constant mess, with tangles of clothes, cupcake wrappers, soda cans, and who knew what else littering the floor. If he went in there, he was sure to get a glimpse of something embarrassing, like socks with holes in them or bras with fraying straps or worst of all, used undies.
Please donât let him see any used underwear, Gaia thought, squeezing her eyes shut as she entered the room.
But Jake didnât even look around. He went straight to her closet and pulled out a slim-fitting black turtle-neck. He tossed it at her and then started going through a pile of jeansâTatianaâs jeans.
âIâm not wearing her clothes,â Gaia said. She grabbed a pair of white cotton panties off the floor and stuffed it under her new pillows.
âUnderstood,â Jake replied, turning to her side of the closet again. âDo you own anything that isnât army green?â
Gaia flushed. Why had he come over here? To remind her of how unappealing she was? To show herthat she didnât even own one single piece of clothing that a guy would find attractive? Jake was turning out to have some serious nerve.
âYou know . . . ,â Gaia began, but she never got to finish. Jake gave up on the closet and stepped so close to Gaia her nose was practically pressed into his chest. He reached around behind her and she felt a tug at the bottom of her braid. She held her breath as she felt his fingers running through her hair, fanning it out over her shoulders.
Jake pulled back and looked down at her, smiling almost gently. âWear whatever you want,â he said. âBut I am taking you out of here.â
Then he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Still struggling to breathe, Gaia stepped in front of the full-length mirror that Tatiana had secured to the back of their door. Her hair was dry now and the haphazard braid had woven it in hundreds of loose waves. Gaia ran her fingers through it, trying to see whatever it was that had made Jake smile like that. She pulled it all over one shoulder and turned to the side.
Street rat, she thought.
âYou coming?â Jake called out.
And right in front of her own reflection, Gaia smiled. Instantly. Purely. Without thinking about it. It was so odd, this actual spontaneous emotion. Could she really do this? Could she really just take off on thespur of the moment, forgo a night of obsessing and just have fun?
As she stood there, staring at herself, Gaia realized that she wanted to try.
She ripped off her sweatshirt and tee, pulled on the turtleneck, and yanked her hair out of the collar. Then she grabbed her denim jacket and her messenger bag and strode out of her room.
It was time to see what this fun thing was all about.
Getting There
âTHANKS, MAN. I OWE YOU ONE,â Jake said, slapping hands with his friend Derek Simms at the entrance to section 79 at Madison Square Garden.
Derek worked as a security guard at the Garden and had just smuggled Jake and Gaia in through a back entrance. The Knicks were playing a crappy team, so there were empty seats all over the arena and Derek was giving them two of the best.
âYeah, when are you going to get a job I can take advantage of?â Derek asked, laughing as he gripped Jakeâs hand.
âWeâll see,â Jake said. They slapped each otherâs backs and then Derek loped off to return to his post.
Jake looked around and found Gaia standing at the top of the stairs, watching the action on the court. Her hair looked so touchable with all those waves, its million shades of blond shifting every time she moved. He could still feel its softness under his fingertips.
Get a grip, man, Jake told himself, rolling his shoulders back. Gaia was definitely a closed book and he knew it was going to take a lot of patience before he got to touch that hair again. He should count himself lucky that she didnât knee him in the groin the first time.
âPretty
Please donât let him see any used underwear, Gaia thought, squeezing her eyes shut as she entered the room.
But Jake didnât even look around. He went straight to her closet and pulled out a slim-fitting black turtle-neck. He tossed it at her and then started going through a pile of jeansâTatianaâs jeans.
âIâm not wearing her clothes,â Gaia said. She grabbed a pair of white cotton panties off the floor and stuffed it under her new pillows.
âUnderstood,â Jake replied, turning to her side of the closet again. âDo you own anything that isnât army green?â
Gaia flushed. Why had he come over here? To remind her of how unappealing she was? To show herthat she didnât even own one single piece of clothing that a guy would find attractive? Jake was turning out to have some serious nerve.
âYou know . . . ,â Gaia began, but she never got to finish. Jake gave up on the closet and stepped so close to Gaia her nose was practically pressed into his chest. He reached around behind her and she felt a tug at the bottom of her braid. She held her breath as she felt his fingers running through her hair, fanning it out over her shoulders.
Jake pulled back and looked down at her, smiling almost gently. âWear whatever you want,â he said. âBut I am taking you out of here.â
Then he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Still struggling to breathe, Gaia stepped in front of the full-length mirror that Tatiana had secured to the back of their door. Her hair was dry now and the haphazard braid had woven it in hundreds of loose waves. Gaia ran her fingers through it, trying to see whatever it was that had made Jake smile like that. She pulled it all over one shoulder and turned to the side.
Street rat, she thought.
âYou coming?â Jake called out.
And right in front of her own reflection, Gaia smiled. Instantly. Purely. Without thinking about it. It was so odd, this actual spontaneous emotion. Could she really do this? Could she really just take off on thespur of the moment, forgo a night of obsessing and just have fun?
As she stood there, staring at herself, Gaia realized that she wanted to try.
She ripped off her sweatshirt and tee, pulled on the turtleneck, and yanked her hair out of the collar. Then she grabbed her denim jacket and her messenger bag and strode out of her room.
It was time to see what this fun thing was all about.
Getting There
âTHANKS, MAN. I OWE YOU ONE,â Jake said, slapping hands with his friend Derek Simms at the entrance to section 79 at Madison Square Garden.
Derek worked as a security guard at the Garden and had just smuggled Jake and Gaia in through a back entrance. The Knicks were playing a crappy team, so there were empty seats all over the arena and Derek was giving them two of the best.
âYeah, when are you going to get a job I can take advantage of?â Derek asked, laughing as he gripped Jakeâs hand.
âWeâll see,â Jake said. They slapped each otherâs backs and then Derek loped off to return to his post.
Jake looked around and found Gaia standing at the top of the stairs, watching the action on the court. Her hair looked so touchable with all those waves, its million shades of blond shifting every time she moved. He could still feel its softness under his fingertips.
Get a grip, man, Jake told himself, rolling his shoulders back. Gaia was definitely a closed book and he knew it was going to take a lot of patience before he got to touch that hair again. He should count himself lucky that she didnât knee him in the groin the first time.
âPretty
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