Chapter Two
SAN FRANCISCO
Friday Night. Everyone would be going to Harper's, a club where, if you tipped the bartender just the right amount, you wouldn't get carded for alcohol.
That was what most of the upperclassmen from his school did, getting drunk. The bathrooms would garner long lines while people waited for their turn to throw up or hook up. If they couldn't control themselves, they puked outside.
Connor didn't always drink, and when he did, he'd never let himself consume that much alcohol.
Ella and him were going to the club for a while, and then return to her mansion for a nice romantic evening together. Unfortunately, Ella had started to drink as soon as they had arrived. She never had to tip for alcohol, she'd just give the bartender a sexy out, and they melted every time.
That wasn't the case for the girl a few feet over, trying to seduce her way to a beer. After another minute, she gave up and ordered a nonalcoholic beverage. Sipping it with a straw, she turned and Connor felt his heart drop down to his stomach.
The girl was beautiful, with long silky brown hair, and a curvy body, and he wanted to scope out the rest of her, never mind that he was already in a relationship.
He glanced around the room for Ella and spotted her dancing wildly with a couple of guys. This was not unusual. He didn't know why he put up with it.
Making his way closer, Connor advised, "If the price is right, the beer is yours."
She smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the tip, although it would've been more helpful a few seconds earlier," she told him, sticking a hand out. "I'm Dawn Summers."
He took her hand. "Connor Conceitti."
Dawn smiled again. "Nice to meet you, Connor." She briefly scanned the room.
"Looking for someone?" He asked.
She focused her attention back on him. "Sorry. It's just that my friends and I drove out here, and now it seems that they've deserted me."
"Well, you wanna dance with me to pass the time?"
Dawn looked at Connor and grinned. "I'd like that." They danced to several songs, and by the time they were winded, a song started that they both despised, so the left the floor.
A moment after they reaching the bar, Dawn getting her drink refilled, Connor felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to face a pissed-off Ella.
"What the hell," she snapped, "are you doing with this piece of trash?" Her voice was slurred from drinking. She glared daggers at Dawn, who glared back upon her comment.
"Dancing, Ella, ok?" She was so possessive, and he hated it. "It's not like you don't dance with guys, so don't get mad at me."
"Yeah, but I'm not all over them," she shot back.
"Um, yeah, you were," Dawn retorted. "I'd call it a lap dance, but you guys weren't sitting down."
Connor suppressed a smile. This girl was sassy.
"Whatever. Anyway, I'm bored now, let's go home," Ella acted all sweet while tugging on Connor's arm, which he shrugged off.
"Well, I'm not. I'm sure one of those guys you were dancing with can give you a ride," he turned his back to her.
""If you don't leave with me, then consider us done," Ella arched her eyebrows, knowing that she had won.
He turned around and, in a low voice so no one would hear, told Ella, "It's over."
At first, Dawn thought he was leaving her, but when Ella stomped off, Dawn's spirits soared as she realized her misinterpretation.
Connor faced her again. "So, are you ready to go?"
"I thought you said you wanted to say here," she reminded him.
"I want to stay with you," he looked into her eyes.
Dawn nearly melted. She felt hypnotized by his gaze. "Ok. I just have to go to the bathroom."
On her way back to Connor, she ran into one of her friends, and told Haley that she was leaving with a guy but would see her later back at Haley's older cousin's apartment, where they and a couple other friends were staying for the weekend.
Haley raised her eyebrows. "I'm sure we'll see you again tonight. You're giving me all the dirt later, babe," she called back over her shoulder.
Dawn met Connor outside. "Any idea on where we could go?" She pulled her jean jacket on, and flipped her hair out of her jacket and over her shoulders.
Several minutes later, Dawn followed Connor into a McDonald's (who knew they were open this late?). "Aren't we a little old for this Connor?" She laughed.
"Suit yourself." He disappeared into the play area. Dawn waited a moment, and then sighing, climbed in after him.
Connor was smiling on the walk home from dropping Dawn off at her friend's cousins. Ella and he had taken her car to Harper's, and obviously, he wasn't driving home. But he didn't mind the walk.
The kiss was perfect. They had been having lots of fun, acting like little kids. They were pelting each other with balls, dodging some hits and not dodging others, which, as it proved, was painful. The girl could throw.
He had grabbed her as she was about to launch another ball at him, and pulled her down, kissing her. They kissed for awhile, until the manager had kicked them out.
Laughing at the memory, Connor stepped into the street to cross over, and didn't notice the car until it was too late...
SAN FRANCISCO
Friday Night. Everyone would be going to Harper's, a club where, if you tipped the bartender just the right amount, you wouldn't get carded for alcohol.
That was what most of the upperclassmen from his school did, getting drunk. The bathrooms would garner long lines while people waited for their turn to throw up or hook up. If they couldn't control themselves, they puked outside.
Connor didn't always drink, and when he did, he'd never let himself consume that much alcohol.
Ella and him were going to the club for a while, and then return to her mansion for a nice romantic evening together. Unfortunately, Ella had started to drink as soon as they had arrived. She never had to tip for alcohol, she'd just give the bartender a sexy out, and they melted every time.
That wasn't the case for the girl a few feet over, trying to seduce her way to a beer. After another minute, she gave up and ordered a nonalcoholic beverage. Sipping it with a straw, she turned and Connor felt his heart drop down to his stomach.
The girl was beautiful, with long silky brown hair, and a curvy body, and he wanted to scope out the rest of her, never mind that he was already in a relationship.
He glanced around the room for Ella and spotted her dancing wildly with a couple of guys. This was not unusual. He didn't know why he put up with it.
Making his way closer, Connor advised, "If the price is right, the beer is yours."
She smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the tip, although it would've been more helpful a few seconds earlier," she told him, sticking a hand out. "I'm Dawn Summers."
He took her hand. "Connor Conceitti."
Dawn smiled again. "Nice to meet you, Connor." She briefly scanned the room.
"Looking for someone?" He asked.
She focused her attention back on him. "Sorry. It's just that my friends and I drove out here, and now it seems that they've deserted me."
"Well, you wanna dance with me to pass the time?"
Dawn looked at Connor and grinned. "I'd like that." They danced to several songs, and by the time they were winded, a song started that they both despised, so the left the floor.
A moment after they reaching the bar, Dawn getting her drink refilled, Connor felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to face a pissed-off Ella.
"What the hell," she snapped, "are you doing with this piece of trash?" Her voice was slurred from drinking. She glared daggers at Dawn, who glared back upon her comment.
"Dancing, Ella, ok?" She was so possessive, and he hated it. "It's not like you don't dance with guys, so don't get mad at me."
"Yeah, but I'm not all over them," she shot back.
"Um, yeah, you were," Dawn retorted. "I'd call it a lap dance, but you guys weren't sitting down."
Connor suppressed a smile. This girl was sassy.
"Whatever. Anyway, I'm bored now, let's go home," Ella acted all sweet while tugging on Connor's arm, which he shrugged off.
"Well, I'm not. I'm sure one of those guys you were dancing with can give you a ride," he turned his back to her.
""If you don't leave with me, then consider us done," Ella arched her eyebrows, knowing that she had won.
He turned around and, in a low voice so no one would hear, told Ella, "It's over."
At first, Dawn thought he was leaving her, but when Ella stomped off, Dawn's spirits soared as she realized her misinterpretation.
Connor faced her again. "So, are you ready to go?"
"I thought you said you wanted to say here," she reminded him.
"I want to stay with you," he looked into her eyes.
Dawn nearly melted. She felt hypnotized by his gaze. "Ok. I just have to go to the bathroom."
On her way back to Connor, she ran into one of her friends, and told Haley that she was leaving with a guy but would see her later back at Haley's older cousin's apartment, where they and a couple other friends were staying for the weekend.
Haley raised her eyebrows. "I'm sure we'll see you again tonight. You're giving me all the dirt later, babe," she called back over her shoulder.
Dawn met Connor outside. "Any idea on where we could go?" She pulled her jean jacket on, and flipped her hair out of her jacket and over her shoulders.
Several minutes later, Dawn followed Connor into a McDonald's (who knew they were open this late?). "Aren't we a little old for this Connor?" She laughed.
"Suit yourself." He disappeared into the play area. Dawn waited a moment, and then sighing, climbed in after him.
Connor was smiling on the walk home from dropping Dawn off at her friend's cousins. Ella and he had taken her car to Harper's, and obviously, he wasn't driving home. But he didn't mind the walk.
The kiss was perfect. They had been having lots of fun, acting like little kids. They were pelting each other with balls, dodging some hits and not dodging others, which, as it proved, was painful. The girl could throw.
He had grabbed her as she was about to launch another ball at him, and pulled her down, kissing her. They kissed for awhile, until the manager had kicked them out.
Laughing at the memory, Connor stepped into the street to cross over, and didn't notice the car until it was too late...