Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) (19 page)

The next poster was Adam with his shirt off and left Katherine drowning in memories of their night together and her hands running over those muscles.

“He is soooo hot! I would totally jump him in a heartbeat. Are you a fan?” Sandy hopped off the chair she had stood in.

“I’m not overly familiar with his music,” Katherine admitted. She chose to ignore the other statement. Despite receiving a signed copy of both albums, she had never listened to them. His voice haunted her thoughts enough already.

“I so wish I could read his tattoo,” Sandy peered at the poster of Adam with his shirt off. “It looks like a heart but I can’t tell what it says. So you haven’t heard his music? You have to hear his latest single! Omigosh, it is so beautiful and actually made me cry! Who knew a tough guy like him could make a song like that? Let me get my CD,” Sandy turned and hurried into her room. She returned and stuck the disc into a player that had already been set up. A moment later, Adam’s voice filtered into the room.

The year was ninety-four

Another school, I’m sure to be bored

Then I spotted you as I walked through the door.

The months they flew right by

And now we have to say good-bye

Why must we always say goodbye

Why can’t we give it a try?

You’re sweet smile fills my heart with pain

‘Cause I know in the end I’ll have to walk away again.

They say love is so great

Then why does my heart ache?

Ninety-six over a year has passed since the time I saw you last

I move so we can be close again

Little do I know how it’ll end

All I want is to be in your life

Instead I fill it with strife

Oh how the days flow by

And now we have to say good-bye

Why must we always say goodbye

Why can’t we give it a try?

You’re sweet smile fills my heart with pain

‘Cause I know in the end I’ll have to walk away again.

They say love is so great

Then why does my heart ache?

A chance meeting on the street

All I want is to sweep you off your feet

But my regrets to myself I'll keep

Another call to say hi

Another time to say good-bye

Why must we always say goodbye

Why can’t we give it a try?

You’re sweet smile fills my heart with pain

‘Cause I know in the end I’ll have to walk away again.

They say love is so great

Then why does my heart ache?

“Isn’t that so sweet?” Sandy demanded. “Did you know he was going to college here in ninety-six? I read all about it in his bio. And he lived in Jackson! Did you know him? I mean I guess that’s silly. Jackson is big enough that how could everyone know every one; right?”

“I knew him,” Katherine admitted. “We were friends.”

“Omigosh! Was he as hot then as he is now? What’s he like?”

“Probably not like you imagine him; he’s a nice guy.”

“Kattie, is that you I hear?” Amy’s voice came from behind boxes.

“Amy!” Katherine rushed to relieve her friend of a box.

“Hi,” Amy’s grin was wide.

“I missed you this summer,” Katherine informed her friend as she showed her to the bedroom that was to be theirs. She walked back into the living room and watched Amy’s gaze land on the posters, her eyes widened before she schooled her features.

“Who put the posters up?” Amy asked as Katherine trailed her down stairs to help her bring her things up.

“Sandy asked me to help her. Amy, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this. I’ve moved on but to live with his posters all over the walls…” Katherine shook her head.

“Politely ask her to take them down,” Amy suggested.

“How do I explain that? She asked if I knew him and I admitted I did and even said he was a nice guy. Now I go back in and ask her to take them down?”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Katherine admitted. “Live with it I guess.”

They returned to their room to find that their remaining roommate was now present. Jennifer smiled and shook their hands before Katherine and Amy shut themselves in their bedroom.

“You’ve got to hear this,” Katherine informed Amy. She dug Adam’s CD from her box of discs and put it in the radio. She watched her friend’s eyes widen. Katherine opened the liner notes; her heart flipped. The name of the song was
Goodbye
and below the title was a dedication.

This song is dedicated to K.G.M. I’m sorry for all the hurt and pain I caused you but I will never regret loving you. Of all the times I’ve had to say good bye the morning after our last night together was by far the hardest. Your green eyes haunt me to this day. I miss you.

“Are you okay?” Amy demanded. “You’re pale as a ghost.”

Katherine handed her friend the liner and watched her read.

“Kattie,” Amy said it softly.

A knock on the door prompted Katherine to turn the disc off.

She opened the door to find Kim and Faith waiting.

“Hi,” she stepped aside for them to enter.

“Listen to this,” Amy turned the song back on and pointed to the liner notes.

“Wow! How does it feel to have a song about you?” Kim asked.

“I don’t know,” Katherine sighed.

“I think he should have warned her before putting her initials in here. Are you worried people will put it together?” Faith voiced her opinion.

“Put what together?” Haley stuck her head in the room. She had transferred to UT the previous year and become fast friends with the others. Amy explained and played the song and handed her the liner notes.

“I would be flattered,” Haley shrugged.

“He should have warned her,” Faith maintained as she flipped her auburn locks over her shoulder.

“I need to get some air,” Katherine jumped up and hurried from the room and out of the building. She needed time and space to clear her head and think. She started wandering aimlessly and without ever consciously deciding to do so found herself standing outside the building where Adam had lived. She wiped impatiently at tears. She could not put herself through this again; he was gone and it was over. She returned to the building where she lived and to her room. When she entered the living room the posters of Adam were gone; she breathed a sigh of relief. It was time to finish unpacking and to get on with her life.

As the year progressed, her correspondence with Adam slowed. He had all but stopped calling by the time she had returned to school anyway. Now his letters were coming less frequently, post cards soon replacing the letters he had once written. Sandy kept her abreast of all the latest gossip where he was concerned. He had been in some trouble with the law over drinking and apparent abuse of prescription drugs. He was also seeing a Hollywood starlet. Katherine spent an hour crying over that news before she resolved to be through with the matter. It was past time she moved on with her life; clearly he already was.

When she looked up in class one morning a few weeks after Christmas break to find a handsome stranger standing beside her professor, she allowed herself to admire him. He had a chiseled face, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and was well tanned. His polo stretched across the broad expanse of his shoulders. He spoke with their class sharing his own experience as an advertising executive. Katherine admired what had to say and the picture he made. When she entered one of the on campus eateries and found him reading a paper, she squared her shoulders and approached.

“Hi, Derrick wasn’t it?” she asked.

She watched him look up and smile.

“Yes, you were in Professor Reeve’s class this morning, weren’t you?” he asked her.

“Yes, I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed what you had to say. This is my last year before I graduate and I’m looking forward to getting out there and getting my feet wet,” she shared.

“Good luck…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” he told her.

“Katherine, Katherine Mayfield,” she extended her hand. She decided to go with her formal name; it sounded more grown up.

“It’s nice to meet you, Katherine; have a seat?” he noted her tray of food.

“Thank you,” she accepted.

“Where are you from, Katherine?”

“Jackson, Tennessee,” she supplied. “Where are you from?”

“Nashville, I work for Carter and Associates; they have an office there as well as one in New York and London.”

“I’m familiar with them,” she shared. “I was thinking about applying after graduation.”

“Go for it; they’re a good company to work for.”

“How long have you worked for them?” she asked him.

“Six years.”

They continued to talk until Derrick announced he had to get back to Professor Reeve’s class to address another group of students. Before he left, he asked to see her that evening. Katherine floated through the rest of the day on a cloud.

“Guess what?” Katherine bound into her bedroom where Amy lay across her bed with a book open before her.

“What?” Amy glanced up.

“I have a date!”

“You do?” Amy’s eyes widen. “Good! Good for you, Kattie. Tell me more,” she invited.

Katherine explained how she had met Derrick and his asking her out.

“I’m supposed to meet him in the lobby at six.”

“What are you going to wear?” Amy asked her.

“I have no clue; I should get on that,” Katherine admitted. She finally settled on a casual skirt and top and fixed her hair and makeup before preparing to go down stairs.

“Wish me luck,” Katherine requested.

“Good luck,” Amy smiled.

Katherine was nervous, she couldn’t remember the last time she had been so nervous. Of course when she stopped and thought about it she had only really dated two men in her life time. She didn’t think Kevin really counted. She took a deep, steadying breath when Derrick called for her.

“Hi,” she smiled nervously as she approached him in the lobby of her building.

“Hello, you look lovely,” he noted as he claimed her hand and kissed it.

“Thank you,” she could feel the color in her cheeks.

“Shall we,” he asked; she smiled and nodded.

She was impressed with his manners. He opened doors, handed her into the car, and had a charming smile and wit. She found herself laughing as he drove across town to an upscale dining establishment. It was the first time Katherine had ever been to such a place; she could only hope it didn’t show.

“How did you decide on advertising and marketing, Katherine?” Derrick asked her.

“I like creative ventures. I knew I didn’t want to pursue acting as a career or art but I wanted a creative career; one that let me use all of my creativity to make a living. When I began exploring fields that did that, advertising and marketing jumped out at me. How did you decide on it?”

“I had an uncle who was in the industry and I was always fascinated by his work,” Derrick admitted.

“You said you live in Nashville, is that were you’re from?” she asked him.

“Yes, my mom and dad still live in the Belle Meade area; I have a place in downtown.”

“So you live in the city, right in the middle of the bustle. Do you enjoy it?”

“I do. I like being close to fine dining and the specialty stores in my area. What about you? Have you decided where to settle after graduation?”

“I suppose that to some degree it will depend on where I hire on. I’ve never lived anywhere but Tennessee so it is hard to imagine living elsewhere.”

“You should apply at Carter and Associates; they are a great firm to work for and have additional offices if you do ever decide to move away,” he offered his charming smile again.

“If I was going to move away I think I would have already done it,” she shrugged. She had asked herself more than once if she should have set aside her dreams to follow the man she had loved. Now it was a moot point.

“Then they are still an excellent fit for you. I’d love to see what you’re capable of. If I’m impressed I could put in a good word for you,” he smiled again.

“I am not entirely certain what I am capable of. I’ve done well in class,” she admitted on a laugh.

“We’ll have to see what you’re made of won’t we,” he suggested as he studied her.

Katherine enjoyed her evening very much and was flying high by the time she returned to her dorm.

“It was wonderful!” Katherine told Amy as she changed for bed. “He’s mature which is very nice. He’s charming and funny and…I don’t know the last time I had such a nice time.”

“Did he kiss you?” Amy was sprawled across her bed and watching Katherine.