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“Ah, a whole afternoon off,” Joey sighed as he sunk into the plush leather of the limo seat. “What should we do?”
“Let’s go shopping!” Lance suggested.
“No, let’s find an arcade!” Chris disagreed.
“No, shopping would be better,” JC said.
“Look a fair.” Everyone turned to where I was pointing.
“Hey, that sounds good,” Justin said.
“I haven’t been to a fair since high school!” Joey exclaimed. “I’m for it.”
Five minutes later we were strolling through the midway of the fair.
“Joey, look, an arcade,” Chris said, he turned and frowned. “Joey?”
“Over there.” We all looked to where JC was pointing. Joey was surrounded by a group of women who were all giggling at whatever he was saying.
“Didn’t take him long,” I commented.
“Never does,” Chris replied. “So, Lance, ready for some video games?”
“Sure,” Lance said.
“I think I’ll go keep my eye on Joey,” JC announced, looking over at his bandmate who was flexing his biceps for the admiring girls.
“Gee, could there be an alternative motive there?” I asked as I eyed the young women around Joey.
JC just grinned and wiggled his eyebrows before jogging over to the group, leaving me alone with Justin.
“Guess it’s just you and me,” he commented. “So, what do you want to do?”
“How about some rides and then lunch?” I suggested.
Justin shrugged. “Okay,” he agreed.
Since it was the middle of the week in late September the lines were relatively short and there was a lack of kids Justin remained unnoticed, except for the occasional admiring female eye. After we had ridden all the rides we decided to find some lunch.
“Mmm…strawberry,” Justin sighed when we had hunted up some desert after a plate full of greasy fries and fried chicken.
“I don’t know if anything could beat this elephant ear,” I said as I took a bite of my sugary pastry.
“I don’t think so,” Justin disagreed. “Try this.” He offered me a spoon full of his strawberry sundae.
I took the bite. “Mmm, that is good,” I said, “but the elephant ear is better.”
“Oh yeah?” Justin challenged. “Prove it.”
“You just want a bite of this.” I smiled and pulled off another hunk of the elephant ear.
“OK, you got me,” Justin admitted.
I rolled my eyes and offered him a bite. I was surprised when he bit it right out of my hand. His eyes held mine, and his lips grazed my finger, sending my heart fluttering. I looked down from his piercing gaze.
“So, what do you want to do next?” I asked casually, in an attempt to change the subject.
“How about the Ferris wheel?” Justin suggested. “It’s not a fair until you’ve been on one of those things.”
I hesitated for a moment when I thought of the romantic implications of the Ferris wheel, but I shook myself. Justin was just making a suggestion. He didn’t have any romantic ideas at all. He just wanted to go on the ride. As friends.
I stood up and threw away my paper plate before joining Justin for the walk to the Ferris wheel. Our hands brushed lightly as we stepped up to climb into the car. Since Justin legs were so long we had to sit side by side in the tiny space.
I closed my eyes as the car whooshed upwards. I opened them when the ride stopped to let other people on below. Justin was looking down at me.
“What?” I demanded self-consciously.
Justin shrugged. “Nothing.” But his blue eyes continued to study me intently.
“Then why are you staring at me?” I asked.
“You have sugar on your nose,” Justin answered.
I blushed slightly as I wiped at my nose. “Oh,” was all I could think of to say.
We rode the rest of the ride in a companionable silence. I couldn’t help but notice how close we were. His hand lightly brushed my thigh and I felt a shiver run up my spine. I noticed that that happened a lot at his casual touch. Of course, I couldn’t have feelings for him. I was with Keith. And I was happy! I really was.
“Ah, smell the refreshing nightclub air!” Chris exclaimed as we entered the all age club later that evening. “If you need to find me I’ll be on the dance floor.”
“That goes for me too,” Justin called over his shoulder.
“Gwen, you wanna dance?” Joey asked.
“Sure.” I allowed him to lead me to the floor where we began to move to the throbbing beat. I was surprised at Joey’s skill. For such a big guy he was a very smooth dancer.
After Joey’s dance was over I took a turn with Lance and then joined Chris for a crazy swing number. By then I was breathless and grateful for the slow song that flowed through the speakers.
“Gwen, honor me,” JC said in an exaggerated formal tone, extending one hand.
“I’d be delighted,” I replied in the same tone.
I stepped into his arms and let him lead me around the floor. His arms were strong and supportive, but they weren’t the arms my body longed for.
Just then my eyes met a certain pair of blue ones across the room. Justin was dancing with a shapely redhead. He smiled at me before returning his attention to his dancing partner. Something she said made him smile and nod. Something clenched in my stomach at the sight.
“He really likes you, you know,” JC said.
“Who?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
JC gave me a look. “C’mon, I’m not as stupid as Joey looks,” he joked.
I smiled. “Sorry.” I looked down. I could feel my cheeks grow red.
“But he does,” JC continued, glancing over at his younger friend. “I’ve never seen him like this.”
I shifted my gaze away from JC’s piercing one. “Like what?”
“I’ve never seen him so attentive to anyone woman,” JC told me seriously. “Really, he is totally sprung.”
“He can’t be,” I disagreed, shaking my head as if it would make the statement more true. “We’re just friends.”
“You might just want to tell him that.” JC paused. He seemed to be weighing his next words. “Besides, I’ve been reading signs from you too.”
I recoiled as if he had smacked me. “No,” I said, forcefully. “I’m engaged, I can’t be interested in Justin.”
“Just because you’re engaged doesn’t mean that you don’t have feeling for him,” JC pointed out gently. “You know I haven’t heard you mention Keith all that much in the two months that you’ve been with us.”
I swallowed. I had to admit that Keith hadn’t been uppermost in my mind lately. In fact, I hadn’t even called him for four days.
The last strains of the song played and it was replaced by a pulsing beat. JC leaned over to shout, “Think about it,” before disappearing into the crowd of dancers.
I rubbed my temples as I surveyed the crowded club. The reverberating beat was making my already throbbing head worse. I could see Joey and Chris dancing with a pair of twins and Lance was chatting animatedly with a cute girl at the bar. Justin was no where in sight.
I decided to go get some fresh air, hoping to clear my head. After spotting an Exit sign, I slipped out into the cool night air. I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. I opened them a moment later when I realized that I could still hear the pounding music from the club. I strolled down the alleyway a little more, hoping for some peace and quiet.
As soon as the music was a faint sound down the way I stopped. I sat on a trashcan that had been turned on its side, placing my head in my head in my hands. There was a sound down the alley and my head snapped up, my eyes roving the deserted alley. I shivered, the night air was chilly against my heated skin.
I heard the sound again. It was coming from somewhere from my left. I stood quickly and began to walk quickly back to the club.
“Hey Baby,” a voice behind me slurred.
I didn’t look back. I just picked up my pace.
Suddenly, I felt a hand fasten around my arm and I opened my mouth to scream, but a smelly, dirty hand clamped over my mouth.
“Hey, where you going in such a hurry?” the voice rasped in my ear.
His breath on my neck made my flesh crawl. I struggled to get free, but he held me fast. I tried to scream as I felt him pulling me deeper into the shadows.
“Stop struggling you little b----!” he snarled as the back of my hand struck him squarely in the nose.
I stomped down hard on his foot.
He howled in pain but didn’t release me. Instead, he threw me down on a pile of full garbage bags.
I managed a scream before he covered my body with his. His hand clamped down over my mouth again.
“Now, none of that!” he told me angrily.
He removed his hand, but replaced it with his own mouth before I could manage a squeak. His lips were sloppy and tasted of cheep beer. I felt him fumbling with his belt buckle with one hand while the other one tugged at the hem of my skirt. Then he stopped.
Abruptly, he was lifted off me. I saw Justin’s angry face as he loomed over the man. I heard the sickening crack as his fist met the man’s jaw, the blow sending him tumbling to the ground. He jumped up quickly and bolted down the alley.
Justin bent over me as I sat there, numb with shock. “Gwen, are you all right?” he asked, brushing the hair out of my face with a tender hand.
I looked imploringly into his blue eyes. I was dimly aware of Justin pulling my skirt back down around my thighs.
“Gwen, are you okay?” Justin’s soft voice seemed to wake me from my reverie and I burst into uncontrollable tears.
Justin’s strong hand guided my head to his shoulder and rocked me gently until my tears subsided. When I pulled away I felt a little sheepish. This was the second time that I had cried on Justin’s shoulder. It was unusual for me to cry in front of somebody once, let alone twice. Keith himself had only seen me cry once in our four years together.
“Do you feel better now?” Justin asked softly.
I nodded. “Thank you,” I said, not looking him in the eye.
“Don’t worry about it,” Justin said, then his voice turned cold. “I just wish I could have done more to the b------!”
“Justin, you’re knuckles are bleeding.” I pulled a package of wet wipes from my pocket and tore it open, gently wiping the blood off his hand.
“Don’t worry about it,” Justin told me, shaking his hand slightly. “It doesn’t matter.”
I ignored him and kept applying pressure to the wound.
His hand closed over mine and I looked up, feeling a chill as my eyes met his. “Don’t worry about me,” he commanded, firmly, but gently. “You’re what matters.”
I felt a shiver run down his spine as his big hand caressed my cheek. His eyes softened as he studied my face. I let out a shuddering sigh as his callused fingertips trailed down my bare arm. I could see the longing look in his eyes as his gaze shifted back to his lips and then back to my eyes. Hesitantly, he traced my features with one long finger. He leaned forward, his lips brushing mine lightly, teasingly.
“Justin? Gwen? Are you out here?” Chris’s voice rang through the alley.
Justin pulled back, but his warm hand remained where it had settled on my waist.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed.
I couldn’t say anything, but I could feel the color rise in my face and I looked down, unable to trust myself to speak.
“There you guys are!” Chris exclaimed as he rounded the corner. “We’ve been looking all over for you! Are you two ready to go? We have an early morning.”
“Yeah, sure.” Justin scrambled to his feet.
I stood and followed the boys to the waiting limo. I couldn’t help but admire Justin’s broad back as we headed up the side street. I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to get carried away like that! I could never tell Keith! I could never tell anybody.
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