Holding Her Breath (Indigo) (24 page)

“Looks like it,” Chace said with a grin. “You’re still pretty, though, sunshine.”

Erika laughed. “You are just made of charm, huh?”

He shrugged. Whitney reached for his hand, and he gave it to her.

She wanted to melt for him at that moment. How could she not always want someone like that? On top of being perfect to her, he’d made her friends love him, too.

They got to the storefront on U-Street, just down the street from Ben’s Chili Bowl, a little while before the doors opened. Rob was falling over himself with excitement. The store had been his dream as far back as Whitney could remember. He’d finally made enough money from selling T-shirts from the trunk of his car and online to open an actual, physical store.

He would have to work his butt off to make the store turn a profit, but she knew he didn’t mind. The business was something that consumed his every waking moment and his dreams, too. Just like Whitney’s job, but the key difference was Rob had a true passion for what he was doing. Whitney had drive, but she didn’t know if she would call what she felt for her job a passion anymore. Maybe it had never been one.

Rob’s brother, Gi, showed up for the opening as well. He had come down from M.I.T. He supported his brother’s dreams way more than their parents did. Rob and Gi couldn’t have been more different in personality, but they were still close. Kind of like Whitney and her sister.

“It’s good to see you, Gi,” she said, hugging him.

“How are you?” Gi wore wire-framed glasses. He was taller than Rob even though he was younger. His hair was cut close, almost in a buzz cut. He seemed to always wear khakis. That day, he wore his khakis with a gray sweater under a brown leather jacket.

“Great. This is my friend Chace.”

Chace and Gi shook hands and exchanged hellos.

“And Erika. How are you?” Gi’s smile seemed to broaden.

“I’m good, Gi. How you’ve been?”

“Fine. This is my last year of school. I’m really excited about that. I think I’m taking a deferment before starting grad school even though I’ve already been accepted to a few decent programs.” He passed a hand over his short, black hair.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I need a break. I told Rob I might come help him get his business off of the ground. I’m really happy for him.”

“Me, too,” Erika said. Soon after that, the two of them were deep in conversation about Rob, T-shirts, and school.

Normally, Gi tried to talk IP law with Whitney, but his real interest was in patents, and he didn’t seem to realize science and Whitney were not friends. However, that day he seemed to be much more interested in talking to Erika.

“I think he likes her,” Chace whispered to Whitney.

“Good, I hope she likes him back,” she whispered to him. “She needs a good guy. She always goes after creeps.”

“You wouldn’t think she’s just rebounding if they got together?” He raised an eyebrow. Touché. She’d walked herself right into a trap.

“I guess it would depend.” She settled deeper into his embrace.

“On what?” Chace’s lips were right at her ear. He was always cheating, distracting her.

“On…whether…she seemed really serious about him or not.”

“And how could you tell that?”

“Maybe if she cooked him dinner. Or came to his place almost every night. Or took care of him in every way he’d let her. Or if she came over to his house and fell asleep in his bed waiting for him to come home and she couldn’t imagine a more perfect image ever existing. And he wished he were a photographer, too, so that he could capture that image forever.”

The look in his eyes caught her heart up. She could almost hear it beating. It thudded in her chest so hard, she could imagine it jumping out. He put his arms around her and pulled her close, putting his gloved index finger and thumb beneath her chin.

He tilted her face up to his, first kissing her lower lip. Then the top. Then, he smothered her with a deep, passionate kiss. She gripped his back to keep from falling over under the weight of the intensity and desire in that kiss.

Wanting the kiss to last forever, she pushed her tongue slowly over his. She savored the taste of his mouth, traces of coffee and toothpaste mixed together. She moved her fingers along his cheeks, over his ears, through his hair. She linked them together there, in back of his head, buried them in the soft warmth of his hair. His arms circled her waist, and he pulled her closer.

A passerby said, “Don’t they look precious together? Why don’t you ever kiss me like that anymore?”

Whitney smiled against Chace’s lips, but never broke their kiss. Instead, she tightened her hold on him. Maybe it didn’t even need to be said aloud. Maybe saying it in a kiss was enough.

* * *

Rob’s after-party was at an old warehouse that had been converted into a club. It had just opened a few weeks prior and was the newest night spot in the U-Street area. Rob’s promoter friend had worked out the deal for him, getting him the club for the night at a price he could actually afford.

Whitney moved through the dark club, lit only by flashes from the strobe lights, with Chace’s arm around her shoulders. The music was loud, but good. The D.J. was up in his booth, concentrating intently on his laptop screen. A bunch of other equipment surrounded him.

They walked up to Ulrich, who hugged her and shook hands with Chace. He’d made an appearance with his flavor of the week. She was like all the rest of them. He was such a player, but it would catch up with him one day soon—she hoped. He was a good guy, and she wanted to see him settle down with a good woman. But in the meantime, it would be the top-heavy, tiny-waisted, sweet if vapid girls he picked up with his usual “I’m a lawyer” pickup line. When they found out he was one of the few who could actually back up that line, they fell all over themselves for him.

Ulrich said, “You looking good tonight. Real good.”

“Thanks.” She grinned. “I’m glad you made it here,” she said, hugging him.

“Yeah, I dropped in to say hello, congratulate your boy Rob.” He hugged back and said in a low voice, “Looks like he’s good for you after all. About time you found one who is.”

She pulled back from the hug and nodded.

He turned to Chace and slapped him on the back. “What up, Chace?”

“Good to see you again.” Chace shook Ulrich’s hand.

“You, too.”

Chace pulled Whitney close to him in a possessive gesture. It was a little bit of a Neanderthal move. Especially when she’d told him he didn’t have to worry about Ulrich. But it was kind of nice in some small way.

Ulrich put his arm around Ms. Flavor of the Week, and introduced her. Whitney didn’t even try to remember their names anymore. She doubted she would see the woman again after that night. She was just another one of those women with dollar signs in their eyes Ulrich loved to string along.

“Rob will be glad to see you. Isn’t this place crazy?”

“It is. I’m gonna go catch up with him now. We’ll see you two later,” Ulrich said. He went off with his date in tow.

“So this whole day has turned out to be a success,” Whitney said.

It seemed to be turning into a success for Erika as well. Erika and Gi had been inseparable since the opening. Whitney hoped that meant good things. She hadn’t heard one mention of A.J. all day. That was definitely a good sign.

“Yeah. I’m happy for Rob,” Chace said, hugging her close from behind. He rested his cheek against hers.

“Yeah. Me, too.” She smiled, relaxing against him. “Really happy.”

Abbott walked up to them. She’d pinned her red hair up that night with a pair of chopsticks that matched the blue and gold kimono she wore.

“So this party is pretty amazing,” Abbott said.

“Yeah. He’s finally done it. He deserves this night,” Whitney said.

“True.” Abbott toyed with the thin gold chain that hung around her neck. “Everyone deserves something that makes them happy.”

Whitney thought back to her conversation with Abbott at the bar. She knew what Abbott was getting at, but her friend was wrong. Gibson and Grey made Whitney very happy. Success was happiness. There was no better way to prove that than to make partner.

“Erika looks really good tonight, huh?” Whitney nodded in Erika’s direction.

For a moment Abbott looked thrown off by the abrupt change in subject. Then, she looked across the room and nodded. “He was definitely dead weight.”

“Got that right.” Abbott tugged at the collar of her kimono. She obviously didn’t want to drop it. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Whitney didn’t let her.

“Here they come.” She waved to Gi and Erika.

They waved back as they approached the group. Erika was glowing. She’d even changed out of her sweats. Whitney had been worried about that because the club had a dress code and because—well—coming to a party in sweats? No.

Erika wore a simple long-sleeved knee-length dress which flared out a little at the waist with silver jewelry and knee boots. Gi had actually changed out of khakis into dress slacks. Rob must have made him do it. He wore a light blue dress shirt and black shoes.

“Abbott, it’s so good to see you,” Erika said, throwing her arms around Abbott.

“Hi, Erika,” Abbott said, smiling.

“This is Gi.”

Introductions were made all around again.

“Great party, huh?” Gi said.

“Yeah. And there are three more levels to the club.” Erika nodded emphatically. “We haven’t even seen half of it.”

The group got into a discussion about the party, the crowd it’d drawn, and Rob’s new store. The day seemed to have surpassed even Rob’s expectations. It was hard to catch up with him that night. He was all over the place, thanking people, greeting others, and enjoying his well-deserved spotlight.

Whitney slid Erika back from the group a little and murmured to her, “So, you look a lot happier than you did this morning.”

Erika shook her head. “Don’t start. It’s just good to see an old friend.”

Whitney shrugged. “I’m just making an observation. And he’s spent more time with you today than with his brother. Just another observation.”

“Rob’s been busy. This is a big day for him. Not even Delaney can keep up with him. I’ve been keeping Gi company.” Erika smiled. “I never realized he was such an interesting guy.”

“Well, I’m glad you two had a good day.” Whatever the reason, she was just glad Erika was distracted and seeming a lot less close to the ledge than she’d been the night before. Erika had been lost and gone over A.J. for so long. Like no guy ever before, even though he was the biggest loser she’d ever dated. She was very relieved that A.J. was out of their lives forever. At least she hoped he was.

A new song came on and Erika started bobbing her head and grabbed Whitney’s shoulder. “C’mon, we have to get out there.”

“Oh, no. You know I don’t do these choreographed line dance things.” She backed away from Erika.

“I love this song. And the dance is so easy. Just get out here with me, Whitney.”

Chace showed up on her other side and grabbed her other shoulder. “Yeah, Whit. Let’s go.”

Laughing and still half-heartedly protesting, she let the two of them pull her out on the dance floor. She watched their feet for most of the first part of the song, not knowing many of the steps. Eventually, she fell into step and had fun laughing at herself since she still wasn’t great at the dance even after she figured out the steps.

When it was over, Chace pulled her close for the slow song that came on next. She rested her head against his chest. Everything seemed better—more interesting, exciting, full of life—with him around.

After a couple songs, he whispered to her, “You gonna be ready to leave soon? I want to. I want you. Bad.”

Whitney felt just how much when he pressed close to her. Her thoughts turned to the same place his had obviously gone. They had to get out of there. Soon.

“Yeah, uhm, I don’t think there’s any reason for us to stick around much longer. Rob’s busy, and I don’t think the others will miss us, either,” she said her words quickly, surprised she didn’t trip over them.

“Good.” His eyes were filled with desire for her. She backed away a little, afraid that if they started kissing and touching each other at that moment, they might give the entire club a free show.

“Let me just find Rob and Erika and tell them we’re going.” Whitney straightened out the skirt of her dress.

“Hurry.” Chace pressed his lower lip between his teeth. “You know, this is all your fault. That dress is very…distracting. It’s taking all my concentration to try and keep my hands to myself.”

“You haven’t been doing such a good job,” Whitney said, wetting her lips with an anxious tongue. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“I’m good at other things,” Chace said.

“Yeah?”

“Let’s get out of here so I can show you.”

Whitney smiled, nearly backed into a nearby pillar, and then turned around and hurried off to find her friends so she could say goodbye and get Chace back to her place.