Distraction
By angellwings
Caitlyn tried her hardest to have her dance rehearsal moved from the outdoor stage to the Barn Theater, but Brown already had Peggy's group scheduled to rehearse in there and even Caitlyn knew they needed the acoustics. So she was stuck. Stuck with the outdoor stage where Jason was helping set up the sound system and instruments for the Beach Jam that night.
Shirtless.
She gulped and watched him lift one of the amps from the hand truck by the stage. Where was his shirt? Was it really that hot out here? He should be clothed, right? She spotted some of the other girls in her class staring at him and practically drooling. She huffed and looked away. Was he intending to make a spectacle of himself?
"Okay, guys," Caitlyn said loudly. "We need to get to work. The Beach Jam is tonight and you're far from perfect. You're all totally out of sync in the second verse of the song. That cannot happen tonight, okay?" She nodded to Sander to tell him to press play on the boom box they were being forced to rehearse with while the sound system was being set up. The sound was terrible and they could hardly hear their cues, but it was all she had to work with.
They started the choreography and Caitlyn glanced around the group to search for any mistakes, but her eyes found Jason on the stage. She inwardly groaned at her own weakness and couldn't will herself to look away. Why did Brown have to assign this rehearsal space to her at this time?
"Cait? Cait?"
Caitlyn blinked and urgently turned to face Sander. "Huh? What?"
"The song ended. They're waiting for your notes."
She paled. She wasn't even paying attention. Had she been staring at him for that long? "Uh, my notes. Right, notes. Um, I need to see it again before I address them. Run it one more time."
Sander gave her an amused grin before giving the group a sympathetic look and telling them to go back to one and start again. Caitlyn took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on her class. Jason wasn't on the stage. Jason was wearing a shirt. Jason was not a distraction for her.
"Hey, Caity."
Caitlyn jumped and gasped as Jason whispered in her ear. She turned and smacked his arm. "Don't do that. You scared me."
He chuckled. "Sorry. How's the class going?"
She bit back a groan. "Very slowly."
"Why are you rehearsing outside?" Jason asked as he wiped a towel across his forehead. "It's too hot for this right now."
"Ask your uncle. This is the space he gave me," Caitlyn said as she noticed the girls in her class staring at Jason and stumbling through some of their moves. "Where's your shirt?"
"On the stage somewhere I guess. I got a little overheated," Jason said with a shrug.
I know how you feel, she thought. She was about to get overheated herself. "Are you cooled off now? You're distracting my class."
His eyes widened and he blushed. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't think about—" he paused and ran a hand through his curls nervously. "Sorry."
"No worries, Jase. I just have a couple of girls who look like they want to swallow you whole. It's for your own safety. Trust me," Caitlyn said as she absently reached out to touch his arm. She gulped when her hand met his bicep and immediately pulled it away. God, all that guitar playing did him good. When did his arms start to fill out like that?
She felt herself blushing and turned to focus on her class again as Jason walked away to search for his shirt. That was embarrassing. She could have sworn Jason was grinning like the Cheshire cat as he walked away. Did he know what he did to her? Surely not. Not Jason. He was so innocent. Wasn't he? He was so oblivious to all the girls that flirted with him that she never thought he'd notice how she responded to him.
She shook away her thoughts and scoffed at how ridiculous that sounded. This was Jason. He was probably grinning because he saw a bird in the distance or something. It had nothing to do with her touching his, very well toned, arm. She was imagining things. She had to be.
She rolled her eyes as the same group of girls followed Jason's movements with their eyes. One girl tripped and fell into the other one and Caitlyn sighed. "Okay, stop. This is pointless. We don't have a sound system, no one seems to be able to focus, and you're all stumbling all over the place. We'll come back once they've finished setting up the sound system. I'll have Sander announce it once I've decided when we're rehearsing again. You're dismissed for now."
The two girls that tripped over each other ran up on stage to talk to Jason, and immediately got to work batting their eyelashes and flipping their hair. Caitlyn glared at them. They were her age so it wasn't ridiculous for her to be threatened by them, but she couldn't believe Jason would fall for that. He laughed at something one of them said and smiled his most disarming smile. He ran a hand through his curls and paused while his arm was flexed just slightly before putting the arm back down. She stared in disbelief.
He was flirting with them. He was actually flirting with them! She groaned and stomped her foot before storming onto the stage. She spotted Jason's shirt on one of the amps and rolled her eyes as she picked it up. She threw it at Jason's chest as she approached him. "Found that shirt you were looking for. I'd put it on before you get sun burnt."
He grinned at her and put his shirt back on, much to the disappointment of the two girls attempting to flirt with him.
"You know," Caitlyn said as she looked down at her watch. "I think we'll make the next rehearsal a dress rehearsal. You two should go tell the others and then get changed."
"Um, I thought you said we didn't need a dress rehearsal?" The blonde asked.
"I changed my mind," Caitlyn said sternly. "Spread the word, okay?"
They huffed and nodded before they hesitantly turned and left.
"You're welcome," Caitlyn said as she glared at him.
"What? What did I do to make you glare at me?" Jason asked.
"You fell for hair flips and the batting of eyelashes! That's the lamest trick in the crazy obsessive fan girl book!" Caitlyn said as she smacked his shoulder again. "I thought you were better than that!"
"Wha—there was hair flipping?" Jason asked in confusion. "When?"
"Just before you used running your fingers through your hair as an excuse to flex your stupid bicep!" Caitlyn exclaimed.
"Hold on, I was not flexing my bicep," Jason said as he quirked a brow at her and grinned in amusement.
"Yes, you were! You totally flexed! With your shirt off too!" Caitlyn said with a huff.
"The shirt was already off, but I wasn't flexing. I told you. It's hot out here. And so what if I did flex? Is that bad?" Jason asked. "I mean, it's not like I have a girlfriend to answer to. Do I?"
She glared at him and growled in frustration. "Me! You have me to answer to!" The minute the words left her mouth she regretted them. She gulped and immediately focused on the ground. "I—I mean, as your friend, I can't let you fall victim to…to that. I mean them. Those kinds of girls. They're not right for you."
"Really? So, who is right for me?" Jason asked curiously.
"I—I should go. Dress rehearsal and all. And then you need to finish getting the sound system set up. My class really needs more rehearsal before the jam tonight," Caitlyn said hurriedly as she attempted to turn and leave. Jason gently grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Caitlyn, you have some time. You don't need to go right away," Jason said hopefully.
"Jason, I really can't say who's right for you. I just know it's not them," Caitlyn said softly. "I really do have to go."
He squeezed her arm carefully and stepped closer to her. "Then could it be you?"
She froze and gulped. "I—that's for you to decide. Not me."
He leaned toward her ear and whispered. "You have a say in it too, you know. I can want it to be you but I can't speak for you. I know you better than that."
She eyed him suspiciously for a long moment. "Jason, did you…set all of this up?"
"Me? No way. I'm too innocent for that," Jason said with a playful grin. "I would never beg Brown to arrange for your rehearsal to be on the outdoor stage and then parade around shirtless on purpose."
She bit her bottom lip to hide her grin and then punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Jerk!"
"I had to know how you would react!" Jason said with a grin. "I'd say it was a pretty positive reaction. Wouldn't you?"
She blushed and looked down at her feet. "Shut up."
He reached out and took her hand and pulled her closer to him. "Caitlyn, I—I really like you, and I did all of this to see how you felt about me. I didn't want to just ask and then make things awkward. I needed proof, and I think I have that now. I just need to hear that you, well, want me to want you. Does that make sense at all?"
Caitlyn smiled at him flirtatiously and nodded. "In some wacked out way, yes. I still can't believe all the plotting you did to make this happen. I greatly underestimated how much of an evil genius you are."
"From you, I'll take that as a compliment, but I haven't heard an answer yet," Jason said nervously as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
She squeezed his hand and stepped the last few inches into his space and took a deep calming breath. "I want you to want me, Jase. I always have."
He smiled brightly at her and reluctantly placed a gentle hand on either side of her face. His thumbs softly traced over her cheeks and Caitlyn gulped nervously as he started to close the distance between them. Caitlyn beat him to it by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him toward her suddenly. She covered his lips with hers and kissed him eagerly. Jason's hands slipped back into her hair and tangled the strands around his fingers as he deepened the kiss. Caitlyn held him tighter and moaned against his mouth before she pulled away to breathe.
"We should do that more often," Caitlyn said breathlessly.
Jason chuckled and nodded. "Agreed. How about we make a date for tonight after the Beach Jam?"
Caitlyn smiled brightly at him. "Sounds perfect. Meet you by the side of the stage after the show?"
"You better or I'll have to come find you," Jason told her with a smirk.
"That sounds hot. I might let you come find me," Caitlyn said with a wink and a flirtatious grin.
Jason blushed and scratched behind his neck. "I didn't mean—I mean not that I don't—"
Caitlyn laughed and leaned up on her tip toes to kiss cheek. "You're cue when you're flustered. See you later, Guitar Boy."
Jason shook his head as he watched her walk away. She was something else. He had a feeling she would be a big distraction for him. One he'd always look forward to.