Dinner wracked Emily's nerves. She squirmed while John discussed Kelly's impending arrival with their father over pork chops.

I was hoping that I'd be able to leave before Kelly gets to the house... But it doesn't seem like that will happen...

Suzanne looked to Emily, seeming ready to discuss something other than cars. "So Emily what do you plan on doing while the three of them tinker with the brakes?"

Emily shoveled a fork full of spinach in her mouth which stalled her answer for a minute. Then she swallowed and Suzanne cocked her head expectantly at her.

"Well, I'm actually going out with Evan at eight."

Suzanne clutched the necklace by her throat, father shook his head and her brother stopped cutting his meat.

"You're kidding right? Does Kelly know?"

Emily stood up and picked up her plate. She turned away to hide her scowl and dumped her uneaten portion into the trash. She tried to keep her voice neutral.

"No. You guys have plans to work on his car and Evan asked me to go out. I don't see what the big deal is. Kelly's not my boyfriend. I don't have to ask for permission or even tell him."

"Don't give me that crap Emily!" John barked at her back.

Their father interjected. "Whoa, whoa, easy John! That's your sister you're cursing at."

"She's my sister, but he's my best friend," John said to their father.

Emily put her plate in the sink and turned to face the table. She crossed her arms. John stabbed his knife into his meat and then placed his palms flat on either side of his plate. He lowered his voice.

"He really likes you Em. The least you can do is tell him that you aren't going to be here later. He assumed he was going to hang out with you after he did his brake pads."

"Well, you know what they say about assuming."

I don't want to sound so nasty... It's just my go-to when I get defensive... I know I'm totally botching this situation...

She uncrossed her arms.

"When Kelly gets here I'll tell him in person. Happy?"

"Not exactly."

John scrubbed his hands across his face and Emily scampered out of the kitchen while his eyes were covered.

She shut her bedroom door and put on her 'Gotta Dance' playlist. It began with David Bowie. Emily sang along.

"Let's dance! Put on your red shoes and dance the blues..."

Well If you insist Mr. Jones...

She put on her black circle skirt, an Arctic Monkeys ringer tee and the red Cons she had laid out earlier.

"Let's dance! For fear tonight is all..."

With a red bandana tied around her hair like a headband, she looked at the makeup lined up on her dresser in order of necessity. Emily went down the row, using each product the way the woman at Sephora had taught her last year.

"Because my love for you, would break my heart in two..."

Red lipstick was the last thing to complete her look. The knock on her door came just as she finished applying it. She lowered the volume on The Kinks, who just invited her to "Come Dancing' and took a deep breath before she opened it.

Kelly's eyes registered grew wide when he saw her outfit. He quickly stepped into the bedroom but then seemed hesitant to touch her.

"Your brother told me I should come see you. Like coming to see you wasn't the first thing I was going to do when I got here anyway."

Emily shifted nervously and turned to put her lipstick into her purse.

Just tell him already...

"Kelly, I'm ummm... I'm going out with Evan tonight. He asked me out and since you're doing the whole brake thing with my Dad and John, I said yes."

"I see. That's who the red lipstick is for then."

He rubbed his own lips.

Kelly really does have a beautiful mouth...

"Well not exactly. I'm wearing it for me. Let's get that straight."

"Is that so?"

Kelly stepped closer.

Stop getting closer... I can't think straight when you're too close...

"Yes, I... I wear this lipstick even... even when I'm going out with just my f-friends from school."

Kelly took the final step, reached his palm up to her cheek and gently ran his thumb across her bottom lip, smudging it. He looked at his thumb.

"Hmmmm messy."

Then he bent down to further smudge her mouth with his own. His hand moved from her neck into her hair. He clutched at the bandana as he pulled her further into his embrace. Her senses began to retreat from everything around them but their kiss.

Right now there is only Kelly's body against mine...

Her ears heard the doorbell ring and the dogs barking, but they were oddly muted by her surging pulse.

It sounds like Dad is calling my name from a great distance...

Kelly broke away first. He slipped the bandana from her hair and used it to fix the smeared lipstick around her mouth.

Someone is knocking on my door...

Kelly turned the knob and then pushed past Evan while wiping the lipstick off his own mouth with her bandana. "Have fun!"

Evan glared at Kelly's retreating figure before stepping into the room. He silently watched Emily with the same expression he had last night when he saw her on the trampoline with Kelly.

Emily concentrated on taking the lipstick back out of her purse. She leaned toward the mirror above her dresser to freshen it up, then glanced at Evan's reflection behind her.

His hair slicked back with some product, looked darker tonight. His outfit, a tight black shirt and grey jeans, was dark too.

They compliment his brooding... He's too quiet...

Emily pressed her lips together to spread the fresh lipstick. Then blotted them on a piece of paper that was on her dresser.

"So where are we going? I hope I'm dressed okay."

Evan looked her up and down and put his hands in his pocket.

"You're perfect. But I'm still not telling you where we're going. It's a surprise."

His eyes narrowed as he looked around her room.

"Speaking of surprises. Your Dad and Stepmom painted your room for your birthday?"

It sounds somewhere between a statement and a question...

"Not exactly..."

She unplugged her phone, turned off the music and put it into her purse. The room was silent.

He did ask me to be honest with him...

"Kelly actually did it."

Emily picked up her denim jacket. Evan took it from her hands and held it open for her. She slipped her arms through the sleeves.  He stepped closer and pulled her hair out from the back of the jacket. Then he placed a tender kiss at the nape of her neck.

Emily reached up behind her and put her hand on Evan's neck. She stroked the soft scrub of stubble there and kept him close against her. They stood that way for a minute while their breaths synchronized. Then Evan turned his head and pressed his lips to her wrist.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

When they stepped outside, Kelly was lying under his jacked up car with her bandana tucked into his front jeans pocket. John Sr. crouched beside the car giving instructions and her brother leaned against their garage door watching.

It appears as though all three are ignoring me.. Or Evan... Or both of us...

But then Emily heard The Beatles' 'The Night Before' play from beneath Kelly's car. Paul sang, "Now today I find you have changed your mind, Treat me like you did the night before..."

Paul is singing for Kelly... But I think he's really much more of a John...

Evan's hand tightened around her own and Emily knew that he understood what Kelly was doing.

Considering how often Evan and I communicate using music... Plus the timing and the lyrics are too perfect to not be perceived as intentional... Coupled with the fact that Evan just saw The Beatles inspired room Kelly put together for me...

Evan opened the car door for Emily and her father called out to them.

"Not too late tonight. Okay Emily?"

The man that has always left things like curfew to my own sense of discretion, has just made a vaguely parental comment... Maybe I should ask him why the change tonight...

She kept her response noncommittal. "I'll try."

Emily sat and pulled her sneakers into the car just as the lyrics got to, "Last night is a night I will remember you by, when I think of things we did it makes me want to cry!"

Evan slammed the door.

He received that message loud and clear....

Emily peeked through the passenger window while Evan came around to the driver's side. Kelly was out from beneath the car, wiping his hands on his shirt and staring at her.

Evan's door slammed and she looked back at him. He leaned over to kiss her neck again.

"Don't want to mess up those beautiful red lips."

Then he started the car and pulled away.

"Not yet at least."