Page 39 of Adam's Rising

Claire fiddled with the radio, stopping on a pop station. “Ilovethis song! Crazy how talented all the Gibb brothers are” — she peered up at him —”but Andy’s my favorite.”

Adam’s fingers found the crack on the steering wheel’s resin cover. He picked at the spot while listening to the lyrics ofShadow Dancing.

He felt Claire’s eyes on him. Was he supposed to respond withHe’s my favorite, too? He wasn’t sure. He’d never been on a date.

“Yeah, he’s pretty good,” Adam offered.Wait!Why had she looked up at him when she said out of all the brothers, Andy was her favorite?

“Oh… Sorry,” Claire said. “I forgot.”

She turned the knob, checking the other stations, but there weren’t too many they could get from Anchorage.

Adam was confused. “You just said youlovethat song.”

“I do, but I just remembered you like rock music.”

“I do?” As soon as his voice went up in inflection, he coughed and repeated, “I do. But I like pop, too.”

She was thinking of Thomas, again. Not him.

Adam reached for the knob, his hand grazing hers. “Please turn it back to the station you liked.”

Claire gazed at her fingers, then turned the knob to the pop channel again. “Okay, but I’ll warn you now — I love to sing, too.”

“I’m okay with that. Besides, we’re going to seeSaturday Night Fever,” he said, pulling his cover story back in place. Keeping his mind straight of what he was supposed to like — what Thomas liked — was exhausting.

He imagined being one of those secret agents, like James Bond, then quickly decided how lonely that life would be. Worse, how did double-agents keep up with the deception? How did they tell the woman they loved who they were?

“We definitely are! I’m so excited!” Claire said, then hummed along with the song.

Adam waited for the lyrics to repeat. Had he heard them right?

“… in this world of people, there’s only you and I…There ain’t nothing come between us in the end.How can I hold you when you ain’t even mine?”

He gripped the steering wheel.Dear God, how am I going to make it through the night when even song lyrics are calling me out?

* * *

Adam pulledup to the last available spot in the front row and killed the engine. He hesitated before getting out. This wasn’t what he’d planned. He’d hoped to hide in the back. What if someone recognized the truck?

He needed to stop this. Constantly looking over his shoulder was no way to live. Definitely not the Alaskan way.

Maybe this space was better. More space. More room to breathe. He lowered the tailgate, grabbed the lawn chairs, and set them up just in front of the bumper.

Claire hopped out, already moving things around. “I figured we’d sit lower… in case we want to move around, you know.” She grinned, her cheeks already flushed with excitement. “This okay?”

“Perfect,” he said — and meant it. “I’ll get snacks. What do you like? Hotdogs? Popcorn? Candy?”

Claire scrunched up her face. “Sorry.Eww… on the hotdogs. I don’t eat meat. Popcorn’s great! Won’t bother me if you have one, though.”

“Got it.” He smiled and jogged off, anxious to get back to Claire. He wanted to soak up every second with her. After what he’d seen in his short life, he knew how quickly things could change.

On his way back, the theater lot suddenly fell silent.

The lively animated voices during the intermission, and the cacophony of movie-goers moving about and partying with friends simply stopped.

The movie had started.

Unlike many movies that began with a wild car chase or guns blazing, utter silence fell heavy over the theater grounds.

---