Chapter Four

          Rachel was in awe of the old-fashioned theatre Chris brought her to. He wasn't digging any of the summer blockbusters out at the moment, so he suggested a showing of It Happened One Night at an old theatre in Hollywood. She marveled at the intricately ornate high ceilings and the classic red velvet drapes that framed the screen, so different from the stadium-seating of the modern theatres.

          Chris laughed out loud at something Clark Gable said to Jean Harlow, attracting Rachel's attention. The smile on his goateed face remained as he tossed a popcorn kernel into his mouth.

          She still got butterflies when she looked at him. It was their fourth date, albeit in nearly three months. But while he was off performing five or six nights a week all over the country, he still managed to call and talk to her just about every night after he had come down from his high.

          Her parents had noticed their only daughter's mind was occupied with something other than the normal summer activities and had begun to question her. How did you explain to your more-square-than-was-normal parents that you were dating-in some way, shape or form-a mega popstar who happened to be nearly a decade older than you? And how did you slip in an honorable mention of his few visible tattoos and several piercings?

          She couldn't. She admitted there was a boy-er, man-involved, but didn't provide any more than that. They wanted to meet him-no, demanded, Rachel corrected. She hadn't yet figured out how to break it to Chris.

          "Babe?" Chris noticed Rachel wasn't looking at the movie and placed a hand on her arm atop the armrest between them.

          "Huh?"

          "You're missing it." He pointed at the screen where Jean Harlow strutted to the side of the road, lifting her skirt to hitch a ride. "Are you okay?" His hand slid down to link fingers with hers.

          She smiled when he took their joined hands and held them to his chest and nodded in answer. Before he could press further, the theatre erupted in laughter, including Rachel, and he returned his attention to the screen.

          "Penny for your thoughts?"

          Rachel was staring out the window as Chris drove off the freeway toward her neighborhood. "Huh?"

          Chris chuckled and, reaching out, turned the soft rock Rachel was so fond of to a lower volume. "What's going on, Rachel? You've been staring off into space all night. What is it: school, work, Maddy?"

          Rachel tucked her wild curls behind her ear as they were tossed in the wind. "No. School doesn't start for another week. Work is, well, work. Mad and I are fine. We haven't seen each other much since you guys got back into town," she said with a smile, thinking of her best friend finally making a move on her longtime crush.

          "So? What is it then?" He reached for her hand in the darkness. "This isn't when you tell me you're dumping me for a younger guy, is it?" he asked, only half-joking. He hid his sigh of relief when Rachel squeezed his hand and laughed.

          "Not in a million years. But...you're right. There has been something on my mind tonight. I just didn't know how to bring it up." She looked at him, resting her head on the headrest, studying him: his dark hair ruffled by the wind, the diamond studs in his ears sparkling when hit by the streetlight and the collar of his shirt popping up in the breeze.

          He snuck a look at her as he rolled the car to a stop at a red light. "Well? Do I have to guess what it is?"

          "Mmm...my parents."

          He looked at her again, the way that made her feel as if he was reading her thoughts. "They want to meet me, huh?"

          Rachel lifted her head and shifted in her seat. "How did you know?"

          Chris smiled and shrugged. "I figure they want to know who it is that's running up your phone bill." She half-smiled. "So what's the big deal? I've met parents before. My girlfriends' parents always love me," he said, releasing her hand as he made a left turn. When she didn't laugh or speak, he glanced at her and almost laughed. Her eyes were wide, her lips in a tight white line. "What, baby? What did I say?"

          "Did-did you just refer to me as your...girlfriend?" Chris kept his eyes straight ahead. "Chris?" When he didn't answer again, she thumped her fist against his arm. "Christopher!"

          "Ow! Hey, I'm driving here!"

          "Well, answer me."

          "Yes, okay? Yes, I referred to you as my girlfriend. Is that so bad?" She settled back into her seat. "Look, I know we've only seen each other in person, like half a dozen times in, what, five months. But we talk every day, just about. And, babe, sometimes things get so crazy with the guys and the group, the road and everything..." She frowned at the way he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles went white.

          "Your voice is the only thing that gets me through it," he finished.

          "Pull over," she demanded after a short silence.

          Chris' eyes flashed to hers. "What?"

          "Pull over."

          "Babe, I'm almost at your street."

          "Pull over," she said again. Chris flicked his eyes up to look in the rearview mirror and, as quickly as was possible, maneuvered his vintage black 1969 Camero down a dark cul-de-sac and put it in park.

"Now what the he-"

Chris' words were swallowed when Rachel's lips pressed to his and she crawled into his lap. He groaned, but she wasn't sure if it was in protest or pleasure. She held his head in her hands and kept her lips on his until she was settled comfortably, straddling him.

"-Ell did you do that for?" He finished when Rachel finally pulled back.

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

She smiled and pinched his fuzz-covered chin. "Thank you for what you said. It's nice to know I'm important to someone."

Chris cupped her face and pulled her down for another kiss, taking it deeper than she had dared to. She laughed softly against his mouth and broke the kiss, pressing her forehead to his chest, laughing more.

"What? What's so funny?"

"I think you were enjoying that...a lot."

"Uh, yeah! Newsflash, babe: I enjoy kissing females, particularly you."

"No, I mean..." she chuckled and covered her face.

"What?"

She lifted her hazel-green eyes to his and grinning, pointed a finger downward. He looked down and laughed when he realized what it was she was talking about.

"Sometimes I forget how innocent you are. Yes, my sweet, kissing you turns me on."

She pouted slightly. "I'm not that innocent. It's just the first time I've ever felt one. You know? This close."

Chris rubbed his hands up and down her thighs. "If it's any consolation, this isn't the first one I've had when I was with you."

"Oh, my god!" Rachel's hands flew to mouth.

"No, no, no, no, don't do that." Chris took her hands from her mouth. "One of the things I love the most about you, Rachel, is how mature you are for your age. Please don't regress on me because of a silly thing like a hard-on." He saw her eyes widen at the term and decided to change the subject, for his sake as much as hers. "So, your parents?"

She jerked back in surprise.

"When do they want to meet me?"

Rachel checked her watch. She still had an hour left until her curfew. And she was sure her dull parents were sitting in the living room pretending to watch a rerun of some old show on Nick at Nite, waiting for her to return home from her date. "How does tonight work for you?"

Drew's eyes went wide. "Tonight? Don't I at least get a twenty-four hour notice? What about my piercings?" He pointed a finger at his ears. "And my hair? You don't think they'll get a little weirded out by this?" He grabbed at his hair which he had recently had done in dark braids.

Rachael shrugged. "You have a baseball cap in the back...and maybe you could just take out the studs for the moment?"

Chris sighed and, gripping her by the hips, lifted her off his lap and moved her toward her seat. "Let's get this over with."