Solstice Page 7

  I try to erase thoughts of Tanni from my mind. “What what?” I say.

  “You look like you saw a ghost.”

  I shake my head. I’m half-tempted to tell Reese about Tanni, but I know anything I say will sound crazy. “I guess I am a little nervous.”

  Reese puts his hand on mine, and his warmth erases Tanni’s words. “And gorgeous.”

  Driving on the streets of downtown Austin at night is a far different experience than taking the shuttle during the day. For starters, his car is self-powered and doesn’t have to stay on any kind of track like the shuttles. Reese turns down streets I’ve never even seen, taking us through the park and behind the theatre which is lit up like a torch despite energy restrictions. And second, it seems on Friday nights, every person who lives here is outside, walking in the streets, heading into bars. Reese swerves around pedestrians until he finally pulls onto the bridge that takes us across the river. The city thermometer reads ninety-nine, and I can understand why there are so many people outside. With as hot as the days are, relief from the sun is a gift.

  Reese stops on Sixth Street in front of a valet station, which clues me in to the fact that we’re not headed to your average restaurant. We get out, and he tips someone to take the car. Given it’s such a primo opportunity, two guys argue over who gets to drive it until Reese finally points at one of them. “You.”

  The argument drops. The kid Reese pointed at jumps in the driver’s seat, and the car disappears around the corner. We walk into an old hotel and take an elevator to the top floor. The air’s probably fifteen degrees cooler in here meaning they must have real A/C. Or illegal A/C. I try not to look around and stare at everything. But I notice every detail’s been precisely chosen. The black and white tiles. The golden walls. The bronze statues of Greek gods on pedestals in the middle of the walkway.

  Before I know it, we’ve reached a hostess stand. The hostess tries to tell us the restaurant is full, but Reese pulls out a bill and hands it to her; she smiles at him like he’s an angel and tells us a spot just came open. The sardonic smile she gives me tells me I’m not good enough to be here with Reese. Like she should be the one on a date. But she’s not. She’s only the hostess. Still, I don’t want to blink and wake up. I want to continue to defy my mom. And even though Chloe should be here in my place, a horrible part of me loves that I’m out with Reese. That he’s chosen me.

  The hostess takes us to a table in the back near a window overlooking the city where I can see the Capitol and four of the dome structures extending into the sky. I wonder how different it looked last weekend when the domes were sealed.

  “Nice view,” I say. “Good thing they were able to fit us in.”

  Reese sets his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers. “Bribery works every time. Watch. They won’t even card us.”

  Sure enough, a sommelier comes over with a wine menu and begins to make some suggestions, but Reese puts up his hand and orders a bottle of aged Chianti. I know the wine must cost a fortune; grapes are so rare these days. But, like everything else, this doesn’t seem to be an issue with Reese. The sommelier nods and moves away, taking the wine menu with him.

  I’ve certainly had wine before with my mom. But when the sommelier comes back with the bottle, shows it to Reese, and then uncorks it, I still can’t believe we didn’t get carded. Reese samples the bottle, nods, and tips the guy. I’m starting to notice a pattern. Large tips get you treated like a god.

  Reese pours a glass and pushes it my way. I pick up the tall glass by the stem and dare to sniff it. It mixes with the aroma coming from Reese, and I realize I want to relax—to quench the flurry of excitement running through me, so I take a sip and sit back.

  The wine does its job. It inches its way through my body, mixing with the butterflies in my stomach until the butterflies mellow and the wine settles in. I have a hard time making eye contact with Reese or even with the waiter, but I don’t mind. Just being out and away from my mom is intoxicating by itself.

  Reese keeps trying to ply me for information about my life. When I try to explain my mom’s compulsive nature, he nods. “Like my mother.”

  I shake my head. “No. My mom is way worse. She never lets me do anything.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Anything?”

  I smile and take a bite of my steak, licking the juice off my lips. “Nothing.” I point to the steak. “She doesn’t even eat meat.”

  “So I’m your first date.”

  “You’re laughing at me,” I say.

  He feigns shock. “Never.” He raises his hand, calling the sommelier over, and orders another bottle of Chianti.

  I ignore the stray thought that runs through my mind. That I wish I were on a date with Shayne instead. But he hadn’t asked me. Reese had. And here I am.

  “I’m not allowed to date,” I say.

  “Why? What is your mom afraid you’ll do?”

  “Maybe have fun?”

  Reese laughs. ”Because having fun is bad, right?”

  I shrug. “She just doesn’t want me to be away from her. She’s kind of possessive that way.”

  Reese nods. It’s a truthful if not complete answer. But I see no need to mention my father or go deeper into my dysfunctional family situation.

  “There was this time when I was little,” he says. “My sister and I got into this fight.”

  “You have a sister?”

  “Yeah. Unfortunately. She’s been a pain in the ass since the minute she sprang into existence.”

  I’d be happy to have a sister, pain in the ass or not. “What did you guys fight about?”

  Reese shifts back in his seat, and I can almost see him recollecting in his eyes. “It was when she was first allowed to do things without our parents. She was always tagging along. Wanted to do every single thing I wanted to do.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad.” Chloe had told me how she’d been the same way when she was little.

  He lifts his glass and takes another sip, so I do the same. “Yeah, at first it was kind of cute. But then she stole all my friends. Turned them against me.”

  “I hardly believe that.”

  But he’s not smiling, and I realize he’s not kidding.

  The memory seems to shift back to one of humor. “So we started this whole practical joke thing.”

  Which again to me sounds like fun. “My mom’s not big on jokes. She probably hasn’t laughed in ten years.”

  “Be thankful,” he says. “First my sister took every single one of my toys and melted them. She was brutal. She burned down my tree house and blamed it on lightning.”

  With global warming, fire is so against the law, the smallest penalty is five years. I arch my eyebrows to encourage him to continue.

  “So I shaved her head one night when she was asleep.”

  The image is a bit on the severe side. “Okay, so that does go beyond normal sibling rivalry.” Chloe’s brother had never shaved her head. But then again, she’d never burned anything of his.

  Reese sets his glass down, and his eyes almost tear over. If I wasn’t seeing it, I would never believe it. “I haven’t talked to her in years. Some days it feels like forever.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say because I’m not sure what else I can offer. My dad springs to mind. “It’s hard being alienated from family members.”

  Reese refills my glass, and if there were any tears, they freeze in his eyes. “Trust me, in this case, it was totally necessary. Our house was a war zone. And my mom freaked.”

  The idea of his mom freaking makes me realize I never want my mom to come back. And I never want the night to end. This date is way better than I ever thought possible. Reese is so easy to talk to, and I never would have thought it, but we have a ton in common.

  “You’re smiling.” Reese reaches across the table and takes my hand. I’ve set my wine glass down, freshly filled and only a sip taken.

  He’s right. I am smiling. “Is that okay?”

  Reese flashes
his teeth, and in his face, I see Shayne. I try to bring Shayne into my thoughts, but he won’t come. He’s slipped out of my mind; there’s not room for both of them, and right now, I’m totally occupied with the overpowering presence of Reese.

  “You are totally sexy when you smile.”

  I know my face must be bright red, but his comment only makes me smile more. “You’re not so bad yourself.” And it’s true. Reese has been perfect. Funny. Gorgeous. Reckless.

  “I love you.”

  His words stop my breath.

  “I swear I’m in love with you.”

  My eyes manage to find his and lock onto them. I’m sure he’s joking. But his eyes aren’t laughing. The blue’s darkened, and the emotion behind them makes me hold my breath until I realize I’ve stopped breathing.

  “You’ve known me less than a week.”

  His eyes continue to hold mine, not letting me go. “Just let yourself feel it, Piper. Let yourself believe in love at first sight. Think how good we would feel together.”

  He’s chipping away at the wall inside me. “But love…” I say.

  “I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

  I’m not sure why, but I feel the same way. Like part of me has known Reese since before I was even born.

  “I would do anything for you, Piper. Anything you want.” Reese won’t take his eyes off me. “If I can’t have you, it’ll kill me.”

  My mind tells me this is not standard first date conversation. I try to lighten the mood. “Isn’t that a bit extreme?”

  “Maybe. But I see nothing wrong with being extreme.”

  I can hardly form a response. “You probably say that to all the girls you date.”

  “Only girls named Piper who take my breath away.”

  I smile but stand and pull my hand away. “Can you take me home?” What I need is some fresh air. I can hardly take my eyes off Reese. He’s permeated my soul and moved deep into me. I feel nothing like myself, but I absolutely love the way I’m feeling.

  Reese’s smile returns and quells the edgy atmosphere. “Do you want to finish your wine first?”

  “I’ve had enough.” Actually, I think we’ve both had enough.

  Reese stands up, leaving a few bills on the table. Large bills. “Like I said, anything you want.”

  We don’t speak as we take the elevator down, though his arm is around me, pulling me close as if he wants the world to know we’re together. When we reach the bottom floor and the doors open, Reese walks out first and then takes my hand.

  My heart pounds, drumming in my ears so hard I’m surprised I hear anything else. But I listen to the doors shut behind us and the elevator gears start up again. Reese keeps hold of my hand, and sweat forms between our fingers. I move to let go, but he grabs my other hand, and with a single motion, he pulls me close to him. The wine’s thick and sweet on his breath, mixing with his already exotic fragrance. I can’t help but breathe it in, and I let it fill my lungs. But once again, I think of Shayne, and the image of his face finally comes to me. His black hair covering his forehead. His golden shoulders and mysterious eyes.

  I shake my head.

  “I’m just asking you to give me a chance, Piper,” Reese says. “That’s all.”

  He leans forward like he’s about to kiss me. I freeze, and my mind spins. I’m searching for the right answer. Trying to decide if I should kiss him. But before I can decide, his mouth is on mine. His full lips press into my own, and I feel them separate, his tongue slipping into the space in between. Even with the image of Shayne in my head, Reese’s presence takes over, and my own tongue meets his. I kiss him in return. I put my arms around him, pulling him into me with ferocity equaling his own. He tastes even better than he smells, and my mind plays out infinite scenarios of what the future will hold. What our future will hold.

  I never want the kiss to stop, but I force myself to pull back.

  Reese is breathless as he stares at me. “Just give me a chance.”

  The valet runs as soon as he sees us, and within minutes, Reese’s sleek, black car crawls around the corner. He helps me in and again buckles me up. His arm feels warm when it touches me, and part of me wants it to stay there. But the seat belt clicks, and he moves it away.

  The car barely makes a sound when it comes to a stop outside the Botanical Haven. I’ve only left a single light on in the place—upstairs. Even the plants need nighttime to grow. Especially with unending summer.

  I unclip my belt, and Reese does the same.

  “Thanks for a nice evening.” And I’m suddenly wondering what will happen now.

  Reese smiles with just a touch of humor that tells me he’s not ready for the night to end. “You’re not going to invite me in?”

  The part of me that feels like an imposter is screaming to invite him in. To explore life a little. But I think if I invite Reese in right now, he’ll never leave.

  I think I don’t mind.

  “Maybe for a couple minutes.” I’m aching to see what the next level feels like.

  “Right. Just a couple minutes.”

  Reese opens his door and starts to stand up, but five seconds later he sinks back into the seat, and it’s like he’s transformed. He grips his hands on the steering wheel and looks straight ahead. “On second thought, I better go.”

  “Really?”

  He takes a deep breath, holds it for a couple seconds, and then blows it out slowly. “Yeah, really.”

  “Why?” Have I done something to upset him in the last two seconds?

  “It doesn’t matter.” His words are clipped, and there’s no question in them.

  I put my hand on the door handle and pop it open and try to pretend I don’t care. “It’s okay. I’m tired anyway.” Which is a lie. My mind spins as it tries to figure out what happened.

  In case I was worried about Reese trying to kiss me again, I’m assuaged. He reaches over and pats my hand. “I’ll see you around, Piper.”

  Just like that. Like we hadn’t kissed back at the hotel. Like he hadn’t told me he loved me.

  I push the car door all the way open. “Yeah, I’ll see you around.” And then I get out and shut the door behind me.

  Chapter 11

  Desire

  I’m not two steps away from Reese’s car when it drives off. He’s left me, and now I stand alone in the darkness. I can’t help the tears that spring to my eyes. It’s like I’ve been dumped. He really left.

  I wipe away a tear, and that’s when I see Shayne. He’s sitting on my front doorstep waiting for me. Had Reese seen him? Could that be the reason why he went away?

  Our eyes meet, and Shayne stands.

  “Hi, Piper.”

  “Shayne?” I stop in my tracks and stand there and try to wrap my mind around the fact that he’s here waiting for me.

  He leans against the railing and gives me a crooked smile. “You’re home early.”

  My face heats up, but I don’t want to talk about my date—not with him. So I nod. “What are you doing here?”

  He runs a hand through his hair and looks out past me at the road where Reese had just been. “Making sure you got home safely.”

  My heart’s pounding at this point, and my head is spinning from the wine, and what I really need to do is sit down, not have some guardian angel figure hovering over me. As if my mother isn’t overbearing enough. “I’m fine.”

  His face falls the smallest amount. “I was just worried about you,” he says. And then he waits, like he’s not sure what to say next.

  “I’m sorry,” I say because I know I sounded bitchy. “The last week has just been a little crazy.” It’s a mild way to put things. I fumble in my purse for the keys and pull them out, but I drop them on the porch.

  He picks them up. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be checking up on you.” He hands me the keys, and I put them in the lock, and the door swings open.

  “Do you want to come in?” I ask quickly before I can think too much about it.

&nb
sp; He looks into the warehouse. It’s still dim, but he takes his time looking around. “Maybe not. I should probably get going,” he says.

  I step to the side and try to calm my heart when I answer. “I could make coffee.” The night has been nothing but hazy, and coffee should help. Coffee is safe. Plus he’d suggested getting coffee sometime.

  Shayne hesitates, shakes his head, but I motion for him to come in, so he finally does. The door swings shut behind him leaving the two of us alone in the dark. He stands a couple feet away looking at me, and then shifts his eyes down.

  “I’d love some.”

  “What?” I say.

  “Coffee. I’d love some.”

  In the space of seconds, I’ve forgotten all about it. “Oh, yeah. I’ll run upstairs and make it.”

  I turn before I say something stupid and ruin the entire moment. But my hand catches on the counter, and the pink calla lilies Reese brought me fall to the ground. The glass vase shatters on the tile below, and water splashes my feet. Reese’s cut flowers lay crossed over each other, staring up at me.

  Not only had I gone on a date with Reese, I’d enjoyed it. And I’d kissed him like there was no tomorrow. When I think back, it’s like I’m watching actors on stage. Like it was someone else and not me. And what about Chloe? She’s the one who likes Reese. I haven’t even thought about her since I got in the car. For the last few hours, all semblance of common sense has vanished from my mind. What kind of friend am I? It must have been the wine.

  I close my eyes and blow out a breath. “Ugh.”

  “You broke your vase.”

  I can’t help but laugh at his matter-of-fact tone which totally simplifies the whole night. “Yeah, I’ll clean it up later.” And I head upstairs to the kitchen.

  I make the coffee as fast as I can. Shayne is downstairs—waiting for me. I hardly believe it’s real. But I don’t want to jinx it, so I hurry and go back down.

  He’s near the counter, bent over with a broom.

  The bulb from upstairs casts enough light to see his outline. I set the coffee on our small ice cream table and walk over to him.