“He’s good. He told me to tell you that you better stop by the next time you’re in town.”
He smiled and I could see he was handsome underneath all the ink. He handed the envelope to Lena but he was looking at me. “The pictures you sent were fine. Check ’em over. Make sure it’s all good.” He still stared at me and I had the feeling he was imagining me without my clothes on. Red crept up my cheeks. He reached down and scratched his balls and my cheeks got even warmer. It was like he was testing me. And I knew I’d just failed. I wanted to get out of here. “Do you all want a drink?” He opened the small fridge. “I got beer.” He took out four cans and handed us each one and opened one for himself. I didn’t really want it, but I was too nervous to protest. I took it and pretended to take a sip. We’d pay and be on our way soon and I’d never see this guy again.
“It looks good.” Lena passed us our new fake IDs. It was good—real good. And now we’d be able to go to bars, and go clubbing too.
“It’s $100 each.”
We all pulled out our money. As I gave him my share, he held my hand a little too long. I pulled it away and he chuckled.
“Stay. It’s good to hang out with someone from back home for a change.”
Lena looked over at us. “Okay. Just until we finish these.” She held up her beer. “Then we have to get back.”
We stayed to drink the beer and then another guy from the shop came into the office. “This is my boy, Adam. Adam, these are friends of a friend of mine from St Paul.”
“Hey.” Adam had a long sleeve shirt on, but I was willing to bet he was covered in ink too. “I’m done for the night unless we get a walk-in.” He looked over at us. “Any chance any of you want a tattoo?”
“No.” Tori and I both answered. Getting a tattoo would limit the modeling jobs I could do, so there was no way I’d jeopardize any potential income. I needed all the work I could get. Plus I wasn’t into tattoos or needles.
“Sorry, not tonight.” I could see Lena getting one and I was surprised she wasn’t going for it, but we did need to get back soon. It was already late and the last train stopped running at midnight.
“I could give you one. Someplace nobody would see.” Reed winked at me.
“I’ll pass.” What was with this guy? Lena glanced at me and smiled encouragingly. He was hot, but I’d never go out with him. And it wasn’t because of the tattoos. It was the way he looked at me. The intense heat coming from his gaze gave me the creeps.
“You’ll come around.” I had a feeling Reed was talking about something other than getting a tattoo.
“Who wants a shot?” Adam pulled out a bottle of tequila from a cupboard and poured a round. I declined but Lena and Tori each did one.
Next thing I knew Lena got up and Reed plopped down next to me. “We should go out sometime.” He put his hand on my knee and I shook it off.
“Um…No.” There was no way Reed was the dating type, but I didn’t want to be a total bitch. He was a friend of a friend of Lena’s and he had hooked us up with fake IDs.
“Why not?” There were too many reasons to list them. He leaned in close to my ear. “Don’t be scared. I promise you a real good time.” He grabbed his private area again.
I blushed at his not so subtle innuendo. “Not going to happen.” I looked at Lena and Tori. “We should go.” The clock on the wall said it was eleven thirty. I stood to get up, but Reed wouldn’t let me.
“Not before I get your number.” He pulled out his phone and looked at me expectantly. “I really want to take you out.”
My mouth hung open. I didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t taking “no” for an answer. I searched for a response to put an end to this when Lena grabbed his phone and started typing.
“There. I programmed it in for you.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe she did that to me. Didn’t she know that I’d never go out with him? I had trust issues after what happened at prom and Reed would be the last guy I’d ever go out with. Danger seeped out of his pores. I looked at Lena with shock and horror. She smiled like she’d done me a favor. I wanted to be angry with her, then I remembered she didn’t know what happened to me in the past. I knew Lena wouldn’t have given him my number if she did. I’d have to come clean with my roommates.
“Thanks.” Reed stood. “I’ll walk you girls to the train.”
I stood. I was in a hurry to get out of here. On our way out the door Reed slapped me on the ass. I wheeled around. He chuckled and it pissed me off. “Make sure you lose my number.”
“Not likely.” He smirked.
We’d only just met, but I knew he was the type of guy who didn’t give up easily. I frowned. I had a feeling that this guy was going to be trouble. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had the word tattooed across his chest in big black letters.
Theo
I walked out of class late the next afternoon, needing to blow off some steam. I’d just bombed an exam for the first time ever. I’d never failed at anything before. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. I’d failed at being friends with Stella and getting her to forgive me and give this thing between us a chance. I went back to my apartment and changed into running clothes. Running always helped clear my mind and put things in perspective; it was free therapy.
I tied my sneakers, hit my favorite playlist, hard-core rock with a fast beat, and took off down the street without a clear destination in mind. Usually I mapped out a route and stuck to it. Not today. I didn’t even bother wearing my Garmin. All I wanted to do was run and forget. Forget about bright blue eyes, long lean legs, and milky white skin that felt like satin. Shit! Obviously it wasn’t working. I quickened my pace. I ran hard for miles, covering more ground than I ever had. Sweat covered my body, soaking my shirt and shorts. But it wasn’t working. The feel of holding Stella against my chest the night I slept in her bed haunted me. Her head had been tucked under my chin and she’d smelled so damn good. I headed back. I could only think of one way to rid Stella from my mind.
My roommates, Joe and Darian, were home by the time I got back. Usually they were in the computer lab or the library until late, but it was Friday. They were sitting in the living room geeking out, playing Xbox, and drinking beer.
“Shit, dude. Sweat much?” Darian cringed. He was a neat freak like me. I was sure he found the idea of my sweat pooling on the floor disgusting. I know I did.
“Sorry, man. I went for a run.” I glanced at the time on the microwave and saw that I’d been gone for almost an hour and a half. At the pace I’d been running, I probably just run a half marathon. And I looked like it too. I filled up a large glass of water and chugged it. Then I filled it again. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a minute. Right now, I gotta shower.”
I washed away the sweat and dirt, and then went to my room to get dressed. I pulled on my favorite pair of worn jeans and a dark gray T-shirt that my sister had given me. It wasn’t really my style, it was too tight, but it was perfect for what I had planned for tonight. Looking in the mirror, I studied my reflection. My muscles had filled in—they were bigger and more defined than in high school. However, I hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, and decided I didn’t need to. At almost twenty I still had that boy-next-door face and I knew some chicks liked that. I never had trouble picking up a girl if that’s what I wanted. I squirted some gel in my hands and worked it through my short, light brown hair.
After bringing the guys up to speed on what had happened the past twenty-four hours, they agreed that I needed to get out and tie one on. I hadn’t told them in so many words about Stella, I was a guy and guys didn’t talk about broken hearts and shit like that, but they knew that there had been a blond in my past that had fucked me up good. They got ready and we left.
Stella
I sat at my computer scrolling through the dozens of photos I’d shot earlier in the day when Tori and Lena ambushed me. Forty-five minutes later the three of us were walking down the street arm in arm. I loved these girls and even though I’
d rather stay in and work on my photography project, I let them talk me into going out. I’d be safe as long as I stayed with them and didn’t do anything stupid like take my eyes off my drink. I’d told them everything and I knew they had my back. They promised no more handing out my phone number. Reed was blowing up my phone and Lena felt terrible about it. Each message was dirtier than the last.
“Where should we go?” asked Lena, turning right at the end of the block.
“Somewhere close by. I can’t walk too far in these heels.” Tori was wearing a new pair of Christian Louboutin pumps that she’d bought that afternoon at Barneys, courtesy of her Daddy’s black amex. I knew we’d be going out so she could show them off. No one loved shoes like Tori, except for maybe Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City.
“Let’s catch a cab. I’ll cover it. There’s a dive bar on Amsterdam Ave that I want to check out. I’ve heard it’s usually packed with hot guys.” Lena had never had a boyfriend and she was on the prowl for one. I thought how much easier things would have been if she had been the one to catch Reed’s eye. They at least had things in common. I felt my phone buzz and I ignored it. Right now I had bigger problems.
“What’s it called?” I nervously bit my lip. That was close to Columbia. Too close. What if I ran into Teddy? I wasn’t ready for that. The last thing I wanted was to have a breakdown in front of my new friends. Everything was going so great and I didn’t want to ruin it. I was truly happy for the first time in over a year.
“The Dead Poet. Have you heard of it?”
“No.” I smiled. I’d left the part about Teddy saving me out of my confession. I hadn’t told them about him because I wanted to forget him. Pretend he didn’t exist. I was good at pretending. No one knew that I’d had a thing for Teddy, not even Charlotte—my best friend and his sister. Once in awhile in casual conversation she’d mention him and the places he liked to go, but thankfully that wasn’t one of them. This was a big city. “It’s cool with me.”
“Let’s go.” Tori hailed a cab. All she had to do was fling her long straight golden brown hair over her shoulder and a cab immediately pulled over. She gave the cabbie the address and we were on our way.
We stepped into the Dead Poet and laughed. It lived up to its name. The bar was practically deserted, except for two old guys who sat at the bar. Lena didn’t care and ordered shots anyway. We drank them down and then left, jumping back into a cab.
“Where can we find cheap drinks and hot college guys around here?” Lena asked the driver.
“I know just the place.” He made a few turns and then pulled over. It didn’t look like much, but you never could tell by the outside. We stepped into the bar. It was small and packed tight. It took ten minutes just to push our way close enough to order drinks. My eyes roamed the room, taking in the scene. It was dingy but that was okay because Teddy wasn’t there and that’s all that really mattered.
We finally got beers and headed toward a cute group of guys a few feet away. “The hottie with the goatee is mine.” Tori flashed him one of her fabulous grins. The girl had serious dimples.
“That’s okay because I’m calling dibs on the big guy with the tat across his knuckles.” We laughed. She could have him. I was so over guys with tattoos. He reminded me too much of Reed, although this guy looked less dangerous.
“I guess that leaves me with—”
“The nerd.” Lena giggled. It was true—the remaining guy in their group was tall and lanky and wore black frames. He reminded me a hell of a lot of another geek I knew and it made my stomach feel queasy, but since I was pretending he didn’t exist, I agreed.
They seemed like an unlikely trio, and I wished, like I often did, that I had my camera with me. I had my phone, which had a camera, but I didn’t like to take pictures with it. A real photographer would never stoop to such lows. I didn’t like dragging my expensive one out at night because it made me feel too much like a tourist and it was important to take time off. But there were times like this when I wished I’d had it.
“Hey, girls. How’s it going?” The tatted dude’s deep voice matched his size. “I’m Pat.”
“Good. I’m Tori, and these are my friends, Lena and Stella.” She pointed at each of us in turn.
“Nice to meet you ladies. I’m Trevor.” The guy with the goatee had eyes only for Tori. “Do you go to Columbia?” His question made my stomach drop, but I kept my smile in place. I was good at faking it. I knew this bar would be crawling with guys from Columbia—it was close to campus. I glanced around again for Teddy, but he wasn’t here.
“No, we go to Parsons, The New School for Design.” Tori was the biggest flirt of our group and I gladly let her take the lead. “What’s your major?”
“Engineering.” Shit! I wondered if these guys knew Teddy. Not like I’d ask.
Tori continued to talk to Trevor, while Lena moved closer to the Pat.
The nerd and I stared awkwardly at each other until he stuck out his hand and introduced himself, breaking the ice. “Sorry, my roommates are self-serving assholes.” He threw them an angry glare. “My name’s Aidan.” He was shy and cute. Even in the dim lighting I could see that he had amazing eyes hiding behind his glasses. They were a bluish-green with a golden ring around the pupil with the longest eyelashes I’d ever seen on a guy. Again I was pissed I didn’t have my camera.
“You go to Parsons, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m studying photography.”
“Really? You look like you could be a model.” He blushed. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean that to sound like a cheap pick up line. It was supposed to be a compliment.”
It was my turn to blush. “I do model sometimes. It’s easy and pays good. You have such cool eyes, I bet you could get work too.” Wow, now that sounded like a cheap pick up line.
He smiled and it felt genuine. I immediately felt comfortable and conversation flowed easily. I hadn’t flirted in so long. I was rusty, but Aidan didn’t seem to notice. He bought me another beer and we laughed as Tori and Trevor locked lips. My friend wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. She wanted someone to have a little fun with and it appeared that she’d gotten her wish. Lena and Pat were also hitting it off. She’d been smiling and laughing all night. I was happy for my friends.
We stayed until closing. The guys waited with us while we hailed a taxi. The way that Tori and Trevor were swapping saliva I thought she might go home with him, but she didn’t. The cab pulled up to take us back to the dorms and just as I was getting in, I had a change of heart. I had to learn to trust guys again at some point. Aidan seemed harmless enough, not like Reed, and I appreciated the fact that he wasn’t pushy.
“Aidan?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s your number?” He smiled, and his eyes lit up. He rattled it off and I programmed it in my phone. I settled into the seat next to my friends with a grin. I’d wait a few days, but I knew I’d give him a call.
Theo
Our first stop was to hit the bar around the corner. We stayed only long enough to have one round, and then we moved on. We repeated the process at two more bars until we ended up at our favorite drinking hole, feeling good and buzzed. The Lion’s Head Tavern served cheap drinks and great wings and was crawling with hot chicks.
I was already three-sheets-to-the-wind when a petite brunette approached. Usually I gravitated toward blondes, but not tonight. Tonight I wanted to pretend that I’d never even met one, let alone fallen in love with one. This chick was perfect for my plan.
I bought her a drink and we flirted. She laughed at my jokes and put her hands on my arm. She was making this easy. An hour later she asked me if I wanted to walk her home. Score! This brunette was going to help me forget about Stella—at least for the night.
The brunette, whose name I’d already forgotten, led me through her apartment to her room. Wrapping her arms around my neck she reached up and kissed me. It wasn’t like the kiss I’d shared with Stella, but they never were. I tried to push her ou
t of my mind and grabbed the brunette’s ass, getting into the moment.
This wasn’t the first time I’d hooked up with a random chick from a bar. It wasn’t something I was proud of, but a guy had needs. And apparently so did this girl. She’d already shed her shirt and her bra. A moan escaped her lips as I dipped my head down and flicked my tongue across her nipple. From there things progressed quickly. I wasn’t into a lot of foreplay. I didn’t see the point. Soon we were both naked and in her bed. I rolled on a condom and positioned myself between her legs. Closing my eyes, I pushed my cock inside and began to move. She dug her nails into my back and begged me for more. I kept a steady pace and waited until she trembled beneath me before letting go of my load. I didn’t stay long afterward. There was no reason. We’d both gotten what we’d wanted. I got dressed and left. My mind finally blank.
Stella
I decided two days was long enough to wait. I was doing laundry in the utility room of the building. I dialed him using my iPhone, prepared to leave a message since he wouldn’t recognize my number.
“Hello?” He answered, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“Oh, hi, Aidan. It’s Stella. We met the other night at The Lion’s Head.”
“Hey.” His voice went from sounding unsure to sounding happy, making me feel less anxious about calling. I hadn’t done this sort of thing in a long time. I was glad he couldn’t see me pacing.
“I don’t know if you remember me telling you that I’m a photography major?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I was wondering if I could photograph you sometime?”
“Really?” Aidan sounded pleasantly surprised.
“Yeah.” He had cool eyes and I wanted to capture them on my camera. He chuckled, and I decided to go for it. “Are you busy later this afternoon? We could meet at the park.”
Never Far Away Page 3
