“Yeah. She’ll be there.”
Pepper gasps. “Your girlfriend will be there? Really? Girlfriend?”
“Yes, Pepper,” I say with a laugh. “My girlfriend will be at The Brew.”
“Yes! Oh, my god! Sage!”
My smile is so wide, my face actually hurts. It feels good hearing her excitement. When I hear her sniffle on the other end of the line, I shake my head at her. “Pep, are you crying?”
“Oh, shut up. It’s been a really long time since you’ve had a girl in your life that you’ve cared about. I’m just really happy for you. I know how much you wanted her to work out.”
“Thanks, sis. That means a lot,” I tell her, every word sincere.
“Alright, I should go. Sophia will be waking up any minute and I’ll need to feed her, but I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Bands start at eight, we’re on at ten. Text me when you get there if you can’t find me.”
“I will. Love you!”
“Love you, too.”
IT’S JUST AFTER nine when I arrive at the bar and it is packed. There’s a band up on stage and the dance floor is overflowing with bodies, not to mention all the tables full of drinking patrons. It feels like the entire place is alive and my awareness of the energy makes me nervous. I can’t explain why, but it all seems so overwhelming.
As I make my way further into the establishment, my eyes are everywhere, looking for anyone that I know. I’m halfway to the bar when I feel a small hand clasp around my elbow. I look over my shoulder and see that it’s Violet who is trying to snag my attention. She grins at me when our eyes meet. She looks amazing. She’s wearing a faded gray Mountains & Men t-shirt that appears to have been altered, the neck wide and more flattering to her feminine physique. The fitted blue blazer she wears over it is rolled up at the sleeves, and her legs are tucked into a pair of leather leggings. Her red Toms round out her ensemble and I’ll admit, she looks to be one, hot, M&M roadie.
“Knew it was you,” she says. “Don’t tell Sage I said this, but I’d recognize your long legs anywhere, girl.”
I chuckle, looking down at myself. I’ve got on a fitted, short-sleeved, plain white collared shirt—buttoned only high enough to keep my boobs covered. The shirt is tucked into my black, high-waisted shorts, and my legs are adorned with sheer, black, polka-dot tights. My feet are tucked into a pair of red, stiletto, ankle boots for a little splash of color. I’m not roadie chic, but it’ll have to do.
“We haven’t been here long,” she explains, talking loudly over the music. “We just got finished unloading the trailer a minute ago. Harry, Pepper, and Rose have a table. The guys are getting drinks. Come on.”
Before I can utter a single word, she starts tugging me into one of the far corners of the room. Her tug is strong and I can’t resist, even though everything in me wants to. Realizing that I’m getting ready to meet Sage’s older sister—his older sister who is younger than me—along with her husband, freaks me the fuck out. Add Rosemary to the equation and I feel as though my sweaty palms are pretty self-explanatory. I’ve yet to have an encounter with Rose that isn’t drenched in awkward. Not having Sage here with me as a buffer just makes it all worse.
“Wait!” I manage, pulling my arm away from Violet. She stops and looks back at me, her blue eyes expressing her curious confusion. “Maybe I should find Sage first.”
When she smiles at me kindly, I curse her for being so damn warm and understanding all the time. She links her arm through mine and hip-checks me. “You’ve met Rose before, haven’t you? And Pepper is probably the nicest person I’ve ever met. You have nothing to worry about, I swear.”
I open my mouth to protest some more, but I lose my words when she starts guiding me through the crowd again. I spot Rosemary first. She’s in jeans and a sequined top—her long hair pulled up into a high, curly ponytail. She’s sitting beside an attractive woman who looks almost nothing like her, the two of them caught up in conversation. Watching them smile and laugh together sends an unidentifiable pang through my chest. The nerves I felt upon entering The Brew now shift into full-on anxiety.
There are so many parts of Sage’s world in which I don’t belong, and his family—the relationship he has with his sisters—it’s just one more place that I don’t fit. Though, it’s not that knowledge that has me starting to panic; it’s the knowledge that I know they’ll invite me in, anyway—just like Violet and the guys have. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that I’ve fallen for Sage, still getting used to the reality of my girlfriend status, and the possibility of being welcomed by his family is just too much.
If he ever leaves—they’ll all leave with him.
I feel my body acting before I can catch up to my thoughts. I plant my feet at the exact moment that I hear someone call my name.
Thank fuck!
Violet and I both turn in the direction of the voice and I see Sarah, Brandon, Aria, and Josh headed our way.
“Hey. I wasn’t sure if you’d be here. It’s good to see you,” Sarah says in greeting. She looks tired, which isn’t at all surprising. I’m sure taking care of her parents post-accident is exhausting; plus, her drive up here probably didn’t help. Yet, in spite of all of the above, she’s still glowing. There is a happiness inside of Sarah that is endearing, charming, and sweet all at once. It’s kind of disgusting, but I cannot deny that I appreciate it. Especially now. Her timing is perfect.
“Sarah, hi. How are your parents doing?”
“They’re on the mend,” she replies with a nod. “Thank you for asking. I’m excited to have a night off, though. I’ll be heading back down tomorrow morning.”
“I’m glad you were able to get away for a bit.”
“Is Sage with you?” asks Brandon.
“No. Uh,” I pause, scanning the crowd for his face. It only takes me a second to come to the conclusion that the bar is far too crowded to be able to spot him at a glance. “He’s around here somewhere. I haven’t seen him yet.”
“We have a table if your crew wants to join us,” pipes in Violet.
“Oh. Sorry—guys, this is Violet. Violet—Sarah, Brandon, Aria, and Josh.”
“Hey,” she says with a blanket wave. “Any friends of Millie are friends of mine.”
I fight the urge to grumble. I wouldn’t exactly call this group my friends. I’m far from a social butterfly, and it’s only been a few weeks since Sarah and I have been on speaking terms. We didn’t exactly get off on the right foot. Nevertheless, none of them protest the title.
“Are you with the band?” asks Aria, pointing to Violet’s shirt.
“I am. Well, sort of. JJ—on the keys—he’s my guy,” she replies with a shrug and a proud grin.
“Oh, my god, Millie! I found you!” cries Lindsey. She comes up from behind me, joining our growing circle. “I tried texting you, but it’s so crazy in here, I figured you wouldn't hear your phone.” I start to say hello but, in true Lindsey fashion, she takes it upon herself to introduce herself around the group. Once she’s met everyone, she focuses her attention back on me. “So, where’s that hot boyfriend of yours?”
“Boyfriend?” asks Sarah with a growing smile. “You and Sage?”
“Uh—” Just as I begin to answer her, I feel him.
Without a word, he slips his tattooed arm around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. Violet lets me go as he dips his head, nuzzling my neck with his nose before he presses his cool lips against my warm skin. Immediately, I begin to relax. I lean into him, needing him to give me more of whatever it is about him that makes me feel calm in the midst of this crowd of people who seem to be directing all of their attention on me.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he mutters in my ear.
I tilt my head back, my eyes seeking out his, and smile when his icy blue irises dance around my face. “Hi.”
He presses a kiss to my lips and smirks at me before kissing me one more time. “Have you been here long?”
“No,” I say,
shaking my head slightly.
“Good. Have some people I want you to meet.” I inhale deeply and exhale slowly, trying to mentally prepare myself to meet some of the most important people in his life. With him by my side, it doesn’t feel so daunting; but that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous.
As if he can read my thoughts, he kisses me once more before he shifts his focus to our quiet audience. He greets everyone enthusiastically, thanking them for coming out to support him and the band. He seems completely unfazed by the fact that our entire exchange was being watched, and it dawns on me that he’s used to the spotlight in ways that I never will be.
The nerves I felt upon entering tonight, they were for him. In that moment, I wondered how he would fair up on that stage, in front of the packed bar. It was silly of me to worry. The energy in the room? The massive amount of people that makes this place feel alive? It’s like fuel for him. This is Sage in his element. He was meant to be the center of attention.
“Come on,” he tells everyone with a nod. “We’ve got a table.” He takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, and offers me a wink as he leads the way. “Come ‘ere, doll face. It’s time I show you off.”
MILLICENT ABOUT SQUEEZES the life out of my hand as we approach the table. JJ and Derrick are shootin’ the shit with my sisters and Harry, and I know the Bradley brothers opted to hang at the bar until it’s time to head backstage. Pepper’s eyes drift in our direction, and when she see’s Millie, I can tell she’s no longer listening to what Rosy is saying. Instead, I watch as she discreetly taps Harry’s leg underneath the table, catching his attention. He looks to my sister before he looks our way. A sly smirk tugs at my lips as he raises his eyebrows at me, seemingly impressed.
Damn straight. My girl is a fox.
I introduce Millie to Pepper first, and then Harry. She seems to relax a little bit upon making his acquaintance. I never told her how much older than us he is, and I think it surprises and satisfies her that she’s not the oldest one in our bunch. Not that Harry is old. At thirty-two, he’s got that boy-next-door, good-guy-jock thing going for him. I’m sure his blonde hair, blue eyes, and chronic five o’clock shadow make all the ladies that walk into his office want to drop their panties.
Then again—that’s part of the job, being an OBGYN and all.
Too bad for them, he’s been officially off the market for the past five years. He’s a good guy, my brother-in-law, and I couldn’t ask for a better man to love my big sis.
Since the bar is loud and our table is full, Millie is spared from too much conversation with my siblings. After a few general questions, Rosy excuses herself to the bathroom and Pepper pulls out her phone, apologetic but insistent that she send mom a text to check on her little Montgomeries.
As soon as she’s no longer the topic of discussion, Millie grabs my beer and chugs half of it. I chuckle when she pulls the bottle away from her lips and draws in a few deep breaths. “I thought you didn’t like beer, baby,” I say, wrapping my arm around her waist as I pull her close.
“It’ll do for now.” She takes another sip and then looks at me guiltily. “Shit—I didn’t think—you’re going on soon. Was this to help calm your nerves?”
“Nah,” I assure her, shaking my head to emphasize my answer. “I’m not nervous, baby doll.”
“You’re not? Not even a little bit?” she asks, lifting her eyebrows in question.
“No. Why should I be? Tonight, I’m playing with my boys, like always. My sisters are here. My girl is here. The crowd is primed and ready—I’ve got everything I need. No matter what happens after our last jam, we’re going to kick ass, and I’m going to enjoy every fucking second of it.”
She stares at me for a second, not uttering a word. Then she grabs a fist-full of my shirt and pulls me closer before crashing her lips against mine. My hands immediately slide down her sides before resting on her ass as I kiss her back. She pulls away just as abruptly as she leaned in, and my eyes go straight for her lips as she speaks.
“I can’t wait.”
I offer her a grin, giving her ass a squeeze, and she giggles. Too soon, the moment is broken when I feel a tap on my shoulder.
“Hey,” Rosy begins hesitantly. “Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you’d like to know…well, you go on in a half an hour and Alex was just in the bathroom puking her guts out.”
“Shit.”
“She shrugged it off, saying it was just nerves, and then scurried backstage before I could really talk to her. I think she might need a bit of a pep-talk.”
I look from Rosy to Millie, my mind tracing its way back to the day we met Alex. JJ asked her why she wasn’t in a band already and she said she struggled with stage fright. Fuck. We never brought it up again. The last thing we need is for her to lose her shit up there—hell, if we can get her up there at all.
“I gotta go, doll.” I kiss Millicent once. Twice. Three times. “Stay with Vi. I’ll see you after, yeah?” She nods and I smack her ass before I let her go and kiss the top of Rosy’s head. I make my way through the crowd, not bothering to tell the guys where I’m going. Hopefully, I can squash this shit before it becomes a problem.
Backstage, the sound of the music and the full bar die down just a bit. It’s not a big space, the area doubling as a place for storing extra stock, and it doesn’t take me long to spot Alex. She’s sitting on the ground, her back against the wall in the hallway leading to the back exit. As I approach, I notice that her hands are clasped together in her lap and her lips are moving. I pause, wondering if I’m intruding on some sort of meditation ritual or some shit, but she hears me and looks up.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Am I interrupting?”
“No. Not really.” She sighs heavily and gestures to the space beside her. I accept her invitation, sliding down the wall until I’m seated next to her. “Praying really only works if you believe what you’re saying, you know?”
“Uh,” I mutter with a chuckle. “Not big on prayer.”
“Right. Well, in the event that you ever want to try it, it works best with a little faith. I can ask God for courage all I want, but if I don’t believe He’ll give it to me—my pleas are counterproductive. Right now, I’m not feeling very confident.”
“Yeah,” I begin with a small nod. “Heard you lost your cookies.”
“More like the peanut butter and honey sandwich and Doritos I had for dinner, but yeah.”
“That’s gross.”
“Sorry,” she says with a little laugh. She sighs again and I nudge her with my shoulder.
“You’re ready for this, Zip. Trust me, there’s no way in hell you’d be here tonight if I thought any different.”
“Yeah. I believe you. Really, I do. Honestly, earlier today, I felt great. I felt excited. It means so much to me that I get to do this with you guys. But then we got here and…I don’t know.”
“The crowd freak you out?”
“No, actually. I can handle the people. My stage fright is more like…my own personal demon. It’s a lie that lives inside of me, preventing me from doing exactly what I’ve always dreamed of. It sucks.”
I nod, replaying her words in my mind. I understand what it’s like to battle the demon within. We all have them, they just manifest themselves in different ways. I’ve been putting up one hell of a fight for years. Most days, I feel like the fucking king of the world—conquering that shit. But every once and a while, I go to war with my own inadequacy and the question that drives me to work my ass off, even when I’m unsure of the answer…
“You know, we’re not called Mountains & Men for nothing.” She looks at me, raking her fingers through her hair as she waits for me to continue. “This is our dream. Playing music, sharing music, that’s the dream. But for all of us, behind that dream is an obstacle—something that feels insurmountable—a mountain. The dream, though…it’s worth the climb—worth the struggle, the effort, and the fight.
“You’re not the only one with demons. You’re not
the only one with insecurities. You just have to play through that shit. If you’re going to be one of us, Alex, you have to be willing to climb your fucking mountain. It’s what makes the dream worthy of the title. So—are you one of us?”
She studies me for a moment, as if she’s really considering the question. I respect her for respecting the question and I stare back at her, willing her to grab her demon by the balls and own that motherfucker. Finally, she offers me one curt nod.
“I’m one of you.”
“Alright,” I say with a grin. I stand to my feet and offer her a hand. She takes it, standing with me. “Let’s do it, then.”
Before she lets go of my hand, she squeezes my fingers and takes a step closer to me. “Thank you, Sage. Really.”
“You got it.”
“I’m going to run to the bathroom before we go on.” I lift an eyebrow at her and she giggles. “I promise not to puke. I just have to pee.”
“Get out of here, then,” I say, shooing her away.
I watch her go as the rest of the guys file into the staging area. Knox looks at me, then over his shoulder where Alex just disappeared, and then back at me. “You got a chick. You know you can’t tap that, right?”
I scoff, giving him the finger. “I’m not trying to tap that.”
“Tap who? Tap Alex?” asks JJ.
“No. Fuck, no!” cries Maddox. “Band-fucking-rule! Nobody taps the fuckin’ church mouse! We do not need that kind of drama. Can we agree?”
Knox, JJ, Derrick and I all exchange a look—more amused by Maddy’s outburst than anything else. He’s right, though, and we all know it. We only pause a second before we all chime—
“Aye.”
AS SOON AS Derrick and JJ leave to meet up with the others, Rosemary and Violet insist that it’s time to head to the dance floor. The band on stage wraps up their set and the lull between bands is everyone else’s cue to head to the bar for refills.
Worthy of the Harmony (Mountains & Men Book 2) Page 15