A Beat in Time

by Gasq-Dion, Sandrine

  “Like what you see?” he gestured to the men.

  “I love you so much,” I barely whispered.

  Vince laughed and took me into the garage. I spent the rest of the day listening to the guys talk about some of their wildest calls and took my turn sliding down the pole. Vince caught me as I slid down for a second time. I landed in his warm chest and we stared at each other for a few seconds before the guys began making kissing noises.

  “So,” Vince coughed, setting me back down. “I should get you back.”

  “It was nice meeting you guys!” I waved at all the men.

  “You too!” they yelled in unison.

  Vince opened my door for me and I settled in, leaning back against the seat. Vince got in and started the truck, backing up into the street.

  “So, you had fun?” he asked.

  “I did.” I nodded. “I can’t believe you took me there.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, I mean, come on.”

  “Are you saying those guys are hotter than me?” Vince eyed me sideways as he drove.

  “Actually, no. You are definitely the hottest guy there, plus, you have a great sense of humor. I think it was a test of sorts to see if I’d bang any of them.”

  “It could be that, but if we work out, you’ll need to see where I work and who I work with.”

  “True.”

  Vince pulled up in front of Christine’s house and cut the engine. He turned in the driver’s seat to face me, and I met his eyes. I couldn’t argue the fact that I could stare at him all day, that he made me laugh, the only thing left was to see if he was a good kisser. Call me crazy, but if the kiss wasn’t hot, the rest of it wasn’t either.

  “So this is the part where I ask if I can kiss you.” Vince tilted his head to the side, eyeing me.

  “Well, I would have to say yes. I mean, you have to be bad at something, right?”

  Vince leaned forward, his hand caressing my cheek and then sliding to my nape. I leaned in and our lips touched softly. His lips were warm and pliable against mine and his fingers played with the wisps of hair on my neck. Vince backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “Was that okay for a first kiss?”

  “I think I might need a few more.” I pulled him in by his shirt.

  This time, Vince commanded the kiss immediately, trailing his tongue along my bottom lip until I opened and let him in. Our tongues met and dueled, wrapping around each other as we fought to get deeper and taste more of each other. Vince moved until he draped over me and my hands gripped his biceps, meeting him tongue stroke for tongue stroke. My head swam as the kiss became almost feral and Vince pulled back, breathing hard.

  “Shit,” he rasped.

  “Wow.”

  “I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

  “No…um, no problem at all. I was just, yeah, okay.”

  Vince peered into my eyes, and with a small smile on his lips, asked, “You okay there?”

  “Don’t get all egotistical on me now,” I scowled.

  “I’m an asshole, remember?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  “I can walk, it wasn’t that good.”

  “Liar.” Vince laughed and jumped out of the truck.

  He helped me out and walked me to the front door. Vince stood on the bottom step as I stood on the top. Funny, that made him eye level with me. The guy was seriously tall.

  “So, I’ll call?” Vince took my hand.

  “I’ll answer.”

  Vince leaned in and kissed me lightly. “Good night, Serena.”

  “Night,” I breathed.

  Vince chuckled and jogged down the walk to his truck. He turned and waved and I waved back. The front door opened just as Vince drove down the street.

  “Serena?”

  “Yup.”

  Christine moved in front of me and smiled. “He kissed you.”

  “Uh huh.” I nodded.

  “Good date?”

  “Yep.”

  “Know any other words?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, that’s better than yup or uh huh. Come on inside and we’ll talk all about it over drinks and food.”

  Christine went back inside and I stood on the stoop with what I know was a goofy grin. I ran my fingers over my lips.

  “Wow.”

  Chapter 15

  Over the next three weeks, I poured my heart into the heterosexual book. I finally decided to use myself as the heroine. What the hell, nothing else was coming to me, so why the fuck not? I was pulling myself back together and I relished every moment of it. I had four guitar lessons with Wyatt during that time and he said I was coming along perfectly. Of course, I had to make G string jokes. Vince and I talked on the phone a lot and I really liked him, he was smart and funny, not to mention hotter than hell. I heard the distinct sound of an engine in my driveway and grinned. Getting up from the table, I crossed the living room to the front door. Opening it, I smiled at my family pouring out of my parents’ van.

  “Allo, Poulette!” my mom waved.

  “Need help?” I bounded down my stairs to the driveway.

  “No, your brother and father have it all. I brought food and wine.”

  “Of course you did,” I laughed.

  “Hey, Dorkus. I hear you’re riding a fireman?” Robbie waggled his eyebrows.

  “Oh? Who said that?” I narrowed my eyes at my mother.

  “Get over it, Serena,” Marisol hauled her overnight bag over her shoulder, “We talk about you. We’re bored with our mundane lives.”

  I scanned the drive and raised a brow at my sister. “Where’s Remy?”

  “About an hour behind us. He had to work,” Marisol answered.

  “Hey, you!” Brit exited the van with my niece in tow.

  “How was the drive, Brit?”

  “Smelly,” she pointed to my brother.

  I cracked up as my brother stuck his tongue out. “Well, come on in!” I ran back up the steps.

  I was really proud of my house; I should be, I decorated it myself. An elephant ear plant reached for the ceiling in my front window and assorted plants dotted the living room. I always loved plants, I think I got that from my mother.

  “Jesus, Serena. Will a monkey be flying by at any time?” my brother asked, taking in all my plant life.

  “If you keep talking, you’ll suck all the air they make.” I fixed him with a look.

  “Aw now, come on.” My brother grinned and began walking towards me.

  “No! Not the wet Willy, dammit!” I screeched and ran up the stairs.

  “Robbie, leave your sister alone and come help me,” my mom ordered.

  ~*~

  Within the half-hour, my mom had gotten dinner going on my stove and we were all camped out around my coffee table playing Pictionary. I was always partnered with Robbie, probably because we had the same mindset. Plus, he’s an excellent artist; it was actually fucked up how talented my brother was. We whipped ass at Trivial Pursuit, too. Robbie pulled a card and snickered, which meant he was about to draw something rated R. My sister flipped the timer and Robbie began drawing immediately. I stared at the drawing and laughed.

  “Erect!” I shouted.

  “Yes!” Robbie fisted the air.

  My sister grabbed the slip of paper and frowned. “It’s a dick.”

  “Marisol!” my mother slapped my sister in the head.

  “Fine. It’s a penis. How do you get erect from this?”

  “Well, penis,” I glanced over at my mother and got a nod, “is too obvious.”

  “Whatever, you two are bent,” Marisol grumbled.

  “You’re just pissed you’re losing.” Robbie pointed at my sister with his pencil.

  I tilted my head as another engine garbled into my driveway. I stood up and pointed at Marisol.

  “Don’t cheat. I think Remy is here.”

  “I don’t cheat!” Marisol balked.

&n
bsp; “Yeah, yeah.” I waved over my shoulder as I headed to the front door. I swung it open and stood there with my mouth open. Jensen stood on my front steps with his hand in a fist, getting ready to knock.

  “Jensen? What are you doing here?” I stepped out a little and shut the door behind me.

  “I had to talk to you. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted.”

  “Fine. Apology accepted. See you later.” I turned to the door.

  “Wait! Serena, please listen.”

  “I don’t think we have anything to say, Jensen. It occurred to me over the past three weeks that you are not the guy I fell in love with.”

  “Look, things have changed--”

  “Not for me they haven’t.” I shook my head. “It took me a long time to get here, Jensen, and I don’t want to go back. I have a career and a family, hell, I might even have a chance at romance with someone. So please, whatever changed, it’s too late.”

  “I don’t believe that.” Jensen shook his head.

  “Believe what you want. I’m not going down this road.”

  “Look, Serena, I…care about you.”

  “Thank you,” I drawled. “That means so much to me.” I turned and stepped into the house, slamming the door in Jensen’s face. I closed my eyes and exhaled.

  “I get it, you’re still pissed! I’m not giving up!” Jensen shouted from the other side of my door.

  I opened my eyes to see Robbie standing in front of me, arms crossed. “Does he need to get dead?” he asked.

  “No.” I stalked past him to the kitchen, aware all eyes were on me as I did. “Could you all close your mouths?”

  “Honey,” my father rushed to me in the kitchen. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, Dad. Really.”

  My doorbell rang and I lifted a finger as my entire family moved for the door. “I’ll get it!”

  I stomped across the living room, cursing under my breath. “How many times do I have to say I’m not interested?!” I threw open the door to see my brother-in-law standing with his eyes wide.

  “Um, once is enough?” Remy said slowly.

  “Get in here.” I pulled him inside the house.

  “What did I miss?” Remy stared at all of us.

  “Ugh!” I threw my hands up in the air.

  “Serena had a visitor,” my mom informed him.

  “That would be the car peeling out of here as I was coming in?” Remy crossed to the kitchen and placed a paper bag on the counter. “I come bearing loads of wine.”

  “Thank God,” we all said in unison.

  ~*~

  After dinner, my mother, Marisol, Brit, and I all stood on the back deck watching the sun set. Tall pines whispered in the wind and I inhaled the fresh air.

  “Serena.” My mother took my hand. “Are you really over him?”

  “I have to be, Mom. I can’t take it anymore.”

  “Vince seems like a nice guy,” Marisol added.

  “He really is.” I smiled at the thought of Vince. “He took me to his firehouse on our first date.”

  “How…romantic?” Brit said slowly.

  “It really was fun.” I laughed, then sobered. “I need to get past Jensen so I can see Vince.”

  All of us turned around at the sound of music pouring from the house. Robbie stood at my sliding glass door with his phone playing said music.

  “What the hell, Robbie?” I asked.

  “This seems to fit, it’s…” Robbie looked at his phone. “Britt Nicole, ‘The Sun is Rising.’”

  “I know it.” Marisol grinned. “It’s from the movie ‘The Other Woman.’”

  “Yep,” Robbie agreed. “Brit made me go.”

  Brit snorted. “No I didn’t! You wanted to see Cameron Diaz in a bathing suit.” Britt narrowed her eyes. “And give me my phone! I don’t want—” Brit stopped short. “Penis pictures on my phone.”

  “More wine?” my mother asked.

  “God, yes. Tons of it,” I said.

  I sat on my couch with my legs under me as my family talked about their newest plans for a vacation. I guess we were going to go on a cruise. The last one we went on, I came home looking like a lobster. I watched my brother and his wife, along with my sister and Remy. I wanted that someday, I wanted kids and someone to spend time with. I loved my family, I really did, but sometimes I felt like I was always running to catch up to them. I had always done things the way I wanted, I didn’t like being told what to do, even now.

  Maybe I could make a life with Vince, maybe I could still have the life I wanted.

  Maybe…

  Chapter 16

  I put the finishing touches on the heterosexual book. Childhood lovers torn apart as kids and reunited as adults. I put my blood and tears in this book and I hoped it did well. Writing and publishing was hard, putting your baby out for the world to see was a double-edged sword. You get those “I loved it” reviews along with the “I hated it”, I learned a long time ago that you couldn’t please everyone. Putting myself and everything I’d just gone through into a book was cleansing. I hadn’t seen Jensen since the day my parents were here. No texts or calls either. My doorbell rang and I got up from the kitchen island, crossing to the door. A florist stood on my front steps.

  “Serena Devane?” he asked.

  “Yes?”

  “These are for you.”

  I took the flowers and looked for a card. There wasn’t one. I eyed the flowers carefully. They were sweet peas. I tipped the florist and carried the flowers into the kitchen. Sweet peas were my birth flower, but I’d also put them in some of my books. Vince would have left a card, I thought. I called him anyway to ask. He answered on the second ring.

  “Hey beautiful!”

  “Well, hey,” I chuckled.

  “I was hoping to hear from you,” he admitted.

  “I know, and I am sorry about that. When I get into writing mode, I usually don’t come out of the office until I’m done.”

  “And I get that. So what do I owe this call to? Boredom? Need me to talk sex to ya?”

  “Dirty slut.” I snickered. “Actually, did you send me flowers?”

  “Nope, not yet. Why? Do I need to right now? I’ve got FTD on speed dial.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yeah, I send flowers to my mom all the time. When I left New York—”

  “Whoa, what? I didn’t know you lived in New York!”

  “Yeah, Queens. Why?”

  “I left New York for Arizona.” I laughed at the odd coincidence.

  “I left to start new after the ex cheated.”

  “Wow,” I mused.

  “While I’ve got you on the phone, why don’t I come up this weekend? Or vice versa? I’d really like to spend more time with you.”

  “I um…” I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that. My vagina was holding pom poms and doing a sex cheer, but my heart was on the fence.

  “I didn’t mean to have sex, Serena. Do you have a couch?”

  “No, I sit on the floor,” I drawled.

  “That’s too bad. Maybe I’ll buy you a stool.”

  “I’m kidding. I have a guest bedroom.”

  “I know you are, that’s what I love about you, Serena. So, is Friday okay to come up? You can show me Flagstaff.”

  “Sure. That sounds like fun.”

  “I look forward to it and Serena?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ll bring flowers.”

  I hung up with a goofy smile on my face. Vince made me laugh, he made me feel good about myself and he was a fabulous kisser. Holy hell was he good. I chuckled as I closed my laptop, I would send the book off to Ann to get her take on it. I was nervous about this one. I put a lot into each and every book I’d ever published, but this one was personal. I just hoped I didn’t get murdered by reviewers. Ah well, either they liked it or hated it. Regardless, my baby would be going out into the world.

  I showered and headed into town for staples. Since I didn’t eat much, I
didn’t shop much. Coffee, however, was a must. I stood in the coffee aisle for what seemed like forever. I hated flavored coffee and I hated flavored coffee creamer even more.

  “Are you waiting for it to pop off the shelf and into your basket?”

  I turned to see Aarin behind me, grinning.

  “Long time no see, stranger.” I hugged him.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve been practicing with the guys, churning out new tunes.”

  “Well, I can’t wait to hear it.”

  “How’s the hetero book?”

  “Finished it.” I smiled. “I took your advice and used myself. Not sure how the readers will respond, but it is what it is.”

  “Well, I think you’re fascinating.” Aarin waggled his brows.

  “Oh yeah, SO interesting.” I elbowed him.

  “You busy this weekend?”

  “I kind of am. I’m seeing this guy, it’s new, but I’m hoping it will become something.”

  “So, Jensen didn’t work out?”

  “Let’s just say, that part of my past needs to stay there.”

  “Well, if you and the guy get bored, come to the Green Room Saturday. The guys and I are playing a set.”

  “I will do my best to make it there,” I assured him.

  “Good. Now get your coffee, I see a bitch attack coming on.”

  “Oh ha, ha.”

  ~*~

  I spent the rest of the week nervously cleaning. I did that a lot when I got flustered, or bored, or horny, or was breathing. I just liked to clean. I took after my mother, I guessed. I was one of those people that actually moves the appliances around. I tried to start a new male romance, but I kept thinking about Vince and his lips.

  And his hands.

  Vince called me on Friday morning and told me he was on his way up. That sent me into the shower where I shaved every bit of hair I could find from my legs, pits, and pubes. I left a landing strip because I hated keeping up with it. Why the hell was I shaving anyway? It wasn’t like I was going to get laid or anything.

  Oh, who the fuck was I kidding? I needed to get laid like last year.

  I didn’t get a chance to see or feel what Vince was bringing to the party, but he had big feet and big hands. My gay beta readers would joke and say that meant he wore big socks and gloves. I stared at myself in the mirror. Was I ready to have sex? I smiled.