Drumbeats into My Heart

40. Jordi and the Awesome Day

I can tell Seth is loving this, just like I knew he would. If he liked the quirky sounds I made with kitchen instruments, he was bound to fall in love with this. I can't help the ember of pride I feel for being the one to introduce him to drum circles.

His eyes are closed as his hands follow a simple pattern in tune with the primary beat. He's a natural. With lessons and practice, he'll be able to drum on his own.

When the group pauses for a break, I hand him a bottle of water. The floppy hiking hat he's wearing is a little too big and looks rumpled, like it's been sitting at the bottom of a drawer for months. Still, he was smart to bring it. It's relentlessly hot today. That doesn't seem to dampen his spirit though. He's practically glowing with joy.

"What do you think, Seth?" Dad asks him. "You like it?"

"I am so loving this," he replies, eyes roving along the circle of instruments. "I had no idea there were so many kinds of drums!"

"Oh yes. Drumming is primal. It's been in every ancient culture in the world. Did you know that—"

"Thanks for the history lesson, Dad." I nudge him a little with my elbow in a please-don't-embarrass-me way, then smile at Seth. "He majored in music theory."

Seth returns the smile. "This is so cool. I love everything about it. Thank you for inviting me."

Dad tries to keep his expression neutral, but I can see the approval in his eyes. This makes me extraordinarily pleased.

After a few more minutes of rest, Dad approaches Seth. "Up for another round of primal beats?"

"Yeah!" The enthusiasm on his face reminds me of the first time I ever attended a drum circle. It had been pure magic.

"Would you... like to start us off?" Dad asks.

Seth's jaw goes slack. "S-start off the circle? Me?"

"If you'd like. No pressure."

Seth's eyes bounce left and right while his brain goes into overdrive. "W-what would I do?"

"Just play a beat. One simple rhythm. Everyone else will follow you."

Dad and I wait patiently for his answer. His eyes rest on the drum before him, mouth slightly ajar.

Poor Seth. I think his nerves are going win. Maybe next time.

He suddenly jerks upright, startling me. "I'll do it!"

"Awesome," Dad says with a slap on his back. "Just pick a beat and keep it steady."

"Keep it steady, got it." Seth's face is a picture of concentration as he stares at his drum. Then he looks up. "Now?"

"Whenever you're ready," Dad replies.

Seth nods and raises his hands above the drum head.

And kind of sits there frozen for several seconds.

I lean over and whisper into his ear. "Think about that song you played for me."

He turns his head and his eyes meet mine, our faces close, a small smile gradually replacing the panic that was there. His eyes drop to my lips, and he leans in ever so slightly.

I move back a smidge, aware of my Dad watching. He may be cool and all, but he's still my father. I don't doubt for a second he could transform into a seething papa bear at a moment's notice. He doesn't need to see his only daughter kissing a boy.

I flick my eyes to my dad and back, to signal to Seth why we're not locking lips right now. Because I totally want to. The fact that he's loving this drum circle as much as he does makes him super hot all of a sudden.

His smile grows a bit wider, and his brown eyes convey a message that's totally clear to me: I'm kissing you in my mind right now.

I do my best to give him a sultry look before gently reminding him, "The song."

He blinks a few times. "Right." Clears his throat. Closes his eyes. And hits the center of his drum to produce a bass note just the way I showed him.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

I recognize the driving tempo as that of the song he played to me that day, and I grin. I turn to my drum and begin a riff off his beat. My dad joins in, complimenting the rhythm with his own beat, and soon the entire circle—congas, shakers, cow bells, all of it—are part of the magic.

I turn my head to watch Seth.

He's bobbing and swaying with abandon, grin so wide you'd think he just won a brand-new car.

Absolutely loving it.

I've never seen him so uninhibited and carefree. It makes me glow with delight.

We stay the entire four hours. Afterward, Dad treats us to dinner at a local restaurant.

As we sit in the booth munching on roasted beets and cauliflower, Seth remarks, "I didn't know you guys were vegetarians."

"We aren't," Dad answers. "But this place has a pretty good salad bar, and red meat is the devil." He winks at me as if to say good answer, right?

I roll my eyes. "Red meat is known to have cancer-promoting agents."

"Like I said." Dad pops a cucumber slice into his mouth. "The devil."

Seth glances from my dad to me and pushes a forkful of spinach into his smiling mouth.

After a while, I excuse myself to go the restroom. When I emerge, I find Seth waiting for me just outside the door.

He perks up when he sees me. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you for a minute, in case we don't get a chance later."

"Sure." I glance around, spot a small storage area around a corner, and pull him in after me. "What is it?"

His face practically glows. "Today was amazing."

"It was, wasn't it? I knew you'd like it."

He edges closer.

My breath catches.

"How do you know me so well already?" His breath fans my cheek.

I shrug, unable to speak with those intense brown eyes sparking into me.

"I mean it, though. I've never experienced anything like that before. It was like... like..." He searches my eyes as if the answers hide within them.

I can only stare back.

Then he dips his head and kisses me.

I tip my head back and wind my arms around his neck. He presses me against one wall, intensifying the kiss. There's nothing hesitant about it this time. This confident version of Seth is electrifying.

There's no need for him to finish his sentence.

Because I know exactly how he feels.

Self-confidence can be such a turn-on. And so is voting!