“Oh, that’s easy,” Isaid confidently. “One Direction.”
Tess guffawed. “Seriously?” She snorted and shook herhead. “Why would you say they’re the best?”
A bolt of musicalpretentiousnessstruckand I rolled my eyes. “Oh,let’s see … Their harmonies are completely on point. It was never necessary forthem to fall back on the gimmick of dancing. ‘StoryOfMy Life’ is questionably one of the best songs in pop musichistory.” I crossed my arms andshrugged, looking off towardnothing in particular.“Never mind the fact that instrumentally their music was unparalleled to otherboybands. It was never as simplistic and artificial.”
“Wow,” she breathed,her voice lilting on amusement and laughter. “You’re a serious fan.”
Turning back to her, Itipped my head derisively. “Uh, I never saidthat.” Then, I took one step closer, lowering my mouth to her ear,and said, “Beth bought a couple of their albums and theymight’vegone missing.”
She bit her bottom lip,eyes flitting from mine to my lips, and she replied, “You took them, didn’tyou.”
My gaze dodged towardthe door, then back to her. “Maybe,” I whispered surreptitiously, thoroughlyenjoying the flirtation and trying so hard not to wonder what it all meant.
Giggling, she clappedher hand over her mouth. “Oh my God. Do your new friends know you’re aDirectioner?”
“I have no shame.” Iheld up my hands, palms out, as I moved away, walking backward toward the door.“And by the way, we’re just going out to the diner, so what you’re wearingisfine.”
The teasing hadendedand she looked back to her outfit, her hands movingfrom the t-shirt to the denim shorts. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Ireplied,my voice clipped as my eyes lingered a little toolong on her lean legs. “You’re fine.”
You’rebeautiful.
I’mso sorry.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
TESS
Couldhe sense it, I wondered? The flirtation. The tension. Would he allow himself toacknowledge it without the nagging torture of his guilt getting in the way?Because if he could, there was no reason I couldn’t.
***
If there was evera town trapped in its ownlittle bubble, it was River Canyon, Connecticut, and I loved it.
The diner was a shortwalk from Devin and Kylie’s place. I walked beside Jon, trailing behind Devinand Sebastian and their wives. Jon had found a comfort with them, but he wasstill the new guy. I guessed he didn’t want to intrude on their conversationsas they teetered back and forth between personal and professional.
“I like it here,” Joncommented gently, grasping my attention from the men and women ahead.
I agreed with a nod,looking up at the trees along the sidewalks, all lit with faery lights. “Itreminds me of Stars Hollow.”
“Stars Hollow?”
“Yeah.” I fitted mygaze in his. “FromGilmore Girls.”
“Ah,” he replied with adeep nod. “I’ve never seen it.”
“Well, it’s pretty muchlike this. Like something straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting,” Ilaughed lightly.
I turned my head tolook through the tattoo shop’s window. Canvas & Ink was its name, and atthe telltale sound of buzzing machines, I immediately craved the sensation ofgetting a new tattoo.
Then, I asked, “Do youhave any tattoos?”
Jon shook his head.“Nope. Beth didn’t like them, so I never got any.”
“But you like them?”
Through the corner ofhis eye, he looked at me. At the ink on my arms, my ankle, behind my ear.“Yeah,” he replied in a tone a little too gruff to be anything but suggestive.
