Tracks (Rock Bottom) by Sarah Biermann Read Free Book Online Page A

lies on his side again and rests his head on his left hand. “I just like when I can get a rise out of you. It makes your pretty eyes burn. It’s fantastic.”
    I blush. It’s the first time he’s really ever said anything romantic to me at all. I realized I’m relieved he may be looking for more than friendship. Oh gees. I feel like I’m involved in a really bad car accident on the highway, and it’s happening right now in slow motion. You know you want to stop it from happening, and it probably will end badly if you don’t, but for some reason you can’t make your mind or body to do what you need it to do to avoid it. And it’s stupid, because this guy’s a rock star, and I barely know him.
    “How about your parents ?” I ask, shifting the attention off of me.
    He smiles. “My dad is dead, but my mother lives locally. I see her from time to time. Not very often.”
    “She lives locally and you don’t see her very often?” I t ry not to sound too suspicious.
    He smiles wryly. “It’s so nice dating someone who doesn’t know everything about me already. Or think they do anyway from the tabloids. Its…refreshing. It makes me feel kind of…normal.”
    I hope he doesn’t think I’m so simple I didn’t notice him side step the last question, but I figured I’d let it go, as he had let my mom issue go. Anyway, I was still allowing my brain to wrap around the word “dating.”
    “Is that what we’re doing?” I say slowly, finally looking in to his eyes.
    He shrugs. “I’d say so. I liked you the first second I saw you, in that crowd. I like your shyness. I like your spunk. I think you’re special, unique. So I asked you out. And here we are.” He says it so confidently, without fear. I wonder what it’s like to be that confident.
    “I appreciate that, Jeremy,” I say, in a business way. I use that when I feel vulnerable. “But I don’t understand why you think those things. You barely know me. How could yo u like me? Why do you like me?”
    He looks confused. I continue, “I mean , you’re a mega rock star. You’ve been with the most beautiful women in the world. You have big breasted naked bottle blondes in your bed nightly.” He rolls his eyes.
    “First of all, let’s try to forget that portion of last night.” I smile and nod , only too happy to oblige to that request. He sits up more and leans towards me. He speaks low and deep, resurrecting the effect he had on me the first night I heard him speak. “And I think you , Dylan, are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You’re captivating. I can’t take my eyes off of you.”
    My whole body feels warm.
    Time freezes for what seems like hours. He is inches from my face now. Inside, I’m melting. My heart is on fire instead of my stomach. It’s something I’ve never really felt before. I assume this is what desire feels like. It’s hard for me not to shake as stares at me, looking into my eyes, then at my lips. I decide that I’m not ready for this, so I smile and begin to stand. He seems disappointed and confused, but only for a second and then it’s gone. He stands up with me and grabs my hand. I feel the rough of his fingers curl around my soft skin. It sends a shock wave straight to my groin.
    “Come on,” he says and smiles.
    We spend the next few hours looking through records, talking music, and listening to different songs on vinyl. I discover that his inspirations include Mick Jagger, of course, but also Carlos Santana and Mozart. “Mozart?” I say, shocked.
    “He was a misunderstood child prodigy,” he shrugs. “Sound familiar? ” he cocks an eyebrow. I laugh.
    Finally , after another hour or so, I look out the window. It’s starting to get dark. My stomach rumbles. I put my hand over it.
    “Oh,” he says. “Hungry? I’m sorry we’ve been here so long.”
    I smile. I’ve had so much fun getting to know him I hadn’t even realized I was hungry. “It’s ok, but we probably should get out of here.”