Playing to Win

I nodded. “Yes. I want to.”

“I do, too. I’ve missed you so much, Jord.”

This time I rose onto my toes to press my lips to his. We spent the next forty-five minutes behind that stack of chairs in the dim vestibule of the middle school auditorium and we might have stayed there longer if the lights hadn’t come on and people hadn’t come streaming out the doors.

Asher grinned and took my hand. “Come on, let’s go congratulate Payton.”

We threaded our way through the crowd mingling in the middle school commons until we found Payton accepting praise from my parents.

“I’m so proud of you,” Mom said as she hugged Payton tight.

Payton’s cheeks burned. “Thanks, Mom.”

Dad slapped his back. “You did great, Pay. I had no idea you could sing like that.”

“Yeah, what the heck? That was incredible.” I only felt slightly guilty for missing him and his friends perform. At least I’d heard his solo.

Payton’s eyes widened at the sight of Asher and I together. He immediately glanced down at our clasped hands and grinned. “It’s about time.”

At his words, both Mom and Dad turned to Asher and I.

Asher held out his hand to my mom. “Hi, Mrs. Parks. It’s good to see you again.”

Mom grinned, her elbow coming in contact with Dad’s abdomen. “I like him. And call me Patricia.”

Dad frowned. “Mrs. Parks will do just fine, son.”

Asher stood up straight. “Yes, sir.”

Mom rolled her eyes, her smile growing by the second. “I keep thinking we should have your folks over for dinner since we’re neighbors and all. You’ll have to give me your mom’s number so we can chat.”

Oh, dear. Asher’s face paled, but he kept it together like a trooper.

“Yes, ma’am.”

It was time to intervene before he lost it. “Okay, well, I’m going to catch a ride home with Asher. Is that okay?” I directed my question to him, but my dad answered.

“That’s fine, but not too late, Jordan.”

Asher squeezed my hand.

“See you guys later. Good job, Pay.”

Payton saluted, grinning as he watched Asher and I make our way to the exit.

“Where to?” Asher asked once we made it to his car.

I gave him a shy look through my lashes that made him smile.

“You got it.”

Asher

We spent several hours in the space between our backyards. I hauled out a couple of blankets and held her close to keep her warm. We talked about what we both wanted, how we felt, and we kissed. A lot.

“I need to ask you something.” Since we hadn’t really been talking for awhile I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about the concert or to ask her if she wanted to go. I had a feeling I knew what her answer would be, but I had to make sure.

“Hmm. Sounds ominous.” She lay tucked up against my side, her head resting on my chest, the blanket covering most of her face. It was really too cold to be outside but we didn’t care.

“Not ominous. I made a deal with Payton awhile back. That if he did the talent show and didn’t act like a jerk during mentoring I’d take him to a concert.”

Jordan lifted her head so she could see my face. “A concert? Why would you do that? Tickets are expensive.”

I shook my head. “I have some I got for free.”

She lifted a brow. “To see who?” I could tell she probably thought they were for some old geezer band at a dinner show or something.

“Carly Ryan.”

Jordan sat up, shifting the blankets and letting cold air swirl around us. “Carly Ryan! How on earth did you get Carly Ryan tickets? I heard they sold out the first day they went on sale. For the whole tour!”

I sat up, too, and wrapped one of the blankets around both our shoulders. “They did.”

Jordan stared at me, questions brewing in her eyes. “You said they were free. How did you get three free tickets to a sold out show? Did you win them?”

I shook my head. The truth was coming to her, but she didn’t want to believe it. Or couldn’t.

“Tell me.”

“You know. Think about it. You already know.”

She sagged. “Are you serious?”

“I get free tickets to every show. Even the ones on the other side of the world.”