Noah approaches me until weโre an armโs length apart.
He stops and crosses his arms, shoulders stretching the fabric of his T-shirt and looking as stern as a rock.ย Surly Pose.
Truth is, I donโt intend to quit and he knows it. I canโt cancel the tour even if I wanted to. Contracts have me bound at the ankles. But I amย feeling.ย Feeling so much and so strongly about everything that I canโt quite handle it. I love being here with Noah. I love walking through this town and feeling the heartbeat of its personality. I canโt believe I have to leave it. And because I canโt fall into tears right now, and thereโs nothing I can do about my quickly approaching real life, I have to fight with Noah. Because I know heโll let me, and itโll help.
His eyes narrow lightly as he scans my soul. โSay it again,โ he says in a steely tone that has shivers running over my skin. โI need to watch your face as you say it.โ
I take a moment to summon my best lying skills so I can pass this test. I need him to think Iโm serious.ย Fight with me, Noah. Distract me from these feelings.ย I tilt my chin up. โI said, Iโm quitting music.โ Unfortunately, I think the last word ratted me out. My voice shook. Also, it probably
doesnโt help that this morning as I lay in bed with Noah, I sang to him the few verses Iโve been working on the last few days and told him how excited I was about them.
Something sparks in Noahโs green eyes. He knows Iโm a little liar now because heโs come to recognize my tells.
โYou canโt quit. I wonโt allow it,โ he says sharplyโ argumentativelyโand heโs onto my game but is putting a fresh spin on it. A hot spin, judging by the way the corner of his moody mouth twitches ever so slightly.ย You want to play, Iโll play,ย says his grumpy-handsome face.
โI can if I want.โ Iโm defiant as I take a step toward him. With anyone else Iโm grace and poiseโIโm Audrey.ย Polite, polite, polite.ย But with Noah, I speak my mind. Iโm not afraid to look silly. To fight and argue and get messy. I cast an explorative glance around The Pie Shop. โIn fact, I think Iโll just work hereโฆwith you.โ
โIโm not hiring.โ He pauses. โBesides, Iโve seen your baking skills.โ
โThatโs only because you refuse to teach me. I can learn, though.โ
Noah steps forward, the gap between us slowly disappearing and searing heat crackling between us. โNo. I wonโt let you work here.โ
โHa!โ I raise my chin. โIโm Rae Rose. Iโve built a musical empire and a cult following that would risk their lives if I asked them to. Iโd like to see you try to stop me from doing anything.โ I wish I was actually this confident.
โIf you quit, I wonโt talk to you again.โ This makes me smile. โReally?โ
โYes.โ
โYou think you can hold out?โ
He grunts an affirmative response, but his actions are telling a different story. His hands are somehow on my
waist and heโs been slowly backing me up until Iโm close enough for him to lift me up onto the counter. Memories of last night dash through my mind and my pulse sledgehammers against my ribs.
โEasy.โ Heโs cocky with that hat casting a dark shadow over his eyes. Brooding and commanding. I rip it offโ splashing his face in light and then running my hand through his messy hair. Itโs tossed and perfect. On the brink of needing a haircut, but not quite there yet.
โSo letโs just say I quit and Iโm living here. Iโm at your sistersโ house making pancakes while youโre over there. You see me reach for the salt instead of the sugar and raise it over the mixing bowl. You still donโt say anything to me?โ His mouth tilts sardonically.ย Amateur hour,ย his eyes say.
โI donโt eat your pancakes anyways so it doesnโt affect me.โ First of all, rude. Second, I never want to stop playing with Noah.
โFine. Iโll up the stakes then.โ My hands glide up his chest and clasp at his neck, pulling him between my legs, lightly toy with the hair at the nape of his neck. His fingertips press firmly into my hips. โIโm crossing the street, and I donโt see an oncoming car. You still donโt say anything?โ
His eyes hover down at my lips. โNot fair.โ โIโm not trying to play fair.โ
โAnd Iโm trying not to be the reason you give up your dreams.โย Bam.ย Truth falls between us and ruins the game.
Thereโs a moment of silence, where only the tension in our bodies is speaking, where our fingertips say words that our mouths never will. My hold around his neck tightens. He slides his hands all the way around to hug my hips up close to his.
And then because he knows I need for him to lighten this moment, he grins lightly and tacks on, โForfeiting so soon, Pop-Tart?โ
I quickly press my mouth against his. Itโs so forceful he rocks backward slightly and I nearly fall. But he stabilizes us quickly and kisses me back, just as forcefully. Weโre still fighting, but itโs on new terrain. Itโs bumpy and jarring and our mouths will be bruised. I nip at his lip and his hands grip my back. None of this is helpingโitโs making it worse. I whimper from a fresh stab of emotions and Noah pulls away quickly.
He cradles my face and studies my eyes. โDid I hurt you?โ
I shake my head and try for a smile. Itโs weak and pitiful. โNoah. I wonโt ask you to come with me when I leave, but I need you to know that if you ever change your mind youโre always welcome wherever I am. Always.โ
He stares at me, a crease etched between his brows, and takes a deep breath. He tilts forward and kisses me again. Softly this time. Our lips donโt part. We donโt explore. We soothe and settle.
The bell chimes above the door, and then a womanโs scratchy voice echoes through the shop. โUnlock those puckers, kids!โ Itโs Mabel.
And sheโs not alone.
โOh, sweet bread and butter on Christmas morning.โ โNow, Harriet, you just tuck those delicate sensibilities
away for another day. This ainโt the time.โ
Noah and I peel ourselves from each other and I look over my shoulder to find Mabel and Harriet catching their breath. I quickly fix my skewed shirt and would most definitely feel embarrassed by the scene they just found us in if there were enough time. But these two ladies are pink
cheeked and panting from shu๏ฌing their way in here like they were trying to win a fast-walking competition. All thatโs missing are hot pink windbreakers.
โDonโt try to boss me around, Mabel, Iโm older than you.โ
โAnd stodgier, too. Havenโt you ever seen a couple in love doing a little bit of kissing before?โ
Harriet lifts her nose. โThey should wait to show that sort of affection until marriage.โ
Mabel rolls her eyes. โOh, like you and Tom did?โ She says this with a sassy slur making Harriet gasp. โYes,ย donโt act so surprised, Your Supreme Holiness. Canโt tell me your little last-minute wedding back then was because of love. It was because youโd beenย making loveย and a baby! You had yourself a good olโ fashioned shotgun wedding.โ Mabel grunts again. โHoneymoon baby, my ass.โ
โLadies,โ Noah says, somehow managing not to laugh at these two bickering grannies I hope to grow up and become exactly like one day. โWas there something urgent you came in here for?โ
โShit!ย Yes!โ says Mabel.
Harriet jumps in before Mabel can finish, also taking a delicate but poignant step in front of her. โYou need to hide!โ she says, aiming her hawk eyes on me.
Mabel nearly pushes Harriet out of the way to step in front of her this time. And now itโs clear they werenโt here on a joint missionโthey were each racing to get to us first. โThat fellow whoโs been snooping around all week with his camera is in town again right now.โ
โThe paparazzo?โ Noah asks.
โNo, the pizza man has a new photography hobby! Yes, Noah, the paparazzo! But even worse, thereโs more of them!โ Poor Noah. He takes it like a champ, but Mabel is
downright lethal today. Actually, I think Noah secretly adores it because the corner of his perfect mouth is doing that slight twitch again.
โPhil and Todd saw him coming and waylaid him with facts about hammers. But I donโt know how long theyโll hold him, and the others are all scattered around.โ Harriet says this while lifting the folding countertop and trying to push her way through it. I sayย tryingย because Mabel is also trying to push through and the two are only getting themselves wedged in that little space together.
โMabel! Would you justโโ
โI would, Harriet, if you would justโฆโ
Now, Noah has stepped away from me to help pull these ladies through the counter. โNow look at what you two have done,โ he says gently. โMabel, suck in and twist.โ
โHow many of them are out there, Mabel?โ I ask, feeling sick.
Noah tugs her arm lightly and they both pop through to our side of the counter. โOh honey, thereโs gotta be at least twenty of them. A whole crowd. You need to get out of here quickly.โ
I look to Noah and our eyes both convey the same message: Game over. Our time together is up.
