by E. L. Todd
I held the screen to my face and examined it. An enormous rock was in the center, and even in a photograph I could distinguish the quality. Smaller diamonds were along the band. I wasn’t a jeweler but I knew this was expensive. “Damn…how much was it?”
“You don’t want to know.” Conrad took the phone back and shoved it into his pocket.
“Wow…I can’t believe this.”
Conrad released a sigh. “I can’t believe it either. I never pictured myself getting married but now…it’s all I want. She’s the one, man. I know she is.”
As selfish as it sounded, his happiness reminded me of my loneliness. I loved Alex when we were together and I thought she and I would last. But it didn’t work out, and she slept with some guy the second we were apart. But I couldn’t let it weigh me down. Conrad deserved this. “You guys are great together. You can tell Lexie is one of those girls who will age well.”
“Yeah, she will.”
“How are you going to ask?”
He shook his head. “I don’t have a clue. I was hoping it would just come to me but it hasn’t yet.”
“Give it time.”
“Yeah…” He drank his beer again.
“Anyone else know?”
“I mentioned it to my dad awhile ago but I haven’t told him about the ring.”
“Your parents will be thrilled.”
He rolled his eyes. “They wanted me to marry her, like, a year ago.”
“At least they like her.”
He laughed. “Shit, they like her more than me.”
“We all do.”
He threw his coaster at me.
I chuckled. “You know I’m kidding. Tell me before you pop the question.”
“I will,” he said. “I’ll tell everyone. We’ll have an engagement party or something.”
“I look forward to it.” First, Slade and Trinity got married. Then Skye and Cayson. Who knew Conrad would be next. But he was a great guy and deserved only the best. I was happy for him.
I really was.
***
“If you guys are just going to watch the game, why not stay home?” Dee came to our side wearing a skintight black dress with matching heels. Her hair was in big curls, and every single curve was on display.
I hadn’t noticed she was even there. If I looked at her from across the bar, I wouldn’t have noticed her. Only her bear tattoo showed any indication of her former identity. I’d never seen her dress so girly. She usually wore jeans and a t-shirt. But now…she looked like another supermodel in Manhattan.
“Hey, Dee…” I tried to think of something more intelligent to say. She caught me off guard and I knew I was making it obvious. My eyes scanned her up and down and I wish I would stop.
“We come for the beer,” Conrad explained. “It’s just not the same out of a bottle.”
She nodded in understanding.
“So, what are you doing here?” It was a stupid thing to say. But again, I was at a loss for words at the moment.
“I’m out with a girlfriend. We like to take the town by storm.”
Man, she must be getting hit on left and right.
Dee looked at Conrad. “She was into you but I told her you were off the market.”
Conrad held up his glass in gratitude. “Thank you.”
“She was pretty disappointed.”
Conrad shrugged. “I’m used to breaking hearts. It comes with the territory.”
Did her friend like Conrad because Dee claimed me? Or was I thinking about it too hard? “Having a good time?”
She held her drink in her hand. It was auburn liquid, like scotch. There were two large ice cubes inside. “Yeah, I guess.” She shrugged slightly. “It’s pretty crowded tonight but there’s not a lot of quality.”
Was she referring to men?
“You want my advice?” Conrad asked. “Don’t pick up a guy in a bar.”
“And where do you suggest I pick up a guy?” She asked the question in a bored way, like she didn’t really care for Conrad’s answer.
Conrad drank his beer while he watched her. “I don’t know…the subway?”
“Yes…what a romantic place,” Dee said sarcastically. “At least I get free drinks when I’m in a bar.” She downed her glass.
“You like scotch?”
“Yep.” She gave me a slight smile before she took another drink.
That’s pretty hot.
“So, any takers?” Conrad asked.
She shook her head. “None that I like. There’s actually a lurker over there.”
“A lurker?” I asked.
“Are we supposed to know what that is?” Conrad asked.
“It’s a guy you turn down but he makes another attempt. But he sulks for thirty minutes and stares at you until he has another opening.” She said it plainly like we should know exactly what she’s talking about. “I can feel his eyes burn into my back as we speak.”
I searched the crowd.
“Don’t make it obvious,” she hissed.
“I’m being cool.” I hadn’t even searched the entire room when I found him. He was sitting alone at a table wearing a suit and tie. The possessive look in his eyes told me he thought Dee was his, not ours. “Yeah…he’s definitely a lurker.”
“You see what I mean?” she said. “Prince Charming isn’t in the building tonight.”
“Where’s your friend?” I asked.
She looked over her shoulder at the bar. “Hmm…she was there a second ago.”
“Maybe she found a date for the evening,” Conrad said.
“She was looking for a quick lay,” she said. “Maybe. She’s gorgeous so it doesn’t take long for her to find someone.”
I didn’t like the way the guy was looking at her. Actually, I wanted to break her neck.
“You can hang out with us for the rest of the evening,” I offered. I didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone when her friend was gone.
Conrad gave me a smug look.
“Thanks,” she said. “I have to go to the bathroom but I can’t go anywhere near it. He’ll spring like a cat waiting for a mouse.”
Being a girl sucked. “I can walk you.”
She brushed off my offer. “Don’t worry about it. I can handle it. I just don’t feel like handling it right this second.”
Conrad glanced at his watch. “Man, it’s getting late…” He faked a yawn and stretched his arms over his head.
It was ten and the game wasn’t even over.
“I should get to bed. I got…something to do with Lexie tomorrow.” He left the table then gave us a short wave. “I’ll see you kids later.”
It took all my strength not to roll my eyes.
“Bye, Conrad.” Dee waved.
I remained in my seat and suddenly felt awkward. The conversation she had with Slade came back to me. Should I act like he told me? Or should I act like I didn’t have a clue?
She continued to stand next to the table and didn’t make a move for the seat across from me.
Did she want to talk to me? Or was she uncomfortable now that Conrad left? I tried not to overthink these things but I was so determined not to hit on her that I was making it even more awkward. “Well, I guess I should head home too.”
A small flash of disappointment moved into her eyes. Like a shooting star, it disappeared just as soon as I saw it. “Do you mind walking me out?”
“Of course not.” I was hoping she would ask. That creep was rubbing me the wrong way. Dee was small and defenseless. The idea of him harassing her into a date irritated me beyond reason. I threw the cash on the table and stood up. Even when she wore heels, I was much taller than her.
Together, she and I walked out. I kept my hands in my pockets and didn’t touch her. It didn’t look like we were together, but hopefully her admirer would assume I was taking her back to my place to score.
Once we were outside, I looked down at her. “Where do you live?”
“This way.” She headed to the le
ft.
“Can I walk you home?”
“That’s not necessary,” she said. “I can manage on my own.” She walked on her sky-high heels like they were sandals. For a tomboy that acted like one of the guys, she took her feminine side in stride.
“I don’t mind.” I didn’t want her walking home alone but I also didn’t want to cross a line.
“Okay.” She dropped the argument and placed her clutch under her arm.
A minute of silence passed between us. We passed other people on the sidewalk, and traffic moved down the road. “It’s a beautiful night.”
“It is.” She didn’t elaborate further.
It was hard for me to talk to her when I was so tense about it. I didn’t want to send out the wrong vibe. “How was your day?”
“It was okay,” she said. “I had a student in the morning then I laid around the apartment afterward.”
“What instrument were you teaching them?”
“The piano.”
“Are they any good?”
She shrugged. “Good enough for the high school orchestra. But they shouldn’t pursue a career in it.”
“Cool.” I didn’t know what else to say.
She turned down another street. “This way.”
I turned with her and kept walking.
“Where do you live?”
“In this direction. I have an apartment near Fifth and Broadway.”
“We aren’t that far away from each other.”
We walked for a few minutes before we entered her building. It looked like it was renovated, and the walls and hardwood floor looked brand-new. The walls were a pristine white and there was gray trimming along the ceiling.
“This is a nice building.”
“I like it here,” she said. “And there are no dogs allowed so it’s quiet.”
“I’m sure your neighbors love the sound of your music,” I said with a laugh. “So much for quiet.”
She chuckled. “When I play my music, I usually do it acoustically. And if I ever use my amp it’s on low. But when I get a house I’m sound-proofing it so I can jam like a rock star.”
“Slade will be there all the time.”
She approached her door then stood in front of it. “This is me.”
I stared at the number on the door. She lived in apartment twenty. I wasn’t sure why I paid attention to that. “Thanks for letting me walk you home.”
“Thanks for taking me. I’m sure that lurker would have followed me if you weren’t there.”
I eyed her clutch. “You have mace in there?”
“Yep.” She opened it and showed me the contents. “I have mace and a pocket knife.”
That made me feel better.
“But my brother taught me how to break someone’s nose with the heel of my palm. I’d probably use that first if I had to.”
“Good. I’m glad he taught you that.” I put my hands in my pockets so I would keep my hands to myself. I couldn’t deny how tempting she looked in that dress. I would love to see her heels by her head while I rocked into her.
Wow…that came out of nowhere.
“Good night, Dee.” I stepped back and made it clear I wouldn’t be leaning in for a good night kiss.
“Good night, Theo.” She got her key in the door.
“I’ll see you around…” I walked down the hallway and waved.
“Yeah. See you around.”
***
We stood on the floor with the rest of the crowd. They were screaming and singing along to the lyrics. The loud sound of the bass was breaking my eardrums. Slade was front and center, but I didn’t pay attention to him.
My eyes were on Dee.
She definitely stole the show. She didn’t do any fancy moves or performed guitar solos but she was the highlight. Everyone was fascinated by her. She was the cute rocker chick that knew how to jam.
“Man, Dee is awesome,” Conrad yelled to me.
“I know,” I shouted back.
“Anything happen with you guys the other night?”
“No. I just walked her home.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re the biggest pussy I’ve ever met, you know that?”
“I don’t want to go out with her. What am I supposed to do?”
“Grow a pair,” Conrad yelled. “That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
Lexie stood on the other side of him, and she joined our conversation. “That girl up there is really cute, Theo. You should ask her out.”
I did my best not to roll my eyes.
Conrad shook his head. “Lost cause, baby.”
The show ended and the band bowed in gratitude. Everyone clapped and a few people threw roses on the stage. Then Slade and everyone else disappeared behind the curtain.
I turned to Cayson to say something but stopped when I saw him making out with Skye like an asteroid was about to strike the earth and kill us all. One hand was on her stomach and the other was supporting her back.
Nevermind.
Slade came out from the side of the stage and immediately grabbed Trinity before he dipped her. “My number one fan.” He gave her a kiss that definitely broke the rules of PDA.
Conrad turned to Lexie. “You want to make out too?”
She just shook her head.
The rest of the band came out.
“We killed it.” Razor walked up to Slade but stopped when he saw him making out with Trinity. “Anyway…”
“We did awesome,” Scotty said. “I’m going to walk through the crowd and pick up a few girls.”
“Me too.” Razor went with him.
Dee came next, not looking as fatigued as she must feel. Her fingertips had to be calloused and cracked. And her throat had to be sore from singing those beautiful tunes. She was back to wearing jeans and a dark t-shirt but she pulled the look off. “We had a good crowd tonight.”
Slade finally came up for air. “Huh?”
Dee rolled her eyes. “Should we go out and celebrate?”
“Let’s get some drinks at Roger’s,” Conrad said. “It’s only a block away.”
“Good idea.” Slade turned to Trinity. “Can I have a beer?”
“Damn, when did you start asking her permission for stuff?” I blurted.
Trinity threatened me with just her eyes. “Alcohol hurts his sperm count.”
I cringed. “Gross…”
“Just one,” Slade said. “Come on, baby.”
It was odd to see Slade beg for something. He usually did whatever the hell he wanted. He was whipped hard.
“Fine,” Trinity said. “Let’s go.”
Skye and Cayson were still making out like high school lovers.
“Hey, Romeo and Juliet.” Slade kicked the back of Cayson’s knees. “We’re moving to Roger’s.”
Cayson reluctantly pulled away from Skye. “Alright. We’re coming.”
Skye looked disappointed like she just wanted to go home.
“You want to be my date?” Conrad asked Lexie.
Lexie pressed her lips together like she was seriously weighing her options. “I guess.”
Conrad growled in her ear then pulled her with him.
I felt like the third wheel—big time.
***
“Dance with me.” Slade pulled Trinity out of the chair.
“But no one else is dancing.” Trinity tried to pull away from him.
“Who cares,” Slade said. “We’ll start a trend.” He pulled her to his chest and slow danced with her next to the table.
Skye was practically sitting on Cayson’s lap as they started making out again.
“I don’t get it,” Conrad said. “They’re making out. Why can’t we?”
“Because it makes people uncomfortable,” Lexie said.
Conrad turned to me. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. You always make me uncomfortable so it doesn’t make much of a difference to me.”
Conrad turned back to her. “See?�
��
Dee moved into the seat beside mine. “Since you’re the only person here not playing tonsil hockey with someone, you’re my friend for the evening.”
My automatic response was to say, “We can change that.” But I kept it to myself. Dee didn’t strike me as the kind of girl to put up with bullshit so I kept my mouth shut. “Looks like we’re the third wheels.”
“I’m not even sure who they are.” She nodded to Cayson and Skye. “I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself because their mouths have been locked.”
“They’re newlyweds,” I explained.
“Then I can’t wait until I get married.” She laughed at her own joke. She ordered scotch like she did the other night. That must be her preferred drink.
“Were you nervous tonight?”
“Not as bad as I usually am.” She swirled the ice cubes in her glass. “It’s something I need to get over, but every time I’m about to go on stage the nerves get to me.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said. “I’d be nervous too.”
“Slade is never nervous,” she said with a laugh. “Nothing fazes that guy.”
“Well, he’s arrogant.”
“I guess.” She sipped her glass.
I stared at her face and noted her nice cheekbones. They were prominent and curved, giving her a slender face and neck. She had full lips, and they were pink from her lipstick. Dark make up was on her eyes. It made her blue eyes more beautiful than normal.
“Does it suck being the only single one in the group?”
The question surprised me. I considered my response carefully before I spoke. “Not really. We’ve all been the only single one at some point in time. Girlfriend and boyfriends come and go, but what we have is forever.” It was a much deeper response than I should have given.
Her eyes changed slightly, like she was amused. “That’s sweet.”
I shrugged because I was self-conscious.
“Slade mentioned you recently got out of a relationship.”
I was wondering if she would bring up that conversation. “Yeah, I did. It ended a few months ago.”
“I’m sorry.” Sincerity was in her eyes. “Slade made it sound serious.”
“It was. We were together for a few years.” It was awkward talking about Alex to a girl I was attracted to. It almost felt like I was cheating on Alex. But then I remembered how quickly she slept with someone else. I didn’t owe her anything and had no reason to feel guilty.