Love's Back Pocket (12 page)

Chapter 23

Holly woke up the next morning with the intent to bake something. She wasn’t sure why she had the urge to do such a thing she knew she wasn’t good at. Maybe the rain from last night was tainted with something other than merely water. It didn’t matter. When Holly wanted to accomplish something, nothing could get in her way and stop her. However, that didn’t mean she was going to be successful concerning her endeavor, but she was going to try.

It was at least ten thirty in the morning, and once again, they were back on the road. Holly had no idea where they were heading now, and at that moment, she really didn’t feel the need to know. Before stepping outside of her room, she threw on a sweatshirt, and pulled the messy hair from her face, creating a sloppy ponytail. From there, she strode over to the kitchen, noticing that nobody was out and about yet. Before, this might have surprised her, but after being with these people for a while, she knew they all loved to sleep in, except of course, Ben the bus driver. She bent down and opened a low-level cabinet before finding cake mix she was hoping to turn in to cupcakes.

“Now to find the frosting,” she murmured to herself, before smiling at her forgetfulness, “and the ingredients.”

In ten minutes, Holly managed to collect two eggs, milk, and some butter, along with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry frosting, and even managed to find sprinkles. She smiled, as though she was a pirate who just managed to find her buried treasure.

“Okay,” she said, a tad breathless as her eyes skimmed over the food. “Now what?” She grabbed the box and started to read the instructions.

The first thing she would need was a mixing bowl. It was relatively easy for her to find it since Drew had showed her where everything went the day before. When she found the bowl, she dumped the cake mix in, cracked two eggs in, poured in the correct amount of milk, and then finally placed the butter inside as well.

After finding a fork, she started to mix the ingredients together and let her thoughts wander. Last night, she and Tommy had taken a walk together in the rain. She had never taken a walk in the rain with a man before. She had never shared a moment like that with anybody before, and to be honest, she wasn’t exactly sure if she liked it or not. At least Tommy hadn’t upset her during the walk. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized how nice he was. When he asked her questions about herself, he seemed genuinely concerned to know the answer, and even appeared as though he was listening quite thoroughly. She felt at ease, sharing some bits and pieces about herself with him, although he really didn’t reciprocate the sentiment. It was almost as though he wanted to learn all about her. But wasn’t it her job to learn about him?

She shrugged her shoulders, glancing down at the bowl. The mixing stage didn’t appear to be quite finished as of yet, so she switched arms due to the lulling burning she was feeling in her left arm. At least the friendship between both she and Tommy was starting to develop. He may even take her seriously, now that he knew more about her. The thought made her smile. She hoped that would be the case. His eyes flashed into her mind, that sparkling charm taking her by surprise. The man certainly was handsome, his charm deadly.

When she finally finished, she grabbed the cupcake-shaped tin, and managed to pour the mix into the six spaces. As she went over to the next tin, she stumbled over her long sweatpants, causing some of the mix to fall into her sweatshirt. It wasn’t too bad, but still upsetting.

“Shit,” she murmured under her breath, trying to figure out whether she should clean herself up first, or pour more of the mix into the tin. At that moment, the stove beeped twice, indicating that it was heated at 350 degrees and ready to bake. Holly bit her bottom lip before deciding to pour the rest of the mix into the tin. She was extra careful this time, and managed to not spill anything, on her or anywhere else.

When she finished, she brought both tins over to the oven and cautiously placed them into the oven and shut it closed. She sighed, before wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. After a moment, Holly reached over and started the timer, then grabbed a towel in hopes to finally clean herself up.

“Nice spot,” a voice said, causing Holly to jump, nearly dropping the towel.

She whirled around, only to catch sight of the man with those beautiful green eyes. For whatever reason, she felt her breath hitch in her throat, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. Instead, her eyes stayed firmly focused on the man in front of her. He looked devastatingly handsome, even though it was obvious he had woken up. His hair was messy, falling into his face, while that sparkle still reigned supreme in his eyes. He returned her stare with one of his own, as though he realized she was attracted to him, and smiled at the thought.

“How’d you do it?” He indicated the spot but kept his eyes on hers.

“Huh?” Holly asked, before her mind immediately criticized her thoughtless answer. “Oh, I was baking and I guess I fumbled and I got … the spot …” Great, and now she was babbling. This was just—

Before Holly could comprehend what Tommy was about to do, he leaned over and placed his index finger on the mix, gathering a good portion and placing it into his mouth. Holly’s mouth dropped, albeit slightly, not fully believing that he just did that, and not understanding her body’s reaction to the display he just provided her with.

“Mmm,” he said, pleasantly surprised with whatever happened to be now decorating her sweatshirt. “What are you baking?”

“Cupcakes,” Holly murmured, thanking God her voice came out relatively firm when her insides were shaky with uncertainty.

“Ah, I haven’t had cupcakes in a while.” He threw her a sheepish grin. “But if the mix on your sweatshirt is any indication, I look forward to them.”

For the next thirty minutes while the cupcakes baked, Holly tried to ignore Tommy’s presence. Something inside of her was changing. She felt any and all resolve slowly being worn down on its own accord, as though something inside of her yearned to change her perspective on a certain rock star. However, Holly pointedly tried to ignore her own shifting feelings only because she was slowly making progress in getting him to take her seriously. If anything, she would have to gather stronger, higher walls because this little crush would destroy what she had hoped to accomplish. Plus, she liked Brendan.

Brendan. Yes. Brendan! Sweet, classically handsome Brendan. With that kind smile, supportive blue eyes, tall, well-built stature, pearly white—

“What kind of cupcakes are you making?” Tommy interrupted her thoughts by resting his forearms on the sink counter, leaning forward so he was only a few inches from her face. He was looking at her rather lazily, arching a brow expectantly.

“Vanilla,” she told him before her eyes averted over to the frosting. “But I’m going to cover each one with either chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry frosting.”

Tommy followed her gaze before a wolfish smile touched his lips. Without asking for permission, he reached over and grabbed a can of the strawberry frosting before opening it up. “I’ve always preferred strawberry,” he told her, glancing up and meeting her eyes. Then, much to Holly’s surprise, he reached in the can with his index finger and scooped up some frosting in the same way he had with the cupcake mix. Tommy saw her inquiring gaze before reaching out to her. “Do you want some?”

Holly furrowed her brow at the implication and took a couple of steps back, distancing herself from the man. “No, I do not want some,” she told him. “Especially since it’s coming from your finger.”

Tommy grinned at her, completely unperturbed at her comment, before looking down at his finger and popping it into his mouth.

“You better not stick your finger back in the mix,” Holly muttered, suddenly completely hot. She wished she could have taken off her sweatshirt, but she didn’t want to give Tommy any unnecessary ideas.

Tommy looked at her, trying to see if she was serious. His sparkle glowed with challenge, and the corners of his lips turned up. He knew she was serious, but it wasn’t like him to follow the rules. Instead, he slowly reached down and dipped his finger back into the frosting before bringing it to his lips once again.

That’s it
, a voice inside Holly said, and she was sure if the voices were people, this one would be waving a white flag of surrender,
we’re doomed
.

Chapter 24

As another week slipped through her fingers, Holly realized that something in the dynamic between her and Tommy had changed. She wasn’t quite sure, exactly, what it was or when it happened, but as she watched him interact with his fans backstage after his latest show, she noticed that the light she saw in him had changed. Whether it was lighter, brighter, darker, or duller, she wasn’t sure, but she could feel something different stir inside of her. At first, she thought that maybe her feelings had shifted from those that resembled professionalism to those that were not, but as she continued to ponder such an idea, she found that whatever change had occurred was quite subtle. Which made it even harder for her to figure out what it was.

The past week of traveling, conversing, and even goofing off—as Tanya described it—with Tommy wasn’t anything like she had ever experienced before. She had never been the type of girl to goof off, but for whatever reason, Tommy managed to bring that side out of her, and what baffled the young woman the most was that he didn’t even have to try. Even now, leaning against one of the walls and observing him, she felt her lips curl into a smile. Maybe it was merely the aesthetic quality Tommy brought to the place, or maybe it was because she had learned what he was thinking simply by looking into his eyes, but for whatever reason, he managed to bring a happiness out in her she didn’t know she could possess.

They were in Texas now, and when Tommy requested that she attend his concert, she was initially going to refuse. But then … She blushed just thinking about it. But then he had given her one of his lazy grins, the kind that knew she would eventually say yes to even though she was currently saying no, and it was like any and every resolve had vanished.

During the past week, they talked about his family, her family, his preferences, and her preferences. Holly learned that to get something out of him, she had to give him something of herself. The very notion had originally frightened her. Vulnerability had always been something she avoided, but somehow, Tommy managed to slip past her defenses, and the more Holly realized it, the more she realized she didn’t have a problem with it. Of course, he managed to unnerve her to no end, and there were times when she wanted to slap him for some of the comments he had made about her in front of Victor, but even with those minor infractions, she found that every night before falling asleep, she was looking forward to seeing him the next day.

“What has gotten into you?” she murmured under her breath before running her long fingers through her hair.

Upon Tanya’s request, Holly had actually worn something other than hoodies to watch
The Futurists
perform. She was wearing a high-necked T-shirt that wasn’t blatantly revealing but still clung tightly to her figure, showcasing the assets Holly normally hid. She was wearing tight blue jeans as well, and a Batman belt, along with old Converses on her feet. Though Tanya continued to try and talk her into something more feminine, she was just happy Holly had agreed to come without a sweatshirt.

Not like it mattered
, Holly thought to herself as her brown eyes skimmed the semi-crowded room. Mitch made it a point of greeting every fan that was permitted backstage, but once he was finished, he always managed to disappear around the same time Tanya did.

“How’d you like the show?” a smooth, velvet voice asked from beside her.

Holly looked to her right to find a stunning woman standing next to her, her golden-flecked brown eyes staring at Tommy. Holly wasn’t sure why she was embarrassed, but it probably had to do with the fact that she had barely registered the woman was standing next to her because her focus was so deeply involved in … Well, never mind. There was no use in putting more thought into it.

Instead, Holly slipped a safe smile onto her face, and nodded once. “I enjoyed myself,” she told the woman, her eyes managing a quick glance over at Tommy. His green eyes seemed to have found those of the woman’s, and Holly saw an enigmatic expression on his face. Quirking a brow, she cast a look over at the woman. “Did you?” she asked, wondering just who she was to Tommy, for he seemed to have recognized her in some way.

“Of course,” the woman replied, shifting her eyes to meet Holly’s. “I’ve been catching
The Futurists
in concert since they first came out.” She looked at Tommy again, her bow-like lips curving into a smile. Holly couldn’t pinpoint why, but something curled inside of her at the woman’s grin and Holly didn’t like the unsettling feeling. “Tommy manages to never disappoint,” the woman continued, shaking her head in a subtle way. Her straight black hair followed her head’s movement in a soft way, falling into her oval face.

“No,” Holly agreed, “he doesn’t.” Okay, she could admit it; she didn’t like the way this woman was looking at Tommy, but she couldn’t figure out why she didn’t, and this upset Holly even more.

“You’re a young fan,” the woman stated, glancing over at Holly once again. “Or, younger than usual, I guess. How did you get into an eighties band? Did your parents introduce you?” She perked her brow, giving Holly an inquiring look.

“Well, to be honest, my best friend is really into them,” Holly replied honestly. “And she made me promise to accompany her to a concert. The rest, as they say, is history, I guess.”

“Where is she?” the woman asked, her eyes searching the crowd.

“With Mitch,” Holly murmured without fully thinking. Suddenly, she realized she may have revealed something the pair wanted to keep a secret. Before she could backtrack, Holly caught the flash of recognition in the woman’s eyes, as though people knew about the new relationship between the drummer and her friend.

“Tommy,” the woman said, breaking Holly out of her thoughts. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She offered him an easy smile, but oddly enough, Tommy looked over at Holly with obvious unease clouding the sparkle in his eyes.

Who
was
this woman?

“Not long enough,” he muttered under his breath, coming to stand on Holly’s free side, almost as though he was trying to put distance between him and the woman. “Well, Delilah, I must admit,” he started again, his voice its normal tone, “I’m surprised you even showed up.”

“You know me,” Delilah said, reaching out to playfully touch Tommy’s forearm, “I’ve never been one to say no to fun, and what can I say? Your shows have always been … fun.” Her eyes darkened a fraction, and Holly had the feeling that what the woman had said was something the two of them only seemed to know, like an inside joke.

Tommy wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he glanced at Holly. “Holly,” he murmured, before shooting a glance at the woman, “this is Delilah. I knew her when I first started out in the business. Delilah, this is Holly. She’s accompanying me on tour as my psychologist.”

Holly’s eyes flashed in recognition. So this was the infamous Delilah that had all but ruined Tommy’s life. Another feeling, this one clearly anger, surged through Holly’s body. Holly didn’t have very many friends, but those she deemed close, she was fiercely loyal to. She forced a tight smile, nodding once in acknowledgement, but her eyes remained hard, like golden-colored glaciers.

“How very fitting,” Delilah muttered, her tone now taking on a dry connotation as she regarded Holly with a subtle form of disgust. “She is young, isn’t she, Tommy? Are you fucking her yet? And here I thought that I may have ruined every other woman for you.”

“That’s very arrogant of you,” Holly said before she could stop herself. Once it was out, however, she refused to take it back.

“Well, when you look like I do, you have reason to be,” Delilah quipped, arching a challenging brow at Holly. “What are you, princess? Twelve? Do you have any experience with how to please a man, because trust me, if Tommy’s not satisfied by you, you’ll be off that bus so fast—”

“I figure since I’ve been with him for over a month,” Holly all but growled, narrowing her eyes at the woman, “he is thoroughly satisfied with me.”

This seemed to catch Delilah off-guard, but she managed to readjust the transparent mask she was wearing over her delicate facial features. “Well, listen up, sweetheart,” she said in the same tone as Holly, “he’ll tire of you, just like he always does.” With that, she pushed off the wall and left the vicinity, leaving Holly and Tommy alone.

Tommy stared at Holly’s profile for a long moment, taking in everything her face offered him. Finally, a wolfish grin touched his lips and he leaned in close, so close that when he breathed, she could feel his hot breath on the surface of her skin. “You know,” he murmured in a husky voice, “I always thought you were good looking, but you are downright sexy when you’re jealous.”

That was it
! a voice inside of her exclaimed.
That unknown emotion you couldn’t quite pinpoint, but were familiar with nonetheless. You’re jealous.

No. She couldn’t be jealous. This was definitely not good.