Chapter 2
TWO
Sam
Kirsten is beautiful.
Not just because I’m really into her.
Not because I’m almost positive I’m getting laid tonight.
No, Kirsten is genuinely gorgeous.
Honey-blond hair that hangs just past her shoulders in soft waves, big golden eyes that turn to liquid amber when she’s excited, and a body to die for. When she was seventeen, it almost killed me to put the brakes on things.
Now?
I’m a lucky guy.
So much so I agreed to take her to prom.
I didn’t go to my own, so this is a testament to how much I like her.
And I really do.
Beautiful, sweet, talented as fuck, and a lot of fun to hang out with.
It was hard to wait almost a full year to be able to spend time with her.
Now that I have, I’m all in.
Except, you know, I’m going on tour soon and she’s going off to college.
Our timing sucks.
We settle into the limo and she smiles over at me.
“You didn’t have to do this. We could have taken one of Ford and Sydney’s cars.”
I shake my head. “It’s prom. I wanted it to be special.”
“The fact that you’re here with me makes it special,” she says softly.
“I’m guessing making out has to wait until after we get to prom,” I say dryly.
She laughs. “Yes, please. My makeup took a lot of time. We went and had it professionally done.”
I shake my head. “You know you don’t need all that, right? You’re beautiful without anything.”
“Thank you. But like you said, tonight is special, and I wanted to feel special. I can be regular old Kirsten any day.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that.” I reach for her hand, and she closes her fingers around mine.
“There are a couple of parties planned for after,” she says after a moment. “I don’t know if that’s your scene or not.”
“Tonight, my scene is anything you want.”
“My friend Gina is throwing one, at her house, so maybe we could stop by for a little while and then… take off and do our own thing.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I say, leaning over to press a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’m fine no matter what you decide.”
She laughs. “You’ve forgotten what high school is like, haven’t you?”
I shrug. “Eh, maybe a little. Do your friends know how old your date is?”
She nods. “Gina, Elise, Jami, and Cathryn do. I didn’t tell anyone else because it would spread through school like wildfire, and I don’t have the patience. I’m already somewhat of an outcast because I’m a minor celebrity, so I don’t want to give them anything else to talk about.”
“Then why are we going?”
She turns to me. “Because it’s prom. It’s a rite of passage. And I do have friends I want to celebrate with. I want to dance and laugh and take selfies, so I can remember this night forever.”
“Then that’s what we’re going to do.”
Thank fuck I’m a decent dancer.
Prom is definitely not my scene, but I’m not dreading it either.
The guys in the band gave me a ton of shit about it, but it was all in good fun. They all know and like Kirsten and understand how important she is to me. They were a little wary when I first met her, because she was only seventeen, but I’m not stupid. I know that’s dangerous territory, so I made sure to wait until it was legal.
I think her feelings were hurt at first, and I hated that, but it was better for both of us.
“What were you thinking just now?” she asks softly.
“About the first time I saw you.”
“Yeah?” She cocks her head.
“You were so damn pretty, all I could think about was talking to you, figuring out who you were, and asking you out on a date.”
“My underage ass blew that fantasy to hell, huh?” She laughs.
“For sure. But we’re past that now.”
“Yup.” She leans forward as we pull up to the hotel where the event is taking place. Prom at her school is a big deal, with a sit-down dinner and all the bells and whistles. And I’m really glad I splurged on the limo because there’s a line of them as we pull up.
“Wow… look at all the limos.” Kirsten smiles. “I’m excited.”
“Let’s do this.” I wait until we pull up and the chauffeur opens the door for us. I get out first so that I can help her out and I’m gratified to see almost everyone in the area turn to look at her. There’s a photographer getting pictures of everyone as they walk in, and he immediately snaps a bunch of Kirsten.
Then I slide my arm around her waist, and we walk inside.
The hotel is swarming with prom-goers as well as regular guests and a pretty brunette with curly hair in a red dress comes running over to us.
“Kirsten! Oh, my God, your dress is fab!”
“Hey, Gina.” Kirsten hugs her and then turns to me. “This is Sam. Sam, Gina and her boyfriend Tony.”
“Nice to meet you.” I shake Tony’s hand and the four of us move toward the ballroom.
“I’m so excited,” Gina gushes as we walk. “You guys are coming to the after-party, right?”
“Of course,” Kirsten says.
“Did you bring a bathing suit?”
Kirsten frowns. “No… are we swimming? I spent like four hours getting my hair and makeup done!”
Gina giggles. “You do you, girlfriend. I plan to be in a bikini by midnight!”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Tony says, nodding.
“We’ll see,” Kirsten hedges. “Hey, there’s Cathryn and Mark.” She tugs my arm and we go in another direction.
It’s like that for the next half hour as I meet people I’m probably never going to see again and let her work the room.
Finally, it’s time for dinner and we settle at a table for ten. Gina, Tony, Cathryn, Mark, and what appears to be Kirsten’s inner circle. They’re nice enough, and I’m glad they don’t seem overly concerned that I not only don’t attend their school, I’m five or six years older than all of them.
I’ve gotten a few dirty looks from teachers and chaperones, but I’ve just kept my head down and tried to stay inconspicuous.
“Do you dance, Sam?” Gina asks as we’re finishing dinner.
“I will for Kirsten,” I reply.
“See!” She elbows Tony. “He’ll dance for Kirsten—why won’t you dance with me?”
“Because I’ll embarrass both of us,” he responds dryly.
“I. Don’t. Care.” Gina’s already standing up, holding out her hand.
He seems torn but then shrugs. “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You ready to dance?” I ask Kirsten.
The dance floor is filling up.
“I am.” She gets up and slips her hand into mine.
It’s so easy to be together.
I’ve been single for a while but I’ve had girlfriends, and none of them were as easy to be with as Kirsten is. She’s young and inexperienced in some ways, but she’s lived a lot too. She’s had more success than I have and probably makes a lot more money.
And yet, when we’re together it feels natural.
The DJ turns up the music and everyone swarms to the dance floor for Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” I twirl her around a few times and we laugh as we move to the beat. Despite not attending my own prom because I thought it was stupid, I can’t deny I’m having fun. Kirsten’s friends are sweet and laid-back, their boyfriends don’t seem to be interested in any pissing contests with me, and the energy in the room is almost tangible.
When the DJ puts on Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” every female in the room—including chaperones and hotel staff—sing every single word at the top of their lungs and I can’t help but join in. I wouldn’t call myself a Swiftie, but it’s a good song.
“You know Taylor Swift songs?” Kirsten yells in my ear, laughing.
“I’d have to be dead not to know her stuff,” I say.
Then the music slows down, and Kirsten moves into my arms like we’ve done this a hundred times. Her slim body presses against mine, and I wrap both arms around her, keeping my hands just above her curvy little ass. There’s a time and a place to cop a feel; this isn’t it.
Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” filters through the room, and I can’t help but feel like fate is telling me something. I’ve never been much of a romantic, so this is all new. Something about being with Kirsten brings out a softer side of me, and I’m not sure what it’s about.
Maybe it’s because I know what she wants to happen tonight and I want it to be everything she wants it to be.
Everything my first time was not.
Definitely not in the back seat of a beat-up old Honda.
Hopefully without any broken condoms or tears or regrets.
I want more for her.
For both of us.