Текст книги "Your Gravity - Part One"

Автор книги: L.G. Castillo

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Chapter Twelve

I couldn’t believe I’d told Travis I’d go out with him on Saturday. And even worse, I couldn’t believe I’d told Lou I’d lead off open mic night by playing guitar.

Lou hadn’t told me he’d advertise the event in the campus newspaper.

With my photo.

On a full page!

I should’ve known when Greg left the house early this morning giggling that something was up. He had been hanging out with Travis a lot lately, supposedly hitting the gym and working out. So I didn’t think anything of it until I sat at the kitchen table and saw my face staring out at me from the newspaper.

That rat was going to get it. He was the only person who had a photo of me playing guitar.

I scanned the crowded coffee shop. I thought I’d be playing for Rainbow and Greg and maybe a few other people since Thursday nights were usually slow. Almost every table was filled.

I groaned, conking my head on the counter. Maybe if I faked sick now, I could get out of this and going out with Travis. It would be win-win.

“Nervous, hon?”

I gazed up. Rainbow stood on the other side of the counter. She looked so pretty and normal wearing an emerald green blouse and dark slacks. Her red hair spiraled down her shoulders in well-behaved curls. She even had a tint of color on her lips.

“A little.”

“You’ll do fine. Greg tells me you play very well. He’s so excited to hear you play again. He says it’s been a while and that it makes you smile.”

I sighed. It was hard staying mad at him. I’d been so busy with classes, dealing with the Cooper, and the freaky-deaky daydreams that I hadn’t had time to play.

“Rainbow Skye! Don’t tell me you’ve actually stepped out the house without Meadow.” Lou rushed to Rainbow and gave her hug. It was hard to imagine the wild escapes that Rainbow alluded to when they were at Woodstock. He was a head shorter than she was, even with her in flats.

“Meadow’s still in Tibet,” she sighed. “I wish she could be here. She’d love it. Where’s Greg? Isn’t he bringing your guitar?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Lou snapped his fingers. “I forgot to tell you, Nina.”

“Nicole.”

“Right, Nicole.” I locked eyes with Rainbow. She had an amused expression on her face. “Greg called an hour ago to say he was running a little late. Something about pink tea. Or maybe it was a pink tree.”

Lou scratched his head.

At that moment, Greg dashed into the shop with Travis close behind him. His face was flushed. They were both panting as if they’d been running.

“Pink teacups,” Greg gasped.

“You’re late,” I said. “And you sound crazy.”

“Pink teacups.” He held his hand up, shaking his head. “There are . . . pink teacups . . . in the mall . . . parking lot.”

“What are you talking about? And here,” I tossed each of them a bottled water, “you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Thanks.” Travis flashed a smile. I narrowed my eyes, looking from him to Greg. I didn’t know why, but I had a funny feeling that they were up to something.

“Pink teacups. You know. The type that spin you around,” Greg said, sipping his water. “Oh, here’s your guitar. This thing gets heavy after running a few blocks.”

“My car broke down at the mall,” Travis explained. “We were on our way here when Greg saw the carnival. He wouldn’t stop talking about it until I stopped the car to check it out.”

“A carnival, Nicole.” Greg’s eyes lit up. “We have to go. Tomorrow. Call it a birthday celebration. They even have the zero gravity ride. You like that one.”

“You get sick on the teacups.” I opened the guitar case and made sure it was okay. Who knew what he banged it against on his way over here.

“Aw, come on. It’ll be fun.”

“What about you?” I asked Travis.

“Tomorrow’s Friday.”

“Yeah? So?” Why was he looking at me funny?

He glanced at Greg, giving him a is-this-girl-serious look.

“Quarterback here. Saturday early afternoon game?”

“And?” I still didn’t get it.

“The man needs to save his energy for the game, woman.” Greg rolled his eyes.

“And for our Saturday night date.” Travis winked.

Ugh, men.

“Please, Nicole.” Greg gave me his sad-puppy-dog eyes.

I hated when he did that.

“It’ll be fun. Besides, you owe me.”

“I owe you?”

“Yeah, you and Travis are going to Club Vortex without me.” He pouted.

My eyes darted to Travis, who was suddenly fascinated with the wrapper on his bottled water.

Yeah, something was definitely up.

“You can come with us. He won’t mind. Right, Travis?”

Surprised, Travis’s eyes darted to Greg. It was almost as if he were waiting for Greg’s direction.

“I can’t.” Greg leaned in whispering, “My mom’s coming down for a visit. She wants to talk.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” I whispered furiously. “I’ll cancel my date. I want to be there for you.”

This was huge. Greg’s mother was a timid woman. She’d never gone against her husband’s wishes, and he’d made his wishes pretty clear.

“I need to handle this myself.” Serious eyes gazed into mine. He was scared. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through. “I’ll tell you everything later. I promise.”

He stood up and placed a smile on his face. “So now, about the carnival.”

I looked into baby blue eyes. Hurt and fear lay behind the playful smile. Carnivals had never been my thing. Something about them always made me feel sad. But if I could get his mind off of meeting with his estranged mother for one night, then teacups here I come.

“Okay, fine. We’ll go to the carnival tomorrow. Just promise not to boo after my set tonight.”

“When have I ever . . . oh, yeah.” He chuckled. The last time I’d played in front of an audience was during my junior year. Greg and I had argued about the song I wanted to play. I had wanted to play “Creep” by Radiohead. He was going through his Celine Dion phase and wanted me to play “My Heart Will Go On.” Stubborn man booed and hissed in protest during the entire performance.

“Well, depends what you’re playing tonight.” I scowled. “I kid, I kid. Seriously, Nicole, you need to take a chill pill.”

“Just go to the table already.” I pushed him playfully.

As Lou directed everyone to the table he’d reserved for them near the stage, I sat myself in a corner, strumming my guitar to tune it. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to play.

I looked around the packed room hoping people would leave. Nope. If anything, it seemed like there were more people.

That’s when I felt it. Someone was watching me. Of course people were probably watching me. I was the only one with a guitar about to go on stage. But this was different. It was as if someone was calling me.

Gazing around the room, my eyes rested on smoldering sapphire. Cooper sat in the far corner, in the same spot he’d sat in when he’d last brought his students for ice cream.

I sucked in a breath.

He’s here.

Butterflies stormed my already nervous stomach.

His eyes held mine. There was brief flash of light and the sound laughing, wheels rolling, and music echoed in my head.

I had the sudden urge to go to him, to caress his cheek and wipe away the haunted look in those eyes. Why was he here? Why now?

A manicured hand slowly turned his face, taking those blue eyes out of reach and breaking our connection.

I gripped the neck of my guitar, expecting to see Gianna. I blinked with surprise to see a woman in a business suit sitting across from him. She looked a little older than me and stunning. Chin length hair framed a porcelain face. Thick ruler-straight bangs hung like silk over light brown eyes. Her hair was a severe square-shaped bob like the style 20s flappers wore, except a little longer. Pink lips moved as she spoke to Cooper. He looked at her as if she were the moon.

My heart twisted.

I couldn’t explain why. I was used to seeing women throw themselves at him, especially Gianna. But this was different. I’d never seen him look at anyone like he was looking at her.

I choked back a sob that should’ve never formed in the first place. Why should I care if he brought his date to Jitters? If anything, it showed that he was cheap when it came to dates.

The microphone whined as Lou turned it on.

“Dude, that was loud,” he said. “Okay, everyone. I want to thank you for coming. Jitters is proud to present one of our very own. Please give a warm welcome to,” he glanced down at his open palm, “Nicole Ashford.”

Dread filled my stomach as I made my way to the center of the stage. I still hadn’t decided what song I was going to play. I strummed a little, looking into the audience, fighting the urge to look at Cooper.

“Woohoo!” Greg called out.

The audience chuckled, and I could feel my face heat up. I looked down at Greg’s proud face and Rainbow’s encouraging eyes.

This was supposed to be fun, damn it! I wasn’t going to let Cooper and Flapper Girl ruin my night. I may not be the smartest student. And I wasn’t a world famous pianist like my mom and dad, but I knew for a fact that I could play a mean guitar. Classical musician or not, music was in my blood.

Pulling my shoulders back, I flicked my eyes to Cooper, determined not to fall apart just because he was here with a date. And at that moment, it hit me. I knew exactly what I was going to play.

There was a hush through the audience as I strummed the first few chords of “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” It’d been my favorite song ever since I’d heard Sheryl Crow’s version of it. The moment I opened my mouth and sang of childhood memories, calm washed over me. It happened every time I sang it.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the song. Lou and Rainbow held hands, swaying them in the air. Others sang the chorus with me. Greg and Travis pulled out there cellphones, using the light as they swayed, holding them up in the air.

The excitement was contagious. I strummed hard on the strings, really getting into the song. I was having so much fun; I didn’t want the song to end, so I started from the beginning again. When I got to the part of the song describing eyes that were like the bluest skies, I couldn’t help myself. My eyes drifted to Cooper’s.

His face was pale as if he’d seen a ghost. Even Flapper Girl looked freaked out.

I stumbled on a note and quickly recovered. With each note I sang, his face twisted in pain as if I was plunging a knife deep into his chest. When I got the chorus, he stood up abruptly and dashed out.

When I strummed the last note, I couldn’t move. Shocked, I barely heard the loud applause and yelling for more. I should’ve been happy. I should’ve been elated by the compliments. All I could think about was Cooper’s handsome face twisted in torment and the deathly glare Flapper Girl gave me before she ran out after him.

Chapter Thirteen

“Are you sure you’re okay, Greg? You’re looking a bit green there. We can take a break.”

“I don’t need a break. See, I’m fine.” He smiled for a moment before letting out a small moan.

After Cooper and his date’s reaction to my performance, I was thankful that I’d agreed to come to the carnival. The moment I saw the twinkling lights and heard the carnival music, I’d felt a tug in my chest. But seeing Greg so excited took my mind off the feeling. We were having way too much fun. Or more like I was having way too much fun watching Greg trying to keep down his corn dogs.

I chuckled. “I told you the teacups would be too much for you. Still want to get on Zero Gravity?”

“Yeah, just give me a few minutes.”

“I don’t get it. Why are you even bothering? It’s not like you have anything to prove.”

He looked down sheepishly. “I kind of made a bet with Travis.”

“Seriously, Greg? You’re such a guy. How much?”

“Fifty bucks.”

“Fifty!” I slapped his arm. “Must be nice to be rolling in dough. You know how long it takes for me to earn that at Jitters?”

“Ow!” He grabbed my hand. “Trim those claws, woman.”

“At least you’re getting normal color back in your cheeks.” I laughed. “And speaking of Travis. You can’t hide anything from me. I know you two are up to something.”

Wide baby blues looked me straight in the eye. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You two were acting strange last night. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Greg . . .” I placed my hands on my hips and tapped my foot.

“Okay, yeah. There’s something I need to tell you about Travis. Ooh, look a fortuneteller.”

“Greg, you’re pulling my arm out of the socket!” I squealed as he dragged me to the front of a colorful tent. There was sign hanging in front of it.

Palms Read, Fortunes Told.

Madame Zahra.

“I’ve always wanted to do a reading,” he said.

“Since when?”

“Since two seconds ago. Come on.” He yanked me into the tent. Before I could say another word, a woman rushed to me.

“Come in, dearie. I’ve been expecting you. Have a seat. I’m Madame Zahra.”

She waved us to the table in the center of the spacious tent. It looked like the stereotypical fortuneteller’s tent. Candles flickered in a circle around a large crystal ball. Big fluffy pillows covered the ground.

“How exciting!” Greg plopped himself on one of the pillows.

Sitting down, Madame Zahra fluffed her long red dress and adjusted the red scarf covering her head. Big hoop earrings swayed as she moved, hitting against waves of salt and pepper hair that hung to her shoulders.

I raised an eyebrow. I’d read about some of the carnival palm readers. It was all a scam really. There was no way anyone knew the future. It was just smoke and mirrors.

“Aren’t you a pretty little thing? This is the first reading for you and your friend. I can tell.”

Greg tugged on my hand, his eyes pleading with me to join him.

Oh, well, I guess a person had to make a living somehow. The woman seemed nice.

“Yes.” I stopped myself from rolling my eyes and settled myself next to him. More than likely she’d heard us coming. Greg was really loud.

She reached out to my hand. Her bony fingers glided over my palm, giving me a chill. “Hmm, interesting.”

“What is it?” Greg peered at my hand.

“I see a break in your life line. It’s a sudden break.”

Greg leaned in closer, squinting. Then he licked a finger and rubbed it across my palm. “That’s a pen mark.”

“Eww! Knock it off, Greg.” I snatched my palm away from his wet finger.

“You’re ewwing me? You’re the one with the dirty hands.”

Scowling, I turned back to Madame Zahra. “Excuse my friend. He’s still trying to get over the teacups. He didn’t get enough oxygen to his brain with all the screaming he did.”

I placed my hand back into hers.

She smiled, putting a pair of glasses. “Yes, this is better. I see a very handsome man that has walked into your life unexpectedly.”

I bit my tongue. All fortunetellers said that.

“And this man is the love of your life.”

Sapphire eyes flashed through my mind. I gritted my teeth, pushing away thoughts of Cooper.

“Hmm, this is strange.” She sucked in a breath and her shoulders stiffened. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. A loud whooshing sound like white noise filled my ears.

I wanted to snatch my hand back and run. I had to keep reminding myself that this was all part of an act.

She let out a breath and calmly placed it down on the table. She leaned back and rubbed her temples.

“What is it?”

She held a finger up, keeping her eyes closed.

I looked over at Greg nervously. He shrugged. This wasn’t normal, was it? Why wasn’t she telling me about the tall, dark, and handsome man, the white picket fence, and the two point five kids we were going to have?

Finally, Madame Zahra opened her eyes. She reached over the table and took hold of both my hands, as if bracing me for what she was going to tell me.

“I don’t know how to tell you this. All I can say is beware of the vortex. It will pull you in, and if you surrender yourself to it, you’ll be lost forever.”

“Wait a minute!” I cried when she stood to leave. “Where are you going? What do you mean the vortex?”

“I’m sorry. That’s all I have for you.” She rushed out of the tent.

I turned to Greg, astonished. “What was that?”

He chuckled nervously. “Theatrics?”

Did she mean Club Vortex? Would something happen if I went out with Travis? How could she know I was going out with him?

The answer hit me, and I laughed. It was a small college town and a weekend night. There was only one dance club in town. She’d just made a lucky guess.

“Damn, she’s good. I can’t believe I almost fell for that.”

Then why couldn’t I shake off the feeling that what she’d said was true?

The moment we got off Zero Gravity, Greg dashed off to the nearest men’s room. For some reason, carnival rides did the opposite to me, and I was starving.

I followed my nose, weaving my way around the various game booths. I’d bought a funnel cake and was happily munching on it when I heard a familiar voice.

Cooper!

Plopping the last piece in my mouth, I quickly hid behind a big stuffed panda when he emerged around the corner with Flapper Girl hanging onto his arm.

I was shocked at how he looked. For someone who was supposed to be on a date, he looked awful. He wore the same clothes as he did last night. His stubble was thick, as if he hadn’t shaved at all.

Flapper Girl stroked his arm, a smile on her face. I wanted to march right up to her and tell her to back off. It was obvious he didn’t want to be there.

I moved a little closer to hear what she could possibly be telling him.

At that moment, one of the dozens of power cords that lined the ground decided to attack me, and I stumbled.

Face first to the ground.

Taking down the panda.

And a couple of his friends with me.

Okay, the entire shelf.

“Hey!” The guy manning the booth yelled as it rained pandas, lions, squirrels, and monkeys.

Yeah, being stealthy was not my thing. Scratch off the CIA as a career option.

“I’m so sorry.” I jumped up as the guy cursed me out in a thick accent. Cooper’s eyes widened for a moment then Flapper Girl touched his arm and said something to him. He nodded and walked away.

I clenched my white powdered hands into fists. If I wasn’t surrounded by a zoo right now, I’d give her a piece of my mind. Instead, I tried to clean the mess I’d made.

“Here, let me help you put them back up.” I tiptoed and placed the big panda back up on the hook.

“There.” I took a step back, ready to put up another one when a separate rack filled with turtles, sharks, and starfish fell.

People passed by, looking at me in that slow gawking way people did when they drove past an accident on the road.

“No! No more help from you. You go. You go, now!” The guy shooed me away.

I spun around quickly, thankful that he wasn’t going to make me pay for the mess I’d made. I took a step and crashed into Flapper Girl.

“You’re Nicole.”

“Y-y-yes,” I stuttered, too stunned to think of all the things I’d wanted to say to her just a few seconds ago.

“I know what you’re trying to do, and you’re not going to get away with it,” she snapped, her eyes blazing.

I blinked, confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You think you can trick him into your bed? Well, you can just kiss your sorry ass goodbye.” She rolled up her sleeves.

My jaw dropped. “I have no interest in Professor Cooper.”

She scoffed. “You girls are all the same, thinking that just because he has a kind heart that you can take advantage of that. Thinking that you just need to shake your ass and you can lay your claws into him and his millions.”

“His mill—” I thought about what Gianna had said about his patents. “Look, here. I don’t know where you come off saying that I’m trying to con him. You don’t even know me.”

“I know your type. But you, you’re the lowest of the low. With that . . . that . . ..” her lashes fluttered and she swallowed thickly. It was almost like she wanted to cry. “How did you know about her?”

“About who?”

Her nostril’s flared. “You know who I’m talking about. With the hair and that song. You know exactly what you’re doing.” She leaned in, her voice threatening. “Listen to me, Nicole, if that’s your real name. Stay away from him. Or you’ll have to deal with me.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Happy birthday!” Greg cried when I stepped into the house.

I gave him a weak smile. It’d been a long day at Jitters. I’d kept screwing up the orders. Even Lou was getting impatient. I couldn’t get Flapper Girl’s words out of my mind, and it was pissing me off. And to make matter’s worse, I didn’t know whether to chew Cooper out and tell him to keep his date off my back or ask him if he was okay.

“Yeah, whoopee.” I whirled my finger in the air and flopped onto a beanbag. There was a loud rip and beans spilled onto the floor.

“Greg, do me a favor and just knock me out or something.” I threw my head back, closing my eyes. This was so not my day. Or week.”

Or year!

“You look like you could use this.” I opened my eyes to the bottle of wine he dangled above me.

Propping myself up, I snatched the bottle out of his hands. “Thanks.”

“I’ll get the glasses.”

When he returned from the kitchen and poured a healthy glass for me, he gazed at me wide-eyed. “I’m scared, Nicole.”

“Hey. Everything will be fine with your mom. She’s coming to see you, isn’t she? That’s gotta mean something.” I placed an arm around him. “I’ll stay with you if you want.”

He took a big gulp from his glass. “No, I have to do this on my own. I didn’t tell you this, but there’s some news I need to tell her, and I don’t think she’ll be able to handle it.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell you. Not yet. Don’t be mad.” His eyes pleaded with me. “I need to keep this to myself for a while.”

“Okay. I get it. Remember, I’m here for you no matter what.” I sipped my wine. “This is really good. Where’d you get it?”

“Rainbow. She has a wash tub of it out back.”

I spewed the wine. Splatters flew out of my mouth and onto his face.

“Gross, Nicole! I was just kidding.”

“Serves you right.” I laughed as I wiped his face with a tissue. The image of a hippy version of Lucille Ball stomping on grapes was seared into my mind. I couldn’t stop giggling.

We chatted for a while, drinking and laughing. It’d been a long time since we’d talked like that. I told him how strange Cooper was acting lately and asked what he thought I should do. We must’ve had way too much wine because when he told me to corner Cooper in his office and kiss him to get over all the sexual tension, I actually thought it was a good idea.

“Is that the right time?” I peered into my cellphone.

He looked over my shoulder. “Crap! I’m running late. I have to go meet Mom. And you need to get ready for your date.”

I scrambled to get up. The room swayed a bit.

“Careful,” he said, bracing me. “Wow, Nicole, you really can’t hold your alcohol. You only had two glasses.”

“One and a half. Half of it is on your face and shirt.” I giggled.

“Go get ready for Travis.” He pushed me toward my room.

“Oh, and I want to hear everything that happens with your mom. It’ll be all right. You’ll see.”

Travis screeched his sleek black Corvette to a stop near Club Vortex, sending a small group of college students running for their lives. A guy wearing a Texas State T-shirt and baseball cap slapped the hood of the car.

“Dude! Watch where you’re—oh, hey, Trav! Great game today.”

“Thanks, man.” Travis stuck his hand out the window, giving the guy a fist bump.

“Nice ride.” The guy looked into the car. “And chick.”

“The car’s a rental. Not the chick. Ow! Why’d you hit me?”

“You love those wild ones, don’t you, Trav?” He laughed as he walked away.

I glared at Travis.

“For acting like a moron that’s why.”

“It was a joke, babe. Chill.” He stepped out of the car and jogged to my side, opening the door.

This was not the Travis I was used to seeing in class. He was acting like a complete jerk. I couldn’t believe I’d actually wasted good makeup on him. I even wore the sexy black dress Greg had given me for my birthday. It was way too expensive, but he wouldn’t take it back. I had to admit, Greg had good taste and knew me well. The dress hugged every curve, and its low heart-shaped neckline made me look like I actually had boobs. Even though the dress barely covered my backside, the floral and lace long sleeves made me feel like I was actually dressed and not half naked.

Holding out his hand, he said, “Let me make it up to you on the dance floor.”

I sighed. “Fine.”

When I stepped out, I noticed a tow away sign. “Uh, Travis. I don’t think you can park here.”

“That’s only for during the day. Don’t worry about it.” He grinned, flashing his dimples as placed an arm around my waist.

The crowds grew larger as we neared the entrance of the club. People lined up to get inside. Others seemed to just be hanging out, laughing and talking. Muffled music spilled out of the building and some couples were even dancing on the sidewalk.

A number of people whispered and pointed in our direction. I knew Travis was considered famous on campus, so I expected some people to recognize him, but not this many! They were all gawking as if he were a rock star.

His arm stiffened. I gazed up, surprised by his reaction. He always seemed to lavish on the attention. Wearing a strained smile, he muttered something under his breath. Then he stopped and turned me to him.

“Happy birthday, Nicole.” He drew me to him, ducked his head, and gently kissed my lips.

Amongst the whooping and whistles of the crowd. I waited.

Waited for the fluttering of butterflies. Waited for my legs to turn into goo. Waited for flashing lights or even the freaky-deaky visions I’d had lately. Waited for something to happen.

Nothing. It was like being kissed by Greg.

It wasn’t until he took a step back that I felt it again. The pull.

I glanced across the street at Jitters. It was just as busy as the club. With the cooler weather, more people sat outside on the patio. I spotted Lou rushing around with mugs of coffee and hot cocoa. He spotted me, gave me the “okay finger” sign. I was surprised he recognized me from this distance.

And then I saw him.

Sitting alone at one of the tables was Cooper. I couldn’t move. There was no doubt in my mind that he was staring right at me. It was him that I’d felt. It was him. Always him! Why couldn’t Travis be the one to make my world stand still?

My eyes darted back and forth between Travis and Cooper. The speech I’d prepared about telling him and Flapper Girl off flew out the window. All I could do was stare at Cooper like a love-struck girl. And I hated it. I wanted it to stop. Right now.

Note to self. Do not mix wine and sexual frustration because you’ll end up doing something stupid—like this.

Grabbing Travis by his shirt collar, I yanked him to me. Our lips locked. It wasn’t a sweet, gentle kiss like he’d given. It was mouths open, tongues swirling.

Nothing.

Angry, I kissed him even harder.

Again, nothing. Not a skipped heartbeat, not a flutter, not even a tingle.

Damn it!

Travis lifted his head and looked down at me, stunned.

“Starting early, Trav?” A guy who looked like he could be football player, he was so big, slapped Travis on the back.

The shocked expression quickly disappeared and Travis’s lips curled into a smile. “You bet.”

He took ahold of my waist and led me into the club. Following his lead, I placed my hand around his waist and fought the urge to look back.

The moment we entered into the club, I felt like I’d been transported into an 80s MTV video. People seemed to take 80s night very seriously and went all out with costumes. I saw Adam Ant with war paint dancing with a Toni Basil look-a-like waving her pom-poms.

As he walked through the club, almost everyone we passed shouted out his name. He waved back, keeping his arm around me. It was as if he wanted to make sure people knew that I was with him, sort of like he was showing me off to his friends. Weird. I’d never thought of myself as a trophy date, but that’s what it seemed like.

I expected that he’d drag me around, introducing me to his football friends. Instead, he placed me at a table and headed straight for the bar. The bartender, dressed like Boy George, gave him a friendly smile, glanced at me, and placed a shot of tequila on the bar. Travis shot his head back and downed the brown liquid.

What was wrong with him? It was like he was bracing himself for something.

He came back to the table with our drinks. Again with that strained smile. I sighed and drank my long island iced tea.

“Want to dance?” he asked after I finished my drink.

“I’d love to.”

He downed the remains of his drink and took my hand. He moved slowly to the center of the dance floor. It was as if he wanted to make sure people were watching us.

I thought I heard him mumble something like, “You can do this.”

Before I could ask him, “do what?” he pulled me to him, pressing me against his chest.

As we danced, his hands were all over me. But it didn’t feel like he was getting off on it. And neither was I. It felt like a security pat down. When his hands slid down my butt, I jerked back surprised.

“What’s wrong?” He gave me a sexy lopsided grin.

I was an idiot. Here was a perfectly normal, sexy guy that every single girl in the club was drooling over and who obviously wanted me and I what? Thought of him like a brother?

Damn that Cooper! Why couldn’t he drink his coffee somewhere else and stay away from Jitters? Seeing him in class was enough.

“Nothing.” I slid his hands back into place on my butt. Maybe I just needed to give it some time with Travis. Greg thought he’d be good for me and my dear friend had never let me down. I really should give him a chance.

We danced like that for a while, and then the song changed to something more upbeat. “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” wailed in my ears to relax. Turning, I pressed my back into Travis and waved my hands into the air, forcing myself to comply with Frankie’s command. His hands glided across my abdomen pulling me tighter against his rock-hard body.

Flashes of light blinded me as we danced. Travis’s hands brushed against my bare thigh, but all I could think about was the dream with Cooper and his hands all over me.

Travis’s hands glided up my waist and then brushed lightly against my breast. I jerked back and grabbed his hands pushing them down. Was I ready for this?

“Relax,” he said, his hot breath hitting against my ear.

I giggled as he repeated the word in sync with the song. He sang into my ear as he slowly glided his hand back up.

Relax.

I giggled again at the thought. My body was starting to feel more light and . . . relaxed. Or maybe it was the iced tea. Either way, I was finally ready.