Strong Enough (18 page)

He is standing with his hands on his hips and is
laughing, full on belly laugh.

“What the fuck is so funny?” I ask.

“Girl that is the most you have said to me
at one time let alone about your life. And it came out all at
once.”

Embarrassment creeps up on my cheeks.

“Sorry, that was um awkward.”
You idiot, that was more than
awkward.

“Oh hell no, don’t apologize I like this
Reece, she actually has emotion, it’s a good look on you.”

His words sit heavy. I have emotion. I have
a lot of emotion, I just don’t show it all the time.

“So, spill about Zane’s party. Where is it?
Are you going? Are you going alone? Did he ask you to go with him
or just to go? Come on I need the details,” he says looking like
the girl in school that needed to be in the middle of the
drama.

“Calm down, geez! It’s his party he asked me
to go, didn’t ask as a date, that I can tell. I don’t want to go
alone, but shit I don’t have friends. Don’t suppose I could talk
you into going with me? Maybe then I won’t look like an idiot or at
the very least won’t be so crazy around him?”

I give him my best set of puppy dog eyes
which, well shit, I never use. Brent has become, dare I say, a
friend in the last few weeks. I’m comfortable, as I can ever be,
around him.

He puts his hand on my shoulder with a
serious face. “Well it all depends, do I get to dance with your
sexy self?” He says wagging his eyebrows up and down which only
makes me laugh and slap his hand away. “Seriously, please go with
me?”

Taking ahold of my hand he bows his head
down toward it. “Yes Miss Reece I would be honored to attend this
soirée you speak of,” he says in his best British accent kissing
the top of my hand in front of the whole gym, which has me not only
embarrassed and red but laughing too. Out of the corner of my eye I
see Sterling watching it all unfold, and I can see the muscles in
his jaw tighten and clench. I just look away.

“Ok ok smart ass that’s enough,” I say
pulling my hand out if his grasp. “We only have 40 minutes for you
to bust my ass on weights so can we please get to it? You are going
to need to take your sweaty ass home and shower and shave if you’re
attending any party with me,” I say winking.

“Hey wait, what about handsome guitar boy,
are we going to go see him?”

My thoughts float back to seeing Jon
standing in front of me, his handsome face, kissable lips, hair I
want to run my hand through and a voice, oh my, a voice that melts
my insides. I had to stop myself from singing with him and having
that connection.

“I don’t know Brent…” Letting my voice trail
off in uncertainty.

“Reece, we should go. I think getting out
and meeting new people will help with you discovering the new
Reece.”

WHOA, new Reece? Who the
fuck said I was trying to change myself?

“What do you mean “new Reece” Brent?”

“Well I just figured with the working out
and trying to make friends and all you were trying to reinvent
yourself or something.”

I hadn’t really thought about why I stuck
with the working out, but thinking back I think it was a
culmination of wanting to prove something to myself, interest in
the MMA program and of course showing Sterling that I don’t need
him. Whatever the reason for my working out, it has nothing to do
with changing myself.

“I am not trying to change myself, I could
give a fuck what anyone thinks about me. My working out was a fluke
and now I am doing it because I like it. As for making “friends”,
fuck friends I don’t need them and the drama they bring.” I spout
out quickly until I see the look on Brent’s face.

“I didn’t mean that toward you Brent, I just
meant in general.” I try to take my foot out of my mouth.

“It’s all good not offended, I didn’t mean
to make an assumption either. But seriously you need to go listen
to this guy play, even if it is just for a few minutes.”

“Make you a deal, you kick my ass all over
this gym floor for the next, oh 39 minutes, and take your smelly
ass home shower and get yourself all looking hot to make me look
hot, then we can swing by Solo’s for a FEW minutes and then head to
Hunger.”

Brent doesn’t even bother to answer as he
reaches down by his side and picks up 2 fifteen pound dumbbells and
walks toward an open bench. “You coming Miller?” He calls over his
shoulder and I accept that as his agreement to go tonight.

W
alking through the front
door the low light atmosphere takes a minute for my eyes to adjust
to. The bar is starting to fill up which is shocking considering it
is only a little after 7:00 pm.

Brent walks close behind me as I steer
through the crowded tables that are mashed together to try and get
the most out of the small bar space. I notice a small table top
toward the front, off to the side of the stage and make my way to
it.

Leaning down to talk in my ear as I sit down
at the two top “What do you want to drink? You look nervous, should
we start with shots?” He says with a chuckle.

“What are you trying to get me drunk on our
non-date so that you don’t take advantage of me?” I sneer back
knowing he understands my humor.

“Miller, between the guitar dude and Zane,
there is ZERO chance for me, plus Paul would get jealous, he always
says you’re a sexy bitch he thinks I would turn for.” He playfully
says with a bright gleaming smile.

His statement makes me laugh a little too
loud and I notice a few heads turning to look at me so I quiet
myself down and let him know I’ll start with a vodka water with
lime.

Acknowledging my request he makes his way
toward the bar as I sit back a bit and let my people watching
skills kick in. Looking around I notice the crowd is a bit eclectic
ranging from a college crowd to middle aged; Bikers to business
suits; girl next door to high dollar ho’s. Ok, maybe not really
ho’s but well they are dressed like it. Looking around I don’t see
Jon anywhere which actually lets me breathe a little.

Brent returns with our drinks setting them
down on the table, and I notice the two shots he bought anyway.
Yeah, won’t admit that I really need the
shot.

“For my trainer, you sure are making it
difficult to be good.” Smiling I nudge his elbow with mine.

“Trainer or not, there are some times in
life that just require a little bit more of liquid courage than
others.”
Ooohhh how right he is.

Going straight for the shots we both lift
our glasses to make a toast but Brent beats me to it.

“Here’s to you Miller, may your evening be
filled with laughter, smiles and a whole lotta lovin.” He finishes
with his sinister smile which makes me blush.

I don’t even bother to ask what the shot is
as I tilt my head back and let it slide down my throat. Doesn’t
take me long to figure out it was whiskey as the liquid leaves
behind a burn and brings a warming settlement to my belly.
Holy shit that burns!

I guess the look on my face is funny enough
that Brent nearly falls off his chair laughing. Trying to shake the
effects of the shot and rid myself of the sour puss face I am
sporting, I reach for my vodka water right as a glass of ice water
is set in front of me. Looking up, his baby blues are smiling down
at me and a piece of me melt as I notice the smile on his face. His
hair messy but neat, allowing the little bit of gray to show
through if you look really close, and his face showing a bit of
stubble that he wears in the sexiest way. Dressed in a navy and
white striped polo and dark blue cargo shorts, he looks comfortable
yet still sets my toes on fire. Trying to put out the burning in my
belly, and my toes, I reach for the ice water and take a drink.

“Figured pure water would help more than
whatever is in that glass,” he says as he shifts into sight.

Finishing my drink, trying so hard not to
let it dribble out of my mouth like an idiot since my mouth keeps
wanting to go agape, I nod my head in agreement. “Yes, thank you, I
have a feeling the vodka added in would have done more damage than
good.” I smile back.

“I must say Reece, I am glad you came,
didn’t know if you would show up or not.” He says reaching around
behind him and grabbing a chair, he sits and reclines back a
little.

“Well, to be honest, you can thank Brent for
that.” I motion my hand over to Brent with a nod at Jon.

Looking at me with his penetrating blues, he
half rolls his eyes and head over in Brent’s direction. “Well
knowing that, I think I owe
Brent
another shot and a thank you.” Reaching his hand out toward him
Brent gladly reaches out and shakes his hand.

“Jon Ivers.” Shaking hands. “Brent Towers.”
They introduce.

“So I owe it to you for bringing her out,
huh.” Brent asked quizzically.

“Let’s just say it wasn’t too hard to
convince her.” Brent smiles looking at me which I will note I am
currently as red as a fire hydrant at this point.

My sheepish smile and raised eyebrows are
directed at Jon when he turns to look my way. He smiles as he gazes
at me for a minute. “I’m glad.”

The table gets a little quiet as we both
just look at each other. He seems to be very comfortable with the
silence and surprisingly I am too. Brent on the other hand is
clearly not.

“So Jon, how long you been playing?” Brent
asks, breaking into the silence.

Not looking away from me he answers, “For as
long as my hands could reach around the neck of the guitar. I’ve
been singing since I learned I had good pitch which according to my
mom was when I was about six. Now if you want to know how long I’ve
actually been good at it that might get a different response.”

Looking at him I couldn’t help but ask, “Ok
then, how long have you been good at it?”

Without skipping a beat. “Since about now
when you just said I was.”
Aaahhh he’s a smart
ass I like.

“Ha Ha. Seriously.”

“Good is an opinion, its relative, so, I
guess I’ve been “good” since someone thought I was.” He tilts his
head and flashes that grin again.

“Aaahhheemmm.” Brent chimes in disrupting
our gazing time. “Word is, Miller here has a voice and can play
too.”

Whipping my head toward him, my smile turns
to disbelief. How did he know I played, let alone sang? He’s never
heard me. I can’t believe he just told Jon that. I narrow my focus
on him if to convey to him to shut the fuck up, but apparently he
doesn’t understand my look. Jon looks away from me now and sits a
little surprised at Brent’s announcement.

Brent continues, “Yeah it’s not just the
word, I have heard her myself, but haven’t heard her play, yet.”
What does he mean he has heard
me?

“Oh don’t look at me like that Miller, you
don’t realize that you walk around singing half the time at the
gym, especially when you are doing Cardio. You zone off into your
own little world and people sit back and listen to you sing. No one
tells you to shut up because, well, we all like to hear it. Never
seen someone who could sing on key, in pitch and with earphones in.
So yeah, I know you can sing girl. The guitar part, well, I heard
that from someone else who will remain nameless.”

I feel the heat as it rises in my cheeks
from embarrassment, sure I know I hum along to stuff and
occasionally might sing a few words but never knew it was to the
point people were listening to me. Hands clenched together, I see
the effects of the white knuckles while they rest on the table and
my mind starts to overthink.

Under the table his warm hand comes to rest
on my knee in a reassuring way. The minute his hand touches my skin
I look at his blue eyes and my grip loosens and the blood starts to
flow through my hands again. Gently rubbing my bare knee with the
pads of his fingers I can feel the goose bumps and wonder if he
can. The small smile he gives is my answer. Brent seems to be
oblivious to the gesture under the table as he continues on and
starts to ask Jon different things about his singing and Jon
replies.

I have drifted off into my own world as I
look past Jon and see the stage lights start to come on and the
employees setting up for the night of music. The creeks in the
stage as they walk around make me smile to myself remembering a
time when being on stage made me happy. Red, blue, green lights
flicker on and off as the lighting is tested. A single black wooden
stool is set out behind the microphone stand. A younger boy brings
out a guitar stand and places the guitar Jon had been playing today
in it. Twisting the microphone in the middle he adjusts the height
down a little. I can almost feel the pull of the stage, to urge to
get, walk out sit down and just sing. I briefly close my eyes
thinking about it as the smooth rhythm which Jon is rubbing my knee
becomes soothing and hypnotic to a point I almost lose myself in
it.