Page 39 of Behind the Bars

The second the door was unlocked, I hurried out of thecar.

“Call me when it’s time to pick you up, okay, Snow White? And,Elliott?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes?”

He gave me a bright smile. “I’ll check out those songs you sent me.” Then his face turned to a scowl. “And keep your hands out of your pants, and off Jasmine, or else I’ll murder you. Okay,bye!”

As he drove off, I stood there, a bit terrified of Ray’s final words, but still starstruck too. It was an odd moment to say theleast.

“Ignore him,” Jasmine told me. “He’s alltalk.”

“Yeah, but just to be safe, don’t be surprised if I don’t touch you, like, ever. Come on, we’re gonna be late to thesteamboat.”

“A steamboat?” Jasmine asked as we walked down BourbonStreet.

“Yeah, it’s called the Steamboat Natchez. It kind of t-takes you around New Orleans and you see all thesights.”

“Oh, howcool.”

“Yeah. They do live jazz music and stuff on the boat too. I think you’ll likeit.”

“I’ll love it.” She nudged me in the arm and grinned. “I know what Ray said about bowties, but I like your regulartie.”

My face heated up, and I looked at her the way Katie said I always looked at her. “Thanks. I like your, uh,everything.”

She laughed and linked her arm with mine. “Thanks,Eli.”

I wasn’t sure if she noticed, but I definitely stopped breathing—partly because we were linked together, mostly because I feared Ray was somehow watchingus.

Once it came time to board the ship, we sat in the dining hall as the crew served us a latelunch.

“I’ve never done anything this cool,” she told me. “It’s pretty sad, though, seeing how Hurricane Katrina ruined somuch.”

“Yeah, but it’s a strong city. Rebuilding was the onlychoice.”

“Was your family affected by thestorm?”

“No, but a lot of our neighbors were. We were some of the lucky ones. Others in the neighborhood, not somuch.”

“I can’t imagine.” She pushed her food around on her plate and shook her head. “But it must be nice, ya know, to have a city you callhome.”

“Maybe this can be your new home,” I told her. “Maybe a home isn’t where you begin, but where you endup.”

“I like that.” She grinned. “Maybe.” She shifted around in her seat and I watched her frown. “Elliott? Can I ask you something? Why would you want to take me out on a date after…everything you found out about Todd’sparties?”

“The only things I want to find out about you are things you tell me. I couldn’t care less what other people think orsay.”

“But I told you what I did with thoseboys.”

“For me,” I argued. “You did that to try to protect me—and by the way, no offense, but please never stand up for me in that way ever, ever again. I’d rather get beat up for the rest of my life than ever have you put in thatsituation.”

She nodded andagreed.

Before we could talk more, one of the musicians in the jazz band came and tapped me on theshoulder.

“It’s time,” hesaid.

“What’s happening?” Jasmineasked.

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