AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You look beautiful.” I smile at her.
“Are you going to see him?” she asks plainly, removing her chin from my shoulder.
“Yes.”
“What’s it like?” she asks, backing up and resting her elbows on the island.
I’m not supposed to know what she means, but innately, I do.
“Do you remember when you were eight years old, and we went to Disneyland?” I ask. Noelle nods her head.
“You wanted to go on the Pirates of The Caribbean ride, but you were afraid.”
“I remember.” A smile spreads on her face at the memory as it does mine.
“When you finally got on the ride and we made it to the dark tunnel, you held onto my hand and screamed as we plummeted into what felt like nothingness, but when the ride was over, you wanted to do it again.”
Noelle laughs, the sound filling the space of the closet, the same closet that holds all my secrets.
“It’s just like that,” I whisper.
* * *
My Friday nightsare consumed with loud music, sticky floors, and Russian beers. It’s an acquired taste, much like cigars, but the longer you do it, the more likely you are to become addicted.
The sun sets earlier in the evening, providing relief from its relenting rays as I walk down the sidewalk from my parked car. The weather has shifted only imperceptibly, the air just a bit thinner and easier to move through. Waking up from its summer slumber, the city is alive. Even the trees are starting to look taller, their branches bending towards the sky, and the terracotta landscape of the surrounding mountains are shedding their muted colors and becoming darker shades of amber and laurel.
As soon as I enter the bar, Gael spots me, a bright smile stretching across his face as he makes drinks behind the bar. When I push my way through the crowd, there’s a dark beer waiting on the counter for me.
“Am I that predictable?” I tilt my head and slide the beer closer to me.
“You’re the only woman man enough to drink the Russian beer,” Gael jests, but I know that’s not true. He just likes to tease me.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I wink, hearing Gael’s easy laugh in the background as I turn towards the crowd.
Taking a sip of the beer, I hear the band start up after what must have been a break because it’s already late in the evening.
Adrian’s voice fills the noisy bar, cutting through all the chatter, chairs scraping against the hardwood, and the flapping of the double doors to the kitchen. It’s a velvety growl with guttural undertones that seeps under my skin. Just another acquired taste I have developed over the last two months, like the taste of dark beer, the smell of bourbon, an appetite for late nights, and long hair.
Walking away from the bar, I head into the packed venue where a sweat-soaked Adrian presses his lips to the mic while strumming his guitar, a sight that never gets old, no matter how many times I see it.
A two-top near the side of the stage is empty, and as I near it, I notice the reserved sign sitting on the top. Catching Adrian’s eye on stage, he smiles, nodding towards the table for me to sit. As many times as I’ve come to see him play, I deserve my own damn table.
Taking a seat, I cross my legs in the direction of the stage. Adrian’s eyes travel from my face, down my leg, and settle on my gold heels that reflect the lights from the stage. Pushing back the dark hair from his face, he can’t keep his eyes off me, and I drown in his attention.
As he finishes the last half of his set, he tries to focus on the crowd, but his eyes always end up on mine. My favorite part about watching him play is how the veins in his forearms become much more prominent while he strums the guitar. I’ve traced those veins and the tattoos covering his arm with my fingers, memorizing each one.
Looking around at the crowd, I see how much they love him, the energy he presents on stage, the fun he has with Finlay, and I am almost jealous that I must share him with them. When he transitions intoCrazybyAerosmith, the way he looks at me, I feel like the only person in the room. The weight of his stare lays heavy across my body, pressing on my chest and causing heat to bloom outward. Within those soft brown eyes are promises he intends to keep.
Almost embarrassed at taking up all his attention, I look back towards the crowded tables surrounding the room. A few people are on the dance floor, holding hands, bodies pressed together. Across the room at the table directly opposite mine, I lock eyes with Taylor.
23
SO, YOU’RE THE REASON
Starfire by Caitlyn Smith
The same Taylor I met at my sister’s bridal shower, who used to be Adrian’s girlfriend, is standing in front of me.
