Contradictions

  “Shirley, I guess?” I asked Trent.

  “That’s her.”

  Her eyes scanned the crowd as she nodded or waved to those she knew, which seemed to be pretty much everyone. When her eyes landed on our table, they swept over me. I felt I must have passed her examination when she winked at Trent before speaking into the microphone.

  “Thank you, everyone, for coming out for another Saturday jam fest. The last group tonight is one we’ve all come to love. It’s a bittersweet moment to have them on our stage one last time before they start their tour with their brand-new record label.” She beamed with pride before continuing. “Put your hands together to welcome Die Hard to the stage one last time.” The other patrons erupted into cheers.

  Trent leaned in close so I could hear him. “Die Hard got their start performing here. They all go to MSC and were discovered by one of the big record labels.”

  I nodded my head. “That’s awesome.” I loved music and was pretty psyched to be watching a live show of a band that might hit it big. I thought it had to be a joke, though, when they walked out onstage. They were a group of five who looked like they had just time traveled from the nineteen twenties. There were three guys wearing button-up shirts with bow ties and baggy wide-legged trousers. The pants had no belt loops, so they wore suspenders, and they each wore matching oxford shoes. Two girls wore calf-length dresses that swished around when they moved, with old-fashioned boots that laced up to their ankles. Thick stockings peeked out in the small amount of space between where the dresses ended and the tops of their boots began.

  I looked at Trent, wondering if their act was a parody or something to that effect. He merely grinned at me.

  The group did a quick bow at the applause of greeting before picking up their instruments. All my doubts evaporated as they began playing. Their sound was alternative and sharp. The voices of the two lead singers were hypnotic. They melded together in a harmonious duet that made your heart clench with ache and indescribable wanting. The set shifted seamlessly from a ballad to hard-core rock that had all of us clapping and surging to our feet as one. My inner party girl roared to life as I moved to the music. I had missed this. Music had always been a big part of my life. It greeted me like an old friend.

  I turned to Trent, wanting to share my excitement with him, but found him sitting in his chair, looking more uncomfortable than he had all night. “What’s wrong?” I called out over the loud music.

  He shook his head, indicating that I should keep dancing.

  I moved closer to him, sensing the issue. “You don’t know how to dance?” I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

  He shook his head and pushed his glasses back up on his nose. Reaching a hand down, I hauled him to his feet. “It’s easy. You just have to let the music tell you what to do,” I said loudly into his ear.

  I placed my hands on his hips so I could guide them to the beat of the music. He watched as I moved effortlessly to the rhythmic music. His body was stiff in my hands, much like a robot that wasn’t built to move certain ways. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my hips so he could get a feel of the movement. The intimacy of the action caught me by surprise. My eyes moved up to his. I watched as they darkened to a blue that matched the sky right before a storm moved in. Unconsciously, I swayed closer to him. My hands seemed to move up to his shoulders on their own. His hands clenched my hips, dragging me closer to him. I zeroed in on his full lips with a mental image of them trailing over my body.

  I took a step back before I did something stupid like stick my tongue down his throat like I was dying to do. Trent prevented my retreat. His hands held me firmly in place as he closed the gap between us. “This dancing thing isn’t all that bad,” he said, pulling my body flush against his. The stiff robotic movements from moments ago were gone.

  “This isn’t dancing,” I said, trying to control my breath.

  “That’s why I like it,” he whispered in my ear. His left hand moved up to the nape of my neck and he began gently caressing my earlobes with his fingertips. I could feel my body responding to his touch as the heat of desire filled me.

  His lips moved slowly toward mine as the music and the crowd around us seemed to fade away. We were hitting the point of no return. His puppy-love crush on me would be even harder to sideline, but I didn’t care.

  His lips met mine tentatively. They were unyielding and almost cold. Disappointment coursed through me from the lack of spark between us. I should have been happy. This justified everything I’d been trying to say. I could have pulled away. I should have, but the stubborn person inside me wouldn’t allow it. “Is that really the best you got, Geek Boy?” I mocked. I used the tip of my tongue to tease his lips open. They parted, letting my tongue sweep in. His hand tightened on the back of my neck and he moaned against my mouth.Holy-set-my-panties-on-fire, his moan was my undoing. My tongue boldly stroked against his, teaching him how sensual a good kiss could be. He was a quick study, and it was my turn to moan as his own tongue tangled with mine. The lips that just moments ago had been unyielding crushed against mine. They devoured me.

  We parted as the music around us glided to its final notes. Trent looked at me with a combination of disbelief and lust. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t quaking with the same feelings. That had to be the best dare and payoff to a bet I had ever experienced. I couldn’t help thinking of a few other things I would like to teach him, only they would require a horizontal position.

  16.

  Once Die Hard left the stage, Shirley came over to chat with Trent and me while the club began to clear out. Several people stopped at our table to thank Shirley for another great evening. One guy in particular came over and I swore he was someone famous, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Only after Shirley teased him about dragging himself out of his writing cave did the light bulb explode in my head.

  Holy shit, I mouthed to Trent. “Stephen effing K—” Trent grabbed my hand and nodded quickly before I could embarrass myself. Shirley and you-know-who exchanged pleasantries before he walked away and she turned her attention back to Trent and me.

  We chatted for several minutes. It didn’t take an Einstein to figure out she was fond of Trent. She all but threatened that I better treat her boy right, which, by the way, sounded even more intimidating than she probably meant because of her raspy voice. I wasn’t offended. It was sweet that she was so protective of him.

  After reassuring her I’d toe the line with him, she hugged us both and we headed out. The drive to my apartment passed with Trent filling me in on everything he knew about Shirley. Talk about someone who lived her life to the fullest. Her stories and the things she’d witnessed could have filled several books. It was admirable, and I hoped I could say the same thing about my life someday. My worst fear was that I’d grow up and have nothing that ever amounted to anything. Deep down, I think that’s why I submersed myself into the party atmosphere. If nothing else, I’d have some great stories to tell when I got older. Now reflecting back on the evening we’d just had, I never would have imagined a date with Trent would eclipse the memories of any party I’d ever been to.

  Trent pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex and climbed from the vehicle to walk me to my door. We walked in silence up the three flights of stairs. I tossed around the idea of inviting him to stay the night until I remembered I was sharing a room with Derek. It was probably for the best anyway. Our kiss may have left me wanting to climb him like a monkey, but I wasn’t ready to fall into bed with him. Yet.

  That didn’t mean I wasn’t seriously anticipating kissing him again, along with a few other things I’d like to show him. If we were lucky, Derek and Cameo would be out and we’d at least have the apartment to ourselves.

  “You want to come inside?” I asked when we arrived at my door.

  “Oh, uh, I have to go. Thanks, though,” he answered, shocking the hell out of me. He claimed he had to finish working on a few things before meeting with Profe
ssor Nelson in the morning. With a squeeze of my hand, he was gone. Not a kiss. Not even one of those awkward ass-sticking-out-behind-you arm hugs, like you’re afraid you might catch a disease if you get too close. No, I got a flipping hand squeeze. I was surprised he didn’t pat me on the head.

  I walked into my apartment grumbling under my breath and contemplating how I’d rip the heads off all his action figures the next time I was in his apartment. A little extreme maybe, but damn it, he’d left me as horny as a dog in heat. The only satisfaction I had now was in hoping he’d suffer the rest of the night with a serious case of blue balls.

  • • •

  As luck would have it, I didn’t get a chance to behead any of his action figures like I’d wanted to. I spent Sunday morning working on my business project before I had to go to work. Trent and I were supposed to have another tutoring session on Monday, but he texted me saying he would be tied up all day at the lab. I got a similar text on Tuesday, which had me suspecting something was up. By Wednesday, I’d received the last form-letter text I was going to get this week. Rather than replying via text, I marched down to the science building to give him a piece of my mind.

  The day was blustery as I walked across the campus. I paused beside a giant oak tree so it would buffer the wind while I buttoned up my jacket and wrapped my scarf more securely around my neck. My eyes watered from the cold wind that whipped around my face, but I didn’t mind. I was fuming at the moment. I loved watching the leftover leaves that had fallen to the ground swirl around my feet as I walked. Those that weren’t airborne crunched pleasantly under my boots. Ashton may get the sunshiny days all year long in Florida, but she didn’t get to hear fall leaves crunching under her feet. She would be green with envy when I bragged about it next time I called her.

  The science building was bustling with students when I arrived. I could practically feel my IQ quaking as I walked through the buzzing hallways. Just like math, science and technology weren’t my strong suits either. My iPhone and iPad were about as tech savvy as I got. Thankfully, I had been smart enough to take my required science classes at community college before I transferred to MSC, saving me from embarrassing myself in this building.

  I managed to find the lab where Trent was working without having my brain melted from some experimental laser, or without catching some disease from whatever they might be growing in the biology labs. These were just some of the things I imagined went on in this building. Trent was bent over a computer when I peered through the glass in the door. Actually, he was surrounded by five computers, along with several other electronic gizmos I didn’t recognize. I pushed open the door to the lab and approached his workstation. It took him several minutes to realize I was there. Only when I coughed did he look up from the computer.

  He looked at me startled and slightly confused. “Hey, didn’t you get my text?”

  “Yeah. I was just checking to make sure you weren’t being held hostage or anything,” I said, feeling like a complete ass for coming all the way across campus. It was obvious he really was busy.

  “I wish.” He scratched his head in aggravation. My eyes focused on his hair. One of these days I should tell him what a difference it made when his hair was messed up a little.

  “Can I help?” I asked before I could even think about the words. I couldn’t believe I’d really just volunteered for something that was sure to make my brain hurt. At least I was secure in the fact that he would turn down my offer.

  “Really?” he asked enthusiastically. “You don’t mind?”

  Damn, let this be a lesson. “You actually have something I could help with?”

  “Yes! I need a test study. I was using some freshmen earlier, but they had to leave.”

  “Of course they did. What do you need me to do?” I asked suspiciously. I didn’t want something like electrodes hooked to my body or some metal contraption stuck on my head like in old science-fiction movies. He went into a long-winded explanation while I unbuttoned my jacket and draped it over one of the hard plastic chairs. Basically, he needed me to answer several questions while he added the data into the program he was working on.

  “What exactly are you hoping to achieve with this?” I asked, wheeling over the heavily padded chair that sat behind a desk at the front of the room.

  “It’s going to be an app that will revolutionize the way users access everything they do on their smartphones or tablets. It will be an interactive application that will learn likes and dislikes and will change the way people use their devices.” He sounded as excited as if Batman himself had swooped in and asked him to be the next Robin. Don’t ask me how I knew that reference. Let’s just say his enthusiasm was inspiring. I wished there was something I felt as passionate about, other than partying anyway.

  His excitement was contagious, and soon I was peering over his shoulder as he entered my information into the computer. After fifty random questions, the program was able to suggest movies I would like to see and music that matched my tastes. The amazing part was that much of the music his program suggested I already had on my iPhone. It was pretty remarkable. Beyond the music and movies, the app suggested books and even pinpointed places on a map that I might want to visit. By clicking the site on the map, the program would provide information about the location and the surrounding area.

  The afternoon melted away as Trent continued to navigate through the system, showing me its full potential. Only when my stomach began to growl did I remember I had forgotten to eat anything for lunch.

  “Hungry?” he laughed.

  “Nah, my stomach makes that noise when it’s full.”

  “Fine, smart-ass. I was going to offer to buy you pizza, but if you’re not hungry . . .”

  “I’m not ready to go,” I pouted, mad at my stomach for ruining my fun.

  He laughed. “And you said you weren’t a techie person.”

  “This isn’t techie. It’s cool like my iPhone or iPad.”

  “It’s all cool. Everything on your iPhone started out just like this. See, you love techie stuff and didn’t realize it. Here, have one of these while we wait for the pizza to get here,” he said, handing me one of his Tootsie Pops.

  “Do you have a red one?”

  “Beggars can’t be choosers,” he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a red lollipop. “Here.”

  I grinned at him. “Does this mean we’re going steady?”

  He blushed as he slowly unwrapped his sucker. I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He really was cute. An easy target, but cute.

  “I was kidding, slick.” I finally laughed. The laughter died in my throat as he looked up at me. His eyes moved to my mouth.

  “I’d like to kiss you again,” he said. It was like he was reading my mind. It was funny how he could get so easily embarrassed over some of my teasing, and yet still be so blunt about wanting to kiss me. My heart raced at his words. His declaration was made. It wasn’t like he was asking permission, but rather telling me his intention. He pulled the armrests of my chair, wheeling me closer.

  “Then do it,” I dared him.

  “You’re awfully bossy,” he said, maneuvering my chair so my legs were straddling his.

  I shrugged my shoulders. I could own it. “Are you going to keep stalling?”

  “I’m building the moment.” His hand moved intimately to my side, sliding between the chair and my back.

  “You’re a cocky son of a bitch,” I muttered. I thought about turning the tables on him to show him who was really the boss here.

  He smiled at my words. “I’ve been giving a lot of thought to our first kiss. I’m not sure I gave the right impression.”

  “Really?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “You mean you think you can do better?”

  “I know I can.” He slid his free hand under my right leg so it draped over his thigh. My chair rolled the last few inches until it rested against his. The sensation of his hand on my thigh made me want to slide my hip
s forward, allowing him access to the traitorous part of me that was already damp from arousal.

  A second later, he crushed his lips to mine. I could tell instantly he’d learned under my guidance from our last kiss. His lips were soft but insistent as he took control. He made the first move with his tongue, gently nudging my mouth open. My hands moved to his chest as his tongue swept into my mouth, teasing and tantalizing my senses. My fist clenched his shirt as I dragged him closer to me. He lifted my other leg and pulled me so that I was straddling his lap. I could feel his erection against me. I shifted against him, trying to ease the ache between my legs. Just rubbing against him was enough to bring me to the edge of the big O.

  He pulled his mouth from mine. “Wait,” he said, noticeably adjusting his crotch.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, suspecting I wasn’t the only one close to finishing. “It’s cool if you—you know.” I didn’t want to embarrass him.

  “What? No, it’s not that. I was just going to ask how I was doing.”

  “Oh, sorry,” I laughed.

  “That’s not exactly the reaction I was going for,” he said.

  “No, I’m not laughing at you. I mean, I thought you had, you know,” I said, indicating the still-evident bulge between his legs. “You just caught me off guard because I’ve never had anyone stop and ask how it was going. All right—and this is in all seriousness—did you load up on porn since the last time we kissed?” I teased.

  A vibrant shade of red crept up his neck.

  “You really did? Well, hot damn,” I laughed.

  He made a move to scoot his chair away until I locked my legs around his waist.

  “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. I find it cute,” I said.