her.
“So, this is it, huh?” She looked around at the faded wood paneling along the wall and the warped mirror behind the bar.
“Yep.” I smiled as I watched her relax. I liked seeing her here. She fit nicely into my world.
Red picked up the menu in front of her. “What’s good?”
I plucked the menu out of her hands. “You’ve got to get the fish and chips. They are hands down the best in the city.”
“In your biased opinion.” She smirked.
“You’ll see. Want a beer?” I signaled Pop, who responded with a nod of his head.
“Yeah, thanks.”
We fell into a comfortable silence as we waited for our food. I was just enjoying being around her, but then she started picking at her fingers. In the short time I had known Red, I’d come to realize her tells, and this one screamed that she was nervous about something. I waited, quietly sipping my beer while she worked through whatever she was nervous about telling me.
Somewhere In Between (Madison Square Book 1) Page 9