The Perfect Emotion (9 page)

“Have you talked to Brandon yet?” 

“Yes, but it didn’t go well.  I asked if he knew why I was mad and he hasn’t admitted to it yet.”  I giggle at her sassiness. 

“Mags, he may not even realize that you saw him.”

“Exactly!  Even more reason for me to be upset.  He shouldn’t have been talking to her like that.  He knows how I feel about her throwing herself on him like hot fudge on ice cream.  We’ll see how he feels about his actions tonight when he gets the cold shoulder all night.”

“Okay, okay,” I say as I continue to laugh. 

“Kate, are you coming out with us?” Quinn asks.

“No, that’s okay.”

“Come on, why not?  You deserve to get out after all that hard work this week!” 

“Where are you going anyway?”  I ask and a spark of interest fills me that I wouldn’t mind being out with my friends, but the thought of going to a party still causes me to have anxiety.

“We are going to McGee’s.  Come on, come with us!  Pleeeeassse.”

“I don’t kn-,“ I start to say, but Quinn cuts me off.

“We would never let anything happen to you again,” she chides.

“Quinn that’s enough,” Maggie interjects.

“I’ll go.” They both whip their heads in my direction as soon as the words fall from my mouth.

“Really?!”  They both say.

“Yes, but I’m not drinking.” 

After much primping by Quinn I look like me only a better version.  My make-up is subtle and my hair is down in waves of ringlets that somehow stay in place.  I try to pay attention to these tricks of Quinn’s, but of course I can never replicate what she does.  Quinn heads out to her room to grab her coat and purse and I finish getting dressed.  I throw on a pair of my skinny jeans and a black eyelet peplum top.  Instead of wearing my most comfortable shoes I slip on a pair of wedges that aren’t too high of a heel.  I smack my lips together with my nude lip-gloss and turn around to look at Maggie.  Maggie is dressed in a pair of gray leopard skinny jeans that only emphasize her curves. 

“Dang girl, you look hot!” Maggie says as she throws her hand on her hip.

“Thanks, not so bad yourself.  I hope that is for Brandon though.” 

“He could be so lucky.  Hmmph.”  Her lips, covered in her signature red lipstick, curl up and then we both laugh as we grab our coats and purses. 

We head out into the hall and Maggie links our arms together. Quinn and Lynn are coming out with us now, but Jenna and Kelly are meeting us there later. I’m sure Derek and Brandon will be in tow too. As we are headed down to Quinn and Lynn’s room we have to pass Jenna and Kelly’s room. Their door is open and of course we stop, but Maggie immediately starts backing out once she sees Derek and Brandon in there. I follow in stride with her, but turn back to see Brandon coming out.

“Mags, stop please.  Come on, babe,” Brandon yells as we bolt towards the elevators.  I guess we’ll just meet Quinn and Lynn down there.  “Mags!  Tell me what I did and I’ll-.“  We can’t hear him anymore as the elevator doors close and we descend. 

“Whatever, tell me what I did. Are you kidding me? What an ass,” she says while still clinging to my arm.

“You are something else, Mags.  I won’t even say anything.”  She sneers at me and I try to lift my hands up in surrender. 

“Best not too, sweetie.  I need a shot and a stiff drink tonight.”  I smile at her and assure her that I can help her out with that.  Just because I’m not drinking doesn’t mean I can’t help the other girls have a good time. 

The four of us get into McGee’s without a problem. It’s crowded, but not packed. A lot of students have already left for spring break. Maggie marches us straight up to the bar in between a guy who looks like a regular, but too old to be at a college campus bar and a group of college guys. Lynn squeezes in next to Maggie to order a shot with her, while Quinn and I are both glancing to the back where the pool tables are. A shiver runs through me as I think about last year playing pool with Reed. Before I can get too lost in my memory Quinn nudges me.

“He’ll probably be here with Matt in a bit, you know?” 

“I assumed, but thought maybe he’d be gone for break by now.”

“He changed his plans when he heard you were coming with us,” she says with a flinch in her body language.

“Quinn!  You shouldn’t have done that!”  She smiles at me and let’s out one of her lighthearted laughs.

“Yes, I should have.”  That’s all she says and then scoots away up to the bar to order her drink. 

My heart is beating frantically, pulsing through me and landing in my ears… thump, thump, thump. Nerves race through me and my knees feel like they might buckle.  I should be furious with Quinn, but I’m not.  I should not be excited about this, but I am.  I’m biting down repeatedly on my lower corner of my bottom lip when Maggie hands me a glass of water with a lemon in it. 

“What happened?  You look nervous.”  Maggie says with an edge to her voice.  When her and Brandon are in off mode her bitchiness takes over.

“Quinn told Reed that I’m here.” I shrug my shoulders and look down into my water.

“Good,” she says with her bitchy sass. 
Geez.

“Hey, snap out of it Mags. You know Brandon loves you.” She shrugs her shoulders and then smiles.

We stand around the bar talking for a bit about what we are doing over the break.  Everyone seems to have some kind of travel plans.  My parents had wanted to take a trip together, but Daniel’s spring break is a different week.  Dad offered to send mom and I, but I declined. 

“Kate, there’s a guy kind of behind you with that group of guys that can’t stop staring at you. Do you know him? Don’t make it obvious!” Lynn says through the straw of her drink.

The four of us slowly rotate in order for me to get a casual look in that direction.  It’s the same group of guys that were next to us at the bar, but now there are more of them.  I take a sip of my water and scan the faces and then I see Andy without his glasses on.  He’s dressed more casual in a t-shirt and jeans, but he still looks put together.  His reddish hair is fixed perfectly like always too.  Our eyes lock and he waves through his friends.  I can see him mouth “Hey” to me.  I smile and wave back as I mouth “Hi”.

I shift uncomfortably for a moment and I’m sure the girls can pick up on it. Maggie guides us to a table in the open area of the bar. I don’t glance back over in Andy’s direction. Once we sit down the girls ask who he is and what’s going on with him. I tell them about everything. Lynn comments that she thinks he is really cute. I scrunch my nose a little, but agree that he is in a dorky kind of way.

“Yeah, but he’s not Kate’s type at all though.  Reed is more like it,” Quinn says smiling.

“Stop Quinn,” Maggie warns.  I just roll my eyes and turn a little to cross my legs.

We continue to sit there talking about boys, the semester and summer plans.  I’m relieved that Andy doesn’t come over to talk to me.  Eventually, Jenna, Kelly, Derek and Brandon come in.  They head straight to our table.  As soon as Brandon approaches Maggie stands and latches on my arm pulling me up and to the back of the bar to the pool tables.  I hear Brandon mumble something as we walk away, but I can’t make out what it is. Before I can realize what she is doing it’s too late. She heads us over to a pool table that Andy and a friend are playing a game at.

“Care if we join you, boys?”  Maggie asks Andy and his averaged height friend with dark hair. 
Shit. 
I already know that this will not help in deterring Andy from liking me. I want to be supportive of Maggie, but she really is being ridiculous. Who am I to stop her though?

“Sure, absolutely,” Andy says, before I can tell Maggie I’m not up for this.

We tell them that we want to break for first.  I get a solid and a stripe in off the bat.  After I call solids I kind of surprise myself when I get two more solids in.  I haven’t played since last semester, but somehow I’ve remembered some of my techniques.  Andy and his friend make comments about us trying to hustle them.  They offer to buy us drinks and Maggie accepts faster than I can shake my head no. 

At one point Andy comes to stand next to me and casually asks about how my test went.  Then he starts to tell me how good I look and that he really would like to take me out one night.  I don’t reply because I’m up to make a shot.  I pray that I’m able to get a couple shots in just to avoid answering Andy.  I’m bent down looking across the table and can see Brandon glaring across over at Maggie.  I give him a weak smile and he just shakes his head.  Maggie is off to the side talking to Andy’s friend.  I know that she is trying to get Brandon jealous and it’s working.  With concentration I line up my stick and make a perfect shot.  Maggie doesn’t even notice.  I walk around to the other side of the table to be able to make the next shot.

“Wow, great shot Kate.” Andy says. Then I hear the voice that always gives me chills the first time I hear it. It’s deep and smooth with confidence evident.

“Yeah, nice one Kate.”  I straighten myself up and dare myself to turn around.  I can’t even help the grin that breaks through my pursed lips.  Andy looks stonewalled.  I can hear Quinn’s giggle followed by Matt’s deep laugh.  Slowly, I turn and I instantly lose my breath when I see his blue eyes set on me followed by my favorite smile and wink.  Heat rises in me and I flush a shade of red up into my cheeks. 

“We’ll play the winners,” Reed says as he gestures to himself and Matt.  I know I’m doomed now and have lost all concentration.  Maggie has not been a huge help since she is well on her way to being drunk.

Seeing Andy’s face change from all gooey eyed to defeated only fuels my fire.  I loved that when I snuck up on Kate he could see the change in her face, body and breathing pattern by my words.  I know he saw the affect I have on her because I noticed right away and her back was to me.  When she turned and our eyes hit, her beauty took me back for a moment.  It always does.  After I smiled and winked at her she blushed from her neck to her cheeks in two seconds flat.   I love that I can visually alter her appearance.  I know Andy doesn’t have a chance in hell with her, but I figure I’ll humor him for a little longer.  The dirty looks Andy throws my direction don’t go unnoticed by me, but I ignore them.  Kate looks a little uncomfortable in between our glares, but she has nothing to be worried about.  There is only one way this will end.