Andre Read Online Free PDF Page A

I read what he wrote—“I like you more than I should.” A vision of Andre flashes in my head. Forbidden lovers.
    Eric’s right to be worried. He’s in charge of my lab grade, and the best-case scenario for me if we got caught having a relationship would be I’d have to repeat the class, and no matter what he’d lose his job. I slide the note back to him and ask, “Friends?”
    He returns his gaze to me. “Yes.”
    This time I do stand up and grab my food. “I don’t really want to take this class twice,” I say as I flash a quick smile before I leave to go to another table to eat. As I walk away, I picture Andre in my head again, and I push the image out. Eric’s right, he’s a townie. My bones thud against a hardwood chair as I sit at a table. A townie with the deepest blue eyes... oh my god! I gulp a mouthful of my coffee, and it scalds my tongue as I force myself to think about Eric’s brown eyes. So warm and inviting. Blue eyes are definitely overrated.
    When I finish my breakfast, I go to the library to study. I have an essay to write for British Literature. Beowulf requires my full attention, and it’s a welcome reprieve from my boy troubles. I make a good dent in my homework before it’s time to meet up with Andre.
    After a quick change into a cute outfit, I head to the garage. While my heart dares to wish it will just be the two of us, my head hopes Jake is there too. According to Ginny, he was the one that suggested Andre and I work on duets to add to our line-up since our voices are so well matched.
    The parking lot is nearly full when I arrive, and I park in a space out of the way like Ginny instructed, so paying customers can have the good spots. By the time I get to the door, my thighs sting from the cold. Leggings under boots were probably not the best choice. I welcome the warmth when I enter the waiting room, and the receptionist lets me by when I tell her I’m part of the band Second Sound and here to rehearse.
    The faint music of Andre’s guitar carries to me as I approach. It’s a slow melody, and he glances up at me when I enter the room. He doesn’t stop playing, and I walk as quietly as I can toward him. I even take care to remove my outdoor clothing so I can enjoy the song. When he’s done, I say, “That was beautiful, and so sad. What is it?”
    “Something I’m working on.”
    “Do you have lyrics?”
    He shakes his head and reaches in his bag for sheet music. He hands the songs to me and says, “I’m going to get us some water.”
    “Okay.” After he leaves, I glance at the music on his stand. The handwritten notes are the music I just heard. I sing the tune while memorizing the notes before me. I don’t want to forget it.
    Once I’m done, I sing the songs we’re going to run through as I wait for Andre to return. I raise my voice when he walks through the door. It’s a classic ballad, and I expect him to join in. Instead Andre comes over to stand next to me to read the music. I hand it to him, because I know all the words. We pick our way through as if it’s the first time he’s ever sung the song.
    When we’re done, I frown as I ask, “Don’t you know that one?”
    “No. I’m not from around here.”
    Right. He’s from the North Pole or something. I gaze at the mystery man. All I really know about him is that he’s a werebear, and that scares the hell out of me. I reach for the rest of the music, and papers flutter to the ground when I knock them off the stand. We both crouch down to pick them up, but I snatch them up quickly to avoid reliving the attraction I felt last night when he touched me. I pretend it works, even though my skin is tingling as if it’s begging for him.
    When we get to another Andre doesn’t recognize, I say, “I have an idea.” I pull my phone out, and my fingers tap on the screen as I work on pulling up a video of the tune. “Let’s listen to the original version of the ones you don’t know so you can get a feel for them