A Story to Tell Your Grandkids

Walking hand in hand into the Five & High with Alex was an experience, for sure.

It was crowded and loud with a live band playing and he immediately dragged me to the bar and set us down on some stools. Alex ordered us up a couple of Heinekens and then surveyed the bar that looked at him right back; I think must of the people there knew he was famous, but knew better to come up to him or didn’t really care. I was a little confused about how to go about this though – I had never been to a bar without a couple of my friends or my boyfriend; if I had one at the time and I certainly had never been out with a rock star before.

“So, I figure since you know my name… I should know yours,” Alex said as our beers were placed before us and he took a sip of his own.

I casually picked up mine and watched the alcohol slosh around before I answered him, “My name’s Candace.”

“So, Candy, right?” He took another sip, it was longer this time and as he put it back down, he smiled at me.

I smiled back, “Yep, exactly; I don’t really like it though.”

“Why not, it tells someone right from the start how sweet you must be,” That cheeky grin was back on his face so I didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or a come on.

“Thank you?”

He shrugged and picked his beer up again, “You’re welcome, Candy.”

I looked at my beer, realizing that I hadn’t taken a drink yet and finally brought it to my lips. The taste was bitter, like it usually was but it was just like drinking any old thing, like Coke or Pepsi – there was an after taste either way you go.

“I was beginning to think you wanted to do this completely sober,” I put my beer down and looked over at Alex, who already had a second beer next to his first. I raised my eyebrow in a questioning manner, just to receiving another one of his cute little laughs.

“What?” I took another drink, feeling the little sting as I swallowed down more than what I had bargained for. I was glad that I didn’t start coughing or anything. It would have been more than embarrassing to think let Alex in on the secret that I could keep up with him or that I definitely can’t hold down a lot of booze.

I heard a movement and Alex’s legs brushed against mine. I looked down to see that my legs were now in between his; I could feel my cheeks get hot and turn red and I quickly took another drink of my Heineken.

Alex placed one of his hands on my leg and rubbed his thumb in a circular pattern on my thigh, “Can I ask you something, Candy?”

I stifled a little laugh, trying to take all of this in as fast I could without freaking out. Wow, I am such a fan girl, I thought. “Well, you just did… But sure, what is it?”

He licked his lips and leaned in close to my face so that his lips were just centimeters from mine, “Are you just tipsy enough to let me, let you take me home?”

I blinked a few times as I stared into his eyes. Did he really just say that? Well, of course he did; his face and body wouldn’t be that close to mine if he hadn’t.

I nodded slowly and he stood up and threw a twenty down on the counter. Hm, I thought this was my treat? I quickly shook that thought off as Alex grabbed my hand and pulled us out of the Five & High. We stood out on High Street down in the Short North for probably ten minutes before a cab pulled up and just as it did, Alex leaned in closed to my face again,

“Hey,” I looked at him fast; I had been so distracted by the cab finally pulling up that I didn’t noticed him getting closer and closer to me.

“What-?” The question was irrelevant. All he wanted was for me to look at him and as soon as my head was turned; our lips collided. It was… Well, completely indescribable. It’s easy enough to say that Alex is a great kisser – but it’s even more than that. I had never been kissed so, urgently or passionately before. He licked my bottom lip and gave it a little nip before a opened my mouth and –

The cabbie honked the horn and yelled out of the window, “Do you lovebirds want a ride or not?!”

Alex pulled away with a smile on his face and opened the door for me and told me to scoot over and then got in himself.

“Now, where to, kids?” The cabbie looked back at us through the rearview mirror.

“1473 Kenny Road and Fifth Avenue,” I answered the cab driver who looked more like someone I had seen the other night on America’s Most Wanted. I laughed at my own joke as I felt Alex’s hand go back to my leg and slowly moving its way upwards.