I stared at them in complete shock and disbelief. “Did any of you listen to a word I said? He’s an ass. They’re all asses!”
One of them put her hands over her heart. She was wearing a KELLAN FOREVER T-shirt. Go figure. Where did they keep finding these fucking T-shirts? “But he’s sooooooo hot. And sexy. And talented. I just want to lick him all over.”
“You’re all brainwashed,” I murmured.
One of the girls had a wide face framed with equally wide glasses. She must have heard my comment, ’cause she frowned and looked at me like I’d just told her that her kid was ugly. “You know, you keep talking about how they screwed you over, but you should just be happy that you’re a part of the team.”
The girl beside her had so many freckles, her face looked like one of those dot paintings that Jenny did sometimes. “Yeah, I mean, so you’re not the lead singer or the lead guitarist, you’re still the…”
Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened, and I knew she had no idea what instrument I played. “Bassist,” I said, annoyed.
Her expression softened with relief. “Right, yeah, the bassist…and that’s…super cool.”
Wanting away from them, and everyone, I jerked my thumb down the hall. “I’m going to go find a beer now, but if you’re looking for a good time, Kellan’s that way. Just tell his assistant with the baby that you’re there to suck his dick. She’ll scoot you to the front of the line.”
The freckled girl looked mortified. “We’d never…I mean, we don’t know him, and he might be married, and…” She glanced at her two friends. “Let’s go,” she whispered. The three of them darted down the hall, giggling.
“Kiera is going to kick your ass for that one,” an amused voice said behind me.
Turning around, I saw Anna and Gibson standing there. Anna was holding Gibson’s fingers in one hand and an open beer bottle in the other. Goddamn, I loved the fact that my wife could often anticipate my needs. It was sometimes eerie, like she was in my head. Oddly, the thought of her residing in my brain didn’t scare me at all. There wasn’t anyone else I’d want in that mudhole with me.
Gibson immediately reached out for me when they got close enough. “Up!” she demanded, while Anna handed me my beer. Finally, a pair of people who wanted me more than Kellan.
Picking up my daughter with one arm so I could still drink my beer, I gave Anna an appreciative smile. You’re the best. Then, remembering my encounters lately, I frowned. “I just realized something…besides the fact that my bandmates are lying, chickenshit assholes.”
“Assholes,” Gibson mimicked with a cheesy grin.
Laughing, I gave her a high five. “Damn straight, kiddo.”
Anna compressed her lips as she shook her head. “So much for curbing the swearing…”
She was rubbing her stomach, like the baby was kicking her in the same spot. It had been doing that lately. Wanting to help her out, I snapped my fingers and hailed a roadie who was walking by. “Hey you, go find a chair for my wife.” The guy, who looked about twelve, started to turn away, and I grabbed his shoulder. “And a pillow for her back.” He turned again and I grabbed him again. “And something for her to snack on.” The guy hesitated, seeing if I needed anything else. “Now!” I snapped, shooing him off.
Anna frowned as she watched the guy hurry away. “Thank you for that, I really would like to sit, and I am kind of hungry…but maybe next time you could say please when you’re demanding something?”
I took a long swig of my beer. It was my favorite microbrew, one that we’d discovered while barhopping last year. Awesome. “The day I say please to a roadie is the day I stop touring. Being on the D-Bags crew is bragging rights for those guys, and if I don’t continually knock them down, they’ll get big heads. It’s my duty to be a jerk,” I said, completely serious.
Anna’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Well, continue on then. We wouldn’t want any big heads around here…” Leaning forward, she kissed my cheek; she smelled like cotton candy. Delicious. Pulling away from me, she returned our conversation to its original course. “So…what did you realize?” She started massaging my neck and some of the tension instantly started leaving me. Fuck, I loved it when she did that.
With my beer, I gestured to the fans loitering around backstage. “These fans…none of them really give a shit about me. Sure, they usually recognize me as being in the band, but they don’t know what I play, what I do. And sometimes they don’t even know my freaking name. How the fuck is that even possible? All they care about is Kellan. Kellan this, Kellan that, it’s all I hear anymore, and it’s bullshit. If they love the band, then they should love all of us. Equally. It is a group effort after all.”
Anna tilted her head as she considered. “I’m sure it’s not personal. Kellan is just…larger than life, and so are his fans. But you have your dedicated groupies too. Remember the group that snuck onto the bus a couple of nights ago. That was for you, not Kellan.”
I did remember that group, how could I not? They were all armed with green dildos that they’d wanted me to sign. But even they had asked about Kellan. Where does he sleep? Can we steal a T-shirt? Does he really fart rainbows and moonbeams, ’cause he’s so super awesome like that. Ugh. I was getting sick of it. “Well, if they are going to call themselves D-Bag fans, then they should do a better job of learning about the entire band. We’re more than just Kellan, and the rest of us deserve some sort of acknowledgment too.”
Seeing through my statement to the heart of what was really bugging me, Anna cupped my cheek. “You’ll get the praise you deserve, Griffin. I promise. You’re too big a star to stay under the radar forever. Your time is coming, you just have to wait it out and be patient.”
At first, her words sent a zing of pride through me. My wife thinks I’m awesome. But the lift to my spirits was quickly darkened by a confusing mixture of frustration and hope. When will everyone else think that? I sucked at patience, especially now that I was getting so close to what I wanted. And so far too. “I don’t know how much longer I can wait, Anna. They’re holding me underwater and I’m drowning. Something’s gotta change. And soon.”
An expression passed over Anna’s face that I hadn’t ever seen before. It vanished into blandness so quickly I almost thought I’d imagined it, but deep down I knew I hadn’t. I wasn’t completely sure what it was, but it had almost looked like…fear. Or worse than fear. That didn’t make sense though. My girl wasn’t afraid of anything. Maybe I was just misinterpreting things. But just that one tiny spark of anxiety on her face made a weird churning feeling rip through my stomach. I settled the feeling by remembering her earlier words. She had my back, she believed in me. That belief was what kept me going. Anna was the fuel to my awesome-train.
Not wanting to see that expression on her again, I said something that I thought would appease her. “Nah, don’t listen to me. I’m just talking shit again. All I need is to finish my beer, then everything will be right as rain.”
A glorious smile lit up her face, and any worry that may or may not have passed over her was gone. “Well then, drink up.”
I held the bottle up to her in a salute, then started downing it. Yeah, a beer would solve everything. For now.
Chapter 5
Meet the Awesomes
They say that all good things come to those who wait. Well fuck whoever said that, because I had waited as patiently as a person could be expected to wait, and nothing fucking changed. The entire tour went by and all I heard was the same old line—Not tonight, maybe tomorrow. I heard it so often I was considering getting it tattooed on my forehead.
My mood was foul when I got back home to my same old boring-ass routine. Anna was a week or so from bursting, so she was in a foul mood too. Between the two of us, it had been bitch central at the house lately. It was an odd vibe for us, since we were usually so laid back. Or Anna was, at least. It took a lot to ruffle her.
“Not tonight, maybe tomorrow,” I said in a high-pitched, mocking v
oice. I was in our pool, floating in an inflatable chair, a beer in each cup holder and a third one in my hand. Smacking my fist against the water, I muttered, “They can kiss my ass tomorrow, is what they can do. All I’ve ever wanted, since this fucking band formed, was one tiny second in the spotlight, but none of those assholes will give me a chance. Fame whores.”
Anna sighed from the lounge chair she was resting on; she’d heard this rant before. Several times. I was sure she was getting tired of hearing it, but she was my sounding board; I needed her to listen. “I can’t bend over anymore,” she said in a whine. “And the only shoes that fit my feet are slippers.” She looked over at me with pouted lips. “I seriously want this baby out. It better come early. I don’t think I can survive six more days of this crap.”
Examining her looking all swollen and uncomfortable, yet still the sexiest thing on earth in her two-piece, I sympathized; her feet did look like overdone sausages about to burst. I was kind of scared to touch them for fear they would explode on me. “At least your hell will be over soon. Mine is perpetual. So long as Kellan and Matt are running the show, I’m fucked.” Taking a swig of my drink, I flicked the water with my forefinger. I wished it was Kellan’s face. Or Matt’s. I’d even accept Evan’s, since he wasn’t exactly campaigning for me. Kellan and Matt had him firmly under their thumbs. Conformist.
A couple of droplets landed on Anna and she frowned at me as she rubbed them off her thigh. “You just need to keep trying. If you want this, don’t give up. Show them you’re serious, and they’ll change their minds and give you a chance.”
Because I was in a shitty mood, I scowled at her, but I supposed she did have a point. If I could prove to the guys that I wouldn’t embarrass them, maybe they’d cave on their ridiculous stance that I couldn’t be trusted with anything more important than mixing their drinks. I was so much more than a bartender, and it was time those fuckers realized it.
Anna cocked an eyebrow at me. “Speaking of serious…when are you going to call Matt back? He’s left four messages on the machine.”
Yeah, and even more were on my cell phone. I fully expected him to show up at my door any moment. But I was irritated and didn’t want to deal with him yet. Besides, what he wanted to do was preposterous. “Did you listen to the message? He wants to start working on the third album. We just finished the last one. How about we let our brains rest for a sec before we cram more stuff in there? Just saying.”
She looked about to comment on that suggestion, but the doorbell rang. Anna grimaced as the loud gong vibrated the walls. “I’m pretty sure that just woke Gibson up,” she muttered before painstakingly rising from her chair. I thought about climbing out to help her, but by the time I was finished thinking it, she was already standing.
As Anna left the pool room to see who was here, I cringed too. Had Matt finally taken the initiative to come collect me, since I clearly wasn’t in any hurry to contact him? Only one way to find out. Finishing my beer, I tucked the can by my hip and, using my fingers as paddles, I pushed myself over to the edge.
Grabbing the cool tile, I pulled myself out. I started to walk away, but then I remembered how much Anna hated it when I left wet footprints all over the house, and I dried myself off with a nearby towel. Awesome husband, party of one.
Strutting through the house, letting it all hang loose, I headed for the front door to see who was here. When I got to the door, it was wide open, revealing an assortment of people I hadn’t expected to see. Anna was standing in front of them, still dressed in her bikini. Hearing my approach, she looked back at me. The smile on her face was clearly forced; so was her cheery voice. “Griffin…your family is here. Isn’t that…great?” Her eyes widened on the word “great,” and I could tell what she really meant was, What the hell are they doing here?
Moving to stand beside Anna, I waved at my dad and my brother, Liam. Both of them were loaded down with bags. Behind them I could see my mom and my sister, Chelsey, getting even more bags out of a minivan; my sister’s twin girls were with them. From the looks of all the crap they were unloading, the gang was moving in for months. “Hey guys, good to see you. Wasn’t expecting you yet.”
My dad gestured at my lack of clothing. “We see that.”
Liam dropped his bags and covered his eyes like he’d just been splashed with acid. Falling to his knees, he began dramatically moaning and groaning. “My eyes, my eyes!” he screamed, sounding like the dying witch in Wizard of Oz. Liam fancied himself as an actor. I flipped him off while Anna excused herself to grab me something to wear. And probably to curse me out behind closed doors. We’d planned on calling my parents when she went into labor, so they could arrive right after the baby was born.
Dad looked down at Liam still writhing on the ground, then ignored him and turned back to me. “I’m probably going to regret asking this, but why are you naked?”
Shrugging, I told him, “I was in the pool.”
“Naked?” He bunched his brows. They had been blond like mine when he was younger, but Dad was mostly gray now. He said that was because of us kids, but I called bullshit on that remark. If there was any reason Dad was gray, it was because of Mom. She rode him hard then put him away wet every time she could. More than once I’d joked that he should have Property of Marsha Hancock tattooed across his backside. He never laughed when I said that.
I nodded at his question and repeated my answer. “In a pool.” When he still didn’t seem any less confused, I clarified. “It’s basically a gigantic bathtub, and I don’t know anyone who uses their suit in the bathtub…that’s just weird.”
Dad blinked; I swear even his eyes had shifted from blue to gray. “I…guess that makes sense.”
Liam, his act apparently over, finally stood up. “Hey, bro,” he said, give me a chin nod. “Nice place you got here. You leasing it?” Liam refused to believe that I was actually more successful than he was. Before the D-Bags got big, he’d constantly rub it in my face how much money he made. But now that I was in the world’s biggest band, he may as well have picked his meager income from my ass crack. He was having a hard time adjusting to this new reality.
“Nah,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. It made my package more predominant, but I didn’t care. My package was worth the view. “I bought it outright.” I hadn’t, I still owed a shitload on this place, probably more than it was worth, since I was pretty sure I’d overpaid in my eagerness to live here, but Liam didn’t need to know any of that.
He frowned and sniffed in a haughty way that I hated. Liam liked to compare his looks to Brad Pitt, but I thought he looked more like the Sarlacc pit. Okay, maybe not that monstrous. He was a Hancock after all, and he did have our charm, trademark blond hair, and striking blue eyes, but even with all that, he was no A-list movie star.
“Oh,” he muttered. Trying to sound wise, he said, “You probably shouldn’t have sunk all your money into real estate. Diversification is the key to long-term wealth. Big mistake, bro. Big mistake.”
Looking him straight in the eye, I told him exactly what I felt about his opinion on my wealth. “Bite me.”
Just as Anna came back with some shorts for me, I heard my mom bellow from the van—“Gregory! Liam! These bags aren’t going to move themselves! Set your shit down and get your asses back here for the rest of the luggage!”
I smiled as I slipped the Superman shorts on. Good old Mom. As Dad and Liam scurried away to do her bidding, I turned to Anna. “I better help too. Mom can get nasty when she doesn’t get her way.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. “So can I. Why are they here so soon?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s cool though, huh? Now we have help for Gibson. You can rest more…” Sounded good to me. Ever since we’d come back from the tour she’d been complaining about being tired. I think she was still suffering from motion sickness, even though it had been a few days since we’d last been on a bus.
Her green eyes flashed in the sunlight as she thought about that sma
ll positive. Accepting the situation, since it was too late to change it, she let out a long sigh. “Oh well. At least it’s only twenty days. Too bad for them though, they’re missing out on time with Baby Hancock. They should have waited so they had more time with he/she.”
Smiling, I lifted a finger. “Actually, that wasn’t part of our negotiations.” Knowing this wasn’t going to go well, I started wading through the bags that Dad and Liam had left on the doorstep to go help Mom with the rest of their stuff.
From behind me, Anna snapped, “What? What are you talking about?” I looked back at her. She was still just in a bikini, but that wasn’t stopping her from following me to the driveway. Anna was about as self-conscious about her body as I was. I totally dug that about her.
“The deal was twenty days. Period,” she said. Her voice was firm, unyielding. Technically she was right, but there was one small flaw in the pact, and I fully planned on exploiting it.
I raised a finger at her. “No, the deal was that they could stay twenty days after the baby was born. That was what you put on the table. We never talked about how long they could stay before the baby was born, so these days leading up to it don’t count.”
Her jaw dropped and I hurried away from her. “You’re an ass,” she murmured, right on my heels. She could move quickly when she needed to.
She thwacked me across the backside right as we got to the car. I let out a tiny cry of pain just as Mom handed me a bag. Anna hadn’t held back, and my ass was probably bruised now. Mom loaded me up with three more bags, then patted my shoulder. “Good to see you, baby. Why don’t you put Chelsey’s bags in a room for her, then come back for Dawn and Della’s stuff.” From the way she said it, it was clear that helping my sister and her kids get settled wasn’t an option.
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