The Gathering (23 page)

“Can I ask you a question?”

Sam looked at her and noticed her tone as being one that might lead to something of importance, so he stopped eating and nodded his head, as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Sure.”
 

Coeli bit her bottom lip and Sam felt his skin tingle.

“Are you sure you wouldn't rather be here with Sara right now?
 
I mean it's ok, if you do; after all, she's really beautiful…”

Sam took a deep breath and scooted his chair in closer to the table, setting his éclair down on a napkin and licking the excess chocolate off his thumb as he reached for Coeli’s empty hand.
 
As his fingers closed around her hand, she began to shake ever so slightly and the pounding of her heart became increasingly louder.
 
She laid down her pastry on another napkin, wiping away the excess chocolate and looked at Sam, who was gently smiling at her and lightly moving his fingertips over the palm of her hand, which made her dizzy.

“I’m gonna be honest, ok?”

Coeli nodded and braced herself for the worst.

“For the last year or two, all I ever thought about was Sara.
 
The thought of her got me through the worst of days.
 
I haven’t dated any other girls, because I thought she was the one.
 
I'm pretty sure my mom thinks I’m gay."

Coeli started to smile.

"I had it all figured out.
 
Tonight I would finally tell Sara how I felt, but then today something happened before we left Pasadena and I didn't think of Sara, I thought of you.
 
I mean, I was thinking of all the people that I loved, and I thought of you.
 
Then when we got here and I was talking to Sara, but I just wanted to know about you.”

Sam stopped and looked into Coeli’s eyes, which were wide and round.
 
He felt her tremble under his touch.
 

“I think it was you all along, but I must have thought you were too young or something lame like that.
 
Anyway, I get here today and you're not a little girl anymore, you're a woman."

"A woman?"

Sam smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah."

Coeli felt her heart beating hard and fast.

"I guess I was just waiting for you to be old enough," he said.

Tears filled Coeli’s eyes as she sat staring at their hands.
 
She raised her head and looked into his blue eyes.
 
He furrowed his brow.

"I know, this all sounds stupid, but it's true, Shay."

Coeli nodded and then shook her head.

"I believe you.
 
I’m just happy that it's me you want.
 
I mean, well, you know…"

Sam held up his hand and she stopped.

"You got it right.
 
It's you that I want."

She then smiled brightly and stood up, pulling Sam with her.
 
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
 
Her hair fell against his face and he could smell the jasmine on her skin.
 
He buried his face against her and breathed deeply, growing heady from the scent.
 
He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

Coeli’s heart was trying to explode out of her chest as she hoped to stay in this moment forever.
 
She felt Sam pull his head back and she looked into his eyes.
 
He slowly traced the outline of her lips and her cheek with his thumb and stared into her dark eyes.
 

"So does this mean you might want me, too?"

“Yes,” she whispered.
 
“Oh, yes.”

Sam smiled and gently pressed his lips to hers, soft and gentle.
 
Every cell in her body felt like they were bubbles popping all at once.
 
It was as if the world had slipped away and they were completely alone.
 
     

They heard someone singing in the distance and as they held one another, they danced.
 

28

As the clocks in Lia Fail began to strike midnight, Alia realized that she was having fun.
 
She looked around the table at her dearest friends and felt at peace.

Vivian Shorely came bursting through the doors of Donagan's, looking around frantically.
 
Alia saw her and laughed quietly to herself.
 
She lifted her arm.

"Over here, Vivian."

"Why’d you have to do that?"

Alia hushed Sean, who should have been drunk, but only showed signs of fatigue.

Vivian rushed over.
 
Breathless, she gathered herself.

"Oh, Your Highness.
 
We’ve won the first round!
 
The Fail took first in the cake competition."

Sean slammed his stein down and jumped up on a table, raising his arms.

"Everyone, Chancellor Shorely has just informed us of the results of the cake competition.
 
Lia Fail has won first place with…"

Cheers erupted as he squatted down and leaned into Vivian.

"Who got second and third?"

Vivian folded her arms and sighed.

"The Crystals came in second and Bethel Israel came in third."

"All right!" boomed Aaron Levine.

Sean stood back up.

"Ok, Crystal’s number 2 and Israel number 3.
 
Let's give the Chancellor a round of applause for her hard work."

The pub erupted in cheers for Vivian, who tried to look offended, but really was enjoying it all.

Sean jumped off the table and walked over to Vivian and Alia.
 
Alia took her hand.

"Congratulations, Vivian.
 
I knew you could do it!"

Sean then smacked her rear end and winked at her.
 
She sharply inhaled and her face looked more pinched than usual.

"Good job, Viv!"

He then looked into his cup, realized he was empty and wandered off to get more to drink.

Alia was biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing, so when Vivian turned back around, Alia just tilted her head and looked at her.

Vivian then straightened out her suit and folded her hands in front of her.

"I just wanted you to know, Your Highness."

"I’m glad you came to tell us, Vivian.
 
It's a wonderful start.
 
I know you’ll continue to do well."

Vivian smoothed her short black hair back, smiled softly and turned towards the door.

"I will do my best, Your Highness."

With that, Vivian walked away briskly, nodding to all around her as they applauded until she left.

Sean returned with several full steins.

"Why do you have to do that to her?"

Sean looked at Alia.
 
He shrugged.

"It's just the nature of our relationship, that's all.
 
She irritates me, I irritate her…"

Alia smiled and shook her head.

"Uh, huh…then what's the nature of our relationship, Sean?"

Everyone at the table suddenly stopped talking and looked at Sean, obviously waiting for an answer.
 
Alia turned her head to look at them.

"Did I miss something?"

"Nope," responded Larry.

"Nothing," from Grant Turner.

Janeen shrugged and took a drink, then looked at Ellen and Lorraine, who also shrugged.

Alia turned back to Sean, who was looking at the clock on the wall.

"Well?" she asked.

"You don't irritate me."

"Well, that's good."

"I wanna dance with you."

"That's it?”

Sean nodded and smiled while he held out his hand.
 
Alia smiled and shook her head.
 
She took his hand and they walked out to the crowd.
 
A slow song began to play and Sean looked into Alia's eyes, still smiling and pulled her to him.
 
They fell into a rhythm and slowly her cheek was next to his and he had pulled their hands to his chest.

Ian and Kaley were dancing, when Kaley noticed that her mother was now dancing with Sean and she watched and smiled.
 

Sean could feel Alia's fingertips against the hairs on his neck and he fought every urge he had to sweep her into his arms and tell her the nature of their relationship, but now wasn't the time.
 
His hand moved to the small curve in her back and pressed slightly so she would follow his moves.
 
He could smell the perfume of her hair mixed with the sweat of the night and he allowed himself to bury his face against her neck.

She felt the stubble on his face against her neck and she quivered.
 
She fought against telling him how she felt.

They continued to dance as all their friends waited for them to finally realize the desire they both felt for one another.

29

Chris and Tanner Stark watched with interest as Ian danced with their sister.
 
David Levine walked over with Corey Hearst.
 

"Where you two been?" asked Chris.

Corey rolled his eyes as David laughed.

"Apparently Brittany Roberts has taken quite a shine to Corey here."

"Shut up."

Tanner slapped him on the shoulder.

"Well done!"

"It's not funny."

"She's pretty," Chris said.

"Yeah, but I’m not interested and she's really coming on strong."

David nodded and shrugged.

"Are you interested in anybody?"

Corey shrugged and looked over that group of the younger girls watching the four of them.
 
Tanner looked over as well.

"Not my sister, I hope."