I hadn’t liked her at first, but she had won me over. As she stood in her power, I was in awe. I had never seen a woman so in tune with herself. She radiated confidence. I wanted to be like that. But, I wasn’t.
“We’ll do that. Come on,” Lizzie said, getting to her feet.
None of us were as confident as the vocal coach. I hadn’t noticed how powerful she was before she had gone out of the room. Had she played herself down so that she could hear what we would say when she left?
“Thank you,” I said as I left the room, not quite able to take my eyes off the powerhouse of a woman.
She placed her hands on her curvy hips, nodding once as she acknowledged me. I wanted to be like her. So solid in myself that I didn’t care what anyone else thought.
“That was like getting told off by a schoolteacher,” Lizzie muttered as we made our way down the hall towards the living area. I took a deep breath as I prepared myself to take Natasha’s advice.
Nathan came out of the bathroom door just as we passed. He ploughed straight into Lizzie, apologising instantly. His arms went to her shoulders to steady her. My stomach rolled as he ran one hand down the top of her arm before he pulled away. Why did he touch her like that? Was he attracted to her?
“How did it go?” he asked.
Lizzie and Ella started to explain what had happened. He would meet the formidable Natasha in a couple of hours. Would he find her attractive, too? She wasn’t exactly the most beautiful woman in the world, but something about her made her magnetic. Even I could see that.
“And what about you? Are you enjoying it, yet?” Nathan stared straight at me.
I blinked up at him, not expecting his direct attention in front of the others. He had a habit of talking to us as a group, instead of focusing on me. My tongue flicked out to wet my lips.
“I just made up my mind to start appreciating this opportunity,” I muttered.
My whole body hummed as he took a step towards me and offered his hand to high-five.
“Good on you.” He gestured with his hand.
I high-fived him, completely baffled at his weird show of friendship. That’s what we were though, wasn’t it? Friends. With benefits.
“You want to get some lunch?” He stepped back and asked the group.
The others quickly agreed, not giving me a chance to refuse. I wondered if I would ever get to the point where I felt comfortable around him socially. Not constantly worrying about whether or not my friends were analysing Nathan’s behaviour with me.
They knew everything that had happened between us. Well, almost everything. I hadn’t let them know about the plane incident. They wouldn’t appreciate knowing what had happened only a few yards away from them.
“Are you cooking?” I asked Nathan.
He was about to turn away, but he paused. “I can cook very well. Not today, though. Today, we go and explore the surrounding area.”
His deep voice became even lower as he put on a show. He exclaimed with his hands, gesturing towards the front door. The others giggled as he spun his feet and marched away. We followed, like good little girls.
“He’s so good looking, Melissa. You’re lucky.” Lizzie elbowed me when I snorted.
“How am I lucky?”
It wasn’t lucky liking someone when all they wanted was one thing. Although, maybe it was lucky that he wanted me for that one thing. Especially when there were plenty of pretty women around.
I frowned when Nathan looked into the living area and waved at the young group from the auditions. They all whinged when they asked if they could come, but he kindly refused. Did he not fancy any of them? He had his pick of most of the women in the house.
There were a few other males that were attractive. We had already scoped out the group and realised we were too old for them. Not that we should be checking them out. We had a competition to prepare for.
“You’re lucky because you get to… You know…” Lizzie gestured at Nathan as he held the door open for us.
The others went through first, leaving me to go last. Nathan ran his hand down my arm, the way he had with Lizzie, as I passed him. I glanced up, swallowing hard. The corner of his lips formed a dimple. That bloody dimple.
“Where are you taking us?” Ella asked Nathan, linking her arm through his to drag him away.
My back went stiff as my friend commanded his attention. It wasn’t like her to want to talk so directly to a man. Especially not Nathan. That was more Lizzie’s style.
“Don’t worry about that,” Lizzie said. “She didn’t see what just passed between you. If she did, she would never have interfered.”
Sometimes, just sometimes, friends could be a pain in the arse. I watched Ella and Nathan walk ahead of us as we wandered down the road. A couple of cars passed, but it wasn’t too busy. We hadn’t had much chance to see the city. It was twenty-four hours in, and we should still be rehearsing.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
It was worth a try. It didn’t work. Lizzie sighed loudly enough for the others to turn and check that she was okay. She smiled apologetically when her gaze shot between me and Nathan. He must have noticed because his eyes quickly dropped before he turned back to Ella.
“He seems…unavailable…” Lizzie muttered.
Rows of shops came into view. I was glad of the distraction as we decided what we would have to eat. The others were still ahead. I was unable to hear what they were talking about. Not that I needed to know, it was none of my business.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I said to Lizzie. “We need to focus on the competition and all I can do is think about...”
Lizzie’s smile was kind; she knew me well. She had seen me agonise over the men that came in and out of my life. Nathan was nothing new.
“You like him. There’s nothing wrong with that. He seems to like you…”
Her sentence trailed off as the others stopped in front of a cafe. Nathan opened the door and let us through again. This time, he didn’t make any physical contact with any of us. Ah, how it felt to be single in your early thirties!
“I just need to get something. I’m going to pop to the shop next door,” Lizzie exclaimed as I took a seat.
Ella jumped up, joining Lizzie as they both rushed out of the cafe. Nathan watched after them before sitting in the seat directly opposite me.
“Favourite childhood film,” I said as he opened his mouth.
His strong jaw stayed open as he frowned at me. “Okay. Good conversation starter.”
My shoulders relaxed as I smiled. I didn’t want to be so serious. It wasn’t really me. I had no idea why I had taken up that persona with Nathan.
“Well, I know I’m a bit younger than you,” Nathan said, winking. “But I loved The Goonies. I wanted to be a treasure hunter. I wanted to find a treasure boat. What about you?”
The waitress came over and took our drink order. I ordered something for Ella and Lizzie, knowing exactly what they would want.
“This sounds so cliché, but that was my favourite childhood film, too. I can’t believe you know it. You’re five years younger than me.”
Nathan’s smile was wiped away when the waitress came back over and stroked his shoulder. She was younger, about his age. Her blonde hair waved around her head and fell forward as she leant down and whispered in his ear.
“Thanks, but I’m…” Nathan gestured towards me.
The woman didn’t even blush as she shrugged and went back to her job.
“Did she just come onto you?” I asked, my heart thudding against my ribcage.
Nathan shrugged one shoulder as he took a sip of tea. “What can I say?”
My foot pulled back and thrust forward into his shin. It was a complete reaction. I didn’t mean to do it.
His face screwed up as he leant down and rubbed the spot where my trainer had ploughed into his skin.
“What was that for?”
I glanced over at the girl who watched us. She had a s
mirky grin on her face, knowing that she had caused friction between us. Not that there should be friction between us.
“Sorry, I thought there was a fly on your leg,” I murmured.
His scoff of disbelief made me laugh. The smile gracing his face made me sit back in my seat. Why had I kicked him? What had caused me to react like such an immature teenager?
“You’re not jealous, are you?”
His question hit the mark. He was a good looking man. And I couldn’t have him in the way I wanted. That was all it was. What you can’t have, you want more.
“Of course not. Why would I be jealous?”
You know when you hear yourself talk and instantly regret the whining in your voice? I had reverted back to my pubescent emotions. If I wasn’t careful, I would start to sulk, and refuse to talk to him.
“Don’t be jealous. I’m really not worth that. Anyway, where were we? What about your favourite music? What do you like to listen to?”
Nathan stopped rubbing the sore spot on his leg and looked me straight in the eye. I blinked, looking down at the table.
“I like all sorts of music.”
His hand slunk across the table, flat against the wood, and directly into my eye line. “Everyone says that. I know it’s not true. What song makes you want to dance? You know what I mean by dance.”
He couldn’t keep it simple, could he? He had to delve. Just a little bit.
“Latin music. I like to get up and strip when Latin music comes on. I almost had a pole installed into my house so I could learn how to do exotic dancing.”
My eyes finally met his when he didn’t reply instantly. The sexy grin was back on his face, along with the dimple. I stopped myself from reaching forward and dipping my finger into the small crease in his cheek.
An image of us grinding in the Salsa club came into mind. It was a good memory. One that made me cross my legs.
Ella and Lizzie shoved their way back into the cafe and joined us. Nathan didn’t take his gaze away from me as they settled down.
“What have you been talking about?” Lizzie asked.
“We’re talking about our favourite music. Songs we like to dance to,” I replied, not looking away from Nathan.
He quickly shook his head and took his attention away from me. It was a nice feeling to render him speechless. Probably wondering if I was telling the truth. Which I was.
“I love chart music at the moment. Some really good dance tunes. You’re never too old for clubby music.”
Ella obviously disagreed because she snorted loudly. “Don’t be absurd. Clubbing music is so boring.”
My stomach jumped when something touched my leg under the table. Nathan’s foot snaked around the bottom of my ankle. He was getting me back for shocking him with my dancing confession.
“What music do you love? Don’t answer that. I already know. You love classical.” Lizzie gestured all over the place.
There was something in the way my friends spoke to each other that made me question their maturity. I had never noticed how young they sounded before.
I tried to keep my focus on my friends as Nathan’s foot rubbed up and down my leg. The leggings I wore were thin, allowing his foot to have close contact to my skin. He’d even kicked off his shoe to wind me up.
“There’s nothing wrong with classical. That isn’t my favourite, I don’t know why you always say that. I may be uncool, but I don’t care.” Ella slammed her hand on the table, making us jump.
Nathan shook his head as his eyes darted between the three of us. He was doing a good job of pretending that he wasn’t rubbing his sock clad foot up and down my leg. I thought women were the ones that instigated footsie under the table. Not men in their mid-twenties.
“What about you, Nathan?” Ella asked the only man at the table.
“I love rock music. Not the really heavy stuff, the stuff that means something.”
Nathan didn’t strike me as a rocker. Since hearing Martin scream at the karaoke in my flat, I had assumed he was the only one out of the group that liked that sort of music. I didn’t confess that rock had been my favourite when I was younger.
“What type of bands? Melissa used to be into the American bands,” Lizzie said, yelping in excitement when a thick chocolate milkshake was put in front of her. There was nothing like feeding your inner child. Literally.
“Did you?” Nathan asked me directly. “Which ones?”
Instead of answering him, I got out my phone and plugged in the earphones. Giving it to him, I pressed random and let him know exactly what type of music I liked.
“If you can guess the artist of this song, I’ll…”
My mind went blank. What could I do for him if he guessed correctly? Naughty thoughts swung into my brain as everyone stared at me. Lizzie and Ella knew exactly what would be churning in my little mind. They called me the pervert of the group.
“So, you’ll do something if I guess the song correctly? I need to know what I get if I win,” he said.
The others watched us like hawks. Their gaze darted between us both, weighing up the tension that settled over us. Nathan’s foot still stroked over my ankle. Other people in the cafe could probably see exactly what was going on under the table, but I didn’t care. It was nice to get the attention.
My cheeks flared hot. “What do you want?” I asked bravely.
Ella and Lizzie giggled between them. “Maybe we should leave you to it.” Ella made a motion to move away.
Grabbing her arm, I prevented her from leaving. I had only started the conversation to try and get to know Nathan. I enjoyed winding him up.
“How about I decide what it will be, and when I get it right, I’ll let you know what you have to do,” Nathan stated.
My head moved from side to side. I wasn’t a fool. “Really? You expect me to let you have complete control?”
Nathan quickly looked at the other two. He was a private person, but he was being quite obvious. “What do you think I’m going to do? We’re friends. I always treat my friends with the utmost respect. Whatever I choose for my prize for guessing the song correctly will be harmless…and fun.”
It was like a stab to the heart. Even Lizzie and Ella looked down at their drinks. I pulled my foot back, leaving Nathan’s floating in mid-air.
“Okay. If you guess the answer, I’ll buy you lunch. If you get the song, and the artist, I’ll do your chores around the house.”
Some bossy contestant had set up daily cleaning chores for the household. Nothing too in depth. They hired someone in for that. But a bunch of people living together could get messy.
“Okay. I was thinking of something more exciting than that, but I’ll go with your suggestion.”
Sitting back in his seat, he put the earphone in his ear. His whole demeanour changed as soon as I switched to friend mode. If he claimed we were friends, we would be friends.
“Too easy. Skip,” he demanded.
I let myself be dictated to, but only this once. Doing as he asked, I skipped to the next song.
“Linkin Park,” he said with a grin.
I skipped again.
“Shinedown.”
And again.
“Nirvana.”
Surely he didn’t know all of the artists I used to listen to?
“Erm...” It looked like he had to think about the last one. “I’m only joking, it’s an uncommon Guns N’ Roses song.”
It had been over ten years since I started to listen to rock music. It had spoken to me at that time in my life. I would sometimes reminisce by listening to old albums. I still related to them.
My music collection was vast. I even had separate genre playlists.
“Now, that was impressive.” Ella held her hand out to Nathan. He placed the earphone in her palm. “My turn.”
“You don’t like rock,” I said as the food was brought over.
“I know how many playlists you have on your phone, woman. Get one up that you know I’m going to like.”
The others chuckled as Ella huffed and shoved the wire back at me. Nathan wrapped his mouth around the burger he had ordered.
“Looks like I’ll be treating you to that burger,” I said, blushing when he licked his lips all the way round intentionally.
“Yes. That’s not my only prize, though, is it?”
I put my phone away and nibbled on my sandwich. “What do you mean?”
He took another bite before washing it down with water. “I got quite a few right. I could have kept going, but I didn’t. You said if I guess the artist, I would win. I guessed quite a few. You owe me more than lunch.”
Grumbling, I looked down at my plate and scoffed a mouthful of sandwich, just like he had.
“You two are funny,” Lizzie said.
Nathan looked towards her. She sat next to him, her elbow not far from his. She flicked her hair behind her shoulder as she gave him one of her cute smiles.
“It’s not me. She’s the funny one,” Nathan said. “The first time I met her…”
My foot had a mind of its own again. It rushed forward, grazing off the side of his leg. He didn’t need to bring up the whole bra incident in the middle of the cafe.
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
The laughter started off quiet, but Nathan decided to retell the whole story.
“You should have seen her face.” Nathan finished his burger.
“I hear you saw much more than her face,” Lizzie implied.
My mouth dropped open, stretching wide as I looked at them in disbelief. How could they do this to me?
Nathan chuckled. “It was certainly a sight. Not a bad one, mind you.”
Lizzie’s eyes narrowed on Nathan before I caught her glaring. Was Lizzie jealous of what happened between Nathan and me? I knew that she had fancied him from the moment she’d seen him, but she had quickly realised that nothing would ever happen.
Or would it? If Nathan messed around with me, and I was his friend, there was no stopping him from messing around with other friends.
Closed Off To You (Singing Star Trilogy #1) Page 13