“Not recently, but years ago, I had a few run-ins and it didn’t end well. Not for them, at least. Anyway, what are Slade’s demands?”
“Demands? What do you mean?”
“Obviously, he wants something.” He smiled coldly. “Does he want you?”
I grunted. “No. There’s nothing between us and we both know that. What he wants is for us to come clean with Aiden.”
Lucian sighed. “Of course he does.”
“What are we going to do?”
He was silent for a while and then he turned back to look at me. “We leave. Now.”
My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe how easily he was giving up. “Leave? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Would you rather stay and answer to Aiden? Right now, being here is just a waste of time. Not when we should be searching for more suitable egg donors.”
“What about the money?”
“Aiden’s not giving us any and if he knows that you’re deceiving him, there’s no way in hell that you’ll be able to seduce him now.”
“So, all of this was just a waste of time?” I asked, frustrated.
A funny smile spread across his face. “Maybe not,” he said, staring at the silver BMW driving away from the castle.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, a valet took the keys to the BMW and we found ourselves walking down Grafton Street, which I remembered to be a major tourist area. Not only were there numerous shops and restaurants, but we passed by several street performers, including a man playing a guitar and a couple of mimes.
“I can’t believe how busy it is already,” said Melody. It was early afternoon and every place appeared to be bustling with customers.
“Grafton Street is probably the most popular place to shop in all of Ireland,” said Slade as he led us into one of the clothing stores.
“I can see why,” replied Melody, heading toward a rack of sweaters. “Oh, here we go. I’ve got to have one of these.”
“Hmm… I wonder if any of the shops around here are hiring?” I said, noticing how busy the clerks were.
“This place gets pretty hectic. You don’t want to work here,” he answered, stopping next to a table filled with panties. He grinned and picked up a dark blue and white laced thong. “Or, maybe you do.”
“Oh my God… it’s Slade from Venom!” squealed a woman in her forties. She turned to a teenager who was standing on the other side of her. “Petra, look!”
Petra, who appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen, stared at him with her jaw hanging open. “It is Slade! Oh my God!”
I turned back to Slade, expecting him to deny it. Surprisingly, he removed his sunglasses and smiled.
“In the flesh,” he said. “I guess my disguise could use some tweaking.”
“Oh, I don’t think it would help. There’s no way you can hide that handsome face of yours,” gushed the woman. “My daughter has it on posters all over her walls. She has to be your number-one fan.”
“She’s right. I am. I seriously am. Can I have your autograph?” asked the girl, clasping her hands together. “Please?”
“Of course, you can have my autograph. Do you have something for me to write on?” he asked.
“Here,” said Petra’s mother, reaching into her shopping bag. She pulled out a receipt. “Sign the back of this.” She reached into her handbag and pulled out a ballpoint pen. “Oh, and here’s something for you to write with.”
“Thank you,” he answered, taking both of them for her. “Petra, right?”
The girl nodded quickly.
He scribbled something down on the receipt and then handed it to her.
“Thank you,” said Petra, looking at it. “I can’t wait to tell all of my friends at school. They’re going to just die when they find out that I got to meet you in person.”
He laughed. “Let’s hope not. Dying is over-rated.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, blushing.
“Of course,” he replied, winking.
Petra’s mother thanked him profusely and then began texting someone on her cell phone.
I moved closer to Slade, as more customers began to surround us. “Maybe we should, I don’t know, get out of here?” I whispered.
“No, it’s fine,” he said, smiling at them “There really aren’t many people in here. As long as the Paparazzi stays away, we should be okay.”
“Paparazzi. Right,” I said, looking over at Melody, who was smiling across the room at us, already holding an armful of shirts.
“Can I have your autograph?” asked another teenager with blue-tinted hair. Her goth boyfriend stood next to her, acting like it was no-big-deal, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was just as excited as she was to meet Slade.
“Sure,” said Slade. “What’s your name?”
“Nicole. Do you want one too, Gary?” she asked her boyfriend.
“Yeah. That would be cool,” he answered, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You’re album rocks. Especially that song, ‘Kicking Down Death’s Door’.”
“Thanks, man,” he replied. “You don’t have anything to write on, do you?”
“No. Nicole, go and ask one of those sales clerks if they have something,” ordered Gary.
It was then that I noticed another woman moving in our direction. This one was in her twenties with long blonde hair and a face that was so beautiful, she made me feel like a troll.
“Hi, I’m Maureen Gallivan, the owner of this shop,” she said and then beamed a smile at Slade. “Oh, wow. It really is you.”
“That it is, Maureen Gallivan,” he answered, giving her one of his sexy grins. “Do you happen to have something that I can autograph, for these two kids?”
“They can buy something, like a shirt, and you can autograph that,” she said and then giggled. “In fact, can you stay here all day? It would be great for business.”
“I wish I could,” he replied.
“Me, too. Anyway, I’ll be right back,” she said, hurrying away.
Both Slade and Gary watched her hips swing as she made her way back to the registers. Then she leaned over the counter with her back to us and I had to roll my eyes at the way both men stared at her perky, heart-shaped behind.
I’ve got to get me a pair of those jeans, I thought.
“Gary, roll your tongue back into your mouth. She’s old enough to be your mother,” said Nicole, elbowing him in the ribcage.
“Maybe older step-sister,” said Gary, looking at Slade with a cocky grin. “She must work out.”
Slade chuckled.
Maureen turned around. She swung her hair over her shoulder, like she was in some kind of shampoo commercial, and walked back over, her eyes appraising Slade the entire way. “Here you go,” she said, handing him a pen and a notepad.
“Thank you. You have a very nice… shop,” he said, the side of his lip curling up.
I frowned.
She grinned. “Thank you. I’m sorry that I keep staring but I just can’t believe you’re in my store.”
“I’m sure you get a lot of celebrities in here. I’m just a guy in a band. It’s no big deal for me to walk through the front door.”
Maureen laughed. “Just a guy in a band? Right. My friends and I were just talking about you last night after they played one of your songs at this club that we were at.”
“What club was that?” asked Slade.
She tilted her head and smiled up at him. “The Blue Room. Have you ever heard of it?”
“I have,” interrupted Gary. “There’s supposed to be some crazy shit happening there.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Maureen, looking puzzled. “All I ever see in that place are people dancing, drinking, and having a good time. It’s really the only reason that I go there.”
“You don’t know why they call it The Blue Room, do you?” asked Nicole, a smirk on her face.
Maureen shrugged. “No. It’s just a name, isn’t it?”
Gary and Nicole looked
at each other and laughed.
“Okay, why do they call it The Blue Room?” I asked, jumping into the conversation.
Everyone looked at me, as if I was suddenly the ‘white elephant’ in the room. It frustrated me; I wanted to shout ‘Hello? I walked in here with Slade, not mention I slept with Mr. Rock Star last night! Quit ignoring me!
“They’ve got this secret room where anything goes,” said Gary. He lowered his voice and looked around. “Anything.”
“Is that right? Have you been there?” asked Slade, sounding intrigued.
“No, but my older brother Ian has,” he replied. “I’m surprised you’ve never been to The Blue Room, Slade.”
“Me, too. I guess that I’ll have to check it out,” said Slade.
“Maybe we could go together, sometime. See what all the hubbub is about,” she answered, biting her lower lip.
He grinned. “Oh, definitely, Maureen,” he answered. “I’d like that.”
Maureen looked at me and there was a gleam in her eyes that made me want to punch her in the face. Trying not to cry, I turned around and walked quickly over to Melody, who was now looking at shoes.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, noticing my expression.
“Nothing,” I said, gritting my teeth.
She took a step closer to me. “Bullshit. What’s going on?”
“I just really need to get some fresh air,” I said.
Maureen’s laughter echoed across the store and I turned around to find her handing Slade a business card He stuck it into his pocket and slipped his sunglasses back over his eyes.
“What’s that all about?” asked Melody, looking surprised.
I grunted. “I have no idea.”
“Look at the way she’s fawning over him,” said Melody, her eyes narrowing. She looked at me. “Does he know her?”
“No, but it sounds like he wants to,” I muttered.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing,” I said, as Slade turned around and strolled over to where we were standing.
“So, did you happen to find some things that will work out?” he asked Melody.
“A few. I can’t believe how expensive this place is,” said Melody, lowering her voice. “I think my bill alone is going to be huge. If you want, we can go to a different store. I don’t want you to have to pay this much for clothes.”
“It’s the same for most of the stores on this block. Don’t even look at the price tags. Just get what you want and don’t worry about what anything costs,” he said.
“Including shoes?” she asked, holding up a pair of pink high heels.
“Of course. Like I said, get what you need.”
“I’d like to go to a different store to shop,” I said stiffly. I suddenly didn’t want to give Maureen any business. Especially Slade’s.
“You haven’t had any time to even look at what’s here,” he said, sifting through a rack of graphic T-shirts. “Give it a chance.”
I glanced back toward the counter, where Maureen was watching Slade with a dreamy expression. “I’ve seen more than enough. I’ll wait for you two outside.” Then I turned and walked out the front door.
I FELT LIKE a total prick for flirting with Maureen and then taking her phone number, but it was for Chelsey’s own good. I needed to distance myself from her and had even decided that after the shopping spree, I’d drop them both off at the castle. Then, I’d go back to Romania until the European tour began in a few weeks.
“I wonder what’s crawled up her butt?” remarked Melody, grabbing another shirt from a rack of clothes. “She knows you’re going to run into fans. It’s nothing to get jealous about.”
“It happens a lot. Especially in Europe,” I answered, pulling out my cell phone, which was ringing. When I noticed the caller, I cringed.
“Hey, Liam,” I answered.
“Where in the hell is my BMW?”
I chuckled. “I borrowed it. The girls needed a ride into town and I couldn’t fly them there.”
“I get where you’re coming from, but why’d you have to take that car?” he grumbled. “Hell, you could have taken the limo. Then you wouldn’t have had to drive.”
“Sorry,” I said, smiling. “I enjoy driving and it sounded like so much more fun.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I’m sure. You’d better be babying it. And for God’s sake, don’t drive too fast. I’ve only driven the damn thing a handful of times and I don’t need you crashing it.”
“I won’t crash it. I kept it under one-twenty, especially around the bends. I didn’t want to frighten the girls.”
“One-twenty? Nice,” he replied sarcastically. “Why don’t you just keep a car in Dublin? You can store it in our garage, you know?”
“I would but I usually prefer flying. Look, I gotta go,” I said, watching as a group of determined young girls rushed into the store, their faces full of excitement.
“There he is!” cried one, pointing toward me.
Oh hell, I thought, putting on a happy face. Thankfully, there were only about five of them and not a stampede. Liam always enjoyed the panting female attention, but personally, I preferred anonymity. Thankfully, Maureen headed them off before they attacked me with requests.
“Ladies, I’ll be over in a minute,” I called out, noticing their disappointed faces. I liked my space but I didn’t want to be a dick either. Not to any of my fans.
“What’s going on?” asked Liam.
I explained.
“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll see more of that today. Listen, can we meet somewhere? We’ll trade vehicles. I want to pick up Bridgett in my car.”
“Why don’t you take the limo?” I asked. “There’s a lot of room in the back and you’ll get some privacy.”
Liam was quiet for a few seconds and then he chuckled. “Damn, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I’m a little surprised myself, you old horn-dog.”
“Eh, I doubt that anything is going to happen anyway. We’re just going out for lunch. I don’t even know if she realizes that it’s a date.”
“Lunch? Well, if she does consider it a date and knowing her preferred lunch choices, she might be snacking on you.”
“Love me some vampire attention. Something about your females, I don’t know what it is. Alright, I’m taking the limo. Just don’t get any scratches on my car.”
“I’ll keep it under one-hundred and hope for the best.”
“You’re such an ass. I’d better get going.”
I grinned. “Yeah. Have fun with Bradan’s mom. Is there anyone you haven’t had sex with in Dublin?”
“Besides Melody and Chelsey? Not many left. Anyway, you run into Bradan, don’t tell him where I’m at. Things could get ugly.”
“Only if he asks.”
Liam groaned. “Just don’t give him any reason to.”
“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises for Melody.”
He grunted. “You think she’d say anything?”
“Are you kidding me?” I laughed. “Definitely. She’s not happy that you’re seeing anyone else but her.”
“Like you said before, I’m a horn-dog and need variety. It’s for her own good, anyway.”
“I hear you,” I said, thinking of Chelsey. “If it’s any consolation, I doubt we’ll run into Bradan on Grafton Street.”
“Is that where you are?”
“Yeah.”
“Huh. I made lunch reservations at Shane’s Steak and Ale, the next street over. Try to keep Melody away, if you can.”
“I’ll try my best.”
After we hung up, I stepped over to my young fans and signed a bunch of autographs. After finishing with that, I walked over to the dressing-rooms, to check on Melody.
“Melody?”
“I’m trying on clothes!” she called from one of the stalls.
“Yeah, I figured. Just want you to know that I’m going outside to look for Chelsey.”
“Okay. I’ll be finished in
a little while.”
“Take your time,” I answered, walking away. I made my way back over to the counter, to talk to Maureen, and informed her that I was paying for Melody’s items.
“Oh. Is she a relative?” asked Maureen.
“Just a good friend.”
“What about the other girl that walked out?” She lowered her voice. “She, um, she looked a little angry. Are you two dating?”
“She’s just a friend, too.”
“Oh, good. So,” she batted her eyelashes. “Am I really going to get a call from you? If you don’t, I’ll understand.”
I removed my sunglasses. I really didn’t like charming anyone, but I felt it was the right thing to do with Maureen. “I won’t be calling you, but… you’re okay with that,” I said, staring into her eyes.
“Yes,” she answered in a breathy voice. “I am okay with you not calling.”
“You’re not even sure why you gave me your number in the first place. In fact, you’ll feel a sense of relief when you don’t hear from me.”
“I’ll feel a sense of relief when I don’t hear from you.”
Grinning, I put my sunglasses back on. “As I was saying, I’ll pay for Melody’s items. I’m just going outside for a few minutes, to look for Chelsey.”
Maureen’s pupils returned to normal and she smiled at me. “No problem, Slade. I’ll check on Melody and see if she needs any help,” she said, walking around the counter.
“Thank you. I’d appreciate it.”
I left the store and walked outside. The sun was high and there were no clouds in the sky, so I was thankful for my sunglasses. When I noticed Chelsey sitting alone on a park bench, across the street, I walked over to her.
“You doing okay out here by yourself?” I asked, noting the anger in her eyes.
“I’m fine,” she replied, coolly. “Is Melody finished with her shopping yet?”
“Almost. She’s trying on a pile of clothes.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Are you warm enough?” I asked, noticing her shivering under her hoodie. It was cold outside and although the weather didn’t affect me, I knew that she needed a warmer jacket.
“I’m fine.”
“You can wear my jacket, if you’d like,” I replied, getting ready to unzip it.
Toxic (Venom Series) Book Three Page 5