Jasmine, Nick's date, came in just as Kristin had left. She looked over
her shoulder and rolled her eyes in my direction. "God, I hate her!"
she cried. "I mean.. who does she think she is showing up here and
all..." she stopped when she saw me lower my head into my hands and start
to cry. "Oh, oh.. what did she say to you?" AJ's girlfriend, Emily,
stepped in at that second trying to fix an earring. The moment she spotted
Jasmine comfort-mode it just seemed natural for her to fall into it too.
"Shit, what happened?" they sat me down on a small
couch.
"Kristin said something to her and made her cry,"
Jasmine explained drying my
eyes with some tissue from her handbag.
"Oh, that bitch!" Emily exclaimed with a twinge of pity
in her voice, "where is
she?! I'll kick her ass! What did she say?"
"I don't want to talk about it..." I said with a
sniffle, "I just want to go home."
"Oh, you can't do that," Jasmine shook her head,
"Kevin wants to dance with
you.."
Emily nodded, "Yeah. Don't let Kristin ruin your
night."
"And maybe you can talk about it to Kevin. He can get her
off your back."
"And she's got no room to be mad at you," Emily added
quickly, "she divorced
him. Now, c'mon get it together, girl.. you have to go dance with him. He
really seems fixed on it."
Emily and Jasmine were really sweet to me. They helped me 'get it
together' so I
could go back out there and have some fun. Emily's personality made her even
cuter than she already was and she was a hyper one. I was surprised she hadn't
hooked up with either of the blonde ones. But I think she was just enough for
AJ to handle. They were really good for each other. Yet even with their help
and everything it didn't change what Kristin had said to me. Or what thoughts
and emotions she had provoked within me.
The first face I saw when I left the bathroom was Kevin's he
smiled at me.
"You okay?" he asked me, looking down at me with
worried in those eyes of his.
"Yeah, I'm good," I said convincingly, hoping I wasn't
tearing again. Kevin
grabbed my hands and led me out toward to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms
around me and squeezed me tight. "For a moment there I thought you were
runnin' on me."
"No," I said in a very quiet voice. Krystal Harris was
at the piano, singing Angel
on My Shoulder. I knew that song because Liv had her CD and listen to it all
the time. But as I was there, in his arms, that night, for the first time I
actually heard the words and they touched me so deeply I did feel tears well up
in my eyes.
"So many nights alone... without you by my side... I
never knew what I was
missing. But then you came along with all your special ways... bringing me
toward after what I was wishing for my angel on my shoulder... you give me
shelter... you give me love and affection and every time I turn around you're
still right here... angel, my angel... oh, oh, oh my dear."
"You know, Samantha, I am really glad you came with me
tonight."
I looked up into his eyes, "Me too..." When the song
ended everybody clapped for Krystal. I clapped lightly too and kept looking up
at Kevin. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. I believe it's every
woman's fantasy just to get inside a guys head just a second. Mostly the good
looking ones who have a hard time expressing how they feel. I wondered if he
was steady fighting the urge to want to kiss me. I wondered exactly how a kiss
from him would come about, how would it feel... how would it taste? Then I
shook my head... I could tell I hadn't gotten any.
But seriously! Kevin was like no other guy I'd ever met before. I
mean, I couldn't
help but feel something for him. He had been the one to help me in my time of
need. Some bizarre connection.... I felt like I could tell him anything, show
him anything. And it had been a very, very long time since I had felt that way
toward any male. The craziness was the feeling didn't scare me! I just wanted
something like that to completely take over me, just wrap me up tight. I'd
missed belonging to someone. Now that it had totally overwhelmed me I felt like
my heart would burst! Finally, Kevin looked down at me.
"You okay?"
I didn't say anything, just threw my arms around him and squeezed
him tight as
though if I were to let go I would lose him for good. He slowly wrapped his
arms around me and kissed my widow's peak,
"Easy..."
It was the most complete and sheltered feeling I'd experienced in
a while.
Suddenly, none of the acts of the night mattered anymore. They were all
banished from my memory. I felt like it was just me and Kevin.....