by E. M. Abel
I watched as Sky’s roommate, TJ, walked back from the bar with a beer in each hand. She’d brought a date with her. Looking extra nice tonight, her long braids hung over one shoulder, and she wore a white dress that accentuated her dark skin and curvy figure.
Why didn’t he get the drinks?
Glancing across the table, I realized her date was too busy hanging off every word Natasha spoke. TJ set down their beers, and he barely acknowledged her. She rolled her eyes and sighed, reclaiming her seat beside him. I reached over Natasha’s shoulders and pulled her into my side, catching her attention and breaking the spell TJ’s date was under.
“You look beautiful tonight, TJ,” I said, grinning at her.
Her eyes widened as she took a sip from her glass. She wasn’t used to me complimenting her, but I hoped it made her date appreciate what he had.
She smiled brightly at me. “Thanks, Dillon.”
I grinned at Natasha before leaning in to whisper in her ear, “I have to go get ready. Don’t let these guys seduce you while I’m gone.”
She giggled and pulled away enough to meet my eyes. “While you’re singing? Impossible.” She kissed me on the cheek before her gaze shifted beside me, and she looked up.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Turning around, I was greeted with Sky’s smiling face.
“It’s about time.”
I stood up to hug her, and it took me a few seconds to realize she was standing next to someone.
Logan.
My eyes narrowed as he reached his hand out in greeting.
“Hey, Dillon. I’m not sure if you remember me. Logan—”
“I remember,” I muttered, cutting him off.
Sky raised her eyebrows, daring me to say more.
When I didn’t, she looked past me and put on her bright smile. “Natasha, right? It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Yes, hi.” Natasha smiled at her before expectantly glancing at me.
“Sorry, Natasha. This is my best friend Sky, and…”
“Logan,” Sky finished my sentence, trying to cut through the weird tension.
“Nice to meet you,” Natasha said, obviously picking up on my cold demeanor toward Sky’s date.
The lights in the bar began to dim, and I knew that was my cue to get onstage.
“I have to go,” I said, reaching down to pick up my guitar.
Sky put her hand on my shoulder, seemingly forgetting my attitude. “Good luck, D.”
“Thanks.”
I glanced back at Natasha and grinned at her before pulling the strap over my shoulder and making my way toward the stage. I was sure there would be some explaining to do later, but right now, I needed to focus.
Stopping at the bottom stair to the right of the stage, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the chatter around me all fading into the distance. I wiped my damp palms on my jeans, walked up the stairs and onto the stage.
The heat from the spotlight warmed my skin as I held on to my guitar and squinted into the sea of black silhouettes in front of me. Dropping my head, I gathered a little more courage and began to play my guitar. In that instant, everyone and everything else fell away. I stood alone on that stage, and fear no longer mattered, only music.
I began singing the words to “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice and became vaguely aware of the silence and stillness falling over the room. This was one of Sky’s favorite songs. She called it a psycho love song. I just loved singing it.
After the first verse, I opened my eyes and peered out into the crowd, something I’d learned to do after the initial fear faded. Faces came into focus as my sight adjusted to the light. My fingers naturally shifted over the strings of my guitar, as if they were meant to be there. The words came from somewhere deep inside me, lifting through my heart and drifting out with my voice. Music had never been a choice for me; it was a gift. And, in these moments, I was reminded that, in order for that gift to live, it must be shared.
Looking into the audience, I locked eyes with Sky as I sang the chorus, and then my eyes drifted beside her to Natasha. Her smile lit up her face as she watched me doing what I loved. The side of my mouth lifted as I continued to sing, and she bit into her bottom lip. Tilting my head toward the other side of the room, I met the stares of a few other women in the crowd before closing my eyes to belt out the high notes. By the time the song was over, I’d found my home, back onstage.
About an hour later, my set was over, and the crowd that had doubled in size was now clapping and whistling as I took a small bow and held up my hand in thanks.
Lifting my guitar over my head, I made my way toward the stairs, and Natasha was waiting for me at the bottom. Before I could speak a word, her arms were around my neck, and her plump pink lips were pressing against mine. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and pulled her closer as she pushed her tongue between the seam of my lips, demanding more. I gladly gave it to her. Slowly, she pulled away and rested her forehead against mine, our breaths mingling, as the intensity of our second kiss resonated between us. We definitely had chemistry.
“You’re amazing,” she whispered.
“So are you.”
“Do you hear this crowd?” Matteo shouted, suddenly beside us, as he smacked me on the back. “You fucking killed it, Dillon. Fucking killed it!”
Then, he was gone, passing out demos to random people in the crowd.
I caught Sky’s eyes as she sat in the corner booth, her mouth lifting into her usual proud smile. I smiled back. Our gazes stayed locked for a few more seconds before Logan leaned in and spoke into her ear, taking her attention.
Natasha put her hand on my shoulder and pulled it toward her. “I want you to take me home now,” she whispered, her eyes leaving no room for confusion.
My cock twitched in my pants.
Without another word, I took her hand and got the case for my guitar, and we were on our way to her apartment.
The next afternoon, I was sitting in the dirty, old house Matteo and I were still remodeling as I ate a sub I’d bought from the corner store by Natasha’s apartment. I’d spent the night with her, and she’d even made me breakfast in the morning. She hadn’t eaten any of it though. She’d just watched me eat with a dreamy look in her eye.
She was gorgeous; there was no denying that. As much as I hated to admit it, our sex hadn’t been as explosive as I’d thought it would be. Natasha had spent too much time worrying about appearing and acting sexy instead of allowing it to happen naturally. Perhaps it was that we were getting to know each other. Maybe she was self-conscious about being with someone new. Either way, I was hoping we could work past it because I really liked her.
“You snuck out pretty quick last night,” Matteo said, wiping his hands on his Carhartts before sitting next to me. “Not that I blame you. Natasha is…” He whistled before taking a bite from his homemade spaghetti.
Matteo’s mom always packed his lunch for him.
“The crowd went fucking nuts for you yesterday. That’s got to be one of the best feelings ever. Well, second to banging a hot chick all night. Damn, man, do you even realize how lucky you are?”
“I try to,” I said before taking another bite.
“What was up with you and Sky? Did you even speak to each other? And who was the shithead she brought with her?”
Matteo was right. Sky and I’d hardly spoken last night. Honestly, I was a little surprised she had brought Logan to one of my shows. She knew I couldn’t stand him.
“Logan. We knew him back in high school. Sky’s just playing with him. It’s nothing serious.”
“Are you sure, man? They were looking kind of serious to me.”
I cut my eyes at him. “I’m sure.”
He shrugged before slurping another forkful of noodles into his mouth.
“Thanks. For last night,” I told him as I cleaned up my mess. “That was a solid gig. You’re a good friend, Matteo, even if you’re a mooch.”
He smiled around h
is mouthful of food. “Right?”
I chuckled as I stood up, done with being sentimental. I decided I’d go call Natasha.
“Hey. This is only the beginning, Dillon. Mark my words.”
I nodded my head in agreement, hoping he was right but still doubting that he was.
Walking out onto the front steps of the old brownstone, I could feel a slight chill in the air. Fall was officially upon us. The leaves on the trees strategically planted along the sidewalks were turning colors, adding bright yellow, red, and orange to the gray and black of their surroundings. Moments like this made me miss home and think about my mom. She loved the fall. It had been a little over a week since I last spoke to her, promising I’d be down to see her over Thanksgiving. She always stayed busy and had a more active social life than I did, but I still didn’t like that she lived alone. I carried a lingering guilt for leaving her even though she’d encouraged me to move.
“Go see the world, mijo. Live life.”
I could still hear her voice saying those words. I just hoped I’d make her proud.
Pulling out my phone, I found Natasha in my Contacts and sent her a text.
Dillon: Having a good day?
Natasha: A great day! How about you?
Dillon: I can’t complain. Taking a lunch break.
Natasha: I should have made you something. What are you eating?
I grinned and shook my head. She was definitely nurturing and eager to take care of me. It was nice.
Dillon: I got a sandwich at the corner store.
Natasha: Ew! Gross!
I chuckled as she continued to send me disgusted face emojis. Natasha was a lot more particular about what she ate. I supposed it was why she stayed in such great shape. I tried to avoid too much grease and sugar, but that was about as far as my selectiveness went.
Dillon: Can I see you tonight?
Natasha: Sure. Want to go see a movie?
Movie theaters weren’t my ideal choice for a date since we wouldn’t really get a chance to interact with each other, but I’d take what I could get.
Dillon: Sounds good. Want to have dinner first? I can pick you up around 7.
Natasha: Okay.
She included a kissing emoji with that one, and I grinned. I was looking forward to getting a real one later.
“Hey, D!”
I glanced up to find Sky power-walking down the sidewalk with a stack of clothes over her left arm and a coffee cup in her right hand.
“Hey. What are you doing out here?”
She groaned. “Frederico has me running errands all over the place today. How’s the house coming?”
Turning to look over my shoulder, I shrugged. “Not bad. We should be done sometime next week.”
“You did great last night. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you. We were both kind of…preoccupied.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s cool. I could have done without seeing that asshole at my show, but—”
“Um…yeah, about that.”
My eyes narrowed, and Sky quickly glanced up at them before diverting her gaze down the street.
“I’m kind of seeing him for real now.” I opened my mouth to tell her how stupid that was, but she cut me off, expecting it, “I know what you’re going to say, but I can explain. I just don’t have the time to do it now. I’ll call you later.”
Before I could protest, Sky’s phone started ringing in her purse. She took it out and answered it, waving in my direction before she hurried down the street.
I shook my head. I’d known that shit was a bad idea. Sky was playing with fire, and by now, she should know she’d end up burned.
SKY
“Thank God you called, TJ. You saved me from explaining to Dillon why I’m legit seeing Logan now.” I huffed into the phone as I jogged faster down the sidewalk, trying to get to the crosswalk before the light turned green.
“What the fuck are you doin’, runnin’ from him?” she asked, her Southern accent kicking in.
“No…I’m jogging,” I said, glancing behind me.
Dillon had already gone inside.
“Why are you so worried? It’s your life, not Dillon’s. He’ll just have to get over it.”
“Well, yeah, but I always go to Dillon for advice. I don’t want him to cut me off because of this thing with Logan.”
“Dillon would never cut you off. After all the shit you’ve put him through, I’m surprised he still likes you.”
I dropped my jaw as I dodged a guy on a bicycle. “Whatever. I’m not that bad.”
“Dude, you made him model for Frederico.”
A laugh slipped out as an image of Dillon dressed in tight leather pants and a fishnet shirt flashed in my mind. At the last minute, I’d been assigned to find a replacement male model for a photo shoot, and Dillon was the first man who had come to mind. He’d looked ridiculous in those clothes, but he had the face and the body to be a model. Frederico loved him. I was pretty sure my boss secretly harbored a crush for my best friend.
“Well, he made money doing it!”
“Mmhmm.”
“Anyway, what’s up? Why did you call?”
“We need bread, and it’s your turn to buy it.”
“Great. Another errand.”
“Yep. Love you, boo-boo.”
“Whatever. Love you, too.”
I hit the End button before shoving my phone back into my bag. TJ was right. I knew Dillon would be there for me, no matter what. He’d stuck by me through a lot already. I wasn’t exactly known for making the best decisions, but in my defense, I was only twenty-two. These were the years to act wild and sow our oats. Dillon was way too serious, if you asked me. I guessed that was why I needed him so much. He was the yang to my yin.
I knew dating Logan wouldn’t be enough to push Dillon out of my life, but part of me still wanted his blessing. He was the most levelheaded person I knew. He was also a good judge of character. Both were qualities I often lacked. And I was still feeling unsure about my decision to trust Logan. I’d believed him when he said he was sorry for the past, but that didn’t mean he’d changed.
It was eight o’clock, and I was sitting on my couch, picking at the label on a bottle of beer, as Sons of Anarchy played on the television. I hadn’t heard from Logan all day, and I couldn’t help picturing him in the middle of an orgy while I drank Fat Tire in my old sweatpants. Part of me knew I was overreacting, but the other part wasn’t so sure. There was a very good possibility that he was at least having sex with one other person while I sat there, alone.
Sucking in a breath, I decided it was time to stop avoiding Dillon and talk to him about it. He’d know what to do.
Picking up my phone, I found Dillon’s name and called him. My eyes drifted to Jax Teller’s sexy back tattoo on my television screen as I listened to it ring and ring…and ring.
“This is Dillon Frazier. I’m sorry I—”
I hung up.
Shit.
He must be on another date with Natasha. It was selfish, but I already didn’t like her for taking Dillon from me at a time when I needed him. He was my best friend first. I finished off my beer and put it on the table before crossing my arms, falling back into the couch, and pouting.
TJ walked in the front door, exhausted. The poor woman had been working late for weeks. She was a total math nerd and loved her job as an accountant, but her boss sucked.
“Hey.”
I grunted, my eyes on Jax as he started humping some woman in his bed. I hadn’t been paying enough attention to see who it was.
“Damn, what crawled up your ass?” TJ asked, plopping down in the La-Z-Boy to my right and peeling off her heels with a groan.
“Nothing.” I didn’t even sound close to convincing.
She raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips. “Bitch, please. I don’t have the energy to pull it out of you.”
Sighing, I dropped my arms by my sides. “I haven’t heard from Logan all day, and I keep picturing him naked and
in bed with three other women and one really hot guy.”
Now, both of her eyebrows were up. “Sounds hot.”
“Yeah, except I’m nowhere in the orgy because I’m here. In my sweatpants! And then I tried to call Dillon, and he didn’t answer. He always answers. He’s probably on a date with Natasha,” I said her name with extra sass as I bobbed my head from side to side and rolled my eyes.
“Whoa, whoa. What’s this? Are you jealous of Dillon’s new model girlfriend?”
“First off, she’s not his girlfriend. They haven’t even known each other for a week. And, second, no, I’m not jealous. I’m used to having him around, and she’s been taking all of his time.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Don’t mmhmm. There will be no mmhmming here,” I said, pointing between us. “I just wanted to talk to him and get his advice about Logan, and I’m bummed that I can’t.”
“Well, have you tried calling Logan? Did you ever think that maybe he’s sitting in sweatpants on his couch, waiting for you to call him?”
“Pfft. Yeah, right. Logan wouldn’t wear sweatpants. Cotton pajama pants maybe but never sweatpants.”
TJ rolled her eyes and stood up. “As much as I’d love to continue this conversation, I need to shower. Did you buy the bread?”
“Yes,” I mumbled, leaning back into my slumped position.
“Call him!” she shouted on her way to her room.
I sat there for a few more minutes, watching Sons of Anarchy, when my phone rang beside me. It was Dillon.
“Hey.”
“Hey, Sky. What’s up? Everything okay?” It sounded like he was pouring water into a bathtub or something.
“Are you peeing?”
“Yeah. I’m at the movies, and I had to take a piss. I saw you called.”
“Ew. Gross, Dillon. Seriously?”
“Well, obviously, you’re fine, so I’ll talk to you later.”
“I can’t believe you’re at the movies. You don’t even like going to the movies.”
“Yeah, well…”
“You’re with Natasha,” I said, finishing for him.
“Look, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah. Don’t forget though. I need to talk to you about Logan.”