The moment was theirs. There was no Catiana. No past. Just the present and a hope for the future.
He took four giant strides to her and pressed a light kiss against her lips that turned to more.
She welcomed it, hands in his hair and her tongue tracing his. The kiss could’ve gone on for ages, but he had to call it so they didn’t get caught. When he broke the seal, they were both panting, breathing hard.
She stepped backward, pushing the door to the ladies’ room open behind her. “Excellent set.”
“See you after?” he asked, having no problem at all finding the words.
She nodded. “After.”
His cheeks heated, and he was pretty sure he had turned cherry tomato red again. This time, he didn’t hate it. No, this time he welcomed it.
Nothing else mattered but Sam and the band. Everything else was simply unnecessary noise.
“Tanner.” Catiana caught him again as he headed to the stage.
He got the creepy-crawly ants-on-skin feeling. Didn’t dig it.
He sighed, turned.
“That’syour girl?” Catiana asked, and the intensity of her question did not sit well. “That’s her?”
“Sam,” he said, nodding. “Her name is Sam.”
“You know who that is, right?” Catiana said, whispering. “That’s Sami Jo.” She hummed the intro to Sami Jo’s song.
“No,” he said the word too fast, with too much emphasis.
Catiana blinked hard, as though shocked at the vehemency of his response.
“I swear it is, Tanner. She looks exactly the same and her name is Sam. That is Sami Jo,” Catiana persisted. “I would bet money on it.”
“No,” he said again. “Stop.”
“I get to submit a sighting.” She bounced and clapped her hands quietly. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
How was this the girl he used to care so much for? They’d been so tight for so long. How was this the same person?
“Don’t tell anyone,” he begged. Yeah, he begged. Didn’t turn red. Didn’t stumble over the words.
“This is huge,” Catiana said, and she had the same spark in her eyes she’d had at prom right before—no. Wouldn’t think of that.
“I appreciate you came here to apologize,” he said, swallowing all those years of emotion. Forcing the words to come smoothly. “Your apology means a lot.” Not a lie. “It’d mean even more if you could let this go.”
“Tanner.” She gave him wide eyes. “This is big.”
“Please.”
“We used to sing that song!” she practically shouted, then she started singing the damn song.
He remembered. Remembered singing the song and remembered singing it with her. And, God help him, making fun of Sami Jo right along with the rest of the world.
“Don’t,” he said, rubbing his head.
“This is her,” Mach said, moving toward them with Hans.
Of course, Mach was protecting Tanner the only way he knew how. Looping Hans in to keep the monsters away.
