The Last Good Thing About This Part of Town

Even with one beer in him, Joe was an excellent dancer and had incredible stamina. Julianna should not have been surprised what with all his jumping and spinning with his guitar onstage, but she just figured that was his stage persona. She was fast learning all that energy was boundless, despite his I-don’t-give-a-shit demeanor. And he seemed to be sincerely enjoying himself as they moved together in time to the wordless techno music playing through the speakers. His sweaty curls stuck to his forehead, nearly hiding his lively blue eyes, and she wanted to reach out and swipe them out of the way. She kept her hands to herself, though, because it was still fuzzy as to where the boundary between friends and more-than actually was. Joe and Lindsay broke up only two weeks ago after all.

The song morphed a slow 80’s power ballad, and without thinking Joe put his hands on her hips and pulled her up against his body, then he took her right hand in his left and placed his right hand against the small of her back, gently leading her into a proper slow dance. Not like the shuffling of feet and awkward placement of hands with Patrick. She knew she should not be comparing the two boys. They were different individuals, she knew that. Joe was raised much like she was in the upper echelon of Chicago suburb society, and though he wanted to go his own way, there were still things that rubbed off. Like his ability to be a gentleman and lead a woman while dancing.

“You’re surprisingly good at this,” Julianna grinned up at Joe, trying to keep the mood light and fun despite the rather intimate situation. He was close to six foot, several inches taller than Patrick, so he had to dip his head slightly in order to hear. Her breath hitched as their faces became just centimeters apart. Undoubtedly too intimate, and yet she was not sure that she wanted to pull back. Nope, she was going to let it happen instead of attempting to control everything.

“My mom taught me,” Joe grinned as he thought about the memory. “She loves to dance. Actually, she and my dad met at their college winter formal, and she always said that a man should be able to sweep a lady off her feet. We watched a lot of Fred and Ginger when I was growing up, then my mom would try to teach me now to dance like that. I guess some of it stuck.”

Julianna giggled softly, “Aww, that is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.” She placed her free palm flat against his chest and felt his heart beating faster than normal, but that could have been from his earlier stage antics and the dancing. It had nothing to do with her necessarily.

“Yeah, what can I say, I’m kind of a momma’s boy,” Joe shrugged then casually brushed a strand of her hair out of her sweet brown eyes before placing his hand back on her waist. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know. I’m actually surprised you’re letting me lead right now.”

“It’s nice,” Julianna shrugged and lowered her eyelids slightly, a slow, coy smile spreading across her full lips. 'Ohmygod, am I flirting with my lab partner turned friend, Joseph Trohman?!' “As much as I think I like to be in control all the time, it’s nice to have someone else take that burden even if it’s temporary…and while we’re dancing.” Why am I telling him this? He doesn’t need to know about my weird insecurities. He doesn’t care; he’s just being polite. Come on, this is Joe -- laid-back, fuck rules, I can do what I want, probably gets high on the weekends Joe. And yet here they were pressed together in a near-stranger’s living room and he was treating her with all the gentleness and respect a man should give to a woman. This is what she wanted in a relationship…right?

“You know, you don’t have to be so stoic all the time,” Joe’s fingers gently squeezed her hip and he leaned down to press his forehead against hers as they continued to waltz across the floor, oblivious to everyone else in the room. “It’s okay to let the world know you have emotions and feelings.”

Julianna closed her eyes and swallowed the purr trying to work its way out of the back of her throat, “That’s easy to say coming from a guy whose parents fostered his feelings and creativity instead of telling him they were invalid.” Joe drew her closer by sweetly pulling her right hand, placing it on his shoulder while both of his arms circled her waist, and this time she did let out a whisper of a sigh when he pressed his lips ever so briefly against her temple. It was so light and so tender that she thought she may have imagined it; that her brother was going to punch her and jolt her out of this dream world where a boy wanted to treat her kindly and actually wanted to be with her because of who she was and not what her body or her rich family could offer.

Joe quietly sang the words of the love song; something about heaven not being too far away. His voice was low and gravelly, rumbling through his chest. It was a pleasant sound, effortlessly smooth and on-key. Julianna almost didn’t want to say anything just so she could continue to hear him sing, but her curiosity won out.

“Why don’t you sing?”

Joe actually leaned his head back and laughed out loud, his whole body shaking with mirth yet he didn’t miss a step, “You’re a funny one, JT.” She smiled at his use of the nickname he made up for her recently, then frowned at him to indicate she was not kidding. “Oh, wait, seriously?! That was a serious question?” His blue eyes looked like Lake Michigan when the high afternoon summer sun hits the water and makes it look like the purest, glittering blue. He was beautiful and he was gazing at her as though she was a slightly demented but still precious treasure. He cleared his throat and shook his head, “I don’t sing, JT. I will play my guitar and skip around the stage, I will play whatever song you want me to play for however long you want me to play it, but I will not sing.”

“You just did and it was lovely,” she retorted, squeezing his shoulder where her right hand still rested. He chuckled and looked down, away from her gaze and…is he blushing?

“I just don’t. I don’t want that much attention on me or that much responsibility. I know what I’m doing when I just play my guitar. I have confidence in my musical ability and I love doing it and I can do it well. Singing, not so much.”

“Well, believe me when I say, whether you want it or not, you draw attention to yourself up there.”
“Yeah, but I don’t notice it because I’m just doing my thing. Like a kid who thinks he’s invisible because he can’t see anyone anymore when he closes his eyes.”

Julianna laughed lightly at that, “You are an odd duckling, Joseph Trohman.” He smirked back. Neither of them realized the song on the stereo had changed to a faster punk rock tune. They were still wrapped up in each other, swaying to their own song. Then suddenly his lips were on hers, his breath hot as he slanted his head so their noses didn’t collide painfully. Her eyes went wide for a second as she mentally caught up to what was happening physically, then she was responding to him. His lips were wet and firm and tasted of hops mixed with his mint-scented Chapstick. She liked it.

Julianna felt this kiss all the way down to her toes, and her hands curled into the bib of his overalls, but only a few moments passed before he was pulling back and shaking his head apologetically, his eyes pleading for her to understand or accept what he was about to say.

“I’m sorry, JT, I shouldn’t have—,”

Julianna immediately pressed her index finger to his lips, “No. Don’t – don’t do that. I kissed you back, Joe, and I’m not sorry.”

His breathing came out harsh and ragged, “But Patrick – what about Patrick. He’s my best friend and this is the worst kind of betrayal.”

“Joe, Patrick and I are not, and never have been, together,” Julianna smoothed her palm down his cheek to rest against his neck and collarbone. She pushed up onto her toes and captured his mouth again in a slow kiss, a token gesture to let him know she was not playing around. If he was serious about pursuing a relationship, then so was she. And they would worry about Patrick later.

With eyes closed, Julianna gently worked her lips over Joe’s, and she thought she heard him let out a low, gutteral sound from the back of his throat as he responded. Soon enough, Joe broke the kiss and brought his hands up to cup her face in his palms. She opened her eyes to gaze into his half-lidded, lust-clouded blue ones, and he offered a lazy smile.

“So this has been a pretty good Halloween night,” Joe ghosted his thumbs over her now-flushed, naturally tan cheeks. She chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. “Look, JT, I don’t want to do anything you don’t want or aren’t ready for, but I really like you. And I don’t want you to think this is a rebound thing because that is not my intention at all.”

“I like you too, Joseph Trohman,” Julianna leaned her arms against his shoulders to play with the hair at the back of his neck, “and I don’t really know what this is between us but I’m willing to make a go at it if you are. You know, when we were assigned as lab partners, my original intent was to do the work and get out without emotional attachments.”

“And now look at us,” Joe drawled. “If we’re being honest though I kinda thought we were….”

“A bitch?”

“Totally inaccessible.”

Julianna laughed, “You can say it. A bitch.”

Joe smirked down at her and shook his head slightly, “Do you have to be home at a certain time?”
“Nope. My parents are at Jonathan’s hockey tournament in Michigan this weekend, so I can do what I want when I want to do it.”

“Aren’t you just a little rebel,” Joe teased in that lilting way of his. She rolled her eyes, but her full lips twisted upward and she rested her cheek on his chest as they danced, pressed up against each other.