“Okay. Night.”
Rick began to climb the stairs as his dad opened the door, but listened in to make sure everything was okay.
“Hi. Is Rick there?”
He froze. He recognized that voice intimately. But it couldn’t be.
“Um, yeah,” his dad said. “Rick, it’s for you.” Rick turned to look at the door, staying on the stairs, his mouth gaping as his dad walked past him and patted him on the shoulder.
Max poked his head around the door. He was smirking. “Uh. Is it okay if I come in?”
Rick shook himself. “Yeah. Of course it is.” He edged down the stairs. “What are you doing here? My parents are—”
“Yeah. I saw.”
Rick craned his neck to make sure his dad wasn’t watching and then placed his hands on Max’s arms. “Wha-what are you doing here?”
“Surprise,” Max whispered and kissed him.
He was so stunned, he barely kissed him back.
“Is it okay that I came over?” Max asked, resting his arms around Rick’s waist. “I can leave if you want….” Max pressed their cheeks together and nuzzled Rick’s ear, making him groan and drop his head to Max’s shoulder. God, he smelled good. The mix of leather, smoke, and the light musk of Max’s aftershave was fast becoming his favorite scent. “Or I could stay?”
“This is either the worst tease ever or the best—”
“It’s not a tease.” Max’s grip around his waist tightened. “It’s okay if your parents and Isla know about us. You can tell them if you want.”
Rick snapped out of the spell Max had cast on him, and leaned back so he could look at him properly. He had so many questions but didn’t even know where to begin.
Max grinned sheepishly. “So is it okay if I stay over?”
Rick narrowed his eyes as he took in what Max had told him, and he said slowly, “Yeah. It’s totally okay if you stay over. Let me go tell my parents you’re staying.” He started up the stairs and then turned to look at Max. “You’re absolutely sure this is—”
“For fuck’s sake, Rick, it’s fine. Tell them whatever you want. I came out to Tony, and the guys. They all know about us. All the important people know.”
Rick hadn’t dared hope that was what had happened. Hearing Max speak those words sent a rumble of joy flashing through him. He bit his lower lip as he reached for Max’s hand, and prayed he didn’t wake tomorrow to find out this had all been a cruel dream.
RICK RANG the doorbell of the Diaz house. He still couldn’t believe it. Max had actually told his friends about them. When Max had turned up at his house after the recording session to tell him, he had been speechless. It was such a massive step forward for Max… for them as a couple. Rick didn’t dare let himself hope that Max would be ready to tell everyone else soon. He longed for the day where he could hold Max’s hand in public—where Max would let him put his arm around him when there were people watching. It felt so unnatural not being able to express his affection for Max.
Tonight would be the first time he had seen them all since Max’s big announcement three days ago. Max had invited him and Pete over for dinner. They were going to have a barbecue.
“Hey!” Max said, his face lighting up when he saw Rick on the doorstep. “Come on in.”
Once the door was closed, Max kissed him. “I’m so proud of you,” Rick said again, pulling him into a hug.
“Everyone’s been great about it. Well… Pete’s been a bit weird. But he is your friend and all, so I get it.”
“Really?” Rick frowned, and then his heart sank when he recalled the conversation he’d had with Pete where he’d told him everything. Had he said anything to Max about his job interview? Max seemed happy to see him, so it didn’t look like it. He was going to have to get Pete on his own later. “Um, I brought this.” He held up the bag, which was filled with bottles of beer.
“Thanks!” Max took it from him. “I’ll go get them chilled. Everyone’s in the backyard. I’ll meet you out there in a minute.”
Rick watched as Max jumped down the stairs to the kitchen, then braced himself as he opened the back door.
The barbecue smoker was set up differently than how he’d seen it at the jamboree, and Sian was flipping burgers. A table by the garage was filled with burger fixings and sauces. It all looked and smelled delicious.
“Hi, Rick,” Kyle said, and everyone turned around and smiled.
“Hi, everyone.” He felt really awkward, but then Tony came over to him and draped his arm across Rick’s shoulders.
“How do you like your burgers?” Tony asked.
“I don’t care so long as they’re not burned,” Rick said and laughed.
“Rick,” Sian said and beckoned him over. “Come over here and tell us all the details. When did you two get together? Max has been so cagey over the details.”
“That’s ’cause you’re too nosey and want to know everything,” Max said. He was laughing and handed Rick one of the beers he was carrying. “And I mean everything. She asks the most inappropriate questions.”
“I’m your best friend. You’re supposed to tell me all the inappropriate details. The burgers are about done if anyone wants one.”
Rick copied the others and loaded his plate with as much as he could. He knew Max’s cooking was fantastic, and this meal was no exception. He joined them as they all sat around the table and tucked in. Pete still hadn’t spoken to him, and he was dreading that conversation.
“So, when did you actually get together?” Tony asked. “I reckoned about a week after the party. Am I right?”
“No,” Sian said. “It was much later than that. Kyle, what do you think?”
“I have absolutely no idea.”
“Don’t you just love being discussed?” Max said and shook his head.
“So, come on, then, when was it?” Tony said.
Max looked at Rick and shrugged. “I guess it was two weeks after the party? The day Lee left the band?”
“Our first date wasn’t until a week after that, though.”
“Where did you go?” Sian asked eagerly and frowned at Max. “You didn’t tell me anything.”
“I took him to one of my fights over at Elfinbrook Stadium.”
“Yeah,” Max said. “And I never want to do that ever again. You should see how hard they hit one another. Rick got kicked right in the eye, and I thought it had knocked him out.”
“Thanks for that!” Rick laughed. “I didn’t get knocked out. I won the fight.”
“How’re your martial arts lessons going?” Tony asked.
“Good, maybe I’ll show you some later,” Max said. “How did you know about those?”
Rick stared at Tony. He wasn’t going to be the one to tell Max.
Tony nodded at Rick. “He told me at the jamboree.” Rick’s stomach lurched at the reminder. “The day I told him to stay away from you for the third time.”
“You did what?” Max gasped. “I can’t believe you, Tony.”
“What? I was looking out for you.”
“Sorry about my brother,” Max said and reached for Rick’s hand. Rick could feel everyone’s eyes on them. The sooner everyone got used to this the better. Rick squeezed his hand and gave Max a kiss on the cheek.
“That’s okay. I think we understand each other. Right?”
Tony cocked his head. “All the time you protect my brother we don’t have a problem.”
Rick held Tony’s gaze. “I would never do anything to hurt him.” Rick caught Pete staring at him. “On purpose,” he added, and Pete shook his head. “I’ll be back in a minute. Just gonna go to the bathroom.”
He got up and hoped Pete would follow him. They really needed to clear the air. Thankfully, Pete got the message. “Anyone want more beer?” Pete asked, and Rick went inside, down to the kitchen where he knew Pete would be headed.
“Pete—”
“Don’t even start with me,” Pete said. “I… what the hell are you thinking? Max was who you were p
ouring your heart out about to me the other day? What? You didn’t think that one day I would find out and put the pieces together?”
“Pete, I—”
“Max is like a son to me. You know that. How could you tell me all that stuff about him and the way you’re feeling? I can’t believe you still haven’t told him about the job yet. I should go and tell him right now. Do you know what a difficult position you’ve put me in?”
“I would never—”
“But you have, Rick. This is gonna break his heart when he finds out. I’ve never seen him behave this way about anyone before. Do you understand how hard it was for him to come out? And he did that for you. How do you think he’s going to react when he finds out that I knew what you have planned?”
“You’re going to tell him?”
“I should,” Pete spat out and pointed his finger in Rick’s chest. “But I’m not. I’m giving you a chance to make this right. Don’t you dare fuck this up and hurt him.”
Pete grabbed the beer, and Rick followed him back upstairs. Pete barely spoke to him again all evening, and he couldn’t blame him. Rick hoped he could fix this, that he hadn’t ruined his friendship with Pete. They’d gotten close over the past months. He’d find the right time and tell Max. He had to.
“Do you want to stay over tonight?” Max asked Rick hours later as everyone moved from the garden into the garage.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Max pulled him around the corner. “This is where you kissed me. Remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Rick put his arms around Max and kissed him again. “How could I forget.” He rested his forehead against Max’s. “And I told you I didn’t believe you when you said you’d never kiss me again.”
“I’m glad I was wrong,” Max said and kissed him so sweetly that it made Rick’s heart ache.
There was no way he could give up Max. Or risk losing him. He’d go along to the interview—it was too late to cancel now—and then if Neil offered him the position, he would turn him down. Maybe he could try to get some funding so he could expand his gym. Make it more attractive to top fighters. If that failed, maybe he could get a bank loan. Rick held Max tight and prayed that he could figure this out.
FLYING OVER England was something Rick had always enjoyed as a kid. It was the vast expanse of lush green fields, spires of old churches, and pockets of tiny villages that he loved the most. It had been years since he and his parents had visited with Neil and Dietmar, and he realized now how much he’d missed it. It was certainly a welcome change from the desert of northwest Nevada, especially during these hot summer months.
Rick was beginning to wish they hadn’t booked the night flight, even though the countryside looked beautiful in the morning sunlight. He hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep, worrying about what the next few days would bring. Rick had looked into getting funding and bank loans, but all those options had been nonstarters—in part due to the monumental amount of debt he had in student loans.
He now knew he was going to have to take the job if Neil offered it to him, but still Rick hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell Max about the interview. Things had been so perfect between them over the past couple of days that he hadn’t wanted to break the spell. He knew it was selfish, but he’d wanted to make the most of that time together before it would all likely come crumbling down once Max found out what Rick was keeping from him.
They arrived at their hotel in Camden late morning. Sian and Kyle were sharing a room, as were Max and Rick, and Tony had the room next to them on his own. As soon as the door to their room had closed, Rick dropped his suitcase to the floor and fell onto the bed, puffing up the already-plump pillow and closing his eyes. Thank goodness the hotel had let them check in early.
Tony knocked on their door, and Max came out of the bathroom, where he’d had a quick shower, to let him in.
“Don’t we have to meet with Dietmar soon?” Max asked.
Opening one eye, Rick stared at Max, who was perched on the edge of the bed, watching him. Rick took his cell out of his pocket and groaned.
“Yeah, we should’ve been in the hotel bar ten minutes ago.”
“The bar?” Tony said, his head appearing around the bathroom door. “Why didn’t you say so before? What the hell are we still doing in here?”
“Sleeping,” Rick said, shutting his eyes as pure exhaustion took hold. Dietmar would understand if he didn’t go. He wasn’t in the band, after all.
“Up,” Max said and grabbed Rick’s hands, pulling him to his feet. “You’ll feel better with a beer inside you.”
Rick wasn’t convinced. And the last thing he needed was to drink alcohol before his interview tomorrow.
“Besides, I want to go explore.” Max was bouncing on his toes. He had way too much energy for Rick’s liking right now. But then he had managed to sleep on the airplane. “Can’t you show us around?”
“Fine. But we’re gonna be stopping for coffee, a lot.”
“Awesome.”
Tony was holding the door open for them, and Rick followed Max outside into the corridor, which had burgundy walls and a matching mottled carpet, old paintings of the aristocracy lining the walls, and floorboards that creaked as they made their way toward the elevator. It felt like they’d stepped back a hundred years in English history. They collected Kyle and Sian on their way.
It was actually a pretty decent hotel—right in the middle of Camden and a few blocks from the Scarab Lounge, where Purple Method would be opening for Death Charm the following night. The hotel was a quaint building tucked away down one of the side streets off the main street. Away from the hustle and bustle, but close enough that they’d be right in the thick of it after walking a few yards.
“You’re late,” Dietmar said, standing as they approached the large table he sat at in the hotel bar.
“Sorry, Dietmar,” Rick said. “It took forever to get through customs.”
“It’s nearly lunchtime. It must have.” Dietmar shook their hands and gestured for them all to sit. “I’ve ordered some coffee for us, so please, help yourselves.”
“The traffic’s so busy in the city. It’s worse than I remember it,” Rick said and laid out the cups, ready to pour coffee for everyone. Tony looked disgusted at the fact that they weren’t getting beer, but thankfully had the sense to keep quiet and accept the drink Rick handed him.
Dietmar laughed. “I guess I don’t really notice it anymore. I’ve lived here so long now. It’s certainly nothing like Elfinbrook.”
“Yeah. We’re looking forward to exploring,” Max said with a grin. “Rick’s gonna show us around this afternoon.”
“Mm,” Dietmar said. “You should have enough time to see a small amount of London today. Probably best to keep it local, Rick. We’ve got a pretty packed schedule.” He handed Tony a sheet of paper. “This is your itinerary while you’re here. I expect you to be on time for everything.”
“Did all our equipment arrive okay?” Max asked.
“Yes, I believe so. We received some of your boxes last night. This afternoon I will need you to check that you have everything you need for tomorrow night. In fact, we can go straight from here, and that way I can show you the venue.”
“Hold on,” Tony said, frowning. “What’s this on Sunday night?”
“You’ll be playing ten gigs while you’re here… assuming tomorrow’s goes well, that is. You are here for several weeks, after all.”
“Awesome,” Tony said.
“Two will be at the Scarab Lounge, and the others will be at some of my other clubs. The addresses are all on that sheet.”
Rick snatched the paper from Tony and photographed it before he had a chance to lose it. It wasn’t worth taking any chances.
“Is there anything else we need to know?” Max asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Dietmar said. “As soon as you’ve finished your drinks, we can go to the club.”
“Is it far?” Kyle asked.
“A five-minute walk. You will need to be back there at five tomorrow to sound check, so that gives you a few hours to sightsee. Any idea what you want to do while you’re here?”
“Abbey Road Studios,” Sian suggested.
“How about that big wheel by the Thames?” Kyle said.
Rick laughed and drained his coffee. “The London Eye?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
“You get a great view of London from there. However, I suggest you find something a bit more local to see today. The queues can be pretty long, and I’m sure you must be jetlagged,” Dietmar said. “Ready to go?”
“Sure, let’s do it,” Tony said.
Camden was just as Rick remembered it. As they reached the end of the road and joined the main street, delicious aromas of cooking street food wafted in the air. The tang of exotic spices combined with the comforting earthy aromas of bread warming and potatoes baking.
“This place is amazing,” Max said, his gaze darting from food outlet to food outlet. “Never mind visiting the landmarks, I could easily spend all my time hanging out here and trying all these foods.” He pointed at a sign at one of the takeout storefronts. “What the hell is kimchi?”
“Fermented vegetables,” Dietmar said. “It’s good. You should try it.” Max didn’t look convinced. “It’s a Korean dish. Very popular.”
“Korean?”
“There’s food from all over the world here,” Rick said as they walked over the bridge that crossed the river, and he looked across to where long trails of willow dipped into the water and a group of ducks was arguing. “And you’ll love the market, ‘the stables’ section of it, that is. There are a lot of alternative clothing stores in there.”
“There’s nothing alternative about the way I dress,” Max said and laughed when Dietmar gave him an odd look. “Not my fault if everyone else wants to dress strangely.”
“Here we are,” Dietmar said as they reached some double doors in between a tattooist and a body piercing place. The Scarab Lounge was written above the black doors in stylized old-fashioned writing.
“It doesn’t look like much,” Kyle said and frowned.
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