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My head is enjoying the calm and familiarity these amazing people bring with their funny stories and friendship that feels like a warm hug.
‘Can’t Take Her Anywhere’ by Dylan Scott blasts through the speakers, and I look up at Adrian with the brightest of smiles. Since we found out that we both adore country music, we’ve listened to this specific song a hundred times, at least.
We burst into song, laughing as we confuse everyone else at the table. He spins me around where we’re standing, pulling me close once I’m in front of him. Adrian releases me when he realizes how close we’ve gotten, even though everyone here already knows we’re dating.
They’re keeping it from the rest of the world for me, for which I’ll be forever grateful.
“Come on,” I say as the song changes to a faster rhythm, and hold out my hand for Val to take. She intertwines our fingers to follow me onto the dance floor.
People all around us get into one line, preparing themselves for when the beat drops and the line dancing begins. My friends and I danced to this specific song so many times, I know it by heart and can join the other people with ease. Adrian, Valentina, Gabriel, Scarlette, Julián, Cameron, Elijah, and Leonard, on the other hand, watch me like a hawk, trying to get the steps right for the first minute of the song. They’re doing all sorts of movements, just not the right ones, and I can’t hold back my laughter when Adrian runs into me.
“The other way!” I complain over the loud music, and he lifts his hands to apologize. My moon tries again, a serious expression taking over his face, but it’s no use. The song is over long before he even gets a single foot placement right. I bend over at the waist, the amusement causing my stomach to cramp up.
“How do you do this shit?” he complains as he leans down so I can hear him. I straighten out my back, wiping away the effect of my laughter from under my eyes.
“Practice,” I reply, and he shakes his head.
“I looked like an idiot, didn’t I?” I cover my mouth to keep from answering his question, although I don’t need words to do so. My eyes probably tell him exactly how hilarious his stumbling over his own feet was to me. “Let me try again, this time, teach me first,” he says, but I place a hand over his stomach and watch our friends mess up for a second.
They’re stumbling all over themselves too, Leonard stiff and Gabriel more confused than anything. Cameron and Elijah are doing whatever they want, and Julián is dancing with Scarlette in his arms now.
“I’ll teach you,” I finally reply, and Val steps in front of me.
“I need some help too, and so does my husband,” she says as Gabriel wraps his arms around her, lifting her off the ground and tickling her.
They pick up what I show them quickly, and by the time the next song comes on, we’re back on the dance floor and things go a lot more smoothly for us, but eventually, Adrian just stands there and watches me with pure fascination.
“I want to kiss you so badly,” he says, and without thinking, I step on my tiptoes and close the distance between our mouths. I cover my face with my cowboy hat, even though I don’t give a damn who saw when Adrian smiles like I’ve just given him the best thing in the world.
“Move those feet,” I call over the music, and he goes back to dancing clumsily, almost as if my kiss has put him in a trance and he isn’t entirely in the moment anymore but still stuck on our lips pressing together.
Who would have ever thought a single kiss could unravel the heartbreaker of Formula One?
Chapter 48
Nevaeh
Thesoundofthepiano fills Adrian’s little apartment while I build up the backdrop for the photoshoot Adrian owes me. I’m hoping what I have planned will cheer him up since he’s been feeling a bit down with Lincoln leading the championship and the last race not going well.
I place together the metal pieces before hanging the white backdrop from it. Then, I stand up the lights and my tripod before walking into the bedroom and putting on a pair of jeans and a shirt without anything underneath. I grab a pair of Adrian’s matching ones—yes, he bought us matching jeans a week ago for reasons he wouldn’t disclose—before walking into the room where he is.
A soft melody fills my ears as I make my way toward him. A small smile dances onto his lips when he notices me. His fingers keep running over the keys and his eyes drift to my face.
“Mon paradis,Nevaeh,” he says as I settle down next to him, making my heart skip several beats.
“Hi,” I whisper, and Adrian keeps playing the same melody.
“I wrote this for you,” he admits, his fingers flying over the keys. “Do you like it? It reminds me of what you sound like to me.” The soft melody is incomparably beautiful. It’s calm, peaceful yet a little mischievous and naughty, too.
“It’s wonderful, Adrian,” I reply, emotion heavy in my throat. No one’s ever written a song for me before.
“For the past two days, every single time I have sat down at this piano, I have heard nothing but this in my head.” I swallow hard, and Adrian finally stops running his fingers over the keys. “It won’t leave me, constantly reminding me of what you mean to me,” he says, and I lift my hands to his cheeks.
He pulls me onto his lap instead.
“I’m sorry it’s stuck in your head,” I mumble, but Adrian gives me a small chuckle.
“I’m not.” He grabs my chin and tilts my head down to kiss me. “You came in here with a mission. Tell me what it is,” he says, and I can’t help the way my face lights up.
