Page 34 of Hyde and Seek
“Hey, Nurse Maggie and I had a real connection!”
“She wasfifty!”
“That doesn’t mean she didn’t deserve love. Fuck, I still got a thing for nurses. Can’t even go to the damn doctor without gettin’ wood.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Rock stars were supposed to be all ego and arrogance, but I’d always heard the X-ers were down to earth and humble.
“You must be the gorgeous Piper,” Jet said to me.
“That’s me,” I wheezed.
I just got called gorgeous by the drummer for the X-ers.
Be cool, Piper. No one likes a screaming groupie.
“Breathe, groupie,” Jake whispered in my ear, his voice amused as he proved he could read my thoughts.
I can be cool. I got this.
Right?
Maybe.
Jet lead the way into his house. “Let’s go get you two some drinks, huh? The night is young, but the party is already kickin’.”
The living room was full of people hanging out and dancing, the loud music traveling throughout the house. There was a drinking game going on in a dining room, everyone laughing and cheering.
I’d never been to a farewell party for famous rockers going on tour before, but this wasn’t what I’d expected. The rock ‘n’ roll vibe was definitely there, but it was relaxed and chill. Instead of a pretentious Hollywood-esque party, it felt more like a kegger.
Freakin’ awesome.
When we got to the back of the house, my inner groupie was dangerously close to jumping out and screeching.
The X-ers and some of the guys were casually sitting around a large table in the homey kitchen with open bottles of beer in front of them. Their loud conversation and laughter filled the room.
Sweet baby Elvis, I’ve died and gone to groupie heaven.
That feeling went into overdrive when Gage, the lead singer, looked up from the table at us. “Aww, you brought me a going away present. Jake, man, you know me so well.”
Jet shook his head. “I’ve already struck out. No way you’ve got a chance.”
“Maybe that just means she’s got good taste.” Gage threw me his signature bad boy smirk.
I knew from seeing an X-ers show shortly after my eighteenth birthday that he was tall. With lean sinewy muscles, black hair, and dark blue eyes, he always looked dangerous. From what I’d heard, it wasn’t a persona he put on to sell tickets and albums. He’d lived a rough life and still had demons that haunted him.
“Hey,” Kase said, coming over with a beer in each hand. He handed one to Jake. “Beer, Pipe?”
“Water?”
“Su—” Kase started before Jet interrupted.
“We got a full bar, Piper, and this is our last chance to get a hottie drunk. By the time we get around them on tour, they’re already shitty or close to it. Takes the fun out of things when all we see is sloppy, ya know? We miss the fun in between part. Get her something strong.”
I shrugged and gave Kase a smile. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to drink. I just didn’t want to get stupid.
I was having enough trouble with my inner groupie while I was sober.
When Kase went to grab my drink, Jet turned back to the table and threw his arm around my shoulders. “Piper, this is Gage, Ryder, Rocco, and Zeke.”
