A Day in the Life of...

Hopelessly Devoted to You- Christian Eckes

"Stupid Harrison Burton." Isla looked over at her friend, Kaia Stenhouse. "I wanna punch him." Isla knew what her friend was going through, considering that's all she's been talking about for the last two years. Obviously, Kaia didn't just talk about Harrison, but it was a large chunk of what she talked about.
"What now?" Isla asked as they sat around Isla's room.
"He showed up at my house the other day. After he found out about my date with Sammy."
"What happened?" She asked.
"I told him to leave." Kaia replied. "Having him close just makes me act..."
"Horny." Isla finished. Kaia groaned, knowing she was right. "Listen, you and Sammy are cute together. But, you and Harrison have that sexual chemistry that is off the charts. You'll have to choose."
"Ugh. I hate that you're right."
"I'm always right. I have to actually do some work now." Isla was a senior at High Point and had a pile of homework to finish.
"Ugh, fine. I'm going to go get ready for my date with Sammy and avoid any calls or text from Harrison. Coffee tomorrow?"
"Absolutely." They said their goodbyes before Kaia got up and left Isla's apartment. Isla turned back to her homework that had piled up on her desk before getting started on it. She had just finish one assignment when her phone chimed. It was a text from Christian Eckes. Isla's heart started beating against her rib cage. She looked at the text, telling her to call him. She dialed his number.
"Hey, Walker!" Christian said when he answered.
"What's up?"
"Some of the other guys were wondering if you wanted to join us tonight. They want to go to some karaoke bar."
"You doing karaoke? I can't imagine it." She said with a laugh.
"Not exactly my thing, but I'll go if you go."
"I'm kind of busy and all. Homework."
"Come on, Isla. It's your 21st birthday."
"You remember my birthday?" Isla was surprised.
"Of course I did. So, you in?" Isla thought about it.
"I'm in."
"Awesome. Everyone is going at around 8:30." Isla looked at the time. 7:49.
"I guess I'll get ready."
"I'll see you there." They hung up before Isla quickly called Kaia.
"I just left, what possibly could have happened..."
"I just got off the phone with Christian."
"Eckes?"
"Who else?"
"What happened?" Kaia knew all about Isla's crush on Christian.
"He asked me if I wanted to come out with him tonight?"
"Like a date?"
"I don't think so. Others are going."
"It's a start! Are you going to tell him?"
"I don't know. I never thought this would even happen. I have to get ready now."
"Let me know how it goes, okay?"
"I will." They hung up before Isla headed over to her closet to find the perfect outfit. She grabbed her chunky boots from the bottom of her closet, the Earnhardt t-shirt she had cropped and a black skort from her dresser. She got dressed and fixed her hair. Isla kept it down, letting the ends dance around her shoulders. She put some makeup on before calling an Uber. The ride to the bar had Isla's nerves on high alert. Isla stood outside the bar way longer than she wanted to before heading inside. Isla couldn't believe that she was doing this, but she was was. She kept telling herself that she was doing it for Christian. She looked around the bar, hoping to see any familiar faces. Isla finally spotted Tyler Ankrum and Tanner Gray standing on the opposite end of the bar.
"Walker's here!" Tanner yelled as Isla approached the group. "Couldn't sneak Stenhouse in with you?" He asked, drapping his arm around Isla's shoulders. Everyone knows those two had been inseparable since Kaia moved back.
"Nah, she has a date tonight."
"I heard her and Smith were getting cozy, much to Burton's demay."
"He's been brooding for weeks now."
"Well, he fucked up there, didn't he?" Isla looked around the group. "Am I seriously the only girl here?"
"No, they're over picking karaoke songs."
"And Christian? He said he'd come if I did."
"He's late." Tyler said, taking a sip of his drink. "As usual." Isla only nodded her head.
"I'm going to pick a song I guess." The guys nodded before Isla left. Isla headed over to where the girls were.
"Isla!" Olivia gave the other Truck Series intern a hug. "I'm so glad you made it! Did Tanner invite you? Tyler invited me."
"Actually, Christian did."
"Oh really? We though for sure he was going to ask Blair."
"What do you mean?" The other girls turned to look at her. "Why would he ask her?"
"Look at him and look at her. They would make the hottest couple." Tessa said. "She's basically model already and he could definitely be one."
"That makes me feel real good." Isla muttered as she started flipping through the song book.
"What are you going to pick?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know. Taylor or Olivia?"
"Rodrigo?"
"Newton-John."
"The girl from Grease?" Isla only nodded. She made her choice before they headed back. Corey Heim and Christian had joined the group by the time they came back.
"You clean up nicely, Walker." Christian said, looking at Isla.
"It's just a shirt and a skirt."
"Take the compliment." He said with a smile.
"Thanks. You clean up nicely too."
"It's just a shirt and jeans." He said with a wink.
"Quit flirting with Walker and let us buy her drinks!" Tyler said, grabbing Isla by the arm. Without thinking, Isla grabbed Christian's hand and pulled him behind her. "You are not paying for a thing tonight, Walker since it is your birthday. What will be your drink of choice?"
"Just a vodka  cran will be fine." The bartender nodded. Isla turned to Christian. "What do you want?"
"A beer is fine." They got their drinks before it was Tessa's turn for karaoke.
"I'm glad you came."
"I'm glad I did. It beats sit at home waiting for a phone call from my parents which won't come."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated and..."
"The party has arrived!" Isla looked past Christian, seeing Blair walking over.
"Great." She muttered.
"I'm a little hurt none of you told me you guys were coming." She said  immediately hanging herself on Christian.
"How did you find out?"
"Tanner, the sweet dummy, posted on Snapchat. Christian, you should have told me."
"Forgot, sorry." Christian looked over at Isla. Isla looked down at the glass in her hand.
"Help me pick a song for karaoke, Isla." Blair said, grabbing her arm. Before she was pulled away, Isla handed her glass to Christian. "Are you singing?"
"Uh, yeah." Isla watched as Blair flipped through the book. "What were you thinking..."
"Who invited you out?" She asked.
"Uh, Christian did."
"Interesting."
"Why?" Blair looked over at Isla.
"Sweet naive, Isla Walker. I hope you don't think this means he actually likes you."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"He's mine. It's only a matter of time. He's hot, I'm hot."
"Okay..."
"Don't think about trying anything, sweetie."
"Noted." Isla left her alone, heading back to the group.
"Is everything okay?" Christian asked when Isla came back. He handed back her drink.
"Yeah, everything is fine." Isla took a big drink from her glass.
"Slow down, Walker." Christian said with a laugh. Blair came back, attaching herself to Christian's side again.
"Christian, let's get me a drink."
"Uh, okay." Blair dragged Christian over to the bar.
"This is great." She muttered. "Absolutely great." Olivia came bounding over to Isla.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
"Tyler asked me out. Like out out. Like a on a date."
"That's great, Liv."
"How's it going with Christian?" Isla pointed to the bar where he was with Blair. "She has no morals what so ever." Isla said nothing. It was finally Isla's turn for karaoke.
"Wish me luck." Isla got up on the stage before the music started. "Guess mine is not the first heart broken. My eyes are not the first to cry
I'm not the first to know. There's just no getting over you..." Isla got lost in the song, pouring everything she had out in her karaoke performance. When the song was over, Isla couldn't get off the stage fast enough.
"Isla." She looked over at Christian. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm great actually." Isla ordered another drink, Tanner paying for it. She took a long drink, almost emptying the glass. Isla watched as a Blair pulled Christian away to the dance floor.
"Don't mope, Walker." Tanner said.
"They look perfect together, don't they?"
"Who?"
"Christian and the wannabe model."
"You're not jealous of her, are you Walker?"
"Me jealous?" Isla let out an unconvincing laugh as she took a drink.
"You are. I think the only reason you came out instead of staying at home, doing homework, and watching Grease for the millionth time is because of him."
"Tanner..."
"He's not going to know how you feel if you let girls like Blair Anderson steal him."
"I think I'm going to get going."
"You can't run, Isla."
"Good night, Tanner." Isla set her empty glass on the bar before heading to the door. Isla pulled her phone out of her purse to get an Uber.
"You're leaving?" Isla looked over at Christian. He must have seen her head outside.
"I'm just not in the partying mood anymore."
"Did I do something?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm just trying to figure what is going on here and..."
"You should probably going back inside to Blair."
"What does Blair have anything to do with what's going on?"
"She likes you, Christian. She wants to date you. Makes perfect sense for you two to date."
"I don't want to date her, Isla."
"What do you want, Christian? You ask me to come out tonight and don't spend any time around me and..."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you? I like you. A lot. Like to the point where I have rejected going out with other guys just in the hopes that you'd want to date me. Clearly, I misread any signs that made me think you felt the same."
"Isla."
"All you see me as is Connor Walker's baby sister and it sucks."
"Come on, Isla. I don't see you like that."
"Please, just let me wallow in my self pity right now." Isla turned away from him, leaning against the outside wall.
"Do you think I invited you out for the hell of it, Isla? I've been trying to tell you how I felt because I didn't know how you felt. People usually don't sing Hopelessly Devoted to You for karaoke." Isla said nothing, letting his confession sink in. "I also told the guys not to invite Blair because I knew she'd get in the way."
"You like me."
"Of course. I thought that was clear." Isla laughed. "What's so funny?"
"I just thought you were being nice." It was now Christian's turn to laugh. Christian held out his hand, Isla took it.
"I'm sorry I wasn't more clear with my feelings."
"I'm sorry too." Christian put his arm around Isla's waist, pulling her close.
"Can I..." Isla nodded, knowing exactly what was coming. He leaned down, lightly pressing his lips to hers. Isla's heart soared as she kissed him back. "Happy birthday, Walker."