Page 14 of The Suite Life

‘Is that who he’s setting you up with?’ Kelly asks.

‘I guess so,’ I reply. ‘Do you know who he is?’

‘Yeah, he’s from a metal band – Chillz, I think they’re called,’ she tells me. ‘I met them once. One of them put the moves on me. Not this one, though. I think it was the singer.’

‘Lovely,’ I say, raising an eyebrow.

This should be interesting.

‘Gigi, do you have a minute?’ Tom calls out, beckoning me over.

‘Good luck,’ Kelly says through a stifled chuckle. ‘I’ll carry on trying to sort you out a decent date.’

Approaching Tom, I offer a curious smile.

‘Yes?’ I say simply.

‘Gigi, this is Kane, he loves metal music,’ Tom introduces with a hint of mischief. ‘And I was like, do you know who else loves metal – the biggest metal fan I know – Gigi!’

Kane’s lips twitch into a smile, which makes his lip ring move in a way that I’m sure would drive me mad if I had one.

‘Really?’ Kane says.

‘Oh, big time,’ I confess – of course, I’m lying. And Tom knows I’m no metal fan. I can’t believe he thinks this is going to work.

‘Favourite band?’ Kane asks, and I momentarily falter, caught off guard by his intense gaze and the fact that I don’t think I know any metal bands.

‘Aside from yours?’ I say with a smile, stalling, trying to buy myself some time.

I notice Kane’s T-shirt peeking beneath his leather jacket.

‘Probably Megadet,’ I confidently declare.

‘Megadeth?’ he says back to me, assuming he must have misheard me.

Yep, that makes more sense.

‘Yes,’ I say, trying to maintain my confidence.

Kane smiles widely as he opens his leather jacket to show me his T-shirt.

‘Wow,’ I exclaim, ‘I have that same one at home.’

‘Don’t tell me this square makes you boring for work?’ Kane teases, a playful grin on his face.

He’s obviously picking up on the fact that I don’t look very metal right now, because I don’t now, and I don’t ever. I don’t know what else to do apart from play along.

‘Yep, the loser,’ I reply. ‘I, obviously, dress much differently – more like you.’

‘That I would like to see,’ Kane responds, a twinkle in his eye. ‘Do you like Kronk Red Meat?’

Is that a band? A food? Something else?

‘Do I like Kronk Red Meat?’ I repeat back to him with a scoff. ‘Er, what do you think?’

Kane’s smile somehow grows even wider.

‘Of course,’ he says. ‘I’m going to see them tonight with some friends. Do you want to join us?’