PROLOGUE
She had never been to Tulsa before. It was a brand new world to her. And so was the Hanson Day celebration weekend. She had been talked into going, her arm twisted, despite knowing that she should probably be working instead. Her boss had insisted she go, practically shoving her out the door and barely had her sick hours in the system before she even clocked out. Everyone was in her corner, encouraging her to go--everyone but herself.
But she was glad she did it. She met up with some other fans that she met online and was having a fabulous time, participating enthusiastically in all the festivities. It was only when she'd ventured out alone when she seemed to make an embarrassing mess of herself. She'd slipped out of her room early in the morning to venture out and find good coffee--better than hotel coffee, rather. Happy with her purchase, she made her way down the quiet Tulsa street, back towards her hotel, when she rounded the corner and collided with HIM.
The cup smashed between their bodies, the lid squeezing open just enough for scalding hot coffee to slosh down her shirt and right onto her bare toes, exposed by the sandals she wore. She jumped backward as a reflex, holding the cup out from her, wincing in pain, as he pulled his own wet material off of his chest, muttering, "Shit! Shit!"
She couldn't speak. She was mortified and only wanted to die. There was no telling whose fault it was, but she was sure he would blame it on her. He looked completely annoyed and disgusted. When she finally found it in herself to speak, the words came out in a stutter. "I-I-um, I'm so sorry, I--I didn't see--"
Finally, he looked up from his clothes and right into her eyes and, to her surprise, his expression softened. "Shit, are you okay?"
The question stunned her for a moment, especially seeing as he wore more of her coffee than she did. She could only nod her answer.
"I'm sorry, I should've--I guess that's what happens when you're not paying attention to where you're going, huh?" He said, trying to laugh it off.
She momentarily took offense to his comment. She had absolutely been paying attention to where she was going. As a matter of fact, "I wasn't distracted..."
He looked at her blankly for a moment before the realization set in. Then he laughed nervously again. "No! No, I didn't mean you! I mean, I was texting while I was walking and...well, you know what happened next."
She nodded and he held out his hand. "Hey, I'm--"
Ignoring his hand, she looked up at him. "I know who you are. And now I have no coffee and I look like I've pissed myself--"
"Look, let me buy you another cup--"
"No time," she said, rushed. "I have to change clothes and meet my friends." She ducked her head and walked past him.
As she darted away, she heard him call behind her, "Hey are you here for Hanson Day?"
She hollered back a quick "Yes!" and made her way even faster down the street. Not only did she look like she'd pissed her pants, but now she felt like she wanted to, too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As he watched her make her way quickly down the street, her auburn bangs and hazel eyes wasting no time embedding themselves into his brain, he narrowed his eyes at her curious behavior. He had just wasted her coffee because he was an absent-minded klutz--a trait that was no real secret. But he'd offered to replace it and she ran away. Not to be conceited, but if she was here for Hanson Day, running away at the offer of a fresh coffee wasn't something he figured one might turn down from someone in his...position, per se. The whole thing was weird.
He could respect the fact that she was embarrassed. Hell, he was, too. But she sure didn't seem embarrassed last night when--
OH! THAT was where he knew her from! Last night's fan club concert. Why did it take him so long to put two and two together? She stood second row and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, try as he might. He could only watch her hips as she moved to the music...oh, and then he watched her smile and flirt with his brother as she stood on his side of the stage. Maybe that's what the problem was. Maybe if he was his brother, she would have jumped at the chance to have her wasted coffee replaced. Of course.
Sighing and shaking his head, he turned around and backtracked to 3CG to steal a fresh t-shirt from the Hanson store, not interested in driving all the way back home to change. As he walked in, he spied his brother in the studio and momentarily chose to avoid him so that he could change his shirt and leave, continuing on his previously intended path. He thought about the girl and he scowled. There was no way he could tell anyone that he'd even checked her out. He knew his brother would have had to see for himself and then would have been all over her in an instant. It wasn't that his brother had a penchant for stealing his women or anything. It was just that--well, women just didn't tell his brother 'no.' In fact, he was quite certain his brother had probably never even heard the word, 'no.' He didn't know how he did it. He seemed to have a different woman every month. Sometimes in less time than that. The truth was, while he was a bit of a workaholic, his brother was a womanizer and he only wished he had half the apparent sex appeal that he had. Then maybe he could score himself a date once in awhile without his brother trying to set
him up with one of his date's friends. It was so pathetic.
But no. God forbid he be attracted to someone. He decided to keep this one for himself. His own pretty distraction that he could look forward to for the rest of the weekend.
As he stepped out the front door of 3CG, he couldn't help but glance back down the sidewalk in the direction the girl had walked in. She was since long gone and the sidewalk was empty. Letting out a quiet breath, he turned in the opposite direction and started his journey over again, this time leaving his cell phone in his pocket.
She had never been to Tulsa before. It was a brand new world to her. And so was the Hanson Day celebration weekend. She had been talked into going, her arm twisted, despite knowing that she should probably be working instead. Her boss had insisted she go, practically shoving her out the door and barely had her sick hours in the system before she even clocked out. Everyone was in her corner, encouraging her to go--everyone but herself.
But she was glad she did it. She met up with some other fans that she met online and was having a fabulous time, participating enthusiastically in all the festivities. It was only when she'd ventured out alone when she seemed to make an embarrassing mess of herself. She'd slipped out of her room early in the morning to venture out and find good coffee--better than hotel coffee, rather. Happy with her purchase, she made her way down the quiet Tulsa street, back towards her hotel, when she rounded the corner and collided with HIM.
The cup smashed between their bodies, the lid squeezing open just enough for scalding hot coffee to slosh down her shirt and right onto her bare toes, exposed by the sandals she wore. She jumped backward as a reflex, holding the cup out from her, wincing in pain, as he pulled his own wet material off of his chest, muttering, "Shit! Shit!"
She couldn't speak. She was mortified and only wanted to die. There was no telling whose fault it was, but she was sure he would blame it on her. He looked completely annoyed and disgusted. When she finally found it in herself to speak, the words came out in a stutter. "I-I-um, I'm so sorry, I--I didn't see--"
Finally, he looked up from his clothes and right into her eyes and, to her surprise, his expression softened. "Shit, are you okay?"
The question stunned her for a moment, especially seeing as he wore more of her coffee than she did. She could only nod her answer.
"I'm sorry, I should've--I guess that's what happens when you're not paying attention to where you're going, huh?" He said, trying to laugh it off.
She momentarily took offense to his comment. She had absolutely been paying attention to where she was going. As a matter of fact, "I wasn't distracted..."
He looked at her blankly for a moment before the realization set in. Then he laughed nervously again. "No! No, I didn't mean you! I mean, I was texting while I was walking and...well, you know what happened next."
She nodded and he held out his hand. "Hey, I'm--"
Ignoring his hand, she looked up at him. "I know who you are. And now I have no coffee and I look like I've pissed myself--"
"Look, let me buy you another cup--"
"No time," she said, rushed. "I have to change clothes and meet my friends." She ducked her head and walked past him.
As she darted away, she heard him call behind her, "Hey are you here for Hanson Day?"
She hollered back a quick "Yes!" and made her way even faster down the street. Not only did she look like she'd pissed her pants, but now she felt like she wanted to, too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As he watched her make her way quickly down the street, her auburn bangs and hazel eyes wasting no time embedding themselves into his brain, he narrowed his eyes at her curious behavior. He had just wasted her coffee because he was an absent-minded klutz--a trait that was no real secret. But he'd offered to replace it and she ran away. Not to be conceited, but if she was here for Hanson Day, running away at the offer of a fresh coffee wasn't something he figured one might turn down from someone in his...position, per se. The whole thing was weird.
He could respect the fact that she was embarrassed. Hell, he was, too. But she sure didn't seem embarrassed last night when--
OH! THAT was where he knew her from! Last night's fan club concert. Why did it take him so long to put two and two together? She stood second row and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, try as he might. He could only watch her hips as she moved to the music...oh, and then he watched her smile and flirt with his brother as she stood on his side of the stage. Maybe that's what the problem was. Maybe if he was his brother, she would have jumped at the chance to have her wasted coffee replaced. Of course.
Sighing and shaking his head, he turned around and backtracked to 3CG to steal a fresh t-shirt from the Hanson store, not interested in driving all the way back home to change. As he walked in, he spied his brother in the studio and momentarily chose to avoid him so that he could change his shirt and leave, continuing on his previously intended path. He thought about the girl and he scowled. There was no way he could tell anyone that he'd even checked her out. He knew his brother would have had to see for himself and then would have been all over her in an instant. It wasn't that his brother had a penchant for stealing his women or anything. It was just that--well, women just didn't tell his brother 'no.' In fact, he was quite certain his brother had probably never even heard the word, 'no.' He didn't know how he did it. He seemed to have a different woman every month. Sometimes in less time than that. The truth was, while he was a bit of a workaholic, his brother was a womanizer and he only wished he had half the apparent sex appeal that he had. Then maybe he could score himself a date once in awhile without his brother trying to set
him up with one of his date's friends. It was so pathetic.
But no. God forbid he be attracted to someone. He decided to keep this one for himself. His own pretty distraction that he could look forward to for the rest of the weekend.
As he stepped out the front door of 3CG, he couldn't help but glance back down the sidewalk in the direction the girl had walked in. She was since long gone and the sidewalk was empty. Letting out a quiet breath, he turned in the opposite direction and started his journey over again, this time leaving his cell phone in his pocket.