Kiss Kiss

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Kiss Kiss Page 14

by Various Authors


  We arrived at the House of Blues right as The Black Keys took the stage.

  "Come on. Let's do what we do best. Dance with me," Evan said, with a sly smile. My heart skipped a beat. I was sober and not feeling attracted to him like I did the last time we were together on a dance floor.

  Evan studied my face and sighed. "No, I didn't mean that. We did actually do some dancing last time. Come on, dance with me!" he teased and extended his hand to me. I relaxed and joined him on the dance floor.

  We laughed and danced as we listened to the music. He sang many of the lyrics aloud as he twirled me around, his strong hands making only chaste movements toward me. I could tell he was trying to prove a point. He wasn't looking for a dance floor make out session. Knowing this, my body language changed and I was free to be myself, to relax with him, swaying my hips to the music and singing along to the lyrics as I learned them. Evan raised my arms above my head, swaying from side to side, and I found myself laughing harder than I had in months. I was having fun for the first time in so long. I wished I could bottle up this feeling and keep it forever. Endorphins streamed through my body as we danced to song after song.

  Hours later, Evan suggested stopping for a drink on our way back to the suburbs.

  "It was so loud in there. We didn't really get a chance to hang out and talk. Plus, I'm thirsty as hell. There's a great place called Molly's. I used to work there in college."

  "Sounds good." I wasn't ready for our night to be over, the buzz of the club still lingering in my limbs. Even if I tried to go home and go to sleep, I wouldn't be able to. One more drink wouldn't hurt.

  Several drinks later, Evan and I were cracking up as he told me about his experience working as a bartender. The drunks, the flirts and the other employees. He was full of stories. When our conversation hit a lull, he leaned back in his chair.

  "So, tell me about him," he said.

  Taken aback, I replied, "Who?" But I knew exactly who he was talking about.

  "You know...the guy."Evan cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes.

  "Mayson?" He nodded in reply. "Well, I'm not really sure what to tell you. He was very important to me, but he also hurt me a lot. And I let him hurt me. Which pisses me off. I'm trying my best to move on, but I guess it's complicated."

  "I understand. I've been burned before, too." He clutched his bottle of Corona as he looked down at the table.

  "Really, who was she?" I asked before taking a sip of my sangria.

  "Her name was Kate. I met her here, actually. God, I was so in love with that girl."

  "Here?" I asked, looking around. "Did you work together?"

  "Yeah. We dated for almost three years. I was working up the nerve to look at engagement rings." Evan spun his beer bottle, pursing his lips. "But then she got really weird on me when I got my job downtown. She started avoiding me. She wasn't herself around me anymore. I'm sure you can probably guess what happened next."

  "Was she cheating on you?" I asked, hoping I was wrong.

  "Yep," Evan said enunciating the pop of letter p. He looked uncomfortable as he continued to spin his drink. His eyes were locked on mine.

  "So, you know what it feels like..." My voice lowered, finally understanding why Evan had been so patient with me. Why he had still wanted to be involved with me even after knowing all of the facts about Mayson.

  "Yep."

  "Why'd you want to come here? Doesn't it remind you of all the bad stuff?"

  "I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. For all I know, she still works here. Although I haven't seen her yet."

  "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

  "I'm not sure." He shrugged, glancing back at the double doors leading to the kitchen. "Maybe that's why I like you so much."

  "Why's that?"

  "I know what it's like to have someone play with your emotions. Kate played with my heart for months before I finally discovered that she had moved on with someone else. I never understood why she didn't just choose. She could have let me go before betraying me. Instead, she humiliated me. And made me feel like a chump."

  "Yeah, Mayson humiliated me, too. It was awful. Part of me hated him for it. But the other part..."

  "I know," he said with a nod. "I get it."

  "We have a lot in common, don't we?"

  "Yeah, I think we do." He said, taking my hand.

  "Listen, why don't we forget about Kate and Mayson for the rest of the night and just enjoy each other's company?"

  "That sounds like a really good idea. I guess I needed you to know that I get it. I don't want there to be any weirdness between us. I genuinely like you."

  "I like you too, Evan. And tonight was so much fun. You have no idea how much I needed it. I feel really comfortable with you, like we've known each other for a really long time."

  "Wow, that was sexy," Evan said sarcastically, but with a warm smile that kept me from feeling apprehensive.

  "What do you mean?" I pressed him.

  "Well, guys don't want to be comfortable for a girl. We want to turn you on, make you tick, make you feel things. And I have to admit that I'm not feeling that from you...especially after airing my dirty laundry." His brow furrowed a bit. And instantly, I was remorseful for the lack of passion I felt.

  "I'm sorry." I pursed my lips, feeling guilty.

  "Look, it's alright. Really, it is. To be honest, I'm really attracted to you. I think you're gorgeous and you're not even my type." He laughed. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if I should feel offended. "What I mean is, I tend to date women with an edge to them and it usually gets me into trouble."

  "Like Kate?"

  "Exactly." He raised his beer. "You're different. You're sweet and kind and so much fun to be around. But, I get it." He took a swig of his beer and shrugged his shoulders.

  "But I do like spending time with you," I said, pleading a bit for more of his company.

  "Me too. Maybe we could try to be friends and see how it goes." Evan said.

  A huge grin crossed my face. "I would love that."

  "Cool," he said, tapping my glass with his beer bottle. "Now, let's relax already and enjoy our drinks. How awesome was the band tonight? I'm so glad you were able to hear them live. And I can't believe that was your first time at the House of Blues."

  "Yep, it was. I'm a teacher, remember? I don't get out much."

  "Yeah, yeah." Evan scrunched his forehead in disbelief. "Well, if you ever want to go see another band, you know who to call. Music is my addiction and I can't get enough of live shows."

  "I can see why. I haven't felt that alive in a long time!"

  "It's pretty thrilling, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes widening. "I'll make you some discs. I'll introduce you to all of the local Chicago bands that are worth listening to. Then you can let me know if you want to see any of them live. I'll be your music guru," he said, chuckling.

  "Are you making fun of me, Evan?" I asked, not feeling any need to flirt. After all, we'd decided to be friends and nothing more.

  "Yeah, a little bit," he admitted, "but if we're going to hang out, you'll have to get used to that. It's in my nature to tease, especially my friends. I don't mean anything by it."

  "Okay." I smiled."I feel like I'm starting to understand you a lot better, Evan."

  "Really?" He laughed. "Well let me know when you have me all figured out!"

  "I'll do that," I said, raising my glass.

  "Cheers!" we said in unison, and continued the evening with playful conversation. I was no longer nervous or apprehensive around Evan and I was hoping to continue this friendship. I didn't want to cling to my apartment. I wanted to experience things and live my life even if Mayson was no longer with me. Even if I hadn't yet found my happily ever after, I needed to keep living. I needed to keep dancing.

  #

  Chapter 23

  Flirtation

  "So this is what married people do on the weekends, huh? Invite their friends over for dinner so they can use their beautiful new
dishes?" Teasing Elise, I nudged her as she set her dining room table.

  "This is our first official dinner party as a married couple. Henry and I are excited. Please try to go with the flow, Daph. There are some people I want you to meet. One in particular, actually."

  "And who might that be?"

  It had been over a month since Morgan forced me out of my apartment and helped me envision a future for myself that didn't include Mayson. I'd been hanging out occasionally with Evan but hadn't seen anyone romantically. I was hoping that Elise wasn't plotting my future behind my back. I wasn't really sure I could handle any complications in my life. I was enjoying being carefree and not having any expectations placed on me at the end of the night.

  "His name is Tanner. He was one of Henry's groomsmen."

  Hazy pictures of the handsome Tanner swirled around my brain and my stomach flipped slightly in my abdomen as I pictured his brown hair, goatee, and sexy smile. Unfortunately, when I pictured him, he was making the disappointed face he wore when I walked to the bar with Mayson. I'd promised to have a drink with him but avoided him the rest of the night. Mayson was all I could handle. As Elise began to rattle off his qualifications as a potential boyfriend, I hoped to finally have that extremely belated drink.

  Elise and Henry's guests slowly arrived at the dinner party. I glanced at the door each time I heard the bell, hoping Tanner would walk in, see me, and smile as he did at the wedding. When he did enter, he wasn't alone and my stomach clenched. Why would Elise admit to setting me up with someone if he was already bringing a date?

  "That's his sister, Maggi," Elise whispered into my ear.

  "Geez, I had no idea you were even standing there," I said, startled, but relieved that Tanner didn't bring a date. My nerves began to settle.

  Elise gave me a knowing smile and walked back to the dining room to present a few of her guests with cocktails. Henry welcomed Tanner and Maggi into the living room area, where I happened to be standing, pretending to admire the countless silver picture frames from their big day. As I turned to sneak a peek at Tanner, I noticed that he was already looking at me. I blushed as we made eye contact, embarrassed and stifled by my terrible behavior last summer. As much as I would have liked to cross the room and re-introduce myself, I was secretly terrified of being rejected.

  Tanner smiled briefly in my direction before leading his sister into the dining room. I was disappointed, but reminded myself that I had many hours to get to know him. As casually as possible, I eased my way over to a few of Elise's girlfriends from work. They drew me into their conversation and I was grateful for the distraction.

  "Hey, Daphne," Henry said, approaching me. "You remember my buddy, Tanner, right?"

  "Yes, of course." I said, extending my hand. Tanner took it in his own.

  "Tanner, this is Daphne. She was one of Elise's bridesmaids."

  Tanner narrowed his eyes at Henry and smiled as if he knew his friend was playing matchmaker. Elise and Henry had never been known for their subtlety.

  "Yes, of course. How are you?" Tanner pulled me in for a tight hug. His cologne was light and woodsy, almost like Mayson's. I pushed that thought to the back of my head. I had to stop thinking about him. I needed to focus on the indisputably handsome man before me who was giving me another chance. A chance I probably didn't even deserve since I blew him off last year.

  "I'm doing well. I'm so glad to see you."

  "Really?" Tanner seemed genuinely surprised.

  "Yes, I'd love to get that rain check we talked about at the wedding."

  "Ah, you remembered." He grinned. "What can I get you to drink?"

  "Surprise me," I said, obviously flirting.

  "Oh man. That's a lot of pressure," he said, scratching the scruff on his chin, "Okay, back in a sec."

  Henry raised a knowing eyebrow as he walked away and I shook my head slowly. I knew Henry and Elise would love nothing more than to have Tanner and me as permanent guests at their dinner parties, but I couldn't get ahead of myself, especially with the dates I'd had lately. I needed to be cautious and get to know this guy first.

  A few minutes later, Tanner strolled back, holding two delicious looking martinis in the glasses I had purchased for Elise's bridal shower.

  "Pomegranate martinis with a twist of lime. They sounded too good to pass up," Tanner said, placing one glass in my hand.

  "Delicious," I said, sipping the sweet, syrupy liquid.

  "So, Henry mentioned that you're a teacher."

  "I am."

  "That's really cool, and junior high kids, right? You deserve some kind of medal for dealing with all those crazy hormones."

  "You don't know the half of it. The stories I could tell. Believe me, they would make you cringe."

  "I bet they would. I'm a software engineer, so I don't really interact with kids...like ever."

  "A computer geek, huh?" I teased.

  "Guilty as charged," Tanner said, raising his glass.

  "Well, that could come in handy. I'm terrible with computers."

  "Ah, I get it. So you'll just string me along and then call me in the middle of the night to fix your hard drive, huh?" I loved this effortless banter. Secretly I wondered if he meant something else by 'hard drive.'

  "Of course," I said. "Don't forget, I'll also need help with my cell phone."

  "We may be able to work something out." His eyes were such a gorgeous brown with little specks of light green. I was fascinated by them. After a moment of blatant staring, Tanner seemed self-conscious.

  "Do I have something on my face?" He placed his fingers on his chin.

  "No, no. I was noticing your eyes. They're really fascinating."

  "Wow, pulling out the big guns, huh, Daphne? You beat me to the punch. I was going to compliment your eyes later. You caught me slacking."

  "It's still early." I raised my glass and smiled. I'd never had someone catch on to my sense of humor so quickly before. It was fantastic and I found myself even more drawn to the handsome groomsman as we continued to joke lightheartedly over martinis.

  When dinner was served, Tanner and I walked together to the dining room. We were the last to arrive and unfortunately the only two chairs at the dining table were nowhere near one another. Tanner pulled the first chair out for me to sit. He was such a gentleman.

  "See you on the other side," he whispered mischievously. I was smitten.

  Somehow I managed to get through dinner rather painlessly. Henry's friend, Weston was seated beside me and he was nice enough guy. He cracked corny jokes and kept me somewhat entertained as we dined on Elise's delicious meal. Every so often, I snuck a quick glance at Tanner while he was talking with Maggi and Henry. Almost every time I looked up, he was glancing at me as well.

  The electricity that I felt between us was growing. We were only a few feet away from one another, yet the distance was causing an unbearable amount of tension. And I found myself craving it. I was so excited to talk more with him. I couldn't wait to get a closer look at those gorgeous eyes. I found myself wanting to count those green specks.

  "Earth to Daphne," I heard Weston say, using a cheesy astronaut voice. I was snapped out of my Tanner infatuation and had to rejoin the conversation. I glanced up at Tanner who was chuckling softly to himself. My stomach flipped excitedly as I returned my attention to Weston who was happy to share more silly jokes. I smiled obligingly at my dinner companion, quietly yearning for the smart ass at the other end of the table. Finally, the meal ended and the dinner guests retreated with their dishes to the kitchen area.

  "That was the longest meal of my life." Tanner's voice was in my ear as I carried my plate to the kitchen. The electricity immediately returned. The feel of his breath on my ear made my breath catch in my chest. My breathing became shallow. I didn't realize someone could have that kind of effect on me. Not yet, anyway.

  "Oh really?" I asked. "Dinner conversation wasn't the best, huh?"

  "No, that was fine. Not nearly as nice as cocktail hour, though.
I had martinis with this gorgeous redhead."

  My cheeks reddened and I pursed my lips, wondering what he'd say next.

  "Seriously, though, I wanted to talk to you again. And now that I finally have my chance, Maggi isn't feeling well and wants to go home."

  "Oh no," I said, unable to hide my disappointment.

  "I know. I'd stay, but I drove her here and she doesn't really know anyone else."

  "That's a shame," I said, hoping he'd ask for my number in the next few seconds.

  "So," he asked, "Are you free next Saturday."

  A slow smile crossed my lips. "Nothing set in stone."

  "I'd like to take you out...if you're up for it." Tanner said, leaning in closer. I entertained the thought of counting those green specks in his gorgeous eyes once more.

  "That sounds nice." Writing down my phone number on one of Elise's refrigerator notepads, I smiled at him affectionately. As much fun as our teasing banter had been, I wanted him to know that I was genuinely looking forward to seeing him again.

  "So, it's a date." He smiled proudly. "It was really great to see you again, Daphne. Until Saturday, then?"

  He turned away, took a few steps, then headed back. "By the way," he said, "I really do love your eyes. I can't seem to stop staring at them."

  I laughed. "Ah, so now who's pulling out the big guns?"

  "Yeah, you stole my line earlier. But I had to tell you before leaving. They really are beautiful. They remind me of topaz." He took my hand in his for just a second before turning away.

  "I like topaz," I said, my feet rocking back and forth.

  "Me too." He said, turning back, "It's my favorite."

  As Tanner walked out of the kitchen, he turned back and gave me a small wave. For the first time all evening, I noticed he was blushing. Elise leaned in close to me, put her head on my shoulder and said, "Told ya."

  #

  Chapter 24

  Fireflies

 

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