Jay studied Kayla for a long time then looked at the notes on the blackboard and the pamphlet in his hand. He let out a loud sigh and sank further against the desk. “Laughed at them.”
“Bingo.” Kayla picked up the eraser and cleaned the blackboard then sat in Nick’s chair, her leg brushing his as she propped her feet on the corner of the desk. “Next time, don’t lecture them. We know they’re going to drink. They know they’re going to drink. Be up front about it, let them know it’s not about not drinking, but about not driving drunk. There’s a difference. We just need to show them that difference. And then show them the reality of driving drunk.”
More discomfort surged through Nick and he looked down at Kayla, expecting her to be pointedly staring at him. Instead, she was looking at her lap, picking at a spot on her dark blue uniform pants. He straightened and looked from Kayla to Jay, then back again. “Wait a minute. You’re not saying that you want to tell them that it’s okay to drink, are you?”
“No, I’m saying stay away from the ‘don’t drink’ angle. The more you preach, the more they’re going to tune out.”
“Then what about showing them the reality? How do you plan on doing that?”
Kayla finally looked up at him, her eyes carefully hooded. She took a deep breath and blew it out, the sound one of pure frustration. “With pictures, Nick. Next to the real thing, that’s the best we can do. But instead of preaching with the pictures, you toss them up behind whoever is talking. You don’t even mention them, just use them as background. They’ll focus more that way.”
“What, those same pictures you showed me before? I already told you I don’t think we can use them. They’re too graphic.”
“I don’t know, Nick. I think she has a point. You saw how they were today. We weren’t getting through to them.” Jay moved around the room, collecting the handouts and his outline, then tossed everything in his briefcase. “Think about it. At this point, it certainly can’t hurt.”
“I don’t know. I think the pictures are too much,” Nick said, shaking his head. Jay shrugged, snapping the briefcase closed and straightening, then moving toward the door.
“Well, we have time to figure something out. There’s a couple of weeks before the next presentation.” He paused and faced Kayla. “Are you going to finish the paperwork here, or at the station?”
“I’ll get it Sunday when we go in.” Jay nodded then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Nick looked over at Kayla, surprised she hadn’t left with Jay. She was still sitting in his chair, leaning back with her feet propped up, her hands laced behind her head as she studied Nick. He looked at her for a minute then walked around the room, straightening a chair here, picking up a scrap of paper there.
Kayla sighed and lowered her feet from the desk, then stood with a small groan, stretching some more. Nick watched her twist from side to side, then he quickly looked away when she focused her gaze on his.
“So what’s the big deal about the pictures, Nick? Why are you so against using them?”
“I don’t think they’re appropriate, and I didn’t think we’d have to resort to shock therapy to get the point across.” He rested his hands on the back of one of the chairs, his fingers curling over the wood. “I’m a teacher, Kayla. I have to think of the welfare of the students. And I don’t think the pictures are a good idea.”
Kayla studied him for a long minute, her face blank of all expression. Then she shrugged, the motion slow and careful, almost too casual. “Listen, you asked what I thought, I told you. If you don’t want to use them, then don’t. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.” She glanced at her watch, then reached for her jacket. “I have to run.”
“Kayla.”
“Yeah?” She paused, one arm in a sleeve, the jacket hanging loosely by her side as she faced him. Nick took a deep breath and stepped closer to her, but not too close. She had kept her word and lived up to his conditions over the last few weeks, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was still holding something back.
“Did you want to get together tonight? I was thinkingâ”
“I already had plans, sorry.” She finished putting on her jacket then picked up the thick file folder she had brought with her. “Besides, I thought you usually played on Friday nights.”
“We do. I thought maybe you’d want to go with me. We were playing at Duffy’s again andâ”
“Duffy’s?” Kayla whirled around and stared at him, her mouth opened in surprise. Irritation flickered in the depths of her eyes before she had a chance to hide it.
Nick folded his arms and watched her, his jaw clenched. He didn’t need her to tell him that her plans had included going to Duffy’s, and that his being there was going to interfere. “Why do I get the sudden feeling that you’re not happy to hear that?”
“No, I justâyou caught me off guard. I didn’t know Grant had planned on having you guys back.” Kayla walked to the door then paused, studying him. She finally offered him a faint smile and shrugged. “In that case, I guess I’ll see you tonight.”
Nick watched her walk out the door, wondering if she would find some excuse not to show up.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Brian, I need you to do me a favor.” Nick placed his guitar on the rack and stepped off the stage.
“Depends. What do you need?” They walked over to the bar, pushing their way through the crowd until they could lean against the wooden railing. The barmaid immediately came over to them and took their order, and Nick made a mental note to thank Jay for making the service arrangements. Soda in one hand and a glass of iced tea in the other, Nick turned and scanned the crowded room, his eyes automatically resting on Kayla. She was seated at the back table with some of the guys she worked with, laughing.
“I need you to take over the vocals and lead for the first song during our next set.” Nick explained why, drawing a look of skepticism from Brian in addition to his reluctant agreement. Nick thanked him then threaded his way to the far side of the room, barely acknowledging the greetings and comments he received. Kayla looked up when he was a few feet away, her gaze locking with his as he approached. She stiffened for a split second, her smile faltering when he stopped next to her.
“Nick. Um, nice set. You guys are pretty good.” Her voice was too bright, her new smile too forced. Nick raised an eyebrow at her then took the seat someone held out for him, purposefully scooting closer to her when he sat down. He sat both cups on the table in front of him then turned and watched Kayla, his eyes studying her, noticing the slight flush that fanned across her cheeks. Embarrassment? Or something else?
She stiffened and looked everywhere but at Nick. With another smile that was obviously forced, she finally shrugged then reached for the pitcher of beer in the middle of the table to top off her drink. But before she could fill her cup, Nick reached out and took it from her, making sure he placed it in the middle of the table, out of her reach.
He knew he was drawing strange looks from a few of her coworkers but he ignored them, focusing solely on Kayla and the furious blush that now colored her face. He said nothing as he grabbed the glass of iced tea and held it out to her. A tense minute went by as she stared at him, anger clearly reflected in the deep green of her eyes. She made no move to accept the glass from him so he placed it directly in front of her and leaned over, his voice low so only she could hear him.
“No alcohol. Remember?”
His gaze held hers for another minute before she finally looked away, her jaw clenched. Yeah, there was no doubt she was furious. And he had no doubt that she thought his condition had only applied only to that one time. Well, let her be angry, he thought. She needed to know he was serious.
He slid his chair even closer and crossed his legs, resting his right ankle on his left knee, and leaned toward Kayla. She shifted away, quickly, as if she had been hit by something, and knocked into Jay’s arm, spilling some of his drink.
“Hey! Dam
mit Mikey, watch what you’re doing.” Jay grabbed some napkins and dabbed at the spilled beer. The blonde sitting on his other side immediately started fawning over him, shooting Kayla a dirty look. Kayla rolled her eyes then reluctantly turned back to Nick, a comical expression on her face. The iced tea sat in front of her, ignored.
Nick watched the byplay with interest and wondered if he had merely imagined the tension between Kayla and the blondeâand between Kayla and Jay. He studied Kayla for another second then turned his attention to Jay’s date, who was now sitting in his lap, her arms wrapped protectively around his neck. Nick took a sip of his soda but said nothing as the tension around him grew thicker.
“Don’t you have to get back up there or something?” Kayla asked, eyeing him with impatience. He shifted closer to her and shook his head.
“Not yet. I thought I’d come over and talk to you for a while. Or didn’t you want me to?”
“No, I…” Kayla trailed off, shifting in her chair. She finally grabbed the glass of iced tea and took a long swallow, keeping her gaze averted. They sat in silence while all around them laughter and conversation mixed and overlapped, occasionally drowned out by music from the jukebox. Kayla glanced at Nick then looked away, taking another drink. He reached out and took the glass from her and sat it on the table, then grabbed her hand in his.
“Whatâ”
“C’mon, I want to dance.” He stood up, pulling her with him and leading her onto the crowded floor before she had a chance to say no. He turned and wrapped her in his arms, holding her stiff body tight against his so she couldn’t pull away. The music was barely audible above the din of the crowd but that didn’t stop anyone from joining in, and they were jostled a few times by other dancers.
“Nick, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Kayla’s words were muffled against his chest, but at least she didn’t try to pull away. He elbowed an enthusiastic couple away from them then looked down at her.
“Why not?”
She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. Nick sighed and tightened his hold, moving in a smaller circle to avoid being bumped. Kayla didn’t lean into him but she did relax her body, not holding herself quite as stiffly in his arms.
“You better get going. It looks like they’re setting up again,” Kayla finally said to him. Nick glanced at the stage and saw the rest of the band getting ready. He turned back to her, making no move to stop dancing.
“I get to sit the first one out.”
Kayla eyed him warily, caution flitting across her face as the sound of instruments warming up floated across the crowd. She tried to pull back but Nick tightened his hold around her waist, keeping her against him.
“I didn’t expect you to show up tonight, you know. I thought you’d come up with some excuse to go somewhere else.”
Kayla’s footsteps faltered and Nick felt her sigh rather than heard it before she spoke. “I almost did. I was outvoted, though.”
“Outvoted? You could have still gone somewhere else.”
“It wouldn’t have been much fun by myself, though, now would it?”
Her statement momentarily stunned Nick, until he realized she had no idea how much it revealed. The guys she worked with had decided to come here, so she had to come here, too. Because she’d be by herself if she didn’t. It made him realize again how little he really knew about her. He thought about asking if she ever did anything without the guys from work, then quickly decided it probably wasn’t the smartest question he could ask.
“So, are you having fun?”
Kayla looked up at him, again eyeing him warily, pausing as though she were considering her answer. She finally looked away and shrugged. “I’ve had worse times, if that’s what you mean.”
“I guess I could take that as a good sign,” Nick muttered. The jukebox suddenly went quiet and the crowd around them thinned as people moved back to their tables or to the bar. Kayla stopped dancing as well and tried to move away. “No, not yet.”
She looked up at him, confusion clear on her face. Nick glanced quickly at the stage and saw Brian sling the guitar over his shoulder and step to the mike to do a sound check. He turned back to Kayla and grabbed her hand when she would have walked away, pulling her back into his arms.
“Were you guys staying here the rest of the night, or going somewhere else?”
“I don’t know. Staying here, I guess. Why? What are you up to?”
“Up to? Nothing. I was just wondering.”
“Nickâ”
She didn’t get a chance to finish whatever she was going to say because Brian started the intro for the next set. Nick watched Kayla’s face closely for any reaction when the first song started. It was an original slow rock number, one that Nick had written more than a decade ago. With her help.
Kayla froze, the color draining from her face as soon as recognition struck. Nick tightened his arms around her and swayed to the soft notes, leading her in a gentle circle. Color rushed back to her cheeks and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and dazed, shining a little too brightly in the soft lights. “I had forgotten all about this.”
“I didn’t,” he whispered. Nick’s gaze held hers for a long minute before he slowly lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers in a brief kiss. He tucked her head against his shoulder and softly sang the lyrics in her ear, his eyes closing when she relaxed against him. For a minute everyone else around them disappeared and it was just the two of them on the dance floor, alone. Kayla’s hand tightened around his. Was it his imagination, or were her fingers trembling the tiniest bit? Emotion thickened his voice and he stopped his whispered singing, pulling back to look down at Kayla.
Her eyes were still closed and Nick thought he saw a dampness on her dark lashes but he wasn’t sure. He tipped her chin up with his finger until she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. Bare emotion filled her eyes for an unguarded second, causing Nick’s heart to pound painfully in his chest. He lowered his head and caught her mouth with his, kissing her. Hot, sweet, frantic.
Somewhere in the recesses of his consciousness he heard the last notes of the song fade and he slowly pulled away from Kayla, ending the kiss entirely too soon. She lowered her head, resting it on his shoulder with a heavy sigh as he hugged her more tightly.
Nick reluctantly released her from his arms and cleared his throat. “I need to get back up there. Will you let me know if you guys decide to leave?”
“Um, yeah.” Her voice was quiet and subdued, almost as if she wasn’t sure what was going on. Nick knew how she felt exactly: it was if something had happened during the song, as if the balance had changed and shifted between them.
Nick studied her for another quick second then leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her lips before heading to take his place on the stage. He watched as she made her way to the table and sat among her friends, surprised that she didn’t pour herself a fresh beer since he was no longer there to take it away.
He said a quick prayer that it hadn’t been his imaginationâthat something had shifted between them. But only time would tell if he was right.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Mike leaned back in the chair, the now-empty glass of tea held loosely in her hand. She looked down at it, wondering again why she had let Nick demand that she drink tea instead of beer. Did she really care about his conditions? No, she didn’t. What she did during her own personal time was just that: personal. So why had she listened to him?
She let out a heavy sigh and placed the empty glass on the table then turned to watch the last few remaining patrons gather their things and head out the door. The bar lights had been turned up, the jukebox was dark and silent against the wall, and the band was packing up their assorted instruments and gear. Her eyes focused on Nick, standing with his back to her, taking apart the microphones.
“Shit,” she muttered to herself, closing her eyes to block out the sight of his broad back and trim waist and firm ass. Yeah, she didn’t need to be watching him. What the
hell had happened on the dance floor earlier? She had no idea, knew only that it filled her with apprehension and made her uncomfortable. Sighing, she opened her eyes to find Jay standing in front of her, watching her curiously. “What?”
“Are you okay?”
Well, that was a loaded question. Was she okay? Not for the first time that night, she wondered the same thing. Mike gave a short laugh and shook her head, which only made Jay frown down at her. She waved at him and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You sure? You’re okay to drive?”
“Yes, Jay.” She couldn’t keep the impatience from her voice. Hadn’t he noticed that she’d been drinking iced tea most of the night? Ever since Nick had come over, ever since that dance. That song. That damn song.
He frowned then glanced over his shoulder at the stage before looking back at her. “What about, you know? You okay with all that?”
Mike looked down at her hands, clasped loosely in her lap, and thought about how to answer the question. Was she okay? Hell if she knew. Everything had been skewed since that one dance and she didn’t know what to make about any of it. She thought about talking it over with Jay, since he knew something wasn’t right, but when she looked up, his date was standing next to him, hanging over him impatiently while glaring at Mike.
“Yeah, I’m fine. With everything. Just go, have fun.” Mike forced a brilliant smile in their direction while mentally rolling her eyes at Jay’s date. He frowned at her then finally shrugged and left, his arm draped around the blonde’s shoulders.
Mike looked around and realized that she was now the only person left, with the exception of the band. She looked over at the bar, watching Grant and Angie cleaning up. No, not quite. Grant was cleaning up. Angie was watching Jay leave, a frown on her face. Mike blinked, wondering if she was seeing things. No, Angie was definitely watching Jay, with an expression she recognized all too well. It was the same look Mike was certain was on her own face whenever she looked at Nick, when she was sure nobody was watching.
Once Burned (Firehouse Fourteen Book 1) Page 16