[Fic] Hot Pockets -- Paradise by the Jukebox Light, PG-13
Title: Paradise by the Jukebox Light
Fandom: American Idol
Characters: Kris Allen and Katy O'Connell
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4,232
Summary: AU fic. Kris and Katy never got back together after their break-up in high school. Ten years later, they cross paths, again.
Support Group: yuppielawyer, joannacullen, apriljoiex
Notes: Written for one of my two charity auction winners: yuppielawyer.
Paradise by the Jukebox Light
Kris could have easily bet and lost his favorite pair of old, battle-worn Chucks if someone wagered him on the chance that she would walk through the door of this bar on a night that he happens to be performing. It was like the odds of finding an honest man in Vegas - less than slim. In fact, Kris barely recognizes Katy O’Connell - he assumes that is still her name; he hasn’t heard word of her getting hitched, but anything is possible - when she enters, with a couple friends in tow, on the slow Tuesday night. She’s grown up considerably from the pig-tailed, doe-eyed girl that he remembers. But dang, does she look good.
Katy catches him staring and says something to the girl beside her, which makes her friends grin. Kris feels some color rise into his neck. He chuckles into the microphone before returning to his song.
Kris finishes his set to lukewarm applause from the half-full bar - save for his new cheering section, who are on their feet and caterwauling until his face is so flushed that he can feel it in his ears. He gives the ladies an appreciative wave and shy smile before taking his guitar to its case, which is lying against the wall at his back. He’s zipping up the gig bag as a pair of black, open-toed kitten-heels approaches him from the side.
When Kris glances up from where he’s kneeling, Katy is all smiles. “Hey, stranger,” she excitedly quips. She opens her arms and flaps her ring-free hands. “Hug me, so I don’t look dumb.”
A light, bewildered laugh bursts from Kris. Though her looks have become sophisticated, the amount of bubbly energy that Katy exudes has not been quelled. He slowly stands with a fatigued sigh. “You haven’t changed a bit,” Kris says. He shakes his head in disbelief as he accepts her embrace.
“You have!” She marvels at him before grabbing him into another squeeze. “You’ve, like, lost an eight year old, and when did you forget how to hug?” Katy tightens her grip until he has trouble breathing.
Kris grunts in protest. “Hey! I’m just tired,” he explains, and he gives her a second, stronger hug.
“Tired?,” Katy echoes. She scoffs. “You look like you’ve been hit by a truck and forgot to sleep for a week.”
“Oh gosh, how did you know?,” Kris gasps, but he is laughing before he can finish the question.
Katy sighs as she pulls backward. “Okay, we’re getting you a drink,” she says with a raise of her brow.
“Can’t.”
Katy’s smile falters. “Why not?”
“I have to drive myself home.”
“Oh.” She tilts her head. “How far away is home?”
“Like, twenty minutes,” Kris sheepishly replies.
Katy’s eyes boggle. “Lord. Well, is there somewhere closer to home, where I can buy you a drink?”
“Yeah,” Kris says with a sigh. “But you don’t want to go there. It’s a dive bar.”
Katy raises a thin eyebrow. “I thought this is a dive bar.”
“Yeah...” He laughs and shakes his head. If she thinks this is a dive…
Kris realizes that Katy is likely better-off moneywise than before college. She definitely sticks out in this mostly drab crowd, and it’s not necessarily in a bad way, but it is in a way that gets her some leers and envious stares - she’s hot.
“Mmm,” Kris murmurs. “And I have to work in the morning.”
“It’s ten o’clock.”
He barely gets out a, “Yeah, but-“ before she’s waved to her friends.
“I’ll call you later!,” Katy says to them. “We’re going to a dive bar. You girls can go on without me.”
Stunned, Kris just blinks at her. Katy winces when she turns back to him. “Sorry, I should’ve said something before yellin’ like that. They’re girls from work, and you’re my excuse to run away for a few hours.” She gives him a little pout. “If you’ll let me.”
How can he say “no” to that face? Well, actually, he does kind of want to - he’s damn tired - but he can’t bring himself to say the word. He’d rather skip a chance at sleep than regret this chance to reconnect with Katy.
“You’re evil,” Kris chides as he bends down to grab his guitar.
Katy grins. “I know, right?” She flicks her blond hair over her bare shoulder. “Need help with anything?”
Kris rolls his eyes. “Oh gosh, yeah. You see, there’s this girl, well she’s more like a woman, but I haven’t seen her in a while and she’s really annoying - I mean really annoying - and-“
“Hey…”
Katy pushes out her bottom lip. Kris feels like he is staring at the spoiled high school cheerleader that he once knew her to be. He laughs and continues laughing until they’re out of the bar’s side door - at which point, Katy starts laughing, too.
“You should’ve seen your face,” Kris says with a shake of his head. “It was like I kicked your puppy or kitten or whatever.”
She giggles and her hands go to her blushed cheeks. “Oh my gosh, you know I wasn’t actually upset, Kris.”
“Well, I don’t know, it’s been, what? Like…a bunch of years-“ Katy laughs. Kris frowns. “Math is hard! It’s harder when you don’t know the numbers you’re adding - er - subtracting.”
“I think it’s been around seven or eight,” Katy offers with a sigh.
“Whoa!” Startled, Kris drags one shoe across the gravel of the lot as he pulls-up short. He shoots a gaping look at her. “Seriously? I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
“Yeah,” Katy says with a hesitant nod. “I was a freshman and you were with that…girl.”
Confusion screws up Kris’s expression. He stares at Katy for a few seconds before it dawns on him who she is referring to. He sighs as he fishes his cars keys out of his jeans pocket. “Well now, I really do want a drink,” he mutters, with a roll of his eyes.
“Didn’t work out with her, huh?”
Kris shakes his head, and he puffs out another sigh. “You have no idea,” he grumbles as he jabs a thumb against the key-ring button, which unlocks his green Focus.
“This is your car?,” Katy deadpans.
“Yeah,” Kris replies, distracted, as he sets the guitar in the trunk. “Don’t bang on her too hard, something might fall off.”
Katy giggles and runs a hand over the edge of the hood where there are a couple dings courtesy of his discourteous neighbor. Kris pauses before going to open the passenger-side door. He looks between her and the old beater car.
“I’m guessing you’re used to something a little nicer,” Kris says. Katy gawks at him.
“I didn’t say that,” she evenly replies, with a slow shake of her head.
Kris gives her a knowing, lopsided smirk. “Your shoes do.”
She scoffs in disbelief. “Since when do you know shoes?”
“Um,” Kris muses. Her brow rises as he braces himself on the car door and lifts up his foot. “Come on, look. PF Flyers - old, banged up, lime green Focus.” He nods to his car. His foot drops back to the rocks; there’s a crunch upon impact. He points at her feet, which he can barely make out in the light coming from the bar signs. “Fancy, black heel things that fit your feet like a glove - uh, probably the Mercedes.” He glances around to make sure there isn’t another expensive, out-of-place car that he missed. “Definitely the Mercedes.”
Katy puts her hands on her hips, and she clicks her tongue. “Not bad, Allen.” Marching around him, she looks him up and down in admiration before dropping into the passenger seat. “But this’ll do.”
Kris presses a hand to his chest and bows. “I am so honored as to be the one to drive you, ma’am,” he comically drawls.
Katy snorts. She drops her head back to the seat and lets out a cackle. Soon, Kris is laughing, too.
“What the heck was that?,” Katy asks as she fans herself.
Kris shrugs. “Sarcasm is one of the perks to knowing me.”
Composing herself, Katy’s expression becomes sly. “Close that door before you have me rolling out of it, Captain Yuck Yuck.”
Smirking, Kris shuts the door. He heads around the car to hop into the driver’s seat. They trade smiles as he starts the engine. The car rumbles to life. The radio blares out a few seconds of light rock music before Kris has a chance to turn it off. Katy just giggles. Her perpetual happiness is infectious. It cures his exhausted, sour mood.
When Kris drives out of the lot, a realization hits him. “Am I going to need bring you back, here?,” he asks. He internally wishes that she’ll say “no,” but he is willing to make the trek back, if he has to.
“I can just call for a cab.”
Oh, thank goodness. “Are you staying at a hotel?”
“Yep.”
“Really?” Kris figured they were close enough to Jacksonville that she would possibly be staying with her parents, but then, he reminds himself that she is no longer a kid. “Which one?”
Katy is sheepish when she replies, “The Hilton.”
Kris’s brow frets. The Hilton? But… “That’s, like, twenty minutes away in the other direction.” And it’s also pretty dang fancy.
“Yeah.”
Kris blinks. He glances quickly between her and the road. “What are you doing in Little Rock? How in the heck did you end up at the Two Brothers?”
“Mmm,” she hesitantly murmurs. “Well, I’m here on business.” She pauses before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “ And I called your mom to ask her if you were playing anywhere this week.”
Kris gawks at her. “How - How did you even know I could possibly be playing somewhere?,” he sputters in disbelief. He’s only been performing his music live, in public, for a couple years.
“I’ve been keeping up with some people from high school.”
“Oh.”
It’s beyond Kris why she would be asking people from high school about him; they only dated for about a year, and never reconnected. He’s also not sure why he suddenly feels guilty for not keeping up with Katy’s life - another consequence of him being lazy? Maybe. But he’s too tired to ponder this, right now. He needs to watch the road.
“So,” Kris begins after a moment of silence passes. “What’ve you been up to for the past…seven years?” He grimaces. “Wow. Sorry, that sounded so lame.”
Katy smiles. “No, it’s okay.” She sighs. “Well, let’s see, I finished my Bachelor’s in three years and then, I got my Law degree-“
Kris listens intently, throwing out a question here and there, as Katy talks for the remainder of the drive. Well, most of the drive, anyway. He spends the last couple of minutes describing his dead-end job, but neglects to mention the college drama that led to him having such a poor performance record on the academic front.
“I’ve got the first round,” Katy quips as they pull into a spot on the street outside of the low-key, run-down, neighborhood bar known as The Matchbox.
Kris laughs. “That might be the only round,” he mumbles. He climbs out of the car, and he stretches his back with a sigh. When he rounds the front end of the Focus, Katy is already opening her door, which he holds for her.
“Look at you,” she breathes, “all chivalrous and sweet, even when you should be telling the crazy lady to go sulk in her hotel room, and let you get some sleep.”
“Cheap alcohol is cheap alcohol, and a pretty lady is a pretty lady,” Kris says pointedly as she steps out of the car.
“Ooo,” Katy coos. “I feel enlightened.”
“I know, right?”
The bar is empty - well, almost empty. The two resident drunks are in attendance, as is the usual, bored waitress and the chatty bartender. Kris gets a few nods of recognition, which he returns. He’s certain the jaw of one patron just nearly hit the bar top upon seeing Katy in her little, black dress. Kris empathizes with the dumbstruck reaction.
“I don’t know if you’d want to tell me or not, since it seemed like a touchy subject,” Katy says uneasily, after they’ve found a table and ordered drinks. “But what happened with…?” Her voice trails off. She clearly doesn’t remember the name of his ex. Kris doesn’t fault her; it’s been a while.
“Angela,” Kris supplies with a slow nod. “Well, we were engaged-“
“Seriously?,” Katy blurts, eyes going wide. “Sorry, I just - She was just so - Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine,” Kris replies with another, understanding nod. “I know where you’re coming from. She was…” he ponders how to best say this, “difficult.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.”
Kris winces. “Yeah. You know, I’m still really sorry-“
“Kris, it was nearly eight years ago.”
He sighs. “I know, but I’ve always regretted that night. You - I mean, we were just talking and-“
“I remember,” Katy quickly interrupts. Clearly, she doesn’t want to talk about his ex’s crazy freak out at a frat party from eight years ago. The ill-fated night was the last time he saw Katy, before now.
The drinks arrive and Kris earnestly takes a chug of his beer. His eyes close as he swallows hard. He doesn’t want to think about that night, either. He shakes off the memory.
“Anyway, we got engaged after senior year-“
Katy chuckles. “You skipped a few years, there.”
“Yeah, well…” Why does he feel the need to explain himself? And why does this seem like more of a confession than a story?
“She took real good care of me after I got sick, and it - it just felt right, at the time, you know?”
Katy sips her drink. With a curious look, she tilts her head. “Sick, how?”
Kris puffs a sigh. Why did he even bring it up? She doesn’t need to hear this.
“I went on a mission trip to Morocco, and I caught this rare case of hepatitis.” Katy’s eyes boggle. Kris can’t meet her gaze when he adds, “I almost died.”
“Oh my gosh!” Katy’s arm shoots out across the table to place a comforting hand on his wrist. “Kris, that’s terrible! Are you okay, now?”
He simply nods. He’s unresponsive to her touch, but grateful. Thinking back, he remembers lying on his death bed of a dirt floor. It’s a chilling thought that makes him want to down the rest of his beer, and he does.
Pulling his hand away, Kris flags down the waitress for another bottle. “Anyway,” he continues, “I was sick for a while. I lost a bunch of weight.”
Kris gestures to himself with a downward glance. For being the chubby kid throughout his childhood, and then the jock by the end of high school, he sure doesn’t look it, anymore. He’s rather thin - toned, but thin.
“Angie stuck with me through all of the recovery and pushed me to finish college. Then, well, the next rational step was marriage, I guess.” Kris rubs a hand over the back of his neck; regret knots in his stomach.
Katy just stares at him. She looks flabbergasted. Kris notices that over half of her drink is gone.
“It didn’t work out, though,” he says with a sigh. “It would’ve never worked out. I broke it off. I felt kind of guilty. I realized that I was never as in love with her as she was with me.”
Katy sits back. “Well, that’s dramatic.”
“I know, right?”
“You say that more than me,” Katy interjects with a light, sardonic snort. She polishes off her drink.
Kris gives her a fleeting, weak smile. He shakes his head. “It was all so ridiculous. I don’t even know why…” No, Katy does not need to hear anymore of his sob story. He heaves the biggest sigh yet. “I don’t suppose you’ve been as lucky in love,” he mutters and picks up his Killian’s.
Her pretty, red lips press into a thin line as she shakes her head at him. “There hasn’t been much of anything on the love front for me.”
Kris is shocked. “Really? I don’t know if I believe that.”
“Why not?”
“Well, have you looked in the mirror, lately?”
Katy laughs. “Oh my gosh, Kris, just because I’m hot...”
He grins appreciatively. “Well, at least you know it.”
Katy smirks. She then sighs and stirs her refill. “No fiancées, no near-death experiences, no torrid love affairs.” She pokes herself in the chest; her brow goes to an exaggerated height. “Not a whole lot of love for this gal.”
“Shocks the heck out of me,” Kris says, shaking his head.
Katy giggles. She takes a sip from her glass. “Mmm, I think this is where you’re supposed to tell me that it’s because I’m not like most girls.”
Kris grins, lopsided. “You don’t need me to tell you that.”
“I still like to hear it,” Katy slyly replies.
He laughs. This is amazing. How went from feeling like utter crap to being genuinely happy, so quickly, he doesn’t know, but that is exactly what has happened. “You’re definitely special,” he says, backhandedly.
Katy rolls her eyes and smiles. They both chuckle. And then they both sigh. The coincidences startle Kris, and he lifts his bottle to his lips. This night could not get any weirder.
And then it does.
“Do you want to dance?,” Katy asks, out of the blue.
Kris nearly chokes on his beer. He swallows, quickly. “Seriously?,” he prompts, with wide eyes.
Katy softly smiles at him. A pang of want rocks through Kris - it’s something he hasn’t felt in a while.
“Come on,” she says and stands, holding a hand out to him.
With a sheepish grin, Kris takes her hand and rises to his feet. He makes light of how the touch of her fingers gives him a nostalgic thrill, and he turns to lead them to the empty, standing room side of the tiny bar.
They settle into a stance that’s something straight out of a high school prom - his hands resting on her hips and her arms wrapping his neck, to cross at her wrists. It feels good to have her in his hold. They sway slowly. Kris is unable to break his tender stare into her hazel eyes. Katy’s smile weakens, and she shyly drops her gaze.
“It feels weird to have you looking at me like that.”
Kris frets his brow. “Like, what?”
“Like…” Her voice trails off, and she shrugs. “I don’t know,” she admits, shaking her head.
Mildly nervous, due to the response on his tongue, Kris swallows to wet his suddenly parched throat.
“I missed you,” he says quietly. He’s not sure if the confession would’ve slipped out if he wasn’t tired and slightly inebriated, but it doesn’t make his words any less true.
Katy’s hips stall. She raises her eyes to meet his. Kris sheepishly rolls his lips together, and he shrugs. It makes her smile. Color rises into her cheeks. She blinks and her eyes become hooded. The song playing on the old jukebox shifts to another slow, soft rock ballad. Katy’s arms leave Kris’s neck. She steps forward to embrace him, resting the side of her face to his shoulder. Kris is stunned. His arms hang in the air for a moment before he wraps her to him. Loose and calm, his body sways along when her hips tip.
This night is just full of surprises.
Kris appreciates the closeness. Having Katy in his arms is, suddenly, the best feeling in the world, and he never would have dreamed of such a thing before, now. He isn’t even nervous. His breathing is relaxed and deep. Her heartbeat is strong and steady where her neck meets his collarbone. It’s a quiet moment, and Kris slowly takes in each sense. He’s tipsy and wants to remember this in the morning.
The staleness of the bar vaguely masks the airy smell of her perfume and the sweet scent of her hair, which is softer to the touch than he remembers. Her warmth numbs his exhausted bones; it makes him feel at peace. He can’t help himself when he peeks past his arms, which limply hold the small of her back, to see how the dress she’s wearing clings to her curvy body. He doesn’t realize that he’s leaning for the look until she giggles - the sound sends a delightful buzz through him.
“I hope you’re not fallin’ asleep on me, now,” Katy muses. Her hands go to his upper arms, where her nails bite at his short sleeves. She tips her head back to grin at him.
Kris gives her a lopsided smile. “Nope,” he quips. “I was checking you out.”
She lightly snorts and shifts her weight; their knees brush together. “Like a library book or a porno?”
“Well,” Kris replies with a laugh, “I was thinkin’ it’s more like checkin’ out the Hot Chick.”
Katy grimaces, but the smile never leaves her lips. “That was a terrible movie.”
“I don’t even remember that being a movie.”
“That’s because it was really bad.” Katy draws out the “ree-“ in “really” as she rolls her exaggerated, wide eyes. She tosses her hair back for emphasis.
Kris’s expression brightens. “Do that, again.”
Perplexed, Katy tilts her head to the side. “Do what, again?”
“That sexy hair move,” Kris says. He lolls his head, trying to mimic her movement and failing.
Katy smirks. Her hands go to his front as she slowly leans back, arching in his arms. She tosses her honey blond mane, twice. Desire makes Kris ache as he watches her in lazy awe. He’s glad the bar is practically empty, or she likely would have garnered some heckling. Instead, the only sounds are the cheesy music and his breath hitching. She grips gently at his chest and brings herself back. Some hair falls in her face. Kris’s pulse thuds at a painful rate.
“Like that?,” Katy quietly asks. She flattens her palms to his chest and smoothes out his t-shirt.
Kris realizes his mouth is hanging open, and he licks his lower lip. His voice is low and deep when he says, “Do you know how beautiful you are?”
Katy smiles. “That was an abrupt change of subject, Kristopher.” She’s blushing.
He chuckles as his face heats up, too. “Mmm,” he murmurs. “I’m just starting to wonder what could have happened if we’d never broken up.”
“Oh, Lord, let’s not talk about high school,” Katy says with a laugh and another toss of her hair. Her smile is intoxicating. She comes back around to him with a sneaky, one-sided scrunch of her face. “You wanna know a secret?”
“Shoot.”
Katy pushes up on the balls of her feet until her face is level with his. She drapes her arms around his neck. Kris tightens his embrace of her lower back. They trade anticipatory stares before she drawls, “I’ve been wonderin’ the same thing since I walked through that door at Two Brothers and saw you.”
Unable to bear the tension, Kris closes the gap between them and softly kisses her lips, which taste like her sweet amaretto drink mixed with lipstick. Katy reciprocates and pulls his neck forward with her arms. The kiss deepens, and it holds until the jukebox switches to some classic rock.
Breathless, Katy rests her forehead against his flushed cheek as they both quietly pant. Kris’s eyes slip closed. He savors the moment and lets out a satisfied sigh. He brushes his pink lips over her temple. Her fingers trail to his neck, and she run her nails over the strong muscle, there.
“You wanna know another secret?,” Katy asks. He can hear the smile in her voice.
Kris chuckles. “Only if I get to kiss you, again.”
“One day, some night - that’s going to be you on that jukebox.”
Kris‘s face screws up in disbelief as he tries to keep himself from laughing at the absurdity of her words.
“I don’t think that jukebox can handle hell and earth freezing over.”
Katy pulls back to look at him with a soft expression. “Do you know how gifted you are?,” she asks, with an even stare. “You have talent for days.”
Kris doesn’t feel like laughing, anymore. He shyly drops his gaze and presses his lips together. “Thank you,” he whispers. “That means a lot.”
“One more secret,” Katy whispers back, and Kris’s head snaps up. He’s not sure how much more of this he can take before he’s asking her back to his place.
Katy’s eyelids have gone to half-mast. Kris leans in, and their lips meet. Hungrily, Kris pulls several kisses out of her before she’s smiling and ducking away to catch her breath.
“What is it?” Kris asks, chasing her forehead with his own.
Katy hesitantly swallows. Her hands grip either side of his face and slide downward to massage his neck. She raises her gaze, and she presses a kiss to his cheek. Her lips find his ear. He knows he’s in love when she breathes, “I missed you, too.”
Fandom: American Idol
Characters: Kris Allen and Katy O'Connell
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4,232
Summary: AU fic. Kris and Katy never got back together after their break-up in high school. Ten years later, they cross paths, again.
Support Group: yuppielawyer, joannacullen, apriljoiex
Notes: Written for one of my two charity auction winners: yuppielawyer.
Paradise by the Jukebox Light
Kris could have easily bet and lost his favorite pair of old, battle-worn Chucks if someone wagered him on the chance that she would walk through the door of this bar on a night that he happens to be performing. It was like the odds of finding an honest man in Vegas - less than slim. In fact, Kris barely recognizes Katy O’Connell - he assumes that is still her name; he hasn’t heard word of her getting hitched, but anything is possible - when she enters, with a couple friends in tow, on the slow Tuesday night. She’s grown up considerably from the pig-tailed, doe-eyed girl that he remembers. But dang, does she look good.
Katy catches him staring and says something to the girl beside her, which makes her friends grin. Kris feels some color rise into his neck. He chuckles into the microphone before returning to his song.
Kris finishes his set to lukewarm applause from the half-full bar - save for his new cheering section, who are on their feet and caterwauling until his face is so flushed that he can feel it in his ears. He gives the ladies an appreciative wave and shy smile before taking his guitar to its case, which is lying against the wall at his back. He’s zipping up the gig bag as a pair of black, open-toed kitten-heels approaches him from the side.
When Kris glances up from where he’s kneeling, Katy is all smiles. “Hey, stranger,” she excitedly quips. She opens her arms and flaps her ring-free hands. “Hug me, so I don’t look dumb.”
A light, bewildered laugh bursts from Kris. Though her looks have become sophisticated, the amount of bubbly energy that Katy exudes has not been quelled. He slowly stands with a fatigued sigh. “You haven’t changed a bit,” Kris says. He shakes his head in disbelief as he accepts her embrace.
“You have!” She marvels at him before grabbing him into another squeeze. “You’ve, like, lost an eight year old, and when did you forget how to hug?” Katy tightens her grip until he has trouble breathing.
Kris grunts in protest. “Hey! I’m just tired,” he explains, and he gives her a second, stronger hug.
“Tired?,” Katy echoes. She scoffs. “You look like you’ve been hit by a truck and forgot to sleep for a week.”
“Oh gosh, how did you know?,” Kris gasps, but he is laughing before he can finish the question.
Katy sighs as she pulls backward. “Okay, we’re getting you a drink,” she says with a raise of her brow.
“Can’t.”
Katy’s smile falters. “Why not?”
“I have to drive myself home.”
“Oh.” She tilts her head. “How far away is home?”
“Like, twenty minutes,” Kris sheepishly replies.
Katy’s eyes boggle. “Lord. Well, is there somewhere closer to home, where I can buy you a drink?”
“Yeah,” Kris says with a sigh. “But you don’t want to go there. It’s a dive bar.”
Katy raises a thin eyebrow. “I thought this is a dive bar.”
“Yeah...” He laughs and shakes his head. If she thinks this is a dive…
Kris realizes that Katy is likely better-off moneywise than before college. She definitely sticks out in this mostly drab crowd, and it’s not necessarily in a bad way, but it is in a way that gets her some leers and envious stares - she’s hot.
“Mmm,” Kris murmurs. “And I have to work in the morning.”
“It’s ten o’clock.”
He barely gets out a, “Yeah, but-“ before she’s waved to her friends.
“I’ll call you later!,” Katy says to them. “We’re going to a dive bar. You girls can go on without me.”
Stunned, Kris just blinks at her. Katy winces when she turns back to him. “Sorry, I should’ve said something before yellin’ like that. They’re girls from work, and you’re my excuse to run away for a few hours.” She gives him a little pout. “If you’ll let me.”
How can he say “no” to that face? Well, actually, he does kind of want to - he’s damn tired - but he can’t bring himself to say the word. He’d rather skip a chance at sleep than regret this chance to reconnect with Katy.
“You’re evil,” Kris chides as he bends down to grab his guitar.
Katy grins. “I know, right?” She flicks her blond hair over her bare shoulder. “Need help with anything?”
Kris rolls his eyes. “Oh gosh, yeah. You see, there’s this girl, well she’s more like a woman, but I haven’t seen her in a while and she’s really annoying - I mean really annoying - and-“
“Hey…”
Katy pushes out her bottom lip. Kris feels like he is staring at the spoiled high school cheerleader that he once knew her to be. He laughs and continues laughing until they’re out of the bar’s side door - at which point, Katy starts laughing, too.
“You should’ve seen your face,” Kris says with a shake of his head. “It was like I kicked your puppy or kitten or whatever.”
She giggles and her hands go to her blushed cheeks. “Oh my gosh, you know I wasn’t actually upset, Kris.”
“Well, I don’t know, it’s been, what? Like…a bunch of years-“ Katy laughs. Kris frowns. “Math is hard! It’s harder when you don’t know the numbers you’re adding - er - subtracting.”
“I think it’s been around seven or eight,” Katy offers with a sigh.
“Whoa!” Startled, Kris drags one shoe across the gravel of the lot as he pulls-up short. He shoots a gaping look at her. “Seriously? I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
“Yeah,” Katy says with a hesitant nod. “I was a freshman and you were with that…girl.”
Confusion screws up Kris’s expression. He stares at Katy for a few seconds before it dawns on him who she is referring to. He sighs as he fishes his cars keys out of his jeans pocket. “Well now, I really do want a drink,” he mutters, with a roll of his eyes.
“Didn’t work out with her, huh?”
Kris shakes his head, and he puffs out another sigh. “You have no idea,” he grumbles as he jabs a thumb against the key-ring button, which unlocks his green Focus.
“This is your car?,” Katy deadpans.
“Yeah,” Kris replies, distracted, as he sets the guitar in the trunk. “Don’t bang on her too hard, something might fall off.”
Katy giggles and runs a hand over the edge of the hood where there are a couple dings courtesy of his discourteous neighbor. Kris pauses before going to open the passenger-side door. He looks between her and the old beater car.
“I’m guessing you’re used to something a little nicer,” Kris says. Katy gawks at him.
“I didn’t say that,” she evenly replies, with a slow shake of her head.
Kris gives her a knowing, lopsided smirk. “Your shoes do.”
She scoffs in disbelief. “Since when do you know shoes?”
“Um,” Kris muses. Her brow rises as he braces himself on the car door and lifts up his foot. “Come on, look. PF Flyers - old, banged up, lime green Focus.” He nods to his car. His foot drops back to the rocks; there’s a crunch upon impact. He points at her feet, which he can barely make out in the light coming from the bar signs. “Fancy, black heel things that fit your feet like a glove - uh, probably the Mercedes.” He glances around to make sure there isn’t another expensive, out-of-place car that he missed. “Definitely the Mercedes.”
Katy puts her hands on her hips, and she clicks her tongue. “Not bad, Allen.” Marching around him, she looks him up and down in admiration before dropping into the passenger seat. “But this’ll do.”
Kris presses a hand to his chest and bows. “I am so honored as to be the one to drive you, ma’am,” he comically drawls.
Katy snorts. She drops her head back to the seat and lets out a cackle. Soon, Kris is laughing, too.
“What the heck was that?,” Katy asks as she fans herself.
Kris shrugs. “Sarcasm is one of the perks to knowing me.”
Composing herself, Katy’s expression becomes sly. “Close that door before you have me rolling out of it, Captain Yuck Yuck.”
Smirking, Kris shuts the door. He heads around the car to hop into the driver’s seat. They trade smiles as he starts the engine. The car rumbles to life. The radio blares out a few seconds of light rock music before Kris has a chance to turn it off. Katy just giggles. Her perpetual happiness is infectious. It cures his exhausted, sour mood.
When Kris drives out of the lot, a realization hits him. “Am I going to need bring you back, here?,” he asks. He internally wishes that she’ll say “no,” but he is willing to make the trek back, if he has to.
“I can just call for a cab.”
Oh, thank goodness. “Are you staying at a hotel?”
“Yep.”
“Really?” Kris figured they were close enough to Jacksonville that she would possibly be staying with her parents, but then, he reminds himself that she is no longer a kid. “Which one?”
Katy is sheepish when she replies, “The Hilton.”
Kris’s brow frets. The Hilton? But… “That’s, like, twenty minutes away in the other direction.” And it’s also pretty dang fancy.
“Yeah.”
Kris blinks. He glances quickly between her and the road. “What are you doing in Little Rock? How in the heck did you end up at the Two Brothers?”
“Mmm,” she hesitantly murmurs. “Well, I’m here on business.” She pauses before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “ And I called your mom to ask her if you were playing anywhere this week.”
Kris gawks at her. “How - How did you even know I could possibly be playing somewhere?,” he sputters in disbelief. He’s only been performing his music live, in public, for a couple years.
“I’ve been keeping up with some people from high school.”
“Oh.”
It’s beyond Kris why she would be asking people from high school about him; they only dated for about a year, and never reconnected. He’s also not sure why he suddenly feels guilty for not keeping up with Katy’s life - another consequence of him being lazy? Maybe. But he’s too tired to ponder this, right now. He needs to watch the road.
“So,” Kris begins after a moment of silence passes. “What’ve you been up to for the past…seven years?” He grimaces. “Wow. Sorry, that sounded so lame.”
Katy smiles. “No, it’s okay.” She sighs. “Well, let’s see, I finished my Bachelor’s in three years and then, I got my Law degree-“
Kris listens intently, throwing out a question here and there, as Katy talks for the remainder of the drive. Well, most of the drive, anyway. He spends the last couple of minutes describing his dead-end job, but neglects to mention the college drama that led to him having such a poor performance record on the academic front.
“I’ve got the first round,” Katy quips as they pull into a spot on the street outside of the low-key, run-down, neighborhood bar known as The Matchbox.
Kris laughs. “That might be the only round,” he mumbles. He climbs out of the car, and he stretches his back with a sigh. When he rounds the front end of the Focus, Katy is already opening her door, which he holds for her.
“Look at you,” she breathes, “all chivalrous and sweet, even when you should be telling the crazy lady to go sulk in her hotel room, and let you get some sleep.”
“Cheap alcohol is cheap alcohol, and a pretty lady is a pretty lady,” Kris says pointedly as she steps out of the car.
“Ooo,” Katy coos. “I feel enlightened.”
“I know, right?”
The bar is empty - well, almost empty. The two resident drunks are in attendance, as is the usual, bored waitress and the chatty bartender. Kris gets a few nods of recognition, which he returns. He’s certain the jaw of one patron just nearly hit the bar top upon seeing Katy in her little, black dress. Kris empathizes with the dumbstruck reaction.
“I don’t know if you’d want to tell me or not, since it seemed like a touchy subject,” Katy says uneasily, after they’ve found a table and ordered drinks. “But what happened with…?” Her voice trails off. She clearly doesn’t remember the name of his ex. Kris doesn’t fault her; it’s been a while.
“Angela,” Kris supplies with a slow nod. “Well, we were engaged-“
“Seriously?,” Katy blurts, eyes going wide. “Sorry, I just - She was just so - Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine,” Kris replies with another, understanding nod. “I know where you’re coming from. She was…” he ponders how to best say this, “difficult.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.”
Kris winces. “Yeah. You know, I’m still really sorry-“
“Kris, it was nearly eight years ago.”
He sighs. “I know, but I’ve always regretted that night. You - I mean, we were just talking and-“
“I remember,” Katy quickly interrupts. Clearly, she doesn’t want to talk about his ex’s crazy freak out at a frat party from eight years ago. The ill-fated night was the last time he saw Katy, before now.
The drinks arrive and Kris earnestly takes a chug of his beer. His eyes close as he swallows hard. He doesn’t want to think about that night, either. He shakes off the memory.
“Anyway, we got engaged after senior year-“
Katy chuckles. “You skipped a few years, there.”
“Yeah, well…” Why does he feel the need to explain himself? And why does this seem like more of a confession than a story?
“She took real good care of me after I got sick, and it - it just felt right, at the time, you know?”
Katy sips her drink. With a curious look, she tilts her head. “Sick, how?”
Kris puffs a sigh. Why did he even bring it up? She doesn’t need to hear this.
“I went on a mission trip to Morocco, and I caught this rare case of hepatitis.” Katy’s eyes boggle. Kris can’t meet her gaze when he adds, “I almost died.”
“Oh my gosh!” Katy’s arm shoots out across the table to place a comforting hand on his wrist. “Kris, that’s terrible! Are you okay, now?”
He simply nods. He’s unresponsive to her touch, but grateful. Thinking back, he remembers lying on his death bed of a dirt floor. It’s a chilling thought that makes him want to down the rest of his beer, and he does.
Pulling his hand away, Kris flags down the waitress for another bottle. “Anyway,” he continues, “I was sick for a while. I lost a bunch of weight.”
Kris gestures to himself with a downward glance. For being the chubby kid throughout his childhood, and then the jock by the end of high school, he sure doesn’t look it, anymore. He’s rather thin - toned, but thin.
“Angie stuck with me through all of the recovery and pushed me to finish college. Then, well, the next rational step was marriage, I guess.” Kris rubs a hand over the back of his neck; regret knots in his stomach.
Katy just stares at him. She looks flabbergasted. Kris notices that over half of her drink is gone.
“It didn’t work out, though,” he says with a sigh. “It would’ve never worked out. I broke it off. I felt kind of guilty. I realized that I was never as in love with her as she was with me.”
Katy sits back. “Well, that’s dramatic.”
“I know, right?”
“You say that more than me,” Katy interjects with a light, sardonic snort. She polishes off her drink.
Kris gives her a fleeting, weak smile. He shakes his head. “It was all so ridiculous. I don’t even know why…” No, Katy does not need to hear anymore of his sob story. He heaves the biggest sigh yet. “I don’t suppose you’ve been as lucky in love,” he mutters and picks up his Killian’s.
Her pretty, red lips press into a thin line as she shakes her head at him. “There hasn’t been much of anything on the love front for me.”
Kris is shocked. “Really? I don’t know if I believe that.”
“Why not?”
“Well, have you looked in the mirror, lately?”
Katy laughs. “Oh my gosh, Kris, just because I’m hot...”
He grins appreciatively. “Well, at least you know it.”
Katy smirks. She then sighs and stirs her refill. “No fiancées, no near-death experiences, no torrid love affairs.” She pokes herself in the chest; her brow goes to an exaggerated height. “Not a whole lot of love for this gal.”
“Shocks the heck out of me,” Kris says, shaking his head.
Katy giggles. She takes a sip from her glass. “Mmm, I think this is where you’re supposed to tell me that it’s because I’m not like most girls.”
Kris grins, lopsided. “You don’t need me to tell you that.”
“I still like to hear it,” Katy slyly replies.
He laughs. This is amazing. How went from feeling like utter crap to being genuinely happy, so quickly, he doesn’t know, but that is exactly what has happened. “You’re definitely special,” he says, backhandedly.
Katy rolls her eyes and smiles. They both chuckle. And then they both sigh. The coincidences startle Kris, and he lifts his bottle to his lips. This night could not get any weirder.
And then it does.
“Do you want to dance?,” Katy asks, out of the blue.
Kris nearly chokes on his beer. He swallows, quickly. “Seriously?,” he prompts, with wide eyes.
Katy softly smiles at him. A pang of want rocks through Kris - it’s something he hasn’t felt in a while.
“Come on,” she says and stands, holding a hand out to him.
With a sheepish grin, Kris takes her hand and rises to his feet. He makes light of how the touch of her fingers gives him a nostalgic thrill, and he turns to lead them to the empty, standing room side of the tiny bar.
They settle into a stance that’s something straight out of a high school prom - his hands resting on her hips and her arms wrapping his neck, to cross at her wrists. It feels good to have her in his hold. They sway slowly. Kris is unable to break his tender stare into her hazel eyes. Katy’s smile weakens, and she shyly drops her gaze.
“It feels weird to have you looking at me like that.”
Kris frets his brow. “Like, what?”
“Like…” Her voice trails off, and she shrugs. “I don’t know,” she admits, shaking her head.
Mildly nervous, due to the response on his tongue, Kris swallows to wet his suddenly parched throat.
“I missed you,” he says quietly. He’s not sure if the confession would’ve slipped out if he wasn’t tired and slightly inebriated, but it doesn’t make his words any less true.
Katy’s hips stall. She raises her eyes to meet his. Kris sheepishly rolls his lips together, and he shrugs. It makes her smile. Color rises into her cheeks. She blinks and her eyes become hooded. The song playing on the old jukebox shifts to another slow, soft rock ballad. Katy’s arms leave Kris’s neck. She steps forward to embrace him, resting the side of her face to his shoulder. Kris is stunned. His arms hang in the air for a moment before he wraps her to him. Loose and calm, his body sways along when her hips tip.
This night is just full of surprises.
Kris appreciates the closeness. Having Katy in his arms is, suddenly, the best feeling in the world, and he never would have dreamed of such a thing before, now. He isn’t even nervous. His breathing is relaxed and deep. Her heartbeat is strong and steady where her neck meets his collarbone. It’s a quiet moment, and Kris slowly takes in each sense. He’s tipsy and wants to remember this in the morning.
The staleness of the bar vaguely masks the airy smell of her perfume and the sweet scent of her hair, which is softer to the touch than he remembers. Her warmth numbs his exhausted bones; it makes him feel at peace. He can’t help himself when he peeks past his arms, which limply hold the small of her back, to see how the dress she’s wearing clings to her curvy body. He doesn’t realize that he’s leaning for the look until she giggles - the sound sends a delightful buzz through him.
“I hope you’re not fallin’ asleep on me, now,” Katy muses. Her hands go to his upper arms, where her nails bite at his short sleeves. She tips her head back to grin at him.
Kris gives her a lopsided smile. “Nope,” he quips. “I was checking you out.”
She lightly snorts and shifts her weight; their knees brush together. “Like a library book or a porno?”
“Well,” Kris replies with a laugh, “I was thinkin’ it’s more like checkin’ out the Hot Chick.”
Katy grimaces, but the smile never leaves her lips. “That was a terrible movie.”
“I don’t even remember that being a movie.”
“That’s because it was really bad.” Katy draws out the “ree-“ in “really” as she rolls her exaggerated, wide eyes. She tosses her hair back for emphasis.
Kris’s expression brightens. “Do that, again.”
Perplexed, Katy tilts her head to the side. “Do what, again?”
“That sexy hair move,” Kris says. He lolls his head, trying to mimic her movement and failing.
Katy smirks. Her hands go to his front as she slowly leans back, arching in his arms. She tosses her honey blond mane, twice. Desire makes Kris ache as he watches her in lazy awe. He’s glad the bar is practically empty, or she likely would have garnered some heckling. Instead, the only sounds are the cheesy music and his breath hitching. She grips gently at his chest and brings herself back. Some hair falls in her face. Kris’s pulse thuds at a painful rate.
“Like that?,” Katy quietly asks. She flattens her palms to his chest and smoothes out his t-shirt.
Kris realizes his mouth is hanging open, and he licks his lower lip. His voice is low and deep when he says, “Do you know how beautiful you are?”
Katy smiles. “That was an abrupt change of subject, Kristopher.” She’s blushing.
He chuckles as his face heats up, too. “Mmm,” he murmurs. “I’m just starting to wonder what could have happened if we’d never broken up.”
“Oh, Lord, let’s not talk about high school,” Katy says with a laugh and another toss of her hair. Her smile is intoxicating. She comes back around to him with a sneaky, one-sided scrunch of her face. “You wanna know a secret?”
“Shoot.”
Katy pushes up on the balls of her feet until her face is level with his. She drapes her arms around his neck. Kris tightens his embrace of her lower back. They trade anticipatory stares before she drawls, “I’ve been wonderin’ the same thing since I walked through that door at Two Brothers and saw you.”
Unable to bear the tension, Kris closes the gap between them and softly kisses her lips, which taste like her sweet amaretto drink mixed with lipstick. Katy reciprocates and pulls his neck forward with her arms. The kiss deepens, and it holds until the jukebox switches to some classic rock.
Breathless, Katy rests her forehead against his flushed cheek as they both quietly pant. Kris’s eyes slip closed. He savors the moment and lets out a satisfied sigh. He brushes his pink lips over her temple. Her fingers trail to his neck, and she run her nails over the strong muscle, there.
“You wanna know another secret?,” Katy asks. He can hear the smile in her voice.
Kris chuckles. “Only if I get to kiss you, again.”
“One day, some night - that’s going to be you on that jukebox.”
Kris‘s face screws up in disbelief as he tries to keep himself from laughing at the absurdity of her words.
“I don’t think that jukebox can handle hell and earth freezing over.”
Katy pulls back to look at him with a soft expression. “Do you know how gifted you are?,” she asks, with an even stare. “You have talent for days.”
Kris doesn’t feel like laughing, anymore. He shyly drops his gaze and presses his lips together. “Thank you,” he whispers. “That means a lot.”
“One more secret,” Katy whispers back, and Kris’s head snaps up. He’s not sure how much more of this he can take before he’s asking her back to his place.
Katy’s eyelids have gone to half-mast. Kris leans in, and their lips meet. Hungrily, Kris pulls several kisses out of her before she’s smiling and ducking away to catch her breath.
“What is it?” Kris asks, chasing her forehead with his own.
Katy hesitantly swallows. Her hands grip either side of his face and slide downward to massage his neck. She raises her gaze, and she presses a kiss to his cheek. Her lips find his ear. He knows he’s in love when she breathes, “I missed you, too.”