Early Friday evening, I descend from the climbing wall into Gavin’s open arms.

“Gross, hon, I’m hot and sweaty,” I say, pushing out of his hug, which only seems to encourage him.

“Maybe I like you this way,” he whispers, lifting me off my feet.

Giggling, I kiss him as he lets my body slowly slide down his. Trying to ignore the desire that pulses through me, I attempt to focus on something practical. “Want to grab a bite to eat?”

“I can’t. I have band rehearsal at Ryan’s. You still planning to come tomorrow night?”

Missing his show last weekend still makes me feel bad. I can’t believe I’ve never seen him perform. The fact that he was so understanding about why I missed it doesn’t make me feel any better.

“Hell, yes, I’m coming.” The guys are playing a big Halloween bash at one of the frat houses.

“Are you planning to dress up? You know it’s a costume party, right?”

“Yeah, Jenna said she’d get me something to wear.” Shit. I could end up looking like a pole dancer if I’m not careful. “But thanks for reminding me.”

When I get home, I think the pole dancer concept was probably a conservative inspiration for the strips of fabric Jenna has left on my bed.

“Jenna, get in here!” I yell. The sound of her fuzzy slippers crossing the hardwood floor stops in my doorway. “You must be doing crack if you think I’m wearing this tomorrow night.”

Dani joins her, and they look at each other and laugh.

“Yeah, I know. I’m totally kidding. Just wanted to see what you’d do.” Jenna is still grinning when she hands me a brown paper bag.

I purse my lips, hoping this will be an improvement. Opening the bag tentatively, I reach in and pull out white spankies, a short orange skirt and a cropped top that says Tigers.

“Go Tigers!” Jenna jumps up down and does a little dance straight out of Bring It On that makes me laugh. “I have your pom-pons in my room.”

I bite my lip, wondering if I could pull this off. This outfit is pretty revealing. I’m not sure I want to waltz around a frat house in spankies, but Jenna, sensing my reluctance, sidles up to me and throws her arm across my shoulders.

“Your man is going to think you’re so super-duper hot, he’s not going to know what to do with himself. Trust me!” She nods her head dramatically.

“Really?” I hadn’t thought about that. I guess I do want to look good for Gavin. “What are you going to wear?”

“I’m dressing up as every guy’s wet dream.” She shimmies seductively, and her mini-me Dani grins.

“Eww, Jenna.” Covering my ears like what she says is painful, I scrunch my face. “Do I want to know what that means?”

Jenna looks at me like I’m an idiot. “Princess Leia, you know, in that gold bikini slave outfit.” I nod like this makes sense. “Oh, and don’t forget the best part! The handcuffs!”

“Because she’s captured by Jabba the Hutt until Han Solo rescues her,” Dani explains.

I roll my eyes. Sure, that’s why Jenna needs handcuffs.

* * *

The basement of the fraternity house is packed with people. Everyone is carrying a red or blue plastic cup that’s spilling over with beer. I know because it keeps landing on me.

“Sorry, sweet thing,” one very muscly guy says as he splashes me with Budweiser. Gross.

I shake my arm to get it off, and Jenna laughs.

“What’s so funny? The fact that I’m getting doused in cheap beer?”

“No, the look on Gavin’s face when that guy started talking to you.” She points to the other side of the room where the guys are setting up their gear.

“What do you mean?”

Gavin is on the makeshift stage helping Kade assemble his drums.

“He looked protective or maybe jealous. Probably both. It was precious.”

She holds up her cup to toast. I give her a look and clink my plastic cup in return.

Jenna looks gorgeous tonight. Her hair is twisted into a complicated braid that hangs over her shoulder. Only she could pull off extensions. And she’s totally rocking the slave outfit. I’d be mortified to have that much skin exposed, but she looks comfortable and doesn’t seem to mind that most of the male audience is checking her out.

I felt a little silly dressing as a cheerleader, but once I got here and looked around, I realized my costume is pretty tame. There are devil girls, naughty nurses, and a whole assortment of girls in lingerie. In contrast, I actually look a little wholesome with my hair pulled up into a high ponytail.

When Ryan takes the stage, he’s changed out of his Han Solo costume and is wearing a fitted black t-shirt and jeans. Glancing over at Jenna, I laugh.

“Do you ever get tired of eye-fucking your boyfriend?”

Her brow perks up.

“Do I look like I get tired of eye-fucking my boyfriend? Besides, you should talk. Looks like you’re about to eat Gavin whole, although he does look pretty scrumptious tonight.”

Gavin showed up tonight dressed as a football player. I spent four years trying to get over a jock only to find out that Gavin was the starting QB at his old high school. Figures. And Jenna is more than pleased with herself that she was able to coordinate our costumes to surprise me. Before Gavin got on stage, though, he took off his shoulder pads and jersey and is wearing a t-shirt with those snug white football pants that make him look delectable.

Girls start squealing when Ryan grabs the mic and introduces the band. I have to admit he’s pretty cute with his blond hair all spiked up, but then Gavin starts strumming, and everyone goes crazy and pushes forward. By the time Kade kicks in with the drums, this place is insane.

It’s a fast, driving beat, and Ryan croons into the mic and owns the stage, strutting seductively. A girl next to me audibly gasps when he looks in our direction. I might tease Jenna about how much she ogles Ryan, but he can’t keep his eyes off her either. I’m almost embarrassed to watch them, but two years of accidentally walking in on them screwing on every surface imaginable has almost made me immune.

When Gavin kicks in for the harmony, I almost lose it. His voice is deeper than Ryan’s and rougher. He sounds more primal. Sexier. When he looks at me, I fan myself, and he winks. I can’t wait to get him home.

Jenna and I start dancing, and I’m lost in the music, in the way Gavin harmonizes with Ryan, until a flash of skin catches my eye. In the front row, some girl… she… she…

People are swaying and dancing, and I’m stock still.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jenna wraps her arm around me. “Girls flash the guys at every show. They’re used to it.”

“Uh, I’m not.” I’m so fucking not.

Jenna nods like she has a secret to tell me and leans in to whisper, “That’s why you should always come to the shows and be sure to give your boy a show of his own afterward.” She lifts her hand and makes a crude gesture against her mouth.

“Jenna!”

She laughs and grins wickedly. I shake my head, embarrassed.

My roommate might brag about sexing up her man after his shows, but I know they’re deeper than that, and I think Gavin and I are too.

When the clapping dies down, Ryan grins. “Thanks for the love, but I need to warn you, ladies. I’m not responsible for what my girl over there does if she catches another eyeful.” He laughs into the mic, and everyone laughs with him.

After another half hour, we’re good and sweaty from dancing, and I’m sporting a decent buzz. Jenna and I keep giggling, watching our beautiful boys perform, and I have to warn her a couple of times when she gets dangerously close to flashing her Jabba the Hutts.

The music stops, and Ryan shifts to the side of the stage and picks up another guitar as Gavin walks up to the mic. He clears his throat and grins. “This one is for Clementine, that hot cheerleader over there. It’s called Golden Girl.”

He nods toward me, and I could drop dead. Everyone turns to stare at me as Jenna yanks on my arm, jumping up and down.

Gavin reaches for a smaller acoustic guitar and starts strumming.

Holy crap, he wrote me a song.

It’s a ballad. As moody chords fill the room, I think back to my birthday and how I hid behind the lyrics of a song. Or the night we sang at the dorms and how much I hoped he was feeling the words we were singing as much as I was.

His eyes lock with mine, and the heat behind them makes me grab on to Jenna’s arm for balance. And then he starts to sing.

Golden girl, you’ve put a spell on me,

With whispered words that I can see

I can’t walk away after all of this

You sealed my fate with that first kiss

Golden girl, you have no idea

You’ve put a knockout spell on me

Golden girl, I can hardly breathe

I can see it, what we can be… Golden girl

Golden girl, I’ve got those lips memorized

You know I’ll never say goodbye

Cause your name is carved into my heart

I’ve loved you, girl, right from the start

Golden girl, you have no idea

You’ve put a knockout spell on me

Golden girl, I can hardly breathe

I can see it, what we can be… Golden girl

Golden girl, I’m lost up in that smile

You feel so perfect, you feel so right

I won’t lie, I am addicted to you

You’ve got my heart in your hands, yes you do…

Don’t try to fight it

I won’t walk away

I cannot deny it

I got a thing for you, baby

Don’t try to fight it

I won’t walk away

I will never hide it

I promise I’ll stay

Golden girl, you have no idea

You’ve put a knockout spell on me

Golden girl, I can hardly breathe

I can see it, what we can be… Golden girl

When the music stops, the crowd starts cheering, and some blonde in leopard-print lingerie leans over to me and yells, “How did you snag Gavin Murphy? I’m so jealous!”

Jenna is grinning, screaming for the band, but she takes one look at me and stops. “Are you crying?”

“No,” I say, sniffling, trying my best to hold it in.

“Oh, man. You have it just as bad, huh?” She hugs me and I nod. “Does this mean I have someone to come to all of their shows with me?”

“Hell, yes. Especially if he’s going to write me songs. God.” I dab at the corners of my eyes, trying not to mess up my mascara.

Jenna looks like she’s debating something when she whispers, “I don’t want to make you feel bad about this because I know you had a lot going on, but he sang this song for you last weekend.”

But I wasn’t there. Shit.

As the weight of that sinks in, I’m overwhelmed.

He was going to tell me he loved me first.