Chapter 9 – Tara
Tara felt Jess’s eyes on her, so she turned around and smiled at her friend. She took a few steps closer and leaned in to talk to her, but just then the music started. Realising it was pointless to try and drown it out Tara turned her attention back to the stage. The music was good, and she let her body follow the rhythm with a smile on her face. After the boys were done singing she clapped along with everyone else. She thought of Brian, he’d really put a spell on her, but she decided she wouldn’t go there. He was a married man, and there were so many cute single ones, just in this room. Happy with her decision she looked over at Alex who was just getting off the stage.
“Come on Tara, we should go get some drinks.” Jess tugged on her arm, and she followed. They got their glasses of champagne, and Tara took a sip of hers when she felt an arm around her waist. She turned around and stood face to face with A.J.
“Hey! A.J was it, right?” she smiled mischievously.
“Aww, you know my name.” He smiled at her and winked. “It’s A.J, or Alex. Whatever you prefer.”
She pretended to think for awhile. “Oh… well… then, let’s see...” She studied his face from different angles looking as focused as possible, then smiled again. “You’re an Alex.”
“I am?”
“Yup.” She sneaked out of his arms and looked around the room. She couldn’t help to. She just wanted to know where he was.
“You don’t have to look for me babe, I’m right here.” With a big smile he gently grabbed her jaw and turned her face back towards his. She looked at him and decided he was about five times as hot as he was in pictures. Why not have some fun with him?
“Cute move, Alex.” She laughed at his cheesy line.
“I must say I’m quite proud of it.” Big smile again.
“Geeez…” she teasingly turned to walk away, waiting for him to grab her hand as she knew he would. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Hey, don’t leave, we’re having so much fun. Dance with me.”
“Guess I could.” She held on to his hand and led him to the dancefloor, where she softly slid into his arms.
Jess was standing by the bar talking to Nick, but she still kept an eye on Tara, and when she saw what she was doing she laughed. Nick followed her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh too. “She’s gonna eat him up and spit him out, right?”
“You bet. If she even bothers to take things that far. She’ll make him want her to eat him up and spit him out though, you can count on that.”
“She used to do that before too…”
“Yup, she sure did. She hasn’t changed much.”
They fell silent, both thinking back in time.
Tara was having the time of her life dancing with Alex. He refused to let her go, just held her close even though the song wasn’t slow.
“I’m so thirsty!” she complained.
“Then let’s go get you something to drink!”
They made their way to the bar, Alex ordered a sprite for himself, then turned to Tara.
“What do you want?”
“Babe, I only drink champagne.” She smiled a sly smile.
The bartender handed over their glasses and Tara slowly sipped the champagne, letting out a small sigh.
Alex looked at her, and her eyes met his.
“I miss that taste. Not the alcohol, just the taste.”
Tara took another swig of champagne and let it roll around her mouth. Then she swallowed it and pulled him close. “Well, let’s give you a sample.” She kissed him, opened her mouth up to his searching tongue and played with it for awhile, then pulled away. “Taste good?” She smiled at the surprised look on his face.
“I… ”
“I’m disappointed in you. I didn’t think you’d be that easy to shock.”
“I’m not shocked.” He grinned. “I was just going to say that I didn’t get the time to really feel the taste.”
“Yeah, right. I’m leaving now, McLean.” She turned around and walked her best Victoria’s Secrets-runway walk away from him, just to make sure he was looking.
Jess had watched Tara and Alex from where she was sitting with Lindsay and Howie, and what happened made her smile. She felt like someone was watching her, and when she turned her head she saw Nick staring at her. He nodded at Tara and Alex and smiled. She returned the smile and giggled a little to herself. No, Tara hadn’t changed that much. She saw something she wanted, and she went after it. She looked up when Brian came to the table.
“Hey there! Everything ok?”
“Yeah. I was just trying to call Leigh, but she doesn’t answer. I’ve called the house, her cell, but she doesn’t answer. I guess she just didn’t hear it, but…”
“I’m sure she’s fine, Bri.”
“Me too.” He smiled and took a sip of his beer.
Tara smiled at the mirror in the bathroom. She had touched up on her make up, and was now ready to take Alex by storm. She turned around to make sure that her jeans were still spotless, messed up her hair and fiddled with the straps of the blue-grey silk top she was wearing. “That’ll do,” she thought to herself and walked confidently out of the bathroom. Just outside she bumped into Alex.
“Hey there!”
“Hey!” She noticed that his eyeliner had been freshened up and started to giggle when she realised he’d been to the bathroom too. “I’m not the only one here putting on some more make up,” she thought, and it made her giggle even more.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She tried to get her face straight again. “Wanna dance some more?”
“Nope. I want you to come with me back to my hotel.” His eyes looked straight into hers.
“Oh.”
“Is that the smartest comment you could think of? ‘oh’?”
“Shut up.” She laughed. “I don’t wanna go to some hotel.”
“Why not?” He looked a bit uncomfortable.
“I hate hotels.” She bit her lip. “Come with me instead.”
He stroke his finger along her cheek. “Sure!”
They got their coats, and Tara gave Jess a quick hug goodbye. “Be safe!”
“I always am, Jess. Don’t worry, ok?” Tara smiled and went back to join Alex who was waiting at the exit. But on her way over to him, she bumped into Nick.
“Hi there stranger!”
“Nicky-picky. Never thought I’d see you again. I’m glad I was wrong, though.” She smiled and gave him a hug.
“Me too Tara-trouble. Me too.”
She laughed at his old nickname for her.
“So, what have you been up to?” he asked.
“Oh, you know… getting more or less naked in more or less public places.” They both laughed.
“Same old, same old then huh?”
“Pretty much. How about you?”
“Oh, you know… Trying to avoid cracking glass when I sing, mostly.”
“Any success?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I saw you in those ads girl. If I didn’t know you, Trouble, then I’d say you were hot.”
“Well, I saw your videos, and if I didn’t know YOU, Picky, then I’d say you were ok.”
Both of them cracked up and laughed, supporting each other to remain standing.
“Nah, Picky, you’re a hottie. Gotta go now though, got a hottie of my own waiting by the door.”
He got serious again. “Alex?” as she nodded, he continued “Go easy on him girl. You two are far too much alike for something good to come out of it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
But Nick didn’t hear her question, he’d already turned his back on her and walked away. Tara shrugged and went to try and find Alex.
She found him by the door, and he smiled at her as she put her coat on.
“I was worried you’d left without me!”
“Nah, just ran into Nick, and we talked a little. Sorry.”
“It’s ok. Let’s go now, shall we?”
They snuck out the back door, hailed a cab and went to her apartment.
“Wow, this is a nice place!” Alex said as he wandered planlessly around her apartment.
“Thanks! I love it, it’s perfect for me.”
“Wow!” He’d stopped by a wall in the hallway and was staring at it. “This is gorgeous.”
She walked up to him and looked at the framed picture of her hanging on the wall. She was on a runway in light-pink underwear and had white wings on her back. “Thanks. It’s from my first Victoria’s secrets runway show.”
“THAT’S why I recognized you!”
She laughed. “Oh really. It wasn’t because I was the girl from your dreams then?”
“That too, of course.” He laughed, then turned around and kissed her. Somehow they ended up on her bed, but she had no idea how it’d happened. He was just about to take off her pants when his cellphone went off.
“Fcuking motherfcuk. Gotta take it. It’s my personal phone. Only my mom and the guys know the number.” He got the phone out of his pocket and answered it. “WHAT is it now Howie?” he fell silent as he listened to what Howie had to say on the other end. “Oh my God! Tell me you’re kidding! I’ll be right there!” In a rush he got all the clothes Tara had just torn off of him. “I have to go.”
“What’s happened babe?”
“It’s Leighanne, Brian’s wife. She’s… dead. She was going to take Baylee to the hospital, he was sick and his fever had gone up. She was driving, and a truck hit her car. I have to go! Can I call you?”
“Oh my God! Of course you can, Jess has my number, GO!”
She closed the door behind him, slid down the wall to sit on the floor, and all she could think about was Brian.
Author's Chapter Notes:
My favorite chapter of this story so far...
Chapter End Notes:
NO, I don't wish for Leighanne to die in any way, shape or form. Neither does my co-writer Carro. Fiction, people!
