“All right!”Chase yelled.“Does everyone have their drink?”
“Yes!”the crowd chorused back.
Chase grinned.“Good!Before every show, one of the four of us sponsors the kickoff drink.I drew the short straw tonight.Thanks to the Oasis Resort for hosting us for this residency.It’s fucking amazing that we can have fans from all over visit us in one place.And thanks to Harper Grey, our show manager, Tyler Worthington, our manager, and Stolly Records for all the work they do behind the scenes.We really appreciate all the roadies, light, sound, and instrument techs, merch people, and promotors for how hard you all hustle for us.We can’t do this show without you all busting your asses for us, so tonight’s show is dedicated to our crew.Love you guys!Let’s kick this tour off right!”Chase yelled, holding his bubbly glass high.“All hail the Tin Gods!”
“Hail!”everyone hollered back before we clinked our glasses together and downed the shot.Then raucous cheering pulsed through the room.
I grinned at my bandmates.
And finally, after way too long, it felt like some of the broken pieces of me were clicking together.
I was home.
Chapter 7
Alice
Of course the show didn’t go off without a hitch—they rarely ever do.We had a few slow lighting cues when Chase went off script.He liked to talk and banter with the crowd, and you couldn’t predict that kinda thing.Something a poor lighting tech was learning firsthand.
I always spent the concert standing offstage.I couldn’t gawk at the show or daydream about it being me one day.My job was to anticipate Noah’s needs before he even realized them.At about the two-thirds mark, I swooped in to hand off another set of sticks in one smooth motion.It was beautiful.
But not really something I could crow about to anyone.No one really got it.It sounded ridiculous when I said it out loud, but it felt like poetry.So smoothly done and just…perfect.
I was damn good at my job.And proud of it.
I was grinning as the guys took the stage for their encore.Music pulsed through the arena.It felt like my heartbeat.The music of my soul.I loved every minute of it.
“Thank you for worshipping with the Tin Gods tonight, Las Vegas!”Chase shouted over the roaring crowd.“We love you!”
And I felt a loss when the guys bowed before bolting from the stage.
It was over.
And now the real work began.
I stayed in the wings, letting the talent pass by, while most of the crowd lined up to exit the arena.A buzz still thrummed through the huge space, but it was nothing like the excitement of the show.This was more like a small aftershock following a body rocking orgasm.Still fun, just not as much fun.
I laughed slightly at the thought.When was my last man-induced orgasm?That guitarist, when he first got to Vegas months ago, Axel Harris.His band was shit, but that man had crazy fingering skills.Maybe I should call him—
“Are you coming to the afterparty?”Lark asked in a huff as she popped up next to me, ripping me out of my sex daydream.Sweat streamed along her temples, but otherwise, she looked as gorgeous and put together as she had when I saw her a few hours ago.
“Yeah.I just have to tear down.No show tomorrow, you know.”
“Of course.I’ll see you at the club.Bailey’s meeting us too.”
“Great!”I called at her already retreating back.
Shaking my head, I turned to the stage and started boxing up equipment.I had most of it loaded up on a cart when I got the sensation of someone standing behind me.
Whirling around, I blinked in surprise at Grady lurking like a weirdo.“What are you doing?”
There was laughter in my tone.Despite his tattooed sleeves and facial piercings, Grady had always given off big brother vibes.He was a guy you just knew wasn’t a threat—he was too nice.Too normal.And that was saying something in this biz.
“Need a hand?”he called loudly.
I rolled my eyes.He knew more than anyone I had to do shit my own way, that I didn’t appreciate that whole weak woman stigma.“No.Why are you being twitchy?”
But Grady wasn’t looking at me.He was eyeballing a roadie moving some set equipment.I turned to follow his eyeline and realized it was Keegan.
