"Mike, stop fussing man, you look fine" Micky said, clapping Mike on the shoulder as the taller boy straightened his tie for the tenth time. "I'm just a little nervous about going to a country club man" Mike answered looking in the mirror. He had on a simple white dress shirt and black tie with his black slacks. "You're not nervous about the country club" Micky retorted. "You're nervous about seeing Addy" Micky laughed when Mike's eyes grew wide at the accusation. He hadn't spoken about Addy at all since Thursday night. He hadn't stopped thinking about her, but the last thing he wanted was the guys teasing him about her and the kiss she had given him. "I don't know what you mean Micky" Mike said looking away from the curly haired drummer. He picked up his signature wool hat and placed it neatly on his head. "Mike" Micky said, suddenly serious. "Look man, we know you never pay much attention to girls, and we want you to have a good time tonight with her, and she clearly has a thing for you" Micky told his friend and Mike's eyes lit up. Peter saying she liked him was one thing, but Micky was a different story. Micky knew much more about women than Peter did, so maybe if they both thought she liked him...no he wouldn't let himself jump the gun. "Look Mike, she didn't fall for Davy's charms or my humor, she likes you" Micky continued giving his friend encouragement. "Mick, did it ever occur to you that maybe she's just a nice girl and she wants to be friends?" He asked a little sullen. Micky shook his head in frustration. "Trust me Mike, she might want to be friends with the rest of us, but she wants to be your Sunny Girlfriend" Micky said chuckling at his own pun. "Alright cool it Mick, go get in the car" Mike said and shoved Micky out of the bedroom. Once Micky was gone, Mike took a hard look in the mirror. His long lanky frame needed buffed up, he was all arms and legs, and he always felt he was too skinny. He felt he just looked awkward. "This is as good as it'll ever get" he sighed before heading out.
Mike pulled the car up to country club and gave the keys to the valet. The guys had all tried to dress nice, Peter opting to wear the usual red band shirt and grey slacks, Micky wearing khakis and a button down light blue shirt, and Davy in dark jeans and a nice silk green shirt. But as they walked inside, they realized just how underdressed and out of place they looked. All of the women were in nice dresses and every man was in a tux. "Do you think we should go back and change?" Peter asked as he nervously glanced around at all of the faces starring disapprovingly at the young band members. Just then, Mike caught sight of a familiar face. Addy saw them across the room and waved. She was talking to an older woman, and when the woman saw who she was waving to, she wrinkled her nose. As they watched Addy finish up with the older woman, a man in his 40's in a lavishly tailored suit approached the boys. "I do believe you gentleman are lost" he sneered and Mike clenched his fist. He hated the way people judged them. "Sorry to disappoint you sir, but we're in the right place" Davy bit back. "This party is invitation only, and since I'm the one who sent the invitations, I know for a fact you were not invited" he said giving them a glare. "I invited them father" Mike turned his gaze to see Addy standing with her arms crossed looking coldly at her father. The man gave a look of surprise "Addy, when you said you had invited some friends, I assumed you meant..." he searched for the right words as he looked the boys up and down "friends of class" he said with such snobbery, Mike had to wonder how he could possibly be related to the kind girl. "Father please, don't insult my friends" she said, trying to keep her composure. "Very well" he conceded. "They may stay, but let me warn you, one wrong move, and security will show you out" he said. He glared at Mike, and Mike glared right back. He didn't care for the man at all.
"I am so sorry about that, please don't be too upset, he's just stuck in an older time" she said trying to convince them not to leave. "Don't worry about it Addy, he's not the first guy who didn't take a liking to us" Micky said, giving her an easy smile. Mike never understood how Micky never let those remarks get to him. He was always able to brush it off, and Mike wished he could be more like that. She smiled back at them and she looked up at Mike and he felt himself begin to blush. She looked stunning. Mike was certain he had never seen something so perfect. Now that her father was gone, he took a moment to fully observe her. Her hair was perfectly curled, lips painted red, and her bright blue eyes had a light shadow and dark mascara making them pop. Her dress was pure white lace that hit right at her knees and clung to every curve. It showed some cleavage as well, something Mike was trying desperately not to look at, but was failing miserably. He couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to trace his fingers across her undoubtedly soft skin. She noticed him starring, looking up and down her body, as she hoped he would. She wanted him to want her, and by the look in his eyes, it was working. "So um feel free to dance, mingle, and there's a buffet in the back of the hall" she said finally breaking her eyes away from Mike. At the word buffet Micky took off without a word and she laughed. Davy had noticed a group of young girls giggling and waving to him and gave a charming smile before heading their direction. "This sure was nice of you to invite us Addy" Peter said with a smile. She liked the blonde boy. He was very quiet and sweet, and someone who seemed like he would be a great friend. Suddenly Peter's jaw dropped and Mike followed his gaze and couldn't believe his eyes. There, not far across the room, stood Valerie Cartwright, Peter's debutant. "Is everything alright Peter?" Addy asked and Peter gave a small nod. Addy turned her head and saw her friend Valerie laughing at something one of the other guests said. "Oh, that's my best friend Valerie" Addy said turning back to the boys. "Would you like me to introduce you?" She offered and for the first time, Mike cracked a smile. "They've uh, already met" Mike said and it was Peter's turn to blush. "I see" Addy said, putting two and two together. "Well, what are you waiting for Peter, go say hi" Mike said giving his friend a shove. "Oh Mike I can't, I blew it last time, I just can't" Peter said clutching Mike's arm and suddenly a light bulb went off in Addy's head. "Peter, are you the boy that stole her portrait?" She asked and Peter nodded and Addy started laughing. Peter looked hurt, and she quickly stopped. "Oh no Peter you don't understand, I'm not laughing at you, it's just, Valerie hasn't stopped talking about you." She said and Peter's whole face lit up and he smiled wide. "Really?" He asked and she nodded. "I wasn't able to go to her party, but all she could talk about the next time I saw her was 'the handsome boy from the band who stole her picture and her heart'" she said and laughed at the cheesy line Valerie had told her. Peter looked as if he was going to burst from joy, and Mike couldn't help but smile for his friend. "Go on shotgun, before you pass out" Mike said, and this time, Peter didn't need more encouragement. Addy and Mike watched him go over to Valerie. Once she saw him, she gave a huge smile and wrapped him in a hug.
"That was uh, really nice of you to encourage Peter like that" Mike finally said looking down at her. "Of course, he seems really sweet" she said and Mike nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you came Mike" she said shyly, and Mike blushed. "Yeah well, it was uh, it was real um, real swell of you to invite us" he stumbled and she giggled. "I uh, I'm happy that you're all here, but I'm really glad that you came Mike" she said quietly, and he couldn't believe he'd heard her right. He knew he needed to say something, anything. "You uh, you look very um beautiful tonight Addy" he said and he wanted to smack himself. He saw her blush and look at the floor. "Thank you Mike" she said and looked back up at him. "Do you want something to drink?" He offered not sure of what else to say. "That'd be great" she said with a soft smile. He gave her a smile of his own before heading over to the punch bowl. He filled two glasses and turned to head back toward Addy. What he saw made his heart drop. She was talking to a very handsome young man. He was slightly shorter than Mike, probably Micky's height. His blonde hair was perfectly slicked back, not a strand out of place. He had broad shoulders and wore a perfect tux. He looked like the picture perfect man. And he was shamelessly flirting with Addy. Mike didn't know what to do. It looked as if Addy wasn't flirting back. She wasn't smiling, or giggling, she was just standing there listening as the man talked. Perhaps it was nothing, so Mike took a deep breath and walked back over to Addy. When she saw him, her eyes lit up. The last person she wanted to talk to tonight was Shawn. She had hoped that he wouldn't show up, but of course, here he was. All she wanted was to talk to Mike. "Mike, thank you" she said cutting off whatever Shawn was saying and taking the punch from Mike's hand. Mike saw the man turn his attention to him, and sneered. "And you are?" He asked and Mike smiled. "Well she just said my name is Mike" he quipped and Addy giggled. "Funny. Shawn Charles Grayson the third" he said jutting his hand towards Mike. Mike took it reluctantly. "Not much of a firm handshake there Mike" Shawn said and Addy scoffed. "Well I didn't want to hurt those soft little hands of yours" Mike fired back and Addy laughed. Shawn gave Mike a disapproving look before turning his attention back to Addy. "Well, Addy as I was saying, I do believe you owe me a dance" he said, and took a hold of her hand. She tried to pull it back, but he held onto it, and Mike was becoming quite distressed at the situation. "I told you Shawn, I don't want to dance with you" she said through gritted teeth, and Mike realized this was not the first time she had told him no. "You can't seriously tell me you'd rather spend time with him than me" Shawn hissed and Mike's eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter who she wants to spend time with, she told you no" Mike said and grabbed her hand away from Shawn's. The two men stood facing each other, each one with a stone cold face, neither wanting to back down. Finally Shawn looked from Addy back to Mike before giving them a sickening grin, straightening his suit, and walking off.
"Thank you Mike" Addy said and Mike reluctantly dropped her hand. "It's alright. Is he a close friend of yours?" Mike asked as he watched the rejected Shawn stomp off. "Unfortunately" she said. "His father and my father are best friends. Father is convinced Shawn is the only man for me, and Shawn won't take no for an answer. He treats me like he owns me" She said crossing her arms, and Mike felt sorry for her. "You're not a trophy that he owns Addy" he said and she gave him a sad smile. "Thank you Mike" she said. "Do you want to take a walk in the garden?" She asked and looked up at him with those sparkling eyes. "Yeah, lets go" he answered as they placed their punch glasses on the table behind them. He started to reach for her hand, and then stopped himself, remembering how she tried to jerk away from Shawn. She noticed him hesitate, so she carefully slid her hand into his and gave him a reassuring squeeze as she led them out into the night. Mike felt his heart race at the contact. Her hand was so soft and delicate in his rough and calloused one. As she led him outside, he began to make small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He wasn't sure why he did, but he couldn't stop, and he could only hope she didn't mind.
The warm California breeze hit him, and he took in a deep breath. He hadn't realized just how tense he had been inside at the party. But now, out here alone in the moonlight with Addy, he was tense for a different reason. "Mike I want to apologize" she suddenly said and he looked at her puzzled. "Apologize for what?" He asked. "I invited you all to this party, and since you've been here, you've received nothing but insults and criticism. I feel terrible" she said keeping her eyes on the ground beneath her. Mike couldn't stand to see her upset, especially because it wasn't her fault. He stopped walking and pulled her a little closer to him. "Addy look, those people in there, we deal with that all the time. People don't see us as anything more than some crazy, poor musicians." He said. "But it doesn't matter, because you're not like that. You grew up in their world, and somehow, you managed to see me" he said and then quickly corrected his mistake. "Uh that is, you see us, the band, as people just as equal as anyone of them fancy rich folks inside. So don't apologize for wanting to make us feel good about ourselves" he finished and he saw that beautiful smile dance across her face. "And besides, tonight hasn't been that bad, I got to see you all dressed up" he teased and she laughed. "Oh Mike, you really have a way with words" she said. "I don't know about that, I've never been very good at opening up to anyone but the guys" he admitted and they continued walking through the garden. "You really care about them, don't you?" She asked and he nodded. "They're all I have, they're my family" he told her.
They continued walking in silence. Mike still held her hand, and she didn't seem to mind. The smell of the blooming roses was overwhelming, and he noticed she smelled just as lovely as the flowers. The moonlight gave her skin a little glow, and her white dress made her look even more angelic. He really had never seen such beauty before. She looked up at him and caught him staring. "Is something wrong?" She asked and he blushed furiously. "Uh no, it's just that uh, well..." he stammered trying to find the right words. "You're so beautiful" he said quietly, and when she met his gaze he realized he had said it out loud. "Um, that is, I uh..." and she giggled. "You're very handsome yourself" she replied and he gaped at her. Handsome? Him? No, that Shawn guy was handsome, Davy was handsome, not him. She suddenly pulled them to a stop and sat down on a bench under an orange blossom tree. Mike sat down beside of her, careful not to sit to close, though he had to stay very still on the small bench otherwise he would have brushed up against her. He wanted to touch her, and be near her, but this was new to him, and he was trying to be as gentlemanly as possible. She kept a hold of his hand and placed it in her lap and put her other hand on top. She then leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, and once again Mike felt his breath being taken away. "Mike?" She whispered. "Uh, yes Addy?" "May I ask you something?" She said. "Of course." He replied and waited for her question. She seemed to be wrestling with herself, trying to form a sentence that just wouldn't come out. Finally she spoke. "Do you, um well, do you like me Mike?" She asked and raised her head to look into his eyes. He began to panic. He wasn't sure if she was asking as a friend or as something more. He knew he liked her, a lot, but he was afraid of how she would take that. When he saw her face drop, he realized it was because he hadn't said an immediate yes. "Well of course I like you" he answered cheerfully, hoping that would brighten her mood, but it didn't work. "The way you like your friends, or do you, um, you know?" She asked and she bit her bottom lip nervously. He took a deep breath and looked into those stunning eyes of hers. "I like you, very much Addy" he said very seriously, every syllable was sincere. He saw her smile before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself against him in a hug. He wasn't sure how to react, so he just lightly hugged her back. "Well?" She said pulling away and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Aren't you going to ask me on a date?" She questioned nervously. She wanted a date, and Mike couldn't believe it. She was genuinely interested in him. Though he couldn't understand why someone so beautiful wanted him, all he knew in that moment was that he wanted her. "Would you like to go out with me?" He asked with a small smile and she grinned. "I'd love to" she answered. "Well, uh the guys and I play at The Hangout again on Monday night, so what do you say Tuesday I take you out for dinner and movie?" He asked hopefully. She gave him a wide smile and nodded. "That sounds wonderful Mike" she answered. "Great, so I'll pick up around 6?" He said and she nodded again. "Perfect. My house is the one right across the street from here" she said and she pointed out across the street. Mike's jaw nearly dropped when he saw the house, more like Mansion. He remembered seeing it when they pulled into the country club, he had actually assumed it was a part of the estate. "Wow fancy pad" he remarked feeling less and less confident. What in the world did this girl want with him? She looked uncomfortable at his comment. "Yeah I guess so, honestly it's really overwhelming. I don't know why on earth my father thinks we need a house that big" she said shaking her head. Mike looked at her in wonderment. She really was something special. "Well we should probably get back inside" she said looking into his deep brown eyes. She stood, still holding his hand, and led them back to the party.
Mike couldn't get his heart rate to calm down. He really liked this girl. She was incredibly beautiful, soft spoken and kind, she loved their music, and she treated Mike like he was worthy of anything and everything. And this was only what he had discovered from two days of knowing her. He knew she had a lot more to give. But he was terrified. Right now, the basic attraction was there on both their parts, and Mike still had trouble believing she actually liked him. But what would happen once they were on a real date and he revealed more of himself to her? Would she still like him, or would she wake up and realize she could do so much better? Mike's face must have conveyed what he was thinking, because when she looked back up at him once they were inside, she looked concerned. "Mike, what's wrong?" She asked giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Oh it's nothing it's just, um" he knew what was bothering him, and he wanted to talk to her about it, he just wasn't sure how to go about it. "Mike do you not want to go out with me?" She asked and he saw the look of worry in her eyes. "No! I mean yes I want to go out with you very much, that's not the problem" he said quickly. "Ok, then what is it?" She asked and he sighed. "Why do you want to go out with me?" He asked. She couldn't believe he had asked her that. Surely there were girls going after him all the time? Why wouldn't they? He was ridiculously talented, funny, charming, and boy was he handsome. She was certain she had never been so attracted to anyone before. He saw her blush and look down at her feet embarrassed. "The first time I saw you guys play, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you" she admitted and he thought he must have heard her wrong. "You were so into the music, it was like you were a part of it and it was a part of you" she continued. "I had never seen anyone so...captivating" she said and he felt his heart beat faster. "And then talking with you the other night, dancing with you, and then being with you now, I, I really like you Mike. And I want to get to know you better and spend more time with you." She finished and gazed into his eyes. Mike was speechless. He felt as if he might cry. No one had ever taken an interest in him this way before, and he had no idea how to react or what to say. Luckily he didn't have to. "Mike, Mike you'll never believe it!" Peter said bounding over to the two of them. "Valerie wants to come watch us play on Monday night!" He said and he looked like a kid at Christmas time. Mike smiled at his friend, glad to see him so excited. "That's great Peter, I knew you could do it!" He said clapping his hand on Peter's shoulder. "I wish I could come, but unfortunately I promised father that I would help him host a dinner for some of his friends on Monday night" Addy said. "That's ok, hopefully we'll be playing there a lot, and you can see us then" Peter said with his dimpled smile. "I'd like that Peter, and I'm sure Valerie will have a wonderful time on Monday" she said grinning.
As the party drew to a close, the boys made their goodbyes. Davy left his gaggle of girl's pouting that he couldn't stay longer, and Micky had practically cleaned out the buffet table. Peter gave Valerie a quick goodbye, and she gave him a peck on the cheek causing the young bass player to turn a deep crimson color. "Well looks like the guys are ready to head out" Mike told Addy. He was ready to go home too, he just wasn't ready to leave her. "I can't wait for Tuesday" she said softly. "Me too" he told her. "Goodnight Mike" she said, and just like at the club, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. This one wasn't in haste, and it was more deliberate. Mike gave a lopsided smile before waving goodbye and following his friends out the door. She watched him go and felt the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. She could see herself falling for the tall quiet Texan quite easily. She had never felt this kind of connection to anyone before. Addy was certain that her date with the boy in the green wool hat, would be one she'd never forget.