She giggles, and it makes me smile. "Best two out of three," she suggests.
After three quick rounds, she wins by covering my rock with her paper. And so I buy the tickets to the romantic comedy. Most guys would probably complain about seeing a chick flick, but I'm just happy to be here with her, no matter what we watch.
"I think you let me win," she says as we walk to the concession stand.
I feign shock, and she laughs.
"Come on, Max. You picked rock three times in a row."
"Did I?" I ask, nonchalantly. She's right. I did let her win. I don't really care what movie we see as long as I get to spend time with her.
After we get our drinks, I reach for her hand. It feels so damn good in mine, and I can't stop grinning like an idiot. She leads the way into the theater. We sit in a dark back corner of the theater in what I refer to as the 'make-out seats'. While I wouldn't mind making out with Avery, I'm not going to push my luck. If this is going to work, we're going to have to move at her pace. And at this point, I don't care if her pace is as slow as molasses. Just being around her makes me happy. Anything else that might happen is just the icing on the cake.
We chat quietly through the previews and talk about each movie that looks interesting. I'm quick to find out that Avery and I have pretty much the same taste not only in music, but in movies as well.
"Oh, I want to see this one," she whispers in my ear.
I grin at how close she gets when she wants to whisper to me, and I'm secretly hoping that she talks through the whole damn movie. Another preview comes on. "This one looks good too."
She grabs her drink from the cup holder and says, "We should come see this when it comes out." She catches herself, and the hand bringing the drink up to her mouth halts suddenly. "I mean…I…"
I lean over to her and whisper, "We'll come see it. I promise."
A smile tugs on the corners of her lips. Before she can say anything else, the movie starts. The basic plot is about a woman whose husband is cheating on her, and she falls in love with a guy that she works with. How fitting.
Avery is completely engrossed in the movie; however, my eyes keep straying from the screen to her face. I love to watch her reactions to different parts of the movie. And when her pink lips part as she gasps, I find myself just wanting to kiss her again.
As if she can sense my eyes on her, she turns her head. Our lips are only inches apart. I can't stop staring at them and thinking about what they felt like pressed up against mine last night. I reach up and gently run my fingertips along her jaw line. My thumb skates over her bottom lip, and I can feel her soft breath on my skin. Her lips gently kiss the pad of my thumb. It's a simple gesture, but it's meaningful and incredibly sexy coming from her.
She smiles a heart-stopping smile that takes my breath away. Then she slides under my arm that's draped over the back of her chair, resting her head on my chest. My nose is in her hair, breathing in her flowery scent. She smells wonderful. I wrap my arm around her, pull her close and run my fingertips casually up and down her arm. She's tense at first, but quickly relaxes. I can feel her sigh with content, and it makes me happy to know she's comfortable with me. She stays in my arms for the rest of the movie. With any other girl, it wouldn't be a big deal. But with Avery, I know she's starting to open up to me and trust me. And I can't help but start falling for her, although I think I already tripped and fell head over heels days ago when we first met.
*
AVERY
Max holds my hand as we walk out of the movie theater. It's as if he's afraid of letting me go. And in all honesty, I don't want him to let me go.
He opens the car door for me, and I climb in. He gets in the driver's seat and navigates us out of the parking lot and down the strip of businesses and neon lights along the stretch of highway.
We're riding in comfortable silence when he says, "Hang on," before suddenly veering off the road. He pulls the SUV into a dirt and gravel parking lot in front of a brick building and parks near the front entrance. I look over at him curiously and see that he's staring straight ahead with a big smile on his face. I follow his gaze. We're in front of a little dive bar. Through the cloud of dust that the SUV stirred up, I see a lighted sign by the front entrance with the words Karaoke Tonight.
I turn back to Max and instantly protest. "No. No way."
He smiles and says. "You have to, Avery. It's fate that brought us here. I was telling you earlier how you should do karaoke," he says, sweeping his hand towards the building, "and now here we are."
"I…I can't," I argue.
"Why not?"
I hesitate. I can't really think of a good reason besides the fact that I am completely and utterly terrified. Before I can say another word, he gets out of the vehicle, walks around the front and opens my door. He holds his hand out, but it seems like it's more than just an invitation to get out of the car. It feels like it's an invitation to jump into deep water with him and trust that he won't let me drown.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. Just jump, I tell myself. I put my hand in his, and he pulls me out of the vehicle with a big goofy grin on his face. I can't resist that grin.
We walk into the bar. A cloud of cigarette smoke floats in the air, and multi-colored lights flash sporadically through it from the stage and DJ booth near the back wall. I grab Max's hand and lead him straight to the bar. The bartender looks at me expectantly. "Two tequila shots," I say with conviction. Max shoots me a look, and I shrug and say, "If I'm going to do this, it's not going to be sober."
He laughs. "So you are doing it then?"
I pinch my lips together and stare up at him through my long lashes. He looks so damn happy. How could I ever say no to him? I nod once, and his smile widens.
The bartender brings back the shots. I slap money on the counter and down both of them one after the other. The alcohol burns my throat and leaves a warm sensation trailing down to my stomach. I gasp for air and shake my head at the taste. It's been so long since I've had straight liquor. It definitely hasn't improved in taste.
Max's jaw drops. "And here I thought one was for me," he jokes.
I laugh.
His dark gaze is on me as his fingers gently cup my jaw. "I love to hear that," he says softly. My heart stutters in my chest. "I wish I could make you happy all the time."
I stare into his dark eyes and instantly get lost. He always says the sweetest things to me, and I know he has no idea how much his words mean to me. I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss him. I intended for the kiss to be short, but my lips linger. He's the one that breaks it off first. He has a heated look in his eye, and I know he's trying to restrain himself. I respect that he's not trying to push me, but I don't know how much longer I will want him to hold back.
The bartender returns and asks, "Another?"
I shake my head and say, "No. I'm good."
While Max orders a beer, I turn to face the back of the bar and focus on the person on the stage. It's an older man, and he's singing a Johnny Cash song. His voice cracks, and it sounds like he's moaning…or maybe dying, but the audience doesn't seem to mind. I'm hopeful that they won't mind my singing either. I have never sung in public before and definitely not in front of a crowd. I know I'm not tone deaf, but I don't know if I would classify myself as being good at singing either.
The song ends, and the DJ announces, "We need more people to sign up. Come on up here, sign the book, and I'll call your name when it's your turn." He pauses and then calls Tiffany to the stage. Tiffany looks like she's had twice as much tequila as me. She staggers on the stage, throws up a pair of devil horns with both hands while simultaneously sticking out her tongue. She grabs the microphone, and her friends in the crowd cheer her on as an upbeat country song about getting revenge on an ex blasts through the speakers.
Everyone seems to be singing country, but I don't know any country songs. I listen to the radio on the way to and from the hospital, and it's usually tuned in to a pop or rock station. If
I sing something different, will they boo me? What if I get up there and can't sing at all? What if I stand there frozen on stage like a moron?
Anxiety slowly crawls its way into my body and roots itself deep into my bones. I can feel sweat starting to form on my forehead, and I quickly wipe it away. Just as I'm ready to tell Max I can't do this, he says, "I'm going to go sign your name." Before I can object, he disappears into the crowd with a beer in his hand.
My heart is racing. I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's just a bar, I try to tell myself. No one knows you here, and they're probably all drunk. I can't seem to shake the feeling from my stomach, and soon I'm in a full-blown panic attack. I rush to the women's bathroom and lean over the sink. My head is pounding, and I know it's probably from the tequila. I reach into my purse for my pills, but then I realize I didn't bring them. I didn't think I would need any. "Shit!" I hold a hand on each side of my pounding head and try to relax. "It's okay. You're okay," I tell myself. But I don't feel okay.
I hear a knock on the door. "Avery?" It's Max.
"Yeah. Just a minute," I call, and I can hear the tremor in my voice. My breathing becomes shallow, and I press my hand to my chest, willing my heart to stop its erratic beating.
"Are you okay?" He must have heard the fear in my voice too.
I go to the door and open it. He takes one look at me, and he instantly rushes forward, his hands cupping my face. "What's wrong?"
"Panic…attack," I say between short pants.
"Okay. We're going to get through this, Avery." He grabs my hands and says, "Close your eyes."
I do as he says.
"Breathe nice and slow for me. Nice and slow. That's it. Breathe, Avery. Just breathe."
My chest rises and falls with shaky breaths. I relish in the comfort of my hands in his. I have never been able to calm myself down before without medication; but if anyone could make me feel better, it would be Max. He always seems to know just what I need.
"Right now I want you to pretend that you aren't you and I'm not me. We're just two people having fun for one night. Forget the past, forget the future and just focus on right here, right now. Can you do that for me?"
I nod and continue to breathe in and out slower and slower.
"Concentrate on my voice. Breathe, Avery. It will all be better soon. I promise."
Before I know it, my breathing and heart rate have returned to normal. I open my eyes and gaze into his dark chocolate stare. "Thank you," I whisper.
"You're welcome."
I lean up to kiss him, but stop abruptly when the DJ announces my name. My eyes grow wide.
Max whispers against my lips, "You can do this, Avery. Remember, just focus on the moment. Only here. Only now. With me."
"Only here. Only now. With you."
He crushes his lips to mine for a swift kiss. Then he grabs my hand as we walk out of the bathroom. The crowd parts as we make our way through it. I reluctantly pull my hand from Max's hold as I hop up on the stage. The DJ smiles and says, "Pick a song from the list."
Flipping through the book quickly, I find a song that reminds me of my mother. She used to sing it when I was a little girl. I show the DJ the song, and he shakes his head with an amused expression on his face. "Okay. Make sure you blow them away," he says, handing me the microphone.
I step to the edge of the stage and stare past the blinding random patterns of multi-colored lights. There are at least fifty people sitting in tables surrounding the stage and even more at the bar and on the dance floor to the left of me. I've never sung in front of a crowd before. I'm more of a singing-in-the-shower kind of a girl. The only person who knew about my love for music and singing was my mother. I used to sing to her all the time, especially when she was sick from the chemotherapy.
For some reason, I was comfortable enough to sing in front of Max in the car. There's just something about him that brings out the old Avery and makes me want to open up to him and…love him.
Before I can even decipher my feelings for him, the song begins. I close my eyes, focus my thoughts on Max and instantly feel a calmness sweep over me. The opening to the song starts as I bring the microphone to my lips and begin to sing.
*
MAX
At Last by Etta James filters through the speakers. Leave it to Avery to not pick a country song like ninety-nine percent of everyone who went before her. She told me she likes the classics, whether it's music or movies. I think she developed a lot of her tastes from her mother, and I would bet money that her mother was just as sweet and kind as her oldest daughter.
I make my way through the crowd and stand towards the edge of the seating area. I'm so anxious to hear Avery sing that I can barely stand still. Her eyes are closed as the intro plays, and she swings her hips slowly, delicately in time with the music. She looks like she's in her own world, and it is a beautiful sight. She appears completely calm and relaxed when just moments earlier she was having a panic attack right in front of me. I know me helping her through that was a major deal. I just hope it helps her to trust me and open up to me even more. I want her trust more than anything, because I know she doesn't do so easily.
Avery's lips part over the microphone as she begins to sing, and I can tell within the first few words that her voice is incredible. All the noisy conversations around me begin to die off almost instantaneously, and a hush falls over the entire bar. People turn their attention towards the stage to stare. Everyone is mesmerized by her, and I am totally beguiled.
Avery belts out the Etta James song almost better than the original. My God, she can sing. Like a siren calling me, my feet start moving towards the stage. I stand just a few feet away from her as goose bumps break out over my skin from her sultry voice. She sings just like an angel.
I am completely enraptured as I watch her. And as if sensing me, she opens her eyes and locks them on my gaze. I smile as she sings to me, and I feel like the luckiest bastard in the world. It's in that moment that I realize I've fallen for this girl. Hard. She has me under some kind of spell, and I never want her to break it.
The song finishes, and the bar is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, an explosion of whistles and applause roars throughout the crowd, and Avery's eyes grow wide. She looks shocked and amazed by their reaction. She has no idea how talented she really is.
I hold my hand out to her, and she jumps off the stage and into my arms. She looks up at me under the colored lights, and everything in that moment just feels right. I lean down and kiss her, and we are instantly rewarded with catcalls and clapping. Avery tentatively grips my shirt into her fingers, pulling me closer. The kiss grows heated as the world around us melts away.
It's after the third person yells, "Get a room!", when I finally break away.
I chuckle and grin, leaning my forehead against hers. "You were amazing." Taking her hand in mine, I say, "Let's get out of here."
We run out of the bar and don't stop running until we reach the SUV. She's laughing hysterically, and I know I would never get tired of hearing that sound. "I can't believe I just did that!" she exclaims.
"You were amazing. Everyone was completely captivated by you, Avery."
She bites her lower lip. "Even you?"
"You left me breathless." I put my hands on either side of her as she leans her back against the passenger's side door. "You're incredible."
Her blue-gray eyes narrow as if she doesn't believe me.
"You. Are. Incredible," I say, emphasizing each word.
She leans into me, and her lips meet mine in a scorching kiss. Her delicate hands slide up my torso, and I lose myself in her touch. My fingers itch to feel her, but I keep them planted on either side of her on the Escalade.
She tastes like mint and smells divine, and I just can't get enough of her. It feels like my senses are on overload. My tongue plays with the seam of her lips until she parts them, inviting me inside to explore her mouth. I sweep my tongue over hers and swallow the groan that escapes her throat. For
getting myself, I press against her, pinning her to the car. Suddenly, she begins to tremble under me, and I feel a slight pressure on my chest as she gently pushes me back. I take a step away from her immediately. "I'm sorry," I say quickly. "I got carried away."
A crimson blush is on her cheeks as she sadly says, "It's okay. I should be the one apologizing."
I cup her face in the palms of my hands. "You never have to tell me you're sorry, Avery. For anything. We'll move at your pace…however painfully slow that might be," I joke. She smiles, and my heart melts. "Let's go," I say as I open the door for her. As I'm walking around the SUV, I take a deep breath and exhale. Avery has me so turned on, but I have to take things slow with her. I can't run when all she wants to do is walk. But I know when she's finally ready for me, I'll be there waiting no matter how long it takes for us to get to that point.
On the way back to the house, Avery asks, "So why did you leave Chicago?"
I grimace. It's a sensitive subject for me, but I want to be as forthcoming and open with her as I can. "It's complicated," I say finally.
"Short version?" she suggests.
"My fiancée cheated on me," I say with a huff. Then, as an afterthought, I add, "With my best friend." I glance over at her and see a shocked expression flash over her face. "Yeah. I had to get away from that mess." The revelation of Gretchen telling me she was sleeping with Kenneth still haunts me. My best friend of almost twenty years slept with my fiancée, the girl I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I lost the two most important people in my life within a matter of a few minutes. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. "My parents took my sister and I to Outer Banks for vacations a lot when we were young, and I was always happy there. I needed a place to go where I could be happy, so I thought why the hell not? I called the hospital, had a couple of my colleagues pull a few strings, and, well, here I am."
Then Avery surprises me by reaching over and placing her hand over mine and giving it a light squeeze. "Even though I'm not happy you had to go through all of that, I am happy that it led you here."
Saving Avery Page 10
