“Baby … you know, I was thinking it might be a good idea if we put your things in the closet in the weight room. Give us both more room that way,” he says glancing back at me.
“Um … yeah, we could do that,” I say slowly, frowning at him.
“You don’t like that idea?” he says, studying my face.
“Well, it’s just … I mean, it’s a good idea but … well, it sort of smells like sweat in there.”
He smiles slowly at me. “It smells like sweat?” I say nothing and nod my head at him, and he laughs at me. “Okay. So, maybe we’ll move my things to the weight room. What do you think?”
“You would do that?” I ask quietly, looking up at him.
“Well, we can’t keep doing this for much longer,” he answers, gesturing back at the packed closet.
“Well, maybe the realtor I emailed will come through with something and we won’t have to move anything into the weight room. Which reminds me, I should probably check my email but, I don’t feel like it right now,” I say with a yawn. “I think I might finish that nap we started before.”
He smiles at me. “Too much activity this morning, Miss Colby?” he asks, abandoning the overstuffed closet and setting his gun down on the bedside table.
I can’t help giggling at him. “Well, I was held against my will and used as a love slave this morning.”
“Held against your will?” he says, sounding surprised, and I giggle some more. “You are not going to try to use that false argument again, are you?”
We get undressed and he lies down with me, making sure to set the alarm so that he’s not late, and we curl up and take a nap together, and it feels so good just being in his arms. I drift off with the most complete feeling of happiness. And when we wake a couple of hours later, I feel refreshed and ready to face the evening.
We hop into the shower, knowing that we don’t have time to dillydally around. But he’s just so beautiful, I can’t stop myself from running my soapy hands all over his muscular back as he washes his hair. He finishes rinsing the shampoo out and turns to me with a sexy grin. Then he bends and softly kisses my lips.
“You know we don’t have time for that, baby.” I pout as he trades places with me and I stand under the fall of water, letting the flow wash over me and rinse away the soap.
We dress in a comfortable silence as I pull on my gray leggings and a matching gray tank top. Going to the closet, I pull out one of Josh’s flannel shirts with a gray and white checkered pattern and put it on over my tank top, buttoning it only about halfway up and rolling up the sleeves. Then I add a belt at my waist, making a dress out of his shirt. I pull out my Christian Louboutin gray suede booties to complete my look and hurry off to address my hair.
I get out my hair dryer from the linen closet, where it’s been living next to Josh’s, and I finger through my hair as I gently blow it dry, scrunching it as I go. The result is a crinkly, wavy sort of look and I like it. A little mascara and lip gloss and I’m ready.
I head back into the bedroom just as Josh is tying his boots. He looks yummier than usual, dressed in a pair of older, dark blue jeans that are ripped at the left thigh, and a sleeveless royal blue t-shirt that hugs his frame and brings out his eyes. I watch as he slips his gun into the holster at his back and shrugs on a blue and white checkered flannel shirt.
“Ready?” he asks me, and I nod. He walks toward me, looking me over appraisingly and smiles. “Nice shirt.”
“Oh, you like this?” I ask, looking down at my attire. “It’s my boyfriend’s.” His smile grows bigger as I turn and head out of the room and down the hall. I wait as he loads his guitar into its case. Then he picks up his amp, and we head out the front door. He loads his gear into the back of the truck and carefully covers it with a tarp, then he opens my door and I climb in.
We get to the bar around 8:30 and I sit next to the stage and watch as the band sets up and does a quick sound check. Then they huddle and go over the set list for several minutes. By the time they finish with their pre-show routine, it’s around 9:30 and Josh comes off the stage and holds his hand out to me. I stand, taking his hand and he leads me over to the end of the bar – exactly where I saw him two weeks ago, the first time I came here – with the rest of his bandmates. This must be part of their normal routine, to gather here at the end of the bar and fellowship before time to go on.
“Everyone, this is my girlfriend. Samantha.” He lets go of my hand and wraps his arm around my waist, and I am loving the small hint of pride I hear in his voice as he calls me his girlfriend. Yes!
“Hi Samantha!” It’s said practically in unison as they all greet me warmly.
He introduces me to each of his bandmates plus the singer’s girlfriend and the drummer’s wife. So many names to keep straight, but everyone seems very friendly and welcoming. And I really enjoy watching Josh with his friends. He is relaxed and funny and they all seem to really get along well with one another. They talk about problem songs, and they hammer out a time to get together next week for a rehearsal. Then Butler brings up something that was said at last night’s poker game, something having to do with a work concern, and they spend several minutes talking about that. As I listen, my eyes roam around the bar and I can see that it is quickly filling up with patrons. Everyone eager to hear Off Duty Blue, no doubt.
“Can I get you a beer or a spritzer, baby?” Josh asks, lightly squeezing me to his side to get my attention.
“Um, just a beer, please,” I answer, smiling up at him. He walks away then and as I watch after him, I am tapped on the shoulder.
“Good evening, lovely Samantha,” Lee says cordially, smiling at me.
“Hi! How are you?” I hug him warmly and he introduces me to his wife, Molly. More new people! And I realize that this is the way it should have been the first time I was here. Meeting all of Josh’s friends, openly and honestly. But, of course, that wasn’t possible then. Tonight is going to play out very differently.
Josh returns then with a Corona for me and a bottle of water for himself, and as we stand and talk to Lee and Molly at the end of the bar, I suddenly hear Josh say, “Oh, my God. They just let anybody into this place now!” I look up to find out who he’s referring to and I’m shocked to see my brother standing next to us. He laughs at Josh’s comment and then reaches out to shake his hand.
“Hey, I have been asked to leave better places than this, my friend!” Lucas smiles as they shake. “I’ve never been thrown out but, I have been asked very politely to leave.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Josh responds with a smile. “What the hell are you doing here, man? Sam didn’t tell me you were coming.”
“That’s because Sam didn’t know either,” I speak up as I move to hug Karen. “I’m shocked!”
“Well, we kept hearing about this band, so we thought we’d come check it out. Hope you’re ready to be heckled,” he smiles at Josh, who shakes his head and rolls his eyes at him.
“Lucas, this is Lee Parson and his wife, Molly. Close friends of Josh’s. This is my brother, Lucas and his fiancée, Karen.” There are handshakes all around and some polite small talk and then I notice an empty table near the stage.
“We should probably grab a table, it’s going to be standing room only soon,” I say.
“Yeah, is it always like this?” Lucas asks.
“Most nights, it’s busy. And on nights the band plays, it is packed,” Lee speaks up as we all move toward the table. “But I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it quite this crazy before. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“I think I do,” I mutter distractedly as my gaze lights on the Seattle Social cameraman standing in the corner. “It’s the damn tabloids,” I say with dismay as we take our seats. “They followed us here. For all we know, they’ve been following us all day!”
“Maybe not, Sam,” Lucas replies. “They could very well have followed me and Karen here.”
“Well, whoever they followed here … still doesn’t expla
in all these people,” Josh says, looking around in wonder at the overcrowded bar. And he’s right. I thought the place was packed the first night I came here but, this is incredible.
“Oh, sure it does,” Karen speaks up with authority. “You two have been all over the tabloids for the past two weeks, and the press shows no signs of stopping. For whatever reason, the paparazzi love you; you’re their new favorite ‘it’ couple! Like it or not, you’re something of a celebrity now, Josh, and the ladies have obviously come out to prove it,” she says, glancing around at all of the women in the full-to-capacity bar.
Josh looks a little disgusted at Karen’s explanation, and he nods his head distractedly and glances around as Lucas gets up and heads to the bar for drinks.
“You and the brother seem to be getting along well,” I hear Lee say to Josh once Lucas is out of earshot.
“Yeah. We had a nice talk during the game last Sunday,” Josh answers. “I feel like I know where I stand with him now, and I think we both feel a lot more comfortable with one another.”
“That’s good to hear,” Lee says, and I smile at the exchange. I like the fact that Josh feels more comfortable with Lucas now. They are the two most important men in my life after all.
Lucas returns with drinks for himself and Karen, and we all talk a bit more. Finally, Simon slaps Josh on the shoulder. “Show time, lover boy.”
Josh nods at him and shrugs out of his flannel, handing it to me. “Hang on to that for me,” he says, and I smirk at him.
“Gotta show off the guns for the cameras and all your adoring female fans?”
He frowns slightly at me and then looks into my eyes. “It gets hot up there under the lights, okay? Besides, you know there is only one female fan that I care about.” He kisses my lips swiftly, then stands up and walks to the stage. And as he does, there is a palpable wave of excitement that washes over the crowded bar. Everyone knows the show is about to begin. As Simon takes the mic and thanks everyone for coming out, I watch as Josh picks up his instrument and straps it on.
They start their first number then and the crowd fires right up with the opening strains of “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” With its feel good, party theme, it’s the perfect song to open with, and the fancy guitar work shows off Josh’s ability. Plus, Simon’s charismatic personality really sells it. By the end of the song, the crowd is rocking and they’re just getting started.
After about the third song, Lucas turns to me and says, “Okay, Pita, I am officially impressed. They’re not half bad.”
“Not half bad! They’re fantastic, and you know it,” I shoot back, and he laughs at me.
They play about ten songs, just like last time, and the ladies in the crowd go nuts over Josh, just like before as well. But it doesn’t make me as uncomfortable as it did before. Maybe that’s because this time around, I know how Josh feels about me. He watches me throughout their set and, at one point, he winks at me and I blush. They can drool over him all they want to, but he’s going home with me!
For their last song of the evening, they play one of Josh’s favorites – Aerosmith’s “Shut Up and Dance” – and I can tell that he’s really having fun as I watch him. He and Simon play off of one another a lot onstage, and this song really lends itself to that. And it’s easy to see that they’re enjoying what they’re doing. It’s nice to see this side of him, carefree and having fun. He is so damn adorable, I can’t stand it.
The crowd roars when the song comes to an end and Simon thanks them all once again for coming out. And as the band leaves the stage, Josh is once again accosted by several girls vying for his attention. Some, to my shock and his, even ask for autographs! The look on Josh’s face is priceless, and I can’t tell if he’s more annoyed or embarrassed. I think it’s the latter as his bandmates laugh and give him a hard time, and he reluctantly signs a few slips of paper for a small group of giggling females.
They go away happy once he’s made their day, but he still can’t make his way back to the table for all the ones attempting to proposition him. I watch as he shoots them down, one by one, turning down their offers for a drink or a dance. One of them, a very pretty blonde with lots of curves in all the right places, apparently won’t be let down easy and she keeps subtly blocking his path as she tries to talk her way into buying him a drink. And I can see Josh getting aggravated as I watch.
Taking a deep breath, I stand and make my way over to them. She never sees me coming and I glide right past her and wrap my arms around his waist in a very possessive embrace. “You were awesome, sweetie,” I say looking up at him adoringly.
He smiles and wraps his arm around me, and I think he looks a little grateful. “Thank you, baby.” He leans in and kisses me.
I turn to his admirer then and smile pointedly at her. “Hi.” She looks as if she wants to kill me. Good thing I’m in a bar full of cops!
“Hi,” she replies with a fake smile of her own then looks from me to Josh.
“Well, it was nice talking to you,” Josh mutters, and we walk back to our table. As we sit down, Josh gives me an appreciative look and he smiles at me. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“Oh, I was just returning the favor,” I shrug. “You looked like you were in real danger back there.”
“I was. She was scary!” He gives me a mock look of terror and I laugh at him, and then and he leans in and kisses me once more.
Lee and Molly make their way over to the bar after the band’s set is over, and it’s soon just me and Josh and Lucas and Karen at our table. And as we’re talking and enjoying the camaraderie, we are suddenly interrupted by the Seattle Social’s intrusive video camera and the paparazzi’s silly questions.
“Detective Pierce, that was some impressive shredding. Ever think about playing professionally?”
Josh glares at him momentarily but, ignores his question, sighing heavily.
“Miss Colby, what do you think of your boyfriend’s ability with the ax?”
“I think he’s fabulous,” I say with a tolerant smile, hoping he’ll go away once he’s gotten a response.
“Mr. Colby, Miss Pope … have you heard the Detective play before? What did you think?”
“I think I’ve allowed you to get your pictures and your video sound bite, and now you can leave peacefully,” Lucas says bluntly as he stares the reporter down. Then he motions slightly to someone over the man’s shoulder and Martin appears out of nowhere, looming menacingly behind the reporter. Has he been here the whole time? “Or I can take all that film footage and you can be out of a job in about fifteen minutes. Choice is yours.”
The man lowers his camera immediately, his face flushed in embarrassment as he clears his throat. “Thank you, Mr. Colby,” he smiles nervously. Then he nods at each of us in turn, saying, “Miss Pope, Miss Colby. Detective.”
The man slinks away with his tail between his legs, and Martin fades into the background once more, and we resume our conversation. And in between a few of Josh’s colleagues coming over to meekly ask for Karen’s autograph, we talk and laugh for another hour or so, and it feels really, really good. I love the fact that Josh and Lucas are finding common ground and becoming friends. It means a lot to me. And I get the feeling it’s important to Lee as well because, at one point during the evening, I glance off to my left and I spot Lee watching the scene closely. He smiles when we make eye contact.
“Well, someone has a plane to catch in the morning,” Lucas says finally, glancing at Karen.
“Photo shoot in Ibiza, Spain,” she shrugs.
“Even though I offered her the company jet, which means she could leave much later in the day and not have to get up at the crack of dawn.” His tone is clearly disapproving and she rolls her eyes slightly at him.
“And I told you, I wouldn’t feel right using your company’s jet,” Karen says with exasperation. “I’m sure Lois would just love that one!”
“Okay,” Lucas says with raised hands. “I don’t want to fight about this again. Let’s j
ust go home and get you to bed. We’ve already stayed way too late.” He turns back to me and sighs before he says, “But speaking of Mom…”
“I don’t want to talk about your mother, Lucas,” I say, cutting him off before he can go any further. He’s heard all about my confrontation with Mom by now. And I’m sure he’s heard an earful from her too.
“She’s your mother too, Sam,” he says after a beat. “And I know that what she did was both unbelievable and downright mean. But was it completely unforgivable?”
I gape at him for a moment in shock. “I can’t believe you would ask that question. Especially sitting here in Josh’s company!”
“Sam…” he tries once more.
“No, Lucas!” My voice is practically a yell.
“Come on, baby,” Josh chimes in softly, lightly rubbing my back as he tries to calm me down.
“What?” I say incredulously, turning to look at him. “You’re agreeing with him? After what that woman tried to do to you? To us?”
“Baby, that woman is your mother,” he says, looking me in the eye. “And no … I’m not saying that I forgive her, or that I trust her. And I’m not saying that you should trust her either. But you also shouldn’t go carrying around a bunch of bitterness toward her either. Because if you do … it’s only going to start to eat away at your soul. Trust me.”
His expression is full of such sadness, and I know he’s thinking about his own feelings toward his father. The pain in his eyes is difficult to miss, and it makes me sad for him. I take a deep breath and turn back to Lucas, who’s watching us closely.
Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set Page 74