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Chapter 3 - The meeting An hour later they were sitting at a lovely little table listening to Thorn Tree, with Tim's girlfriend Gina as a silent, hostile companion. Kristen leaned over and whispered, "I hear we have a celebrity in our midst for this show," she grinned. Tash looked perplexed and Kristen grinned wider. "Someone said Russell Crowe was back in our part of the world with his band, and they are here tonight. Girl, you should see that man. One of the best looking men I've ever looked at, that is for sure, except for Jack of course!" She laughed and winked. "Maybe we'll see him! Wouldn't that be something?" She giggled to herself. Tash had no idea who Russell Crowe was, so her brows furrowed together, and she pursed her lips as she asked Kristen, "Who in the world is that?" Kristen looked at her with wide eyes, but then she kind of nodded. "Well, he is an Australian actor. He was in the movie Gladiator. Don't suppose you had a chance to see that, since it came out last year when you were planning your, well..and then after what happened.." She trailed off quietly, and after a moment, she said "Well, if I see him I will point him out to you. K?" She grinned again. Tash nodded and glanced around her, wondering where this supposedly gorgeous man was. She figured she might as well look at something she would never have, if she couldn't have the man she did want. Ever since she had come in, she had felt eyes on her. She just assumed that was because she hadn't been here in a year and there might be some fans of Bent Scheme here, Josh's former band. She was glad the guys had went on to work with other bands. She really liked what she was hearing from Thorn Tree. But still she felt those eyes following her, even when she excused herself for a moment to go to the ladies room. As she was exiting she decided to get a drink from the bar, and maybe say Hi to Jerry, the bartender, whom she hadn't seen in since the car accident that had killed Josh. When he saw her, he smiled and leaned over the bar, hugging her, and practically yelling how good it was to see her. He fixed her a Tom Collins on the house, and as they were chatting, she again became aware of eyes upon her. She turned around, and there he was, just as she expected to see him. A fairly tall man, with a scruffy beard, and wild hair. A pair of burning green eyes were boring into hers, and something in her stomach was churning. He smelled of leather and musk, along with a little warm sweat. All in all, a very pleasant smell, very male and masculine. He was standing about 2 feet from her, and there was not even a hint of a smile on his face. It was as though he was looking upon a woman for the very first time. Being quite petite, Tash had to look up into his face, and there was something about him that tugged at her heart. He didn't exude danger; it was something else, indescribable. She gave him a tentative smile, to which his bow shaped mouth curved into a truly breathtaking grin, and she found herself responding to his grin with one of her own. It seemed like they had stood here before, as though she had known this man before, even though she didn't even know his name. His eyes twinkled and danced in tune with his smile, and suddenly he was reaching out his hand to touch her hair, and he ran his index finger lightly down her cheek. She shuddered, but not with revulsion or fear, but from something visceral and the erotic sensations that it evoked. He was so close to her by now that she could feel his breath, scented with the beer he had been drinking, on her face. She felt as though she had been standing out in the sun all day, and was trembling with excitement. She was aware that her nipples had become hard points, and for one moment imagined his fingers roaming her breasts and pinching those hardened nipples. Just as she became aware of these thoughts, he pulled himself back and it seemed that he, too, was trembling. Her heart became at once, tender toward him. 'So he scared himself,' she thought. He seemed to realize that not a word had been spoken between them so he cleared his throat, and out came the most sensuous voice she had ever heard, with a throaty Australian accent. Realizing that anything he said at this point would look almost silly, he said simply "G'day miss, name is Russell. Might I ask yours?" She had caught the 'G'day' and had a vague impression that she was looking upon the very same Russell Crowe, Gladiator man, that Kristen had just been speaking of. Well, she thought, I've never been particularly impressed by fame, but I am certainly impressed by the man. "Hello Russell, I am Natasha Rivers. Would you like a beer?" She smiled. He smiled as well, and nodded. She turned back to Jerry who was gaping at her as if he had seen an alien, and he revived himself from his stare and grabbed a Shiner Bock, which he knew Russell fancied, as the man had been in here many times. Tash arched her eyebrows when Jerry handed her the Shiner, since it was obvious that Jerry knew right away what Russell would want. She grinned at him, and turned back to Russell, who promptly winked at Jerry. Tash handed him the Shiner, and he popped it open, and took a sip. He found himself tongue-tied in front of this beautiful woman, who was regarding him with expectancy. He took a few deep breaths, and ventured "Might you like to come and sit with me, enjoy the rest of the show?" He was rewarded with a smile and a nod, so he took her arm, and pushed through the crowd to a large booth in the corner, where he beckoned to her to sit. She did, and thanked him with a smile. He sat, and seemed to be at a loss for words, simply gazing at her, making her a bit self-conscious. |
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