Finding Peace (Finding Series Book 1) (6 page)

That’s when I see that my buddy, Max is talking to her and another girl who is with her. She’s nice looking too. Total opposite of the blonde though. She’s got dark hair and looks like maybe blue eyes. It’s hard to tell from here. My focus is on the blonde though. I want to know who she is.

Max is now standing beside me. When did he walk over here?
Get it together man. Girls do not mess with your head like this.

“Hey man. Wanna shoot a game with me when you’re done with this one?”

“Yeah, sure. Who’s the blonde you were talking to?”

“Oh. They are from some town two hours away. I think she said her name was Kayla and her friend's name is Tess or something like that. Why?”

I move so that I can see around him to make sure they are still there.

“Just curious.”

“They were talking about you. The blonde asked the other one if she knew you. I guess the brunette’s mom lives here and they are just visiting for Spring Break.”

Hmm, she was asking about me too. Good to know. I can always count on Max. “Go tell her I’d like to meet her. And make sure her name is actually Kayla. It’d be bad if I called her the wrong name.”

“Yeah, man. Okay.”

Taking my next shot, I watch as he walks over to the girls.
Don't screw this up Max. I don't want her to leave before I get a chance to talk to her.
My eyes keep glancing over in their direction as I wait for my next shot. Max is trying hard not to laugh about something she said.

He starts walking back to me still trying really hard not to laugh. I give him a puzzled look and he can’t help it any longer he laughs and shakes his head.

“She said and I quote, ‘Well, I’m not the kind of girl that just walks up to random guys I don’t know. And Mr. Blake looks like a hoodlum to me.’ I’m serious man. I don’t think she is interested.”

“What the hell did you say to her?”

“When she asked why you didn’t come over there yourself, I told her you’re not the type of guy that comes to girls, they come to you.”

I back hand him on the shoulder. “Damn, Max you made me sound like an ass. I didn’t go over there because I’m in the middle of a game.”

“Look, I thought it would help you out. It works with the other girls.”

“You don’t say stuff like that to girls like that. That’s not going to impress her.”

I’m not sure what makes her different, I just feel it. She’s not like these other girls who always throw themselves at the guys. She might be wearing a mini skirt, but she doesn’t look like she is putting herself on display. I can tell she’s shy by the way she keeps blushing every time I catch her watching me.

I look at her and we lock eyes again. Cocking my head to the side, giving her a smirk, I raise my eyebrows. She in turn cocks her head to the side and shrugs. She wants me to think that she isn’t interested in talking to me, but her body language is telling me a different story.

Giving her a bigger smile, I nod my head in and up and down motion. Then I change my look and stare deep into her eyes and then lick my lips. Her look turns serious now. Smirking, I now know for sure that I'm affecting her as much as she's affecting me. I walk in her direction and the closer I get I can see her chest is rising up and down quickly.

Then it occurs to me. She thinks she knows who I am. She has no idea who she is dealing with.
Hoodlum, huh?
I smile smugly more to myself than her now. There are only a few steps that separate us, she's almost frozen in her spot. With a look of nervousness plain on her face, her face flushes staining her cheeks. It was a delicious shade of pink that almost matches that pink tank top, that's killing me. Just then I get an idea.

I turn and walk back to the juke box and choose a new popular song that all the girls seem to be crazy about right now.

“What are you doing? I thought you were going to talk to her.”

“I’ve got a better idea. Just watch and learn.”

Max shakes his head. “Oh, this should be good.”

We walk back to the pool tables as the music to
‘Lost in Your Eyes’
by Debbie Gibson starts to play. She’s staring at me trying to figure out what I’m doing. I stop right in front of her, lean in close and whisper in her ear. “Just remember you’re forcing me to do this.” She looks even more confused now.

Jumping up on the pool table, I start to sing along with Debbie. Actually, I must confess, this is a stroke of pure genius. With a look down at Kayla, I decide to change the words up just for her.

“I get lost in Kayla’s eyes. And I feel my spirits rise. And soar like the wind. Is it love that I am in? I get weak in a glance. Isn’t this what’s called romance. And now I know. Cause when I’m lost I can’t let go.”

I’m singing right to her and her whole face and neck are now blushing. She is pleading with me to please get down. Everyone has stopped what they are doing and she is trying to hide her face. I think she might bolt in a moment.

I stop singing and squat down so I know that she can hear me. The place has exploded with conversations, cat calls, and some clapping.

“Are you going to talk to me?”

She puts her head down and shakes her head no. She won’t look at me.

“Okay. I’ll just keep singing then.” I move to stand back up.

She looks at me and she is trying hard not to smile. She starts waving her hands. “No! No more. Please.”

“So you’ll talk to me? I just want to talk to you.”

She takes a deep breath and looks up at me with those crystal green eyes and I think my heart stops. Swallowing hard, I hold my breath as I wait for her answer.

“Yes, just talk. If you’ll get down and stop singing. I’ll talk to you.”

Thank God. I smile at her and she closes her eyes and puts her hand up to her forehead.

“Okay.” I jump down and extend my hand to her. “Hi, I’m Blake McGinnis and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She extends her tiny hand and places it in mine. When I close my hand around hers, I lose all train of thought. There’s an almost electrical current like feel that is flowing between us right now and it feels amazing.

“Hi. My name is Kayla and I’m not so sure it’s a pleasure to meet you yet. You just completely embarrassed me.”

I shake my head yes and then shrug. “You kind of forced me to take drastic measures.”

That causes her to give me a full smile that lights up her whole face. Yes, I have to get to know this girl. Realizing that I’m still holding her hand, I release it and run my hands through my hair. The feel of that electrical current is still between us. This is going to be fun. I just have to get her to let her guard down and get her to admit that she is interested in getting to know me better. It’s going to happen. This I am sure of.

Kayla

I watch as Max and Blake talk to each other. They keep glancing this way. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like what they are saying. I can’t let this guy get to me. It’s not possible right now. Maybe if this was happening a few months from now, things could be different. I see Blake hit Max in the arm. He doesn’t look too happy with his friend at the moment.

Just then Blake looks at me and gives me a look that says he’s questioning my reaction to his ‘invitation’ to come and meet him.
Cocky much?
I shrug at him. This just causes him to smile more. And then he gives me a look that makes me weak in the knees. Feeling as if I'm going to fall, I grab hold of Tessa's arm. She has been looking back and forth between me and Blake through all of this. Tessa is now biting her lip, trying to keep me from seeing that she is smiling.

“Wow! That look he just gave you. Girl, I think I might faint.”

I whip my head around to look at her. “Really Tessa? You’re not helping.”

“I’m just saying. That was hot.”

Oh no! He is coming this way. This can’t happen. I won’t let myself get mixed up with this guy. He stands a few feet from me and then abruptly turns and heads for the juke box.

“What do you think he is doing?”

“Giving up, I hope.” I truly doubt that is the case though.

“Guys like him don’t give up till they get what they want and I’m pretty sure you are what he wants.” Tessa is determined to get me to give in to this guy.

“Well, he can do whatever he likes I’m not falling for it. He thinks he’s God’s gift or something. I don’t like cocky men. And this one has, Alpha cocky male, written all over him.”

“Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that because I’m pretty sure you aren’t going to be able to fight him off for long. Heck, why would you want to?”

“Sometimes, I wonder why we are even friends.” She laughs and I narrow my eyes at her.

“Oh great. He’s headed back this way. Do you recognize the song that’s playing?”

She smiles at me and I feel like all the wind has been knocked out of me. He is coming back over here.

“I recognize it.” She says. “It’s your favorite song. Go figure.”

I look at her with my mouth hanging open. Amazed that she is not helping me out at all. It’s like she is rooting for him to get his way. I grit my teeth and turn to the guy that is walking my way. I’m staring at him because it seems that is all I can do tonight.

What is he doing?
Blake leans in close to me and I can smell his cologne. It’s intoxicating. I close my eyes at his close proximity.  My legs feel like jelly. I’m hoping I don’t fall to the floor. That would be really embarrassing and I hate being embarrassed.

He whispers into my ear. “Just remember, you’re forcing me to do this.”

“What? Do what?” He didn’t hear me. He just jumped up on the pool table. Oh no! No, no, no! This can’t be happening. He’s singing to me. Somebody make him stop. He’s actually singing my favorite song to me. Random people are making comments, laughing, and staring at us.

“Check him out!”

“Blake is crazy!”

“Woo hoo!”

They are cheering him on. And all I want to do is crawl under the pool table he's standing on. Dropping my head, I bury my face into my hands, wishing I could disappear. He stops singing and squats down on the pool table. 

“Are you going to talk to me?”

I shake my head no.

“Okay. I’ll just keep singing then.” He starts to stand back up.

I wave my hands and say, “No! No more. Please.”

“So you’ll talk to me? I just want to talk to you.”

I look up and make eye contact with him, then take in a deep breath and let it out.

“Yes, just talk. If you’ll get down and stop singing. I’ll talk to you.”

“Okay.”

He jumps down and extends his hand to me. Looking at it, I fear touching him will be my undoing. With a shaky hand, I place mine in his larger, rougher one. My lungs forget how to pump air in and out of my body. As my body begins to tremble from such a small touch, I try to compose myself.

“Hi, I’m Blake McGinnis and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

What is it with this guy? Why is my body reacting this way? Somehow, I'm able to find my voice, praying it's not as shaky as I feel.

“Hi. My name is Kayla and I’m not so sure it’s a pleasure to meet you yet. You just completely embarrassed me.”

He shrugs and tilts his head. “You kind of forced me to take drastic measures.”

Smiling at him, he's so full of himself and in some strange way it works for him. The problem, I'm beginning to notice, is he knows it does

“You want to go somewhere to talk?”

“I’m not leaving with you. I don’t know you.” I say as I shake my head.

“Just talk. It’s just too loud in here.” He sticks his hands in his pockets and gives me this innocent, I’m harmless, look.
Oh, you are anything but harmless.

“You’re little act isn’t fooling me. I agreed to talk nothing more. I’m not leaving with you.”

“What act?” He bites the corner of his lip.

The simple act has me working hard to control my breathing.
What the heck is this guy doing to me?
Lots of guys I know bite their lips, but none have ever made me forget my brains like this guy just did. Blake is trouble, of that I'm sure. Right now, I don't know if it's a good or bad or even if I want there to be anything.

“You can bring your friend. Tess, right? We’ll just go down the road. Have dinner and talk. I’ll even ask Max to come along.”

“It’s Tessa. Her name is Tessa. No. Not a good idea. I’ll make you a deal. We can walk outside and talk.” I know there are a lot of people milling around outside, so it should be safe enough to go out there with him, but one thing is for certain, I’m not leaving here with him and I’m not dragging Tessa into this.

“I’ll take it.”

Turning, I walk toward the door. Blake follows me. Heat fills me as he places his hand on my lower back. Closing my eyes, I relish in the feel of him touching me, even if it is just the small of my back. Not long ago, David had done this same thing, but it didn't feel this good, this powerful. Blake's touch was welcoming, unlike David's. Somehow this small gesture from him, makes me feel special. It's a feeling that has been missing for a while.