Cherry laughed out loud just as Sam came to stand beside her.
“It is ridiculous, Cherry,” Sam laughed.
“You say ridiculous, I say magnificent,” she chimed in. “Alright, so let’s see.”
She dug around in her closet and pulled out ten or fifteen different miniskirts that looked more like tube tops to me and threw them at my feet. I bent to pick them up, examining each one as I checked them over. I held up a dark silver sequin one and thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
“I think that would look amazing with your hair,” she said. “Here, I have this awesome fitted grey Led Zeppelin v-neck that would look great with this. It’s too small for me so I’m certain it’d fit you like a glove.” She turned toward her closet and I stood up. Just then, I noticed Callum casually leaning against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest.
“What?” I asked him, trying very hard not to let him effect me.
“Are...are, are you going to try those on?” He asked, gulping down hard.
Hmm.
Chapter Eight
6 Underground
Callum
Cherry and Sam had left hours ago to ready for the show, leaving Harper and I to get ready on our own. When they left, Harper had been exceedingly quiet, barely speaking a word to me and I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong. I was lounging on the sofa, watching television, when she came out of the bathroom wearing the outfit Cherry let her borrow. My eyes literally bugged from my head. I stood, my palms beginning to sweat. I was forced to lock my knees to keep from falling forward.
“Harper, you look amazing.”
“Thank you,” she said and walked toward her bag, stuffing all its contents inside.
I watched the muscles in her exposed legs flex with every movement as the t-shirt clung to her flat stomach, making my head swim.
“You can leave that here, Harper. Cherry will let us come back for it.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, leaning against the sofa arm and crossing her legs at the ankles. I gulped down how sexy I thought that was.
“Uh, are you ready?”
“Yup,” she said, shortly, refusing to look at me as she stood.
I started walking toward the door and heard her follow. “Are you excited to see Barcelona?”
“Of course,” she answered.
She was so short with me.
“Is, I mean, did I do something wrong, Harper?” I asked as we descended the narrow stairs.
“Um, no, of course not,” she said too softly.
“Well, you aren’t acting yourself. What’s up?”
“Seriously, nothing.”
I didn’t say anything back. There was nothing to say. She was obviously ticked off. I decided I’d just have to let it come out on its own.
We rode the subway there in complete silence and she barely looked at me the entire time. I put my hand around her shoulder to let her know that I didn’t care if she was mad at me or not, I wanted to be near her and to my surprise, she didn’t shove me off. Instead, she laid her head on my shoulder like she couldn’t get close enough yet still refused to look at me.
“I thought we’d get off here,” I said a few blocks from the concert.
“What for?”
“Charlie said I could park my motorcycle where all the bands buses are. I need to pick it up.”
“Alright,” she conceded easily.
The concert was held in Central Park and was more like a summer festival. There was a main stage and several side stages, where The Ivories were supposed to be playing. We rode right up the path behind the main stage and were stopped at the fenced in gate.
“Whoa!” A security guard said. “What are you doing?”
“Sorry,” I said, flashing my backstage pass. “I’m here with Charlie James.”
The guy didn’t say a word, opening the make-shift gate and letting us through. I slowly brought my bike toward the rear where Charlie said he’d be. I spotted Cherry first and stopped by their trailer. When I got off my bike, I helped Harper slide off the seat so her skirt wouldn’t show anything. I got a small smile for that and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She stood beside me, letting me unbuckle her helmet for her and I could feel the eyes of the band and Charlie watching us. I got the helmet off and hung it on my handle bar but when I turned around, I saw Harper shaking out her hair. The scent assaulted me, a fragrant punch to the chest, and my fingers itched to run through every single strand, to feel its silk. I caught myself and turned toward my friends and was taken completely back. The girls were talking amongst themselves, laughing and joking...but the guys. The guys were apparently struck as dumb as I had been when they caught a glimpse of Harper. Instinctively, I reached for Harper but she had already headed for Cherry, doing a little turn to show how her outfit looked on her.
I strode over to the guys and punched Josiah in the shoulder.
“What the hell, dude?” He asked, rubbing his arm.
“Can you all pick your jaws off the floor?” I asked, a little bit peeved. “Charlie? Charlie?” I snapped my fingers in his face to grab his attention.
“What? Yes?” He asked and the others laughed.
“Can you, maybe, not stare at Harper?”
He shook his head to clear it. “Oh, of course. I’m sorry, Callum. She’s extraordinary.”
“I know,” I said, sighing at the typical direction our conversations usually went. That’s when I realized that Harper was one girl Charlie couldn’t have. “Listen, Charlie. I know you and Sam are over or whatever but I’d appreciate it if you could not go after Harper. She’s....She’s...”
“Yours?” He asked, a twinkle in his eye.
The others had walked off at this point to visit with Harper, leaving us alone. “She’s not mine. No.”