“Wait,” Garrick said, rubbing his eyes with a hard dig of his fingers and thumb, followed by more rubbing with his whole hand.“I need to make sure I’m hearing you right here, because I think you just dropped the fact that our little Scarlett wrote our most popular song to date.Is that what you’re saying?‘Cause if that’s what you’re saying, wereallyneed to sit down and have a little talk about the two of you holding out on the rest of us.”
“Well, that’s what I’m saying,” Arsen said, grinning as he crossed his arms over his chest.“In fact, other than the three songs all of us wrote together on our last album…” He pointed at Scarlett.“Right there.”
Instantly, the mood of the whole bus changed, excitement and relief spreading like wildfire.Then everyone started talking at once.
“She can play?”
“Like, really play?None of that faking the solos and shit, right?I’m not getting caught on our last tour date faking a performance.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?”
“She could have been working with us this whole time!What the fuck, man?”
“Just calm the fuck down,” Arsen said, chuckling.As if the fucking man found the whole thing amusing.Fucker.
“Why don’t you all calm the fuck down and tone down the language,” Titan said, not moving an inch from his original position.“There’s a lady present.”
“You calm the fuck down,” Seth growled, ignoring Titan altogether.“This is an all-male band!You think our fans are going to accept a girl playing lead guitar?One slip-up and they’ll laugh her off the stage!Laughusoff the stage!”
Scarlett snorted.“As if that’s possible,” she muttered.
“Oh, I assure you, it’s possible,” Seth snapped.“I’ve seen it happen.Cups of beer thrown at the stage.Overnight, a band’s reputation goes down the toilet and the band disappears off the face of the earth never to be heard from again.”
She flicked her hand, as if waving away his comments.Then she spoke.
“I didn’t mean SnowFyer couldn’t get their reputation ruined.I know that can happen.I’ve seen more than one of your opening acts have that happen in the beginning.I’m talking about me messing up.”She pinned him with a direct gaze, neither angry or in the least bit intimidated.“I don’t fuck up.Ever.”
They stared at one another for long moments.The rest of the band was quiet.Seth could feel their eyes on him and Scarlett, waiting to see who gave first.The little hellion didn’t back down an inch.Didn’t blink.Those fascinating, sparkling green eyes of hers seemed to glitter like emeralds in the sunlight.Or a flickering flame.
That battle of wills was more of a turn-on than Seth wanted to admit.Scarlett’s arrogance and cockiness matched only his own.Hell, she’d probably learned it from watching his actions.Which was a sobering thought.He hadn’t watched her grow up, per se, but he’d watched her mature from a gangly teen into a stunning, intelligent, driven woman.Truth was, she was a big part of the reason SnowFyer was still a sensation.She had mad skills in marketing and promotion.And, it seemed, songwriting.
“Just because you can write a song doesn’t mean you can hang with us.I’m going to need some pretty hard evidence before I let you on stage with us.Not sure there’s enough time to do that.”Seth had an uneasy feeling about the whole proposal.If he were honest with himself, it had more to do with the reaction of the fans to her being up there as a “rock star” than any worry she couldn’t handle lead.Even then, it wasn’t that he didn’t think they’d accept a woman playing lead in an all-male band, but that she’d pick up more than her share of groupies.Likely maleandfemale.
“Take my word for it, Seth,” Arsen interrupted.“She’s got it going on.”
“I’ve watched everything all of you do on stage and in practice.I can anticipate what you need when you need it.I’d prefer a couple of practice sessions, but it’s not strictly necessary.”Scarlett’s whole demeanor was one of bored indifference.Like it didn’t matter to her one way or another.Every fucking guitarist in the fucking music industry worth his salt had either inquired or auditioned for a position in SnowFyer, and she sounded like she could take or leave the opportunity!
Still, the other members of the band watched them intently.“You’re pretty cocky about all this.We’ve heard -- and rejected -- some of the biggest names in the industry.Taking on a nobody as lead guitarist for SnowFyer would be simply unheard of.We’d step on the toes of some pretty powerful, egotistical musicians.You fuck up, we all fuck up.”
“As I already said,” she gave him a flash of temper at having to repeat herself, “I.Don’t.Fuck.Up.If anything, I’m more worried about you paying more attention to me than what you’re supposed to be doing and getting tongue-tied.”
Titan, the big lout, snorted water out his nose and coughed repeatedly before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.“Pardon me,” he mumbled.Considering Titan usually had the emotional output of a rock, it was a wonder the rest of the band hadn’t outright guffawed.
Seth glared at all of them.Identical looks of suppressed amusement looked back at him.“Fine,” Seth said, exasperated.“We’ll call in the practice session Scarlett had written into our contract when we roll into LA.In the meantime, Ferris, I suggest you get ready.If nothing else, we can move Scarlett to rhythm and you to lead.At worst, I can take over rhythm because I’m not convinced she’s ready for the big stage.Even if she can play, if her stage presence sucks it will be nearly as bad.”
Scarlett snorted.“Let’s get one thing straight right now, Seth.”She pinned him with a steady, penetrating gaze.“I donotsuck.Anything.”
The roar of laughter could likely be heard outside the bus.Not only did Scarlett not flinch from her direct gaze, she didn’t blush.Which meant she’d intended that to sound exactly like what it did.Which meant he was now hard as a fucking pole.
Knowing he’d just been bested, Seth rolled his eyes and stood.“I’m headed to bed.You fuckers can all go to hell.”
“Yeah, man,” Ra said, motioning him to leave.“I’d say a place where a woman doesn’t suck would definitely be hell.Let me know how your alternative works for you because I might need to pay you a visit.”
Again, peals of laughter mocked him as he walked to the back of the bus and his bed.Unfortunately, not only was the bus on the road headed to LA so he had to sleep in the bus instead of a posh hotel, now he had the fantasy of enticing her to suck on something of his stuck in his head.Yeah.So much for him being a cocky bastard.Scarlett had being cocky down to a science.
Chapter Two
The next day came all too soon.Heart pounding, Scarlett tuned one of her twelve-string guitars, trying to lose herself in the task like she usually did.This was her dream come true!If she just didn’t blow it.For all her bravado, she was very nervous.Arsen had taught her how to play guitar.Then she’d taught him how to write music.She’d wanted to play with them -- on or off stage, it didn’t matter -- since she’d started touring with the band back when she was just a star-struck teen.More than that, she wanted Seth.Like,for her own.
