Aurora and Meagan were just as excited as Cadence was for Thursday night to finally arrive. Even though Cadence wasn't quite sure if this was an actual date--since Cale had invited all three of them and several members of his team were going as well--she was still nervous as she climbed inside the Buick Enclave he had driven to pick them up. Archie and Nick were in the way-back, and for a moment Cadence wondered if this were set up to be a triple-date, until she remembered some mention that Archie had a boyfriend.
Cale had insisted on coming up to get them, even though his friends wanted to stay in the vehicle, and so Cadence had let him. Now, sitting next to him in a strappy pink dress that accentuated her skin tone, she was partially glad her friends were there to keep it casual, and partially wishing she had him alone. He looked great in a pair of khakis and a light gray shirt, and she had told him so at the hotel room door. She contemplated saying it again....
There was some chatter from the back as the rest of the party discussed the band they were going to see, The City, a relatively new band to make it big on the music scene coming out of Springfield, Missouri, and various other artists they both liked and disliked. But Cadence's attention was focused on the driver. "So, the girls didn't want to come?" she asked, referring to Phoebe and the "pixie" Nora.
He had to lean a bit closer to her in order to hear, but he deciphered what she was saying beyond the din of opinions behind them. "Oh, they're meeting us there. Phoebe's boyfriend and his brother are riding along with them."
"Oh, cool," Cadence smiled, inwardly wishing they weren't coming. She didn't get a good vibe from any of his teammates, but Nora in particular seemed obnoxiously rude.
As if he were reading her mind, he said, "I've made them all swear to make nice."
She laughed, nodding her understanding. "I'm sure it will be fine."
Cadence had spoken to Cale a few times over the IAC in the days since their lunch at the diner, and she felt that she was getting to know him fairly well. However, seeing him in person was another matter entirely, and she suddenly found herself feeling very shy, which was not like her at all.
He picked up on that as well and reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze before placing his back on the steering wheel to enter the freeway. "We'll be in Tahoe in no time," he said, that friendly smile crinkling his eyes.
He was actually driving a lot slower than any other Guardian she had ever ridden with, but she felt it was nice to go slow--sometimes rushing just made a mess of everything.
The venue at Harvey's in Lake Tahoe wasn't huge, but it housed about 7,000 people. Cale had been able to get them very good seats, though they weren't all exactly together, and Cadence absently wondered if he had a secretary who handled that sort of thing like Aaron did or if he had to do it himself. She was sitting next to him, but Meagan and Aurora were a few rows behind them. Archie and Nick had insisted on taking the only other available seats with their leader, and the girls had politely agreed. Cadence felt a little awkward now, like she really was on an actual date. With a guy. One she kind of liked.
The opening band was not so fantastic, but with the opening notes of "Fade Out," the crowd went crazy, and everyone immediately jumped to their feet. Cadence was right there with them, clapping and singing along. She noticed that Cale was standing, but his hands were in his pockets. Though he was smiling, he didn't appear to be singing.
"Pretty good seats, huh?" he asked a few lines into the song, leaning over to whisper in her ear.
The fact that he could have easily sent her an IAC instead didn’t slip her notice, and the feel of his breath against her neck sent shivers down her spine. It took her a second to reply. "Yes, they're great," she finally answered. She glanced across him and saw Archie dancing wildly and Nick clapping while giving his neighbor an incredulous look. She couldn't help but laugh. A moment later, she touched Cale lightly on the arm to get his attention and said, "I can practically see Tyler Smute’s eye color from here!"
The lead singer began to croon the slower, "Waking Up Alone," but the crowd didn't sit down or stop singing along. Cadence looked at Cale and smiled. She hadn't been this happy or care free in a while.
It was difficult to carry on a conversation, and he seemed reluctant to use the IAC so they spent a lot of time whispering to each other. Finally, she got up the nerve to ask him, "Are you having fun?"
"Yes, I'm having a great time. Why?" he asked, surprise.
"Well, you just... need to loosen up a little bit," she explained, shrugging.
"You mean like Archie?" he asked, gesturing toward his friend who hadn't slowed down.
"No," she laughed. "Not at all."
He put his hand gently on the bare skin of her shoulder blades. "So what do you want me to do?" he asked in her ear.
She glanced around and noticed that lots of couples were slow dancing to the ballad, "By Myself" Slipping her arm beneath his and around him, she said, "Dance with me."
He raised his eyebrows, but only for a moment before complying. The row was narrow, but they could make it work. He turned to her, wrapped his arms around her, and began the slow, rocking movements one might see at a middle school dance. "This is all I've got in this confined space," he said next to her ear. "But you put me on an actual dance floor, I make Archie look like... Elaine Benez."
Cadence laughed, momentarily burying her head in his chest. "He already looks like Elaine Benez."
She was perfectly content just to have his arms around her and sway to the music. As they danced, she began to carefully listen to the lyrics.
Are you alone?
Don’t you want to be with someone?
Doesn’t it seem that suddenly
Everything you’ve dreamt of has come undone?
She began to think Tyler was talking directly to her. Everything he was singing about seemed to hit home. As Thomas Lane led them into the chorus on the drums, she thought about the situation that had led here in the first place.
Can’t you see their lies?
Don’t you know the truth is
Staring you right in the eyes?
It had been lies that had caused her to run away from home, ones others had told about her, and the lie of omission that had caused Aaron to break up with her.
Stewart Mobile ramped up the bass and Tyler broke into a guitar solo. Cadence could feel Cale's breath on her neck again; his strong arms made her feel more safe and secure than she had in a very long time. She raised her head up, locking eyes with him. In the dim light, he grinned at her, and she returned his smile. Before she realized what was happening, his lips were on hers, gently at first, but once he realized she was kissing him back, with more intensity. After a moment, he broke away, still smiling, and she placed her head back against his chest, eyes wide.
When the slow song was over, the band picked up the beat with "Washing It All Away," and Cadence pulled away. When he reached for her hand, she interlaced her fingers with his and spent the rest of the concert floating around somewhere between the spotlights and the stars.
On the ride home, everyone was much less chatty, though it wasn't in anyone else's nature to be particularly tired. Cadence couldn't help but wonder what would happen when Cale walked her--and her two friends--to the door. Even though the girls had separate rooms, they were right next to hers. He was very quiet as they made their way back to Reno, and she thought he must have been contemplating the same thing.
Once they reached the hotel, he parked, and opened the doors for all three of them, telling Archie and Nick he would be right back. The elevator ride was silent, but once they reached their floor and made their way down the hall, the girls thanked Cale for the invite and disappeared into their rooms rather quickly, leaving Cadence and her date alone in the hallway.
Standing in front of her door, she looked at him and gave him a nervous smile. "Well, that was a lot of fun," she said quietly, not wanting to disturb the other guests.
His hands were buried in his pockets, and there seemed to be something quite interesting on the carpet, but he nodded, and glanced up, giving her a quick smile. "Thanks for coming," he replied, just above a whisper.
"Thanks for inviting me," she answered, nodding.
"When do you think you'll be heading out?" he asked, a concerned expression suddenly crossing over his face.
She thought he must have just realized he might not see her again for a while. "I'm honestly not sure," she replied. "We've had several requests to join hunts in various parts of the country, and the world, but we haven't accepted anything yet."
"Oh, okay," he said, seeming to calm a little bit. "I hope I can see you again before you leave," he added quietly and with much deliberation.
Her smile broadened. "I think that can be arranged."
Apparently, he had an abrupt reappearance of courage. "Good," he replied, drawing his hands out of his pockets. "I'd like that."
Before she could answer, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and gently drew her in for a kiss. She welcomed the feel of his soft lips on hers, but pulled back for just a second to flash him an encouraging smile, before leaning back in and embracing his mouth with hers. When he lightly pressed her to open, she complied, feeling her knees weaken and running her hand along his strong jaw.
Cale was certainly a gentleman. After a moment, he pulled away. He smiled at her sweetly and whispered, "Goodnight, Cadence."
She took a step back, whispered, "Good night," while absently feeling for the door behind her as she watched him step toward the elevator. It wasn't until she was inside her room, the excitement and titillation beginning to dissipate, that she realized she had opened the door with the key card still inside her handbag.
