Blood and Guitars

by Heather Jensen

  “Not just musicians,” I stated.

  Ken smiled and said, “Too true.”

  I went back to my place on the couch and picked up the photo album. Flipping through the pages again, I tried to come to terms with the fact that I’d been hanging out with a real rock star. And now I was sitting in a fancy recording studio with a big shot producer while Trey was singing a song that would probably be on the radio in the not-so-distant future. I stared at the many pictures of Trey and his band mates playing their instruments, pulling faces at the camera, and signing autographs and I began to wonder if I knew him at all. Then the words Trey was singing pulled me back into the moment and I looked up from the book again to watch him. I listened for a while, unable to deny the way I was drawn to him.

  Maybe I didn’t know everything about him. I was hardly in a position to complain about that. I had secrets, too. And it wasn’t as if Trey had tried to hide this part of his life from me. He’d brought me here tonight, hadn’t he? He’d obviously figured out that I was completely clueless and wanted to find a gentle way to remedy that. He wasn’t being arrogant or even bragging, even though he had plenty of cause to. That was the kind of man I could spend a little time getting to know better. So what if he was human? I was good at keeping secrets.

  Chapter 20

  Trey finished his second take on the song and I set the scrapbook down on the armrest of the couch before he walked inside the sound room again. Ken opened his buzzing phone and then muttered something about needing to run into the house for a moment. Trey stepped aside to let him pass and then crossed the room to sit next to me.

  “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked.

  Trey’s brow furrowed in confusion, but only briefly, then his eyes flicked to the photo album next to me and a look of understanding washed over his face. “Yeah, about that…”

  “I guess I should have Googled you or something,” I interrupted. “I had no idea.”

  He laughed and shifted on the couch to face me better. “I know,” he said softly. “I … uh … I kind of liked that you didn’t know.” He looked a little embarrassed. “I should have told you sooner,” he added. “But, it was just so nice for a change.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Being in this band,” he added. “Our success … it makes it hard to meet people.”

  “If you hadn’t brought me here tonight, I’d still be clueless.” I smiled at him. “I told you, I’m no good at keeping track of bands.”

  He chuckled again and then his face grew more serious as he gazed at me, his hand falling to rest on mine. “I’m sorry if I blindsided you. I just thought that you wouldn’t agree to come with me tonight if I told you. And that’s only if you believed me in the first place.”

  I considered his words. He’d had every right to worry. I probably wouldn’t have come had I known. Not only was I hanging around with a human, but a famous one. That only added to the liability.

  “You’re right,” I admitted. “But I’m glad I came.”

  He brushed his thumb over the top of my hand slowly and smiled again. “So am

  I.”

  “The good news is you could probably sell that painting you did last night on eBay for a few thousand bucks,” I added, grinning. Then, in another twist of irony, I realized that meant his painting of a manure-colored guitar was worth more money than any painting I had hanging at The Waking Moon.

  Ken returned just then and played back the song for us. Trey listened intently, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way his face changed when he was satisfied with different parts of the song, compared to those parts he wanted to change and fix. He really did wear his heart on his sleeve. He was more real and candid than any vampire I know, which is probably why I hadn’t really been tempted to prod his mind while we’d been hanging out. With Trey, there really wasn’t a need.

  I half listened while he and Ken discussed some changes to the way he was singing the song. With the exception of a few water breaks and a trip to the bathroom, Trey stayed in the recording room for the next two hours, singing his heart out. By the time Trey was wrapping up the vocals, the rest of the band had gathered in the sound room to listen since they’d been coming and going throughout the process. Trey appeared in the doorway and gestured for me to follow him.

  “I’ll try and piece this together if you guys want to break for dinner,” Ken said.

  “I already ordered pizza.” Chase checked the time on his phone. “Should be here in ten.”

  “Perfect,” Trey said as I approached him. “I’m starving.”

  “One more round of foosball,” Jonas urged Chase and O’Shea.

  “Loser pays for dinner,” Chase stated, jumping to his feet.

  “Fine by me.” O’Shea looked mildly amused. He kicked up his feet on the sofa. “I left my wallet home.”

  “You sounded great in there,” I said as Trey pulled me down the hallway toward the lounge near the front of the building.

  “Thanks,” he said, grinning. “I hope it wasn’t too much to endure.”

  “No, I really enjoyed listening in,” I said truthfully. “And it’s been an informative evening, that’s for sure.”

  We sat down in the lounge and it was quiet for a moment, but not an awkward silence. Then I decided to ask the question that had been burning in the back of my mind since I’d heard his first take on the song tonight. “So, who was she?” He looked at me, and even though I knew he needed no further explanation, I added, “The girl you wrote that song about?”

  He let out a soft sigh and played with the seam in the couch cushion for a second before he answered. “Ex-girlfriend.” I nodded, and then he was talking again. “She was the kind of girl it’s too easy to meet in this business,” he added. “And I was too blind to see it at the time.” He was quiet for a few heartbeats and then he said, “But I might as well get a decent song out of it. It’s about the only thing I’ll get out of the relationship, if you can call it that.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “It was probably good for me in the end,” he said. “I made a lot of mistakes that I won’t make again. Sometimes you have to live it first, I guess.”

  “You loved her,” I observed.

  He met my eyes for a few solid seconds before dropping his gaze to the floor. “I thought I did.” But I’d heard the sting of heartache in his voice tonight. I reacted by squeezing his hand. “Anyway, it was a long time ago.” Trey looked at me again and said, “Thanks for coming with me tonight.” Then he smiled and added, “I work better under pressure, and having a hot girl in the sound room keeps me on top of my game.”

  I could only hold my breath as he leaned in closer to me and then his lips were on mine again. Maybe it was because I had anticipated the whole emotional link this time, but whatever the reason, when Trey’s emotions started to churn around inside of me, it wasn’t as overwhelming as I remembered. The connection was still there, though. There was no doubt about that. It’s hard to pinpoint the specific feelings I was getting from him, mostly because they kept shifting, but I got a general sense of euphoria. I could hear the sturdy sound of his heart thumping as his calloused fingers gently caressed my cheek. The smell of the shampoo he’d used in his hair, the hint of cologne that drifted up through the neck of his tee-shirt, and the underlying smell of the sweet blood that coursed through his veins all blended together in a mouthwatering combination.

  My mind was impossibly filled to the brim with Trey, and my heartbeat raced to match his. The kiss was slow and sweet and deliberate. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the blending of emotions that came from having Trey’s mix with my own. It was the strangest, most wonderful sensation and it ended much too soon, interrupted by the tingling sensation in my teeth that I always get before my fangs unsheathe. I tried to fight the instinct to shift to my natural self, but it was too powerful. I tried to block the emotional flood from my mind, anything to make the kiss last a little longer, but I found it impossible to think past him and his emotions as they rushed through me
. For a vampire who is known for her mental fortitude, I was failing miserably. The connection between Trey and I was chemical, and there was no stopping it. I managed to pull back in time and the tingling in my mouth stopped as I stared into Trey’s ocean eyes, the rush of his emotions ebbing away. Our breathing leveled out as we gazed intently at one another.

  “I’ve wanted to do that ever since I picked you up earlier,” he admitted.

  “What took you so long?” I breathed.

  He chuckled and took a deep breath. “You make me nervous.”

  “I do?” But even as I asked it, I recalled a flourish of nervous energy somewhere in that kiss. If I hadn’t been so overwhelmed I would have smelled his anxiety too. The scent was obvious now.

  “I can’t explain it. I haven’t felt like this around a girl since I was thirteen and crushing on a freshman. It’s bizarre.”

  I laughed softly and shrugged at him. “I have that affect on people,” I said with a grin. What I didn’t say was that vampires have that affect on people. If I hadn’t just had a direct channel to his feelings, I might have been able to convince myself that was all it was. That he was only feeling this way about me because I was a creature of the night. But I knew better.

  Trey was falling for me.

  And even without the weird emotional link that kissing seemed to create between us I would have been able to see that. Harder to admit to myself, but no less true, was the fact that I had been hoping all day that Trey would kiss me again. Now that he had, and I was confident the intimate link hadn’t just been a fluke the first time around, I wanted it to continue. I hadn’t been close to somebody in years. Not since Aden was alive. Mark and I were friends, but I kept a wall up even with him. I wanted the connection between Trey and I to continue, and I could see only one problem with that. Admittedly, it was a big problem.

  Trey was mortal, not to mention a famous mortal.

  I knew I was pushing my luck by hanging around him as it was. But anything more? I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Even kissing Trey brought on the rush of adrenaline that usually forces my fangs to emerge and my eyes to glow. For a vampire it’s instinctual, a survival technique, and definitely not something I would normally want to fight. Then I thought about the rush of unfathomable feeling I’d just experienced and realized that it didn’t matter. I was going to have to find a way to make it work. One thing was certain: no one could know.

  Not Antonio. Not Mark. No one.

  Chapter 21

  Some pizza and a few hours later, I was actually starting to feel like part of the group around Trey’s friends. I had time to get to know all of his band mates a little better while Trey was finishing recording the rest of the vocals for “Sweet Disguise.” I’d even taken O’Shea up on a game of foosball, in which I’d had to pretend that I couldn’t nail every shot without trying so he wouldn’t wonder if I was some sort of freak. Or a total dork. I wasn’t even sure why I cared, but I couldn’t deny that I wanted to make a decent first impression.

  Everyone decided to call it a night when Trey and Ken announced that they were finished recording the vocals. Ken promised to have everything pieced together for them to hear by the next time they came. We all said our goodbyes and Trey and I walked to his car. He opened the door for me and then went around, climbing into the driver’s seat.

  He started the engine, and then turned to smile at me for just a second before he put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space. We chatted as he drove to my place, and the next thing I knew he was walking me to the front door.

  “I had a good time.” I turned to face him.

  “I’m glad.”

  “Your friends are great,” I added. “It’s obvious you’re all very close.”

  “It’s hard not to be, especially when we practically live together on the road. Plus, we’ve been in this band since high school. That’s probably why it still works.”

  “It definitely seems to be working.” I said. I heard his heartbeat shift into high gear and he reached out suddenly and pulled me close to him. I leaned forward, melting in his arms. What was it about this mortal man and his ability to make me feel vulnerable and safe all at once? I couldn’t even pretend that it made sense but I welcomed the rush of emotion that came when our lips met. I could definitely see myself getting used to this. When we pulled apart he was smiling at me.

  “Let me make you dinner tomorrow night,” he stated. “I have the night off.”

  I bit my bottom lip. I couldn’t deny that I wanted to see him again. “You cook?” I was stalling now.

  “Don’t sound so surprised. Does seven work?”

  There was no denying that smile. It was another moment of weakness. I’d been having a lot of those lately. “Make it eight and text me directions to your place.”

  “I could pick you up,” he offered.

  “And take the cook out of the kitchen? No way,” I said with a grin. I’d relinquished about as much control in one night as any girl could handle.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.”

  I nodded and he leaned closer once more, kissing my cheek softly. Then he turned and walked away. I watched him until he reached his car and looked up to smile at me one more time. I smiled back and then let myself inside the house. I dropped my purse on the coffee table and sat down, opening up my laptop. I had so many questions. A general search sounded like a good place to start. I pulled up Google and typed in Catalyst. There were a little over two million results, but the one at the top claimed to be an official site so I clicked on it. I was redirected to a page that displayed the band’s logo in large letters at the top. There was a great picture of the guys with Trey front and center. Below that was an embedded video. I clicked play and was surprised to find that the video was a recent one of Trey and O’Shea in the live room and Ken’s studio previewing a new song for the fans. Then I was watching Chase as he sat at the drum kit, showing the camera a new app. he’d gotten on his phone that turned it into a little finger drum set.

  I laughed softly and then gazed at the links on the page; videos, photos, band bio, music, touring, fan club and merchandise. In the band biography, I found the names of all the members: Trey Decker, Jonas Haskins, O’Shea Rushing, and Chase Norton. There was a small paragraph about each of the guys along with a picture. Next I clicked on the fan club and saw that a small annual fee was required for membership, but exclusive access to videos, chats, and blogs from the band members could only be found in the fan club. The fee wasn’t a big deal. I paid with my debit card and within a few minutes I was an official Catalyst fan club member. I hadn’t been a member of a fan club since high school. It was kind of strange to be doing it now. I logged in with my new username and password and began browsing the site. Just as I had suspected, there was a wealth of information. Fans were discussing stuff in the forums and on the chat, including which band members were single or who the last girl they’d been seen with was.

  Apparently, Trey had been available for a while. So the source for “Sweet Disguise” hadn’t been a recent heartbreak. I guessed that was good news. I went into the photo gallery and found page after page of pictures. Some were official, and others had just been uploaded by fans. There was even a shot all four band members showing off their matching Catalyst tattoos.

  I spent a few minutes wandering around the pages on the fan club before I went back out to the main page. I clicked on the music section and pictures of two different albums came up. The first was titled Absence Of The Vinyl and the second one I recognized from the photo in Ken’s album as Recycled Coma. Below each album cover was a prospective track list, with the option to click on individual songs to hear the track.

  I saw “Filtered Ache” listed as track three on Recycled Coma and I clicked on it. The familiar song began to play through my laptop speakers and I smiled in disbelief. It only took a moment to search and purchase both of the Catalyst albums. I plugged in my iPod to update it and went into the kitchen while I waited.
I opened the small refrigerator at the bottom of the pantry and pulled out a bottle of Vidic Vineyard blood-laced wine. After the insane day I’d had, I needed a jolt of blood. I opened the bottle and poured some of the rich, red liquid into a wine glass before settling down on the couch in front of my laptop again. My iPod was still synching so I took a sip and relished the explosive tastes on my tongue.

  My mind immediately went back to the kiss, er – make that kisses –I’d shared with Trey today. I hadn’t known something so incredible could exist, much less with a human. Sure, there had been times when vampires had tried to date humans, although it didn’t happen often. Most vampires consider themselves to be above humans and would never bother. Anyway, the point is that relationships between vampires and humans just never work out, for obvious reasons. For one, the vampire almost always finds drinking from the said human impossible to resist at one point or another. Then the said human would begin to develop the instinctual aversion toward the vampire and things would fall apart. If I’d still been human, just thinking about all of it would have given me a headache already. But seeing a particular human whenever life would permit was something I was going to risk.

  When my iPod finished synching, I unplugged it and sat it in my purse. I drained the rest of my wine/blood and went into the kitchen, rinsing out the glass. I leaned against the countertop for a moment, trying to decide what to do with myself for the rest of the evening. After a moment’s debate, I grabbed my keys and purse and left for The Waking Moon to catch up on some work. I hadn’t checked in with Kacie in a few days but I was glad to see there were a few sales receipts waiting for me on the back desk. I shuffled through them as I walked through the gallery area, noting which paintings Kacie had pulled from the wall because they had sold.