Forbidden Attraction [The Callens 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (4 page)

“That’s for you to decide. You’re having dinner with him on Saturday.”

She pushed back her chair. “You can’t keep doing that to me without my permission.”

Her mom meant well, but sometimes her need to matchmake made her forget to think.

“Okay. Just this once. Eleanor is such a good friend. Please?”

Ugh
. “Fine, but I have the right to cancel if something better comes up.”

Her mom smiled. “Of course, dear.”

Now she had to figure out a way to wrangle an invitation somewhere.

* * * *

When she arrived at work Monday night, the first thing she did was look for Jackson, but he was nowhere to be found.
Damn
. Working all night without getting a chance to see or talk with him would royally suck. While it didn’t work out with her and his roommate, there was no reason why she and Jackson couldn’t go out again. After the rally, they’d had a great time talking about everything from the type of man who would want to be a driver to the composition of the people in the crowd.

It wasn’t her style to stand around, so she got to work making sure the glasses were polished, the bar top clean, and the liquor bottles arranged and filled. Jackson told her that Rustin, one of the servers, often filled in as bartender. Since she’d seen Rustin in the back, perhaps Jackson had taken the day off. She hoped it had nothing to do with her.

No sooner had she donned her Raging Bull apron, when Jackson rolled in. She tried to hide the smile but failed. When he glanced at her and winked, her heart jumped a few beats. It wasn’t good how this man could control her anatomy with a look.

He stepped behind the bar and began to go through his routine but stopped. He hadn’t touched a thing. He must have noticed that she’d completed his to-do list. Proud she’d thought of it, she finished wiping down the tables.

Fingers touched her waist. He leaned over her. “Did you clean the counter for me?”

She could barely breathe with him so close. He smelled like fresh mountain air. She didn’t turn around. “Yes.”

He leaned her back to a standing position and turned her around. “Thank you.”

His mouth opened. For a second she thought he might kiss her, but then he lowered his arms and walked away.

Damn
. She was that close to tasting Jackson Slade. Now, she didn’t think she’d be able to keep one order straight, thinking about what might have been. Before she finished cleaning all the tables, the usual suspects came in.

She liked the men who frequented the bar. Many times, the clientele was the college crowd. It was always fun when someone she remembered from high school stopped by.

The evening wasn’t very full, but those who were here had her jumping. Tara, who usually worked the same shift she did, had called to take the night off because her child was sick.

Jenny had to push extra hard to get the clients to place more orders since she wanted an excuse to go up to the bar. Each time she asked for drinks, Jackson efficiently got them for her. Tonight he didn’t take the time to delay her or ask about the rest of her weekend. It was back to being employee and employer.

Uh-oh.
Had his goal been to fix her up with Taylor, and when that didn’t work out, he figured he didn’t need to pay attention to her anymore? That thought made her stomach hurt.

Somehow she got through the night. When the bar closed at midnight, she stayed a bit longer and cleaned the tables.

“You don’t have to do that. Tomorrow’s crew can take care of it.”

“I don’t mind.” Clearly, he wasn’t trying to delay her departure.
Too bad
.

He came over and helped her wipe things down. Now, she’d have no excuse to linger. When they were done, she took off her apron and stuffed it in her purse.

“Good night, Jackson.”

He looked around, but all the other workers had disappeared. “Can I have a word with you?” He pulled out a chair and motioned she sit.

“What’s up?”

“I feel real bad about Saturday night.”

He’d already apologized for Taylor’s behavior several times over dessert. “I understand. He was busy and needed to do his job.”

“I know, but I’d like to make it up to you.”

This wasn’t what she expected him to say. “You don’t have to do that.”
Shut up, Jenny.

“There’s a concert this Saturday night. The band Righteous Warriors is playing. They’re a kind of rock and country-western band rolled into one. I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.”

Her heart banged against her ribs as her breath whooshed out. She swallowed to gain a bit of composure. “I’ve heard of them. And yes, I’d love to go.” A grin tugged at her cheeks.

She was excited on several accounts, the least of which was that she wouldn’t have to go out with the dermatologist.

“Great. I’ll give you more details on Thursday.”

“I can’t wait.” That was the honest truth.

By the time she got back to the house, she was on cloud nine. Fortunately, her parents had gone to bed at a normal hour, so she could bask in her glory by herself. To celebrate, she pulled a container of Breyers chocolate ice cream from the fridge and dropped a scoop in a bowl. She sat at the center island and, as slowly as possible, ate the small slice of heaven, dreaming about her big date with Jackson Slade.

Tomorrow, she’d download some of the songs from the Righteous Warriors’s album so that she could sing along with the audience. Listening to music was one of her favorite pastimes. Getting to go with Jackson would only add to the experience. The only problem was that Saturday was an eternity away.

She worked both Wednesday and Thursday night at the bar, but so far Jackson hadn’t mentioned their date again. In between she spent time with her MCAT study group. The exam was still months away, but she needed that time to put all those tiny facts back in her brain.

When the last customer dragged out on Thursday, Jackson motioned her to the bar. She refrained from skipping over to him despite being dead on her feet.

“You remember about tomorrow?”

“Are you kidding?” He could interpret her enthusiasm in several different ways.

“How about if I pick you up at your house?”

Did he understand that would entail meeting her parents? “Okay, but come a little early. No one removes a Callen from the house without being frisked.”

He laughed, seeming to completely get what she was saying. “I don’t blame your parents for being skeptical. When I have a daughter, I’ll keep a loaded shotgun by the entrance.”

She bet he would, too. “My dad’s not that bad.” She needed to amend that. “After I turned twenty-one, he softened.”

“How about I pick you up at six?”

“Perfect.”

Now she’d have to endure more waiting. She was determined that this time she’d prove to him that he should consider her real date material. She wasn’t sure yet how she was going to accomplish that feat, but whenever she set her mind to doing something, it got done.

Jenny was quite proud of her parents. They only grilled Jackson for a few minutes before she was able to scurry him away. Once her mom got an eyeful, Jenny could tell she was impressed by his polite manner and insightful comments, especially when he mentioned the hardship of animals grazing in the winter.

Once they left the house, she was flying high. She prayed he thought of this as a real date and not something to make up for his roommate’s poor behavior.

The show was in the same arena as the one that held the monster truck rally. Instead of sitting in the stands, he had seats on the infield, about fifteen rows from the stage. They had a really great view of the stage, and she bet the acoustics would be awesome.

“These are fabulous seats. I don’t have to squint or crane my neck to see.”

“I’m glad you like them. You might, however, be deaf by the end of the performance.”

Judging by his smile, Jenny guessed he was kidding, or so she hoped.

The lights dimmed, and an announcer stepped up to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Intrigue’s very own band, Hard Leather.” She’d heard of the name, and the warm response was heartening.

She bet the promoter picked this particular band because they were local. After they played for thirty minutes, the lights shot toward the sky and beams crisscrossed each other. As soon as the band Righteous Warriors stepped on stage, smoke bombs exploded and shrouded them in different colored smoke. Their lead guitar jumped from the cloudy mist and began to strum away.

She leaned over to Jackson. “That was really cool.”

“You liked that?”

“You bet.”

The song seemed to be more rock than straight country, but she appreciated the rich sounds and alluring rhythms. Alternating waves of light dimmed and lit the background to keep up with the beat of the music. It was all so fantastic. The crowd cheered and even stood when the beat of the lights picked up rhythm. Jackson was right. She might be deaf at the end of the performance, but she didn’t care.

The two-hour show seemed to fly by. She didn’t know if she was impressed with the music or the intricate light and sound show. Perhaps the most spectacular part was when the lead’s guitar flashed all different colors before bursting into flames.

The crowd went wild. The band danced off the stage behind a foggy mist. When the applause didn’t stop, they stepped back on for an encore. This time, during the finale, a firework display lit up the sky. She’d never seen anything so extravagant in Intrigue before.

Her heart kept pumping long after the group disappeared. She thought Jackson would get up and lead her out, but instead, he waited for the crowd to thin.

“You liked the show?”

“I don’t have any words to describe it. It was brilliant.”

“You want to meet the band?”

Was he kidding? “Are you some backstage guru?” He seemed to have a permanent pass to the back.

“I’m friends with both bands.”

“I’m impressed.”

He puffed out his chest. “As well you should be.” Then he winked. “Come on.” He took hold of her hand and led her to the back.

His touch heated up her body and her pulse sped. This time when they ran into security, the man simply nodded and let them through. She looked up at him. “What’s going on?” The guy had acted like Jackson was royalty.

He slowed. “You said you liked the lights, sound, and pyrotechnics?”

“Yes, it might have been the best part of the show.”

He grinned. “I designed all of them.”

“You?” She searched his face to see if he was kidding. From the way he was waiting for an honest response, he was serious. “So you’re not only a bar owner but a technical genius?” Maybe that was why he and Taylor were friends.

He widened his eyes and opened his mouth. “Is that so hard to believe? Did you did think of me as a dumb saloon owner?”

There was hurt behind those beautiful hazel eyes. “No.”

“You sure?”

“I always thought you were bright. After all, not everyone can figure out how many solar panels are needed to power a bar then install them himself. Not to mention, you’ve turned the saloon into a huge success in less ten years, or so say the townsfolk.”

He tightened his grip around her waist. “So I’m smart, huh?”

She wasn’t sure why he kept harping on that. “Yes.”

“Just checking.”

When they got to the dressing rooms, he knocked on the lead singer’s dressing room. She couldn’t believe she’d get to meet Hank Marks. He was only the hottest singer around.

Hank pulled open the door and greeted Jackson as if they were best friends. He glanced over at her. “This your lady?”

She held her breath, wondering how he’d field that question.

“This is Jenny Callen.”

He dodged the bullet, and she let out a breath.

“Come on in. I need to get off this makeup.” He returned to his table and stuck a pad into a jar and wiped it across his face. “Was that fire on the guitar incredible or what?”

“From the audience, it looked awesome.”

She wanted to add her opinion, too. “I’ve been to quite a lot of shows, and this was, by far, the best. I even told Jackson how awesome it was and that was before I knew he had a hand in the design.”

The singer looked up. “He had more than a hand. He did it all.”

She looked at Jackson. “Is that what you do on your days off?”

“Yup. I have a studio in the back of our house where I work. In fact, Taylor and I each have a place to tinker.”

She couldn’t think of anything cooler. “I love it.”

Jackson squeezed her hand. “We’ll let you clean up. I want to show Jenny around.”

The lead singer turned around. “Nice meeting you, Jenny Callen.” His smile appeared genuine.

“You, too.”

Jackson led her out. As soon as they walked to the end of the hallway, her pulse returned to normal. “That was the best.”