Then Kiss Me

by Jade C. Jamison

  “When was that?”

  “You know…Ed’s birthday party last September—at the park.”

  Wendy asked, “How old is Jenny now?”

  “She’s almost six.” With a smile in her voice, the other waitress asked, “Have you set your sights on him?”

  “I did a long time ago, but Jim ruined all that.” Oh, of course. Jim, the asshole. Why didn’t that surprise me? “I don’t know, though. After the last few weeks, I think I still might have a chance.” Well, I was assuming a lot, but I was pretty damned sure they were talking about Scott.

  They started walking toward the front again. I heard the other waitress say, just before they walked out of earshot, “Well, Wendy, Scott’s a nice guy, but he has a lot of growing up to do. Give him time.”

  I felt my heart beat harder, faster. That confirmed it. Wendy was competition. But why the fuck did I care? Scott wasn’t interested in me anyway. What was I thinking? Competition? What the hell? Who needed a man anyway?

  But my entire perspective changed later that night. Scott came into work around five and I knew from the schedule that David would be in around six. Normally, I would have liked the chance to be around Scott by myself, but after hearing the exchange between Wendy and the other waitress, I was feeling a little disheartened.

  Scott wrapped the standard bib apron we cooks wore around his waist and tied it. Then he asked, “Where do you want me tonight?”

  I knew he meant at what station in the kitchen. Since I was the closer, I got to choose. But I still had that irrational crush on him, and the evil part of me considered telling him I wanted him up against the wall with my tongue in his mouth. Instead, I took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Where would you like to be?” I wasn’t in the mood to think, and I hadn’t been working there long enough to absolutely hate any job, so I was willing to let him choose.

  “If you really don’t care, I’ll take grill.”

  “It’s all yours.” For some reason, the guys liked operating the grill, probably because it required the most finesse out of all the jobs there. They had to tend to steaks and burgers and make sure they were cooked to perfection. I liked it too, but I didn’t feel some sort of primal satisfaction from grilling a steak like they did.

  He moved over to the grilling area as though claiming it. I was standing over near the fryers, close to the area where the waitresses would pick up their orders. “Hey…you got any plans tonight?”

  Had I heard him right? And here I’d been worried about little ol’ Wendy. But I felt cautious just the same. “Yeah…I’m closing, remember?”

  He smiled, but it was a sarcastic smile. I could tell, though, that he appreciated it. From one smartass to another… “I meant after.”

  I couldn’t help myself. “After work, I plan to shower. I usually smell like greasy shit after I leave here.”

  He sighed. I was a hopeless cause. “A few of us are gonna be at a party tonight. I thought you might want to join us.”

  My heart leapt inside my chest. Seriously? Was Scott Wardell really inviting me to a party? “Sounds fun,” I said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

  “Have you figured out your way around town yet?”

  “Kinda.”

  He walked into the prep station where the phone was located and grabbed a small piece of paper off the notepad. Then, using a pencil next to the phone, he wrote something down and walked back to the cooking area. He handed me the paper and I looked at it. It had an address on it. “If you don’t have a GPS, you’ll want to look it up on Google Maps or something. It’s just outside of town.”

  “How late is it gonna go?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure. At least till eleven.” I wanted to know because Bob’s closed at eight. It would probably take me an hour to finish my closing duties, and then I’d need to go home, shower, and put on fresh clothes. It could be as late as ten or ten-thirty before I got there. But if they were partying till eleven, I’d at least have a little time with Scott. And maybe that would be all I’d need. “So you’re coming then?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be there. I just don’t know when I’ll get there.”

  “Oh, yeah. That’s right. You’re still a rookie closer…could take you hours.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “Very funny.”

  The night flew, and once David got there, the three of us had a lot of fun laughing and joking, in spite of how busy we were. Both men did their pre-closing duties and as Scott was pulling his apron back off, he said, “See you later, okay?”

  I nodded, trying to keep the giggly girl inside down. She’d be embarrassing if she escaped. David said, “Oh, Casey’s comin’?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Cool.” He hugged me, a wicked grin threatening to overtake his face. I knew exactly what he was thinking. Yeah, yeah…so the guy Casey had a crush on invited her to a party. But I knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything, even though it was promising as hell.

  And so after closing, I went home and showered, then carefully chose my outfit: snug blue jeans with rhinestones on the back pockets, a camouflage baby doll tee, and blue sandals. I walked out the door to my car, more excited than I’d been for something in years.

  Chapter Four

  I DID ALMOST get lost, but I managed to find the place where the party was. It was outside of town some and when I got out of my car, I thought having the party away from civilization was a good idea. The music coming out of the house was loud, and neighbors in town wouldn’t have tolerated it. It was good music, though. It was a cover of a song I’d heard before, but it wasn’t a song I was completely familiar with. It was a metal tune, but the metal I listened to wasn’t as heavy as it could get. What I was hearing had an industrial thrash sound. It was great for a party.

  I walked up the steps to the front door. There was a deck in front and I was sure that during the daytime, the views were spectacular. Winchester was nestled right up against beautiful green forests, and breathing in the crisp country air out here, I was starting to understand why my parents had moved here.

  The front door was open although the screen door was closed. I let myself in, because there were lots of people inside and I knew no one would hear a doorbell (or care if they did). I had slid my keys and cell phone into a front pocket so I wouldn’t be fettered by my purse.

  The place was packed and I didn’t recognize a soul. I did notice, though, that the music was quieter. I realized that the music must have been outside. I made my way through the crowd toward the back of the house. I saw people with plastic cups full of beer too, and I figured I’d get something to drink later, but first I wanted to find the music…and see if I could spot anyone familiar.

  When I got to the kitchen, I saw a sliding glass door that led outside. The music changed and this time I recognized the tune. It took me a few seconds, though, but I finally placed it. It was Lamb of God’s “As the Palaces Burn.” But…it wasn’t off their album. I realized the music was live. Holy shit. I was at a way cool party, and now I was bummed I’d missed part of it. As I walked out the door onto another deck, there was a guy standing, looking across the lawn at a band rocking out. I asked him, “Who are they?”

  “Oh…they’re local boys. They call themselves Pain and Agony.”

  “Nice. How much have I missed?”

  “They just started playing an hour ago. They’ll probably take a break here in a little bit and then play for another hour. That’s what they usually do.”

  “This is a great cover.”

  “Yeah, it is.” He stuck out his hand. “Name’s Mark, by the way.”

  “Oh.” I shook his hand. “Casey.” I looked across at the band. The lead singer had gorgeous long brown hair and he was doing a great death metal scream. “So…where’s the beer?”

  Mark chin-nodded down the deck where there were three kegs. “Right there.”

  “Thanks.”

  He walked with me down the deck. “So, Casey, are you here with anybody?”
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br />   I looked over at him. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy—closely cropped blonde hair, steely brown eyes. But I wasn’t interested. So I told him, “Not exactly. But I was invited by someone, and I’m looking for him.”

  Mark nodded, looking reluctant. “Well, if you can’t find him, hunt me down and I’ll show you a good time.”

  Ooooooh. Teenage Casey might have taken him up on the offer, even with a guy waiting in the wings. But Casey didn’t do that anymore. I nodded and smiled and thanked him for everything. Then I made my way down the steps. I kept looking around for Scott or David and couldn’t see either. Maybe they’d already left, but I had the feeling I hadn’t even seen half the party yet. I figured I’d check out the band for a while. They were really good. They didn’t sound exactly like Lamb of God, but there was no denying they were awesome.

  I got closer to where the band was, and there were lots of people surrounding them. I was having a hard time getting closer, although, if I’d been willing to spill my beer, I probably could have gotten up close faster. I’m sure if I’d rubbed up against the right guys I could have advanced more quickly too. But that was part of what was taking me so long too. I was still on the lookout for my fellas, and I couldn’t see them anywhere.

  The band finished playing Lamb of God and the lead singer started talking. He had a nice voice…smooth and rich, and I hadn’t expected that after the death-metal-type scream he’d been rocking. He said, “Okay, guys, you’ve been listening to our specialty all night—covers of some of our favorite bands. But now we’re gonna play an original tune for you, something we like to call ‘Fuck You’.” I almost started laughing. Why the hell not? It suited the music.

  So they started up…the song had an insistent, hardcore beat right off the bat. I liked it and I wondered why these guys were playing in this rinky-dink town instead of going to the big city where they could really draw a crowd. I swallowed a large gulp of beer and thought, Crowds be damned. I became a little more aggressive about making my way through the tight-knit mob surrounding the band and, at last, I wound up at the inner circle. There. Now I could see these guys.

  Wow. So fucking cool. The lead singer had the crowd enrapt. Now that I was closer, I could appreciate how hard these guys were working…two guitarists, a bassist, and, of course, a drummer. But…wait a fucking minute. What the hell? The drummer was—I felt a shiver crawl up my spine and wrench me at the base of the neck—Scott. Holy fucking shit! He’d never said anything about being in a band, and he hadn’t even said it when he’d invited me to this little shindig.

  I froze. Scott was maniacal on the drums, beating out the kind of rhythm usually demanded by speed metal. God…no wonder his guns were so well defined.

  And guess what? I love metal music, so seeing Scott in a band made me want him all the more. I’d been crushing before; now I was desirous beyond belief. Hot as hell, a bit of a playful teasing shit, some sweet tattoos, and he played in a band? I was fucking smitten and so ready to jump that boy’s bones.

  And I couldn’t pull my eyes off him. Jesus…he was really good. What the hell was he doing flipping burgers at Bob’s? He was intense, really into what he was doing. His hair was matted against his forehead by sweat, and every time I felt a cool breeze, I was sure he was grateful. Or maybe he didn’t even notice. He was so focused, it wouldn’t have surprised me.

  As the song ended, the lead singer shouted out a long thanks and started introducing members of the band. It was then that I noticed Scott’s eyes were scanning the crowd. The teenage girl inside me squealed with delight, waiting to see the look on his face when he spotted me. But the singer got to Scott before he could finish looking and Scott stood and bowed his head while the crowd (myself included) went wild. We went crazy for each band member, but I personally gave a little extra for the guy I had the hots for.

  The lead singer said, “We’re gonna play one more song and then take a break. So, folks, could you give us a direct line to the beer when it’s time? Otherwise, our break’s gonna last a long time and you won’t be able to say shit about it.” While he was talking, Scott continued scanning the crowd. His eyes found me and, sure as shit, they lit up. I smiled and waved and he pointed a drumstick at me to acknowledge me. Then the band started playing Machine Head’s song “Locust” and Scott joined them a few bars in.

  I didn’t take my eyes off him, and I could tell he knew I was watching him. God, I hope I wasn’t making him nervous. At the same time, I wanted him to have the satisfaction that he’d gotten my attention on a huge level.

  I’d never realized how long the song was until I had to wait impatiently for it to end. But it did finally and the band set down their equipment to get some refreshment. Scott walked over to me, though (goodie!). I asked him, “Did you want to get some beer?”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  So we started walking behind the other band members back to the deck where all the beer was. The crowd had parted, just as the singer had asked, to make room for them. “Why’d you keep this such a big secret?”

  Scott chuckled. “What? The party?”

  Like I said, from one smartass to another. So my comeback? “Yeah…I’m wondering why you didn’t tell me about it weeks ago. I could’ve lined up a date.”

  He must have liked my stupid joke and dry delivery because he laughed again. “I dunno.” Then more serious. “I don’t talk about it, but everybody knows.”

  “Yeah…everybody except the new girl. And…”—he looked over at me, eyebrows raised—“I suspect you wanted to surprise me.”

  The smile never left his face. “Maybe.” We started walking up the steps to the deck. “So…what do you think?”

  I tried not to over-gush. I needed to be cool. I didn’t need to go all fangirl on him. Spazzy fangirl wasn’t sexy in the least. “You guys kick ass.”

  Scott looked skeptical. “Not just saying that?”

  “No way. The music’s not exactly my cup of tea…”

  He frowned as we got close to the keg. Someone was filling up cups for all the band members. “If I had a dime for every girl who said that…”

  “No…I like it. I love it actually. Your music’s just a little harder than I’m used to.”

  He raised his eyebrows and took the cup full of beer from the guy filling it. “Thanks, man.” He looked back to me and we started walking back the way we came. “Yep, I’ve heard that one too. What kind of music do you usually listen to?”

  “Hard rock, metal. Just not as heavy as what you’re playing.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “So who’s your favorite band?”

  I took a deep breath. I hadn’t been asked that in a long time, and I wondered if I could narrow it down. Well, of course, I could. “That’d have to be Slipknot.”

  He took my chin in his hand and said, “There’s hope for you yet.”

  “Hey, Scott, Casey!” We turned to the side and saw David approaching from the right.

  I waved. “Hi, David.” He embraced me when he got to us.

  “So what do you think?”

  “About what?” I knew what he was asking, but I was going to be a pain in the ass about it.

  “Scott.”

  Oh…that was too wide open. What I thought about Scott probably shouldn’t have been said out loud, at least not in front of all those people. All I knew was just looking at him made me feel like my thighs were melting, like my bones were collapsing, like I could just rub my legs together like a cricket and have an orgasm. But I knew that wasn’t what David was asking. I could tell from Scott’s expression when I looked at him, though, that he might have had an idea of what my dirty mind was thinking. But I smiled and looked back to David and said, “Holy shit. I had no idea. I pulled up to this place and heard the band…liked them. Totally freaked out when I realized I knew the drummer.”

  “See?” David said, looking at Scott. “I told you she’d like your band. She listens to the right stuff.”

  I grinned and rolled my eyes. The lead singe
r walked past and slapped Scott on the shoulder. “Ready to do this?” Scott nodded. The singer looked over at David. “Hey, Dave.”

  David nodded. “Lee, you sound great as always.”

  “Thanks.”

  Scott said, “Lee, this is our friend Casey.”

  He smiled and flashed me a look I was fairly used to seeing. But I could tell the guys with me didn’t much care for it. Lee offered his hand and shook mine. I was almost surprised he didn’t bring my hand to his lips and kiss it, the way he was acting. But he said, “Nice to meet you” and then let go and started walking down the stairs.

  “Guess that’s my cue,” Scott said. I smiled but I could tell the mood had cooled. Shit. I couldn’t help it this guy was a little aggressive, and it certainly didn’t mean I was interested. If Scott hadn’t been around, maybe…

  So Scott followed his bandmates, ready to play their second set.

  I started to walk back down the steps off the deck, but David said, “Casey, the view’s much better here.”

  “Not if I can get front row.”

  “Yeah, but we can’t talk there.”

  “Oh…” I took the hint. “So what’s going on?”

  “Just wondered what you thought about the band.”

  “Holy shit…impressive. Have they written a lot of original stuff?”

  “Not lots…they started out doing covers, but over the last year, they’ve been writing some of their own stuff. It’s been pretty cool.”

  I nodded but kept my lip zipped. David acted like he had more to say. He pointed over to the right down on the lawn where there were lights strewn about because the floodlights couldn’t quite reach. “Do you see that kinda tall guy by those white chairs?”

  I followed where his finger pointed. “There are a lot of people, David, and a lot of white chairs.”

  “The tallest guy, Casey.”

  Oh. Okay. Found him. “Yeah. What about him?”

  “I think he was hitting on me a while ago.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah…but I got nervous and told him I was going to get a beer.”