­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Chapter 4

"Does this look too 'I like you like you"?" Joan asked.

"Meaning does it look too "hot"?" Becca asked."

"Sure I guess."

"Then, no. It looks perfect." Becca replied eyeing her.

Joan did look great. Her outfit for the night was a sequin-studded black v-necked baby tee shirt, dark faded jeans and black converse sneakers. Her hair was in waves and her lips were shiny with lip-gloss.

"That's hot." Becca said.

"That's so 2005." Joan replied laughing and Becca started to grin.

There was a knock on the doorframe and they both looked up.

Anna and Tara were standing at the doorway and Becca nodded for them to come in.

"When's he coming?" Anna asked.

"7." Joan replied smiling.

Tara glanced at her watch. "It's 6:59."

The doorbell rang a second later.

Tara smiled. "I'll get it. Joan, come down in just a minute."

Joan nodded biting her lip.

Tara went downstairs and opened the front door.

Adam stood at the doorway, looking casual and wearing his red, green and blue beanie cap.

"Tara, hi." Adam said.

"Hi Adam. Come on in."

Adam smiled and walked inside.

"Ready?" Anna asked as Joan and her walked out of Joan's room.

Joan let out a long breath. "Yeah."

Anna nodded and squeezed Joan's hand.

Joan squeezed back and headed down the stairs.

"So." Adam said.

"So." Tara said.

"You look nice by the way." Adam said.

Tara looked down at her black halter and jeans. "Thanks."

Adam smiled, and then froze on what was behind Tara.

Tara turned around and smiled at Joan.

She walked away as Joan approached Adam.

"Hey." Joan said as Adam's eyes met hers.

"Hey." Adam replied, shyly smiling at her.

Joan bit her lip and smiled back.

"You look..." Adam said speechless.

"Great? Amazing? What?"

"Beautiful." Adam replied finishing.

"Thanks." Joan said. "You still have the beanie cap?"
Adam glanced up at his head. "Yeah. I hadn't worn it for a while and tonight seemed like a good opportunity."
"It still looks good on you."

Adam's cheeks flushed slightly. "Thanks."

Joan nodded.

"Hey Joan, could you help me with something?" Becca called.

Joan sighed. "I'll be right back."

"Okay." Adam said.

He opened the door and rested his head on the porch railing.

"Hi." Tara said approaching him.

"Hey." Adam said glancing up at her.

"You still love her, don't you?" Tara asked as she came to stand by him.

Adam looked at her. "How'd you know?"

Tara shrugged. "I could just sense it and also she told me that you did."

"She said that?"

"Well, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's just so weird with us right now though." Adam replied.

"Tonight, make it less weird." Tara said.

"What?" Adam asked.

Tara raised her eyebrows and turned back towards the house.

"Hey Adam." A soft female voice said.

Glanced up, Adam saw Iris smiling at him. "Iris, hi."

"Hi." Iris said, as everyone else walked into the house.

"Everyone ready?" Becca asked, pausing to kiss Jason.

"Are you?" Caitlyn asked teasingly.

Becca rolled her eyes, kissing Jason again.

"Party much?" Zoe sarcastically asked, eyeing Becca's outfit of a sequined blue tank, black mini skirt, almost knee length black boots and a studded belt as her hips.

Becca stuck out her tongue.

"Girls, stop it." Matt said chuckling.

"I'm ready. Let's go." Tara said as she smacked Matt.

"If that's what you really want." Chris said smirking slightly at his girlfriend and Tara smiled at him.

All 14 of them then headed down to the subway entrance.

"Shouldn't it be warmerish out?" Adam asked once they out on the sidewalk from the station 20 minutes later.

"Normally, yes. But for some reason it's gotten real cold all of a sudden." Anna replied.

"Damn, there's a line tonight." Becca said as they stopped in front of "Club Midnight".

"Normally is it like, quiet?" Iris asked and Jason nodded.

They got inside 10 minutes later.

"Drinks anyone?" Nathan offered.

"Sure." Joan replied.

"Dance with me?" Tara asked Chris a minute later and Chris reached for her hand, leading her out onto the dance floor.

Joan looked at Adam as her friends started to thin out.

Adam awkwardly smiled at her. "Do you want to dance?"

"Yeah." Joan replied with a smile.

Adam reached for her hand as they walked out to stand between Nathan & Caitlyn and Anna & Matt.

The song playing was a fast song by Kylie Minogue.

The song end a couple minutes later.

"Let's slow the pace down. Here's one that's a Selena classic." The DJ said.

I could lose my heart tonight

If you don't turn and walk away

Because the way I'm feeling

I might lose control and let you stay...

"I could fall in love" flowed out of the speakers and traveled onto the dance floor.

Adam looked down and met down Joan's gaze.

Joan wrapped her arms around Adam's neck as he pulled her closer.

She could tell he was breathing in the smell of her hair. The smell of her skin.

His hands were on her lower back and she could feel his fingers through her shirt.

When the song ended, Joan didn't take her arms from around Adam's neck right away.

She watched him, watching her.

"Okay, now it's request time. Anything you wanna hear?" The DJ asked.

Joan took a deep breath and pulled away from Adam.

"Do you want something to drink?" Adam asked.

"Sure." Joan replied.

"Our first request is from Jason for Becca. Here's the black eyed peas 'Don't Phunk With My Heart'." The DJ said.

"Watch this first." Joan said, stopping Adam from walking over to the bar to order their drinks.

Becca stood in front of Jason and let he wrap his arms around her. Jason spun her, and then Becca ran her hand along his chest and walked in a circle around him. They danced closely for a moment and then Jason spun her around fast a couple times and this all continued until it ended a couple minutes later.

"That was awesome." Adam said as everyone clapped.

"Yeah. If nothing else, they can sure dance well together." Joan said agreeing.

"How long have they been together?"
"4 years." Joan replied and she looked up and across the room.

Frowning, Joan saw that familiar spiky haired guy.

"I'll be right back."

"Okay." Adam said.

"Hey Joan." The young man said as Joan approached him.

"God dances?" Joan asked raising her eyebrows.

"Yes." Cute Boy God replied, smirking.

Joan rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Are you enjoying your evening?" CBG asked, not answering Joan's question.

Joan glanced over at Adam. "Why tonight?"

"I didn't make tonight happen."

"Then who?"

CBG didn't answer. Instead he glanced past her.

Joan turned around to see Chris and Tara talking to Adam.

"Tara?" Joan asked and God nodded.

"How?"

"You know how."

Joan opened her mouth to ask another question, but then stop when she realized when he meant.

"Earlier, at work. She told me about everyone going out and she asked me to invite Adam. The little sneak, she set me up."

"I have to give her credit. She did a good job." CBG said chuckling.

Joan glared at him, and then just shook her head.

"I'll see you later Joan." CBG said, turning to leave.

"You knew, didn't you?" Joan said and CBG just waved at her.

Joan let out a soft snort and walked back to where Tara was standing.

"You set me up, didn't you?" Joan said.

"What?" Tara asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Adam and I. Why?"

"Because I could see two people who are obvious all about each other not be together."

"Why?" Joan asked again.

"Because I love you and I care about you and I want you to be happy." Tara replied.

"So you were evil, but you had good intentions?" Joan asked and Tara replied with a nod.

"Okay, then. Your forgiven."

"Thank you." Tara said.

"You know why I did it besides that?"

Joan shrugged. "Sure."

"Cause you're stubborn and you'll never admit that you might be wrong."

"What?"

"Oh come on! Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love Adam." Tara said and Joan rolled her eyes.

"Ah ha! See? You can't!"

"Okay, so maybe I still do." Joan said.

Tara snorted. "Told you so."

Joan rolled her eyes again.

"Now tell me your not having fun." Tara said.

Joan just looked at her.

"See you are. Now was I wrong for doing what I did?"

"Fine. Maybe you were right." Joan replied.

"Thank you." Tara said smugly and Joan laughed.

"I'm going to go request a slow one and you're going to dance with Adam, 'kay?"

"Okay." Joan replied with a nod.

Joan looked around for a moment, and then she spotted Adam.

He was over by the bar talking to Chris.

"Hey." Joan said.

"Hey Jane." Adam said.

"Do you want to dance with me again?"

Adam smiled. "Cha Jane." and Joan gave him a huge smiled.

The 2 of them walked out onto the dance floor.

"Only Hope" by Mandy Moore came on as Adam pulled Joan close to him.

They moved perfectly together.

Joan's breath caught when Adam spun her.

She was still breathing faster when the song ended and as she pulled away from Adam, she could tell that he was breathing faster as well.

"Thank you." Adam mumbled and Joan smiled at him.

Joan glanced at her watch to see that it was after 10.

"What?" Adam asked as she glanced back up.

"It's after 10." Joan replied.

"You wanna get out of here?" Adam asked.

"Sure." Joan replied.

They headed towards the door after grabbing their coats.

"Where you going?" Anna asked.

"Out. It's getting stuffy in here. I'll see you at home later." Joan replied.
"Okay." Anna said, not completely sure what to say.

"Where did they go?" Tara asked seeing that Joan and Adam had left.

"Out. It got stuffy in here." Anna replied.

"Uh huh." Tara said raising her eyebrows.

"Where do you want to go?" Adam asked.

"Anywhere." Joan replied, smiling at him.

Adam nodded as he reached for her hand and Joan this let him.

And she was in no hurry to let go.