He ignores it. Abruptly, he says, “I’ve got to cut out.”

I watch Neil walk away, wondering what’s up with him. He’s more weird than usual tonight. I pull off my jacket and hang it on the back of the chair.

I’m surprised when a waitress descends on our table after a short wait. “Hi sweeties, what will you have?” she asks.

Teri looks at me eagerly. “What do you think, Chrissie? Pitcher of beer or margaritas?”

“I’ll have a sparkling water with lime,” I say, fishing for my cash from my back pocket.

The waitress waves me off. “Neil sent me over. The drinks are on him.”

Teri’s smile shifts in a flash to beaming. I guess she thinks this generosity means it’s going to go well for her tonight with Neil.

I shove my money back into my pocket. It was nice of Neil to send a waitress to our table and offer to pick up the tab.

“I’ll have a rum and coke,” Teri says enthusiastically.

After dropping two napkins on our table, the waitress quickly moves on.

“You don’t drink?” Teri asks.

I crinkle my nose. “Not that much. And I’m the one driving tonight.”

Teri nods, as if she’s only just remembering that I drove us here. “That was nice of Neil to buy us drinks.”

She says it as if it means something significant for her. She’s a sweet girl, cute, a little obvious in her guy craziness, but I don’t think Teri has a chance with Neil. I don’t see him with a bubbly, cute kind of girl. But what do I know. Maybe Teri is exactly Neil’s type.

“He’s a nice guy,” I say, a touch surprised by my recent change of opinion of him. I never thought I would ever be friends with Neil Stanton. Are we friends? Strange. I don’t know what we are.

As we wait for our drinks, Teri launches into a strategy conversation about how she should go about making it happen with Neil. Jeez, this girl has got it bad for him. The way she talks about him is very intense, and a little creepy. I wonder if Teri is still a virgin. Maybe that’s why she’s so over-the top in the wanting to pursue a guy thing. I was sort of like this when I first met Alan. Unsure and obsessed and stumbling over every other phrase.

I shake my head. Stop it, Chrissie. Don’t circle back every thought to Alan. Everything should not be a one way trip to Alan-ville. Let it go already. It’s over. Done. Past.

Shortly after our drinks arrive, there’s a break in the music, and then I see Neil on stage, readying to play. Once Teri sees him, she swivels around in her chair, eyes fixed on him like a hawk, and I’m immediately forgotten.

I half expected him to look over at me, smile or do something, but he doesn’t. He’s tunnel-focused on his discussion with the bass player.

I study him. He looks good on stage. There is something very different about Neil, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. It’s more than how good looking he is. He has a casualness mixed with sort of a shyness that pulls you in.

I wonder what he sounds like when he sings. Neil is like a still-water pond. No highs, no lows, just always rolling with the flow. His speaking voice is serene, pleasantly calm. I like his voice. It’s sexy in its mildly husky quietness, its lack of forcefulness in delivery.

A flush rises to my cheeks. Sexy? Did I just call Neil Stanton sexy? I shake my head and swallow down a gulp of my sparkling water.

The rest of the band comes running back on stage and, without fanfare or even an introduction, Neil begins to play. The entire chemistry of the room changes. An intense assault of music, and then there’s his voice. Raw. Raspy. Perfectly modulated. Perfect pitch. Velvety in an emotion-jarring blend of angst and sorrow, running with music that is a mixture of grunge and pure rock.

I’m pulled in before the first bridge and Neil never once looks out at the audience. He’s in his own zone beneath his unruly waves of chestnut hair. I kind of assumed he was just another hopeful, wannabe rocker, with a band destined to go nowhere. But no. He howls on the guitar. His voice is seductive and unique. He’s an artist, and by the end of his set he’s blown me away.

Who would have thought Neil Stanton would be incredible on stage?

When his set is done, Neil doesn’t say anything to the crowd, he just unplugs and leaves. A few minutes later, he lumbers out of the back, his guitar case in hand. He runs a hand through his damp hair, brushing the shoulder length waves back over his shoulder. Sweat glistens on his tan forearms and makes his black t-shirt cling to his chest. For a guy who just put on a killer set, he doesn’t look amped. He’s just calm, quiet Neil.

He stops at our table, but doesn’t sit down. Teri’s eyes are huge in her face as she stares up at him.

“You were awesome, Neil,” she exclaims. She’s gushing again.

Neil gives her a polite smile and gestures towards my glass. “What is that, Chrissie?” he asks.

“Just water.” He takes my glass and then downs half of what’s in it. My eyes round as my head tilts to the side. “Thank you for asking, Neil. Or do you just make it a habit of drinking other people’s drinks?”

He gives me a strange look, part exasperated, part amused, and part something I can’t identify. “We’ve kissed, Chrissie. Drinking from your glass isn’t more intimate than that.”

My entire face reddens. I don’t know which disturbs me more. That Neil remembers our kiss at Peppers, that he mentioned it, or that Teri is now pissed at me.

Neil stares down at me. “You did drive here, didn’t you?”

My eyes round. “Yep.”

“Then let’s get out of here.”

“You don’t want to hang out for a while?” I ask, confused by his manner.

He smiles. “No. I’d rather be someplace quiet with you.”

What the heck is happening here? Neil is a tough guy to read. He’s definitely unpredictable at times, but this…?

I stare at him. “Are we going to your place or mine?” I ask flippantly.

“We can figure that out on the drive,” he says, and before I know what he’s doing he’s leaning into me, putting a full mouth kiss on my lips. My body freezes, startled, and I’m a touch breathless when he pulls back.

More flustered than I care to be, I turn to Teri. “You want to cut out?”

Oh my—the look she gives me is not at all good. If stares were knives, I’d be bleeding now.

“Fine,” she says, short, clipped, and decidedly not bubbly.

Neil finishes my drink. When I stand, he takes my hand and starts to guide me through the club in that this girl’s with me proprietary way. I peek over my shoulder. Teri is following behind. Scowling at my back.

I lean into Neil. “What is happening here?”

“I’ll explain later,” he replies, hushed voice. “I did you a favor in Santa Barbara. I did you another one tonight, getting you into the club. I figure you owe me one. Be a really, really cool girl and just follow my lead.”

I scrunch my nose at his embarrassing habit of quoting me back to me—really, really cool…God, that was lame of me—but I nod.

“Thanks,” he says.

A few minutes later we’re in front of the club. He stares down the street. “Which way is the car?” he asks.

I tug on his hand. “This way.”

We’re almost to the corner when someone calls Teri’s name. She turns and waves, looking instantly awash with relief. There is a large group of girls across the street, calling out her name and gesturing for her. I wonder if those are the same friends who ditched her earlier tonight.

“Hey, my friends are here. I’m going to cut out. See you in class next week, Chrissie,” she says quickly.

“Thanks for inviting me out tonight. It was fun.”

She gives me a hard stare, doesn’t reply, and is across the street in a flash.

Alone with Neil, I continue onward toward my car. “Since I’m pretty sure you’ve cost me the first friend I’ve made this semester, do you want to explain to me what is going on?”