Starting Fires by Makenzie Smith Read Free Book Online

and met them at a local restaurant. This time I dressed more appropriately.
    As we waited for our food Nicole asked, “Do you live by yourself or do you have a roommate?”
    “I have two roommates, actually. Wally and Charles. They’re in a band.” I noticed Nicole’s eyes expand a little at my news.
    “Where do they play?” she asked.
    “I think it’s a place called Burns. It’s a bar the lead singer owns. I haven’t had a chance to hear them yet.”
    Nicole grinned. “We pass that bar all the time! We should go see them, right Lacey?”
    “Yeah, sure.”
    “When do they play again?” Nicole asked, bubbling over with excitement.
    I smiled at her enthusiasm. “Tomorrow night, I think.” The three of us made plans to meet and have drinks—though Lacey seemed much less enthusiastic than Nicole.
    Luckily, it wasn’t as hot on the drive home as it had been a couple days before. I wasn’t sweating nearly as bad when I pulled into my driveway. About an hour later, Lucas and Ian came over to fix my car. I was grateful and it didn’t seem right for them to suffer in the heat while I was in the air conditioning so I joined them outside. Hovered really.
    There was no point to me being there. But I liked watching Lucas work on my car. Sweat shone on his forearms and every once in a while he would raise his shirt to wipe his forehead. I could see the beginning of black ink stretched across his ribs, but couldn’t quite make out the tattoo. A thin trail of dark hair traveled from his navel then disappeared under the waist of his pants. His jeans were resting low enough on his hips that I could see the beginnings of the V shape of his lower abdomen.
    They had just finished when Lucas rose up his shirt a final time to wipe off his face. My mouth parted and I stared, trying my best to hold on to every second of this moment. Realizing that perhaps that might not be the best idea, I looked up to his face. He was already looking at me, so I knew that I’d been caught.
    “We good, Ian?” he asked.
    Ian nodded then walked towards his house. “Thank you!” I called after him. He didn’t turn around but threw a hand up in the air. Looking back at Lucas, I said, “And thank you,” more quietly.
    “You’re welcome.” We stood in my driveway for a moment, a silence stretching between us. He fiddled with a wrench in his hand, and I kicked invisible pebbles into the grass. Just before it became too uncomfortable to bear he asked, “Are you gonna be able to come to the show tomorrow night?”
    “Do you want me to?” I responded, not telling him that I already planned on it.
    “Yes,” he smiled. “I’d like that.”
    “Okay. I’ll be there.”
    “Good.” He walked towards his house, and once he made it to his side of the street, turned back towards me. “You look beautiful today,” he yelled over.
    My stomach flipped, and I didn’t know how to respond. “You, too,” was the best I could come up with.
    He chuckled. “Thanks. See you tomorrow, Marzy.” I watched him wave before he walked through his front door.
    Then, I floated through mine.
     

Chapter 4
    B usy acquainting myself with my new home and town, I didn’t dwell on Lucas for the rest of the day, or the next. But that was then and this was now. It was around 7 p.m. and their show started at nine. Wally and Charles were leaving in about thirty minutes and I was riding with them. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, biting my nails, not having a clue what to wear or do with my hair. I was a bundle of nerves. I wanted to look good, but not like I was trying to look good. My hair was a big, frizzy mess, so I decided to start with that.
    “Marlowe! Fifteen minutes!” Charles yelled from the end of the hallway.
    Shit—I still had to get dressed. “Almost done,” I yelled back, frantically running to my closet. My light jeans caught my eye and I quickly pulled them off the hanger and up my legs. They were a little snug in the thighs, so I