Page 27 of Your Rhythm
I give him a once over. “You like The Kooks?”
“Who doesn’t? I’ve seen them play four times.”
“Four? Lucky. I’ve only caught them once, at Osheaga one year.”
We slip into a conversation about the band that leads into one about another band and then another, until eventually we’re discussing the entire current state of indie rock in Britain. Matt turns out to have impeccable taste, and I even enjoy when we disagree over a few groups and fire off insults at each other until we find someone else to discuss. I don’t even notice the time flying by until Lily lurches over with the brunette in tow, both of them giggling.
“Me and Emily are heading out now, Kay.” She leans forwards to whisper to me in a voice that comes out loud enough for everyone around us to hear. “She’s nineteen, Kay! She still lives in a dorm, so we have to go back to mine.”
I lean forward too, mocking her secretive tone. “Actually Lily, you can’t take her back to yours. I have to go back to yours.”
“Oh riiiiight,” she groans. She glances beside us and spots Matt trying to hold in a laugh. “Just go home with him.”
She wiggles her fingers at Matt and he wiggles his back.
“Yeah, Kay, just go home with me,” he whisper-yells.
Lily beams at him and I glare.
“Lily, you’re seriously doing this to me?” I demand, not caring if Emily overhears us anymore.
Matt cuts in. “Actually, Kay, we have two doubles at our hotel. From the looks of things at the pub, I don’t think Ace is coming back tonight, and I don’t mind crashing with JP and Cole, so you could have the other room.”
I don’t hesitate. “I’m not taking your hotel room.”
Lily doesn’t seem to have heard my answer. “Awesome! We’re gonna go now. Have fun, Kay. He’s hot.”
She turns and grabs Emily by the hand, stumbling away before I can give her a firm ‘no.’
“Wait!” I shout. “Lily, get the hell back here! LILY!”
Matt’s having a laugh attack behind me. “She,” he chokes out, “is something.”
“Oh she’ssomethingall right,” I mutter darkly. “I’m going after her.”
“Kay, wait.” He reaches for my elbow. “Why don’t you just take the room? You can yell at her for being a shitty friend tomorrow. I’m pretty sure it’s not going to make much of a difference right now.”
“I’mnottaking your hotel room,” I repeat. “I’m not kicking you out and taking an entire double room for myself just because Lily is the worst host ever.”
“So don’t kick me out, then.”
I blink. “Are you... Are you sugge—”
“Calm yourself, Kay.” He gives me a look that makes me anything but calm. “I’m suggesting you take one bed and I take the other. Or you take both and I room with JP and Cole—whatever you want. I’m just not leaving you in a bar with nowhere to go.”
“Or I could go to Lily’s place and kick the nineteen year-old out.”
Matt’s already walking away.
“Or you could follow me one block up the street,” he calls, “and have a whole room to yourself. Come on.”
By the time we make it to the hotel and up to the fifth floor, I’m still refusing to take the room. Matt just forges on ahead, swiping his key card at a door down the hall and peering inside.
“Yeah, no sign of Ace. He had a girl in his lap when I left the pub, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be occupied until morning. I’ll text him and tell him I need the room.” He steps back and sweeps his hand towards the doorway. “All yours.”
“Matt...”
I’ve finally caught up to him. We stand on either side of the door. His face is flushed from the cold outside and I know mine must be too. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears as the space between us narrows and the smell of him, sharp and masculine, seems like something solid, wrapping itself around me and pulling me closer.
