“Amazing,” Nathaniel murmured. “You have a way with horses.”
“I’ve always felt like I could almost understand what the animals around me were saying, and they just sort of like me. Lydia teases me about it all of the time because I have animals that follow me home every day. Usually it’s just cats and the occasional escaped hamster.” Hannah looked away, hoping that he wouldn’t make a Dr. Doolittle joke.
Nathaniel obviously sensed her discomfort and changed the subject. “Are your classes going well?”
She hesitated. “I guess so. I’m having a little trouble with Statistics.”
“Noah can tutor you,” he offered.
“I’m sure Noah has much better things to do with his time.”
Nathaniel waved a dismissive hand. “I’m sure he’ll want to do it.’ He obviously considered the discussion over. “I wasn’t sure if you preferred a Western or English saddle,” he said, pointing to the western saddles on the horses.
“Actually, I only ride in an Australian saddle,” she said with a playful grin.
The joke seemed to go over his head. He looked worried. “I didn’t even consider that possibility,” he muttered to himself. “I think I have two, but I’m not sure either would be a good fit for Minnie. I’ll get another horse ready.”
She laughed, and he seemed to relax. “You’re teasing me?” he asked.
She nodded. “Western saddles are fine.”
She was still smiling when he leaned in to kiss her. To her disappointment, it was another quick peck on the cheek.
“I’ll help you mount,” he said as he reached for her.
She pushed his hands away. “I’ve been riding as long as I can remember. Trust me; I can handle this on my own.”
He looked impressed as she quickly swung onto the back of the white mare. He slipped his dark glasses on, mounted his horse, and they were off.
They started off slow, but quickly picked up the pace. They rode in silence. It had been months since she’d been on a horse and she had missed it. She was glad that he was letting her simply enjoy the ride.
Hannah was a little disappointed when they got back. She decided to let Nathaniel help her down. Not because she needed help, but because she liked the way his hands felt on her waist. The adrenaline from the ride made her feel bold. When he set her on the ground, she placed her hands on the sides of his head and pulled him toward her. He leaned in and kissed her. This was not a chaste peck on the cheek, his mouth pressed against hers. His hands remained on her waist, pulling her closer to his body until she could feel every inch of him. She allowed herself to sink into him. When she moaned, he slid his tongue between her lips. She met his tongue with her own, circling it. This time he moaned.
Much to her dismay, he pulled back. “We need to stop,” he said breathlessly.
“Why?” she murmured as she stroked his cheek.
He pulled back from her and took a few deep breaths. “It’s been a long time, Hannah.” He turned away to take care of the horses. After he removed their bridles he gave them both pats and murmured softly to them. Then he quickly removed the saddles, and began to brush the horses.
“Thank you for the flowers,” she said.
He looked over his shoulder. “You liked them?”
“They were very pretty,” she replied. “No one else has ever sent me flowers. It was a nice surprise.”
He gave a satisfied nod, and continued to groom the horses before returning them to their stalls.
When he came back he removed his gloves and draped them over a rail. His gaze drifted to her lips, and she knew he was going to kiss her again. Hannah’s breath came faster and her heart pounded.
“Ew! It stinks in here,” Lydia whined, and put a hand over her nose.
The spell was broken by Lydia’s entrance.
“I want to go home now.” Lydia sounded angry.
“I thought you wanted to spend the day with Dominic?” Hannah was surprised, and disappointed, to hear that Lydia wanted to leave.
“Well,” Lydia glared at Nathaniel as she spoke, “apparently, that’s just not going to happen.” With that, she stormed out of the stables. Her dramatic exit was ruined when she forgot to watch where she was walking. “Holy crap!” she shouted.
Hannah tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle her laughter. “You’re half right,” she called out.
When she finally got her laughter under control she turned to Nathaniel. He was watching her with a strange look in his eyes. He shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts, and smiled.
“You’re so full of life,” he said simply. “I was really hoping we could have lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon together.”
Hannah looked over her shoulder. Lydia was already gone, most likely moping in the car again. “I really need to go after her. I’m sorry.”
“I have to go out of town next weekend. I’m taking my aunt to the opera. Are you free tomorrow?”
Hannah looked disappointed. “No, I have a paper to work on and I promised to have lunch with some friends.”
Now he looked disappointed. “Maybe you could make time one evening in the middle of the week?”
She hesitated. Her schedule was pretty hectic during week days. “Maybe we could meet for lunch on Monday?”
“Perfect! I’ll call you tomorrow night to make arrangements.” With that settled he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
With a sigh, Hannah stepped back. At least this time she only had to wait a couple of days to see Nathaniel again.
Chapter Nine
It had been a long week, and Hannah was really looking forward to her girls' night out with Trish and Caitlin. Three people were out sick at the daycare so she’d been forced to work extra hours. As a result she’d only had time for a short lunch with Nathaniel on Monday.
Going to see local bands play at a club in San Francisco was exciting. Hannah had always liked most genres of music so she hadn’t even asked what type of music the bands would be playing until they were on their way to the show. They stood in line outside of the club with about fifty other people. They’d arrived early so they were near the front of the line.
As more people crowded around outside, Hannah started to question her choice of clothing. She had opted for a black tank dress. In retrospect it seemed a little conservative. At least she’d picked the right color.
Caitlin wore a skin tight black mini-dress that laced up the back. The spaghetti straps showed off her tiger tattoo. On her feet, she had a pair of black pumps that wrapped around her ankles and looked too high to be comfortable. Caitlin was already tall, but she was around six-feet-tall with the shoes on. Trish wore black jeans, high-heeled boots, and a black shirt that looked like a large cat had used its claws to shred the back.
Hannah’s mother had called her four times since she’d left the house. Each time, Hannah sent the call to voicemail. After spending so many years hoping that her mother would call, it was strange to find herself hoping that she would stop calling. Hannah was enjoying her new life. She felt confident and empowered. She didn’t want to talk to the one woman who always managed to make her feel like she was doing something wrong.
“Who are you avoiding?” Trish asked.
Hannah gave her an uncomfortable smile. “My mother.”
Trish and Caitlin both gave her sympathetic nods.
“My mom called while I was trying to get ready. I told her I would call her back tomorrow and she hung up on me.” Caitlin let out an exaggerated sigh. “We talked for nearly an hour yesterday and she’s mad because I don’t have time to talk today.”
“At least your moms don’t live close enough to drop by unannounced,” Trish said. “Of course my mom does bring food every time she stops by, so it’s not too bad.”
“Your mom is a great cook,” Caitlin agreed. She and Trish were roommates. “She also insists on cleaning when she’s over. I’m not sure there’s any good reason to complain about your mom.”
Trish s
miled. “She is pretty terrific. I just wish she’d stop worrying about every little thing. She’s afraid I don’t eat enough, don’t floss enough, don’t lock both locks on the door every time, and the list goes on.”
“Moms just worry because they love us,” Caitlin said.
“Not mine,” Hannah said. “I admit that I’m kind of jealous of your moms.”
“Are you and your mom fighting?’ Trish asked. “Is she upset about you moving so far away from home?”
Hannah shook her head. “I don’t think my mom has admitted to her friends that the wedding is off. She keeps calling me to ask if I’m ready to behave like an adult. Sometimes she calls to talk about the wedding plans. Some days she calls just to tell me how disappointed she is, and to tell me that she is ashamed to call me her daughter. That’s always been her favorite line when she wants me to do something.”
“Wow!” Trish looked like she wanted to say more, but she just kept shaking her head.
“Didn’t you breakup with your fiancé months ago?” Caitlin asked.
“I did, but my mother is pretty sure that if she makes me feel bad enough I’ll come home and marry Scott. The wedding was a very big social event for my mother and she was getting a lot of attention because of it. Apparently it was selfish of me to put my happiness ahead of her social life.” Hannah couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. “When I was a kid they sent me to boarding schools. I would go months without hearing from her, and I used to wish that she would call me. Now she calls me all of the time, and I wish she’d just stop. She never even asks how I’m doing. What kind of mother doesn’t even ask how her daughter is doing? Lately I feel like I’m about to snap when I talk to her.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” Trish said. “Maybe you should just have it out with her.”
“Let’s talk about something else,” Hannah suggested. “I’m not letting my mother ruin my night out.”
“What the hell is wrong with Lyd?” Caitlin asked.
Lydia was back to sulking and sleeping all day. They’d tried to convince her to come to the show, but she’d refused.
Trish piped in. “She won’t even return my calls most days. She’s been completely standoffish, and I think she’s going to get dropped from all of her classes.”
Hannah shrugged. “She sleeps most of the time. I think she’s taking the breakup with Dominic really hard.” Lydia had been angry with Hannah, and even angrier with Nathaniel. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it. Nathaniel had told her later that Dominic had ended their relationship. Noah had assured her that it was a good thing and Lydia would be herself again soon.
“Maybe she has mono,” Trish suggested.
“No fever, no mono,” Caitlin said.
“Maybe she’s clinically depressed,” was Trish’s next suggestion.
“They only dated for a week.” Caitlin sounded irritated. “Lydia has dated guys for much longer than that and gotten over them faster than this.”
“She’s right,” Trish agreed. “It’s not like her to get so into a guy, especially one she barely knows.”
Lydia's behavior didn't make sense to Hannah either, but she figured that she just didn’t know Lydia as well as she’d thought. Hearing it from Trish and Caitlin made her worry more. “I wish she would talk to me about it, but she’s completely shut me out.”
“I feel you sister,” Caitlin grumbled.
“How come you aren’t out with that hottie you’ve been seeing?” Trish asked.
Hannah felt herself blush and was glad for the darkness. “Nathaniel had a family obligation. He’s going to the opera with his aunt.”
Trish shuddered. “Opera?”
“There is nothing wrong with opera,” Caitlin objected.
When the doors opened, they were lucky enough to get one of the few tables in the club. Caitlin went off right away to get drinks for them without asking what anyone wanted.
“Oh my God!” Trish squealed. “Professor Christiansen!”
When Hannah turned around, she saw Noah coming in with one of Nathaniel’s cousins. Hannah couldn’t remember his name, but she was sure she’d seen him before. He was the only one that wore glasses and he seemed somewhat awkward.
Noah made his way to the table, looking a little surprised to see them. “Hi, Trish! Hey, Hannah! What are you ladies doing here? This doesn’t seem like your type of venue.”
“You didn’t tell me you were taking a class with Professor Christiansen,” Trish said, punching her lightly on the arm. It was obvious that Trish felt a little nervous in Noah’s presence.
“I’m not. Noah is Nathaniel’s brother,” Hannah explained. She had to admit that she was just as surprised to see Noah at the show. “I didn’t take you as a psychobilly fan.”
He looked down at his Tiger Army t-shirt, and smiled. “I have kind of eclectic tastes. One of my students is playing stand up base tonight. Have you met Isaiah?” Noah gestured to Nathaniel’s cousin with the glasses.
Isaiah smiled shyly, and ducked his head. Isaiah had longish hair that fell over his eyes occasionally. He looked more out of place in the club than Hannah. Of course she got the impression that Isaiah felt more comfortable in front of a computer than he did in a club.
“Diet Coke.” Caitlin set a cup in front of Trish. “Tokyo Tea,” Caitlin added setting a drink in front of Hannah.
Hannah eyed the drink suspiciously. “I’m not much of a drinker.”
“Just sip it like any other tea,” Caitlin said as she took her seat. She noticed they had company and gave both men a curt nod. “Where’s your brother?” she asked Isaiah.
“Parking the car,” he answered.
“Just great,” Caitlin grumbled sarcastically.
“I didn’t know that you were friends with any of Nathaniel’s cousins.” Hannah said in genuine surprise.
“Justin is premed too,” Caitlin explained. “He’s a total prick. No offense,” she said to Isaiah.
“He really is,” Noah agreed with a nod.
“Then why are you here with him?” Hannah asked.
“My truck wouldn’t start. Isaiah said he’d drive me, and then Justin ended up in the car too. It all just snowballed. No offense, Isaiah,” he said with an apologetic smile.
Isaiah was no longer paying attention to any of them. There were no extra chairs so he leaned against the table and fiddled with his phone.
Hannah sipped her drink as the first band began to play. Eventually, Isaiah’s brother made it into the club. Justin looked like a clean-cut version of Isaiah. He was the same height, same build, but he had short hair and no glasses. He looked a little uptight for the club in his black silk shirt, and dress pants. Hannah noticed that he kept staring at Caitlin. At one point Caitlin noticed too and flipped him off.
Hannah wasn’t sure when her drink was emptied or replaced, but she was aware that she was feeling more than a little tipsy. She must not have been the only person feeling more daring, because a mosh pit had formed at the front of the club. People were slamming into each other with wild abandon. Caitlin set down her drink, and made her way to the front.
“Stupid woman is going to get herself killed,” she heard Justin yell. He followed Caitlin into the mosh pit.
Hannah could just make out Caitlin’s elbow as it slammed into Justin’s face, knocking him to the ground.
Noah laughed so hard that he spit beer on Hannah. He tried to stop laughing and apologize, but he just laughed harder.
Hannah was tipsy enough that she was more amused than annoyed. That didn’t stop her from leaning over, grabbing the front of his shirt, and threatening him. “If you spit beer at me again, I’ll take you up there and knock your ass on the floor too.”
A mischievous glint lit Noah’s eyes. “Don’t tempt me, sweetheart,” he said into her ear. “You aren’t really the mosh pit type.”
“Is that so?”
He nodded and took another swig of beer.
She got up and walked toward the fron
t. A stunned Noah followed close behind. She was about to lose her nerve, when Caitlin spotted her and dragged her in. Hannah felt people slam into her body from all sides. The music was loud. Strobe lights flashed every once in a while. At first she felt disoriented. Almost every sense was assaulted. She smelled the alcohol, sweat, and perfume from the people around her. She heard the loud music and the shouts of the crowd. The strobe lights combined with the sheer size of the crowd made it impossible to focus on just one thing. She felt the people crashing into her from all directions.
The whole experience was like a drug. Soon she found herself slamming her body into the people around her. She’d never felt so alive! Adrenaline rushed through her body. Then she felt herself being lifted by the waist from behind.
Noah was doing his best to drag her out of the fray. It wasn’t easy. He put her down as soon as they made it out. She shoved him back in, and then crashed into him hard. Someone hit her hard from behind and she went down to her knees. Noah lifted her up again, this time over his shoulder, and carried her all the way back to the table.
“That was amazing!” she shouted. “I want back in!”
“You’re drunk,” Noah said. It was then that she noticed blood coming from his nose.
“Oh! You’re hurt.”
He grabbed a drink napkin and put it on his nose. “Some drunk girl head butted me when I was trying to save her crazy backside. My brother would never forgive me if you got hurt.”
She ducked her head, feeling a little guilty. “I’m really sorry about your nose.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” he assured her. “I’ve gotten much worse in a mosh pit.”
Caitlin came back to the table looking more animated than Hannah had ever seen her. The last band had finished playing so they could talk without yelling. “That was so awesome! I had no idea you were such a maniac, Hannah! Trish is too much of a wimp to mosh.”
Trish stuck out her tongue. “I’m not into pain.”
“I don’t like receiving pain,” Caitlin explained. Then she pointed a finger at Justin who was scowling from his seat beside Isaiah. His left eye was bruised and swollen. “I like inflicting pain.”
Vampires and Vixens (Psy-Vamp) Page 6
