school, no one could stop me. But I doubted I'd do something that dumb when I knew my future solely depended on me. I couldn't count on my parents to help. I'd learned that about them this past summer. So it was up to me to sink or swim. I was a swimmer after all. Sinking wasn't an option.
*****
My introduction to Dave the drummer that night was completely unexpected. I sensed a man standing behind me before I felt arms circling my waist and the warm breath invading my ear as he whispered, "Ooh, I want this one."
The glare Cathy shot my way told me the man from her fantasies held me in his arms. I frowned and turned to face a man who smelled entirely too good. The moment our eyes connected, I felt my stomach flip at his heated gaze. He was very handsome and looked kind of like David Lee Roth from Van Halen, only better.
The moment he started singing "Pretty Woman" by Van Halen, though slightly off key, he'd stolen my heart . . . for all of two seconds. Wresting my way out of his hold, I said, "Excuse me," as I backed away from him.
I couldn't let him pull me in with his charm. Not when Cathy and I were friends. Though I tried to reassure her with my smile, she looked ready to come at me with claws outstretched. Not good.
Dave the drummer advanced toward me again but Cathy slipped between us. Dave's breath smelled like he'd had one too many beers, but I couldn't help being flattered that he'd found me attractive enough to serenade, though not very well.
Mary grabbed my arm and pulled me away from them. Cathy had looped her arms around Dave's neck and said something to him that made him laugh. "That was a close call," Mary muttered as she pulled me into another room.
"You aren't kidding. I don't even like the guy." With a sly grin I added, "Though she has great taste. That is one wicked stud."
She snickered. "I think he just likes her ta-tas, but she doesn't care."
I glanced down at my own. True, Cathy had a nice figure, but mine wasn't bad.
Mary gave my arm a gentle shove. "That's so cheesy, checking yourself out like that. I mean, really lame girl."
My face heated. I didn't mean to be so obvious about it. Maybe I needed something to help me relax so I wouldn't act like a total airhead. Though if I had too much to drink tonight, rather than being chilled out, I'd be a mess.
The trick was finding the balance.
"Let's go out there and get us some guys to get horizontal with." Mary opened the door and pulled me into a crowded room that now had an additional twenty people stuffed inside.
If I didn't watch myself, I'd end up hyperventilating. Crowds tended to set off panic attacks if I lingered too long. Plus, it was getting hot in there and I didn't want to remove my coat, or it might be stolen. Not to mention people would see my bandages and freak out. I needed to get some beer and chill fast.
As Mary and I stood there checking out the newest partygoers, a guy who looked a lot like my fantasy man leaned against the wall and stared me down. He was tall, muscular, and his eyes were dreamy. I could fall for a guy who looked like that.
Mary and I slipped into a side room to get out of the heat created by all of those bodies. Cathy could have her drummer boy. This sexy guy was the mint of all man-flesh. Too bad I didn't have the guts to approach him. I needed something to boost my courage. "Did you see that tall guy in there?"
"There were a lot of tall guys in that room."
He must have sensed my interest, because he followed us into the less crowded room. He strolled up to me with a confident swagger and offered me his cup of beer with a lazy grin. He wanted me to put my lips on the same cup that he'd been sipping on? Well, who was I to say no to that?
I held his gaze as I looked at him over the rim of the cup. I took a big gulp, and then another, until I'd finished it off. "Grab me another one?"
A broad grin covered his face. The gleam from his eyes spoke of his approval and warmed me to my
*****
My introduction to Dave the drummer that night was completely unexpected. I sensed a man standing behind me before I felt arms circling my waist and the warm breath invading my ear as he whispered, "Ooh, I want this one."
The glare Cathy shot my way told me the man from her fantasies held me in his arms. I frowned and turned to face a man who smelled entirely too good. The moment our eyes connected, I felt my stomach flip at his heated gaze. He was very handsome and looked kind of like David Lee Roth from Van Halen, only better.
The moment he started singing "Pretty Woman" by Van Halen, though slightly off key, he'd stolen my heart . . . for all of two seconds. Wresting my way out of his hold, I said, "Excuse me," as I backed away from him.
I couldn't let him pull me in with his charm. Not when Cathy and I were friends. Though I tried to reassure her with my smile, she looked ready to come at me with claws outstretched. Not good.
Dave the drummer advanced toward me again but Cathy slipped between us. Dave's breath smelled like he'd had one too many beers, but I couldn't help being flattered that he'd found me attractive enough to serenade, though not very well.
Mary grabbed my arm and pulled me away from them. Cathy had looped her arms around Dave's neck and said something to him that made him laugh. "That was a close call," Mary muttered as she pulled me into another room.
"You aren't kidding. I don't even like the guy." With a sly grin I added, "Though she has great taste. That is one wicked stud."
She snickered. "I think he just likes her ta-tas, but she doesn't care."
I glanced down at my own. True, Cathy had a nice figure, but mine wasn't bad.
Mary gave my arm a gentle shove. "That's so cheesy, checking yourself out like that. I mean, really lame girl."
My face heated. I didn't mean to be so obvious about it. Maybe I needed something to help me relax so I wouldn't act like a total airhead. Though if I had too much to drink tonight, rather than being chilled out, I'd be a mess.
The trick was finding the balance.
"Let's go out there and get us some guys to get horizontal with." Mary opened the door and pulled me into a crowded room that now had an additional twenty people stuffed inside.
If I didn't watch myself, I'd end up hyperventilating. Crowds tended to set off panic attacks if I lingered too long. Plus, it was getting hot in there and I didn't want to remove my coat, or it might be stolen. Not to mention people would see my bandages and freak out. I needed to get some beer and chill fast.
As Mary and I stood there checking out the newest partygoers, a guy who looked a lot like my fantasy man leaned against the wall and stared me down. He was tall, muscular, and his eyes were dreamy. I could fall for a guy who looked like that.
Mary and I slipped into a side room to get out of the heat created by all of those bodies. Cathy could have her drummer boy. This sexy guy was the mint of all man-flesh. Too bad I didn't have the guts to approach him. I needed something to boost my courage. "Did you see that tall guy in there?"
"There were a lot of tall guys in that room."
He must have sensed my interest, because he followed us into the less crowded room. He strolled up to me with a confident swagger and offered me his cup of beer with a lazy grin. He wanted me to put my lips on the same cup that he'd been sipping on? Well, who was I to say no to that?
I held his gaze as I looked at him over the rim of the cup. I took a big gulp, and then another, until I'd finished it off. "Grab me another one?"
A broad grin covered his face. The gleam from his eyes spoke of his approval and warmed me to my
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