system. Before I knew it, five o’clock had rolled around, and I texted Jo to let her know I was getting ready to leave work.
She texted back: I’m going to make up for abandoning you last night. Save your appetite. I’ll send the car over now.
My imagination took off, and I wondered if I’d get to spend another evening with Micah’s band.
And Shane.
I flashed back to that kiss, and my stomach went into free fall. His texts this morning proved that his interest wasn’t fleeting. As did a new one that came in while I was heading to the subway: Can I come over tonight after work?
I had to assume it would be okay with Jo. He’d been over once before. And I wanted him to. I wanted to get to know him better and figure out who he was. So, I said, Yes, then squeezed my fists together and held back a squeal of excitement.
The Rock Paper
Review of New Horizons - Discussion
Big Fart:
I feel embarrassed for you.
Sabe Ganchez:
New Horizons is the best album I have ever heard. Every single song has a unique hook. This album will be huge.
FanPop:
You need a hearing aid.
Sage Fanchez:
You’re not entirely wrong that the sound deviates from past albums, but you forget that WD’s music has been ubiquitous for the past few years. They’ve mastered the rock-pop chart sound, and this album pushes them out of their comfort zone. It’s a reinvention that might take adjustment, but if you listened to this album more than one time, you’d recognize it for the genius it is. Maybe critics spend so little time just enjoying music that they forget it’s meant to be broken in, lived in, experienced. It’s not a piece of fruit.
AnonyMouse:
U suck!
Vencor:
If this is any indication of your music understanding, you need to quit your job.
Chapter Eleven
Micah sat on the patio, strumming his guitar, but I couldn’t hear him through the plate glass, especially with Jo sorting through the refrigerator.
“I hate to say this.” She closed the door. “I should have planned for another person, especially since the guys are always dropping in unannounced.”
“It’s okay. I can find something on my own.” I felt like a jerk. “I should have asked you before inviting Shane over.”
“No! It’s fine.” She held up a hand. “We’ll just have to order in again. Or go out.” She sighed. “I’m glad he’s coming over.”
A knock sounded on the front door, and my heart fluttered. I’d taken the time to shower and fix my hair and makeup, like I was going on a date. My period had officially tapered to nothing, hallelujah! I’d dug up a shirt that I’d intended for work that flattered me without looking too corporate. I’d paired that with a short skirt, hoping Shane would like me in something flirty.
Shane hollered, “Hey,” as he made his way to the kitchen.
At the same time, the sliding door opened as Micah returned, asking, “So, what’s for dinner?”
Jo leaned on her elbows against the island, one eyebrow raised at Shane. “We could order in or—”
Shane rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh. No. Uh—” He ducked his head a little, eyeing me with a coyness that reminded of how we’d left things the night before. “Would you want to go out to dinner with me?”
I shot a glance at Jo, unsure what the protocol was for ditching one dinner invitation for another. She shrugged. “Whatever you want to do is fine by me.” Her little grin told me what she really thought.
Jaclyn had never gotten back to me with any more information about Shane, and I didn’t delve any further into her fan forum, but if Jo thought it was a good idea for me to go with Shane, then I’d trust her intuition. Or at least that was my rationale for doing what I wanted to all along.
“Yeah. That would be great.”
Shane bounced on his toes. “I know just the place.” He slipped out his phone. “I’ll call an Uber.”
Turned out, we only went a few blocks, but I was starving, so I appreciated that he hadn’t asked me to walk.
We got out next to a Japanese restaurant at the base of a four-story building with a massive set of fire escapes across the edifice. Unlike Micah’s street, this wasn’t one of those quaint blocks with the perfectly positioned steps and the tree-lined sidewalks. In fact, the entire street level was dominated by shops.
Shane directed me to a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. I