Backstage Pass (2 page)

He shrugged and turned toward the house. Axel was almost to the door.

“Fine,” I shouted.

Jesse looked over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. “What?”

“Fine. Fine, you can walk me home.”

He grinned and jogged down the steps. I ducked my head and sped up. “Come on.”

“Sash!” Axel’s voice carried across the lawn, but I didn’t look back. Jesse paused and jerked his thumb toward the house. “Hey, you need to get that?”

I quickened my pace. “No. Keep walking.”

Jesse caught up. “So did you like the show?”

“It was okay.”

He laughed. “Seriously? Just okay. You’re a tough sell.”

“The Kansas cover was nice.”

“Wondered if anyone caught that.”

“I’m a music snob, just so you know.”

“Like you only listen to classical or something?”

I squeezed my eyes and shook my head. We rounded the corner of the block and I slowed. “No, like I know good music and don’t listen to crap.”

“So I guess I should be glad you stayed.”

“Kerri made me.”

“She seems cool.”

I stopped. “You don’t need to walk me the rest of the way.”

Jesse held up his hands. “Okay, she’s
not
cool.”

“I just needed you to get me out of there. I can walk the rest of the way by myself.”

“Nope.” He jutted his chin forward. “My moral code insists I walk all damsels in distress all the way to their doors.”

Ugh. Creep-alert.
I sighed and started walking again. “Whatever.”

“We have Lit together, right?”

“Mr. Wracks.”

Jesse tapped my shoulder. “Yeah. You always sit in the front. Are you a nerd?”

“I showed up late on the first day. That was the only seat left. Now it’s just habit.”

We walked in silence past a few driveways. “So that guy you were kissing. Are you two a thing?”

“No!” I blurted, then recovered. “We’re just friends.”

“Like friends with—”

“Don’t even say it. No, there are no
benefits
of being my friend.”

“Okay good, because I wanted to ask you out.”

I jerked to a stop and spun to face him. “Are you out of your mind?”

His eyebrows rose in a perfect arc. “I didn’t think so. I like you and want to spend more time with you.”

I crossed my arms, and narrowed my eyes. “But you’d have settled for friends with benefits?”

He held up his hands, palms out. “No. God no, just didn’t want you giving them to that guy.”

Jealous much?
“I don’t date musicians.”

Jesse started walking. “Yeah, me neither. So tomorrow night?”

“No.” I huffed and followed. “Aren’t you listening? No musicians.”

“I’m just a guy in your Lit class.”

“And a musician.”

“I’m sure you have a hobby I won’t like. We’re a wash.”

“Ugh.” I threw up my hands. “You’re not even listening.”

“See? You’re kind of a nag, totally cancels out my band.”

My eyes widened. “You’re already calling me names?”

“You nagged, I merely called you on it. Is Sunday better? We could do lunch.”

“We’re not going out.”

“Breakfast, tomorrow morning. Seven. That’s not a date.”

I paused at the end of my sidewalk. “You’re not going to let up, are you?”

Jesse flashed that irritating all-teeth grin. He tapped his right toe on the sidewalk. “Meet you right here.”

“Thanks for walking me.”

“My pleasure.” He turned and strolled up the sidewalk.

I watched his back until he turned the corner, then shook my head, and went inside.

I rolled over and smacked my alarm clock. Fog clouded my brain.
What class do I have this morning?
I stared at the blinking numbers on the clock. Saturday. Today’s Saturday.

I rubbed my eyes, then swung out of bed and pulled my running shoes on. More fog parted and I remembered Kerri texting in the middle of the night. She stayed over but wanted to meet for breakfast at nine.

Plenty of time to get a run in and get ready. I swiped a banana and my iPod off the counter. Jamming the buds into my ears, I jogged down the stairs then sped up when I hit the sidewalk. Easy six-miler today. Clouds covered the sun, lending a gray cast to everything in the neighborhood. Early enough that it wasn’t yet hot, but humidity already clung to my skin. A car sped out of a driveway and I hit the hood with my hand as I swerved. “Running here!”

An old man scowled from behind the wheel.

“Yeah, back at ya, bub.”

I bounded off the sidewalk and into the road. This section with its cracks and heaved pavement always made me nervous about rolling an ankle. But the narrow road and parked cars gave me the freaks. No one ever looked, obviously.

Another block passed. I leaned forward and sped up. Blood pumped through my thighs and air filled my lungs. Today was a good day. Maybe even good enough to beat my personal best. One more block down.

At the light, I pressed the crosswalk button and jogged in place. I wasn’t winded at all, and right here was usually when I started feeling a twinge. The cross-traffic light turned yellow and I scanned the opposite sidewalk. A runner in a hoodie moved steadily toward the intersection. He’d get there right about when the light changed. My walk light flashed white and I took off. Out of habit, I smiled at the runner as I went by.

My feet stuttered. A familiar grin lit up beneath the hood. I kept running.

“Wait up,” Jesse called. The entrance to the park beckoned less than twenty feet away. I surged forward. He gained. Footsteps intruded over my music. I swung right into the entrance and he materialized at my side. “Great day for a run.”

“Go away.” I sped up but he matched me again. I slowed and he did.

I glanced sideways, but he stared straight ahead, comfortable at my pace.

Fine. We’ll see how long he can stick with me.
The path curved downward and to the left. I lengthened my stride and sped up. Jesse didn’t fall back an inch. My chest tightened as I reached my max speed. Jesse’s relaxed face made him look like he was out for an afternoon stroll. Of all the people to be a runner.

I finished the lap and slowed to a jog.

“You’re fast. What’s your best mile?” He wasn’t even winded.

“Nine, five.” I gasped like a landed fish.

His eyebrows lifted. “Nice.”

Even though I didn’t want to, I asked anyway. “Yours?”

“Eight, fifteen.”

I grunted. No chance of ever ditching him then. A bench sat tucked back beneath two oak trees and marked my six miles. I stopped and sat. As expected, Jesse plopped down and stretched his arms along the back. Blood surged through my thighs, making them tingle. I leaned forward and stretched my hamstrings.

“Where do you want to eat breakfast?”

“Already with that?”

Jesse tugged a lock of my ponytail. “It’s just food, Sasha. You can’t run and not eat.”

I huffed. His annoying suggestion wouldn’t be so bad if I had anything in the fridge. Grocery shopping day was Sunday, and since we went out Friday and most of Saturday, it worked.

Until today.

“Fine. Waffle House.”

“Really? Wow, I totally figured you for Pesto’s or Jinnie’s. Somewhere totally granola and organic. Waffle House—that’s sweet.”

“First you call me a nag, and now you’re making fun of my eating habits?”

“Totally not making fun. I love it. Women never eat around me. Especially on dates.”

“One. This is not a date. Two. I just ran six miles. Granola is not going to work.”

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and tugged me hard against his side. “Woman after my own heart.”

I wrestled my way out of his grasp and stood. Balancing one hand against the back of the bench, I stretched out my thighs. Though I’d never admit it, today
had
been nice with someone pushing me. Maybe next time I’d make Kerri go.

“Do you need to go home, or should we jog down the street?”

“Not a date, so I don’t need to primp.”

“Well, you look beautiful.” Jesse turned and walked toward the Waffle House.

I ducked my head, frustrated at the heat in my cheeks. No matter what Jesse said, there was no way I was falling for him. He had disaster written all over him. At the Waffle House, he held the door, and pulled out my chair.

I set my menu aside and leaned forward. Over the top of his, Jesse’s head moved back and forth as he scanned the selection. His head paused and he lowered the menu just enough for me to see his questioning brows.

His eyebrows rose. “You already decide?”

“This is not a date.”

He lifted the menu back up.

I sighed and glanced at the inside of the first page. Triple threat—sausage, waffles, eggs. I got it every time. If he wanted to see me eat, then he was in for a treat.

The waitress brought waters and we ordered. I folded my hands on the table and looked out the window.

“What’s your favorite class?” Jesse asked.

I tipped my head. “Design studio.”

He mimicked my head tilt. “Like painting?”

“No. Landscape architecture.”

He stroked his chin. “Interesting. I’m learning all kinds of things about you.”

I opened my mouth, but he didn’t let me interrupt. “I’m so glad this isn’t a date.”

I settled back against my chair. “What’s yours?”

“Cross Border Mergers & Acquisitions.”

“Business?”

“Finance.”

“So, when you’re not rocking out, you’re going to be sporting a suit and tie?” I laughed. “Not seeing it.”

“I clean up really nice,” he said, sounding mildly offended. “And I have to do something until the gigs take off. My parents wouldn’t pay tuition otherwise.”

“Fair enough.” I crossed my arms across my stomach, retreating from the conversation. Did every musician think it was just a matter of time before they hit the big time? My ex’s delusions about it were why I broke it off. Well, that and when I told him to stop dreaming. My heart twisted. I could be such a bitch sometimes.

A bike raced past our window, crossed the street, and sped down the other side.

I had good reasons before my ex for not dating musicians, but he’d only solidified my feelings.

The waitress refilled our coffee. I added more cream until the black coffee turned tan. I cradled it between both hands and pressed my lips against the rim. Jesse slouched against his chair.

“Do you have brothers or sisters?”

I shook my head. “Nope, just me.” I took a sip of the coffee. “And my mom.”

Jesse blinked, but didn’t ask about my dad. His features softened and he smiled. “I have two older brothers and a little sister.”

The apples of his cheeks lifted and a tiny dimple appeared beneath his right eye. I hadn’t seen that before, even when he’d teased and laughed.
He must be close to his family
. “What’s that like having a big family?”

“Awesome and awful at the same time. We’re always on top of each other. My sister is a complete princess, very tiny and breakable. She’s had us all wrapped around my finger since she showed up. My brothers are loud and obnoxious, but chill. My parents are big fans of the family trip, so our summers were packed with camping and boating.”

“I’ve never been camping.”

He leaned forward. “Ever?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

He chuckled. “It’s fun. Our family is crazy, we don’t do regular campgrounds. My dad loved finding the most obscure places that barely had a road.”

“Did that freak your mom out?” I couldn’t imagine camping in a KOA, let alone the middle of the wilderness. So not on my bucket list.

“Nah, she usually helped him plan where we were going. My sister hated it though. Dirt does not mix well with her.”

I smiled and set my coffee cup down.

“This one time,” Jesse braced his hands on the table and laughed, “we were swimming in a natural hot spring and my older brother, Stu, found a huge strand of this kelp-seaweed stuff. He’s a complete jokester and lives to freak Miranda out. My mom had barely convinced her to get in the pool and that it wouldn’t ruin her new pink suit. She was swimming and Stu came up behind her and pretended the seaweed was a monster attacking him.” He laughed hard enough to disturb the nearby tables. “She screamed, and swam for her life, kicked Stu right in the face and broke his nose.”

My hands flew to my mouth. “Oh no!”

He leaned back, barely able to talk he was laughing so hard at the memory. “It was priceless. She didn’t talk to him for the rest of the trip.”

“Were your parents mad?”

“No. We were trying not to laugh because Miranda was so upset, but it was hysterical. I’ve never been back there, but I think that was one of my favorite trips.”

“Because of the sea monster?”

He chuckled again, unable to quit thinking about the memory. “This little hot spring was surrounded by mountains. It looked like a giant had literally carved a pocket out of the side of the mountain. We went in the middle of summer, so the fields were overflowing with wildflowers. I’ve never seen anything like it.” There was a wistful, genuine tone under the laughter. “I wrote my first song there.”

I heard the expectation in his voice. He wanted me to ask him about the song, or for me to blush and ask him to sing it. Very familiar territory. And not anywhere I wanted to trespass again. “Sounds beautiful.”

“Very.” His eyes pinned me. “I’d like to go back again.”

I swallowed and forced myself not to wiggle beneath his scrutiny.

The waitress arrived and set three plates in front of me and one heaping stack of pancakes in front of Jesse. He grinned and grabbed his fork. “Dig in.”

I filled every square of my waffle with a methodical precision. I looked up at Jesse and dared him to comment. He kept his face passive and took the syrup bottle, drizzling a spiral over the top of his cakes and down the sides.

Plucking a sausage link, I dipped it into the syrup and bit the warm skin. Flavors flooded my mouth and I licked my lips. Jesse forked a tower of pancakes and a companionable silence descended on the space while we ate. Between bites, he set his silverware on the table and blotted his mouth with a napkin.

Not horrible eating across from a guy with manners.

Truly, there wasn’t much about Jesse that was horrible. I sneaked a glance from beneath my lowered lashes. There was no denying his good looks, but I knew a ton of cute guys who weren’t funny and entertaining. Jesse didn’t have the jacked up home life most bad boys rebelled against, and he seemed to genuinely like his siblings and parents. Too bad about the music thing, but maybe we could just be friends.

My heart twisted. I needed to find Axel today and mend things with that friend before I worried about adding a new one.

I sliced into my waffle and syrup pooled onto my plate. I swirled the waffle bite around and hurried it to my mouth before it dripped. While I chewed, my phone beeped. I wiped my hands and read the text.

Trey is a douche. Where R U?
flashed on the screen from Kerri.

“Everything okay?” Jesse asked.

“Kerri and Trey must have had a fight this morning.” I looked around for the waitress. “I need to get this to go.”

Jesse flagged a busboy down.

“You don’t have to go,” I said as I pushed my plate away. “Really.”

“It’s fine.”

No, really.
I didn’t need him tagging along while I tried to find out what Trey had done now. This was a weekly occurrence for the two of them. All Kerri needed was a little attention and Trey would show up in a few hours with flowers and apologies.

The waitress brought our check and Jesse asked for boxes. She hurried away and I slipped my hand inside my bra for the twenty I kept there when I ran.

Jesse’s eyes widened.

“What?”

He cleared his throat and fought a smile. “Nothing.”

The waitress boxed our meals and I added another flood of syrup before closing the lid. Jesse’s smile broke. “Have you thought about joining a Syrup Anonymous support group?”

I smiled in spite of his teasing. “I have a problem. I freely admit it. That’s why I run.”

He held up his hands. “Hey, your addiction.”

At the register he tried to pay, but I shoved him aside and handed my twenty to the cashier. “Separate checks, please.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Not a date.”

He winked and I spun around. I was going to have to talk to him about that if we were going to just be friends.