Page 14 of Demo
“Don’t worry about it,” I said.
“Your pants will probably get wet, and maybe a little dirty.”
“Oh, but aren’t my panties already wet?” I looked up at him. “You know, since I’m like, so willing to fuck you?” It was Knox’s turn to try to pretend he wasn’t shocked.
I patted the spot next to me, indicating he should join me. And he did. Taking the same position as me, he made quick work of opening the bottle. “Can I interest you in some room temperature Jack Daniel’s?” he said while he uncapped it and poured.
When I didn’t answer he stilled and looked up at me. I nodded with a smile, because Tennessee whiskey was, in fact, my drink of choice. He finished pouring three fingers worth of liquor in each cup and handed me one, before capping the bottle and casting it off to the side. We clinked plastic cups and each took a sip, and I enjoyed the burn that cascaded down my throat.
We sat in comfortable silence for a beat, Knox with his arms hugging his knees, occasionally lifting one to take a drink, and me with my head leaned back against the building.
“Name that song,” I heard Knox’s voice from beside me, breaking the silence.
“Hmm?” I turned to look at him.
He nodded his head in the direction of the music, toward the venue down the street, keeping his eyes locked with mine. I closed my eyes briefly while I focused on the familiar melody.
“It’s a cover—”
“Yeah, I know!” I snapped. “Just give me a second.” Once I knew it, my eyes snapped open, and I saw his were cast downward … on my cleavage. I raised my eyebrows, letting him know I caught him in the act.
“‘Nutshell,’” I said softly, and he just stared at me. “Alice in Chains. ‘Nutshell.’ That’s the song.”
He nodded and shifted to face forward again. “You a grunge music junkie?” he asked, swirling his cup before taking another sip.
Looking down at my own cup, I contemplated the question. “Maybe not a junkie, but a fan.” I looked at him. “This may be hard to believe, but I was a bit of a wildcard in my teenage years.”
“No!” Knox fake-gasped, hand on his chest, much like I had done to him in the car.
“Har, har,” I said, nudging him with my shoulder. “But seriously, I was quite the angst-filled brat. I gave my parents hell. Thank God my older sister was a bit more studious than I was. Made them feel better, I guess.”
“But you still enrolled in college,” Knox pointed out.
“I sure did.” Knox didn’t press further. He reached over to pick up the bottle, gesturing toward my empty cup. I had hardly made a dent in my drink, but his cup was empty.
“Uh, not yet,” I said, and he nodded.
When we made eye contact again, I noticed his were a little glassy. Huh, was he drunk? I didn’t know him well enough to know if he would be driving around under the influence. But he was in control of himself, so I shook off my thoughts. He could have constant dry eyes for all I knew about him.
The song changed, along with our energy. “Name that tune,” I said to Knox, turning the tables on him. Without hesitation he answered. “‘Champagne Supernova.’ Oasis.”
“Ding! Ding!” I laughed at my own stupidity, then took another sip before going to stand. “Sorry, my ass is falling asleep.”
Knox stood alongside me, and we both brushed off our behinds. “This band must play a lot at that venue. They’re always playing 90s music,” he said.
“Hey, I can’t complain about that.”
“Nah, it’s good. I like it.”
Standing toe to toe with Knox, I realized he had a few inches on me, despite me being tall. A breeze tousled his unruly hair, and I noticed a faint scar above his eyebrow.
“What’s that from?” I asked, nodding while staring at the faint pink line.
“This?” He reached up to touch it. “Took a hammer to the forehead when I was six. You can blame Bram for that.” He chuckled a bit.
“The older, less attractive half of ‘and sons?’”
“That very one. Fucking cocksucker. Ruined this beautiful mug before I even had a chance to chase the ladies.”
