“You’re the only one for me, Bumblebee. I could never want anyone else when I have you,” Cole agrees, making my heart flutter with the use of my childhood nickname.
“Bumblebee? How sweet is that?” Foster says.
“It’s a childhood nickname. Don’t you start, Fozzie Bear.” I tell him, making the other two guys laugh.
“Oh, pretty girl, that was supposed to be our little secret.”
“That secret was revealed when your parents came over,” Talon reminds him.
After the talk, we all settle in for a movie night. Foster gets the popcorn, and Talon the drinks. Cole takes me to the couch to reserve one of the spots next to me.
“You’re sure that you’re sure about this?” I ask him one more time.
He smiles at me and lays a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Absolutely. Don’t worry. You’ve done enough of that in your life. Just enjoy and trust us to be adults and take care of our own shit.”
I nod and lay my head on his muscled thigh. Talon passes us each a bottle of water and takes the spot to my left. He plops my feet in his lap and begins to rub them. Foster comes in a minute later with the bowl of popcorn and sets it in my lap. He plops down on the floor in front of me. I sift my fingers through his hair and rub his scalp. As we all unwind, I get lost in the vision of doing this with them for the rest of our lives.
Chapter 22
The next couple of weeks go by uneventfully. True to his word, Cole is moving very slowly. We haven’t even kissed again, but we have spent time reconnecting together, and it’s been fantastic.
Tonight we’re all packed into Foster’s SUV on the way to the Machine Shop. Talon’s work on his album is finally done, and he’s debuting it to a sell-out crowd. The show tonight will be live-streamed. Afterward, his album will be available to stream on all platforms.
If Talon is nervous, he’s doing an excellent job hiding it. He’s been all smiles and positive energy today. As we get closer to the venue, he gets quiet. I don’t push him, knowing he’s centering himself. When we pull up, I notice the performance venue has been remodeled over the years.
“It looks a lot bigger,” I tell Talon as Foster pulls around the back to park.
“The three of us have pitched in from our royalties to help them expand and upgrade. Glen, the owner, gave us and a lot of bands a shot at our dreams, and we wanted to return the favor.”
I smile at him and squeeze his hand, “You’re going to be awesome tonight.”
We park, and the four walk up to the back door. Talon high-fives the security guard there, and we walk in. The backstage area is more expansive, with a bar and pool table off to one side. On the other side is a sectional couch, a couple of recliners, and a large television hung on the wall.
“There’s even a dressing room now.” Talon takes me by the hand and down a hallway. We go through a door at the end and into a room with a mirror on the wall and a stool in front. There’s also a couch, television, and a mini refrigerator.
“This is nice,” I tell him.
“It’s better than everyone crowding into the common area. I’ve been to some expensive places, but I love being here. I enjoy having a private space before I go on stage. Let’s go see where you guys will be sitting.”
He walks me back to where we came in. We collect Cole and Foster, and he walks us out another door. It leads out to the front of the stage.
The stage is more extensive, and the bar area can hold more people. A waist-high gate separates the stage from the crowd, allowing enough room for a couple of chairs. His manager, Victor, is set up with a camera to record the live performance. The crowd goes wild when they catch a glimpse of Talon. He waves to everyone before turning back to me. He brings his mouth to my ear so I can hear him.
“Is this good for you?”
“This is amazing,” I tell him as I take my camera out of the bag. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek, aware of all the eyes on us.
“Oh no, Kitten, I’m going to need a better good luck kiss than that,” he says. Then he wraps his arms around me and crushes his lips to mine. The crowd whistles loudly at us, and I can feel Talon smile against my mouth.
I pull away first, “Good luck.”
“Without you, I wouldn’t be here tonight. Don’t forget that,” he tells me before going back behind the stage.
I take my seat in between Cole and Foster, not wanting to miss a thing. Fifteen minutes later, Talon hits the stage. He struts out there like a god, and the crowd goes wild. When he gets on the mic and greets everyone, I can feel the floor and walls vibrate with their energy. Before he starts to sing, he looks down at me, and our eyes collide. He gives me a wink. This rock god is mine.
Talon’s set has been going on for almost two hours. He showcases his new songs with some hits from No Left Turn sprinkled in. He energizes the crowd, working the stage like a pro, even though he’s not used to being a frontman. It’s great to see him come out behind the drum kit and perform.
His leather jacket was stripped off a while ago, and he’s now in his signature ripped jeans and a tight black t-shirt. His black hair is slicked back. He’s soaked with sweat and looking fucking edible. The screaming girls behind me agree. I’ve seen more than a couple sets of tits out.
