Chapter 1
Taylor’s eyes searched the smoky nightclub. They finally stopped on the girl he found the prettiest. The girl he was determined would be his by the end of the night. He sized her up, deciding that her hair, what had made him take a second look at her in the first place, was definitely her best feature. It was straight and blond cascading half way down her back with a thin fringe of bangs slightly dampened by the sweat dancing had cause along her forehead. A few beads of sweat placed strategically around the rest of her face made her irresistible in Taylor’s mind. He also liked the looks of her slightly flushed cheeks and the way she smiled and laughed as she danced with her friends.
He eased his way closer to her to get a look at what she was wearing. A pink baby doll T-shirt and jeans with embroidered flowers on the back left pocket. Not exactly what he thought of as nightclub attire, but he decided it fitted her well.
‘She looks innocent’ he thought and then proceeded to wonder why that thought crossed his mind. ‘Maybe I’ll be able to change that’ he thought a twisted smile creeping onto his lips.
He began turning over ways to approach her in his mind. As always he cursed himself for being only 19 and not old enough to offer her a drink. Then miraculously he watched as she whispered something to one of her friends and went to sit at a table by the side of dance floor alone.
He made his way over to her table never taking his eyes off of her. He made it all the way to the stool beside her without her noticing she was being approached. “Mind if I sit here?” he asked over the sound of the music blaring from the floor.
She glanced over at him. “No, not at all” she offered him a smile before turning her attention back to the dance floor. He noticed her do a double take back to him and then eye him closely as he sat down. She bit her lip as if trying to decide what to say next. Finally she smiled when she made her decision. “Anyone ever tell you that you look just like Taylor Hanson?” she asked.
“Yeah, I get that a lot” he smiled coyly. She laughed and then turned her head back to the dance floor for a moment. Taylor kept his mouth shut and his eyes trained to where hers were looking not knowing exactly what to say next.
“My name’s Christine” she finally turned back to him and engaged the conversation. “You?”
“I’m Taylor,” he said purposely evading his eyes from hers for about 30 seconds. Then he turned back to her with that patented Taylor grin he had come to learn melted many girls.
“You mean…?” her voice trailed off. He nodded simply. “Wow” she breathed. “I’m a big fan.”
“Cool, thanks” he offered her a smile.
“So what is Taylor Hanson doing at a cheesy night club in downtown Chicago?” she finally asked.
“Well, we’re in town for about a week, and I got sick of the family. I left the hotel and somehow wound up here looking for pretty girls” he finished in a somewhat seductive voice. She blushed a little and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “What about yourself. You from around here?”
“No, I’m from Michigan actually. My brother lives down here, but he’s away on business so I came down with a few friends to invade his apartment” she explained. “So tell me, did you find any pretty girls?”
“Only the prettiest one in the area” he laid on the Taylor charm.
“So I guess what they say about you is true?” Christine asked.
“What’s that?” he wondered.
“That you’re nothing but a big flirt” she told him. Taylor grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
“So, how old are you?” he finally asked.
“I just turned 20 last week” she told him. This little trip is kind of like a pro-longed celebration. So yes, that makes me six months older than you.” She finished with a grin.
“Oh, so you know my exact age then?” he asked.
“I told you I was a big fan” she explained.
“Oh, so you know everything about me and I won’t have to talk. I just get to sit back and listen to you tell me your life story?” he asked.
“Well, I don’t know if that’s quite fair” she told him. “But somehow I don’t think you’re a very negotiable person, so what would you like to know about me?”
“I don’t know, just tell me about yourself” he said. So Christine told Taylor a little about herself, and he always had some sort of remark for it. It ended up being a two-way conversation unlike he had suggested.
“Gosh, it’s loud in here” Christine yelled over the music after they had been talking for about 10 minutes.
“Yeah, tell me about it” Taylor agreed. Then suddenly his eyes lit up. “Hey, the hotel we’re staying at is just a couple blocks away. It would be a much quieter place to talk” he suggested.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve only just met you and all,” she said.
“Come on” he stood up and grabbed one of her hands. “I promise I don’t bite…usually.”
She grinned and blushed again. “Well, maybe for just a little bit. I'm kind of tired and I know my friends are planning to stay here late anyway” she finally agreed. “Let me go tell them real quick.”
“Great, I’ll wait for you right here” he said.
Soon Christine found Taylor again and they made their way out of the club and into the slightly chilly late September air. Taylor put an arm around her and pulled her close claiming it was for warmth, but Christine knew he had ulterior motives. She didn’t mind though.
They made the short walk to the fancy hotel, into the lobby, and then headed for the elevator shaft. Taylor noticed Christine take a hesitant pause before stepping on the elevator with him. But on the way up to his room she seemed to relax a bit.
When they reached their desired floor he took her hand and led her to his room. He slipped the key card from his back pocket and in the slot and they entered the room. “Do you want anything to drink?” he asked.
“Sure, any kind of pop is fine” she answered sinking into the couch as he headed for the mini-kitchen.
He brought back two cans of coke and joined her on the couch. “So, now that you know all about me, tell me what it’s like to be Taylor Hanson” Christine smiled and said.
Taylor entertained her with hilarious stories from the road. The trouble they always seemed to get into from hotel managers. The psycho stalker fans. And about concerts where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Christine listened enjoying every minute of every story.
“Can I ask you something?” Taylor said after a lull in the conversation.
“Of course” she answered.
“I-I want to kiss you. I have for a while” he sounded a bit nervous, but still managed to lay on the seductiveness in his voice.
“Okay” Christine whispered.
Slowly he leaned into her until their lips met. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into a laying down position. He then opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and simultaneously maneuvered his legs so he was completely on top of her. He pulled away from her a minute and looked her in the eye as if for permission. She gave him an almost passionate look, and he figured that meant he could continue.
His hands drifted to her hips as their lips met again. They stayed put for a few minutes, but then almost instinctively they started slowly up her stomach her shirt coming with it.
When her shirt had almost reached her first rib Christine suddenly pulled away with a scared look on her face. “Taylor stop” she pleaded.
Taylor leaned up a little bit about to give ‘come on baby lighten up’ speech except the only thing that could come out “I’m sorry.”
“Shit, what am I doing?” Christine asked no one in particular and wiggled out from underneath him. She headed straight for the door stopping only to pick up her purse.
“Wait Christine, please, I’m sorry” Taylor begged her. She turned and looked him in the eyes.
“Listen Taylor, I’m sorry to lead you on, but I am not like that in the least and I have to go now” she told him.
“Unfortunately I am,” he said under his breath feeling he owed her the truth.
“You mean you brought me here just so you could screw with me?” she asked bitterly.
“No, I swear that’s not it. I brought you here because you were a pretty girl and I wanted to talk to you and get to know you a little. Then I was going to see where things led to,” he admitted. “But normally if a girl had led me on and then stopped like that I would be pissed off right now, but instead I feel nothing but guiltiness, and you have to believe me when I say I’m so sorry.”
“Well I’m glad your sorry, but I have to leave now,” she told him matter of factually and turned for the door again.
“Wait Christine, stop please. I usually don’t use tactics like this, but you are one of the most amazing girls I’ve ever met. I don’t want you to leave and never see you again. How long are you going to be in town? Please let me take you out to show you how sorry I am. I have to see you again,” he said with pleading eyes.
“Taylor, don’t make this harder than it already is” she begged tears were brimming in her eyes.
“But it doesn’t that hard. There are plenty of ways for us to keep in touch if we wanted to. I’ve done it before, I can do it again” he told her.
Christine thought it over silently for a minute. Then she grabbed a pen out of her purse. She took Taylor’s hand and wrote a number on it. “This is the number to my brother’s apartment. If you really are serious about this call me tomorrow around noon” she said.
“I’ll do that,” he said softly. She let him give her a short kiss before she turned and left the room.
