As soon as we rounded the corner to my place, I could see the problem. There was a crowd of cars lined up outside Aunt Helen’s house and at least six people out on my lawn. Rain had called the practice, and they were still going strong. Then again, it was still early. I leaned forward in my seat and let out an audible sigh. “Oh no.”
“Is that your house?”
“Yeah, that’s where I stay, up above the garage. Looks like I won’t get any sleep tonight either.” I knew I was going to have to move out sooner or later, but Rain and Aunt Helen were the only family I had around. It’s what caused me to stay so close to them. Not to mention, it was super cheap and I’d just started making it my own.
“Does this go on a lot?” He pulled to a stop just out front.
“Yeah, like every other night lately. Rain’s my best friend, and her Aunt’s been good to me, but this is getting old.”
His eyes narrowed as he sympathized with me. “I could imagine. Do you work tomorrow?” He leaned up and glanced out at the window.
Yeah, first thing in the morning.”
“Look, I know this is our first date, and I understand if you want to say no, but my sister is at my place, and if you want to come home with me and stay, you’re welcome to. I mean, just for a night of peace and quiet, no strings or conditions and you can sleep wherever you like. I have two guest rooms and a couch. Plus, a built-in chaperone in Megan,” he added with a smile.
“I don’t want to impose. Besides what would your sister think? It’s not exactly the best first impression.”
“She would think that her brother knows what he’s doing and she doesn’t need to worry about it. You can give Rain my address and phone number so she knows where to reach you.”
“It sure sounds better than listening to sound checks and arguing all night; and they don’t know when to leave.”
“Then stay with me. I’m serious; it’s cool. We can go in and grab a few things and be on our way.”
I hesitated only a minute longer. “Ok, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” he promised. “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. If you want me to be.”
The way he looked at me made my insides turn to jelly, and if he wasn’t careful, I was going to drench my panties. I cleared my throat and opened the door.
“I’d introduce you to Aunt Helen, but she’s at bingo.” We approached the house, and I hoped to not bump into anyone, but as per usual, Devin was in the path of my stairway.
His head turned and his face grew serious as Tate and I passed, then they turned and headed back into the garage, whispering like a couple of adolescents.
We walked into my apartment and I suddenly became super self-conscious.
“I’ll just grab a few things, please ignore my mess. I’m redoing the living room and just yanked out some carpet. There’s beer in the fridge if you want it, just make yourself at home.” I hurried to gather my things not wanting us to hang around too long.
When I came out of my room with my bag, I found him staring at a few of my framed macro photos.
“These are really cool. I can tell this one is a cheese grater, and this one is a whisk, but what’s this one?”
“That’s a corkscrew.”
“I see it now.” He took another sip of his beer and turned to take my overnight bag off my hands. “These are really good. You definitely have the eye.”
“Thanks,” I said blushing. “I actually had my own studio for about six months. I may have ‘the eye’ for photography, but not so much for business. Someday, though, I will own my own studio again. And maybe a gallery too, so I can showcase my work, as well as boost other local artists.”
“That sounds amazing,” he said. “Well, with talent like this, I have no doubt you’ll get there. And who knows, maybe you might save a spot on the wall for me? It’s always been a dream of mine to be known for my work.”
“I’ll tell you what,” I said. “You get me out of this noisy shit hole tonight, and it’s a deal.”
He laughed. “You drive a hard bargain. Is this everything?” he gestured to the bag he held.
“Yep, all set,” I said.
“That’s impressive. My ex would have had three bags just for one night,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s not me,” I told him. “I don’t have time for all that.”