Starting Fires (4 page)

By the time I began heading back home, it was around four in the afternoon. The sun was blazing and the air was humid. My A/C was still out, so the drive was utter torture. At every red light, I felt like I was going to die of dehydration. Of course, there was no wind either. Things cooled down when I was able to get on one of the main highways, but the damage had been done. My shirt was already damp. First thing tomorrow, I was taking her to a mechanic.

When I finally made it to my driveway, I could have kissed the grass. I was sweaty and my hair was a mess. Without looking in a mirror, I knew my face was flush. No doubt any make-up I was wearing had smeared or melted away. A pleasured groan left my mouth as I stepped into my nice, cool house. The TV was on and I could hear that some type of video game was being played. “Whew!” I yelled as I kicked off my shoes. “It is hot out there. I’m so glad to be…” I trailed off as I stepped into the living room.

All four guys were sitting around the TV, including Lucas. His hair was perfectly styled, and he was wearing a tight, white t-shirt, jeans, and no shoes. Noticing me, he smiled. Embarrassingly, I released a mirthful sigh and let my body sag, becoming completely lost in his gaze.

“You just get done working out or something?”

I shook myself out of it and turned to Wally. “What?” I asked.

“You. Working out? You look all sweaty.”

“Oh.” I’d forgotten about that. Here I was thinking that Lucas was the most beautiful man to walk the face of the earth and I most likely looked like a cavewoman. Awesome. “My air conditioner is still out. Know any place I can get it fixed?”

“I’ll take a look at it tomorrow,” Ian said, not taking his eyes of the TV. “Would do it tonight, but we’re playing at the bar in a bit.”

“You gonna come?” Charles asked.

Eh… I wanted to see them perform, but not right now. I felt gross, in desperate need of a shower, could think of nothing to wear, needed to unpack some boxes, and I probably should call my dad. “Maybe next time. I’ve got too much to do,” I said, making my way towards the stairs.

I glanced over my shoulder as I passed Lucas. His head was turned in my direction as he rubbed his neck, his eyes firmly planted on my backside. Immediately, my face heated and I sped up. As embarrassed as I felt that he was checking me out, I still couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face as I made it to my room. Hell, I may have even giggled.

After they left, I took a dip in the pool, showered, and called my dad. He didn’t have much time to talk to me but was pleased that everything had worked out so far. By the time I went to sleep, the guys were still gone.

Girly giggles echoing down the hallway roused me from sleep around 3 a.m. I heard Wally laugh with the mystery girl. As they crept to his room, he loudly shushed her. Moments later I had to endure more, uh, noises. I would have preferred the giggles.

I wondered if Lucas had brought home a girl, too. He most likely had. They were all single, all bachelors, all attractive, and all in a band. Everybody was probably enjoying some sexy time tonight. Even Charles. However, if he was, his girl was being much more discreet than the screamer in Wally’s room.

Jealousy and curiosity got the better of me and I crept to the window at the front of my room. I peeked out of the blinds and looked to Lucas’ house. All the lights were out. No strange cars were in the driveway, but that didn’t mean anything. I doubt he was alone. Huffing, I got back in bed, pressing the pillow over my ears as I tried to go back to sleep.

The next day, Ian looked at my car. He came over in nice jeans and a polo. His blonde hair was styled as if he was about to take a walk on a runway, not work on my air conditioning. The man hardly spoke and when he did, his voice was quiet and he never looked directly at me. I had to lean into him just to hear what he was saying. As soon as he was finished, he came into the kitchen and washed his hands. And I mean really washed his hands. He scrubbed and scrubbed, steadily talking the entire time, but the sound of the running water drowned out his quiet voice. All I understood was ‘Order part… Thursday.’

“So, Thursday? You can fix it then?” He nodded. “Alright, thanks.” He stared at me a moment, walked to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and then walked out the door. Hmm… Ian was strange.

By the time Thursday rolled around, I’d made plans to go out with Nicole and Lacey for lunch. Since Ian hadn’t been by to tell me that the part had come in, I suffered the heat and met them at a local restaurant. This time I dressed more appropriately.

As we waited for our food Nicole asked, “Do you live by yourself or do you have a roommate?”

“I have
two
roommates, actually. Wally and Charles. They’re in a band.” I noticed Nicole’s eyes expand a little at my news.

“Where do they play?” she asked.

“I think it’s a place called Burns. It’s a bar the lead singer owns. I haven’t had a chance to hear them yet.”

Nicole grinned. “We pass that bar all the time! We should go see them, right Lacey?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“When do they play again?” Nicole asked, bubbling over with excitement.

I smiled at her enthusiasm. “Tomorrow night, I think.” The three of us made plans to meet and have drinks—though Lacey seemed much less enthusiastic than Nicole.

Luckily, it wasn’t as hot on the drive home as it had been a couple days before. I wasn’t sweating nearly as bad when I pulled into my driveway. About an hour later, Lucas and Ian came over to fix my car. I was grateful and it didn’t seem right for them to suffer in the heat while I was in the air conditioning so I joined them outside. Hovered really.

There was no point to me being there. But I liked watching Lucas work on my car. Sweat shone on his forearms and every once in a while he would raise his shirt to wipe his forehead. I could see the beginning of black ink stretched across his ribs, but couldn’t quite make out the tattoo. A thin trail of dark hair traveled from his navel then disappeared under the waist of his pants. His jeans were resting low enough on his hips that I could see the beginnings of the V shape of his lower abdomen.

They had just finished when Lucas rose up his shirt a final time to wipe off his face. My mouth parted and I stared, trying my best to hold on to every second of this moment. Realizing that perhaps that might not be the best idea, I looked up to his face. He was already looking at me, so I knew that I’d been caught.

“We good, Ian?” he asked.

Ian nodded then walked towards his house. “Thank you!” I called after him. He didn’t turn around but threw a hand up in the air. Looking back at Lucas, I said, “And thank you,” more quietly.

“You’re welcome.” We stood in my driveway for a moment, a silence stretching between us. He fiddled with a wrench in his hand, and I kicked invisible pebbles into the grass. Just before it became too uncomfortable to bear he asked, “Are you gonna be able to come to the show tomorrow night?”

“Do you want me to?” I responded, not telling him that I already planned on it.

“Yes,” he smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Okay. I’ll be there.”

“Good.” He walked towards his house, and once he made it to his side of the street, turned back towards me. “You look beautiful today,” he yelled over.

My stomach flipped, and I didn’t know how to respond. “You, too,” was the best I could come up with.

He chuckled. “Thanks. See you tomorrow, Marzy.” I watched him wave before he walked through his front door.

Then, I floated through mine.

 

Chapter 4

B
usy acquainting myself
with my new home and town, I didn’t dwell on Lucas for the rest of the day, or the next. But that was then and this was now. It was around 7 p.m. and their show started at nine. Wally and Charles were leaving in about thirty minutes and I was riding with them. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, biting my nails, not having a clue what to wear or do with my hair. I was a bundle of nerves. I wanted to look good, but not like I was
trying
to look good. My hair was a big, frizzy mess, so I decided to start with that.

“Marlowe! Fifteen minutes!” Charles yelled from the end of the hallway.

Shit—I still had to get dressed. “Almost done,” I yelled back, frantically running to my closet. My light jeans caught my eye and I quickly pulled them off the hanger and up my legs. They were a little snug in the thighs, so I squatted to loosen them. I searched for a top. I knew that I needed to be comfortable, otherwise, my nerves would be even worse. I grabbed a black tank, and a pair of hot pink pumps that sucked in the comfort category, but made my legs look longer and miraculously thinner. Quickly, I ran into the bathroom and applied minimal makeup. Once finished, I rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping in my heels, but recovered as I walked into the living room.

Wally and Charles were waiting in the foyer. As I walked out the door, one of them smacked me hard on the ass, and I glared over my shoulder. Wally shrugged and pointed in Charles’ direction. “Yeah, right,” I mumbled.

From the outside, Burns looked like a run-down warehouse. Inside, it was anything but. To my left were pool tables. To my right was a bar that ran half the length of the wall. On the other side of it was a door that read employees only. In the middle of the room were a large number of tables, many already full. An open space was directly in front of the stage that looked like a dance floor. Some people were already utilizing it, and I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched an older woman saddle up to a young guy, grinding her behind against him.

Wally disappeared and Charles draped his arm around my shoulders. “Welcome to our home, Bird,” he said and began leading me through the crowd. Burns seemed like a friendly neighborhood bar—a place that I would’ve enjoyed even if I’d discovered it on my own. We approached a table, and I saw Wally out on the dance floor with that same older woman, showing her the time of her life. “I’ll go get us some beers,” Charles told me as I sat.

While I waited, I had the feeling that I was being watched and discreetly searched for the culprit. Leaning up against the bar was a man with dark, spiky hair. He was wearing a tight, black t-shirt and jeans that hung low enough on his hips that I could see his white boxers. He took a drag off his cigarette and smiled at me. Reactively, I politely smiled back, but looked away thinking he might get the wrong idea.

In my peripheral, I saw him leave the bar and walk towards me. “I’ve never seen you here before,” he said when he approached. He wasn’t a bad looking guy. I’d even say he was attractive. Up close, I could tell that he was wearing either mascara or black eyeliner and had gauges in his ears. He was a little heavy around the middle, but attractive nonetheless. Still, I didn’t like the way he was staring at me. The sexual gleam in his eyes made me feel uncomfortable.

“It’s my first time,” I said and looked around him for Charles. “I’m here to see the band.”

“Really,” he smirked then, without an invitation, sat down at the table. “What’s your name?” he asked, leaning into me.

“Uh.” For some reason I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to know it, but I didn’t want to come across as a bitch, so I told him anyway. “Marlowe.”

“Marlowe,” he drew out and smiled in a way that I’m sure he thought was super sexy. It wasn’t a bad smile. As I said, he was attractive, but from the way his eyes kept darting to my cleavage, I got the impression that he was only after one thing.

“I’m Fontenot. If you like music, I play a little, too.”

“Are you any good?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I’d said them with a courteous smile, but he probably thought I was being flirtatious.

Fontenot leaned in further and whispered, “Oh, I’m very good.” Yikes. I was about to excuse myself when I felt a hand at my shoulder. Lucas was standing behind me with two bottles of beer. He sat down in the chair to my left, scooting it close to mine. Once he settled in, he placed a beer in front of me and draped his arm along the back of my chair.

“Fontenot,” he said before taking a swig from his bottle.

“Hey, Lucas,” Fontenot replied, glancing at the arm around me. He laughed without humor and stood. “See you around, Marlowe.” As he walked away, I felt a tension I didn’t even know I had leave me.

“Who
is
that guy?” I asked, watching him head back to the bar.

“A dick,” was all Lucas offered. I couldn’t question him further because Charles, Ian, and Wally joined us. As he talked with them, Lucas leaned forward, putting his forearms against the table. I frowned, almost wanting Fontenot to return so he would put his arm back around me.

The three of them were deep in conversation about some sci-fi video game. Something about a shepherd and reaping, I couldn’t follow. Using the distraction, I leaned into Lucas, brushing my shoulder against his arm. “Thanks for the beer,” I said.

He looked at me and a slow grin spread across his face. “You’re welcome,” he replied then leaned in, closing the distance between our faces. “Are you driving tonight?” I shook my head. “Then you can drink all you want. On the house. I better not see a single dollar come out of your purse.”

“Okay,” I replied.

“I mean it, Marzy. Not one dollar bill.”

“I promise, but don’t blame me when I’m drunk and sitting in your lap again,” I said without thinking. Embarrassed, I drew my lips into my mouth and wished that I could take that back.

Lucas’ grin widened before turning towards me. He draped an arm over the back of my chair and placed his other on the table in front of me, caging me in. “I think I’d like that.”

Oh.

I couldn’t help it and smiled back. “Hey Lovebirds,” Wally said, effectively ended my daze. I turned and saw that all eyes were fixed on Lucas and I. Immediately, I sat up and brought the beer bottle to my mouth.

Lucas seemed unfazed and turned his eyes to him. “What?”

“We play in like 45 minutes. Is everything set up?”

“I checked it all before we opened. Should be good to go.”

For the next thirty minutes, the five of us chatted while we drank. Occasionally, I would feel Lucas’ foot or knee brush up against me. I wasn’t sure if it was accidental or not, but I loved every second of it.

When it was time for them to start playing, I remained at the table. It was close enough that I would have a good view of the show without having to be stuck in the crowd that was forming. I pulled out my phone to see if I’d received any texts from Nicole or Lacey. Just as I was about to ask them where they were, I felt a hand at my elbow, trying to pull me to my feet. Reactively, I resisted and threw a glare at whoever was trying to touch me. Realizing it was Lucas, I let my face relax. He had another beer for me and I stood. “Hey,” I smiled.

His fingertips left my arm and rested on my back, right between my shoulder blades. “You gonna come up front?” he asked.

“I was planning on sitting here.”

“I can’t see you all the way back here,” he said with a smile.

I turned towards him, putting our bodies close. “Well, where do you want me?” I didn’t realize the sexual connotation of my words until Lucas gave me a playful grin. Without a response, he began leading me towards the stage.

As I stood in the front, Lucas hopped up onto the platform. I searched the crowd for Nicole and Lacey and spotted them at the bar. Looking like an idiot, I waved dramatically to get their attention. Once they saw me, they smiled and came over.

“I’m so excited,” Nicole squealed and I couldn’t help it, I squealed, too.

I heard the speakers come on and watched Lucas approach the microphone. He was met with whistles, clapping, cheers, and a “take it off!” He smiled, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked down at me. “Thanks for coming out,” he said nonchalantly and the bar erupted.

Charles counted off on the drums and I watched as Lucas belted it out. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. The air rushed out of my lungs as I watched him pull back from the mic. Wally and Ian joined in with their instruments and Lucas grabbed the microphone stand as he reached the chorus.

He was wearing a dark grey shirt and every time he moved, the fabric rode further up his stomach. Unlike Fontenot, I couldn’t see his boxers poking out of his jeans. It was nothing but perfectly tan skin. I wondered if perhaps he was going commando, and couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through me. I was so mesmerized by his beautiful, strong voice, and too busy watching his neck strain to even pay attention to what he was singing.

Far too quickly, the song was over and the crowd went wild. Lucas smiled and looked to me. As our eyes connected, I swear his smile grew, so I flashed him as much teeth as I could and cheered. He ducked his head adorably and turned around to look at Ian. They whispered something to each other and then Wally started playing the first few chords of the next song.

The entire bar roared their approval and I realized they were playing
Hunger Strike
by Temple of the Dog. Lucas began singing Chris Cornell’s part. His voice was smooth and rich. Filled with emotion. Another voice joined in and I looked to Wally and Charles trying to see if the Eddie Vedder impersonator was one of them. To my surprise, it was Ian. Quiet and reserved in regular life, but up on that stage—still looking every bit the preppy fraternity boy—he poured out his soul into his microphone. I brought my hands to my mouth in shock. The entire bar began singing along. Not able to help myself, I added my voice to the choir. Seeing me enjoying myself, Lucas looked down and winked.

For the next hour, the band played some obvious crowd favorites, but mostly cover songs. By the time they were finished, I was sweaty from all the body heat pouring off the people around me and in desperate need of a bathroom break. I left Nicole and Lacey at the stage and rushed to the restroom.

There wasn’t a line, but the stalls were full. Two girls were carrying on a conversation about some “gorgeous guy” as they relieved themselves.

“You are so lucky,” one of them said. I rolled my eyes and wished that they would just handle their business and get the hell out of there. My bladder was bursting.

“I know,” the other sighed, flushing her toilet. I said a prayer of thanks and politely smiled as a pretty blonde came out. She held the door for me as I went in after her. The other girl joined her at the sink. “I’m gonna ask him to take me home tonight,” the blonde continued. “Last time, we made out in his car so long I could hardly stand it. This time I’m inviting him in,” she giggled.

Skank
, I thought and immediately chastised myself. I didn’t know anything about this girl and so what if she wanted to have a little fun. Who could really blame her? I wished I were more open about my sexual needs like that. A good, no strings attached, bang might be good for me. I thought of Lucas and gulped. Perhaps I wasn’t quite ready for that. Besides, he wouldn’t be someone that I could avoid once my embarrassment set in. I finished and walked to the sink to wash my hands. The blonde smiled in the mirror at me, and moved to the side as she fixed her already perfect hair.

When I walked back into the bar, I saw the guys still standing close to the stage with a crowd around them, along with Nicole and Lacey. Charles saw me and his face lit up. He reached through the crowd and pulled me to his side. “So, what’d you think? Do we kick ass?” he asked.

“You totally kick ass,” I smiled.

For the next two hours, I laughed with my old friend, Charles, and discovered that I genuinely liked Nicole and Lacey. They were fun and completely open. I didn’t see much of Lucas. Occasionally, he would join our table before he had to go deal with something at the bar or he went off to talk with other friends.

It was just after midnight and I realized that I’d barely spoken to him. With the alcohol running through my system, I felt brave. I wanted to find him, and spotted him behind the bar serving drinks. I walked up to the only open spot I could find. It was at the very end, right next to the bar trap. His hands were moving quickly as he grabbed a glass and scooped some ice into it. Next, they went for the bottles of liquor and I watched his forearms work with each movement.

Sensing my stare, he looked over to me and smiled. I waved and sat down on the stool. His eyes kept drifting over to me while he finished the drink order and collected his patron’s money. Once finished, he walked over. “Hey beautiful, you thirsty?” he asked.

My mind didn’t initially hear his question because I was so hung up on the beautiful part. Finally, it caught up and I giggled like an idiot. “Yeah. I could use another beer.”

Without leaving the space in front of me, he reached down, grabbed a bottle from underneath the counter, and flicked the top off with his bottle opener.

I took a tiny sip, and made an
Mmm
sound. He watched my mouth the entire time, the smile never leaving his. “What are you doing behind the bar?” I asked.

“One of our bartenders is out tonight. I gotta fill in.”

Charles walked up and squeezed in beside me. “We’re heading home, Bird. Gonna give your girls a lift. They’re so trashed.” I looked over his shoulder and noticed that they
so
were. Both Nicole and Lacey were stumbling and giggling uncontrollably as Wally twirled them around on the dance floor. “You ready to go?”

I probably should. If they left, I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to. “I can give you a ride home if you want to hang out a little longer,” Lucas said.

A choir of angels sang in my head and I beamed at him. “That would be great!”

“I’ll be here another hour or so until the crowd dies down. That okay?”