I loved that girl.
“I’ll have our manager call you to set something up.”Lark smiled, but I could see the animosity in the curl of her lips.
Plus we didn’t have a manager, so there was that.
I guess Jon believed her because two burly guys in security t-shirts stood by while we packed up our equipment.They didn’t lend a hand, but they kept the drooling drunk assholes away.
“We need to hire some roadies.”Bailey groaned as she set down the box she’d been holding.“I’m too pretty to do heavy lifting.”
I laughed.“What happened to your adoring fans?At least the ones you were talking about leaving with?”
“They were arrogant asses.”Lark scoffed.“You know the types—talking over us and flexing their little dicks.”
“Yeah.”Bailey laughed before pushing the box inside the back of the van.“I’m better off with B.O.B.”
“Who’s Bob?”
We all swung around and stared in amazement at Noah standing behind us.None of us had heard him approach and our “security” hadn’t said shit.My eyes swung from him to them, and they shrugged like what-do-you-want-us-to-do-he’s-Noah-freaking-Hawker.
One of them waved a sharpie signed cocktail napkin.“Everything okay, ladies?”
I huffed incredulously then waved them off.
“Some security,” I muttered to Lark.
She shook her head.“Hopefully, they’d at least try to stop anyone from carrying us off.I guess that’s the most we can expect at this point.”
Meanwhile, Bailey had turned all bashful at Noah’s innocent question.Unlike Lark and me, she wasn’t around the guys often.So to her Noah wasNoah Hawker,drummer for the Tin Gods.
“I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”Noah looked around the mostly empty parking lot.“Is Bob here?I’d love to meet him.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but Bailey blushed from red to purple.She made this little gaspy sound, and I seriously worried for a second that she might die of embarrassment.
But of course, Lark had never been bashful a day in her life.“Bob isn’t a man.It stands for Battery Operated Boyfriend.You know—a dildo?”
Noah gave me a wide-eyed look like he hadn’t expected that answer.
I shrugged.“You asked.”
“Right.Clearly that was a mistake.”He shook his head like he was clearing the mental image out of his brain.“I just wanted to compliment you guys again on an awesome show.I really loved your version of ‘All Sins Forgiven,’ especially your drum solo, Alice.You killed it.”
“Thanks,” I replied numbly.It was so surreal.Almost felt like a fever dream or something—all it was missing was a clown lurking in the background.
And then it got weirder.
“Do you guys need a hand loading up?”Noah gave me a little smile.“I’m seeing a distinct lack of roadies here.”
“I, uh…” I sent Lark a panicked look.
“That’d be great.”Lark smiled at Noah.“Thanks.”
I waited a beat for him to head back into the bar then shook my head in disbelief.“Did one of you forget to tell me that I’m dying?”
“What?”Lark blinked.
“Well, how else can you explain that?”I hissed.
“Me?You’re the one who needs to do some explaining,” Lark whispered back.“I thought you guys hated each other?”
