by Nancy Krulik
“Very funny,” Alana replied sarcastically.
Connor chose that moment to lean down and plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.
“What was that for?” Alana asked him.
“Because you’re sweet,” Connor explained. “And because you’re the only person I know who could feel sorry for a woman who has too much time on her hands, has too much money, and thinks that the fact that the dogs ate the cake before she could sing ‘Happy Birthday’ is a real problem. I mean, did you hear anyone else singing?”
Suddenly it hit Alana that she really had been the only person besides Bridget to sing. Which meant everyone in the dog run and the surrounding grass had heard her. She was pretty sure it had not been a pleasant concert. Alana wasn’t exactly known for her singing. “I hope the dogs drowned me out,” she told the guys feebly.
Leo shook his head. “Uh-uh. We heard it all.” Then, noticing the red flush that was once again climbing up Alana’s cheeks, he added, “It wasn’t so bad. You’ve got a much better voice than I do. Hey, my gift to the dogs is the fact that I didn’t sing. There’s a reason I’m with the band and not in the band.”
“What band?” Connor asked.
“It’s this group called Modern Art. I kind of produce them,” Leo explained. He looked at Alana. “Are you bringing him to the gig at the Red Rooster on Friday night?”
Alana shifted her weight from one foot to the other. This was awkward. “Um…I kind of promised Stella I would bring her,” she explained to Connor. “We haven’t seen that much of each other lately and…”
“Girls night out,” Connor said with a shrug. “I get it. She’s your best friend.”
Alana stared at him in amazement. Sammy never would’ve understood that. She wasn’t sure too many guys would. She reached up and kissed him. “That’s for being you,” she explained.
“I just wish I didn’t have this stupid family thing on Saturday,” Connor grumbled. “That means more time away from you.”
Alana frowned slightly. Oh, yeah, the family thing. He’d mentioned it during one of their phone conversations. He hadn’t given her many details, just that it was some huge commitment and that his mom would kill him if he didn’t go. Alana understood about stuff like that. Families sometimes got in the way.
Suddenly a loud chorus of barks rang out. Alana shifted her attention over to the far end of the dog run, where Bridget was standing, holding a bag of special Barkery cookies. Naturally the dogs were all over her. That woman just didn’t learn her lesson.
“Come on, you dogs, get in line. Wait your turns,” Bridget was shouting. But the dogs weren’t in the mood to wait. They wanted those treats now.
“Oh, this is too good to pass up,” Connor said, pulling a small digital camera from his jacket pocket. He leaped up on a bench and began snapping pictures of Bridget and the dogs.
“He’s a photographer,” she explained to Leo. Then, seeing that Noodles was about to get into a battle with a Dalmatian over one of the bones, she hurried over to where the dogs were. “I’d better get them out of here,” she shouted to Leo.
Noodles was the first dog Alana managed to grab. She fastened his leash onto his collar and then reached for Frisky. But Frisky was no easy catch. He bopped up and down, like a pogo stick. “Frisky! Come here!” Alana shouted. She bent down to grab him, and…boing…she got bopped right in the nose by the hopping Jack Russell.
“Ow!” she cried out, wiping her nose and finding, with relief, that she wasn’t bleeding. Her sudden shout caught Frisky by surprise, and he calmed down for a moment—just long enough to be leashed up.
Okay, two down, two to go, Alana thought as she pulled Frisky over to where Curly was calmly watching the goings-on. At first Alana thought that was typical Curly behavior—the prim cocker spaniel seemed the type to be above the fray. But on closer inspection, that wasn’t it at all. Rather, she’d managed to get her mouth into Bridget’s knapsack and was now happily chowing down on a roll of peppermint Life Savers—paper, aluminum foil, and all.
Alana sighed. Well, at least Curly wouldn’t have dog breath today. Quickly she reached over and tried to attach Curly’s pink leather leash to her collar. Not an easy task, considering she was holding on to a massive bulldog and pogo-ing Jack Russell at the same time.
Alana’s sudden movement startled the cocker spaniel. The dog leaped up high and hit Alana in the leg. Alana was thrown off balance, and in a minute she found herself lying on the ground, surrounded by a bunch of barking dogs. But instead of being afraid or angry, Alana found the whole thing hilarious. At least until she looked down at her arm. There was a big rip in her jacket, and some blood had begun to run down her arm. It was starting to sting. Suddenly it wasn’t so funny anymore.
Connor was by her side so quickly, Alana hadn’t even seen him coming. Somehow he’d made his way through the pack of barking dogs and leaped into the fray, helping Alana to her feet. Quickly he pulled her over to the bench where she’d been sitting earlier. He opened Nicolette’s bottle of Evian and poured water over her wound, using the edge of his blue denim, button-down shirt to blot the wound until the bleeding stopped.
“Oh, no, you’re ruining your nice shirt,” Alana murmured weakly.
“No big deal. I kind of like brown spots,” he said, lifting his shirttail off the wound and taking a look. “It’s not so deep. It’s stopped bleeding, and I think I’ve got it pretty cleaned up. Does it hurt much?”
“It stings a little,” Alana admitted.
“We should get you out of here and get some Neosporin or something like that on it,” he told her. “We’ll stop at a drugstore on Broadway and get some Band-Aids, too. I’ll have you patched up good as new.”
Alana nodded, somehow trusting that he would take care of her no matter what the situation. “You stay here while I go leash up the dogs,” he told her. “Then we’ll get going.”
Alana looked up at him, amazed at the way he’d taken charge of things when everyone else just seemed to be standing there staring at her. It was as though running through a pack of barking, hungry dogs was the most natural thing in the world for him. None of those dogs would have bitten him—at least not in a normal situation. But when dogs are all keyed up like that—with their sights set on getting food—there can be no telling how they might behave. Connor could have gotten seriously hurt. Yet he hadn’t even taken a second to think about his own safety. He’d been too concerned with hers. “You’re my knight in shining armor,” she told him sincerely.
Connor looked down at his bloodstained shirt. “Actually, it’s just cotton from the Gap,” he joked.
“Yeah, well, you’re my hero, anyway,” Alana told him.
“I’m there for you,” Connor assured her. “Always.”
Fourteen
“Oh, man, this band rocks!” Stella shouted over the music as she and Alana joined the throngs of kids on the dance floor of the Red Rooster on Friday night.
“I know,” Alana agreed. She reached up and tightened the ponytail on the top of her head. “I think they’re even better than the last time I heard them.”
“It was nice of your friend to let us in for free,” Stella said. “Where is he, anyway?”
Alana looked around for Leo and finally spotted him in a corner of the room, behind a soundboard. “Over there,” she called out over the music. “In the white T-shirt and jeans.”
“The guy with the glasses?” Stella asked.
Alana nodded.
“Ooh, he’s cute,” Stella exclaimed. “You gonna introduce me?”
Alana took another look at Leo. At the moment, he was pushing his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. One of his short brown curls was sticking up out of his head like an antenna. Leo, cute? Nice, sure. Smart, definitely. And funny, totally. But cute? Alana shrugged. There was no accounting for taste. “Of course I’ll introduce you,” she assured Stella. “Right after this set.”
And true to her word, the minute the band announced they were taking
a break, Alana hurried over to the soundboard. Stella followed closely behind, nervously fingering one of her long red curls.
“Hey, there!” Alana greeted Leo.
Leo looked up from the soundboard and smiled. “Hi. I thought I saw you on the dance floor. You looked really good out there.”
Alana was surprised to discover that Leo wasn’t looking at her when he said that. He was staring right into Stella’s huge hazel eyes. A connection had definitely been made—at the speed of light. Alana giggled to herself. She hadn’t even been planning this as a fix-up. Although she might take credit for it, seeing as it had worked out so well.
“This is Stella, Leo,” Alana said, introducing her best friend. “We’re on a girls night out. Remember, I told you that was the plan?” she told Leo.
“Hi, Stella,” Leo said, never taking his eyes from hers.
Stella lowered her glance shyly and continued twirling one lock of curly red hair. “Hi, Leo. Thanks so much for getting us on the guest list.”
“No problem. Smartest move I ever made,” Leo assured her. Stella flashed him a demure smile.
“So…um, you’re working the soundboard tonight?” Stella asked awkwardly.
Leo nodded. “Yeah, the band’s trying to make a demo CD, and I’m recording them from the board. It’s pretty cool, actually. Let me show you.”
Alana stood there for a minute, watching Leo explain the mechanics of recording to her best friend. He seemed so confident and relaxed as he let his hand accidentally-on-purpose brush against hers as he twisted and turned some of the knobs. The action made Stella jump slightly.
How bizarre was this? Stella, who was usually so boisterous and outgoing, now seemed absolutely tongue-tied. And Leo, who never could seem to get his words to come out the way he wanted them to, was absolutely smooth. Life was really weird.
“So are you going to be behind the soundboard all night?” Stella asked him.
“Nah. Not the whole night. I just have to get the first two songs in the next set,” Leo told her. “Then I’m finished.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Stella replied. “I mean, you must be glad you don’t have to work the whole time. Because…well…it’s Friday night and…”
Alana had to choke back a grin. It was kind of nice to see the usually self-assured Stella be slightly off balance—in a good way.
Just then the band members started making their way back onto the stage. The drummer hit his cymbals, testing the levels. The bass player tuned his top string.
“They’re going to start up again in a few seconds,” Leo told her.
“Oh,” Stella said, sounding disappointed. “Then maybe we should get out of your…”
“No,” Leo insisted. “You don’t have to. I mean, you can hang out here, and I can show you how it really works, if you want.”
“That would be great!” Stella exclaimed. Her eyes lit up and her smile completely beamed…until she looked over at Alana, remembering for the first time that she was still there. “I mean, do you want to, Alana? Because we can always go dance some more or…”
Alana shook her head. “Nah, my feet hurt anyway. I don’t know why I wore stiletto boots to go dancing. I’m just going to go get a soda at the bar. And then…” The rest of Alana’s words were drowned out by the loud sound of Modern Art’s next song. Not that it would have mattered. From the looks of things, Stella and Leo were lost in their own world. Anything she might have said to them would have been just background noise anyway.
Alana pushed her way through the throngs of kids toward the bar in an effort to get herself a Diet Coke. It was strange how alone a person could feel in a sea of people. For a second Alana wished she’d made different plans. Instead of a girls night out, she and Connor could be together right now, dancing and laughing and…
No! She had to stop those kinds of thoughts right now. She was not going to be one of those girls. Her life was not all wrapped around one guy—no matter how amazing he was. Going out with Stella tonight was a good thing. She’d already gotten some great one-on-one time with her BFF. And more importantly, Stella had smiled in a way she hadn’t for a very long time. It was so great to see Stella happy.
Of course, that didn’t solve Alana’s present dilemma. Frankly, she wasn’t looking forward to a whole Friday night of sitting at the bar downing Diet Cokes at three dollars a glass. (And they weren’t even Diet Cokes; they were actually Diet Pepsi, which definitely wasn’t the same!) On the other hand, she didn’t feel like being a third wheel as Stella and Leo did the whole getting-to-know-you thing. And if she just left, Stella would feel awfully guilty. Alana slumped slightly as she leaned against the bar and tried to get the bartender’s attention. From where she stood, she could see the dance floor clearly. Everyone out there seemed to be having a great time. So were most of the kids at the bar. Except her, of course. She was bored out of her skull. This evening was in need of some serious rescuing.
And that’s when she saw him. Connor! He was coming right toward her, through the throngs of people. At first Alana thought it was a mirage—like the way people who are in the desert believe they see a pool of water that isn’t really there. But Connor was there. And she was so glad to see him. Once again her knight had come to her rescue.
“Surprise!” he shouted in her ear as he came up to the bar.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him.
Connor frowned slightly at her lack of enthusiasm. “Oh, man, I guess I shouldn’t have come. I didn’t mean to burst into your plans or anything. I just thought…”
“What? No. I am so glad to see you. You have no idea how glad I am.” Alana flashed him a bright white smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. That perked Connor’s spirits immensely. She could tell by the way he kissed her. “How did you know where I was?”
“You and Leo were talking about it at the dog run,” Connor explained. “I figured I would just drop by for a few minutes. I couldn’t let a whole weekend go by without seeing you. And since I have this stupid family thing tomorrow night, this was the only chance I would have. I hope Stella doesn’t get too pissed off.”
“Oh, I don’t think she’ll mind at all,” Alana assured him. “She’s kind of met someone.”
“So much for girls night out, huh?” Connor asked.
“I guess so,” Alana said, her eyes smiling.
Connor let out a huge sigh.
“What was that for?” Alana asked him.
“I guess I’m just relieved. I wouldn’t want to ruin your whole night. I didn’t want you to think I was one of those boyfriends who have to know where you are every second of the day. I’m not a stalker or anything. I just…well…I just kind of missed you, and I wanted to see your face for a few minutes.”
Alana giggled, crossed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue. “Here it is,” she teased him.
“Oh, that’s just lovely,” Connor teased. He kissed her on the nose. “Worth the price of admission.”
The price of admission. Oh, right. Connor had to pay to come in. It was only fifteen dollars, but still. He was just starting out as a photographer, and every dollar counted. He’d spent the cash just to see her for a few minutes.
“And I brought something for you,” Connor said, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulling out a small brown envelope.
Alana took it from him and gingerly removed the snapshot inside. “It’s the couple on the boardwalk in Brooklyn you told me about!” she exclaimed. She paused for a moment, unable to move her eyes from the image of the man in the sport jacket and the woman in the lacy dress. These two elderly people were clearly in love. In fact, if you looked beyond the wrinkled lines in their faces and focused on their shining eyes and dreamlike smiles, they could be any young couple in love—except they seemed wiser and more sure of their passion than anyone in a new relationship could ever be.
And somehow Connor had managed to capture all of that with the click of a camera. It was such a hopeful photo. Touching and e
xpressive. Beauty that no one else would have seen. An image that spoke to her. Just like he’d described that night on the park bench.
“I thought you might want a copy,” Connor said. “Of all the photos I’ve ever taken, it’s the one I’m most proud of.”
And he wanted to share it with her. Alana almost cried. He was so sincere, standing there, waiting for her to say something. Hoping she understood the sentiment in the photo. “I’ll treasure it always,” she assured him. “It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I get it Connor. I really do.”
The sheer, unadulterated joy her words brought him was clear from the expression on his face. She grabbed him and hugged him close. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Alana spotted the bartender heading in her direction. If she ordered her drink now, Connor would feel like he had to pay for her. Quickly she put the photo back in its envelope and slipped it into her pocketbook. Then she looked up and planted a kiss on his lips. “Come on,” she said, “let’s dance.”
Connor frowned and glanced at his feet. “There’s something you don’t know about me,” he told her. “I absolutely can’t dance.”
“I doubt that’s true,” Alana assured him.
“Oh, it’s true. Now, I know you don’t believe me because I have such smooth moves everywhere else…” He let his voice trail off and grinned as he saw Alana blushing prettily. “But I’m telling you, I’m a lousy dancer. I even do that horrible biting-my-lower-lip and rocking-my-head-back-and-forth thing.” To prove it, he started rocking back and forth, in probably the worst exhibition of dancing Alana had ever seen.
But she didn’t care. Not one bit. In fact, she was thrilled to learn that Connor wasn’t perfect. And the fact that he was willing to make a complete idiot out of himself on the dance floor just because it made her smile, made him all the more wonderful.
It wasn’t until the end of the second set that Alana noticed Stella was MIA. She and Leo had obviously left the soundboard after he’d recorded the first two songs of the set. And now they couldn’t be found anywhere.
