Page 68 of The Rogues

I continue, “Oasis.”

“Mazzy Star.”

“The Strokes.”

“Yeah Yeah Yeahs.”

She bites her lip, her replies coming so fast that it makes my heart skip a beat as I try to keep up.

“The Who.”

“Evanescence.”

“The Kooks.”

“Jimmy Eat World.”

“Fleetwood Mac”

“Crystal Castles!”

“David Bowie!”

“The Cranberries!”

“The Ramones!”

“Janis Joplin!”

I stumble as I blurt out, “Harry Styles!”

She stops, her face looking shocked and happy all at once. The rush of the moment dissipates as her joy grows. “Me, too. He’s my number one.”

I scoff. “I’m skeptical of anyone who says otherwise. He is a modern gift. And he’s from Cheshire. My dad is from there.”

With that little tidbit from my past, her lips turn upward. “I’m guessing you have a good relationship with your family?”

“Oh, spectacular,” I tell her, thinking of my parents. “I’m an only child, so I spent a lot of time with them. They loved music, but that’s not the reason why they got me into drumming. My dad taught me how to play because I had so much energy. Jokes on them though, because it just resulted in there being loud banging upstairs all hours of the day.”

She chuckles, her eyes falling over me. “I’m glad they cultivated your talent. Supported it.”

I go to say something else but then the timer dings, letting me know the twenty minutes are up. “It should be done resting now. Are you hungry?”

She pats her stomach, grinning. “I saved up my appetite just for this.”

“Oh, you had that much faith in my cooking?”

Her face morphs into something bashful, sweet. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but… I trust you, Lennon. If you say you can do something, I know it’s true.”

The sentiment hits me right in the chest and shoots up into my eyes. I’m not an emotional person, but something about that statement puts me at ease. My body relaxes, and I find myself moving closer as I return her soft smile.

“I trust you, too, Josie.” Not little vicious, not J.

Josie.

This is my scent match, and I am ready for what that entails.

“Let’s eat.”