In the Air (The City Book 1) - By Crystal Serowka Page 0,31

picking out the song. My mom always hated the music I picked. She thought that dancers should only perform to classical music.

I peeked up at Samson, bobbing his head along to the music. He seemed like he was genuinely enjoying himself. I was curious to know who his favorite bands were. Was he a fan of The Beatles? What if he liked Phil Collins? I didn't know if I could ever date anyone that owned a Phil Collins album. We only touched on the basics earlier, and I wanted to learn more about Samson.

I yelled over the music, "Do you like the band so far?"

He bent his head to my ear. "They're great, I really like this song."

I didn't hear his answer because all I could focus on was his breath hitting my earlobe. I closed my eyes. How could my feelings for Samson go from such disdain to absolute desire?

"You said you found these guys on BriteRevolution?"

I didn't register Samson's question. His lips inched closer to my ear. "W-what?" I stuttered as my voice came out breathy.

His laugh brought me back to reality. "You found these guys on BriteRevolution?"

"Oh. Yeah, I did. Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the music." The lie came easily.

The band continued their set. Samson's body was close to mine and I noticed it wasn't due to him being cramped for space. I smiled knowing that Samson preferred standing close to me.

"I don't fit in very well here," Samson shouted.

"I noticed," I said, laughing. I was used to venues like this. The people here dressed a lot like me. Samson stuck out like a sore thumb. The fact that he came showed me that he wasn't the pretentious asshole I had assumed him to be. I'd never been so happy to be wrong. Of course, I would never admit that to anyone.

"So that's why you were laughing when I first got here? I thought we were friends, Natalia!"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all?'" I laughed and Samson bumped my shoulder. The simple contact could have just as easily been a kiss for the way it made me feel.

"Are you saying I don't look good?"

If Samson was looking for a compliment, I wasn't going to give it to him that easily. "If you really want me to spell it out for you, then fine. Loosen up the tie," I reached to undo the knot in his tie. "And ditch the cardigan."

"Want me to ditch any other part of my clothing?" he asked, a seductive smile showing on his lips.

I looked at him pointedly, refusing to answer his question.

"I'll invite you over the next time I get dressed," he said sarcastically.

I stared down at the ground, trying to banish the image of him wearing only a towel from my mind. Instead, I began thinking of my uncle's ingrown toenail that he teased me with as a child. There, that did the trick.

"I'll bring the matches. We'll need those when we burn the prep out of you." We both laughed. It was bizarre that I wasn't paying more attention to the band, considering they were one of my favorites. With Samson standing next to me, it was easy to forget where I was.

When Roadkill Ghost Choir began playing "Bird in My Window," I closed my eyes and focused on the beauty of the song. The lyrics, "There's a girl in my bedroom, she don't love me anymore," were sung into the microphone and each word soaked into my soul, making me feel like my insides were swaying in an ocean full of melodic serenity. I was so lost in the moment that without thinking, my fingers trailed the inside of Samson's palm. The closeness of his body gave me the impression that maybe he felt a magnetic pull, too. Being friends was a complete joke.

Samson's head snapped toward me the second he realized what was happening. We were holding hands and he didn't push me away. I had no intentions of pushing him away either. If I could, I would super glue our hands together and we'd stay that way. When the song was nearing an end, he gave me a perplexed look and glanced down at our linked fingers.

"Nat–" he began, his eyes freezing onto mine.

I cut him off, stood on the very tips of my toes and kissed him as if the world were ending.

When Natalia's lips touched mine, I felt everything change.