Page 37 of The Pass
“Our plan worked.” He shrugs.
Jonah squeezes Tanner’s shoulder and says something that makes the singer laugh. Tanner opens his stance, and the three of them talk back and forth for a few minutes before the suspense is killing me, and I go in.
Tanner glances up as I get near and smiles. He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to his side. I love when he claims me like this, even if it’s only meant to be a friendly gesture. Maybe it should annoy me because it undoubtedly scares men away, but I really don’t care.
“Was the last song an original?” Jonah is asking the singer. “I’ve never heard it before.”
“Yeah.” He shoves his hands in the front of his jeans pockets. Without a microphone, he looks a lot shier than he did. He’s got a nice, friendly smile. I can see why Jonah’s into him. “Did it suck?”
“What? No way. You should play more originals. It was bomb.” Jonah tilts his head toward the bar. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“I should help the guys load up first. Will you be around for a while?”
After making plans to meet up with us, hottie singer whose name I find out is Richard, goes back to his band, and Jonah wears the largest grin I’ve ever seen as we go back to the table.
“Nice work,” Tanner tells him. “Knew you had it in you. You just needed a little competition.”
“Please. Even if you were gay, you are so not his type.”
“I want to be offended by that, but I’m going to let it go because I’m happy for you.” Tanner lifts his glass. “Cheers, buddy.”
The mood is light, and the drinks seem to be drained faster the later it gets. Richard and one of his bandmates join us. Jonah may have been too shy to approach the handsome guy he’s had his eye on, but he’s found his confidence now as he rests an arm around his chair and chats him up.
“They’re cute,” I tell Tanner. Everyone around us is in conversation making it loud so we have to lean in close. He reaches over and pulls my chair next to his and then rests his hand on my thigh.
“What’s that? Did you say I’m cute?”
“I saidthey’recute.” I glance to Jonah and Richard. “Way to make it about you.”
“Last summer he was dating someone, so I’ve never seen his game or lack thereof before.” His long fingers are still on my leg radiating heat through my skin to my core.
“What about you?” I ask, trying to ignore the way my body feels at his touch. “Do you hook up at the lake?”
His face tells me the answer even before he does. “Sometimes. It’s hard to take anything too seriously knowing I’m going back to Valley in a few weeks. It’s like a really long spring break. Nobody is looking for a relationship at the lake.”
I snort. “More lake rules by Tanner?”
“Something like that.” His gaze falls to his hand on my leg as if he’s suddenly realized he’s touching me, and he removes it to grab his beer on the table. “Don’t act like you haven’t had your summer flings. What about that guy you met in Japan?”
“It was Italy, and his name was Sebastian.”
He shrugs as if the place as well as the guy is inconsequential. He’s mostly right. Although I had hoped things with the cute volleyball player I met in Italy last summer while playing in the world championship volleyball tournament would go beyond the month we were in the same country, but it was just too hard with the distance.
“You ready? If we don’t get an Uber soon, then we’ll be sitting outside after closing.”
I nod my agreement and we say bye to everyone and get in our ride back to his place. He sits in the middle of the back seat so we’re side by side.
I’m staring at the lake at night and the dot of lights as we pass by when Tanner nudges me with his elbow. “You’re staring out that window awfully hard. What are you thinking about?”
I put my head on his shoulder. “I was thinking about what you said earlier. How you can’t picture something more with a fling or hookup you meet during the summer. The thing is, I think some people—mostly girls it seems—hope beyond reason that a summer fling will turn into more. I’ve rarely hooked up with anyone that I couldn’t see a future with. I just think it’s interesting. The girls you hooked up with were probably hoping you were going to fall for them and want more.”
“I am always honest about my intentions. I never promise a girl I’m going to call and then don’t.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t hope you’d change your mind.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen a future with any of the girls I’ve dated in the past two years. How sad is that?”
“Really? Why did you date them then?” I’d always wondered why Tanner had chosen the girls he did. From Amelia to the one before… I never found any real common thread to figure out what it was that made a guy like him settle down.
