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“One, that was uncalled for. And two, I’m just trying to look out for you. You’ll thank me when you go off to college on a full scholarship.”
He turns to watch TV, but what I’ve said seems to have sunk in a little. I relax and eat my pizza, letting Mason and his sex problems fall away. Instead, I think of Alissa and our sex problem. The problem being, there isn’t any.
* * *
The restof the week goes by quickly. I do my school work. Then I go to the shop and get that work done. I pick Mason up from practice, and we work on the house when we have time. The kitchen is almost finished. We only need to stain the cabinets, finish the floor, and brush on a coat of paint. I have no time for friends or anything else until the weekend. But with Dad being so busy at the shop and with the building for the bar and grill going up, he’s forgotten all about our weekend punishments.
Mason told Dad he’s staying with his friend Trent tonight, and I told him I had a band gig to play. He doesn’t exactly like me being in a band, but he likes that I have something I’m passionate about and dedicated to, so he doesn’t give me much grief about staying out late for paying gigs.
I get to the party around nine P.M. and set up. The house we’re in is basically a mansion. Some rich kid’s birthday party from school. I don’t know why he hired us. With the money he’s paying us, he could’ve hired a real band, but I don’t argue when he hands me a grand before we start.
Mark, the drummer who’s already out of high school and going to the local college, counts us down. I lead in with my guitar, and the bass follows. The crowd gathers around, and as soon as I open my mouth to sing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns and Roses, the girls scream and dreamy looks gloss over their eyes.
I eat it up, glad everyone’s loving the music and really enjoying the attention I get when I’m on stage. I flash the girls a grin while I sing and watch as their cheeks flush. I even wink at one, and she blows me a kiss.
The girls lining the front row start to compete for my attention. They flash each other dirty looks. One pulls her top a little lower, so it’s sure to show off more cleavage. Another one hikes her skirt up higher.
Without much conscious thought, I start to wonder which one would look better on top of me, but then Alissa flashes in my mind and all thoughts cease. I no longer check out the girls vying for my attention. Instead I focus even more on what I’m playing, and the music sounds great.
Before, I never noticed how much checking out the girls actually took away from my playing. In fact, I never even considered that they got in the way. When I started the band, it was because I loved playing music. But then I realized how much it got me noticed by the girls, and the music took a backseat.
With the girls in the front row pushed from my mind, I concentrate on feeling the song I’m singing. I give it my all, and when the song wraps up, I’m dripping with sweat. The crowd goes wild with cheers as I laugh to myself, feeding off their energy.
We play a few more songs before we take a break. Wandering off the makeshift stage, I cut in line to get a beer. A red cup full of the foamy goodness is thrust into my hand. When I turn around to walk away, my eyes land on Alissa standing a few feet away. She’s holding a red cup to her lips, but she’s not drinking it. Rather, she’s chewing on the edge. I smile and walk over to her.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” She smiles, making my heart pound ever harder. “Why didn’t you tell me you played in a band? You sound amazing.”
I shrug. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. Have you been here long?”
Her smile fades just a bit. “Long enough to watch those girls fall all over themselves.” She nods toward the girls that lined the front of the crowd.
I laugh. “Yeah, the shit they do just to get attention keeps me laughing.” Bringing my cup to my lips, I take a sip and watch as she kicks at the grass with her stained-up Chucks. Her long, tan legs beg to be wrapped around my hips. I shake the thought from my head. “So why didn’t you make your way to the front of the stage?”
She offers up a half-smile. “I figured I couldn’t compete with those girls.” Her eyes drop back to her feet again.
I place my hand under her chin and tilt her head back to look at me. “There’s no competition when you’re there.” I slowly move in for a kiss.
My lips tingle from the feeling of hers against them. I can taste the beer on her tongue, but I can also taste her licorice flavored gum.
Black Jack gum is my favorite.
Right before I pull away, I steal the gum from her mouth and make a show of chewing it.
“Hey! That was my last piece! Give it back!”
She reaches for me, but I dodge away. “How about we share it?”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine.”
I move the gum in-between my teeth and pull half of it off. “Here.” Instead of handing her the piece from my hand, I lean in and give her the gum in my mouth with a kiss. When she pulls away, she’s smiling.
“Thank you for sharing my own gum with me.” Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes darken once again.
“No problem.” I can’t hold back the grin playing on my lips. Just being around her is a reason to smile.
Mark taps me on the shoulder. “Time to play.”
