My Side by Tara Brown

could consider dating him and keeping him calm. I have noticed you keep
him calm and relaxed. People like him are prone to emotional outbursts and
addictions. They’re larger than life and their personalities are bigger than
their bodies.”
    I frowned, “You want
me to consider dating him to help Thin Ice out?”
    He shrugged, “We both
know you like him, and if he loses it like he did before, he could ruin his
whole career. Divas don’t get to have tantrums in the beginning. They have to
earn their right to be a crazy artist.”
    I didn’t say anything
else. If I dated him, it wouldn’t be for that reason.
    Gerry got up and left my
side, and Mike took the chance to come over and sit beside me, “So, are you and
Lochlan dating?”
    I laughed, “Not a
chance, roommates.”
    “You seeing anyone?”
    I shook my head, “No.
I’m busy with school.”
    “Wanna go on a date?”
    I shook my head,
“Thank you, but no.”
    He grinned, “You have
to eat, right?”
    “Yeah?” It was
starting to get awkward.
    He shrugged, “We could
just go have a meal?”
    I looked at his lips
as he spoke and nodded, “I guess.” It was a petty whorish thing to do, stare at
the thing I couldn’t have, and say sure to someone I didn’t really want. I
instantly shook my head, “Actually, no.”
    He looked confused,
“Which is it?”
    “I would go for a meal
with you, but only as friends. I don’t want to be the girl who broke up Thin
Ice because I dated the bass player and lived with the lead singer. Then me and the bass player broke up and the lead singer took my
side. Or worse, took your side and I ended up homeless. You know what I’m
saying?”
    He nodded, looking a
bit down, “Yeah, I guess. I can ask him, if you want and see if he thinks it’s
awkward for us to eat a meal together. We can go as friends.”
    I agreed, “Okay. If he
doesn’t think it’s awkward, I’d love to go for dinner, even as a group.” I knew
Lochlan would say no. It would be easier to let Mike down with Lochlan telling
him no way, than me doing it.
    His face lit up. He
stood and walked over to Lochlan as the group of girls left. The two of them
talked. I tried not to watch as Lochlan’s cheeks flushed and his eyes flicked
to me. Mike put his hands in the air defensively. Gerry gave me an evil look. I
gave it right back to him. Danny started laughing. Whatever was happening in
the powwow of doom, I assumed was bad.
    Lochlan stalked over,
“Not funny.”
    I scowled, “It was
nice of him to ask me out for dinner. I told him it would be awkward, since I’m
your roommate. It could end badly.”
    I could see he was
fighting his anger. “What about last night.”
    I took a bite of my
Danish, “You said it was a mistake. I agreed. Did something else happen, I
wasn’t aware of?”
    He sat in the seat,
“Why are you playing these games with me?”
    “Me? Games with you?”
    He nodded, taking my
Danish and having a bite. I snatched it back and got up. I walked away from the
group of them, and headed to a magic store in an old building down the road. I
had spotted it when we had been doing our tour. The door tinkled from the bell
attached to it, as I entered. An old lady in a cool old-fashioned dress with
long, gray hair smiled at me. I was about to say hello when Lochlan entered
after me.
    I sneered at him and
looked back at her.
    She pointed at my pastry, “You can’t have food in here.”
    I opened my mouth to
ask for a garbage can, but Lochlan grabbed my hand and lifted the pastry to his
face. He ate it from my fingers. I made the weird noise I seemed to make with
him.
    He licked my fingers,
which I enjoyed more than I was willing to tell him. I contemplated the mace in
my pocket, but he pulled me down a crowded aisle. The smell of herbs and
candles were everywhere.
    He looked down on me,
running his hands down my cheeks, “You can’t date anyone, ever.”
    I laughed, “What? Are
you high? What was in that Danish?”
    His eyes didn’t