ChapterFourteen

The music was pounding when Taylor, Isaac and Zac walked into the condo on Chicago�s lakeshore. It was only 10, but it looked like the party had been in full swing for a few hours.

�Nice place,� Isaac commented to himself as he looked around at the designer furniture.

�No shit�� Zac said softly. �Is that a real Van Gogh on the wall?�

Taylor nodded. �Good call Isaac. Hook up with a rich babe,� he said.

�Speaking of�� Zac said as a girl came ambling over to them. She had short brown hair and was dressed perfectly for a party like this. Her Armani Exchange jeans sat low on her hips with a brown belt threaded through the loops, and her shimmery pink shirt hit just above her waist, showing a firm tummy that sported a silver hoop through her bellybutton. Taylor looked from her to his brother in amazement.

�Hey Isaac! You made it!� she cried as she hurried over to meet him, nearly tripping over her high-heeled brown boots. She flung her arms around his neck and he hugged her tightly with one arm. Zac looked like he was going to die of shock as the gorgeous woman kissed his oldest brother right there in the hallway.

�Guys, this is Bianca,� Isaac said after he�d extracted his tongue from the girls mouth. �And I�ll be right back�Bianca where�s your bathroom?�

�Down the hall, past two doors and to the left,� she told him.

�K, thanks,� he said as he walked away. All three were silent for a few moments.

�Hey Bianca,� Zac was the first to speak. �I�m Zac,� he introduced himself, extending his hand to her. She took it and giggled.

�Hi Zac,� she replied shaking his hand. �It�s nice to meet you.� She let go and turned to Taylor. �And this is�?� she asked, looking him right in the eye.

�Taylor,� he said. As she offered her hand, he lifted it to his lips and kissed the top of it gently. He checked to see if Zac was watching and he wasn�t, so he looked up and winked at her.

�Well it�s nice to meet you both,� Bianca said, a grin spreading across her face. �Do you need something to drink?� she asked them.

�No thanks,� Zac said, still staring where he had been when Tay checked. Taylor looked where Zac was staring and saw a girl. A pretty girl, to be more specific. Tay knew he wouldn�t be seeing much more of Zac that night.

�I would love something,� Taylor said.

�K, follow me,� Bianca said. She took two steps then backtracked.
�Zac?� she asked.

�Yeah?� he asked.

�Her name is Mara. She�s a senior at Young high school. Going to University of Oklahoma as an art major. Now stop staring and go,� she said, pushing him forward.

�Thanks,� Zac said, completely blown away. He smiled and started his walk toward the girl.

Bianca re-joined Taylor and he just stared at her.

�What?� she finally asked, giggling.

�Nothing. I just think that may be the coolest thing I�ve ever seen a girl do.�

�I do what I can,� she said. �Come on.�

Taylor followed her into the kitchen, eyeing her the whole time. �What do you want?� she asked.

�Oh�I�m sorry,� Taylor said, looking embarrassed.

�What are you sorry for? What do you want to drink?� she asked.

Taylor laughed. �I�ll have a beer, thanks.�

Bianca reached into a bucket of ice and pulled out two amber bottles and twisted the caps off. She handed one to Taylor and clinked her bottle against his.

�Cheers,� she said as she raised the bottle to her lips.

�Cheers,� he repeated, taking a long sip.

�I think I�m the only girl in the world who likes beer,� Bianca said, taking another long drink.

�I think that�s cool. I like a girl who can keep up with me,� he said, draining his bottle and placing it on the countertop.

Bianca smiled and placed her bottle next to a line of 5 empty ones. �The way I see it,� she said, reaching into the bucket, �You�re about four behind.� Bianca handed him another bottle and he grinned.

�Well then it looks like I have some catching up to do,� he said, smiling and uncapping his beer. Bianca pushed some empty bottles out of her way and sat on the counter, her legs hanging off. Taylor stood between them, his hand resting high on her thigh.

�How old are you, Bianca?� Taylor asked as his fingers made little designs over the fabric of her jeans.

�22. Why?� she asked.

�Just wondering,� he said.

�You like older women?� she asked.

�Maybe�� he said, stepping forward so he was right against the counter.

�There you are.� Taylor heard Isaac�s voice before he saw him and immediately stepped back and shoved his hand in his pocket.

�I�m gonna see what Zac�s up to,� Taylor said, turning to leave.

�It was nice to meet you, Taylor,� Bianca said. Taylor turned around to see Isaac standing where he had been just seconds before and Bianca looking right past him to Taylor.

�You too,� he said, winking.

Bianca blew him a kiss, then turned her attention back to Isaac. Taylor walked through the kitchen archway to see Zac and the Mara girl laughing uncontrollably. Taylor shook his head. The two beers he�d just chugged were staring to take effect. He walked to a couch across the room and plopped down. Within a minute there was a girl sitting next to him.

�Hey,� she said.

�Hey,� he replied, checking her out. She had dark blonde hair pulled back in a messy knot and was wearing black button fly jeans and a pink � sleeve polo shirt. He could see a necklace sporting Greek letters on her neck but since he didn�t speak Greek, he had no idea what they were.

�I�m Taylor,� he told her.

�Gabby,� she said.

�Well it�s nice to meet you Gabby,� Taylor said, smiling.

�You too,� she said.

Fifteen minutes and three beers later, Taylor had managed to learn that she was a freshman at the University of Chicago studying to be a nurse. Her favorite color was green, favorite movie was Shrek, and she was very very drunk. As they talked, she kept getting closer and closer to him on the couch.

�Hey Taylor?� she said.

�Yeah?� he said, turning to look into her hazel eyes.

�What would you do if I kissed you?� she asked, her voice low.

�It doesn�t matter,� he answered, his voice about an octave lower.

�Why not?� she asked.

�Because I�m going to kiss you first.� With that, he leaned in and captured her lips with his.