“Kate! How was dinner?” Quinn asks and Reed raises his eyebrows as he waits for my answer.
“Good.” Somehow everyone at the table is looking in my direction. Luckily, Marco makes his way over and I’m not forced to bare an interrogation.
As Reed is dealing the cards again for Texas Holdem he asks, “How did packing up go?”
Instantly, I see Marco looking at me in question. I simply answer, “Good, I’m all set.” I smile at Reed and avoid the questioning look Marco is giving me.
Marco decides to have us play as a team since I have never played before. After a few hands he lets me start making the calls. Before I know it, I’ve become familiar with “the turn” and “the river”. I win a hand or two and this gets Quinn fired up. The guys at the table give Marco some crap about bringing me to the table to take their money. We joke about it being beginners luck.
After a few cups of beer I get up to head to the bathroom. Marco asks, “Do you remember where it is?”
I laugh and say, “Yes, I’ve only had a few this time.”
Once I get up there I have to wait because it is being used. I look across the hall and see Reed’s door to his bedroom open. It is clean and his bed is made like the last time I saw it. I don’t see the picture of him with the girl that was on his nightstand this time though. Two girls come out of the bathroom giggling. The one flips her long auburn hair and says, “Ah, look there is Reed’s room, wouldn’t that be nice to wake up in there?”
Girl number two says, “You wish!” They head down the stairs and I laugh to myself as I head in to the bathroom. I can’t deny that I may have been thinking on the same line.
I open the door and see Reed across the hall leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets and a leg crossed over the other. His head is hung slightly low, so that his eyes have to peek through his hair to see me. Crap.
“Hey Kate.”
“Hey,” I smile slightly.
“Did you enjoy your time alone with Marco?”
I’m desperately trying to remain calm and not show my nerves. Before I answer he takes a step closer leaving me in the doorway of the bathroom. I try to gain some wit before responding.
“Yea, are you enjoying poker with Quinn?” I can’t think of anything clever to keep up with our normal insinuating and flirtatious conversations.
He scoffs at this and runs his hand through his hair. Now he has moved closer and his arms are on both sides of the door frame to the bathroom. I’m trapped and I’m not sure that I mind it. My mouth is parted and my breathing has become erratic. Oh God. I’m mesmerized by his lips right now as he licks his top lip. He moves to the side of my right ear and whispers, “Hmm, is that what you think...” He lets out a breath in my ear and slowly moves my hair off my shoulder. “You can breathe, Kate; I’m not going to kiss you… yet.” And then moves around me into the bathroom and starts to close the door forcing me into the hallway.
The rest of the evening is spent drinking and playing cards. I try to avoid eye contact with Reed at all costs even when he speaks to me directly. Marco stays by my side the whole night with his arm around my shoulder or a hand on my thigh. Throughout the night I see Quinn’s (well, and a few of the girls) bold attempts to get Reed’s attention, but I never see any physical contact. However, the other guy Quinn sat next to has been affectionate towards her. She flirts back, but it’s hard to tell if she is interested in him.
It’s past one in the morning and Quinn and some of the other girls are ready to head out. I decide to head out with them. Marco seems slightly disappointed by this and tries to change my mind to let him walk me back, but I insist on leaving with them. I see Quinn hug Reed goodbye, but it seems friendly and fast. I quickly head back to the dining room to grab my coat. As I turn to head back to the front room, I am confronted by Reed.
“Have a good trip.” A small smirk spreads across his lips before he says, “I look forward to seeing you tan.”
“Thanks…” The alcohol has worn off and I’m feeling a bit shy by his forwardness.
“I’ll be at tennis the Saturday before school starts.”
“Ok, see you then. Bye Reed.” For some reason the fear of Marco seeing us having this conversation has me eager to leave. I catch one last glimpse of his blue eyes and feel a burning sensation pitted to my core.
“Bye Kate.” I start to head to the front room and feel saddened by the finality of this goodbye.
Then I see Marco waiting by the door for me and I smile at his handsome face. He walks out onto the porch with us as we begin to leave. Quinn and the other girls walk down the steps to wait for me on the sidewalk. My mind is buzzing with confusion. How can I have feelings for two guys? My feelings for Marco seem clouded because Reed seems to always be in the forefront of my mind. Marco is attractive, smart and fun. I like him, I really do. I even had butterflies a couple times tonight, but I can’t lie. When I thought Reed might kiss me upstairs I had something much bigger than butterflies… maybe birds.
“I had a great time tonight, Kate. Can I call you after your vacation?”
“Of course, I’d like that.” I’m not lying.
“Thank you for dinner and teaching me how to play pool and poker.”
“Sure, I liked teaching you.”
He moves closer to me and his hands snake around my waist. Slowly his lips touch mine. Then his tongue gently opens my lips and begins to dance with my tongue. Instantly, I feel a wave of butterflies in my belly. I kiss him back without hesitation. The smell and taste of cinnamon consumes me. He pulls back and plants a brief peck on my cheek. He tells me to have a good trip and that he will talk to me when I am back.
Synopsis for The Perfect Distraction
When Katherine “Kate” leaves for her freshmen year at college, a grounded and stable piece of her is missing. She pushes away the ghosts of her past, determined to start her college life single, carefree and distracted.
Throughout high school Kate was reserved and shy, with little experience. Now, on her own, with little holding her back, Kate is ready to branch out. She bonds with a tight knit group of friends and even starts casually dating. What starts out as innocent flirting on the tennis courts slowly turns into a friendship and eventually something more complex. Reed comes into her life giving her the distraction she craves more than anything; but is she ready to give her heart away so easily?
Things get complicated when Kate’s ex-boyfriend and first love continues to pursue her. Kyle deeply regrets breaking her heart when he left for college the year before and is now on a mission to reclaim her. Kyle’s persistence and relentlessness is nothing short of obsessive. He will stop at nothing to win her back and prove his love.
Kate finds herself torn between her past and the unknown of the future. Her determination to stay distracted may just be her downfall or the beginning of something new and wonderful.
Where to get The Perfect Distraction
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Distraction-Book-ebook/dp/B00FJ6EY8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382055383&sr=8-1&keywords=the+perfect+distraction
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18338181-the-perfect-distraction
Social Media for Melissa Rolka
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaRolka