the dorm. I’m almost as disappointed with Jude as I am with myself. If he likes me, and if he liked what I played on Friday, why wouldn’t he want to urge me on? But he stays true to his declaration. He doesn’t say a word, not even after Adelaide burns the house down again. In fact, rather than watch his sister play, he wanders the club to mingle.
Janissa claps like crazy for Adelaide. “Oh my God, Keeley. You were right. She’s amazing .”
Shortly thereafter, I see Adelaide and Dr. Saunders leave together. My stomach is water, while I’m thirsty as hell. Maybe I should go after her, even just to compliment her performance? Jude watches them go too. His expression is somewhere between thundercloud and sadness.
In the end, I just plop my butt back in my chair. I’m not ready to chase after Adelaide, who’s practically a stranger. Anyway, it’s not my responsibility. I’ll figure out some way to meet up with her on neutral ground. We’ll talk music, not really poor choices in guys.
As if I know where that line is.
I make this tumbledown club feel new to Jude? I make him feel anything?
Three musical acts later, Jude puts his hand on one of the chairs at our table. “May I?”
“Oh,” Janissa says. “Hi.”
Sure, his hand is only resting there, but his demeanor says he’s already claimed it like a homesteader. Still, he waits. He stands with grace and the timeless formality of a man who was raised with money. Yet in that odd way of his, he makes it seem perfectly natural, no matter the casual setting.
With amusement in his eyes, he looks between me and Janissa. She had to have been watching when he cornered me against the wall. She has yet to grill me about it, as we each pretended the night was nothing special—or mind bending.
Now she shoots me a look. Well, two looks. One clearly says, Holy shit . The other may as well be written in DayGlo paint across her heart-shaped face.
Danger.
Practical girl is practical.
Jude places a tumbler of some golden liquor on the table and joins us. “An introduction, please?”
I can’t help but laugh. “That’s rich coming from you, Mr. Villars.”
“I’m Jude to you or I’m nothing at all,” he says, darting me some playful side-eye.
He genuinely seems more interested in meeting Janissa than in poking my scaredy-cat butt up on stage. He’s given up on that being a possibility, just like he said. I’d either do it or I wouldn’t. His dares and prodding are off the table. Not that I need him to help make my decisions for me. Not that I need him in order to be strong.
Not that I care.
Except that I do care. Damn him.
I decide to play by his stupid rules. At least there seem to be rules right now, based on surface level politeness. We may as well have been making introductions at a country club banquet. I’ve never been to one. He’s probably forgotten the number of country clubs, let alone the times he’s played out high-class routines.
A minute ago, a few minutes from now—no telling what his rules will be.
“Janissa Simons,” I say. “This is Jude Villars.”
They shake hands, all decorum. He offers a smile meant to charm his way into the pants of almost any human being. I want to smack him.
“You guys want a drink?” she asks. “I’m going up for a refill.”
“Actually, I just came by to say hello. Keeley and I are getting ready to leave.” Jude’s certainty is so overwhelming that I check myself. Did he say something? Did we make plans? Maybe I’ve totally lost my marbles.
“Um, all right.” Janissa glances at me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, my anger quick and hot. He takes so many liberties. That they coincide with desires I can’t even articulate makes it worse. “I’m here with Janissa. We’re staying.”
Jude pins her with what I know to be his impossibly persuasive gaze. “Janissa, I know you two must’ve been having a good time, so I’ll offer my apologies. But I have a proposition for Keeley.
Janissa claps like crazy for Adelaide. “Oh my God, Keeley. You were right. She’s amazing .”
Shortly thereafter, I see Adelaide and Dr. Saunders leave together. My stomach is water, while I’m thirsty as hell. Maybe I should go after her, even just to compliment her performance? Jude watches them go too. His expression is somewhere between thundercloud and sadness.
In the end, I just plop my butt back in my chair. I’m not ready to chase after Adelaide, who’s practically a stranger. Anyway, it’s not my responsibility. I’ll figure out some way to meet up with her on neutral ground. We’ll talk music, not really poor choices in guys.
As if I know where that line is.
I make this tumbledown club feel new to Jude? I make him feel anything?
Three musical acts later, Jude puts his hand on one of the chairs at our table. “May I?”
“Oh,” Janissa says. “Hi.”
Sure, his hand is only resting there, but his demeanor says he’s already claimed it like a homesteader. Still, he waits. He stands with grace and the timeless formality of a man who was raised with money. Yet in that odd way of his, he makes it seem perfectly natural, no matter the casual setting.
With amusement in his eyes, he looks between me and Janissa. She had to have been watching when he cornered me against the wall. She has yet to grill me about it, as we each pretended the night was nothing special—or mind bending.
Now she shoots me a look. Well, two looks. One clearly says, Holy shit . The other may as well be written in DayGlo paint across her heart-shaped face.
Danger.
Practical girl is practical.
Jude places a tumbler of some golden liquor on the table and joins us. “An introduction, please?”
I can’t help but laugh. “That’s rich coming from you, Mr. Villars.”
“I’m Jude to you or I’m nothing at all,” he says, darting me some playful side-eye.
He genuinely seems more interested in meeting Janissa than in poking my scaredy-cat butt up on stage. He’s given up on that being a possibility, just like he said. I’d either do it or I wouldn’t. His dares and prodding are off the table. Not that I need him to help make my decisions for me. Not that I need him in order to be strong.
Not that I care.
Except that I do care. Damn him.
I decide to play by his stupid rules. At least there seem to be rules right now, based on surface level politeness. We may as well have been making introductions at a country club banquet. I’ve never been to one. He’s probably forgotten the number of country clubs, let alone the times he’s played out high-class routines.
A minute ago, a few minutes from now—no telling what his rules will be.
“Janissa Simons,” I say. “This is Jude Villars.”
They shake hands, all decorum. He offers a smile meant to charm his way into the pants of almost any human being. I want to smack him.
“You guys want a drink?” she asks. “I’m going up for a refill.”
“Actually, I just came by to say hello. Keeley and I are getting ready to leave.” Jude’s certainty is so overwhelming that I check myself. Did he say something? Did we make plans? Maybe I’ve totally lost my marbles.
“Um, all right.” Janissa glances at me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, my anger quick and hot. He takes so many liberties. That they coincide with desires I can’t even articulate makes it worse. “I’m here with Janissa. We’re staying.”
Jude pins her with what I know to be his impossibly persuasive gaze. “Janissa, I know you two must’ve been having a good time, so I’ll offer my apologies. But I have a proposition for Keeley.
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