Page 2 of I'm Your Baby Tonight

"I'm not from here. We're just in town for the concert."

"That's too bad." She turns back to her now full tray of drinks, lifting it easily and balancing it on one hand.

Think Mike.

"At least let me get your phone number so we can set up a date in the future." I don't add that I plan on seeing her sooner than she expects.

She gives me a slight smile, "Let me pass out your drinks."

She skillfully weaves her way through the crowd and out to the patio, pushing the door open with one hip without spilling a drop of alcohol. She stops at my table and passes out the glasses. "Can I get you gentlemen anything else?" Her eyes make contact with mine before passing over to the rest of the guys, and I hold my breath as I wait to see if she'll give me her phone number. A chorus of no thank you comes from our table. "Okay, I'll leave you to your drinks. Just let me know if you need anything else." Her eyes land back on mine, and she nods.

I spend the next hour watching her move from table to table, bringing round after round of drinks to the jovial customers as they talk about the big concert tonight when an idea strikes me. "We should probably get going," I say. But when the guys give me a confused look I add, "We want to get a good parking spot." It's a weak excuse, but it will have to do if I want to get these guys out of here and initiate my plan.

Erica walks by our table, and I motion for her to come over, "Can we get our check?" Her face falls at my request, and I secretly hope it's because she's not ready to see me go yet.

"Um, sure." She says, tearing off the bill and placing it in a black check holder, "I'll pick it up whenever you're ready." Her eyes search mine before she finally walks away.

I pick up the check holder and pay the tab, adding a hundred-dollar bill for a tip and an extra ticket to tonight's Billy Joel concert before closing it and placing it back on the table. When I found out Chad couldn't make the concert, I was going to scalp his ticket, but now it will come to better use.

I can only hope she shows up—if not for me, at least for Billy Joel.

three

Erica

This is crazy. What was I thinking about coming here? Sure, the lure of the free concert ticket was too much to resist. But what if the jerk Doug left the extra ticket and not Mike?

Relax, Erica. This isn't a date. It doesn't matter who left the ticket. You're in control—you can leave whenever you want.

I glance down at my denim bibs and pink tank top. They're definitely casual, not a date outfit. I pat my French braids one more time before pulling the ticket out of my purse and handing it to the security guard, proving that I belong in the floor seating—the first row, to be exact.

Which is something else I don't understand. They could have easily scalped this ticket for five times what they paid for it—why would one of them give it to me?

The security guard shines his flashlight on my ticket stub, then nods and moves out of the way so I can pass by him. I work my way through the crowd, reaching the front row in record time.

"You came." Mike stands, motioning me to take the aisle seat next to him. "Would you like something to drink?"

The snort comes out of nowhere. "Sorry." I cover my nose and mouth with my hand. " You caught me off guard with that question. I'm normally the one asking if someone wants a drink."

"It's time someone waited on you for a change." he smiles, and my heart flutters. I've missed having someone take care of me.

After my long-term boyfriend from high school broke up with me, we went our separate ways to different colleges. I've been so focused on my nursing degree that I haven't taken the time to date.

Needing a distraction from how his smile spikes my heart rate, I say, "Thanks for the concert ticket—you didn't have to. I mean, I appreciate it, but it's too expensive. Let me pay you for it." I reach into my purse, getting ready to pull out my tip money from today. Sure, the three hundred dollars I made in that short three-hour shift would come in handy for my moving expenses. But this will be so much better.

His hand closes over mine, giving my body goosebumps. "No, the ticket was going to go to waste anyway. Chad canceled at the last minute. And before you say we could have scalped the ticket, I much prefer sitting next to you than some random stranger."

"But isn't that what I am—a random stranger?"

"I was hoping we could be more than random strangers by the time the night is over with." The possessive gleam in his eyes should make me run for the exit, but instead, I find myself wanting to get to know Mike better.

"I think I'd like that."

The main lights go down, and the stage lights come up, shining on the Piano Man himself. The crowd jumps to its feet, their chairs long forgotten, as they push closer to the stage until I feel like a sardine squished in a tin can.

"Here." Mike maneuvers himself behind me and braces his hands on the stage in front of us cocooning me in his arms as he keeps the other concert goes behind us. "I'll make sure no one pushes you into the stage," he says against my ear.

Before I can thank him, someone bumps into his back, causing him to lurch forward. Pressing his front into my back, I feel the hard length of him against my lower back. I feel him try to take a step back, but the crowd is too strong for him to move. "Sorry. I think we're stuck like this for the rest of the concert."

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