Love's Back Pocket

by Heather C. Myers

  The second movie was Mulan, one of Holly’s favorites. Again, the two women seemed to know every word to every song, and continued to fill the empty tour bus with their singing. Holly actually invited Victor to their Disney night, but as she expected, he refused, giving the women some kind of excuse. That didn’t deter them, however, and as they watched the movie, they all but forgot his rejection.

  It was when they started Beauty and the Beast that Tommy and Mitch made their appearance. Almost immediately, Mitch walked over and took a seat on the couch behind Tanya before placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

  “This is what you leave me for?” Tommy asked Holly, following in Mitch’s footsteps and taking a seat on the couch. “A cartoon that you own on DVD and can watch any time over and over?”

  “Shhh!” Holly exclaimed, smacking Tommy’s shin but keeping her eyes focused on the screen. “This is the best part! This is the song where they realize they’re falling in love with each other.”

  Once the song was over, the women sighed almost simultaneously, causing both men to glance over at each other, sharing an unreadable look.

  “So,” Tommy said, cocking his head and casting his eyes downwards so he could take in some of Holly’s face, “you’re a pretty logical person, Holl. I never took you for a Disney fan.”

  “Just because I’m smart doesn’t mean I don’t like Disney movies,” Holly replied, tilting her head so she could get a better view of Tommy. “If I am being completely honest, there are times when I would like nothing more than to believe that heroes really existed, and always came just in time to save princesses. I would like to believe that carpets can fly, bad boys can be reformed, and animals can talk. I would like to believe that two people who are destined to be together are capable of finding each other the moment they need each other the most.” She paused, catching her breath. “But it goes against everything I know.”

  “Who’s your favorite princess?” Tommy asked, giving her a lazy smile. Her cheeks had turned red from the obvious passion she was feeling

  “I really like Mulan, even though she’s not a princess,” Holly said after a moment of thinking. “And I really like Pocahontas.”

  “The two most logical princesses,” Tommy muttered with a grin. “What a surprise.”

  “I just admire that they know they shouldn’t fall in love,” Holly murmured, pink touching her cheeks once again, “but they can’t help it. Beyond all reason, love still consumes them.” She smiled at the notion. “I like them because I figure if I ever fall in love, that’s how it’s going to happen.” She glanced over at friend. “What about you, Tanya?”

  “Me?” Tanya asked, and she thought for a moment. “Hmm. Probably Belle from Beauty and the Beast. What can I say? I’ve always had a thing for bad boys.”

  “I prefer Jasmine, if I’m being honest,” Mitch put in as he wrapped his arms around Tanya’s shoulders from behind. “The outfits she wore always knocked me off my feet. And I like that she didn’t have to wear a dress. It was kind of sexy.”

  “I liked Alice from Alice in Wonderland,” Tommy added.

  Holly craned her head to look him in the eyes. “You know Alice isn’t a princess, right?” she asked as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  “The great thing about Alice,” Tommy murmured, leaning forward so his face came a mere two inches away from Holly’s, “is that she can be whatever she wants due to her massive imagination.”

  Holly opened her mouth to argue with him, but prominently shut it and turned back around. Though Alice wasn’t exactly a princess, she could certainly imagine she was one. For the first time in a while, Holly realized Tommy had said something substantial, and smiled at it.

  “Plus, she’s blonde,” he pointed out, throwing a look at Mitch. “I’ve always had a thing for blondes.”

  Until, of course, he opened his mouth to add to his declaration.

  Chapter 26

  It was an early morning in late July, and Holly wasn’t asleep. Her eyes were focused on the ceiling, but her mind was focused on something else entirely. How long had she been on the road with The Futurists now? Nearly two months, she figured after a moment. And last she heard, they were currently heading to Florida. They would be staying in a lovely hotel just adjacent to Disney World, and Holly was adamant to go to the park. Ever since she was a kid and had been to Disneyland hundreds of times, she wanted to see what the bigger park was like. Bigger didn’t exactly mean better, she had always thought. It would be hard to top Disneyland, especially since she had lived in California her whole life.

  In fact, she was doing just fine where she was. She was one of the top students in her class with excellent grades, proud professors, and on the road to the fast track. Before Tommy had crashed into her life, she had been accepted to do her thousand hours at a prestigious psychology firm in Beverly Hills, but somehow, he had managed to talk her out of it, and instead, accompany him on the road in order to take of his psychologist needs elsewhere. That was it, she realized. That was the moment when he started to burrow underneath her skin. Holly was a rational person, and it was hard to talk her out of something when she had her mind focused on something completely different. But there came Tommy, and in a manner of minutes, she had agreed to tour with him for the summer.

  “How did he do that?” she murmured to herself, staring up at the ceiling hopelessly.

  As the days passed and she got to know the man—whether it was through their interesting-to-say-the-least sessions or just hanging out with him in general—she felt herself start to develop feelings for him. She liked the way his eyes lit up when he smiled, and the tone of his voice in general. She liked the way clothes looked on his body, and the way he looked in the rain. She liked the way he shamelessly flirted with her, and the way he was starting to take her seriously. She liked the way his lips moved when he spoke, and the way his eyes followed her whenever she walked into a room.

  She liked him. A lot. And because of that, she was scared.

  Holly had tried to focus on other things that did not involve Tommy whatsoever. She thought about every other band and crew member she had sessions with. She thought of Tanya and Mitch, and their heated relationship. She even tried to think of Brendan, of the feelings he had sparked deep inside her during school, which seemed like ages ago. But it didn’t seem to matter. Something inside of her had changed, and that was what scared her. Her feelings for Brendon didn’t even compare to what she was currently feeling for Tommy, and she had admitted thoroughly that she had liked Brendan in that way.

  So did this mean that she liked Tommy in a deeper way? Was that even possible?

  ‘Anything is possible, Holl,’ Tanya would say in that slight sing-song voice of hers.

  But her liking Tommy Nye in such a way? Holly didn’t think it was possible. She wasn’t stupid, of course. She knew the appeal of charming, older men who happened to be spontaneous rock stars, but she never expected for herself to fall for him. Especially not Tommy Nye. The man knew exactly what buttons to push to aggravate her in such a way that if she didn’t find some way to let out her steam, she would probably sock him. Not that it would matter, of course. The guy was incredibly built. But that wasn’t the point.

  “Okay, Holly,” she said, her eyes still on the ceiling as though she would find all of the answers she was looking for on it in some way, “you’re a psychologist. Actually, you want to be a psychologist, but that’s beside the point.” She frowned, realizing that she was babbling to herself now, and shook her head, in order to relieve herself of such a habit, if only temporarily. “Why would I fall for somebody who is completely wrong for me?”

  Because, a voice said in a tone that revealed the answer was the most obvious thing in the world, the person we think is completely wrong for us, usually matches up better than we originally expect.

  Holly furrowed her brow at the response, but didn’t immediately refute it. Tommy Nye was definitely unlike anyone she had ever met before, but she
wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. He pointed out different things in a blunt manner, not taking her feelings into consideration in the least, but whenever she went to complain about it to Tanya, her friend would always roll her brown eyes and mention how Holly did the exact same thing. Tommy enraged Holly to the point of unexplainable anger, but it brought a passion out in her she didn’t think she could ever feel. His eyes gave off sparks that sizzled when they looked at her, and every time she noticed this, she had to swallow and turn away because sometimes, it was too much for her to handle. Such intensity was something she had never experienced before, and that scared her as well.

  He scared her. Tommy Nye scared her.

  That’s not a bad thing, the same voice murmured knowingly. Holly was sure if the voice had a face, a light smirk would be touching its lips at that moment. There are moments when we have to face our fears. Sometimes, things don’t go our way, and sometimes they do, but no matter what, everything works out the way it’s supposed to.

  Holly pursed her lips together as she ran shaky fingers through her tresses. She didn’t get very far, given that she was currently lying down, but the act itself always seemed to calm her down a bit.

  “But I don’t want to like Tommy Nye,” she whispered to no one in particular. Her voice was sad, and maybe even slightly hopeless. She felt lost, alone, and unsure … feelings Holly hadn’t felt since the death of her parents. “Because I’m sure Tommy Nye does not like me in that way.”

  And that was what probably scared Holly the most. Though she wouldn’t, at this point, admit out loud just how much she truly liked Tommy Nye, she knew that she did. Very much, in fact. But she highly doubted that he could return such feelings for her. He admitted it to her before—he was always out looking for number one. And after learning about Delilah, she doubted he would ever warm up to the possibility of a serious, monogamous relationship in the near-future. Plus, why would he want to? He seemed quite content with the prospect of groupies keen on satisfying every carnal need he had, not some girlfriend who he had not only to make love to, but to talk to, to cherish, and most of all, to love. Groupies were easier.

  So yes, Holly liked Tommy. But it was doubtful he returned such affections.

  --

  “Holly, you have been staring up at the hotel ceiling for the past forty-five minutes,” Tanya commented, sighing with frustration through her nose. “You do know we’re all supposed to be getting ready soon anyway.”

  Holly frowned, cocking her head in Tanya’s direction so she could look at her friend. “Ready for what?” she asked, her voice tired due to the lack of sleep she had gotten last night.

  “Weren’t you even paying attention when we were on the couch and Tommy made an announcement?” Tanya asked, her patience wearing thin.

  “It’s kind of hard to pay attention when you’re sleeping,” Holly snapped, getting annoyed with Tanya’s frustration. She paused for a moment, feeling slightly guilty for snapping at her friend. “I had a rough night last night, okay? I’ve just … I’ve just had a lot on my mind recently.”

  Tanya glanced over at Holly. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked her friend softly.

  Holly shook her head. “No,” she murmured in response. “I’m okay. I figured everything out. But anyway, thank you. What did Tommy announce, though? What should I be getting ready for?”

  Tanya smiled at her friend, happy to be the one to tell her. “In honor of you nearly being finished with your one thousand hours, Tommy is taking everyone to a fancy dinner to celebrate,” she said, her dark eyes twinkling with obvious happiness. “Apparently, he knows this great restaurant here in Florida, and we’re supposed to be ready in—” She cut herself off to glance down at her watch. “Shit. We have twenty minutes to get ready. That’s just not enough time. Come on, Holly! We gotta get ready!”

  “All right, all right,” Holly grumbled, throwing her legs off the bed and standing. “It’s a good thing I happen to be starving …”

  Chapter 27

  It didn’t take Holly long to get dressed. She was wearing a strapless, silk charmeuse gown with a bubble hem that reached just above her knees. It was kelly green, which made her eyes seem bolder than they already were. On her feet, there were simple silver heels that pushed her height up another two inches, and her long strawberry-blonde hair was tied into a simple ponytail and she had hair sprayed it so no stray hairs would slip from the elastic’s grasp that night. Her makeup, as usual, was natural and fresh, giving her face a youthful appearance.

  When Tanya emerged from the bathroom twenty-six minutes later, Holly could see why it took her so long. Holly had no idea how Tanya managed to look better than she already did, but each time, she always exceeded Holly’s already-high expectations. Tonight, Tanya was wearing a midnight blue dress with a low V-line, dipping down the valley of her breasts until it stopped just past them. The sleeves were simple, and the hem reached a couple of inches down her knees, while there was draping detail just around her waist. Tanya straightened her hair even more than it was naturally, and her makeup was sultry looking, highlighting the aura of sensuality she always seemed to possess.

  As the two left the hotel room, Holly’s lips curled into a frown with her realization. She had never been jealous of Tanya before, and she wasn’t jealous now, but Holly knew how people looked at Tanya and how people looked at her. Usually, it never bothered her because she knew she wasn’t ugly, and she also knew she was exceedingly smart. But now, her vain insecurities seemed to be getting the better of her and it was all Tommy’s fault. Okay, she had admitted she liked him and she doubted he liked her in return, but she still wanted his attention, even if it was the usual charming-joking-innuendo sort of attention.

  “Holly, are you all right?” Tanya asked her friend quietly as the two stepped inside the elegant elevator.

  “I’m …” What are you, Holly? Fine? Okay? Anxious? “… nervous.” Yes, nervous, she decided, because it was true.

  “You have no reason to be,” Tanya told her with a friendly smile, and placed her hand on Holly’s forearm. “You look absolutely amazing.”

  A small smile touched her lips, and all insecure feelings vanished. She was being foolish about this whole situation. Tommy was just one man—there were billions of them on this planet, and she shouldn’t be losing her senses to him. Plus, there was only a week and a half left of this tour and once it was over, she would never see Tommy again. Sure, she liked the guy, more so than she ever liked another guy before. But that didn’t mean she was going to get all tingly just because he looked at her every once in a while. Right. She could do this; she could ignore Tommy Nye. She wouldn’t fall for him.

  A week and a half.

  She could do this.

  When the elevator door pinged open, she saw a small group of people all dressed to the nines, seemingly waiting for her and Tanya. However, her eyes found Tommy’s first, and she found that she couldn’t look away.

  “Wow,” he said in a soft, breathy voice as his eyes took in every inch of Holly. He wasn’t even being discreet with his study of the woman. “You look stunning, Holly.”

  Holly found her breath hitch in her throat. This was going to be the longest week and a half she had ever experienced.

  --

  The restaurant was on the small side when it came to size, but they still managed to fit the ten-person party in the center of the restaurant. The first thing Tommy did was explain how he found this low-key restaurant. Apparently, he was drunk out of his mind and walked into the small building when they were closed. Somebody happened to recognize him, and allowed him to stay inside. One of the cooks made him a burger while somebody else got him water, coffee, and some aspirin. For the next few hours, Tommy entertained the wait staff, sobered up, and even helped them with their closing duties. Before he exited the restaurant, he left them a four thousand dollar tip, and promised that whenever he was in Florida, he would stop by.

  “It’s beautiful,” Holly commented
from beside him, her eyes taking in the dimly-lit restaurant, the guests, and the dance floor. Soft piano music filled the nearly silent room, giving the restaurant a romantic feeling.

  Tommy took a sip of his Coke, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. “I’m glad you like it,” he told her, once he swallowed the drink.

  It took another moment before the party could put in their order, with Tommy assuring them that they could order whatever they wanted.

  “Tommy!” the waiter, Al, exclaimed, his blue eyes crinkling to see the familiar face.

  “Al!” Tommy said in the same tone. “You’re our waiter, huh? I’m not sure I’m too excited about that. I’ve heard of your little nickname, Butterfingers.”