Free Sweet Harmonies by Melanie Shawn Page B

yourself for making a pot of coffee,”
she observed.
    “ Well, you just have no idea how
satisfying it is to do things for yourself after you've had them
controlled for you your entire life!”
    Karina nodded, “Yeah, I can see that you're
really embracing independent living. Exhibit A being how you're at
my house for coffee first thing in the morning.”
    Sam dismissed this, “Oh, that's just being
social, don't be a grump.”
    Karina grimaced, “I have very few personae
available to me when I'm unexpectedly awoken prior to 7 am. Trust
me, 'grump' is the nicest one available. You're lucky you got
'grump' instead of the alternative.”
    Sam got up and poured a steaming mug of
fragrant brew for each of them. Karina leaned over the mug and
breathed in deeply. She looked up, finally ready to begin her
tale.
    “ Well, first of all,” she began, “Did
you guys realize he didn't know who I am?”
    “ What do you mean?” Sam asked,
puzzled.
    “ He didn't realize that I, Karina
Blackstone of Hope Falls, am actually Karina Black, the pop
star.”
    Sam stared at Karina without comment for a
moment, then threw back her head and began laughing
uproariously.
    “ I'm glad you think it's so hilarious,”
Karina grumbled.
    “ Was he mad or something?” Sam asked
incredulously, “That doesn't seem like him.”
    “ Right, because you know him so well,”
Karina laughed, “I can see where you would be like, 'Oh, yeah, that
reaction totally doesn't read Ryan to me. That's nothing
Ryan would ever do.' Because the two of you are so
tight.”
    “ Whatever, you know what I mean,” Sam
replied, “He just doesn't seem like the kind of guy who gets
tripped up over little things.”
    Karina shrugged, “No, actually, he didn't
seem to have much of a reaction to that, other than being
surprised. But what really freaked me out is that he actually
stepped back right in the middle of our kiss, and was like...”
    “ The middle of your what?” Sam
exclaimed, interrupting, “I have a feeling you just skipped over
the best part of the story. Go back. Rewind. He kissed you? What
kiss? How did the kiss happen?”
    “ No, he didn't kiss me,” Karina
admitted, “I kissed him, as a matter of fact. And in answer to your
last question, I'm not quite sure how it happened. But I will tell
you one thing – out of all the ways that a kiss can begin and end,
me starting the kiss and him stepping back in the middle of it is
not ideal.”
    “ Well, did he say why he stopped the
kiss?”
    Karina nodded, “Oh, sure. He was all polite
and gentlemanly and, I don't know...cowboyish about it. He was all,
'Little lady, this here isn't the right time or place for this here
kissin' to be a-happenin'...”
    Sam grimaced, “That's not how he talks.”
    Karina brushed this off, “Whatever. He said
he didn't think it was 'respectful' and that he wouldn't be able to
stop himself if he stayed in the room with me, so he left and got
back to work.”
    Sam shrugged, “I don't know, Kar, that
actually sounds kind of nice? What am I missing.”
    Karina shrugged miserably, “That's the worst
part, though, don't you see? It's like...he rejected me, but I
can't even hate him for it, because it was so gentlemanly!”
    “ Awww...” Sam said in a sympathetic
tone, “I'm sorry you feel bad, Kar. But seriously. I was watching
him give you googly eyes all day yesterday. The boy is smitten. I
don't think it was a real rejection. I'm sure he's gonna
call.”
    Karina shook her head miserably, “I, on the
other hand, have no such confidence. But it doesn't matter. I had a
lot of time for contemplation last night after he left, during
which time I was drowning my miseries. And I decided that this
thing with Ryan was a short, two day aberration. It was a fun
little adventure. I'm going to lock the experience away inside and
pull it out later to use for my songwriting. But it was clearly not
something that was meant to be long-term. Right now, I think I just
need to focus