The Spectrum Force by Heather Ray (summer books .TXT) 📖

"So," Keith said, pulling out Tamara's chair for her, "what were you doing in Zellberg? Rehearsing your play?"

"Actually, yes," she answered, following him with her steady gaze as he took his own seat. She leaned her elbows on the edge of the circular table, her gentle and disarming smile lighting up her features. "The play opens in about two weeks, so we're trying our best to get as much practice time in as possible."

"So, what's the play about?" Keith inquired.

Tamara giggled slightly. "Okay, here's the deal: there's this guy Frederic, who was accidentally sent to become an apprentice to a pirate."

"Accidentally?" Keith repeated, his eyebrow rising.

Tamara's shoulders quivered slightly with repressed laughter. "Yeah. You see, his nursemaid was supposed to see that he was apprenticed to a pilot

, but she misheard Frederic's mother's request. So he was indentured to serve as a pirate's apprentice until his twenty-first birthday."

"Sucks for him," Keith chuckled.

"It only gets worse

," Tamara continued animatedly, "You see, once Frederic reaches twenty-one, he bids farewell to his pirate cohorts, deciding it's time for him to give up crime since he was no longer under contract. But the Pirate King Richard brings to Frederic's attention that on his twenty-first birthday he'd be free from the contract... and he was born on February 29th."

Keith's smile widened, and he rolled his eyes. "Frederic's luck just keeps getting better!"

Tamara was giggling openly now, holding her hand to her lips. "So, the rest of the story deals with Frederic's attempt to get out of the contract, as well as a division of loyalty that develops. You see, he winds up torn between loyalty to the pirates he grew up with, or the family of the woman he falls in love with."

"And let me guess," Keith said with a charming grin, "you're the woman he falls in love with?"

Tamara nodded silently, averting her gaze slightly.

"It figures."

Keith watched as Tamara's soft pink color rose on her cheeks again. She was simply captivating, with an innocence that seemed to gush from every pore in her being.

She was so completely charming, and she wasn't even trying

. It must have been a natural ability of hers.

"Welcome to Xando's Coffee Shoppe," the waitress greeted, stepping beside the table, "May I take your order?"

"Yeah, I'll have a vanilla cappuccino," Keith requested.

"Hot chocolate, please," Tamara stated with a smile, "With whipped cream?"

"You got it," the waitress said, collecting the menus. She then left, leaving Tamara and Keith in silence once again.

"So, where are you from?" Keith inquired, his eyebrows rising with interest, "The Carolinas?"

She smiled. "Georgia, actually. Let me guess... my accent gave it away?"

Keith nodded.

"Well, I live in Atlanta," Tamara extrapolated, "It's just me and my parents. My dad works in Human Resources for the Coca-Cola bottler in Atlanta, and my mother is a costume designer for various stage productions. She's actually the one who put together my Titania costume."

"Quite an impressive job," Keith said truthfully.

"Yeah, it's such a fabulous costume," Tamara agreed, "I just love

theater! I grew up with it... so it's almost in my blood. It wasn't a hard decision for me to take up theater arts, and I wanted to come to Langstrum Alps because there's so much culture

here! I want to take advantage of it."

Her smile was almost nostalgic as she played with her silverware. She then lifted her mocha gaze, and smiled inquiringly at her companion. "How about you?"

"What?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"Anything in particular?"

"No. Whatever comes to mind."

Keith was silent for a few moments, as he folded his hands atop the table. "Well, I'm from Austin Texas. I have two siblings, one older brother and one younger sister, and both my parents. I'm a junior..."

"A junior?" Tamara repeated, her eyes wide.

Keith shrugged. "Yeah, I'm gettin' up there. I hit my second decade of life in April."

Tamara smiled once again, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes narrowed slightly, almost as if she were placing Keith under heavy scrutiny.

"Don't feel bad," she assured him with a mischievous grin, "You don't look a day over eighteen."

The two laughed together for a moment, while the waitress placed two steaming mugs on the table. After a few moments, Tamara began stirring her beverage, and licked the whipped cream from the spoon.

"You know, that wasn't really the information I was looking for," she informed him with a half-smile.

"You did say whatever comes to mind," Keith pointed out.

"True, but I was hoping to get a bit more than your bio. Like... what are your dreams?"

Keith blinked at the completely unanticipated question.

"What do you mean?" he asked, almost cautiously.

"Do you have dreams, Keith?" Tamara inquired in her smooth, lightly accented voice, "I know you must, because everyone has a dream. Is there something you want you life to contain? Is there a passion that you want to pursue? A fantasy you'd like to come true? What's the driving force that pushes your life forward?"

Keith bit his lip, leaning back into his seat and stirring his cappuccino slowly. Tamara pursed her lips, once again averting her penetrating gaze from her companion.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, almost laughing at herself, "That's kind of a weighted question to discuss over a cup of coffee. I guess... I just like to get to know people, and the greatest insight a person can have to another's mind is through their dreams, their goals... what they cherish most in life."

Keith chuckled a moment, shaking his head in amazement as he lifted his mug to take a sip.

"You certainly don't have to answer," Tamara persisted, "Just forget it."

"No!" Keith stated suddenly, "Actually, I'm kind of glad you asked. I just... never really gave it much thought."

He tapped his chin as the pair continued drinking their beverages in silence. Finally, he sighed quietly.

"You know... I don't have a dream," Keith admitted, "I never realized it before, but I don't have a clear goal. I'm a business management major, but that doesn't say much. I guess I'll take over my Dad's company some day, but that's not really my goal. It's more like... my responsibility. I guess... I guess I'm still trying to find myself. Figure out what's really 'me,' if that makes any sense."

Tamara nodded, her brow wrinkled with interest. "It makes perfect sense," she assured him.

"I think that's why I came to California. I just had to get away... separate myself from the little, secluded world I grew up in. Live my own life, before I'm forced to live my father's life. Sometimes, it just feels like it doesn't matter what I want in life. It's like... I have no choice."

He then paused his stream of consciousness, and dramatically touched his forehead with his fingertips. His smile broadened. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you don't want to hear all this..."

"I'm enjoying it," Tamara contradicted, "I'm having a great time."

"Me too," Keith admitted, "but next time I take you out, it'll have to be a nicer place than just a coffee shop."

Tamara raised an eyebrow. "You're assuming we'll go out again."

Keith blinked in surprise. "Shouldn't I?"

She smiled at his discomfort. "Well, you could ask

me first. You know, humor me by making me feel like I have some sort of agency."

Keith chuckled. "Okay... may I please have the honor of taking you out for dinner on Friday?"

Tamara smiled in reply. "It's a date."

Friday, November 10th

There was a skip in his step as Keith casually strolled from the elevator to his apartment. He loosened his burgundy tie and released the top button of his white dress shirt.

He was simply on top of the world.

Unconsciously, he hummed the familiar tune that always brought the object of his affection to mind. Not that he needed help to divert his attention to her.

It was almost frightening how quickly he had fallen for Tamara Fox. He'd only known her for a week and a half, but he couldn't get her gleaming smile out of his mind. Or her delectable sense of humor. Her sharp wit. The grace and elegance that exuded from her, no matter what act she performed.

He continued humming as he fished through his pocket for the key. He pushed open the door, and his eyes widened when he saw both Rachel and Craig sitting on the couch, their attention drawn to the television screen.

Both looked up when they heard the door open, and immediately leapt to their feet.

"So," Craig said, glancing at the wall clock, "it's past eleven. And you left at seven-thirty."

Keith nodded, shedding his blazer. "Yeah. And?"

"And

?!" Rachel repeated, folding her arms, "C'mon, Keith! Fill us in!"

"What happened?" Craig asked with a half-smile. He took a few steps back, and sank deeply into the couch, "We're not letting you go to sleep until you start talking."

"Craig..." "Don't even think about it," Craig interrupted, "Considering all that Celine Dion you've been subjecting me to, the least you can do is satiate my curiosity!"

Keith exhaled deeply, tossed his blazer onto the back of the lounge chair, and sat down heavily. He cracked an amused smile as both Craig and Rachel fixed their total attention on him.

"Well, we went to Mario's," Keith began.

"Wow," Craig interrupted, "Mario's on a first date? You must really like her!"

"I think that's already established," Rachel contributed, leaning forward, "So, what did you talk about?"

Keith shrugged. "Well... everything. Whatever came to mind. School, our families, travel... even our long-term goals."

Rachel blinked. "Since when did you

have any goals?"

"Ha, ha," Keith muttered sarcastically, "For your information, I have been thinking about what I'm planning on doing for the rest of my life."

"Incredible," Craig whistled, "This girl's really having an effect on you!"

"What did you do after dinner?" Rachel demanded.

Keith squirmed slightly. "Jeez, you guys are so nosy

!"

"That's what friends are for, my man," Craig responded smugly.

"We walked around downtown for a while. There was a jazz band playing in the park, so we sat in on the outdoor concert. Then we got some coffee at Xando."