by Howes, Ann
Once back on her feet Terra turned, focusing her attention on him. That distracting smile slipped off her face as the two of them faced off. The happy vibe faded and got replaced with something angrier.
She folded one arm over the other and pulled those pretty lips in. The longer the silence went on, the more tense her stance became, while Dannie looked increasingly sheepish. Like a man who’d been caught cheating.
“You can kiss my ass now, Dannie,” she said. Apparently, the sass was back.
“Fuck, Terra.” Dannie scrubbed a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. “What do you want me to say?”
“You can say you’re sorry.”
Zander’s head jerked. Shit. This was not a good sign.
He watched Dannie sigh and look over to the rest of the band, like he was expecting them to take his back. They didn’t.
“Or,” she held up an index finger, “how about this? You can thank me. Either one will go a long way.”
“Which one would you prefer?”
“Both”
“Shit.” Dannie looked at his boots.
“You hurt me, Dannie. What you did was beyond a dick move.”
Hurt her? What the hell did he do?
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“Yes, it was, you moron,” Jeff said while tightening the string he just changed on his bass guitar. “You always know better and never listen to any of us. Cause what the fuck do we know, right?”
What the hell are they talking about?
“That’s not fair, Jeff,” Dannie said.
“The fuck it is, and you know it,” Jeff shot back.
“Just do it, Dannie,” Lucas said, attaching a cymbal to its stand. “You screwed up. Say you’re sorry, man. We don’t have time for this crap.”
“Listen to him, Dannie.” Terra took a step closer to him. “Or I’m leaving.” She jammed a finger in his chest. He took a step back.
Leaving? What?
“Terra…”
“And FYI, I didn’t come here for you. I came for them, because I didn’t want to them to lose out on this gig.”
“I’m not the one who called you.” Dannie straightened and cocked his head.
“That’s because you didn’t have the balls,” Jeff yelled.
“Ruby sucks, man.” Jake, the rhythm guitar dude and the quiet one finally chimed in. “And not only your dick.” He was the only one who didn’t sing but could play like a motherfucker. Zander realized that until this moment, he’d never even heard him speak.
“She bailed on us with no notice,” Jake continued. “Who the hell does that? Never mind that she can’t sing or keep time for shit. Kept coming in wrong. Annoyed the hell out of me.”
Zander didn’t think Ruby was a bad singer, but what the hell did he know? He couldn’t tell the difference between a flat note and post-it note. What he did know was how his patrons reacted to a band and if they came back to see them again. Made him wonder just how good Terra must be if the rest of them trusted her this much to fill in.
“Ah, fuck it,” Dannie said and hooked an arm around Terra’s neck, pulling her into him. “I’m sorry, Tee.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re right, I’m an asshole. Thanks for bailing us out last minute like this.”
“Finally.” Lucas said as he tested a ting-ticka-tsshhh on his cymbals. “Now we can all move the fuck on.”
There was something in the way Dannie pulled her into his arms and held her, the way she melted into him that ate at Zander. He didn’t like the dangerous, swirling thing in his gut or how his fingers, seemingly on their own accord curled into fists. And he was damned if he was going to admit he was a punk-ass bitch, getting jealous because a woman he met five minutes ago was hugging a man she had history with.
Yet there it was.
He ripped his eyes off the drama on stage and finished loading up the fridge a little harder and louder than necessary.
Barney eyed him but wisely kept his distance and his mouth shut. By the time he finished, so was the soap opera and everyone resumed setting up.
He gathered the empty cartons of beer and tossed them in the store room behind the bar as it was Barney’s job to dispose of them. Then headed to his office. He had a phone call to make.
Once he’d shut the door he reached into his pocket for his phone and walked to the one-way mirror looking down over the bar. But the iPhone he held wasn’t his. Took a second for him to realize it was Terra’s.
He’d forgotten he had it. Zander placed it on his desk and found his own lying on a pile of invoices he still had to pay. He scrolled through his contacts and pushed Ruby’s number, letting it ring until it went to voicemail. Figures she’d avoid him.
After the beep he said, “Rube, you’ve got some splaining to do. Where the fuck are you?”
He stood in front of the one-way mirror in his office and watched them, or rather watched her. Weirdly, her eyes kept glancing upward. It was disconcerting even though he knew she couldn’t see him.
They completed their sound check, then one by one headed to the bar. It was almost starting time and people filtered in, claiming tables. Looked like it was going to be a good night indeed. Especially as some of the crowd were greeting Terra like they knew her. Some gave her hugs, which made him feel a whole lot more comfortable. By the time the band took their places on stage, the bar was two deep.
When Dannie played the opening riff of Guns ’n Roses “Sweet Child of Mine,” Zander stilled.
This was new.
There was something different in the way they came together, seemed to gel into a more cohesive unit. People stood and moved to the dance floor.
Terra tossed her hair back and he swallowed. She grabbed the mic, opened that delicious mouth and belted out the words. Goosebumps erupted all over his body.
He got it.
Terra wasn’t filling in for Ruby. It was Ruby, the lying junkie bitch who’d been filling in for her. And he needed to know why.
About the Author
I’m a romance nut. What’s better than a hot hero who’s willing to get dirty to protect and cherish his woman? Well, in my opinion, not a whole lot. A native of Cape Town, South Africa, I currently live in California with my two teenagers and two furry felines, and when I’m not working or writing I like to grow things. Especially avocados of which I eat a lot. Good for your hearts and brains, or so I’m told.
Find me on social media
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnHowes/
https://authorannhowes.wordpress.com/
[email protected]
About the Author
I’m a romance nut. What’s better than a hot hero who’s willing to get dirty to protect and cherish his woman? Well, in my opinion, not a whole lot. A native of Cape Town, South Africa, I currently live in California with my two teenagers and two furry felines, and when I’m not working or writing I like to grow things. Especially avocados of which I eat a lot. Good for your hearts and brains, or so I’m told.
Find me on social media
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnHowes/
https://authorannhowes.wordpress.com/
[email protected]
