Fame (Except Not) [GxG Fanfic]

Thirteen

"So," Anna says. "What are you doing tonight? Where is it you were going?"

I look at her, wondering why we aren't talking about how she's touching my hand. "A friend's party," I say.

"Oh," she says, then sits there for a moment. "Um, do you want me to come with you?"

I hesitate, and think about that. I actually stop and think. "Maybe," I say, uncertainly.

She smiles a little. She seems to find that funny. "Only maybe?" she says. "I'd have thought..."

"Maybe," I say firmly.

"Um," Anna says, sounding surprised. "Why?"

"Does you coming with me in any way change how likely we are to kiss again?"

Anna starts to smile. "And who says I want to do that?" she says.

I look down at our hands.

"Oh yeah," she says, still smiling.

"So does it?" I say. "Change how likely that is?"

She thinks, or pretends to think anyway, still sitting there smiling.

"Well?" I say, feeling impatient.

"It changes it a bit, maybe," she says.

"I'm not trying to be pushy," I say quickly.

"Oh really?" she says.

"I'm truly not. And if you don't want to..."

That hangs there for a moment. Anna keeps looking at me. She looks, and doesn't answer, but her hand also doesn't move away from mine.

"Well, if you don't want to," I say. "Then that's fine."

Anna looks a little sceptical.

I sigh. "I'd rather you wanted to. Obviously. Of course I would. But I'm just trying to think about this sensibly. To be clever about keeping secrets, yeah? Because if you did want to again, or even if you only maybe wanted to, and if you want it to stay a secret, too, then maybe we shouldn't be going places together. That's all. Since everyone in the bar will remember that you were there with me."

"Oh yeah," Anna says.

"I'm just trying to help," I say. "I'm trying to be sensible."

"Yeah," Anna says. "I see."

"So, should we be worrying about that?" I say.

Anna looks at me, thinking, and I'm suddenly not sure whether I'm assuming too much. Maybe she doesn't want to kiss me again. Maybe she didn't like it. Maybe she thinks I'm a terrible kisser, and maybe I am. Or maybe she's decided to go back to only kissing famous people, because they just kiss better. Who knows?

Maybe when she offered to go with me, just then, she was simply being nice, and offering to let me show her off to my friends, to say thank you for lending her the dress.

Maybe all of that. I'm not sure.

"Well?" I say. "Asshole. Don't just leave me waiting...?"

Anna laughs. She actually laughs. "Yeah," she says. "Actually, perhaps you're right. Perhaps we shouldn't go to a party together, after all."