“Good.”Noah grunted.“Fucking kills me to remember that look on your face in the parking lot.I would’ve killed the son of a bitch if I thought I could get away with it.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.”I clutched my hands to my chest and fluttered my eyelashes.“Like a kitty bringing his kill to his owner.I’m so flattered.”
Noah laughed.“Fuck off.”
I was grinning as I sat back in my seat, and we passed the next few miles in compatible silence.Once we pulled up to Lark’s house, we unloaded the crates into her garage.Grunts and sighs filled the silence between the two of us as we worked.
Minutes later, we were back in the van with Noah still driving as we headed to his house first.
He sighed as we idled at a light.“You guys sounded awesome tonight.I really like what you did to that Taylor Swift song with the drum cadence.Got me thinking about our next album.I’d love to try something similar for one of our songs.”
“Thanks.I’m glad you liked it.”
“So what’s the next move for you guys?Are you going to record an EP?Look for representation?”
I sighed.“EP first.That’s the plan, at least.”
“Why did you say it like that?I thought you’d be fucking stoked to record your songs.Is it the cost?”
“Nah.”I fidgeted in my seat.Talking about feelings and plans always made me so restless.Vulnerable.I hated it.Dropping my head back against the headrest, I looked out the window.I definitely didn’t want to see him when I said the next part.“Lark got this band manager guy to come to one of our shows.She was so confident he was going to sign us, but he hated everything original we’d played.Said our sound was ‘too angry woman.Overdone.’He said we needed ‘to be poppier.Lighter.’”
Each word was a spear to my heart as I said them.I had more self-doubt than confidence most days when it came to my music, and to have that old, sleezy man say that shit had been soul crushing.
Was still soul crushing.
“Well, that’s fucking stupid.”
I jumped at Noah’s spitting tone.“What?”
“You guys are awesome.Your sound is clear.Unique.You have bops and you have soul.That asshole doesn’t know what he was talking about.Who was he again?”
A warmth spread through my chest at Noah’s unexpected defense of my band.“Joe Fisher.”
“Who?”
I cackled.“That’s exactly what I said!And Bailey too.But Lark was all ga-ga over him.I guess he repped Kind Justice and Those 3 Guys back in the day.”
“Exactly.‘Back in the day.’That fool wouldn’t know true talent if it hit him over the head.Clearly.”He paused and cocked his head.“Wait, you didn’t actually hit him, did you?”
I reached over and slapped Noah’s firm abs as I giggled.“No, you fool.Although I really wanted to.His eyes crawled all over me when we met.And I don’t even have to ask to know that he’s a breast man.”I shuddered and blew out a quick breath, remembering feeling his gaze on my body.“Ugh.”
“I take it back—you should’ve hit him.”
I grinned the rest of the drive to Noah’s house.
When we pulled up to the gate at the Lakes Las Vegas, all I could do was stare.He lived in a neighborhood with a gate?
I was silent when we pulled through.Even though it was dark, I could see the houses were huge here.Way bigger than my one-bedroom, 700 square-foot apartment I had to walk up two flights of stairs to reach.
“Are you on the water?”My voice was a croak.
“Nah, but I think Chase nabbed one of those.Seemed OTT, ya know?I have a pool, though.”
“Right.OTT.”My laugh sounded only a little hysterical as it bubbled out.“Did you all buy houses here?”
“Yeah.We like to be close.Although I don’t see much of the guys since they’re all busy playing house with their wives.But I’ve been to Xander’s and Chase’s places.They’re pretty decent.It’s great that real estate is more affordable here than in LA.”
“Affordable,” I whispered to myself.I guess that was one word for it.
