Out of the corner of his eye, Apolo looked up from the new Nas album and smiled as he watched a huge grin form across Morgan�s lips. She was such an imp sometimes, and even though he teased Morgan about her non-conformist attitude, he admired her courage to stray from the flock. Apolo looked back at the c.d. and shook his head, still secretly enjoying Morgan�s wild dance between the Alternative shelves of Sam Goody�s.
Morgan opened her eyes as the song slowly trickled off. She grabbed the featured album off the shelf and read over the track listings. Sugarcult. Good band. Gonna have to burn that one. She moseyed down the aisle, careful to look for any new albums, her hands gliding through the carefully displayed stacks. Incubus. Morning View. Morgan ran her fingers over the familiar, glossy case and sighed. If only Brandon Boyd could be my other fuck buddy�She quickly lifted her head from the c.d., only to see pimply, red-head salesclerk staring at her. Morgan cocked her head in curiosity, then looked back down at the album and chuckled to see her brown hair standing on end in the reflection.
�Morning View�awesome tracks on here. Can�t get enough it,� said Morgan, breaking the tension as she waved the c.d. back and forth.
�Uh, right, obviously.� The salesclerk hurried down the aisle toward the DVD section.
�Who�s that? Incubus?�
Morgan quickly turned around and rolled her eyes playfully as Apolo neared closer. He set aside his pile of c.d.s and tore the case out of Morgan�s hand before she could object.
�Yes, it�s what we people call a �real� band. You know, the ones that write their own songs with deeper lyrics and feelings. Not that kind that talk about some dawg�s hos in different area codes.�
�Ouch, that hurt me a lot, Morg.� He stared at the track listing, and smiled. �Feelings, huh? Wow, they�re so in touch with their emotions. Give me a break, you really listen to this crap?�
�Well, I do,� she replied, snatching the album back. �You should give them a chance. They might surprise you. And you know what, I believe that you�re being prejudice to white bands,� she replied, pushing him in the shoulder jokingly.
�Aww, dude, I gave up N�Sync a while ago. I went through Justin withdrawals for a whole month when I heard about him and Britney.�
�I said white bands, not frickin� boy bands, you dorkus.� Morgan smiled as Apolo caught her by the wrists, putting a halt to her playful assault.
�I�ll make a deal with you. You give the Nas album a chance, and I�ll listen to Incubus a few times over,� he whispered, now entangling his fingers in hers. �Alright?�
�Hey, Apolo!�
He let go of Morgan�s fingers, letting them drop dejectedly at her side to search for the interjecting voice. A wave of nostalgia washed over Apolo as the guy moved into view. Tall, about 6�0��, with a set of eyes that teetered on the edge of kindness and mystery. His jet-black hair was short and spiked yet messily gelled. And although his every feature felt familiar to Apolo, his name remained at the back of his tongue.
�It�s me, J.J.�
A bright light lit up the creases on Apolo�s forehead as the two grown men proceeded to shake hands. Morgan moved slightly away, her hands bordering her jeans� pockets.
�Morgan, this is one of my good friend�s from way back, J.J. He and I grew up together in Seattle.�
�J.J. is what my close friends call me. It�s actually just Jaime, but in your case, you can call me whatever you please.�
Morgan forced her mouth into a smile as J.J.�s lips grazed the back of her hand. His eyes locked on hers, never breaking the suspicious edge that lingered under Morgan�s skin.
�Nice to meet you, Jaime.�
�Please, call me J.J. And I guarantee you�ll want to remember it for future use.�
�Good thing for me I have a short-term memory.� Morgan pulled backwards toward Apolo, reveling in his comforting scent and warmth.
J.J. and Apolo laughed, but over Apolo�s lilting and uplifting chuckle rose J.J.�s stumbling guffaw. There was no doubt that he was handsome with his tanned skin, dazzling, green eyes, and chiseled cheekbones. And to say he was charismatic would be an understatement in itself. But in every fast-talking guy she fell for, Morgan knew that there was always a ulterior motive or a thin layer of deceit lurking beneath the surface. She learned to never trust any man who spoke overly eloquent without rehearsal; they usually had a match ready in hand to burn her heart.