Unclassic Hero

As the concert nears its end, my stomach is aflutter with nerves. What’s going to happen next?

“Sydney, you need to chill. I can practically hear your heart pounding from here,” Desiree teases, grinning at me.

“I know, but I’m not sure if we should do this.”

“Stop it. You know you want to see Conrad again, and he clearly wants to see you. You must’ve left an impression.”

“I just feel bad about lying about my age. What if he finds out?”

“How would he? Do you think he’s going to ask for your ID or something?”

“No, and I hope he doesn’t. I gave him my real name. I didn’t want him calling me Jane.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. And who knows, maybe Conrad wouldn’t mind even if he did know your real age.

“You may not be old enough to drink, but you’re old enough to consent. So, you’re both free to do whatever you want, as long as it’s mutual.”

“Wow, have you been binge-watching legal dramas or something?” I laugh.

“Maybe a few,” Desiree confesses.

The music stops, and the room erupts into applause.

“They’re so good, aren’t they? We’ll have to download their album if they have one,” I say.

“Maybe you could ask Conrad about it.”

“Or you could ask Harrison?”

“Maybe. Okay, let’s go.”

Desiree practically leaps from her chair, motioning for me to get up and follow her.

“Excited?” I tease.

“I just don’t want to waste any time. We’ve got some serious hotties to meet.”

We weave through the crowd and make our way to the stage. The band is surrounded by a swarm of female fans.

“Typical. Let’s just wait,” I grumble, my confidence waning.

“No way. We’re getting in there,” Desiree declares.

She grabs my wrist and pulls me forward. As we reach the edge of the crowd, I manage to slip my wrist from Desiree’s grip.

She plunges into the crowd, and I decide to hang back. Unlike Des, who doesn’t care what others think, I don’t want to seem too eager. I spot Conrad, who stands head and shoulders above everyone else.

He’s chatting with fans, his smile bright and laughter infectious. God, he’s attractive. I can’t see Des in the crowd, but I assume she’s somewhere in there.

I don’t know what to do with myself, so I just stand there awkwardly, waiting for the crowd to thin out.

I glance back at Conrad, and this time he’s looking right at me. He smiles and starts moving in my direction. The butterflies in my stomach go wild.

“You kept your promise,” he says when he reaches me, his smile genuine.

“I said I’d find you,” I reply.

“I thought you were just being polite.”

Does he think I’d blow him off? That’s surprising.

“Anyway,” he continues when I don’t respond, “there’s an after-party at Harrison’s tonight. I was wondering if you and your friend would like to come.”

A party? I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

“Um, I’m not sure.”

“Of course we’re coming!” Desiree’s voice rings out from beside me.

She drapes an arm around my shoulder.

“Des…” I murmur.

“So, where’s this party?” she asks Conrad, ignoring me.

Harrison, the lead singer, appears next to Conrad.

“My place. It’s at 31 Mayburn Street,” he says.

I recognize the address. It’s in the same neighborhood as Des and me, just a couple of blocks from my house.

“I know where that is,” Desiree says. “We’ll be there.”

“Do you girls want to ride with us, or do you have a car?” Harrison asks, flashing a charming smile at Desiree.

“I have a car, but we’ve had too much to drink to drive. I was going to leave it here overnight and take a cab,” she explains.

“No need for that. Conrad only had a drink or two tonight, he can drive your car,” Harrison offers. “Right, Conrad?”

Conrad shrugs.

“If that’s okay with you?” Conrad asks Des. “I only had one beer.”

“And one shot of tequila,” I add, causing him and Harrison to laugh.

“Let’s not forget that shot,” Conrad agrees, “but that was hours ago, so I think I’m okay to drive now.”

“Well then, we’ve got ourselves a designated driver. Let’s go,” Des announces, cheerfully handing Conrad her keys.

“Okay, I’m going to help load up the gear. Conrad, I’ll see you guys soon,” Harrison says with a wink before heading off.

Conrad, Desiree, and I leave the club, and Des leads us to her car.

“Nice car,” Conrad compliments as he heads to the driver’s side.

I’m about to open the back door, but Des nudges me toward the front seat. I give her a questioning look, but she just waves me on.

“Go for it,” she whispers before climbing into the back seat.

We drive away from downtown and toward the suburbs. The car is silent for nearly five minutes before Des leans forward between the front seats.

“It’s too quiet in here. Let’s turn up the music,” she says, reaching for the stereo volume.

“So, Conrad, what’s your story? Been in Mayfair long? It’s a small town, so I’m surprised we haven’t bumped into you before,” Desiree inquires.

“I moved here in April. But I wouldn’t exactly call this a small town,” he responds.

“Well, it’s no bustling city, that’s for sure. Where’d you move from?”

“I was living in New York City before this.”

“New York City? Wow, why’d you leave? I’ve always dreamed of going there.”

“It’s not as glamorous as it seems. Yeah, there’s a lot to do, a lot of different cultures. But it’s also loud, crowded, and I’d had my fill. I wanted a slower pace, so I ended up here.”

“Well, if you were after slow and quiet, you picked the right spot: good ol’ Mayfair, North Carolina. I bet you’ll be bored in no time,” Desiree says, sinking back into her seat.

“I don’t know about that. It has its charms,” Conrad replies, and I could swear he glances my way as he says it.

“I like it here. I think I’d choose this over New York City, too. I like the peace. I like knowing my neighbors,” I chime in, realizing I’ve been silent.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Conrad says.

“Well, I’m itching for some big city excitement,” Desiree grumbles.

After another ten minutes of chit-chat, we pull into our neighborhood. Guilt washes over me as we drive past my house on the way to Harrison’s.

“I’m surprised Harrison lives in a neighborhood like this,” Desiree remarks as we pass her house, just a few doors down from mine.

“We’re actually roommates,” Conrad reveals. “He was in an apartment, but we figured we’d have more space here, including a garage for band practice.

“Lately, though, it’s been more of a crash pad for the whole band, which is getting a bit old.”

Wait. What? He lives in this neighborhood? I turn to Des, and by the look on her face, she’s both pleased and amused by this news.

“Syd, you guys are practically neighbors,” she teases, grinning wickedly at me.

My eyes widen, and I fight the urge to smack her. What is she doing?

“Really?” Conrad asks. “Where?”

“Right on this street,” Desiree adds.

I’m going to strangle her.

“Yeah, I live with my parents,” I confess.

Lots of twenty-one-year-olds live with their parents, right? He’s going to see right through me.

“That’s cool,” he says instead. “Makes sense for a college student. Why throw money away on rent when you can stay at home a bit longer and save for the future?”

“Exactly,” Des agrees, giving the back of my seat a light kick. “And how convenient is this? We can just walk home tonight after the party.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Conrad concedes with a nod.

A few minutes later, we pull up to a small brick house. Several cars are already parked out front.

“The guys aren’t here yet,” Conrad informs us. “Looks like we beat them.”

“Whose cars are these?” I ask.

“The blue truck is Harrison’s, the red car is Jake’s, and that hideous mustard yellow thing is Kevin’s old Mustang. I think the black Ford belongs to Jake’s girlfriend. We all took the van tonight.”

I nod, understanding.

“Where’s your car?” Des asks.

“My bike’s in the garage.”

“A motorcycle? Cool!” Des whistles, clearly impressed.

Desiree hops out of the Jeep and settles on the front lawn under the streetlight, leaving us alone. Neither Conrad nor I move. The silence is deafening.

Conrad sighs and turns to face me.

“You seem nervous,” he observes, his voice soft and soothing in the quiet vehicle.

“I…I’m not,” I stammer, betraying myself.

“I promise, I won’t bite.”

Conrad leans over the center console, close enough that I can smell him. And he smells amazing. I couldn’t tell back at the club.

His closeness makes my heart race. His hair falls into his eyes, and he pushes it back. Swoon!

“Will there be a lot of people at this party?” I ask, trying to shift the conversation.

“I’m not sure. Sometimes the parties get wild, sometimes they’re chill. Which are you hoping for?”

“Chill,” I admit.

“You’re not much for parties, are you, Syd?”

“How’d you know?”

Conrad taps his temple.

“Just a guess. So, you don’t frequent clubs or bars, you don’t drink much, you don’t party a lot. You prefer to stay home and read.

“So, Sydney, what do you do for fun? A young woman like you must have some way to blow off steam.”

“I like camping,” I offer.

“Okay, camping’s cool. What else?”

“I like hiking, and…”

“So, you’re an outdoorsy type?”

“Pretty much. I’m not very adventurous, I guess. I mean, I’m open to trying new things, I’m here, aren’t I? I’m just more of a…a…”

“You’re careful, huh? That’s not a bad thing, Sydney.”

“I’m not like Desiree. She’s fearless. Sometimes I wish I could be more like her.”

“Being fearless isn’t always a good thing. It can lead to impulsive decisions. It can get you into trouble if you’re not careful.

“Like, for example, she let me, a total stranger, drive her fancy car and take you girls to some random party.”

“She’s smart,” I say, defending Des, “She wouldn’t do anything too reckless.”

Conrad laughs at that.

“Maybe she is. I just say it because I’ve known people like her. Anyway, back to you. I feel like there’s more to you, and I want to know more.”

“You’re interested in me?”

“I think there’s more to you than just a bookworm.”

“You figured that out from our brief time together?” I challenge, and he grins and nods.

“Alright. What about you? I have some questions too,” I say.

“Go ahead.”

I try to think of some interesting questions, but I start with the basics.

“First, how old are you?”

“How old do I look?”

“Um…”

“I’m twenty-seven.”

Twenty-seven. Okay, that’s not too bad, but he’s still too old for me, I think.

“Come on, Syd, you can do better than that.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Do I seem like the kind of guy who would have a girlfriend, but be here with another girl I just met? I hope not.”

“No, but I don’t know you well enough to make that kind of judgment, and it’s not like we’re doing anything wrong,” I argue.

“Well, I don’t, and just so you know, if I did, I would consider this inappropriate behavior.”

“Good to know. So how long have you been a musician?”

“I’ve been playing guitar since I was five. My dad played classical guitar, and I fell in love with it. He taught me how to play, and I haven’t stopped since. I can also play drums and piano.”

“Wow. So, you’re multi-talented.”

“I just love music. Music can transport you, change your mood, or just be there for you when you want to wallow in whatever emotion you’re feeling.”

“Speaking of which, can I download your music or buy a CD?”

“Did we gain a new fan?”

“I thought you guys were amazing,” I say, and I can tell I’m gushing again.

“That’s great to hear. We’re working on a website right now, but we have some CDs in the van. I’ll give you one when everyone gets here.”

Just as he says this, I see a flashy black van pull into the driveway. “Speak of the devil,” I say.

“Can we continue this conversation later?” Conrad asks, sounding hopeful.

I nod in response. I can’t believe this. He’s actually interested in me. This makes me happier than I thought it would, but also nervous, and a little scared.