Page 359 of Rock Me All Night
"Tom give you a hard time or anything?" he asks.
Technically, yes. But that's not the question. "No, he's been great. He talked to Hazel about hiring me as her assistant."
Drew beams. "You're gonna stay?"
I nod. "Yeah."
Drew's still posture softens. "I'm glad you're here, Wil. If you need anything, let me know. Anything."
Okay. He's calm enough I can tease. "What if I need condoms?"
Drew throws me acome onlook. He must be in a good mood. It's usually pretty easy to get a rise out of him.
"I hope that joke means you trust me," he says.
"Enough."
"Good. I've missed you. I'm not gonna fuck this up." He nods goodnight then joins Kara in one of the bunk beds.
Those things are tiny. The two of them barely fit.
I finishBringing up Babyby myself. When I look up and turn my computer off, Meg and Miles are on their way to bed. They share a bunk for a while but eventually retire to separate spaces.
The giggles and mumbles of late night conversation turn to the soft breathing of sleep. The bus is quiet. Tom is on the couch, watching a movie with headphones. I guess the band's bassist, Pete, is still in the private room, sleeping or brooding or surreptitiously engaging in sexual activities.
That leaves me and Tom as good as alone. I try to stay busy color correcting portraits of my friend Cassandra. They're the kind of thing Hazel shoots but not nearly as good. I only manage to stay busy for half an hour before the couch beckons me.
I turn off my computer, put it with my things, and join Tom.
He's close. Really close. His shoulder presses against mine. The outside of his knee presses against mine. I can feel all the warmth of his body. I can hear his inhale and exhale.
"Here." He pulls an ear bud from one ear and hands it to me.
It's been ages since I've shared headphones with someone. It's sweet. Intimate.
The sounds of the film fills my ear. Soft rustling of the wind. A voice in a foreign language. The images on screen are bleak blue scenery. Snow and the empty sky.
The cable tugs. It's not meant for two people.
"This isLet The Right One In. Have you seen it?" He scoots closer, to give the headphones slack.
"No. What happened so far?"
"I'll restart it." He reaches over me. His hand brushes my stomach on its way to the remote.
"You don't have to do that." It's a waste, really. I won't be able to pay attention with Tom in such close proximity.
"It's no big deal." He restarts the film and settles into a spot on the couch next to me.
He moves closer, closer, until I'm practically in his lap.
I try to focus on the stark images of the opening credits. The movie is beautifully shot.
He pats his chest. "You can lay down. You must be tired."
"I'm not tired. Someone kept giving me caffeine."
"Blaming me for your lack of self-control? So tacky. I'm disappointed in you, Willow."
