Bullet Series Box Set Books 1-8
Page 143
He was hardcore, too.
He almost laughed when he thought it but decided not to worry about it. If he’d had more piercings, he would have gone all out, but then he realized she knew the band. She probably already had formed an opinion of him based upon the band and what she knew of him from the media. Either she already liked him…or she didn’t. Painting his nails or wearing jewelry or putting on more black or metal clothing likely wouldn’t influence her opinion of him either way. She already had a first impression of him.
He could only hope that impression was positive.
After setting up, he and Brad were hanging, just waiting, and soon Val came out of the sliding door onto the deck with Sabrina in tow. She sauntered next to Val, carrying a bass case from her right hand. Nick felt like a cliché, like he was going to have to pick his fucking jaw up off the ground. Sexy Sabrina was wearing a clingy black t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a plunging neckline. Again, a lacy black bra peeked out. She was wearing cut-off jean shorts that were just a hair this side of dirty. He imagined if she’d bend over…
Well, he had to stop thinking like that or he was gonna pop a boner and that would be a shitty second impression.
Val and Sabrina were having a great conversation, it looked like, because they weren’t paying much attention to anything but each other. Brad was now sitting outside the studio on a lawn chair, tuning his guitar, a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. Nick almost laughed, because he knew Brad was good enough to be able to tune his guitar without an amp, but it looked funny.
Val paused before crossing the lawn to where he and Nick were to introduce Sabrina to Gracie and the kids. Gracie was her usual sweet self, but Nick knew her well enough to know that she and Sabrina wouldn’t become friends anytime soon. He’d have to try to remember to ask Gracie about that later.
Soon enough, Val and the woman Nick prayed would be a full-fledged band member soon joined him and Brad just outside the studio. Nick stood, glad he’d managed to keep his libido in check, and said, “Good to see you, Sabrina.”
Her voice was cool as she appraised him, but she said, “Nice to see you again. Nick, right?”
A great sign. “Yep. That’s me. Nick Sticks gives you your fix.”
She forced a smile. Not such a good sign. Well, he couldn’t let that bother him. As a self-proclaimed funny guy, he was well aware that some jokes bombed, but you had to get through the crappy jokes to wow folks with the winners. “And Brad?” Brad looked up and nodded and then stood. She said to both men, “Please call me Brina…or Bri is fine too.”
He said, “Brina—I like that.”
She raised her eyebrows and turned to Val. Hmm. If it hadn’t been June, Nick would have sworn he’d felt a cold front moving through. Holy shit.
Actually, though, he liked that. He’d had so much pussy over the past several years that he liked the idea of a challenge. She wasn’t impressed? Well, wait’ll she saw him in action. He was known as a hardcore, solid drummer for Fully Automatic, but he, Val, and Brad had already talked about the music for Val Hella at length and had started composing music. What he would do for Val’s band was going to be a little different—more experimental and edgy. Val wanted to be different, and he planned to deliver.
The four of them entered the studio. Brina did seem impressed by that setup. How could she not? Brad had invested in state-of-the-art recording and mixing equipment and, while the space was small, it was functional and just as good, if not better, than any place they would have paid to use.
“Where do you want me?” she asked.
Val said, “Well, I’ll be in the middle, of course, and Brad will be to my right…so I guess you’ll be on my left. That okay?”
“I’m good wherever.”
They spent a few minutes plugging into amps and turning on mikes. Brad said, “You probably already know we’ve all had years playing together. You familiar with Fully Automatic history?”
“A little.” Nick thought he detected another cold draft wafting off the lady, but Brad didn’t seem to notice. She was probably insulted that Brad had even asked.
“Just checking. Well, something you might not know is that, before we signed with our label, Val used to sing lead vocals for us. She’s ready for her own band again and she deserves it. Anyway, we know it might take a bit to adjust to us, but I wanted to let you know the dynamics you were walking into.”
“Understood.”
Val jumped in. “We were thinking we’d play some stuff we’ve been working on and just kind of let you improvise, see what you can come up with.”
Brina raised an eyebrow. “And if you don’t like what you hear?” Val tilted her head as if she wasn’t sure what to say. She was probably not digging the chilly vibes from the woman either. “Do I get a chance to meld with you guys, get a feel for you, make adjustments if you don’t like what you hear…or is this it?”
Val blinked. “You know, I hadn’t thought about that. I mean…sure, today is kind of like a ‘second interview,’ but I was already kind of thinking of you as one of us.”
Brina almost smiled. “Sounds good.” She adjusted her strap so the bass hung low against her hips. “I was already thinking that way myself. That helps.”
In just a few minutes, they were playing a tune they’d been working on for the past month. The first thing Nick noticed was how much better Val was on the guitar since the last time he’d seen her. She’d been working at it for a few months now, getting better, and she was hungry. Goddamn, it was nice seeing her making music again.
The second thing Nick noticed was how he felt. He, Val, and Brad had only played together once or twice before when discussing and planning her band, even though they’d been writing music, but this time they felt congealed, like a real band. It was natural and felt really nice, just like Fully Automatic always did.
And third? Sabrina fit right in. She fit the three of them just like those cute little shorts hugged her ass.
And that thought caused Nick to miss a beat. Fuck. So much for impressing the new girl. But they continued and no one said a word. As always, Nick was his own worst critic. Fortunately, he wasn’t too hard on himself when he didn’t have to be. And he knew he had a good excuse for fucking up. Besides, it was a new tune and they were practicing. Fuck ups were expected at this stage of the game.
They played for a good forty-five minutes together, and at the end of the last song, Val gave Brad and Nick a look. That look told them she was more than happy with Brina and wanted to offer her the position permanently. Nick just gave her a wave of a hand, letting her know that he was behind whatever she wanted to do. Brad nodded.
Brina sensed the end of their playing time together and was putting her bass back in its black case. Val said, “Brina, we think you’re a natural for Val Hella, and we’d be honored if you’d formally accept the bassist position.”
Brina stood up and this time had a full-fledged genuine smile on her face. “That’s what I like to hear. I would be honored to take it.”
“Sounds great.” Val wanted to go over some paperwork with Brina—practice dates, legal paperwork, and other bullshit—so the two of them returned to the house. Val had to pick fussy Hayley up on the path through the yard because her daughter wanted her mama, but Chris made his way to the studio to hang with Uncle Nick and Daddy Brad.
Nick was going to have to watch what he wanted to say, but he was going to say it just the same. “Whew. That woman is…amazing.”
Brad shrugged. “Yeah, she seems pretty good.”
“No, man. That’s not what I mean. I mean…” He wasn’t sure how to communicate his lustful feelings with the little man nearby.
Oh, and Gracie. She entered the studio, keeping an eye on Chris. She looked cute today, her blonde hair piled up in a messy bun on top of her head. Her green eyes twinkled. “I suspect I know exactly what naughty Nick means.”
Nick laughed and Brad shook his head. “She’s a competent bassist. That’s all I give a shit
about. I want my wife to be happy, and she wanted a solid metal female bassist. I think we found her.”
Yeah, well, Val and Brad might have valued her for her musical abilities…and so did Nick, but he was able to appreciate her other assets as well. And, from his position at the back sitting at his drums, he would always be able to appreciate every single damn asset she had to offer.
* * *
“Another one?”
“Just one more. If I have any more than that, I’ll be hung over tomorrow and then Val will want to kill me.”
“Aw, Gracie, Val wouldn’t kill you. You take good care of her precious angels.”
“Yeah, but I won’t be very effective if I’m messed up.”
Nick laughed. “You’re such a goody two shoes, little Miss Gracie.”
“Goody two shoes? What do you know about that?” She slammed her shot, giggling in that loud way she did when she was getting a little tipsy.
“What do I know about that? Well, to begin with, you should have said if you were fucked up. Only a goody two shoes says messed up.”
“Oh, come on, Nick. That’s a crappy evaluation.”
“See? Crappy, not shitty.”
Gracie started laughing raucously. “I am a nanny, Nick. I watch little impressionable children for a living. I can’t go around cursing like a sailor.”
“Maybe I can coerce you into doing it. One more drink…for uncle Nick. Let’s see if we can loosen those fuckin’ lips.”
Gracie laughed again. God, Nick had so much fun with her. Aside from his Fully Automatic buddies, Gracie had to be his best friend. He could be his real self with her and not worry what she thought, and he knew she felt the same way. He could get too drunk, too high, or even be too goddamned sober, and this woman would be there to tuck him in and rub his forehead. Yeah, nurturing was in her soul, and if she thought he was just an overgrown version of the little people she cared for, so be it. Tonight, after dinner at Val and Brad’s, Gracie was off for the night. She had a bedroom there at their house, so she didn’t have her own place anymore, and she’d said more than once that she was okay with it. Once in a while, though, Nick would invite her over so she could have time away from the job site. Tonight was one of those times. Nick had asked her to come over to have a couple of drinks and watch a movie, but they had yet to put the movie in the DVD player. “I swear to God, Nick, you are gonna be the death of me.”
“Aw, c’mon. Just one more.”
Famous last words.
Chapter Three
NICK STIRRED, TRYING to shake off the skeletons of sleep. Goddamn, he’d had some nasty dreams all night long, no doubt fueled by all the liquor he’d consumed the night before. He’d dreamed of having some hot sex with a cute blonde who had the perfect titties—they fit his hands like they were made for them. C cup, he figured. What he wouldn’t give for a steady lay like that.
As he continued to stir, though, he started to suspect that it wasn’t a dream. He was pretty sure it had happened…and it wasn’t just any blonde he’d been fucking last night.
Holy shit.
He rolled over to look on the other side of his bed, the side facing the window, and he confirmed his worst fear.
It was Gracie.
Holy shit.
Holy fucking shit.
If they hadn’t been at his place, he maybe could have snuck out and then pretended he didn’t remember anything (which was almost true), but this was his house, his bedroom, his bed. There was no denying, no pretending. The only chance of that was if Gracie woke up and didn’t remember. If that happened, he could maybe play along and just bury that memory in hopes of helping her save face.
He just lay there, wondering what to do. Should he just forge ahead, gently wake her up, and apologize? Should he instead feign sleep so, when she woke up, she could sneak out if she wanted?
He felt her stirring on the bed. Was she waking up or just shifting position so she could drift back to sleep? Nick bit his bottom lip hard, resting his head back against the pillow and closing his eyes before she opened hers. He needed the extra time to think. His head was fuzzy and achy and he could barely think straight. The ideas in his head felt thick like molasses—sludgy and slow moving.
As he tried to process his emotions—which were strange and weird and unexplainable—he felt the weight on the bed shift again. He knew Gracie was sitting up. Her gasp was loud enough to rival his alarm clock.
He kept his eyes closed…
“Oh, my God. Nick!”
…until he had no choice. He opened them, ready to face the music, as it were. Words, though? They were gone, his tongue wrapped in a blanket of silence. He could see by the look in her eyes that she knew, though, so there would be no playing like it never happened. He was finally able to force out one small meaningless syllable. “Yeah?”
“You…me…we!”
Nick pulled himself up into a sitting position. He would have nodded his head except it was throbbing. “Yeah, I think we did.”
“You think?” Gracie looked down and pulled the sheet over her breasts, causing Nick’s eyes to look at them right before she covered them. Yeah, they really were perfect.
But they didn’t belong to him.
“Uh…yeah, so I know. I’m…sorry.” He gulped. “I didn’t mean to take advantage of you. I, uh…hope this doesn’t fuck up our friendship.”
She took a deep breath and looked around the room. He saw her swallow as her face crumpled into a frown. “Um…it doesn’t have to.” She slowly brought her eyes to meet Nick’s. Yeah, his head was heavy and felt lethargic, but he examined her eyes, trying to figure out her mental state.
It just wasn’t registering, so he had to hope—pray—that their friendship was as strong as he thought it was. “You’re right. It doesn’t.” He nodded and let out a long breath of air through his lips. “So we just go on as usual, act like nothing happened. That sound okay to you?”
She blinked twice, her eyes examining his, and then she swallowed again. “Uh, yeah, okay. Sure.” He saw a small smile creep on her face, and that was when he felt relief spread through his muscles. He’d been holding them tight for what felt like minutes now. He smiled back and inhaled. She began looking around his room again. “Do you know where my bra ended up?”
If it had been any other woman in his bed, he would have had at least three smart ass, lascivious retorts for that query, but this was his sweet friend Gracie he was talking to, and he wasn’t about to take this awkward, strange situation and make it a thousand times worse. No way. So he said, “No clue. Where’d we start this party anyhow?”
He didn’t mean the drinking. He remembered that had taken place at the couch and the coffee table in the living room last night. No, he meant the sexual activity. But Gracie answered, “God, I have no idea.” She straightened up. Could it be that she didn’t have a hangover or was she putting on a brave strong face in an effort to clean up fast and get out of there? “Just close your eyes for a sec.” Nick shut them even though the vilest part of himself wanted to sneak one last peek at Gracie’s perfect curvaceous breasts. He wasn’t about to do it, though. That would have felt like a breach of their friendship.
Besides, he’d remember them no matter what. They were filed away in his brain for posterity.
He felt her get out of bed, and even though she was a tiny thing to begin with, the bed felt lighter without her. Lonelier somehow. Nick thought that was stupid and just listened as he heard her shuffling around. “Aha!” she exclaimed.
“Find it?”
“No, but I found my panties. That’s a start.”
Oh, fuck. Just the mention brought another memory rushing to his head. Those panties…they were a baby pink—thin and lacy and they’d left little to the imagination—which was probably why Nick had ripped them off her the night before like his life had depended on it before consuming her in another kiss. He resisted the urge to ask her if they were still in one piece after he’d torn them off her body.
He heard her rummaging around in the living room, and after another minute, he heard her moving around in his bedroom again. “You can open your eyes.” He obeyed.
She was wearing the cute scalloped floral blouse she’d been wearing the night before when she and Nick had started drinking, but she said, “I still couldn’t find my bra. It’s…uh, pink, so if you find it, please return it to me. It’s a Victoria’s Secret, so I can’t afford to lose it.”
“No problem.” He considered offering to buy her another one, but that might sound douchey. Where the hell had she lost the bra? She walked out of the room again and Nick swung his legs off the side of the bed. He considering waiting until she was gone to dress, but he felt uncomfortable naked. If Gracie hadn’t been there, being nude wouldn’t have bothered him. Jeans…his jeans were right there on the floor, so he leaned over—ugh, big mistake—and pulled them up his legs quickly.
Just in the nick of time as she came back in his room. “I forgot. You drove me here last night. Can you take me back to Brad and Val’s?”
Oh, God, no. With his throbbing head, that was the last thing he wanted to do, but that would make him a bigger asshole if he didn’t. He swallowed around his heavy tongue and said, “Yeah, sure. Just let me make some coffee and take a couple—”