by Laura John
“Anytime. I would have offered to have the kids stay at our place, but I figure your little ones have had enough moving around,” she says to Shae.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know what this one has planned, but I doubt we’ll be home early.” Shae points her thumb at me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep in my bed? I changed the bedding,” I offer.
“I’ll be fine,” Carol insists. “I’ll nap on the couch until you girls get home.”
I give her one more hug as our Uber shows up.
“See you later,” she says, waving.
“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going or what we’re doing?” Shae asks.
I shake my head and give the driver the physical address so Shae will still be left in the dark.
She grumbles, and I smile. I can’t believe we are pulling off this surprise.
“You know I hate surprises, right?” she mumbles.
I nod. “Yep. But I love you. So, I can do what I want.”
She rolls her eyes and stares out the window. I pull out my phone and try to discreetly text Damon.
Me: On our way. Be there soon.
Damon: We’re ready.
As we pull up to the small bar, Shae gives me a “What the fuck?” look, but I still don’t say anything.
I thank the driver, making sure to leave a nice tip, and get out. There is a massive line out front, and I know why, but we have VIP treatment tonight, so no lines for us.
“Are you ready?” I ask Shae with a mischievous smile.
The bouncer opens the door for us, and a bunch of people jump up.
“Happy birthday!” they scream.
Shae covers her face.
All of our close friends are here, including all the members of Outspoken Chaos.
“Surprise!” I say.
She gives me a big hug.
“I know your birthday isn’t for like a month, but you’ll be on tour and we wanted to do something special for you,” I tell her.
Damon comes up and grabs Shae for a bear hug.
“Tonight, for one night only, Dustin Maxx, Mikey Ecosta, Jay Coldheart, and Outspoken Chaos are playing a one-of-a-kind show,” Damon says with a smug smile.
“That explains the line out front,” Shae says with a grin.
“We didn’t know what to do that hasn’t already been done before, and since you love live music, and to dance, we thought this would be the best surprise,” I tell her.
She pulls me in for another hug. “Thank you so much.”
“The bar is closed for another hour or so, so hang out with your friends and get a drink. I’m going to check on Dustin,” I tell her.
She gives me a smile. “Are you ready to take him back yet?”
I look down. “I don’t know, Shae. I think we’ll just have to see how things go.”
She nods and runs off to see her other friends.
I’m tuning my guitar when Crystal walks up to me, looking stunning as always. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, and her makeup is dark and smoky with bright red lipstick. I really want to smear that all over her face.
Shaking my head, I smile at her.
“Thank you so much for helping me pull this off,” she says, sitting next to me.
“Yeah, this bar is awesome,” I tell her. “Most people don’t know about it, but the acoustics are amazing, and I love the fact that the walls are lined with booths. It’s an inviting and intimate atmosphere. The dance floor is small, and it’s going to be packed tonight but, I mean, what’s better than getting lost in the music in a sea of sweaty bodies?”
She smiles at me, and I think I see a blush coming over her chest, but it might just be my eyes playing tricks on me.
“How many extra guests are they letting in again?” she asks me before biting her lip.
Is she nervous around me? We’ve been building our friendship up again, but we don’t always have much opportunity to chat alone. I know she’s doing good mentally because she’s told me so, but I still think she is scared of us.
“Um, I think like only fifty. There are going to be a lot of sad people outside,” I chuckle.
She smiles and nods. “Totally. Um, I’m going to get a drink. Do you want anything?”
She dips her head to the side, and fuck, I want to bite her neck.
God, I am so horny. This is what happens when you don’t get laid for months.
“Yeah, I’ll take a beer. I’m actually done here,” I say, setting my guitar down. “I’ll join you.”
She smiles. I love that look on her. Content and happy.
I place my hand on the small of her back, but she jumps slightly, so I quickly remove it. I stare down at the ground. How am I supposed to make any progress with her if my touch makes her jump?
She glances at me and smiles. “Sorry about that. You just startled me, is all.”
She laces her fingers through mine and leads me to the bar. Well, this is progress. Inside, I’m jumping around like a teenage girl, but on the outside, I’m playing it cool. At least I hope I am.
“What do you want?” I ask Crystal when we finally get to the bar.
“A beer is fine. It’s easy to hold,” she says with a smile.
I pay for our beers, and we find a table to sit at.
“How was your appointment today?” I ask.
“You remembered.” She grins at me, playing with the label on her bottle.
“Of course. I pay attention, remember?”
She narrows her eyes at me playfully. “Tell me five things about myself, that you would only know from playing close attention to me.”
I pick up my beer and take a long swig. “One, you look up when you’re lying.”
“I do not,” she whines, but looks up slightly. Then she lowers her voice. “Fuck.”
I laugh. “Two, when you’re really angry or nervous, you pace. It’s like, if you stop moving, you’ll explode.”
She glares at me, but doesn’t say anything, because it’s totally true.
“Your favorite color is green, and you hate pink.”
“You know that because you’re my best friend,” she scoffs.
“You cry when you watch A Walk to Remember.”
“So does every girl,” she counters.
“You go twitchy when people chew with their mouths open. You hate glitter. Your favorite animal is a hummingbird. You love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Your favorite band is Metallica. You like to read, but you don’t want people thinking you’re a nerd. You love watching the sunset. Your chest turns red when you drink, and when you’re about to cry, your nose crinkles. Should I continue?” I ask.
Her eyes are wide.
“Crystal, I don’t know all this stuff about you because you’re my best friend, but because I’m crazy about you. I want you to give us another try.”
She tries to speak, but I put my hand up.
“But I’m willing to wait as long as it takes.”
“Thank you for being willing to wait,” she says, taking my hand. “I don’t really know what I want right now. Life is still so confusing. But you will be the first to know when I figure it out.”
I nod. “I’ll take it.”
“Okay, shitheads, doors are opening in five! Dustin, you’re up first!” Kyle yells.
I flip him the bird, then turn back to Crystal. “I have to go, but once I’m done, would it be cool if I danced with you for the night?”
Crystal’s smile is bright, and she nods. “I’d love that.”
“This is the best birthday ever!” Shae yells.
I nod. Dustin is playing all of my favorites, and a small part of me is wondering if he did that on purpose.
“Bathroom!” Shae yells.
I follow behind her, my hand in hers.
“So, I saw you and Dustin chatting it up. You looked pretty friendly.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“Hurry up and pee. We’re missing the concert,” I say, dodging the underlyi
ng question.
She rolls her eyes at me and goes to a stall.
“If we do this again, I want to take things slow. Not him moving in pretty much day one. I think that was a bad decision,” I tell her truthfully.
“That makes sense, but why it happened also makes sense. You guys have been in love for years. You just didn’t know it.”
I nod, but then feel stupid because she can’t see me. “I never had a boyfriend where we went on dates and stuff like that. Dustin is awesome, and obviously, I love him, but sometimes I felt like everything was just happening way too fast. It was overwhelming.”
Shae comes out of the stall and washes her hands. “Tell him that. I bet you would make him the happiest guy in the world.”
“Maybe. But tonight, let’s party!” I say, jumping up and down.
She smiles and nods. “Fuck yeah.”
Dustin’s set is over, and Jay is setting up to go next. I’ve been eyeing the crowd for Dustin, but he seems to have disappeared.
“Oh, my God! Are you Dustin Maxx?” an annoying voice says from behind me.
I feel my blood boil. She’d better not touch my man.
Dustin grabs me by the waist and pulls me tight against his chest. “I am, but if you’ll excuse me, I’m here to dance with this one.”
He leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek. Oh, my God. Why does he have to make me melt like that.
“Enjoy the concert?” he asks.
I nod like a crazy person. Fuck, why am I nervous all of a sudden? I have had sex with Dustin, but I’m nervous now?
“It was amazing. You played all my favorites,” I tell him.
He smiles. “See? I pay attention.”
He gives me a wink, and I roll my eyes.
“Are you guys ready to rock some more?” Jay asks, and the crowd goes crazy.
I forgot how amazing concerts are. You get thrown around more than you dance and it reeks of beer and weed. But, man, it’s the best. The thump of the bass that you feel in your chest. The energy of everyone around you. There’s nothing like it.
“You mind if I keep my hands on you?” Dustin shouts into my ear, making my skin heat with need.
I grab his hands and place them on my hips as my answer.
I let the music move my body. And like Dustin promised, his hands never leave my body. I’m getting more and more turned on by every song. How am I supposed to stay strong and not just jump into bed with him right this second?
I meant what I said to Shae. I want to date Dustin and take things slow. So I will not be sleeping with him tonight.
Now tell that to my body.
Both Crystal and I are dripping in sweat by the time Mikey closes out the night.
“I’m drunk and sweaty, and I think I stink,” Crystal whines as we head to a table with our friends.
“Want to get out of here?” I ask, grabbing her waist and stopping her from going any further.
She turns in my arms. “Can we talk first?”
Fuck. When a girl wants to talk, it’s never good. But, of course, like the gentleman I am, I nod. I turn her seeing an empty booth, and we both quickly dash to grab it.
Most of the crowd is leaving anyway since the concert is over, but there are still some partygoers staying strong.
“What’s up?” I ask when I squeeze in beside her.
“I’m ready to give us a try again. But I think we need to take it slow. I want to date. To go out together, both with Olivia and just us. I want to get the full boyfriend experience before we take things to the next level again. Everything just happened so fast last time, and I think this time, it would be best if we just take our time.”
I smile at her and grab her hand. “I would love to date you. And if you need to go slow, I’m molasses, baby.”
“Oh, my God,” she says, laughing and pushing me. “You are so corny.”
“But seriously, I’m happy. When can I take you out?”
She pulls out her phone, checking her calendar. “Does Tuesday night work? Shae is still home, and I’m sure she’d watch Olivia. I think it would be best if we went on a couple of solo dates first, so Olivia doesn’t get her hopes up.”
I check my calendar and nod. “Tuesday works great. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Oh, my God, I have a date with Dustin Maxx,” she says in a snooty girl accent.
I smile and pull her in for a side hug. “I’m all yours, baby.”
“What should I wear?” I ask Shae, throwing all of my clothes on the bed. “What does casual, but sexy even mean?”
She laughs, lying on the bed. “It means wear whatever the fuck you want because you look sexy in anything.”
She stands up and looks at my clothes. “Here, take this tank and wear your skinny jeans. Pair it with your bootie heels and you’re all set.”
I smile at her. “What would I do without you?”
“Spend the rest of the evening having an anxiety attack?”
I laugh and start changing into the clothes. “Where do you think he’s taking me?”
“No clue! He’s smart enough not to tell me, because I can’t keep a secret.”
“Thank you again for watching Olivia,” I say, pulling up the jeans.
“I live here. I’m just going to bed. It isn’t really a chore.”
“Thank you anyway.”
Once I’m dressed, she pulls me into a hug. “You have a great time. And I think this whole no sex thing is stupid. Just jump his bones, wherever you go.”
I push her, and we both laugh.
“Not going to happen,” I insist.
My phone dings, and I smile seeing that it’s Dustin. Yep, it’s still the picture of his ass. I feel like I can’t change it now.
Dustin: At your door. I didn’t want to ring the doorbell and wake the kids.
“He’s too perfect. Are we sure he isn’t a serial killer?” Shae jokes.
I push her. “Move, bitch. My man is waiting.”
“Let him wait. I mean, he’s good at it.”
I shake my head as I open the door. Dustin is standing there with a bouquet of a bunch of different kinds of flowers.
“Because I know you can’t pick a favorite flower, I went with assorted.”
I blush as I take them and hand them to Shae.
“Get out of here before I barf. I hate love right now,” she mock groans.
We laugh, and I take Dustin’s hand as we walk to his truck.
“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?” I ask.
“Nope. It’s a surprise.”
“You should know I hate surprises.”
He nods. “I do, but I also know you trust me, so you’ll come along.”
“With my life,” I whisper.
He stops just before the passenger door and opens it.
“My lady,” he says, bowing.
“Why, thank you, kind sir,” I giggle.
“Get ready for the best date of your whole life,” he says once he gets into the driver’s seat.
I park outside the old theater and I can tell Crystal is confused.
“My mom used to bring me here all the time,” I tell her. “They play old movies and all shows are only two dollars. I saw they were playing A Walk to Remember tonight, so I thought it would be perfect.”
She jumps and wraps her arms around my neck. “It’s perfect. What time does the show start?”
I pull out my phone. “Like ten minutes. Let’s get going.”
I pay for our tickets, soda, and popcorn.
“They get you on the snacks,” Crystal comments.
I chuckle. “Yep. Cheap entrance, thirty dollars in snacks.”
She grabs a handful of popcorn and pops a couple of kernels in her mouth. She lets out a little moan, and my dick twitches.
“Movie theatre popcorn is the best. So worth the money,” she sighs.
I take some of my own and nod. “Why does it taste better here?”
“Because you didn’t have to
make it,” she says with a smile.
The lights dim, and the movie starts.
“I am so excited,” Crystal whispers.
I’m just excited to be here with her. After not being close to her for so long, it’s nice to be working toward a future together again. I slip my hand into hers, and she puts her fingers between mine. Just the touch of her hand makes me want to never let go. She’s perfect for me. Every day that we were apart, I prayed that she would come back to me. She’s here now, and I’m never letting her go again.
I glance at her often, and notice she’s crying.
“You’re even beautiful when you cry,” I whisper into her ear, and notice the shiver that runs through her body.
“And you’re always cheesy,” she whispers, trying to hide her smile.
“That was amazing,” Crystal says when we leave. “How did I not know that place existed?”
I shrug and wrap my arm around her. “No idea. Did you want to grab a drink? Or just go home?”
She thinks on it for a second. “I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but I’m actually exhausted. Olivia has been having night terrors again, so I didn’t get much sleep last night. But we can go out again soon and have drinks.”
I lean down, stopping just before her lips, giving her a chance to stop me. She doesn’t, so I close the gap, pressing my lips gently to hers.
“I would love that,” I tell her, and kiss her again, this time placing my hands on her hips and pulling her toward me. “Are you free Friday?”
She smiles at me when I step back. “I think that can be arranged.”
We are standing outside my house like a couple of teenagers, not wanting to say goodnight. Dustin tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, and I close my eyes, relishing in his touch.
“I guess I’ll see you Friday,” I whisper, not making eye contact. I don’t want to get lost in them.
Dustin places his hand under my chin and lifts my face, so I’m forced to stare into his mesmerizing blue eyes.
“I had a great night. I can’t wait to see you again,” he murmurs.
His mouth is on mine quickly, and I moan. Fuck rules. I’ve already broken so many of them with Dustin. I should ask him inside and have my way with him.