Friday arrived faster than I would have liked. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach at the thought of sharing my art with the rest of the class.
Dane arrived before me again and I couldn’t help how my lips turned up when I saw him sitting there in his jeans and tight navy t-shirt. I’d never been one to ogle a man’s body, but my eyes flew to his with magnetic force every time we were in the same room.
“Wow, you look great,” he said as I took my seat. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me since I walked in the door.
I felt my face growing warm under his stare. “Thanks, I guess. I figured my old jeans wouldn’t make the best impression in front of the class.” I had carefully chosen a fitted black turtleneck dress with black knee-high boots. My hair was down, allowing it to flow to the middle of my back.
The presentations started and I was impressed by everyone’s artwork. We had several painters in the class and a few were very talented. I wasn’t sure if mine would measure up, but there was no going back now.
Dane and I were the last pair to go. My chest tightened as I stood up to present. I was nervous because I had to stand up in front of the class. And nervous because Dane Wright was less than two feet from me and I had to talk about him. Walking over to gather my painting from the easel, I regretted my choice in shoes. I had a serious case of Jell-O legs thanks to my growing nerves.
I placed my canvas on the easel that faced the class. My eyes were focused on Dane, waiting to see his reaction. When he finally looked up his eyes widened and I watched him take a deep breath through his nose then let it out of his mouth. Our eyes met briefly and I quickly glanced away as I tried to speak.
I stood there for a moment, looking at the giant red heart that was centered on the canvas. Within the heart was an angel. I filled the rest of the space on the canvas with a colorful abstract art piece, repeating the word INSPIRE to spell out Jenna at the bottom of the canvas in black paint.
“This is Dane Wright. He grew up in the city and, after taking time off after high school, decided to study art at NYU.” I cleared my throat before continuing. “Beneath the leather jacket, he has a tattoo of a guardian angel with the word Jenna underneath. Jenna was Dane’s sister who passed away when she was just five. She’s the inspiration for most of his art.” I took a deep breath as the class started to applaud. I was still nervous about Dane’s reaction, but happy that I had my first art project under my belt.
“Thank you, Alex. Dane, you’re up,” Mr. Thomas said, nodding toward Dane. I glanced at Dane who was frozen in place, eyes still locked on the painting I created. When his eyes finally met mine, I noticed they were glistening with unshed tears. Something passed between us. I was not sure if it was understanding or gratefulness, but having that effect on someone warmed my heart.
Dane started to move and I fully expected him to grab a piece of paper from his bag. My eyes grew as I watched him pick up an object wrapped in white cloth from the table at the side of the classroom. He revealed a metal sculpture that consisted of two objects. On the left was what looked like a brain with a scalpel and a stethoscope etched into it and on the right was a heart with a paintbrush and an easel. It was much more than I’d expected. I couldn’t believe he had taken the time to create a metal sculpture based on me. No one ever spent that much time on me. I also realized I had told him some things that I didn’t necessarily want the whole class to know; things depicted in this piece of art he was about to show everyone. Panic ran through me. Maybe we both got a little too personal on this project.
“This is Alex Riley. She grew up in Connecticut and her family wants her to become a doctor. She is a Pre Med student, but her real passion is art; that’s where her heart is. Her dream is to become a graphic artist.”
I felt completely naked when the bell rang. I gave him that information, but I didn’t think about the repercussions before doing it. It was something I had never told anyone, with the exception of Jade and Gwen, and now a room full of strangers knew everything because of my moment of vulnerability. I quickly grabbed my bag and began to exit the classroom without giving him another glance. I didn’t want him to see the tears forming in my eyes. “Alex, wait!” I kept walking until I felt a warm hand grip my arm, turning me around.
“You aren’t mad are you?” His serious eyes held my gaze as my own filled with tears. I wasn’t mad at him, but I was furious with myself. I might have been overreacting, but I wasn’t used to others seeing inside my shell. I had spent years building and beautifying that shell.
“Just forget about it. I have to go.” I turned and walked away as quickly as I could before the tears began to slide down my cheeks. I heard him say my name, but I kept walking. The whole class knew I was a coward now. I couldn’t be angry at the truth, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
I immediately dialed Gwen’s number when I was safely back in my dorm room. Gwen and I were different in so many ways, but we came from the same place. I constantly struggled to do what I was supposed to do while Gwen simply accepted it. She was engaged to a man she had been dating for three years. He was also a medical resident and came form one of the most prominent families in Greenwich. She seemed happy to be marrying the guy of my parent’s dreams, but I always wondered if she truly was.
“Hey, long time no talk,” Gwen said as soon as she picked up the phone.
“We spoke yesterday,” I replied. Gwen had always been a bit on the dramatic side.
“Someone sounds a little jumpy today. How did your presentation on Mr. Green Eyes go?” she asked. I called her the other day to fill her in on my first day of classes. She was always a good listener and the most understanding person in my family.
“Mine went fine. He, on the other hand, told the whole class that my real aspiration was art and now they all know I’m a coward. I’m not looking forward to returning on Monday.” My eyes started to sting again, just thinking about what happened in class today. I didn’t want to cry. I was generally not a crier, but the last week had taken a lot out of me. I broke up with my friend, had a surprise visit from my mother, and had been called out in front of the whole class. I would say it ranked right up there with ‘worst week ever’ status.
“You told him?” she asked, sighing into the phone.
“Well yeah, it just kind of came out. I wasn’t thinking about the presentation when I said it.” I rubbed my forehead in an effort to ease the pain that had been building since I left class. I wished there was a way to go back in time and tell him how amazing my life was. I should have told him about my amazing parents, my beautiful home and how I was accepted into the National Honor Society, but there was something about him that brought the truth out of me.
“You like him don’t you?” she asked. I could tell she was smiling through the phone. I needed her sympathy, but it seemed I was amusing her instead.
“Why does everyone keep saying that? No, absolutely not!”
“Whatever you say, Alex.”
Just then Jade walked through the door with a huge smile on her face, holding what looked like two New York drivers licenses. “I’m going to have to call you back later,” I said, never taking my eyes off my roommate.
“Okay, later.”
“Bye”
I set down my cell phone. “What are those?”
“These are our tickets to drink in a real bar. You and I are going to Loft 10 tonight. You look like you could use a drink.” She handed me my card and sat on the edge of my bed. I recognized my picture; it was the head off one of my many senior portraits. There was no way anyone was going to believe this was real. Adding an arrest or ticket to my week was just what I didn’t need.
“I should really study.” Or stay in the dorm all night crying my eyes out into a tub of Ben & Jerry’s. Ben & Jerry were fabulous dates; they never let me down.
“Come on, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Besides, you are already dressed to go out, just touch up your makeup a little,” she said, circling her finger aroun
d my face.
After this morning’s events, I really wanted to be alone. However, I had only been out one or two nights my whole freshman year of college and maybe I needed this. “Okay, what time?” I asked.
She threw her arms around me, practically screaming in my ear, “Be ready at 9!” Anger and alcohol aren’t the best combination, but if it made me feel better and helped me forget I could hang my reservations for one night. For once I just wanted to forget that I was living by someone else’s rules.
Loft 10 was not my usual scene. The inside was very dark with green and blue lights illuminating the bar. They same lighting continued around the room, shining through a half wall that divided the dance floor from the bar seating area. Seating consisted mostly of tables and chairs, but there were also a few black leather couches in the VIP lounge area. Even in my knee length sweater dress and knee-high boots, I looked like a nun in comparison to most of the other girls in the place. The club was packed, but luckily Kevin and his friends had arrived early and scored a table a few feet away from the bar.
“Well, look who’s here. Can I get you girls something to drink?” Kevin asked, his eyes traveling the length of both our bodies before returning to our faces.
Kevin’s stare was making me uncomfortable so I tugged my skirt down as far as it would allow. “No, I’ll go get myself something. Jade, what are you drinking tonight?” I asked, in an effort to break the spell.
“Vodka and grapefruit juice, please. Make sure they don’t burn it!” she shouted over the noise. I weaved my way through the crowd gathered around the bar and waited for one of the two bartenders to serve me. As I studied the ID that Kevin had made for me, I began to feel the nerves build in my stomach again. There was no way anyone was going to look at this thing and serve me. Then again, I was sure half the bar had to have used fake plastic in order to be drinking this evening.
“Alex.” My back went stiff when I saw who said my name. Dane was standing right in front of me on the other side of the bar with a huge grin on his face.
“Uh, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to mask the annoyance in my voice. It was obvious he was working, but I didn’t know what else to say. Could I not get away from him? New York City was not that small of a town.
“What does it look like I’m doing here?” he asked as he threw a towel over his shoulder. My eyes locked on the towel but then journeyed downward, taking in the strong, bulky chest highlighted under his black Loft 10 t-shirt. There were a few times these last few days when I wondered what it would be like to touch that chest; it would never happen, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t dream. He cleared his throat, startling me from the staring contest I was having with his chest. When I looked back up, Dane was biting on his lower lip, trying to hold back a laugh.
“I need a vodka and grapefruit juice, a shot of whiskey, and a Bud Light, please,” I blurted. I was rambling again and I hadn’t intended to order a whiskey and a beer, but I was going to need both to get through the night. When I walked out of class today, I took comfort in the fact that I wouldn’t see Dane for a couple days and now here he was. Any thought of the consequences of underage drinking in a packed New York City bar left me. I really needed those drinks now.
“You have to be 21 to drink in this bar,” he said, looking serious. I handed him my ID and he studied it for several seconds before smiling, “Maybe if you take this down to Jay at the end of the bar, he can help you. I can’t do it.” I sighed as Dane walked down to the end of the bar to help someone else.
As soon as Jay looked my way, I waved him over and placed my order. He hadn’t even blinked when I showed him my ID. Relief washed over me as he handed me my drinks and accepted the cash I handed him. I immediately threw back my whiskey and carried the other drinks back to my table, weaving my way through the crowded club.
“Thanks,” Jade said, grabbing her drink out of my hand. I noticed we had a new guest at our table who I had not met before. He had longer dark brown hair that was partially tucked behind his ears and his big brown eyes highlighted by thick dark lashes. He was ruggedly handsome with stubble along his strong jaw; not my type, but cute. “This is Tyler. Tyler, this is Alex. Tyler graduated from NYU last year with a degree in Architecture; he and Kevin went to the same high school,” Jade said, as her eyes remained locked on Tyler.
“Tyler was a hell raiser. Can’t believe he graduated before I did,” Kevin said. Tyler narrowed his eyes at him, causing Kevin to clasp his mouth shut.
“Hey now, I wasn’t that bad. I couldn’t help it if the ladies loved me and the school had too many rules.” I could see why the ladies might love him. He was confident with an aura of danger, much like Dane.
“Whatever. You and Dane were quite the pair,” Kevin piped in, placing one arm around the back of my chair as he fingered my sleeved arm. I was loosening up a bit from the alcohol so allowed his harmless advances.
“Dane Wright?” I didn’t realize that I had opened my mouth until the words had already spoken. Dane was everywhere I was and it seemed that everyone knew him. Someone had effectively removed me from Earth and planted me in Dane’s world. The jury was still out on whether or not they would be getting a thank you card.
“Yeah, you know him? Dude has been my best friend since second grade.”
I let out a loud belly laugh that earned me some looks from neighboring tables. “I just have a class with him. He’s interesting, that’s for sure.” I took a swig of my beer as everyone at the table eyed me suspiciously. I needed another shot…or five!
“For a second there I thought you were one of the girls from his love’em and leave’em days. He used to go through girls pretty quickly and now I don’t know if he’s dated at all since he started to pull his shit together.” Tyler motioned the waitress for another round.
“No, Dane and I have never been anything more than classmates and will never be more than classmates.” I heard Jade snicker beside me and turned to give her a warning look. “What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Now that may be a first. A girl who has no interest whatsoever in the handsome, emotionally unavailable, Dane Wright,” Tyler stated as he eyed me intently. I stood, not paying any attention to the disappointed look on Kevin’s face and moved back toward the bar. It was time for another shot. I bypassed Dane and went straight to Jay who gave me another shot and beer. I quickly downed my shot as I glanced at Dane. I had never seen the beauty in watching a man work, but Dane was different. His arms flexed as he lifted cases of beer up to fill the cooler; maybe he knew I was watching because he was putting on quite the show. It was time to head back over to the table before he caught me looking again.
As soon as I sat back down, Dane came over to stand by our table, gave Tyler some weird manly handshake, eyed Kevin, and exchanged hellos with the rest of the table. Suddenly he knelt down so his mouth was right by my ear.
“Can you come outside with me for a minute?”
“No, I’m kind of busy right now,” I replied, rolling my eyes. Tyler and Jade decided that now was a good time to get up to dance. Why did she have to leave me alone now?
“Please, I didn’t mean to upset you earlier,” he said with sympathy in his voice. I still wasn’t leaving the table.
“I’m fine, really!” I was still a little upset, but only at myself. He had simply done his assignment.
Kevin turned and asked me to dance. Any other time I probably would have said no, but right now it was a welcome invitation. “Yes, please!” I stood up and took one more look in Dane’s direction. “I’ll talk to you on Monday.” Dane backed away and glared at Kevin, his jaw clenched.
A slow song played when Kevin and I joined the others on the dance floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck, being careful that my body didn’t rub too closely against his as he loosely laid his hands on my waist. Dancing always felt so intimate to me when my body was pressed against someone, but this I could handle.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Alex, I’m lea
ving,” Jade said, leaning in next to my ear. She nodded toward Tyler with a big smile on her face. “Are you okay to get home?”
“It’s only a couple of blocks; I’ll be fine. Have fun!”
She winked. “You too.” Before she walked away, she looked at me with a sly grin and a naughty glimmer in her eye. My plans for the rest of the night involved some more dancing and a few more drinks. This week had worn me out and I needed to let loose and have fun for once.
The music began to pick up as Kevin moved behind me with his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Through my buzz, I couldn’t really see the any reason to stop him. I started to move again and felt his other hand at the hem of my skirt as it slowly moved up my leg. His hand moved up my waist, stopping just below my breast. “Kevin, stop!” I turned around, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Relax, sorry!” He took my hand, using his eyes to plead to me for one more chance before we slowly started to move again. I don’t know if I gave him another chance or if it was the whiskey; it didn’t matter at that point. A few more minutes went by before he had secured both hands on my ass, and began pressing me against him so I could feel how turned on he was through his jeans.
I pushed as hard as I could on his chest, “I. Said. Stop!”
Kevin just stood there, looking at me with his head tilted to the side. “I thought you came to let loose a little, Alex? What’s the problem?”
The way people were dancing around us, it seemed like everything he was doing was completely normal. I just didn’t want to partake in normal. “The problem is that I don’t want you fondling me in the middle of the club.”
I turned to walk away from him, but his firm hand grabbed my arm. “Will you let me do it in private?” he whispered, pulling me close to his body.
“Absolutely not,” I yanked my arm out of his hold. Suddenly I wasn’t so happy that Jade had left me at the bar. Why did guys have to act like such assholes? Actually, I knew the answer to that; they thought with their lower anatomy rather than their brains. That is exactly why I chose to focus on my classes instead of wasting my time with men.
Plastic Hearts Page 5
