Roller Coaster Summer

~Chapter Eighteen~

     I arrived at Jake's store just when they were all packing in the equipment. I looked at all of them and they were dressed up very nicely like they were for Carrie's wedding. I decided to wear my sky blue, sparkly strapless dress that took me forever to get the stupid zipper up with silver strap heels. I curled my hair at the ends and made my make-up natural. There weren't that many times when I got to dress up on my own since when I was at Carrie's wedding, everything was planned with what I had to look like.

     "Are we leaving soon?" I asked, making my presence known. They all look at me and had a sense of awe.

     "Jake, you'll have to be fighting for her by the end of the night." Carter said with a smile. Jake walked over to me took a full glance of what I was wearing. After he was done, he smiled and kissed me.

     "You look amazing; words cannot describe how you look right now. Let's just hope the bride doesn't get jealous." He winked at me and I lightly smacked his arm. I wasn't trying to 'out dress' anyone. Once all the stuff was ready, we climbed in the van with me in the front since I was the only lady and I didn't want to ruin my dress. It took an hour and a half to get there but the sky was still bright as day.

     When they were setting up all of the drums and microphone, speakers and what-not, I just sat on the edge of the stage as people started to find their way to the deck where the dinner and dancing would be.

     I do love cruises in New York City but I had to admit, this setting was beautiful. We were all on a deck over a small lake and there were trees after the lake, making it look very peaceful. There were small, white twinkling lights around the perimeter of the deck in the air and all of them were brought into the middle for one big center of lights. There were a bunch of white candles in small boats by the lake that will probably be lit and floated out when it got darker, which would be in less then two hours. The place is overall beautiful and amazing for the party after the wedding.

     People's glances would wonder over here to see what we were doing and I saw some teenage girls giggle when they saw the guys. I felt someone poke my leg, making me get out of my thoughts.

     I looked down and saw a little boy looking absolutely adorable in a tux; I guessed he was the ring bear. "Hi, honey." I bent lower so I could speak to him.

     He smiled and then just ran away. I couldn't help but laugh.

     "Haha, I'm guessing I will have to fight for you tonight after all!" Jake said as he sat next to me and looked at the little boy looking at me from where he sat.

     "Yup, but, I must say, that little boy was very cute." I bumped my shoulder against his and laced my fingers through his.

     "We're going to start once all the food is done." He said after kissing my head and then the food was arriving and being served.

~*~*~

     "And he says... Our song is the slamming screen door, sneakin' out late tapping on your window. When you're on the phone and you talk read slow 'cause its late and your mama don't know.

     "Our song is the way you laugh. The first date 'man I didn't kiss her and I should have' and when I got home... 'fore I said amen asking God if he could play it again..."

     When I was done singing Our Song by Taylor Swift, people clapped and then the dancers went back to their seats and people waited to see what we were going to sing next. "Okay, this next song is for your loved ones who may, or may not, have died young."

     The guys start a little and then I start singing If I Die Young by The Band Perry. It was a perfect song for people to slow dance to even though it wasn't really a love song.

     "If I die young, bury me in satin lay me down on a, bed of roses; sink me in the river, at dawn. Send me away with the words of a love song. The sharp knife of a short life, well I've had, just enough time. And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom. I'm as green as the ring on my little, cold finger, I've never known the lovin' of a man but it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand; there's a boy here in town says he'll, love my forever. Who would have thought forever could be severed by the sharp knife of a short life; well I've had, just enough time.

     "So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls. What I never did is done."

     After that song was over, Ronnie and the band were going to play another slow song that I didn't know at all so I just decided to sit on the bench by the piano. I saw, from the corner of my eye, some glances from Jake every once in awhile and I smiled to him.

     Suddenly I felt a tap on my knee and I looked down to see the little ring bear in front of me again. "Hi, sweetheart." I smiled at him.

     He stretched out his hand and said, "Dance." In the cutest way possible. I let him lead me to the dance floor and I picked him up so we could be at eye level. I held his little hand in my mine and I swayed back and forth. When the song was almost done, his mother came over to us and took several pictures; she told me she was thankful that I was kind enough to dance with him. I told her it was no problem; he was the cutest boy I've ever seen.

     When the next song came on, he wouldn't let me put him down so I just danced with him again, singing a little bit for just him. "So, what's your name?"

     "Stephen." He said with a big grin on his face. He had short brown hair and green eyes, he looked about four years old and he was very sweet, not stubborn or anything.

     "Well, hello there, Stephen. I'm Elena, but you can call me Layna if you want. How old are you?" I asked quietly.

     "This many." He put up four fingers and I was correct. He rested his head on my shoulder when we were done talking and I looked at a near by clock and saw that it was already ten at night. I felt little Stephen's breathing slow down and deepen so I knew he was fast asleep. I couldn't help but smile and kept swaying with the music until the song was over. When it was, I took him over to his mother and she just smiled when I walked over to her.

     "Thank you so much, he's always had a thing for beautiful blondes." She carefully took him from my arms and rested him on her lap.

     "No problem, I've always had a weakness for cute little boys." I smiled and then walked back over to the stage. They were trying to figure what song to do next.

     Some child, around ten or so, said we should play and sing Don't Stop Believin' by The Journey. Ronnie put it into consideration but he said that we didn't have a piano player or else it wouldn't be complete. "I could do it." I said and then they all looked at me.

     "Wow, a lady with many talents; I like it." Ronnie said and then smiled. Jake motioned for me to go over to him.

     "Singing and playing the piano. You surprise me more and more every day." He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

     "Well I don't want to keep you comfortable now, do I?" I whispered against his lips. When I had to get over to the piano, I started off and then people started going onto the dance floor and immediately knew what song it was just by the little piano solo.

     When Ronnie was singing, I sang along with him because I used to be obsessed with this song when I was just a pre-teen.

     Once the party was ending and we, well the guys, were packing up the equipment in the van, I saw Jake leaning against the side of it and I went over and wrapped my arms around his waist. "It was so fun tonight; I'm going to have to start traveling with you guys now."

     "No duh, you're amazing, Elena! So many talents I didn't even know, I want to know everything about you." He dropped his hands to my hips and made me look up at him.

     "Well you're going to have to stay for awhile because there's a lot more than you think." I smiled and tilted my head to kiss him. When I pulled away, his fingers lightly traced my cheek bones down to my jaw and then back up. I closed my eyes to savor his touch.

     I knew at that moment, I was falling in love with him. It scared me so bad because I didn't know if he was feeling the same about me.