HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TINA!!!
Saturday Night
Song Credit: 'Saturday Night', JoDee Messina
Every week it comes ‘round
With a feel like New Year’s Eve
Get dressed, de-stressed, tonight I couldn’t care less
Take a look at me
So I put myself together
Paint my lips and lashes on
‘Cause I know there’s someone out there
Wantin’ me to come along
It’s the night of the week when my dreams hit the street
With boots and blue jeans on
Take a shot at romance, do I stand a chance
Will destiny be good to me
It’s the thrill of the kiss that on
Monday I’ll miss
When I look back and say
Well, oh my Lord you should have seen me Saturday
Saturday, Oh Saturday Night
Tina walked into the party, looking around curiously. She didn't see the girl who had invited her, but there were a lot of people here. She grabbed a soda and found an open square of bench to sit on. She had a tough day at work--working on your birthday was never fun--but it was Saturday night and also the day she turned twenty. She was determined to have fun. She deserved some time for herself.
Thus the reason she had slipped into her cutest party dress, strapped on her high heels, dressed herself up, and headed out to the party. She had no idea who was throwing it, only that a friend had gotten her name put on the guest list as a birthday present. She didn't care that she didn't know anyone. She could party like a rock star whether with friends or strangers.
As the night went on, she danced a few dances, ate a little bit, and laughed in the faces of a few overly bold young men. She felt good, comfortable in her own skin, in her element. Her head throbbed mildly with the beat of the music and she could hear her heartbeat race, the blood sing in her veins. She felt alive and wild. Something was going to happen tonight. She could feel it. It was just one of those nights.
Mary’s got a Mustang
We all pile in
Downtown, top down, rockin’ while we ride around
Let the night begin
I’m just searchin’ for a dreamer
Who’ll steal my heart away
Strong and shy with I dare you eyes
And a smile who lights the way
Someone plopped down next to her. "Hey," he said in a smooth, flirtatious voice, "what's a pretty thing like you doing at a party like this?"
Tina turned and was about to send the would-be suitor packing when she froze stock still. "J--Joe--" She snapped her mouth shut, composed herself, then smirked and said, "Well, I don't know, Joe. What's a rock star like you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Touche. Fact is, my brother's been staring at you all night, but he's just a tiny bit terrified to come talk to you. He'll kill me if he sees me doing this, but--over there, black shirt, gray jeans. Name's Kevin, he's a guitar god, loves Starbucks, shopping, and Guitar Hero, and has three younger brothers including me." He took in her stunned expression. "And I'm going to guess you knew most of that. Go get him, girl!" Jumping up from his seat, he patted her shoulder encouragingly, nodded towards Kevin, and disappeared into the crowd.
Tina sat in shock for several minutes. That was Kevin Jonas. And he was... looking at her? She darted a glance towards where he sat, and was rewarded with an eyeful of curly hair, tight jeans and... hazel eyes quickly dropping to his hands. She smiled as his cheeks turned just slightly pink and he steadily stared at his fingers. She watched him twist his purity ring around and around on his finger, running his fingertips over the metal band. She studied him. He looked different than the pictures, more... unfinished, raw, real. His curls, silky and unkempt, bounced as he tugged a hand through them. She could see the shadow of stubble on his jawline and the soft texture of his skin.
Slowly, Tina rose from her seat and made her way across the floor. He looked up and locked eyes with her, surprise showing on his face. She smiled hesitantly. It was like she and Kevin were the two endpoints of a line, the only thing unmoving in the sea of dancing and partying all around them. Her stomach was doing acrobatics she never thought possible as she moved towards him. Finally, she stood just a few feet from him, fingers playing with the silky material of her dress. "Hi," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
He couldn't possibly have heard her above the pounding music and the noise of the crowd, but he must have read her lips. A wide smile broke out on his face and she barely heard his low voice say, "Hey." He stood up. "Kevin," he said loudly, leaning towards her so she could hear him.
"Tina," she practically shouted back.
He grinned and took her hand in his. "Nice to meet you."
Tina nodded, gulping. The feeling of his hand on hers--she felt every line and groove in his skin, sensed every callus, felt every muscle tighten as he clasped her hand. She struggled to find words. "You--Nice to meet you, too."
Still smiling, he let the handshake linger, let his fingers brush hers gently as he let go. "So... um..." He blushed, obviously trying to think of what to say. "What kind of music do you like?"
Tina grinned smugly. "Yours."
"As in... Jonas Brothers?"
Tina laughed. "No, just the kind of music you like." She slid her hand through her hair. "Yes, Jonas Brothers."
"Sweet!" He looked so excited to have something easy to talk about. "Have you been to a concert?"
"Yeah," Tina offered automatically, but her heart wasn't behind the reponse. Her heart was too busy trying to cope with how his eyes seemed to see right through into her, right through her soul. And there was something about the look in those eyes... something that seemed to say ‘I dare you‘. She didn't know what he was daring her to do, but she was pretty sure that, with the way her heart was reacting, she would be up for it. "I went a while ago."
"Cool. You had a good time?"
She smiled, feeling a little more comfortable. "Yeah, it was awesome. You guys rock."
"We try," Kevin said, with a smiled that melted her heart and made her knees weak. "So, um... do you dance?"
"I try," Tina responded, quoting him. "Are you asking me to try dancing with you?" He seemed to be having a hard time with this. She figured she might as well help him out.
"Um, yeah, I guess--not I guess. Yes, I am asking you to dance with me."
She tried to tame her pounding pulse, nodded, and put out her hand to him. He took it and pulled her onto the dance floor, spinning her around and moving to the rhythm of a hyper beat. He grinned at her as they danced, close together but not really with each other, and seemed to grow more bold as the dance progressed. He winked, threw his arms over his head, popped and locked to the song.
Then, just as Tina was getting used to dancing with the rock star she had adored for ages, the song ended, and a soft, slow song filtered through the noise. She stopped dancing and let her arms fall to her side, seeing him do the same a short distance from her. He looked at her and moved towards her, arms outstretched, silently beckoning her to dance this song with him, too. She hesitated, still stunned by the situation. Then she looked him directly in the eyes, and that quiet but steady dare stared back at her. To back out of this would be to back out of a challenge, and she never did that. Slowly, with graceful but determined steps, she stepped into his embrace and let her body sway against his to the lilt of the music.
His hands rested on her waist, but slid to her hips as he pulled her closer to him, and she laced her arms around his neck loosely. As they danced, her fingers almost involuntarily played with the curls at the nape of his neck, the fine hairs tickling her sensitive fingertips. After a moment, he looked down at her, his eyes warm as melted chocolate. "Tina... tell me about you." His voice wasn't much louder than a whisper, she realized, but she could hear him anyway, because by this time she was cradled so close against him that his mouth was nearly against her ear.
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything. Just... things about you."
Tina laughed breathily to cover her insecurity. "Why would you want to know about me? You're the rock god. Why would you want to hear anything about boring old me? I'm not worth it."
Gently, but very quickly, a hand left her hip and tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. The passion in his voice was obvious. "Never say that. I don't even know you yet, and I can tell you are very much worth it. And," he smirked as he swayed with her, "very, very un-boring. You're the most interesting girl at this party. Only bound to get more interesting as I learn more about you." He let the backs of his knuckles graze over her soft cheek and said, "So tell me about you."
So Tina told him. She told him about herself, what she loved, what she hated, where she was from, who meant a lot to her. She told him things as boring as her job and hometown, but in the next breath he listened attentively to her past relationships, the happiness and love, the heartbreak and hurt. He laughed and blushed when she hesitantly told him about writing stories about him, and about the writer's group, KERNT, that she and her friends had formed online.
When the song ended, he led her to a bench and sat down with her, close against her side, resting his hand on her arm. In between her own stories, he told her about himself. A lot of it she already knew, but she was so flattered and thrilled that he was talking only to her that she just listened. She had never heard the stories live from his own mouth, after all. And she had especially not heard them with his fingers dancing along her arm, his leg pressed against hers, and his deep, sparkling eyes locked on hers.
The clock ticked on, until it was past midnight, but the party still went on, and Tina's head was pounding from all the noise. It was no longer a pleasant throb. She had a headache bordering on a full-blown migraine. She winced as someone laughed loudly nearby, in the middle of Kevin telling a story about he and Nick as little kids. He looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"
She smiled weakly. "Eh... the noise. I have a headache."
He jumped at a chance to help. "Well, hey, let's get out of here."
"Where?" She laughed at his exuberance.
"Um... anywhere. Except home."
She nodded, smiling, and took the arm he offered to help her up. "Let's go. Your car or mine?"
"Mine."
"How will your brothers get home?"
"Uh..." He looked at Nick, who was across the room looking cornered by a circle of girls about his age and older. "They can... hold on." He looked across the room at Joe. "Danger!" Joe twisted around in his seat to look at him. "Cab it!"
Joe raised an eyebrow, then saw Tina, winked, and nodded. "No problemo, Casanova!"
Kevin and Tina both blushed, and Kevin hurriedly pulled her for the door. "Let's get away from this potentially embarrassing situation before it gets any worse for both of us."
Kevin walked Tina out to his Jeep, helped her into it, and slid in on the other side. "So... where to? I know I said anywhere, but that's a little hard to drive to. I don't know this area very well."
Tina considered. "You like a scenic overlook?"
"With you? You bet."
She smiled, leaning her aching head against the seat. "Then go straight here for five minutes, then turn left." He followed her instructions and pulled up on the edge of a long, steep hill looking out over the city, which looked dazzling in the starlight. He shut off the car and they sat there, gazing out at the night, the quiet a stark and lovely contrast to the noise and light of the party. They were silent for a few long moments, and Kevin covered her hand with his. She didn't move it away, just let his warmth permeate her skin. After a while, she groaned. "Ah, man, my head hurts."
She turned her head towards him and found him moving closer, sliding an arm around her. "Can I kiss it and make it better?" She could only swallow and nod, his playful but intense eyes judging her every move. He leaned forward and pressed his soft, dry lips against her forehead, letting them linger against her skin. She sighed, the feeling of his gentle breath flowing along her skin making something in her chest flutter.
Slowly, he pulled his lips away and breathed, "Better?"
"Much," she answered truthfully. The last thing in her thought process right now was her headache. She was much too preoccupied with getting close to him, getting his warmth to chase away the chill in the March air. She leaned into him, and he received her instantly, his arms wrapping tightly around her. He leaned back against the seat, pulling her with him, and they stayed like that, her head on his shoulder and his hands on her back, for a long, long time.
They spoke in gentle whispers, telling each other more about themselves, the more familiar pose bringing on even more intimate conversation. Finally, Tina glanced at Kevin's watch. "Is it really three AM?" she asked sleepily, her hand lazily tracing around the watch on his wrist.
He nodded. "I think so. Should I take you home?"
"I have to go back to the party. My car."
"Right. We should... we should go." He said it reluctantly. She looked up at him, and those ‘I dare you’ eyes looked back, soft, calm, content. Her breath slackened and her stomach flipped. He smiled down at her, and his thumb came up and traced over her bottom lip. "You're a really cool girl, Tina."
"Th-thank you," she stuttered, and felt her face heat up. "You are, too." She hesitated, her brow crinkling as she thought about what she'd said. "I mean, not a girl--a cool guy. You're definitely not a--"
"Tina?"
"Yeah," she answered, her voice cracking.
"Please, just... shhh." He cupped her face, a hand on each of her cheeks, thumb stroking gently, then leaned in until he was the barest millimeters from her mouth. "Can I?" he said in a voice that was more breath than sound. Tina only made a soft sound of agreement before his mouth covered hers in a lingering, sweet kiss. She sighed and surrendered to it, breathing in the smell of his cologne and tasting the honey on his lips.
After an endless moment, Kevin gently ended the kiss and nuzzled her cheek gently. "Thank you," he sighed.
Tina just snuggled into the crook of his arm as he started up the Jeep and drove slowly back to the house where the party had been. He walked Tina to her car, helped her in, and shut the door. Leaning in the window, he said, "Are you sure you're okay to drive home? You were so sleepy, and it's really late."
Tina laughed. "No, I'm just going to sleep in the car. No, really, I'm fine. I'm not that tired."
Kevin nodded. "Okay. Tina, thanks for hanging with me tonight. I had a lot of fun."
"I did too."
Without warning, he leaned inside the car and kissed her softly, leaving her mouth tingling. "Goodnight." Then he disappeared into the night. A moment later, his Jeep passed her car, and she saw him wave out the window.
She sat in her car for another half hour, thinking about the night. She had met Kevin Jonas, her dream boy, face to face, and he liked her. Then, those kisses.... she relived them over and over in her mind, each caress, each tingle, each thrill.
Now, as she started her car, her lips felt chilled, lonely. She wished he was there beside her, his arm around her, so warm, so strong, his smile lighting up the night. But... it was over now, wasn't it? He had run off into the night, like a role reversal of Cinderella and Prince Charming, and she would probably never see him again. No, wrong. She would see him. He would haunt her, everywhere. Concerts, television, radio, magazines. He would be everywhere.
And, she decided, that was okay, because every time she saw him, she would remember the taste of his lips and the sound of his whisper. She would feel the shivers he sent down her spine. She would remember him even if he never remembered her, the girl with the headache at the party. She pulled into her driveway, collapsed into bed, and fell asleep instantly, hand to her lips and memories in her head.
It’s the night of the week when my dreams hit the street
With boots and blue jeans on
Take a shot at romance, do I stand a chance
Will destiny be good to me
It’s the thrill of the kiss that on
Monday I’ll miss
When I look back and say
Well, oh my Lord you should have seen me Saturday
Saturday, Oh Saturday Night
Five days out of seven slavin’
I need one that’s just for me
It’s the thrill of the kiss that on
Monday I’ll miss
When I look back and say
Well oh my Lord you should have seen my Saturday
Oh Saturday, Saturday, Saturday,
Oh Saturday night
TO BE CONTINUED...
