They inched through the crowd to the side of the room. A picture window overlooked the pool.
Ari munched a carrot stick. “Thane went all out for Celine tonight. He wouldn’t have done that unless he was interested. Something happened. You need to get the scoop from Reid.”
“Why me? You can do it.”
“I’m not the one fantasizing about him.”
Typical Ari. Somehow she sensed things before anyone else did. “Point your matchmaking mojo elsewhere.”
“I saw you at the club. You’re into him.”
“I’m on man hiatus. Just me and my battery-operated boyfriend. It’s safer that way. No more disappointments.”
“Do you want to know what I think?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“That hell-no list of yours has made you jaded. No wonder you can’t find a decent guy. There’s more to it than whether or not he lives with his mother or turns on SportsCenter during sex. You need to add important questions to your criteria.”
“Go on. I can’t wait to hear the rest of this.”
“Basic things like, can he hold a conversation? Would you share a meal with him in public? Can he focus on what pleases you in bed without a detailed map? Is he someone you’d want to cuddle with for more than two whole minutes after an orgasm? You have to find a guy who’ll deliver what you want and more.”
“Gee, that technical, huh? I never would have guessed.”
“You’ll catch on with practice, but there’s no rush. Think it through during your hiatus. You’ll see that I’m right. Now that we’ve got you straightened out, what are we doing about her?”
Celine rifled through her clutch. Her hair almost hid her anxious expression.
“Don’t look at me. You’re the one with all the solutions.”
Ari looked heavenward. “Give me strength. Weren’t you listening? I already told you what to do. Talk to Reid.”
“Wait a minute. Didn’t you just say I shouldn’t rush into your suggestion?”
“Exactly. Keep it flirty and casual. Information only.”
Reid was playing haunting notes. Each keystroke was like an intimate caress.
Talk? Yeah right. She couldn’t stop envisioning him naked. Celine, however, hadn’t reacted to a guy like this since losing her fiancé. Sweet-talking Reid would help her discover the truth about Thane. If she didn’t, Celine could miss out on the best night of her life. She handed her plate to Ari. “I’ll be right back.”
Reid transitioned the slow opening of “Shadows on the Road” into a faster tempo. As his fingers picked up speed, lingering adrenaline stirred from the night’s performance. Whenever they played the band’s signature song on stage, West drove the beat on drums. Colby’s bass brought a heart-bumping rhythm. Mace on electric guitar twanged out soul-stirring chords while he blended in on the keyboards. Thane captivated the crowd with his stage presence and resonant voice. “Shadows” always seemed to put emotions in sync. Everyone could relate to heartbreak and discovering their dreams in the unexpected.
A path opened. Lauren stalked forward in a pair of gladiator-style stilettos. Her dress billowed and formed over her breasts and hips. She sat next to him on the polished bench seat, facing the opposite way. He’d made the right choice by not crowding her space. Despite their attraction to each other, she had been skittish at the club. He had to let her come to him.
She crossed her long, toned legs, and the hem of her dress inched up her tanned thigh. “I don’t know who Thane thinks he is, but the game is over. Celine isn’t waiting. We’re leaving.”
“Hold on. He’s not playing games. A group of fans swarmed him for pictures.” Reid switched to a smooth, seductive melody. “He’s on his way. Ask Celine to wait.”
“Nope.”
“Come on. Give a guy a chance.”
“Are we talking about you or Thane?”
He returned her smile. She knew how to flirt. Unlike most of the women he’d met, she had the confidence to do it well. “Both of us.”
“Then you’ve got a problem. He’s not here.”
“But he will be.” Reid leaned closer. “What’s that look about?”
“I’m trying to decide if I should trust what you’re telling me.”
She flipped her hair, and perfume drifted over him. Soft, floral, wholly feminine and warm like the sun.
“You absolutely should.”
“Why?”
She rested against him, and her soft breast cushioned his arm. Blood coursed from his head, starving his brain as it flooded downward. “He really likes Celine.”
“Then he should have gotten his butt here sooner. I can’t make her stay.”
“What about us?”
“I guess that’s your loss for having a friend who sucks at handling time.”
Handle time? They mastered it with every leap into the future to change fate and right wrongs. Her leaving with Celine would top the list of major wrongs. He had to capitalize on the moment. Once he jumped forward in time, she wouldn’t remember he existed. “Give her your car keys.”
“What will that do?”