AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When your band plays on Saturday Night Live I think it’s kind of hard to go back to being ‘normal’.”
“You saw that?” I hated the eagerness and desperation in my voice. Why did I care if she saw my band on some late-night TV show?
Because it was a big deal, I said to myself. I was proud our music could speak to so many people. Maybe, if Darcy had taken the time to watch the show, she was someone our music resonated with. This was the whole reason I loved music: it could speak to people and, I hoped, make them feel less alone.
“I saw a clip on Instagram,” Darcy said, but she was looking away again and her voice sounded bored. My hope that Darcy liked our music quickly evaporated.
“Anyway, I didn’t mean to derail the open house. I hope it didn’t hurt business or anything like that.”
“Don’t worry, Liz got three offers on the place—one of them way over asking.”
“Congratulations!” I said, smiling at her. “She’s always been a persuasive saleswoman.”
“Remember when she sold those school candy bars for two dollars instead of one and pocketed the profit?”
“I had forgotten that!” I laughed as I remembered the crumpled-up one-dollar bills Liz would pull from her backpack during the school fundraiser.
“She tried to sell them to my friends for three dollars. And some of them actually did it!”
This was one thing we could comfortably talk about: Liz. My sister had always been a social butterfly, pulling people together wherever she went. It was no surprise she was doing it now, even when she wasn’t in the room.
As Darcy laughed I felt the tension between us begin to melt away. I felt comfortable enough to abandon my walk down the aisle and cross over to the desk where Darcy was sitting.
“Seems like the real estate business is going well. You’ve done a lot since the last time I saw you.”
“Well, not as much as you.” The way she smiled at me, just one corner of her mouth turned up, made my stomach flip. “You, the international sensation, and all that.”
“Accidental sensation,” I corrected. “Sometimes I wish I could give it all back.”
“You don’t want to pursue music anymore?” She looked interested, as if she truly wanted to know the answer. So often people seemed frustrated with me for questioning the rock-star life. Inevitably, they would point out the perks of traveling the world and having money. They didn’t want to hear someone complain about it. But something in me wondered if Darcy might actually understand.
“I love music. It’s all the other stuff I’m not thrilled about. The talk shows and the meet and greets. And all the pressure to keep going, to make more music, to book more shows. Sometimes it feels like the success of the band is all on my shoulders.”
I wondered if Darcy would think this all a bit self-centered. I was always afraid of coming off as conceited or selfish. I would point out that I wrote all the band’s music on top of being the lead singer, and sometimes people thought I was simply trying to show off. But there was a softness in Darcy’s eyes that told me she was trying to understand. I saw compassion there, and an understanding that felt different from the way other people regarded me.
Standing there, connecting like that, something in the air seemed to change between us. My eyes locked with hers, and I couldn’t mistake the pull I felt between us. I was desperate to get closer, and I took a step forward. I saw a moment of surprise pass across her face, but then I saw desire there, a longing and excitement I felt reflected in my own body. I wanted to kiss her, and my eyes dropped down to her lips to tell her so.
Suddenly, the overhead fluorescent lights clicked off, plunging the store into darkness. Darcy’s gaze shot up to the ceiling and I stepped back. Though it was still daytime outside, the shades along the large storefront windows were closed, allowing very little sunlight to filter into the room.
“Must be a fuse,” Darcy said. “The lights have been tripping lately.”
She seemed almost relieved by the distraction, and she set off toward the back of the store, pushing her way through a door that said “Staff Only”. On a whim, I followed her. I was pretty sure she didn’t need my help, but the promise of that kiss was still in my mind, and I wasn’t ready to abandon it so quickly.
The hallway was dark, and I watched Darcy feel her way along the wall. I pulled out my cell phone and flipped on the flashlight feature, holding it up to illuminate her path.
“Thanks,” she said over her shoulder. We passed a doorway on the left that looked like an office and continued to the end of the hallway where Darcy opened a small door. It was a utility closet from the look of things, filled with mops and brooms, with the fuse box on the wall.
Darcy stepped inside and opened the fuse box, but it was too dark to clearly see the different switches.
“Can you bring the flashlight over here?” she asked. I stepped inside the closet with her and stood directly behind her. The space was so small we were nearly touching, but I aimed the flashlight over Darcy’s shoulder so she could see what she was doing.
Standing here, inches away from her, I felt my whole body tense. I couldn’t help imagining what it would feel like to step forward, to let Darcy lean back into my chest and feel my whole body pressed against hers. In the comfort of the dark, I had an impulse to brush her hair aside so I could kiss the back of her neck.
Stop that, I told myself, shaking the thoughts aside. Despite the look in Darcy’s eyes at the counter, I didn’t know what she was feeling about me. I needed to calm myself down before I made a fool of myself.
With the flashlight showing the way, Darcy quickly found the tripped fuse and flipped it back. We saw the lights in the hallway click on and heard the hum of electricity overhead. Darcy turned around with a smile, proud of herself, but all at once she seemed to realize how close we were to one another. The smile slowly faded from her face and I thought I could read a question, and maybe an invitation, in her eyes.
When Darcy bit her bottom lip ever so slightly, I couldn’t help myself. I bent down to put my lips against hers and brought a hand up to squeeze the top of Darcy’s arm. She responded immediately, pressing back and bringing her hand to my waist. My heart beat faster as we stepped closer together and then I deepened the kiss, opening my mouth slightly, inviting her in.
