 |
And
So It Goes
I spoke
to you in cautious tones
But
if my silence made you leave
So
I would choose to be with you
|
After much haranguing, I managed to get both Taylor and Zac out of the pool and into their rooms to get ready. No wonder they were late to every last little thing, they just wouldn’t listen. I'm starting to believe that they actually enjoy the look of panic that crosses my face when I realize how late they're making us. They won't be happy until I have a heart attack. In interviews, they always say it's hard to get everything ready with so many people to get ready, but even when their brothers and sisters aren’t around it takes them forever to get them going. Isaac had returned to his own room by the time I got back. I have to say I was actually relieved.
Really, how many times was I going to have to send one of the boys away?
It's getting to where I'm considering locking my door when I leave. Or at least buying a 'No Hanson's Allowed' sign. I knew Ashley wasn’t joking when he said he would fire me if I screwed up one more time. He was just doing his job. And, it was probably completely my fault everything was all screwed up. But I didn’t want to get fired. I was also relieved to watch Julia leave. Of course, she was coming back later, but at least the enemy was gone for now and apparently she hadn’t gotten very much information out of Zac. As she walked out the door, I was surprised my little player didn’t even try to kiss her. Zac gave her a firm handshake and told her what time she should come back. Maybe he was saving the big guns for later... and I'm not just talking about the one in his pants. Once I knew everyone was in the process of getting ready, I quickly showered (this time I had no visitors, but then again, I locked the door) and hurriedly got dressed (in my favorite Levi cutoffs and a too tight Tulsa Rec. t-shirt).
But, as I was about to step into the main room, I stopped. I was about to be filmed by MTV, maybe I should try to make myself presentable. So I did something I very rarely do (make that almost never). I did myself up. Honestly, I don’t know how else to describe it other than, I actually coifed. In front of a mirror and everything. I straightened my crazy, curly hair (which makes it long enough for me to sit on, which is annoying especially when someone else sits on it, as Zac has done often in the past) and put on makeup (imagine my surprise to discover that indeed, I do own two different colors of lipstick and lip liner, as well as colored lip gloss. Actual colors too... none of that sissy 'beige' stuff). I also decided to actually dress up. So, I pulled on the short, red, plaid skirt Taylor had bought me earlier, a white baby shirt that said “boy friendly,” a pair of white tights, my red Mary Jane Docs and a red cashmere cardigan (does anything feel quite as good as cashmere, I don’t think so). I was dressed like a catholic school girl with a real yen for trouble. I decided I would go and borrow one of Taylor’s many crosses to finish off the ensemble. Hey, I definitely could get behind the entire Catholic schoolgirl from Hell look I had going.
I turned to check myself out in the mirror and found (much to my surprise), I looked good. I smiled at the foreign reflection before me. Wow, I really do clean up nice. Maybe there was something to be considered in this 'primping' stuff. I actually could be called beautiful. I studied myself carefully. Really, I would never be Cassandra Beauregard, but maybe I wasn’t destined to always be the girl next door. Maybe I did deserve someone as perfect as Taylor Hanson. Honestly, I don’t think I had ever looked as good as I did at that moment. It feels pretty good to be sexy. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement by the door. “Hey.” I said turning to find Zac standing in my doorway.
“Wow...” He said leaning against the doorjamb. “Cleo, you look...”
“What?” I demanded, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Zac stood in the doorway of my room with his arms crossed across his chest. He was all rock star confidence. He had on a not-too-baggy pair of cargo shorts (he really has a nice butt) and a tight Grateful Dead t-shirt. I smiled at him, Taylor isn’t the only Hanson who dresses for success. “I look stupid, don’t I?”
“You look...” He said as he walked over to the bed and sat down. The way he was looking at me matched the look he was giving Julia earlier, Zac was actually checking me out. “ You just look so...”
“What do I look like?” I asked smoothing down the pleated skirt. “I'm feeling definite stupid vibes coming from your direction."
“No, you don’t!” Zac began. “You look great. Like a girl, even.”
“Thank you, I always have aspired to look like a girl. A lifelong dream of mine.” I said running my brush through my hair one last time.
“Well, you do, but not only that, you look hot.” Zac said watching me out of the corner of his eye. “One might say you were desirable... I wouldn’t of course, but others might...”
“Of course you would never say that...” I said.
"I might say you look like a Britney video reject, but never desirable... ‘Cause if I did, you might start believing it and then Bighead Boy would have competition in the Diva department and life would become unbearable.” He said as we walked into the great room together.
“A Britney reject? Um...thanks, I suppose. No, I don’t think I could ever be as sure of myself as Taylor...” I began. “And speaking of the diva, do you think he would let me borrow a cross?” I asked literally running into him. “Oh sorry...”
"No problem... feel free to run into my ass anytime," he said, winking at me. I blushed, I actually blushed. And in front of the invading camera crew. Zac walked over to where his drums had been set up and sat down, quickly and expertly adjusting the height of the chair. He pulled some drumsticks out of their quiver and began to pound away, completely oblivious to the camera crew clamoring to catch some exclusive footage of the boy wonder. He looked up at me again and smiled. “Hey Britney, how ‘bout a dance?”
I surreptitiously flipped him off as I knocked on Taylors door. I didn’t think the camera crew caught that little gesture, but when the special aired, I discovered that indeed, they had. I didn’t hear anything from inside Tay’s room, so I turned the door handle and found it unlocked, so I walked in. We had been in this city for less than 24 hours and yet his room looked like he had lived there forever. “Tay?” I called as I waded through the piles of stuff on the floor.
“In the bathroom.” He called back. I gingerly made my way over to the bathroom door. My lord, how did this much crap come out of his luggage. I mean, he must walk into a room and just unload his suitcase onto the floor. I peered through the crack in the door and stopped short. Taylor stood in the bathroom putting the finishing touches on his hair, he just looked so good. Really, I don’t think anyone has the right to look that good. He was running some pomade through his hair which sent the muscles in his back rippling. He hadn’t put on his shirt yet, so I was treated to a view of his magnificent back and practically, perfect pecs. Seriously, his chest is a masterpiece. He had on a pair of brown jeans which fit every single curve of his legs and butt and a very cool vintage beaded, brown leather belt we had found in a thrift store back home. His eyes shifted from his reflection to mine. “Hey Cleo.”
“Hey.” I said as he turned toward me. I could feel his eyes as they slid the length of my body. I suddenly felt flustered and self conscious. “Um, yeah, I was wondering if I could borrow one of your crosses... I just thought it would go well with my Catholic school girl outfit.”
“Of course,” he said as he brushed past me. He smelled so good, I took a deep breath. I wanted to remember how he smelled. “Which one do you want?” He asked as he pulled on a dark blue t-shirt and quickly tucked it in. He was wearing the t-shirt he had bought today that read “Hanson Sucks.”
“Um, I don’t know. Which one do you think goes with this outfit?” I asked. Oh yeah, that’s it, call attention to your body, I thought.
“I have just the necklace.” He said as he walked over to one of the piles of junk on the floor and began rummaging through it. Apparently the chaos had an underlying order only he understands. Maybe it was all an elaborate filing system you had to be Jordan Taylor Hanson to understand. His mother used to joke that if she put his clothes away where they belonged he could never find them, but if she threw it on the floor, he walked right to it. “This one.” He said holding up a crude wooden cross on a leather strap. I recognized it as one Thad had given him the Christmas before he died. I had laughed at Thad’s gift, but really, Taylor had loved it. “Turn around, so I can put it on you. The clasp is pretty tricky.”
I turned and lifted my hair so he could put the necklace on me. I felt his cool fingers brushing the short hairs at the back of my neck out of way, then I felt the necklace set gently on my neck. “Thank you.” I said turning to find Taylor standing impossibly close to me.
“My pleasure.” He murmured quietly. Okay, I know I’ve spoken of my fabled vitamin deficiency before, but really there is no other good explanation for what I did next, so it must be true. I leaned forward and kissed him smack on the lips. He, of course, took this as an invitation and began to kiss me in earnest. “You’re welcome.”
I kissed him back until I realized everyone was in the other room waiting for us. I quickly turned and ran from the room. Only to this time run head first into John Norris, which deposited me on the floor on my ass. Really, it’s a good thing I was wearing tights or everyone would have gotten quite the peep show. “Oh my gosh. I am so sorry.” I said as I pulled myself up off the floor.
“Cleo, good to see you again.” John said laughing at my complete clumsiness. “You’re looking very lovely this evening.”
“Thanks.” I said smoothing out my skirt. I smiled over to Isaac who was watching me with wide eyes. “Hey Ike.”
“Wow, Cleo,” Isaac said. “You look really, really good... You look surprisingly good.”
“That’s nice.” I said. “Talk about a backhanded compliment...”
“That’s not how I meant it.” Isaac said walking over to where I was standing. “I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so good... I like it...”
“Hey Tay,” Zac said as Taylor came out of his room, basically saving Isaac from my wrath. “When did you start wearing that shade of lipstick?”
I turned to look at Taylor and sure enough, he had ruby red lips to match my own. I looked back over to where Isaac and Zac were sitting. They were both looking at me with very puzzled expressions. “Whatever, Cleo just gave me a quick kiss to thank me for the necklace. Really, if we had been making out, I’d have it all over...”
Wow, that was a nice save.
“Okay, well, let’s head down to the room we’ve set up for the interview.” John said to no one in particular. “I hope you haven’t eaten yet, cause we thought I’d interview you over dinner. Make it seem even more informal, you know make it seem like we’re just having pleasant dinner conversation...”
“Sounds cool.” Zac said, smiling slyly at me.
“Good, I’m starving.” Isaac said shooting me a look of confusion and anger. I tried smiling, but I’m sure my mouth looked more like a grimace than an actual smile.
We all began to shuffle out of the room, leaving part of the MTV crew to set up the remaining lights and sound equipment. I was the last to leave the room. John, Taylor and Isaac were all standing at the elevator, but Zac was waiting for me. “See. I told you.”
“Told me what?” I asked.
“I told you that you loved Tay, it was just a matter of you realizing it.” He said slinging his arm around my shoulders.
“I am not in love with Taylor.” I said trying to slip away from him, but really he was like a boa constrictor. He was impossible to escape if he really wanted you under his control.
“And, really, it looks like we have another player in the family...”
“Tay is not a player....”
“Oh, I didn’t mean Taylor.” He said laughing at me.