He was tuning his guitar center stage. Ethan had already disappeared somewhere, and Zane was tweaking his bass. Two girls stood right in front of the stage trying to get his attention. He looked at them and smiled, and one of the girls started giggling. The other one mouthed, “I love you.” He tried not to laugh but smiled again. He supposed, if he reached the goal he was aiming for, that he’d have to get used to that.
God, he hoped he’d get used to it. He’d had girls flirt with him, sure, but he’d never been hit on hardcore. It happened to Ethan all the time. But then, when Brad thought about it, it had to do with the kind of girls Ethan liked too. Brad tended to like girls who were a little more demure. They weren’t forward. He supposed, though, that he’d be exposed to all manner of women as their band got more popular. He liked the looks those girls were giving him, but it would take him a while to adjust.
Zane walked over, his bass draped over his body, and chin nodded at the girls. He smiled and then said toward Brad’s ear, “They’re cute, huh?”
Brad chuckled. “Yeah.”
“Which one?”
“What?”
“After the show—which one?”
It sunk in with Brad what Zane was saying. A kind of one-for-you-and-one-for-me offer. Brad smiled again and said, “I kinda have my eyes on someone else.”
Zane raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
That was all he was going to say, but Zane asked, “Happen to be someone I know?”
He wasn’t going to lie. “Yeah.”
Zane nodded his head and didn’t say another word. “Lemme know if you change your mind.” He walked closer to the end of the stage, and Brad decided now was the perfect time to seek that someone else out. Except he couldn’t see her out there where she’d been before. He decided to go out to the crowd and look anyway, so he walked off the stage and Ethan passed him to head outside. His friend seemed to be halfway coherent in spite of the fact that he was blitzed. That was good, because show time wasn’t far off.
When he started looking out over the crowd bathed in shadow, he thought he could see Val back where he’d seen her before. The crowd was getting thicker as it got closer to performance time, and Brad was glad for that. He wanted to play for lots of people. Val was talking to her two friends—still no other guy hanging around, and he was grateful for that—and she was animated and smiling.
He got close and she noticed him. Damn, she was a sight for sore eyes. He hugged her and then asked, “How are you, sweetheart?” He left an arm around her shoulders. She was going to have to tell him to go to hell if she wanted him to stop pursuing her. She didn’t shrug him off, though.
“Great. So good to see you.”
“How’s your break so far?”
“Okay.” She smiled at him. “Better now.” He raised his eyebrows—oh, God, he hoped she meant that. “Oh, Brad, this is my old friend from high school Jill and her husband Chad.” The guy named Chad put out his hand and Brad shook it. “This is my very good friend, Brad Payne.”
Goddamn. “Very good friend? I feel privileged. Nice to meet you folks.” He looked back to Valerie. “I gotta get backstage. See you later?”
“You bet.”
It took everything he had to not pull her into another embrace. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the kiss he’d given her in her dorm room the last time he’d seen her. He had a show to perform, though, and he was going to be the bad ass rock star he wanted her to fall in love with.
And when they took the stage, it felt like magic. They were on that night, really on. They hit all the right notes, melded together, and the audience became a part of that. It was an incredible feeling. They were playing more of their newer songs, and he wished he knew what Valerie thought. She knew a couple of the songs that he’d sent her audio files of, and he caught her singing along to them. It simply confirmed that he should do something he’d been tempted to anyway.
So, five songs in, Brad didn’t cue his band to start the next song. Instead, he grabbed the mike. “Colorado Springs, you’ve been great so far. Thanks for welcoming us here.” He pulled the mike off the stand and stepped closer to the edge of the stage. The bright lights had been shining straight into his eyes so he couldn’t see the audience. They’d just been a huge black abyss, and usually that was comforting. Now, though, he wanted to see faces…and he hoped he wasn’t about to make a huge ass of himself. “I want to do something a little different right now. A friend of mine is here in the audience. She’s written a lot of the words you’ve heard tonight.” His eyes locked on Valerie, close to the foot of the stage, and he saw recognition wash over her face. Yes, he was talking about her. “Anyway, this is a song we wrote together, and I’d really like to have her sing it with me.” He smiled at her. She looked reluctant and shocked and even shy…but he saw something else too. He saw temptation. Yes, she wanted to do it. So he pointed a finger at her and then crooked it toward himself, inviting her up on stage.
She’d heard the tune, and he knew she knew the words. He knew Val well enough already to know she was already intimately familiar with the song. But then she started shaking her head frantically, and he even saw her mouth the word no. He would have let it go right there, but he knew better. He could see that part of her really wanted to do it—she was just a little unsure of herself. She needed time in front of an audience was all, and what better place than here? He smiled at the audience, his co-conspirators, and then looked Val in the eye. “See, Val? Everyone wants to hear you. You can’t let them down now.” If she turned him down at this point, he’d let it go…but he’d offer her another chance in private. Because no matter what Valerie said, he knew she wanted to. He knew she loved music, felt it in her soul. He could see it in her. He’d known it that night in his garage when she’d sung Godsmack’s song like she’d been born to.
She shook her head, smiling, and then he saw her try to look angry, but it wasn’t working. The guy named Chad helped her up, and Brad held out his hand to help lift her onstage. Once she was standing, he picked the mike back up and said, “Please give Valerie a big hand.”
He hugged her and she said in his ear, “You could have at least warned me. I’m gonna kill you.”
“Gotta catch me first.”
He caught Ethan’s eye as he let her go, and his friend was pissed. Well, that was too damn bad. It wasn’t Brad’s fault he’d been a shithead to Val. She was still his friend and, he hoped, maybe more later, but as a friend, he was making this offer. He placed the mike back in the stand and yelled, “Let’s turn this shit up.” While the audience was agreeing with hoots, hollers, fist pumping, and devil’s horns, he turned to Val. “I’ll sing the first verse, you do the second, and maybe we could harmonize on the bridge?”
She was nervous, but she was also game. Brad was glad he’d done it. “What about the choruses?”
“Same deal. That okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Why not?”
He gave Nick a sign with a look in his eyes and a nod of his head to cue them for the next song. They started playing then, and he wondered what Val thought about the song plugged in. She’d only heard the one he’d sent her on his acoustic guitar, so he knew she’d know the tune, but it was heavier. Plus, he’d start off, giving her time to feel the song. If she seemed unsure when it was time for her to sing, he’d accompany her, but just like he’d suspected—she had it.
He knew it would freak her out (and it would likely have the same effect on him) if he looked her in the eyes. Hell, he didn’t know if he could do it looking at her. It was a song he was pretty damn sure she’d written about him, and he hoped having her sing it was enough for her to figure out that he knew. And so, as he sang the first verse, he had to hold his shit together. As he wound it down to the chorus, he was feeling confident again, and he peeked over at her.
Then, when it was her turn to sing, he allowed himself to half look. She was gripping the microphone and looking out at the audience,
her knuckles turning white. Her voice was a little unsteady at first, but one line in and she pushed herself through the nerves. Her voice was soft but strong as she sang the words he knew were for him: “You said that you’d wait for me.” Yeah, he’d said that, and he was beginning to believe it had been worth the wait. Val was a spectacular young woman full of life and emotion, and he wanted to get to know her better—not just texting and messaging, not just exchanging lyrics.
When she got to the chorus, he decided to sing harmony to her melody, and he got close to her so he could share the mike. That was a wow moment. He hadn’t expected their voices to sound so good together, but they did. It felt like a sign. And when he got to the guitar solo, he didn’t look at—couldn’t look at—her. He hoped she thought the song was deserving of the emotion-laden solo he had given it.
When it ended, he looked at her and joined her back at the mike for the chorus one last time. God…that was incredible. There was something there between them, something he didn’t think would ever disappear. And, at this point, he didn’t give a shit if the whole world could see it. He threw his guitar pick out to the audience and placed his hand on the back of Val’s neck. He kissed her on the cheek and then said, “Thanks for being a good sport.”
She grinned, but he could see it. She was glad she had. Then she hurried offstage, sliding off the front. So, she’d enjoyed it but was more than happy to be done. The cheers were winding down, and Brad said into the mike, “Wasn’t she great?” And the audience was already giving their roars and cheers, but he added anyway, “Let’s give her a huge hand.” He looked down at her again. “Thanks, Val.”
She disappeared into the abyss again as the lights flooded his vision, but he already knew…she too had the sting of the lights in her eyes, and it would be hard for her to forget them anytime soon.
Chapter Seventeen
THEY’D LOADED THE van and trailer back up with all their equipment, and Brad could hear the next band warming up. He hoped the audience was as on fire for them as they’d been for Fully Automatic. It usually worked that way—if the first band could get a momentum going, it would continue through the night…unless the second band completely sucked.
But when they were done, Brad sought out Val again. When he found her, she was alone. The first band hadn’t started playing yet, were just checking things out, so he knew he had about three minutes. Once they started playing, he wouldn’t be able to talk at all. “Hey,” he said, taking the opportunity to hold Val in his arms again, hugging her. “Still want to kill me?”
She smiled. “Yeah. A little.”
“They loved you.”
“They loved us.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I know better.” She rolled her eyes, but it wasn’t subject for debate. She knew it and so did he, and he’d find a better time and place to discuss the future with her. For now, though, he wanted her to relish the feelings she’d had onstage. “So…wanna party with us after?”
“Maybe. I came with Jill and Chad, though. Is it okay if they come along?”
“Of course. The more, the merrier, right?” It was time to ask the more important question. “You coming to tomorrow night’s show too?”
“I wanted to but…oh, yeah. Never mind.”
“What?”
“Well, I didn’t think I was gonna have money for tickets, but I forgot Chad and Jill paid for their own.”
“So? Text me when you get there, and I’ll get you in the back door.”
“Actually, it’s a bar, so should I even be there?”
“Who cares? If you’re with me, they can’t say shit. You’re part of the band.”
“Oh, no. You’re not getting me to sing again.”
Brad smirked, searching her eyes. “You trying to tell me you didn’t like that?”
“No, I did. But I don’t want to get too used to it.”
“Why not?”
She didn’t answer, because her friends Jill and Chad returned to her side. She used their presence as an excuse to avoid his question. “Hey, guys. Brad wanted to know if we want to party with them after the concert.”
Chad said, “Probably not. Sorry. I have to work in the morning.”
“Not a problem.” Brad felt his heart sink, but he wasn’t going to push her. He never had and wasn’t going to now. She would come to him when she was ready. “You’ll be partying tomorrow night too, right?”
“If you have to ask, you don’t know me very well.”
She rolled her eyes. “And you’ll be in my hometown tomorrow night.”
He smiled. “Yeah.” Zane, Nick, and even Ethan joined the four of them to enjoy the other two bands. Brad got brave at one point and draped his arm around Val’s shoulder. He was relieved when she let him and even reciprocated the gesture.
After the show, the crowd started shuffling out, one body at a time. It had been a great show and most folks were reluctant to let it go. Brad and the entire band walked out with Val and her friends, and she hugged each guy in the band, even Ethan, wishing them a good night and telling them she’d enjoyed the show. Chad shook all the guys’ hands too. He said to Brad, “You guys are kick ass. I hope to see you on a label someday.”
“That’s the plan.” Brad turned to tell Val goodbye one more time and saw her in Ethan’s arms. His friend not only held her close to his body, he was kissing her hard on the mouth…and Val was letting him.
What a fucking idiot Brad had been. Yeah, sure, there might have been something between him and Val, but Ethan had a hell of a pull on the girl. From what Brad knew, Ethan had shit all over her multiple times, and she just came back for more.
Well, no, that wasn’t fair. He also knew Ethan was a charming son of a bitch, and Val didn’t exactly look like she was reciprocating. She wasn’t pushing him away, though, and that too was telling. So, after they left, Brad pulled Zane aside before they headed to the van. “That offer still stand?”
“What—the twins?”
Brad chuckled. They weren’t exactly twins, but… “Yeah.”
Zane whipped his phone out of his pocket. “Just one text away.”
“Do it.”
Zane gave him a look but started thumbing his phone.
Ethan asked, “We leaving?”
“Hold on a minute.”
“What’s up?” Ethan asked.
Zane said, “Chick patrol.”
“We scorin’ tonight?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
“Well, hold on. C’mon, Nick. You were eyein’ that one blonde girl, right?”
“Which one?” Nick laughed as the two of them headed toward the receding crowd.
“Should we wait by the van?”
Zane said, “Yeah, let me tell ‘em.” He tapped out a text while they walked out the back door. A few minutes later, Ethan and Nick arrived at the van, girls in tow, but Zane and Brad were still waiting.
Inside, Brad was seething. His friend—his brother, for fuck’s sake—could kiss Valerie, rob Brad of her undying love, and then without another thought pick up another girl. Brad was going to do the same thing, but that was because he’d once again been rejected. If Val had chosen him, he wouldn’t even look at another girl.
It was like a knife in his heart.
And so, when the Asian girl with the beautiful black hair sat in the passenger seat of the van and smiled at him, he smiled back and said, “Hang on,” putting the van in gear and cranking the music to drown out his thoughts.
* * *
Why did he always manage to get a girl in the bathroom? Things had been hot and steamy in the hotel room all four guys had crammed into. As usual, the girls Ethan and Nick had chosen knew no shame, but the girls Zane and Brad were with had a little more modesty and self-respect. Zane asked for the keys to the van, and Brad handed them over. Shortly after, his girl (a girl who went by the name of Ginger) pulled him up off the chair where they’d been making out and led him into the bathroom.
It was a moment of truth. Brad started to
back out, because he felt bad. He cared about Valerie, wanted to be with her, and instead he had this beautiful girl in front of him pulling his zipper down. She would be nothing but a one-night stand, and Brad had never done that before, not even with his mother’s older friend Misti. To not know this girl’s last name and engage in intimate relations…well, that was Ethan’s thing, not his. Still, she was kissing his neck, and she’d already gotten in his pants and was stroking his cock. Whoa. Okay, so there was no way he could stop it now. Jesus.
“Tell me you got a condom, big boy.”
The way she breathed the words made his cock swell more. Holy shit. So, yeah, he could do this, but he hoped he could get Val out of his head for the few minutes they’d be physically entwined. “Uh, yeah,” he said and reached around for his wallet. It wasn’t long before the damn thing was hugging his dick, and he was pounding into her like there was no tomorrow.
She was a screamer. From the second he entered her, she started screeching and carrying on, moaning and groaning and crying his name. He suspected much of it was for show, but he didn’t care. It did something for him anyway, and he just kept driving into her. He probably should have worried more about her and if she was getting what she needed, but he was too focused on numbing his mind with sex.
Her howling became more intense. Had she come or not? He couldn’t tell. He sometimes had a hard time telling anyway, but it was even more difficult this time and with this girl. He’d have thought she was coming when he slammed into her the first time. But that was it—he couldn’t hold it back anymore. He could feel it in his balls as his brain exploded. He’d made some kind of sounds too—he wasn’t sure what. He was completely out of it by that point.
As he regained his senses, he tried to get his breathing under control. She was smiling, her head resting against the wall of the bathroom. He wasn’t sure, though, so he asked her, “Was that okay for you?”
Bullet Series Box Set Books 1-8 Page 103