Song Chaser (Chasers) (28 page)

And damn if that doesn’t make me hard all over again.

I glance back at her one last time before tucking the box under my arm and retreating to the kitchen. When I finally get through the Fort Knox operation that is Paisley’s tape job, I pull out a shirt with an 1800s looking man on it and it reads FROZEN WATER, FROZEN WATER, INFANT. It takes me a minute, but when I realize the correlation to
Ice Ice Baby
I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I glance at the clock. It’s a little after midnight, but I grab my phone anyway and thumb my way to her picture before pressing the call button.

I figured I would catch her voicemail, but after a few rings her voice fills my ears. “Well if it isn’t the birthday boy too good to call his best friend back,” she says. I hear loud laughter and music behind her
. She must be at Diggs.

“What the hell is this gift you sent me?” I ask, ignoring her accusation.

She laughs, “Isn’t it hilarious? I almost peed when I saw it. I had to get it for you.”

I laugh softly, hating the way she’s making me feel right now. It’s different
than before, but I still feel a pull to her, the same comfortable pull that’s always been there. “Where are you?”

“Diggs. McKenzie made me come out tonight. She’s convinced I’ll never have time for her once I’m a busy bakery owner. But back to the subject at hand – why didn’t you call me back on your birthday?”

Shit, I did forget to call her back. I had a missed call from her after Kellee and I, uh,
showered
, and just forgot. “You know how I am about birthdays, Paisley.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” she teases and I hear her take a swig of her drink. “Are you still coming to the bakery opening?”

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss it.”

I can almost hear her smile through the phone, “Good. Did you buy a plane ticket yet? It opens next Saturday, remember.”

I definitely didn’t remember. I have the date marked on my calendar but haven’t looked at it since before Thanksgiving. “I’ll get my ticket tomorrow. Promise.”

“You better,” she says. “I already have Christmas orders from people who heard I was opening. Mostly old coworkers from the agency and friends of Corbin, but still. It’s going to be busy. I might have to get you in an apron.”

I let a laugh choke its way through my throat, “Ha! You wish.”

“Oh shit,” she says, exhaling. “McKenzie is on the fucking bar again.” I laugh and she giggles a little, too. I can’t help but wish I was there with them
. Those two got us into a shit ton of trouble back in college and they’re still a blast when they’re together. “I’ll call you later this week to talk details about the opening. And you better be wearing that sweet ass shirt when you get off the plane, too.”

“What, just because you’re opening your own bakery you think you’re special or something? Think you can start bossing me around?”

She scoffs, “Please. I’ve been bossing you around since we were eighteen. Gotta go, Kenz is about to do a body shot off a not-so-attractive man and I need to take pictures to rub in her face tomorrow.”

I laugh, “What a bitch.”

Paisley laughs hard, “Hey, what are best friends for? Night!”

“Goodnight,” I
say, still laughing a little. I end the call and set my phone on the kitchen counter, looking back at the shirt. It’s the most hideous thing ever, but she’s right – it is pretty funny. Sighing, I lean against the counter and cross my arms. I have to see her in less than two weeks, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Am I ready to be around her? Am I far enough removed to not care about her the way I did? Shit, the way I maybe still do? I curse out loud and let my head fall back against the cabinet. I want Kellee, more than I’ve ever wanted anything before in my life, but I can’t lie and say I don’t still care about Paisley. I want to be with Kellee, but I still want to be best friends with Paisley, too.

The question is, can I do both?

Knock Out

Kellee

I pull my apron over my head and sling it over my arm, wiping the beads of sweat that have gathered on my forehead. “Alright, Sal. See you tonight,” I say, heading for the door. This is the third double I’ve worked this week, and I think it’s finally catching up to me. Finals start Monday and I’m trying to get in as many hours as I can before I’m locked in the library. Mee Ma sent a “Finals Suck Gobbler” care package with all kinds of snacks and supplies, including vitamin C drops that I’ve been popping like candy.

“Take the night off, Kellee,” Sal wipes down the counter as the late crew files in, including his older brother, Louie. “You look beat, kid.”

I sigh, “I’ll be fine, Sal. I need the money.”

He shakes his head, “I’ll give you an advance if you really need it, but I’m not going to let you run yourself into the ground. You need to have a little fun.”

Sal’s right, as much as I don’t want to admit it. I haven’t seen Tanner in over a week other than the two times he met me on campus for lunch between my shifts and his hospital hours. I really could use a night off, even though I know I shouldn’t take it.

“I see your wheels turning over there,” he adds, flinging the rag from his hand over his left shoulder. “Don’t try to fight me on this. If you come to The Box tonight, it better be to have fun. I’m not letting you behind that bar.”

I smile and run over to wrap Sal in a hug. He’s so much bigger than me that my arms can’t wrap around completely, but he hugs me back just the same. “Thanks, Sal.”

He pulls back and nods, “Anytime, kid. Now get out of here.”

“You got it, boss man.” I grab my phone as I push through the doors onto the wet sidewalk. Snow still glistens throughout Central Park, but the streets and sidewalks have been left with nothing but slush. Lights are strung everywhere and the city feels alive with the Christmas spirit. I pass a group of carolers and toss a ten in their tip jar just as I find Tanner’s name and hit the call button, his sideways grin from the picture I snapped on our ride back to the city filling the screen.

“Hey, beautiful,” he answers, his voice
groggy from sleep. I forgot he worked all last night at the hospital.

Wait, did he just call me
beautiful
? As in, not
Frecks
?

I smile, “I like that nickname.”

“It does kind of suit you,” he says, yawning. “But, I’m still partial to Freckles.”

“Well, I’m partial to seeing my boyfriend, and that hasn’t happened much lately.”
I still grin a little at the use of the word
boyfriend
.

He sighs, “I know. I miss you.”

“Well, I was thinking, how do you feel about Thursday night karaoke at The Box?”

“I was actually thinking I could visit you at work tonight, so that sounds good.”

“Except I’m not working anymore,” I say pointedly. “Which means you should take me to dinner before and consider this a date.”

“You got off work? Shit, let’s skip karaoke and you come over. I’ll get you to bring out your falsettos, no worries.”

I blush, shifting my eyes to the strangers walking past me as if they can hear what Tanner just said. “You’ve got a knack for making my cheeks turn red.”

“I’ve got a knack for a few things, Frecks,” he says and I blush even harder. “I’ll pick you up in an hour so we can grab food. But just so you know, my mattress girlfriend is jealous.”

A laugh escapes my lips, “Good. I never liked that bitch, anyway.”

*     *     *

We walk into The Box just after ten, Tanner’s hand wrapped around mine. My chest tightens a little when I realize this is the first time we’re going to be a couple in public. I mean Trista knows, and our families and Sal, but none of his friends have seen us together yet. When Tanner slides up to the bar and I pull up a stool beside him, a group of Tanner’s friends joins us. I recognize one of them as Benny, the guy Tanner is always here with. The others look familiar, but I can’t recall their names. I do note that one of the girls is giving me a very nasty look.

“Oh shit, T-Dubs coming out of the wood work!” Benny says, slapping him on the shoulder. Tanner laughs and lifts his fresh glass of Jack to meet Benny’s. The girl who was staring me down leans up on her toes to give Tanner a hug, pressing against him a little tighter than I prefer.

“Hey Charlie, how was your break?”

“Good,” she says, lowering back down and throwing me a sideways glance. “Would have been better if you would have stayed in the city with us.”

“I don’t blame him for going home to Georgia,” one of the other guys says. “Shit, I’d give anything for some southern cooking.”

Tanner smiles, “I wasn’t planning on going for the whole weekend, but I’ve worked so many hours at the hospital this semester that they kind of insisted. Not that I’m complaining.” He glances back at me and a grin curls on his lips. My insides flutter like I’m a sixteen-year-old virgin, but shit who could blame me? Tanner shed his coat at the door, leaving him in
his gray jeans and plain black t-shirt. The sleeves of it hug the muscles of his arms, his fresh tattoo peeking out just a little.

“So, are you going to sing tonight?” I ask as his friends talk amongst
themselves. Charlie is still eying me, but Tanner doesn’t seem to pay her any attention so I try not to, either.

“That depends.”

“On?”

“Whether you’re willing to make a wager.”

I lift my brow, cautious of the devilish grin spreading on his flawless face. “Why do I feel like a mouse walking into a cheese trap?”

His smile widens, “Does that mean you’re in?”

“You haven’t even told me what we’re betting on.”

Tanner takes a long pull of
his whiskey, “A sing off. Me versus you. Winner gets to choose what the loser does as payment.”

I smile and bite my lip, thinking about the possibilities once I beat his ass. He has an amazing voice, but I still think I can take him. “You’re challenging
me
to a sing off? Oh, you are so on.” I stick my hand out and feign confidence. He shakes it once before kissing me swiftly.

“You’re going to regret that shake later, Frecks.”

“I guess we’ll see. So, what song are we doing?”

“Your choice.”

My brows shoot up again, “Oh yeah? You asked for it…” I make my way through the crowd to Joshua, the DJ, and write our names on the sign up list, scribbling out
Summer Nights
beside them.

Joshua laughs when he reads what I wrote, “Tanner? As in T-Dubs?
Singing a song from
Grease
? Damn, this oughta be good.”

Three songs later, Tanner and I stand on the stage, mics in hand. I’m giving him a cocky ass grin and he returns it, but he seems a little more nervous than before. I remember Benny saying he hadn’t sang in over a year the first night I met him. Suddenly, I feel a little bad for him.

Wait a second.

Is this a ploy?

That ass. I am so not going easy on him.

The song starts and Tanner bursts out laughing, along with pretty much everyone else in the bar. He looks over at me and shakes his head, mouthing, “I’m going to kill you.” I shrug and smile, claiming innocence.

He sings the first line and everyone cheers and whistles, his friends yelling out things like “Uh oh, kill ‘em, T-Dubs!” and “Tanner Zucko!” Then, when I put the mic to my lips and join in with Sandy’s first line, everyone cheers again and starts snapping along. We battle back and forth, even doing the hand motions and skipping around like they did in the movie. It’s pretty much a toss-up, both of us drawing the same amount of cheers each time we sing, but then Tanner belts out Danny’s high note at the end and thrusts his finger into the air, mimicking John Travolta and the crowd goes absolutely nuts. He drops the mic and I bow out gracefully, the crowd laughing at our spectacle. Well, everyone except for Charlie, anyway.

“Looks like I won, Frecks,” Tanner says, still panting slightly from the last note.

I thread my fingers into his hair and pull his lips to mine, kissing him for a while before answering, “Maybe I let you win.”

“Uh huh, sure you did. Whatever you have to tell yourself.”

“So what’s my punishment for losing?” I ask, pulling back. I’m really hoping he doesn’t ask me to strip down and run around the bar or anything crazy like that.

A slow, shit-eating grin spreads on Tanner’s face. “That’s for me to know and you to find out later,” he winks.

My stomach falls to my feet and I swallow hard. I never thought I would be so excited to lose a bet.

*     *     *

“Oh my God, it’s so hot in here,” I say as we push through the door of my apartment. I strip out of my coat quickly and toss it on the dining table, “I swear Trista likes turning this place into a sauna.”

Tanner laughs and slides his arms around my waist as I adjust the thermostat. “Maybe it’s just because I’m in here, Frecks.”