hear me.
“ You have to, just don’t mention it until you get there. Can I speak to Matt please?” she asks still laughing. I hand the phone over to Matt and stand up to sort Tucker out.
“ We really have to leave if you’re coming,” I stop him with my hand on his arm. He just nods at me and starts getting ready. “Is he ever going to talk again?” I ask Matt once he’s hung up the phone; he just shrugs at me smiling.
Half an hour later, I finally get Tucker into my car, but he still hasn’t said a word to me. I settle in for a silent journey, really wishing I had just surprised Sophie instead of telling her so she wouldn’t have had time to change my plans.
“ Does Jason know?” he finally breaks the silence an hour later.
I look over at him, but he ’s looking out the window, “Does Jason know what?” I ask frowning.
“ That you’re going with me?” he turns to me expectantly.
“ Uhm, no. He thinks a few of us are just going out of town for the weekend,” I tell him honestly.
“ So you lied to him?” he asks, turning back to the window.
“ No, Sophie did. I was going to tell him, but she said not to; what with all the rumours and everything already, she said it would just make it worse.”
“ Sorry. I don’t want to put you in an awkward position.”
“ You’re not. He shouldn’t believe the rumours anyway; it’s not as if he doesn’t expect me not to listen to the rumours about him. Why should it be one rule for him and another for me?”
“ What do you mean?” he asks turning back to me again.
“ Some people have been saying that he’s sleeping with a few girls behind my back; he denies it”
“ I heard about that,” Tucker admits, sighing. “Don’t think that I’m not grateful because I am, more than you know. I just don’t want to make it harder for you around the school.”
“ Forget about them. Let’s just have a good time, okay?” I pat his leg to reassure him; and he seems to accept it because he grabs my hand and doesn’t let it go for the rest of the drive.
* * *
If I ever doubted my decision to bring anyone but Tucker this weekend; I take it back now. He’s been the best company. He walked around sightseeing with me all afternoon, we checked into the hotel – separate rooms – and we had a lovely dinner together in a quiet pub before hitting the show. During the show he was energetic; laughing and cheering with the crowd, singing along, and even lifted me onto his shoulders at one point.
When I took him backstage to meet the band, he was polite and funny; they all loved him. He waited while I caught up with the girlfriends that I ’ve known since I can remember; and then even suggested an early night, but didn’t complain when I told him I had plans.
First, we went to a pub that Sophie and I had been to before and we got a little drunk. When I took him to the club that Sophie and I stumbled upon accidentally the last time we were here, he really started to enjoy himself.
“Are you kidding me?” he asks, letting his eyes take in everything around him. I shake my head at him and watch the entertainment from the doorway before we make our way to the bar. There are girls in nothing but tiny thongs and g-strings dancing in various places around the club; some on the bar, a few on random tables, and one in each corner of the room up by the ceiling on a platform.
I only stay for an hour and when Tucker looks settled surrounded by women. I tell him I ’m heading back to the hotel, but that he should stay. He’s reluctant at first, but I convince him to enjoy himself. I head back happy that he’s enjoyed himself as much as Sophie and Matt told me he would.
* * *
Someone knocking on my hotel room door wakes me up early the next morning.
“Good morning,” Sophie sings happily, pushing past me into the room.
“ Morning,” I rasp. I guess I lost my voice last night.
“ How was it?” she asks excitedly bouncing on my
Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child