She gave an innocent little shrug and shifted to stand.
I didn’t even look over to watch what her shrug did to her top.A boob could spill out, and I wouldn’t even notice at this point.
Okay, I’d probably look.I was a man after all.
But I didn’t do my usual date move and put my hand on the small of her back.I didn’t take her hand.I tried to say everything with my body language that it was too early to say with my mouth.Mainly that I wasn’t into her and couldn’t wait for this night to be over.
But at least I would get to watch Alice play again.There was a small silver lining.Razor thin, but it was there.
When we reached the Brickhouse, the band was already onstage and rocking out.
I didn’t have to touch Kylie as I guided her to the bar.“What do you want?”I yelled next to her ear.
“A lemon drop martini!”she shouted back.
I nodded and yelled our order at the bartender.A few minutes later we wound through the heaving bar and managed to snag a sticky table at the back.
Kylie’s expression clearly spelled her disgust.I shrugged.I couldn’t do anything about the table.I didn’t work here.
And a second later, my eyes were glued to the stage as Alice laid down the beat for Taylor Swift’s ‘ME!’.My hands twitched.I loved the drums in this song—the cadence had a crispness that was so fucking sharp.I wanted to do something similar on our next album.It was so fucking appealing and addictive.
Before I knew it, my hands were drumming on the edge of our little sticky table.And when Alice finished the song with a crisp drumline cadence—a departure from the original version—I grinned like a proud parent.
God, she looked awesome up there.And judging by the huge smile on her face as they flowed into their original song ‘Lost Boys’, she loved being onstage so much.
At the end of their song, Lark took the mic.“All right, Brickhouse!Who’s thirsty?”
The crowd cheered.
“Us too.”Lark laughed.“So, we’re going to take a little break.”
A few boos rang out.
But Lark just laughed.“Nice to know you’re going to miss us.We’ll be back in fifteen with more awesome music.And if you’re feeling brave, Bailey loves tequila and is looking for a new man.”
“I’m going to kill you.”Bailey laughed into her mic.
Lark grinned back at her.“So come over and buy her drink.If she’s too happy to commit murder, that’d be awesome for me.”
As they left the stage, I grinned and shook my head.Lark was going to pay for that little stint later.
“You have a thing for the drummer?”
I jumped as Kylie’s question came out of left field.And also maybe because I’d forgotten she was there.“What?”
She jerked her chin toward the empty stage.“The drummer.I saw the way you were looking at her.”
“Whoa.”I raised my palms.“She’s just my drum tech.Has been for a couple of years now.”
“I can’t believe you took me out to that shitty restaurant, then drug me to this shithole so you could drool all over that skank.”Kylie huffed and picked up her tiny clutch, mean mugging me the whole time.“Worst.Date.Ever.”
And I watched in disbelief as she stomped away.
Like a fool, I chased after her.Mostly to make sure she made it safely back to the car.
I stood in the doorway and watched as she flounced into the limo.The driver gave me a wide-eyed look.I sighed and walked toward him, shaking my head.“Take her home, please.”
“And return for you, sir?”He closed the door with a decisive click.
