by Frank, Ella
If he was anything like he’d been this afternoon, he’d have them eating out of his hand.
“Your orders,” Li said as he stopped alongside our table and placed my almond chicken in front of me, a small steamer basket in front of Halo, and a basket of white rice between us. When he added another bottle of Baijui, I immediately reached for it, and after thanking him, I gestured to Halo’s glass.
“Another?”
Halo picked up his glass and held it out. “You really are trying to get me drunk, aren’t you?”
“Nah. We’re celebrating.” When his glass was full, I refilled mine and then picked up my chopsticks. “It’s a momentous occasion. You got the job with TBD, and I no longer have to listen to people butcher my songs until my ears fucking bleed. That right there is reason enough to drink up.”
Halo grinned as he took the lid off his meal, and when he put it on the table beside the basket, I leaned over to peer inside.
“What’s that again?”
Halo raised his eyes to mine. “The Pork Siu Mai.”
I rolled my eyes as I sat back in my seat. “And that tells me exactly nothing. What’s in it?”
Halo chuckled as he spooned some rice onto his plate. “Ground pork and shrimp. Why?”
Damn, that sounded really good. But who knew how it’d taste? At least I knew my almond chicken wasn’t money wasted. “No reason.”
Halo picked up his chopsticks and grabbed the dumpling closest to him as I shoveled some rice and chicken into my mouth. When he swallowed his food and made this sexy groan in the back of his throat, my hand paused where it was holding my second helping.
“I take it it’s good?” I said, and waited for Halo’s eyes to focus on me.
“Huh?”
I pointed to his food with my chopsticks. “Your food. You just groaned like someone sucked your dick. I’m guessing you’re enjoying what you just put in your mouth.”
Halo’s lips parted. I’d shocked him, which, admittedly, I’d been trying to do. But then his eyes narrowed a fraction as though he realized what I was up to, and he nodded.
“You were right. Their food is really good. Bet you wish you’d been a little more adventurous now, don’t you?”
I licked over my bottom lip and wondered what he’d do if he realized exactly how adventurous I wanted to get with him. But, not wanting to run off the frontman the same night we’d offered him the job, I settled for something a little less…in your face.
I reached over with my chopsticks and plucked the half-eaten dumpling from his basket. Halo’s eyes widened as I popped it in my mouth and chewed—and fuck if he wasn’t right. That was some good shit, and when I was done, I flashed him a grin.
“You don’t mind sharing, do you?”
I could see the guy’s mind working overtime, as he probably tried to decide if I meant that in any way other than his meal.
Halo let out a snort of laughter. “Sure, why not. What’s mine is yours.”
With the Baijui coursing through my veins, and the adrenaline still pumping from the first successful day of rehearsing that we’d had in months, nothing could’ve stopped what left my mouth then. I was in a mood, and while the alcohol and the good day were half the reason for it, it was the hot fucker sitting across from me that had me feeling overly…stimulated.
“You know, you should really be more specific with what you’re offering, Angel. I doubt we’re thinkin’ the same thing right now.”
Halo seemed to ponder that for a moment before he reached for his glass and quickly swallowed a gulp of his drink. Then he began piling some rice onto his chopsticks again. “So is this your thing?”
I watched him closely as he brought the utensils to his lips, fucking obsessing over the way they closed around them and then slid down off the sticks drawing the food into his mouth. “My thing?”
“Yeah,” Halo said, nodding. “The player? The bad boy? Come on, you know the reputation you have. You flirt with everyone?”
Well, would you look at that. The alcohol was making the angel bold now, wasn’t it? “The lucky ones.”
Halo let out a bark of laughter. “Fucking hell.”
“What?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as—”
“Hot as me before? It’s okay, I get that a lot.” I aimed a wink Halo’s way as I chewed a mouthful of my dinner, and he shook his head.
“I was going to say arrogant.”
I shrugged, unaffected. I’d been called a whole lot worse over the years, that was for sure. “Hey, you gotta work with what you got. It’s not my fault people see me and think of sex.”
Halo coughed a little, and then looked around us. “Are you for real?”
I sat back and crossed my legs at the ankles under the table, and when my foot bumped up against Halo’s leg, he startled a little, making me chuckle. “Yeah. You’re thinking about sex right now. Aren’t you?”
“Only because you keep talking about it.”
“That’s because I’m thinking about it too.” That drew Halo up quick fucking smart, and I decided to keep right on going while the angel was feeling chatty. “Speaking of sex…”
“You were speaking of sex. I was trying to eat my dinner.”
“Potato, potah-to. But to answer your original question on whether I flirt with everyone, then yeah, I guess. It’s easy to make someone feel good by paying a little attention to them. But do I fuck ’em all? Hmm…the media likes to think so. That doesn’t mean it’s true, though, does it?”
Halo contemplated me in silence, as though trying to decide what the real answer to that was. But when he said nothing else, I glanced around Li’s at the eyes still on us and said, “For example. At least half the people in this restaurant are wondering who you are to me right now. Are you my friend? Are you my latest fuck? And considering my ‘reputation,’ what conclusion do you think they’re coming up with?”
The color drained from Halo’s face in an instant.
“Exactly. Just because they think it, doesn’t mean it’s true…does it?”
Halo’s back stiffened, and I chuckled as I pointed to the bottle of alcohol, but this time he shook his head—probably smart.
“So,” I said, running my eyes over his suddenly rigid posture, “since we both know you aren’t sleeping with me. You got some girlfriend at home waiting for you?” When Halo just looked at me blankly, I said, “You dating anyone?”
“Why? Is that not allowed?”
“It’s allowed. But the fans, they can get pretty intense. Just trying to work out if we’re gonna have to keep an eye out for any crazy jealous shit.”
Halo’s mouth parted as though he were going to say something, but then he snapped it shut and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think about that.”
“You think people are looking at me right now? Wait until you hit the stage with that face and voice. Shit, people are going to be throwing themselves at your feet.”
A flush, much like the one that had crept up his neck in rehearsal earlier today, flooded Halo’s cheeks, and I couldn’t stop the rumble of laughter that left my throat.
“Oh yeah, Angel. With that innocent face of yours and the songs you’re going to sing, you’re gonna have your choice of the women and the men.”
That finally seemed to get a reaction out of Halo. His lips quirked at the sides. “Worried I’m going to horn in on your territory? Don’t be—I’ll leave the men to you.”
“I see.” I rubbed my thumb and forefinger over the stubble on my chin. “And that doesn’t bother you?”
When Halo’s eyes filled with confusion, I elaborated.
“That Kill and I aren’t into the ladies.”
Halo’s nose screwed up and he shook his head. “No. As long as you don’t care that I am.”
I did, but not for the reasons he thought. “Doesn’t bother me. In this business, you see everything. Men who like men. Men who like women. Men who like both…I’m just making sure you’re cool
.”
“I’m cool. Doesn’t bother me at all.”
And because I couldn’t fucking help myself, and the liquor—yeah, I’d blame that too—I added, “Good. So you’ve never looked at a guy before like that? Not even once?”
When Halo shook his head, I thought back to earlier and the way he’d been eyeing me during the first few songs, and the devil that I’d managed to keep at bay most of the night decided to come out and play. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah, I think I’d remember checking out a guy.” Halo chuckled, and I shifted in my chair to lean forward and put my arms on the table.
When I had closed the distance between us, I lowered my voice so only he would hear and said, “So you’ve never looked at a man’s mouth? His lips? And thought, what if…?”
Halo’s eyes locked on mine, and as we sat there in Li’s run-down restaurant, his light eyes darkened. “Have you ever looked at a woman and thought…what if?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately. “Fucked her, too. It’s the reason I know I prefer cock.”
When Halo’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, a low laugh escaped my lips.
“Relax, Angel. I’m just screwing with you. Or not, in this case.” I shifted back to my side and reached into my back pocket for my wallet, and when Halo didn’t say anything, I gestured to the table with a tilt of my head. “You done?”
Halo glanced down at his empty basket and nodded. “Oh, yeah.”
I pulled several bills free and threw them on the table as Halo reached for his wallet. “I got it tonight.”
“No. You don’t have to—”
“Don’t worry. I don’t expect a kiss or anything before you leave.”
As I got to my feet, Halo did also, throwing his napkin on the table. “You’re a real shit, you know that?”
“So people tell me. It’s part of my charm.”
As I headed toward the door with Halo following, I was more aware than I had been in years of the eyes on me, and I hadn’t been lying when I said some would be speculating over who Halo was. Little did they know they were all looking at the new lead singer of TBD, but they would soon enough.
When we got outside and Halo told me where he lived—on the opposite side of the city to me—it became apparent we wouldn’t be sharing a cab ride home. As one pulled up at the curb, I shoved my hands into my pockets and said, “You take it. You’ve got more stuff you’re lugging around. I’ll get the next one.”
Halo pulled the door open and slid his guitar in the back seat, and after he climbed inside, I reached out to shut the door. The wind chose that moment to howl up the street, and as it caught around my legs, it ruffled that golden hair of Halo’s around the stunning face he’d angled my way.
Christ, he was beautiful. His eyes, that hair, and his generous lips as they curved into a half smile.
“Thanks for dinner. Today was fucking amazing.”
The comment was innocent enough, but my cock didn’t take it that way. My cock was imagining what it would be like to climb in that cab with him and end this the way I really wanted to.
I licked my lips, and when Halo’s eyes automatically dropped down to them, I gripped the car door a little harder. The conversation from earlier came back in full force, and before I shut the door, I said, “Hey, Angel?”
“Yeah?”
“Now you can’t say you’ve never looked at another man’s mouth and wondered. See you tomorrow.” And before Halo could say another word, I shut the door and the cab drove away.
Eleven
Halo
“YOU LOOK NERVOUS.”
I raised my eyes to Viper’s, who sat across from me in the back of the limo that was taking us from the private jet MGA had chartered for us to the venue. It was a week after I’d officially been named a member of TBD, and though rehearsals had gone well, tonight would be the true test.
Nervous? No shit. Excited? Hell yes.
“You’ve got this,” Killian said, bumping his shoulder against mine. “They’re gonna love you.”
“They’d be insane not to,” Jagger added. As he straightened his cuff links, he winked my way. “Just don’t fuck it up.”
I snorted out a laugh. Easier said than done, right? But if things had gone as well as they had the last week, I didn’t have anything to worry about…other than performing my first show with the biggest rock band in the world. No biggie.
As we neared the arena, I could already see the masses of people standing around the entrance, and when they caught sight of the limo as we passed by, the screaming started.
“Oh shit.” I leaned forward, my gaze on the fans waving after us until the limo rounded the back of the arena and passed through a security gate.
Okay, maybe now I was nervous.
I didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. We were rushed through sound check, through introductions with the radio station that was hosting the charity event, and then to our joint dressing room. I had to admit I was relieved we were all in the same room, because the last thing I needed was to get too into my own head and freak out. It was also a weight off that there would be no meet-and-greets with fans tonight, something MGA had been insistent on until they saw how the show went, which I took to mean this was still a tryout in their eyes. But I’d show them they’d made the right choice. There hadn’t been much time to prepare, but I was as ready as I was ever gonna be.
As the others joked and crowded around the catering table, I took my time getting ready. There was no way I could eat now, not with the way my stomach flipped every five seconds as I listened to the crowd file in, their excitement filtering into the room.
I ran through my warm-up as I put on a pair of black jeans and a matching T-shirt, and then I wound my leather bracelet around my wrist. I didn’t want to overdo my outfit for tonight, didn’t want my first outing to look like I was trying too hard. I’d already have enough attention my way, and I’d rather they focus on the music.
A shot glass of white liquor appeared in front of me, and as I glanced up at the mirror, I saw Viper behind me. Ever since the night we’d gone to dinner, I’d made sure to keep my eyes on his whenever he was around—and not on his lips.
“Thought you might need this,” he said, and I took the glass and sniffed it.
“Is this…?”
When Viper held up a bottle of Baijui in his other hand, I chuckled. Even after downing half the bottle at Li’s, I’d woken up without any kind of hangover, which made it the perfect choice for a preshow drink.
The rest of the guys gathered around, shot glasses in hand, though theirs were varying shades depending on their poison.
Killian held his shot up in my direction. “Tonight’s the first night of a new chapter for TBD, one that’s gonna be bigger and better than ever. I know I speak for all of us when I say we’re fired up as fuck to have you, man, so let’s go out there and show everyone how it’s done.”
Choruses of “hell yeah” rang out, and we threw back our shots just as the crowd began to chant.
God, here we go. We were doing this. I was doing this. I took up the rear as the guys filed out of the room, heading up to the wings, where we were outfitted with in-ear monitors.
As I cracked my neck from side to side and stretched out my limbs, trying to get rid of the nervous energy, Viper came to stand beside me. His hair was still damp from his shower and brushed back off his face, though once he started playing, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
“You good?” he asked.
I blew out a breath. “I think so.”
“That’s not the right answer.”
“Then fuck yes I’m good.”
Viper’s mouth quirked up, and he nodded. “That’s better.” As the lights went out and the crowd began to scream, he said, “Good luck out there,” and then went onto the stage with the rest of the band to take up their spots.
I stood alone in the darkness of the wings, awaiting my cue, and seconds later, Slade kicked off the openin
g notes of “Dark Light.”
Boom. Boom boom.
Boom. Boom boom. ROCK.
Boom. Boom boom.
Boom. Boom boom. ROCK.
The thundering beat shook the arena floor, vibrating through my body and shooting adrenaline into my veins as ten thousand TBD fans began to roar.
I hadn’t even hit the stage yet, but already I could feel the intense energy radiating off the crowd, and it was something completely unexpected and like nothing I’d ever experienced before. If I hadn’t been confident in rehearsals, then I could’ve easily panicked, but I had this. Even though it wasn’t my original music, I came alive on stage. I always did when I performed, and I would rock the shit out of our set.
All at once, the pounding of the drums ceased—my cue—and even though the arena remained blacked out as I walked out of the wings and hit my mark center stage, the piercing screams filled my ears.
Let’s do this.
With my head down, I took a deep breath and grabbed the microphone, and then I began to sing.
This song—a huge hit for TBD—began with vocals alone. Me, the microphone, and the dark, and as my voice echoed around the arena, all I could see were lights from cameras and flashes in the dark, as the crowd vibrated with anticipation. The energy was palpable, as the words left my lips, and when I hit the final note before the band joined in, I swore the thundering in my ears couldn’t get any louder—then the lights flashed up.
The drums kicked out the previous rhythm, this time harder and faster, and then Viper and Killian joined in, along with Jagger on the keyboards, and the crowd lost their minds.
Unable to hide my grin at the overwhelming reaction, I ripped the mic off the stand and strode across the stage, my eyes taking in the filled-to-capacity arena. It was huge and terrifying and fucking amazing, and I couldn’t believe I was here, playing to this crowd of people, all of whom were screaming and jumping up and down to the beat Slade was pounding out.
It was hard to pinpoint when it happened exactly, but as we launched into the second song, and then the third, I sensed a change in the air. It was slow at first, my eyes catching on a few frowns here and there, people whispering to their friends. I’d been to arena shows before as a fan, and I’d never felt as though the people on stage could actually see me, but let me tell you—I could fucking see. I could see everything, and the disappointment welling in the crowd had me almost dropping to my knees.