No Tomorrow

“Of course not. I’d leave with him in a heartbeat. But you better call me tomorrow and tell me all about this guy. And no holding anything back. I’ll be waiting.”

I pull from her embrace to smile at her. “I will. Have fun tonight, but be careful.”

Unlike me, who now makes it a habit of going off with random strangers.

“It was nice meeting you both,” I say to Mitch and Phil, and then I’m heading for the door, my heart beating erratically with nerves and excitement.

Once again, I’m stepping into the unknown with zero idea of what or whom I’m getting involved in. I don’t know what Evan wants with me or how he feels about me. He could just be looking for another quickie, and look how fast I just ditched my best friend and a potential date to be with him without any effort on his part other than a simple kiss. He didn’t even have to ask me to drive him. I offered all on my own. I’m clueless as to how this all works, but maybe I should be playing hard to get or acting mildly disinterested in him instead of being so easy.

I’ve never been one for games, though. I like to be real. Authentic. I don’t know how to flirt or tease or play the games other girls might know how to play to make a man chase her and to keep him interested. That seems like a lot of work, and knowing me, I would probably make a mess out of it anyway. It seems easier to follow his lead and hope he doesn’t take me to a place I don’t want to be.

When I get out to the parking lot, he’s standing next to my car with Acorn, his bag, and his guitar case at his feet, and I get the feeling, while physically this is all this man is and has, there’s a lot more going on inside him. Taking a deep breath, I walk up to him instead of getting into the car.

“I got your note.”

He nods. “And you came here instead of coming to see me.”

“I was planning on trying to find you afterward.”

“Were you?”

“Yes.”

He leans against my car fender and reaches out to move my long hair behind my shoulder. “You look pretty. Is that for me or that guy you were sitting with?”

I attempt to play it cool. “Definitely not for him. I just met him tonight. I only came to be polite because my friend is interested in his friend.”

His mouth clicks as he taps his piercing against his teeth. “Were you coming to see me to be polite?”

“No.”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

He says it with such sadness I almost burst into tears. I look at my feet and swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry.”

He tilts my face with a finger so I’m forced to look into his eyes. “You want to tell me why?” he asks softly.

“I was scared. I am scared.”

“Of me?”

“Of you,” I admit. “And other things.”

His brow creases, and he licks his lips. “You should’ve told me you were a virgin.”

Ugh. I’m grateful for the dark hiding my blushing cheeks. “I didn’t really get a chance to.”

“True. I never would’ve done that if I’d known. I thought you wanted me.”

I breathe in a shallow breath. “I did.”

Grabbing my waist, he pulls me against his body and leans down, pressing his lips against my forehead and holding them there for a few moments.

“I like you, Piper.”

“I like you, too,” I whisper.

“I think I might need you in my life.”

My stomach flip-flops.

“Let’s drive back to the park,” he suggests. “We can sit in the car and talk for a while.”

“Okay.” I slowly pull away from him.

“Do you mind if Acorn sits in your back seat? His paws are clean.”

“Of course he can.”

I let myself into the driver’s side while he puts Acorn and his stuff in the back and then gets in the passenger seat next to me.

“How did you know this was my car?” I ask as I put the key in the ignition. “Have you been watching me?”

“I actually saw you getting into it one night before you first saw me playing in the park. Me and Acorn were walking around, and I saw you in the parking lot where you work. You dropped your keys, and when you reached down to pick them up, your sunglasses fell off your head and were all tangled up in your hair.”

I nod, remembering that crappy day when everything under the sun seemed to go wrong.

“I thought you looked way too young to be driving, and I wondered if you could even see over the dashboard.”

“Really?” I ask, offended and humiliated. “You’re going to be one of those people who make fun of my height now?”