Get Your Kicks

Sitting in the lobby of the little Inn, I let my fingers run over the keys of the upright piano. It had been too long since I’d felt the ivory beneath my fingertips and I missed it. My friends knew that I was forgoing college to pursue music, but I’d never played any of my own songs for them, only covers of popular ones. As I took a deep breath, I looked around the lobby to see only an older woman at the front desk.

Biting my lip, I pressed the keys of the little piano, letting the light sound play through my ears and began a song I had written just before the trip. The chords fit my hands perfectly and soon I began singing.



My fingers danced across the smooth ivory, my voice filling the room as my eyes closed. Normally, I wouldn’t have done this in a public place, but I had to at some point and eventually I wanted to play this for the girls.



My voice caught and fingers slipped when I heard someone bump into a table. Flicking my eyes over to the sound, I found Zayn. His hands were outreached to steady the teetering table as his brown eyes found mine.

“Hey,” he said lamely as his hand moved to rub the back of his neck.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“A while,” he replied, eyes falling to his feet. “You’re really talented, you know.”

Biting my lip, I looked away. I wasn’t ready for this, whatever he had to say. I just wanted to perfect the song so that by the end of this trip I could play it to the girls. He wasn’t a part of that plan. Still, there he stood giving me that look that could make me weak and I didn’t know what to do.

“Have you thought about this as a career?” He asked sitting beside me on the piano bench.

Looking over to him, I said, “Yeah, it’s actually what I’m doing after this trip.”

A smile pulled at his lips as a hand found my knee. “Maybe I can help you? I’m sure Simon would be interested if he heard you sing.”

“You would do that?” I asked, biting my lip. As I looked at him, I wondered what he would get out of helping me.

“Yeah,” he replied with a nod.

“Why?” I asked, my brow furrowing together. “What do you get out of it?”

“Nothing. I don’t get anything out of it, other than being able to say I discovered you,” he said before biting his lip. “But maybe you could tell me about that list.”

Sighing, I looked away from him. My eyes found the keys of the piano and I decided that I couldn’t tell him, but maybe I could give him a hint. Stretching my fingers I ran them along the smooth keys and found my starting place. I glanced at him before I pressed down on the ivory.



My eyes flicked to his and I could see the understanding in his eyes as I sang. It was a story that I never told. Something that I never said, yet there I was singing it to a boy I barely knew and it felt normal. Natural, almost like I was meant to meet him.



Taking a breath, I felt his hand on the small of my back, rubbing small circles in a gentle motion as I played for him. I hadn’t played specifically for anyone in years and it felt right. Just singing for someone else felt like it was what I was supposed to do.



My fingers hit the final chord and I relaxed, just taking a moment to soak in the calm feeling that had fallen over me. Zayn’s free hand found its way to one of mine and laced them together. His warm brown eyes found mine and I was done for.

“It was your mums,” Zayn said nodding.

“Yeah,” I whispered as I pulled my hands from the keys.

Zayn’s hand fell to my hip as I turned to face him, his fingertips grazing the small sliver of skin that showed between my shirt and the shorts I wore. Slowly, he pulled me closer. My heart felt like it would jump right out of my chest until the soft brush of his lips against mine got it racing in double time. A hand found a way to his soft raven locks and I was lost in him. His cologne was all I smelled, his lips all I could taste. He had me in his grasp and I couldn’t even fight it.

His tongue ran across my lips and I simply let him have his way as he pulled me closer until I was in his lap, the small of my back pressed against the piano. I could tell the keys would leave red indentations, but I didn’t care. I honestly couldn’t even think of what the girls would say as his hands moved from my hips to my waist and his lips danced with mine. Just the feel of his back muscles moving beneath my fingertips had me at a loss for thoughts.

Pulling away, I knew I had to stop this before it went too far. “Zayn,” I said breathless as his lips found my neck. “Zayn stop.”

Leaning back he looked at me confused, “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

“No, I just,” pausing to catch my breath I looked at his eyes and wondered how he could even say that. “I think this is a little fast.” Standing, I started to move away from the boy. I couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about his girlfriend. He kissed me and I hadn’t stopped him and I was that girl. Shaking my head, I cast a final glace his way before hurrying to the room I shared with Taylor and Brenna. I just needed space.