Chapter seventeen:
Jenna and Taylor had stumbled into the hotel soaking wet. They bundled up in a stack of spare towels Taylor had stolen from a cart and took the elevator up to their floor. They parted ways and went off to their rooms. Jenna changed into dry clothes and walked out into the main room drying her hair on a towel. She sat down just as Taylor came in. 
"Hey, Jen." He smiled.

He sat down close beside her. "How ya doin'?"
Jenna pulled her bare legs off the couch for a little more comfort space between her and Taylor. "Fine. Why?"
"Can't a guy ask a simple question?"
”I guess…”  
"That's what I thought." He smiled broadly and leaned forward, brushing her lips with his.
Jenna let the kiss last, but when she felt his tongue inside her mouth, she broke the kiss by pushing him off.
"Dammit Taylor!" She stood wiping her mouth with her arm.
"Am I that bad of a kisser?"
She walked over towards the TV with her back to him, stopped, and raked her hands through her hair before turning towards him.
"You can't-... Ugh, You know-... You--" She stumbled through her words. Jenna shook her head. "I'm not a fucking light switch that you can just turn on and off!"
He gave her a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"
"Don't do that!”
”Do what?” He asked in confusion.
”Don’t just kiss me like that and expect me to feel the same. I just…  I can’t do that. I’ve been hurt too many times by stupid men who only want to use me and I won’t let you do that too. I won’t put myself through that.”
He stood and enveloped her in a firm hug.
"Okay." He said.
"Okay, what?" She was still angry, but she was calming slowly.
”Okay… I’ll back off if that’s what you want me to do… but you have to admit that you wanted me to kiss you too. I mean you didn’t stop me the first time and the second time was great. It felt right to me.”
Jenna looked away from him. She couldn’t look into his eyes and not want to kiss him.
”Tay…”
”Just forget it okay?” He promptly left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zac and Becky walked downtown towards the movie theater.
"We could have taken a cab, you know." Zac said.
"I'd rather walk. It's nice out." She smiled.
"Sure." He reached over and gently took her hand.
Becky smiled widely. “Thanks so much for taking me to see this movie. I’ve been dying to see it for so long.”
”Don’t mention it. We just have to be back for the sound check okay? We can take a cab from the movie theater to the venue and just barely make it.”
”Okay.” She smiled.
He adjusted his sunglasses with his free hand.
”Did you check to see if you have any single friends?” Becky moved closer to him, stepping out of the way of a passing couple.
”I thought about it. I have a lot of single friends… is there someone specific you want? Someone who likes long walks on the beach, maybe?”
Becky giggled. “Maybe we could set her up with a couple of your friends. We could double date or something…” She looked up at him with a smile. “As long as he’s a nice guy…”
”A nice guy? He has to be nice? Hmm… that could be a little more difficult…”
Becky laughed. “Come on, you have to have some friends who are as sweet as you…”
He grinned at that. “Hmm… well, now that you’re sucking up…”
”I’m not sucking up.” She smiled. “It’s true.”
He pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He held open the door for her and they walked into the movie theater.
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Christy was sitting with Isaac in the VIP room. She flipped open a magazine and he moved closer to her.
”What are you reading? Cosmo?” He chuckled. “I never quite understood that.”
”Well, I mostly read it for the fashion tips, but most of the time the sex tips are good though.”
”Really? That kind of stuff is in there?” He attempted to turn the page.
She laughed and stopped him, taking his hand. “Baby,” She laughed. “I thought you wanted to wait.”
”I do… but I can be curious right?”
”Curiosity killed the cat…”
”True…”
Christy leaned forward and kissed him, just as the door burst open and Taylor banged into the room.
”Man you would not believe how many girls are out there right now.”
Isaac sighed. “Impeccable timing as always, Taylor.”
”Why? Am I interrupting?”
”No.” Christy said, “You aren’t.”
Isaac cleared his throat. “Where’s Zac?”
”He went to see a movie with Becky. He should be here any time now…” Taylor dropped his backpack and flopped into a chair.
”Alright. I imagine we should get started on the set list and get ready for sound check?”
”Okay, cool.” Taylor removed a battered notebook from his backpack. “What should we open with?”
The door banged open again and Zac came in, immediately going to the table of food and opening a can of Dr. Pepper. “Jeeze, there are way too many people here. I almost got mugged on my way in.”
”You should have been earlier.” Taylor advised.
Zac looked at his watch. “Why? I’m not late.” He smirked.
Taylor rolled his eyes.
”Where’s Becky?”
”Getting ready for the concert or something… I don’t know. She said she and Jenna would come later for the concert.”
”Okay.” Christy nodded.

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