Magic Hands (20 page)

He parked his car and Todd dropped out of the door of the Hummer, and waved at him. “We’re in here.”

Cort jogged over. Todd looked him up and down.

“You’re late.”

“I thought you said one o’clock.”

Todd looked at his watch. “It’s one-oh-five. Get in.”

He wasn’t going to get any slack from Rachel’s friends, Cort knew that. He climbed in, smiled at the guys al dressed in casual clothes for an afternoon of play at Sundance ski resort.

The reception inside the Hummer was chil y, with the exception of Kevin Mackrel. Cort sat at one end of the limo while Rachel’s guy pals sat at the other. Kevin sent him a wave but kept himself neutral y in the middle.

“Put on some tunes,” Sam said. Todd dug through his CD case.

“Matchbox?”

“Good Charlotte.”

“Blink 182.”

“Weezer”

“Keane.”

“Heck if I know,” Todd said after a while. None of them looked at Cort, or asked his opinion. They final y stuck in Jimmy Eat World, and the inside of the Hummer rocked.

“So we’re going to Sundance and then eating in the Gril room?” Cort refused to be intimidated into silence just because he was out numbered by Rachel’s friends.

They stared at him. Todd nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“Cool,” Cort nodded, pressed his fingertips together.

“Thanks for letting us come along.”

“Anything for Rache,” Sam said.

“Yeah, anything,” Chris added.

“There’l be tons of deer up there,” Kevin began. “Hey, I just got a brain flash. I bet they know how to deal with deer. Yeah, Rob Redford’s gotta know something about deer control.”

Todd and Sam gave him a tweaked look.

“You stil on that, bro?” Cort asked.

Kevin sighed. “Went through bushels of hair and corn cobs dude—didn’t do a freaking thing.”

When Sam, Todd, and the other guys started talking among themselves, even pul ing Kevin into the conversation, Cort regretted not joining Ben and Bree and his buddies for the group date instead—even if it meant watching Ben get eaten alive by Bree. With his friends, at least he wouldn’t feel like a cat cornered by a pack of dogs.

“It’s cool that you guys watch out for Rachel like you do.”

Cort decided he’d try to be friends and hope the guys did the same.

They stared at him.

The song blasted al around him, something about it only being in his head that he felt left out and looked down on.

Rachel’s friends talked until the first stop at Ticia’s house.

Kevin grinned, flipped on an interior light and checked out his reflection in the darkened glass window.

“So,” Cort started, “you asked Ticia. Cool.”

Was Kevin brownie or sunshine?

Kevin wet his fingers, smoothed back a hair. “I’m a lucky man. She’s so hot.” With that he was out the car and jogged up to Ticia’s front door. From the look on Ticia’s face, she was ecstatic being with Kevin.

Maria de Silva’s house was next. Todd hopped out and went to her door, and came back with a glowing Maria.

Cort had one friend on his side now. “Hey, Maria.”

“Cort. Hi.” She sat near him, forcing Todd to. “Can’t believe what happened at Miss Chachi’s,” she said as the car rol ed on to its next destination.

“Yeah.”

“You stil going to do nails?” She held out her hands.

“Nobody does them as good as you.”

The guys stared at him with bul ets in their eyes. Cort started to sweat. “Uh, I can’t. Turns out you have to be licensed to do nails.”

“Oh, too bad,” Maria said. “That was about the coolest thing—a guy doing nails.”

Todd rol ed his eyes and let out a snort.

“Thanks, Maria.” Cort thought a subject change was in fast order. “So, you look great.” Wrong. The glare Todd aimed at him, warned he was digging a deeper hole for himself.

“Yeah,” Todd added, sitting closer to Maria. “You look awesome.”

Maria looked from Cort to Todd with a glittering smile.

“Thanks.”

Cort kept his mouth shut the rest of the drive. As each of the guys’ dates was picked up, he merely nodded a hel o, watched and listened.

He wasn’t in friendly territory.

When they final y pul ed up in front of Rachel’s house, he was glad to get out. Even more pleased when he saw her, dressed in a black velour sweat suit. She left her hair down under a black and white knit beanie.

He leaned close. “You look great,” he whispered.

She smiled and looked over his shoulder at the Hummer idling in her driveway. “Am I the last one?”

He nodded, stil in awe. “Saved the best for last.”

Stil excluded in most of the conversations, Cort contentedly sat back and admired Rachel in action. She was the center of her friends’ world, that was obvious. He didn’t mind. Even the girls seemed to focus their attention on her.

He liked the way she led talk through diverse subjects. It was more than what his friends and their dates would be doing, that was for sure.

After the day date wound down he walked her to her front door. He leaned in the jamb. “So, I’l be back in a few hours.” He couldn’t wait to see what she wore to the dance.

She nodded, leaned up. He froze when her lips brushed his cheek. An electric jolt rammed through him and he steadied himself in the door.

“Can’t wait,” she whispered.

He strol ed back to the Hummer with a smile on his face.

The guys were silent when he crawled back to his seat. One look out the darkened windows and Cort knew they’d seen the kiss. He tried not to look anyone in the eye as the car started off. It was just him and her friends now, the girls had al been dropped off, and the air thickened around him again.

“Maybe I should take Rachel in my car,” he suggested with enough bite in his tone to warn that he’d had enough of what they dished out.

Like a window had suddenly opened, the intensity dissolved. Sam shifted. “No, that’s okay.”

“Yeah, seriously,” Chris added.

Cort looked at Todd, stil staring at him. “If you’re cool with it,” Cort put in, “then we’l keep things the way they are.

If not, we ride alone.”

A smile broke on Todd’s face. “We ride alone? Dude, you sound like John Wayne or something.”

Cort laughed with the guys. The night was going to be awesome.

Rachel chose a white dress that sparkled from bust to ful hem. A large black bow wrapped under the breast of the dress and tied in front. She wore her hair up in large loops, with glittering sequins sprinkled throughout. She dusted enough sparkling fragrance on her neck and shoulders to glisten like the moon. Then she waited by the front door, trying not to bite the lovely nails Cort had done for her.

She heard the rumble of the long, boxy Hummer and peered out the front room window. Her heart skipped when he emerged from the car, dressed in dramatic black from head to toe. His periwinkle shirt blazed underneath, electrifying his espresso eyes and dark hair.

She couldn’t wait to open the door and did, right after one knock.

“Wow.” His throat went dry. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks.” She slipped her arm around his. The gesture had him tugging her close as they walked to the Hummer.

Before he opened the door, he stopped. “I have some place I want to take you before the dance if that’s okay.”

Silver blue moonlight shimmered against his dark hair and black suit. Total y hot, she decided. Irresistible. And he was her date. She’d go anywhere with him. “Sure.”

Inside the limo pulsed with energy. Music pounded, laughter rocked. Though the guys took a moment to admire Rachel when she crawled in, the admiration ended there. Cort was relieved that they al paid close attention to their own dates, which meant he was free to lose himself in his.

He put his arm around her shoulders. “This okay?”

“You don’t have to ask permission.”

Cort noticed the fiery earrings that dropped from her ears. Like royalty, enough to remind him who she was.

“So you gonna tel me my name tonight?” he whispered in her ear.

“No way. You’l have to earn that.”

“What have I been doing?” he laughed.

“Proving you’re not a jock.”

“So this is something else? We’re starting over?”

She nodded, her smile teasing.

“No fair whispering,” Todd cal ed to them over the noise.

Rachel made a face at him.

Cort decided he liked her friends. Where the guys had tested him earlier, that was over now and he felt easy camaraderie. There was one last thing he had to do before the night official y began.

The driver pul ed up in front of Countryside Manor.

“Where the heck?” Sam pressed his nose against the dark window. “The geriatric place?”

“We’l only be a second,” Cort told them, opening the door. He stood with his hand out for Rachel.

Like a princess emerging from a carriage she eased out of the Hummer, smiling. “They’l love this,” she said. The two of them walked arm in arm up to the door.

“Yeah, I knew they would.”

They found their friends in the gathering room. Mannie, Lily and Martin sat around a game table as Mannie dealt a hand of Gin Rummy.

Lily gasped, her hands covered her heart. “Oh, look!”

Even Priscil a, standing alone at the window, looked over.

“Lovey!” Mannie steadied to her feet.

“Don’t get up.” Her hand stil in Cort’s, Rachel rushed over. She kissed Mannie’s cheek and gave her a hug.

“Don’t you two look wonderful.” Mannie stood back and admired her. “Like a princess.”

“Certainly yes,” Martin agreed. With effort, he rose and shook Cort’s hand.

“How splendid you look,” Lily gushed. “Picture perfect. I wish I had a camera.”

Rachel took Cort’s hand again and tugged him close.

“Thank you.”

“So you’re off to prom?” Lily asked. “Where you’l dance the night away?”

Rachel nodded. Priscil a made her way over, was frowning as she neared.

“Hi, Priscil a.” Cort sent her a wave. Her black eyes scanned him from head to toe before shifting to Rachel. She let out a sigh everyone heard.

“Proms,” she muttered. “I guess they’re something to do.”

“They’re more than something to do,” Mannie scolded.

“In my day we cal ed them bal s.”

Priscil a’s frown deepened. “Dancing. Who cares? It never did anything for me.”

Martin let out a loud huff and craned around to glare at her. “You probably never got asked.”

“I got asked plenty,” Priscil a snapped.

“When?” Martin demanded. “You were like me, you’re stil like me—an old fool.”

“Phash.” Priscil a waved a hand at him. “Speak for yourself.”

“Nobody’d dance with you now,” Martin mumbled, turning back around.

“Sure they would,” Rachel said. “You know how, right, Priscil a?”

Priscil a wagged her head and made a face. “Of course I know how.”

“You’re taking this young lady out for a proper dinner, aren’t you?” Martin asked Cort, as if he was anxious to change the subject.

“Yes sir. A very nice dinner in fact.”

“Oh, I love dinner out.” Lily clasped her hands at her chest. “It’s so romantic.”

“Expensive’s what it is,” Priscil a muttered, loudly.

Martin jerked his head around. “Who asked you?”

“So you’re on your way?” Lily beamed.

“We are.” Cort’s hand slipped from Rachel’s, and slid around her waist. “But we can come by later, if you guys think you’l be up.”

“You don’t want to do that,” Mannie told him.

“We’l dance a little,” Cort said. “Would you like that?”

“That would be lovely!” Lily’s eyes glistened. “I’l have to get ready.”

Cort bit his lip. “How about you, Priscil a?”

She shrugged. “I suppose I could stay awake.”

“It’d be better than standing over there by that window,”

Martin said.

“I’l loan you Cort.” Rachel swung Cort’s hand in hers.

Priscil a stared at her.

Martin stood, unfolding himself with a groan. “I’l dance with you, if I can get these legs to move.”

“I suppose,” Priscil a shrugged, but Rachel caught the surprise on her face, softening the hard lines around the woman’s eyes and mouth. She was sure Priscil a was fighting a smile.

Beaming, Mannie linked her arm between Cort and Rachel. “Take pictures—a lot of pictures.”

Cort dug into the pocket of his black suit and lifted out a digital camera. “This is a good place to start.”

After Cort took the picture, Rachel hugged each one of her friends, pleased he had thought to share a portion of their night with the seniors. They said goodbye and headed back out to the limo, idling in the street. Music and laughter pumped out from the inside.

Cort’s warm hand slipped around hers. She was safe. Her heart was safe. His fingers slowly massaged hers as the two of them walked.

“Mm, that feels good.” She closed her eyes for a moment.

The warmth of his caress slid up her wrist, along her arm.

“That feels real y good.”

“So good that you’l do anything?” His soft whisper tickled her ear.

She opened her eyes. “Maybe.”

He stopped and drew her against him, holding her hands at his chest. His dark eyes glimmered in the moon’s light.

“Tel me my code name.”

Rachel grinned.