Love's Back Pocket

by Heather C. Myers

  When she finished, she brought both tins over to the oven and cautiously placed them into the oven and shut it closed. She sighed, before wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. After a moment, Holly reached over and started the timer, then grabbed a towel in hopes to finally clean herself up.

  “Nice spot,” a voice said, causing Holly to jump, nearly dropping the towel.

  She whirled around, only to catch sight of the man with those beautiful green eyes. For whatever reason, she felt her breath hitch in her throat, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. Instead, her eyes stayed firmly focused on the man in front of her. He looked devastatingly handsome, even though it was obvious he had woken up. His hair was messy, falling into his face, while that sparkle still reigned supreme in his eyes. He returned her stare with one of his own, as though he realized she was attracted to him, and smiled at the thought.

  “How’d you do it?” He indicated the spot but kept his eyes on hers.

  “Huh?” Holly asked, before her mind immediately criticized her thoughtless answer. “Oh, I was baking and I guess I fumbled and I got … the spot …” Great, and now she was babbling. This was just—

  Before Holly could comprehend what Tommy was about to do, he leaned over and placed his index finger on the mix, gathering a good portion and placing it into his mouth. Holly’s mouth dropped, albeit slightly, not fully believing that he just did that, and not understanding her body’s reaction to the display he just provided her with.

  “Mmm,” he said, pleasantly surprised with whatever happened to be now decorating her sweatshirt. “What are you baking?”

  “Cupcakes,” Holly murmured, thanking God her voice came out relatively firm when her insides were shaky with uncertainty.

  “Ah, I haven’t had cupcakes in a while.” He threw her a sheepish grin. “But if the mix on your sweatshirt is any indication, I look forward to them.”

  For the next thirty minutes while the cupcakes baked, Holly tried to ignore Tommy’s presence. Something inside of her was changing. She felt any and all resolve slowly being worn down on its own accord, as though something inside of her yearned to change her perspective on a certain rock star. However, Holly pointedly tried to ignore her own shifting feelings only because she was slowly making progress in getting him to take her seriously. If anything, she would have to gather stronger, higher walls because this little crush would destroy what she had hoped to accomplish. Plus, she liked Brendan.

  Brendan. Yes. Brendan! Sweet, classically handsome Brendan. With that kind smile, supportive blue eyes, tall, well-built stature, pearly white—

  “What kind of cupcakes are you making?” Tommy interrupted her thoughts by resting his forearms on the sink counter, leaning forward so he was only a few inches from her face. He was looking at her rather lazily, arching a brow expectantly.

  “Vanilla,” she told him before her eyes averted over to the frosting. “But I’m going to cover each one with either chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry frosting.”

  Tommy followed her gaze before a wolfish smile touched his lips. Without asking for permission, he reached over and grabbed a can of the strawberry frosting before opening it up. “I’ve always preferred strawberry,” he told her, glancing up and meeting her eyes. Then, much to Holly’s surprise, he reached in the can with his index finger and scooped up some frosting in the same way he had with the cupcake mix. Tommy saw her inquiring gaze before reaching out to her. “Do you want some?”

  Holly furrowed her brow at the implication and took a couple of steps back, distancing herself from the man. “No, I do not want some,” she told him. “Especially since it’s coming from your finger.”

  Tommy grinned at her, completely unperturbed at her comment, before looking down at his finger and popping it into his mouth.

  “You better not stick your finger back in the mix,” Holly muttered, suddenly completely hot. She wished she could have taken off her sweatshirt, but she didn’t want to give Tommy any unnecessary ideas.

  Tommy looked at her, trying to see if she was serious. His sparkle glowed with challenge, and the corners of his lips turned up. He knew she was serious, but it wasn’t like him to follow the rules. Instead, he slowly reached down and dipped his finger back into the frosting before bringing it to his lips once again.

  That’s it, a voice inside Holly said, and she was sure if the voices were people, this one would be waving a white flag of surrender, we’re doomed.

  Chapter 24

  As another week slipped through her fingers, Holly realized that something in the dynamic between her and Tommy had changed. She wasn’t quite sure, exactly, what it was or when it happened, but as she watched him interact with his fans backstage after his latest show, she noticed that the light she saw in him had changed. Whether it was lighter, brighter, darker, or duller, she wasn’t sure, but she could feel something different stir inside of her. At first, she thought that maybe her feelings had shifted from those that resembled professionalism to those that were not, but as she continued to ponder such an idea, she found that whatever change had occurred was quite subtle. Which made it even harder for her to figure out what it was.

  The past week of traveling, conversing, and even goofing off—as Tanya described it—with Tommy wasn’t anything like she had ever experienced before. She had never been the type of girl to goof off, but for whatever reason, Tommy managed to bring that side out of her, and what baffled the young woman the most was that he didn’t even have to try. Even now, leaning against one of the walls and observing him, she felt her lips curl into a smile. Maybe it was merely the aesthetic quality Tommy brought to the place, or maybe it was because she had learned what he was thinking simply by looking into his eyes, but for whatever reason, he managed to bring a happiness out in her she didn’t know she could possess.

  They were in Texas now, and when Tommy requested that she attend his concert, she was initially going to refuse. But then … She blushed just thinking about it. But then he had given her one of his lazy grins, the kind that knew she would eventually say yes to even though she was currently saying no, and it was like any and every resolve had vanished.

  During the past week, they talked about his family, her family, his preferences, and her preferences. Holly learned that to get something out of him, she had to give him something of herself. The very notion had originally frightened her. Vulnerability had always been something she avoided, but somehow, Tommy managed to slip past her defenses, and the more Holly realized it, the more she realized she didn’t have a problem with it. Of course, he managed to unnerve her to no end, and there were times when she wanted to slap him for some of the comments he had made about her in front of Victor, but even with those minor infractions, she found that every night before falling asleep, she was looking forward to seeing him the next day.

  “What has gotten into you?” she murmured under her breath before running her long fingers through her hair.

  Upon Tanya’s request, Holly had actually worn something other than hoodies to watch The Futurists perform. She was wearing a high-necked T-shirt that wasn’t blatantly revealing but still clung tightly to her figure, showcasing the assets Holly normally hid. She was wearing tight blue jeans as well, and a Batman belt, along with old Converses on her feet. Though Tanya continued to try and talk her into something more feminine, she was just happy Holly had agreed to come without a sweatshirt.

  Not like it mattered, Holly thought to herself as her brown eyes skimmed the semi-crowded room. Mitch made it a point of greeting every fan that was permitted backstage, but once he was finished, he always managed to disappear around the same time Tanya did.

  “How’d you like the show?” a smooth, velvet voice asked from beside her.

  Holly looked to her right to find a stunning woman standing next to her, her golden-flecked brown eyes staring at Tommy. Holly wasn’t sure why she was embarrassed, but it probably had to do with the fact that she had barely registered the woman was standing next to her
because her focus was so deeply involved in … Well, never mind. There was no use in putting more thought into it.

  Instead, Holly slipped a safe smile onto her face, and nodded once. “I enjoyed myself,” she told the woman, her eyes managing a quick glance over at Tommy. His green eyes seemed to have found those of the woman’s, and Holly saw an enigmatic expression on his face. Quirking a brow, she cast a look over at the woman. “Did you?” she asked, wondering just who she was to Tommy, for he seemed to have recognized her in some way.

  “Of course,” the woman replied, shifting her eyes to meet Holly’s. “I’ve been catching The Futurists in concert since they first came out.” She looked at Tommy again, her bow-like lips curving into a smile. Holly couldn’t pinpoint why, but something curled inside of her at the woman’s grin and Holly didn’t like the unsettling feeling. “Tommy manages to never disappoint,” the woman continued, shaking her head in a subtle way. Her straight black hair followed her head’s movement in a soft way, falling into her oval face.

  “No,” Holly agreed, “he doesn’t.” Okay, she could admit it; she didn’t like the way this woman was looking at Tommy, but she couldn’t figure out why she didn’t, and this upset Holly even more.

  “You’re a young fan,” the woman stated, glancing over at Holly once again. “Or, younger than usual, I guess. How did you get into an eighties band? Did your parents introduce you?” She perked her brow, giving Holly an inquiring look.

  “Well, to be honest, my best friend is really into them,” Holly replied honestly. “And she made me promise to accompany her to a concert. The rest, as they say, is history, I guess.”

  “Where is she?” the woman asked, her eyes searching the crowd.

  “With Mitch,” Holly murmured without fully thinking. Suddenly, she realized she may have revealed something the pair wanted to keep a secret. Before she could backtrack, Holly caught the flash of recognition in the woman’s eyes, as though people knew about the new relationship between the drummer and her friend.

  “Tommy,” the woman said, breaking Holly out of her thoughts. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She offered him an easy smile, but oddly enough, Tommy looked over at Holly with obvious unease clouding the sparkle in his eyes.

  Who was this woman?

  “Not long enough,” he muttered under his breath, coming to stand on Holly’s free side, almost as though he was trying to put distance between him and the woman. “Well, Delilah, I must admit,” he started again, his voice its normal tone, “I’m surprised you even showed up.”

  “You know me,” Delilah said, reaching out to playfully touch Tommy’s forearm, “I’ve never been one to say no to fun, and what can I say? Your shows have always been … fun.” Her eyes darkened a fraction, and Holly had the feeling that what the woman had said was something the two of them only seemed to know, like an inside joke.

  Tommy wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he glanced at Holly. “Holly,” he murmured, before shooting a glance at the woman, “this is Delilah. I knew her when I first started out in the business. Delilah, this is Holly. She’s accompanying me on tour as my psychologist.”

  Holly’s eyes flashed in recognition. So this was the infamous Delilah that had all but ruined Tommy’s life. Another feeling, this one clearly anger, surged through Holly’s body. Holly didn’t have very many friends, but those she deemed close, she was fiercely loyal to. She forced a tight smile, nodding once in acknowledgement, but her eyes remained hard, like golden-colored glaciers.

  “How very fitting,” Delilah muttered, her tone now taking on a dry connotation as she regarded Holly with a subtle form of disgust. “She is young, isn’t she, Tommy? Are you fucking her yet? And here I thought that I may have ruined every other woman for you.”

  “That’s very arrogant of you,” Holly said before she could stop herself. Once it was out, however, she refused to take it back.

  “Well, when you look like I do, you have reason to be,” Delilah quipped, arching a challenging brow at Holly. “What are you, princess? Twelve? Do you have any experience with how to please a man, because trust me, if Tommy’s not satisfied by you, you’ll be off that bus so fast—”

  “I figure since I’ve been with him for over a month,” Holly all but growled, narrowing her eyes at the woman, “he is thoroughly satisfied with me.”

  This seemed to catch Delilah off-guard, but she managed to readjust the transparent mask she was wearing over her delicate facial features. “Well, listen up, sweetheart,” she said in the same tone as Holly, “he’ll tire of you, just like he always does.” With that, she pushed off the wall and left the vicinity, leaving Holly and Tommy alone.

  Tommy stared at Holly’s profile for a long moment, taking in everything her face offered him. Finally, a wolfish grin touched his lips and he leaned in close, so close that when he breathed, she could feel his hot breath on the surface of her skin. “You know,” he murmured in a husky voice, “I always thought you were good looking, but you are downright sexy when you’re jealous.”

  That was it! a voice inside of her exclaimed. That unknown emotion you couldn’t quite pinpoint, but were familiar with nonetheless. You’re jealous.

  No. She couldn’t be jealous. This was definitely not good.

  Chapter 25

  “I’ve always wanted to do this,” Holly murmured as a faint blush touched the tips of her cheeks. She had a large bowl of popcorn in her arms and other snacks were scattered on the coffee table. She quickly walked around the couch and took a seat next to Tanya so her back was leaning against the couch.

  “Me too.” Tanya reached into the bowl and grabbed a fistful of popcorn before managing to stuff it all into her mouth. As Holly watched her friend, her mouth dropped open, and before she could help herself, laughter started erupting past her lips. “I’m glad you talked me into staying with you instead of going to the concert.”

  “Well, I figure you and Mitch need some time apart,” Holly teased, a small smile on her face as she playfully nudged her friend. “You guys have been spending so much time together. Aren’t you afraid that this whole infatuation thing is going to wear off as quickly as it began?”

  “I don’t think it’s just infatuation,” Tanya murmured, and now it was her time to blush. Holly said nothing, yet her brown eyes all but burned on Tanya’s sharp profile. Holly slowly arched a brow, hoping her friend would elaborate, but the dark blush that continued to dominate her face seemed to say it all. “I think I’m in love with him,” Tanya told her friend, before grabbing the remote.

  “Are you sure?” Tilting her head to the side, Holly frowned slightly. “I mean, how are you certain?”

  “Love is probably the most uncertain thing in the world,” Tanya said, running shaky fingers through her brown tresses, “but when you’re in love, it’s probably the one thing you’re certain of in the whole relationship.” Holly looked at her friend with doubt clearly written in her brown orbs, and her lips were pursed in a straight line. “I know it’s hard for you to understand,” Tanya said, immediately noticing and recognizing the look on Holly’s face, “but trust me on this one, okay, Holl?”

  “But don’t you think it’s too fast?” What Tanya was telling her went against everything she knew, but at the same time, Tanya would never lie about something as serious as love.

  “I think …” Tanya began, raising her eyes up to the ceiling, trying to find the correct words to say. “I think that it depends on the person. Textbooks and wise men each have different versions of the emotion, but I don’t think either of them is wrong. I also think it depends on your belief system as well. You know me; I believe in love at first sight, so I can probably fall in love faster than someone like you because you don’t necessarily believe you can fall in love so quickly. Nobody’s wrong here, but when I say I love him, I can promise you that what I tell you, I believe is true.”

  Holly paused for a moment, letting everything Tanya said sink in. Thought she wanted desperately to argue with her
logic, she couldn’t because it wouldn’t be fair to tell someone how they felt and how they didn’t. Holly knew that if someone did that to her, she would be incredibly upset. “All right,” she finally said with a nod. Another question entered her thought process at that moment. “Have you told him?”

  “No, not yet.” Tanya shook her head.

  “If you’re certain of your feelings, Tanya, then I don’t understand why you can’t share them with him.”

  “Remember when I told you nothing is certain unless you know you’re in love?” Tanya asked, and Holly nodded in response. “Well, I may be sure of my feelings for him, but I’m not so sure about his for me.” She quickly changed the subject before Holly could say anything on the matter. “We should probably get started if we want to get through five Disney movies.”

  The first movie they watched was Aladdin. The two women seemed to know every single word to every single song, and had no qualms with singing aloud. Tanya asked if it was wrong of her to think that Jafar was sexy because ‘let’s face it, that voice could do wonders in the bedroom, if you know what I’m saying’. Holly smacked her in the face with a pillow, which caused a pillow fight up until the carpet ride came on, where Tanya teased Holly of being a closeted hopeless romantic. The young woman tried to brush it off, but to no avail. Tanya continued to poke her until Holly finally admitted that she was one.