Shelby and I hover for a moment. At the same time we recognize Gabriel’s sister Hannah. She’s with her husband who we also know from news, a champion MMA fighter. They’re sharing a chic lounge chair, talking like there’s nobody else in the room.
A deep voice behind me says, “Paige.”
I spin around to find Ben smiling at me. He looks incredibly handsome in faded blue jeans and a white Henley shirt, with boots that look like they’ve been worn every day for twenty years.
Shelby’s head cranes up and she nearly faints again, clearly attracted to him. “I’m Paige’s best friend, we didn’t officially meet.”
“Ben Cocker.”
She bites her bottom lip and nods, “Shelby,” twisting the ends of her tight blonde curls. Carter who?
Blushing I tell him, “Sorry about last night.”
His laugh brightens his whole face. “It wasn’t your fault.” To Shelby he asks, “So you both teach yoga?”
She nearly falls over herself. “Paige teaches more Yin Stretch and Hatha, but I do Vinyasa and sometimes Bikram. Have you ever done…hot yoga?”
He smirks, “I’ve done every kind there is.”
Remembering what he told me I explain, “His family has a retreat on their property, so they’ve had all kinds of teachers come through there over the years.”
“My mom and dad’s ranch. They live just a couple miles from my farm.” Glancing to me he shoves his hands in his pockets and asks the hard question. “You have fun last night?”
My face flushes deeper red. “Yeah, we just went to the waterfall.”
He frowns, “What one?”
“By the old mill in Roswell?”
“That’s a dam, not a waterfall.”
I stare at him. “Gabriel didn’t say that.”
“Probably trying to impress you.”
Maggie and Carrie walk up, the former pointing to my best friend and announcing, “Another natural-curls girl! Yes! How often do you wash it?”
Shelby laughs, “No more than every other day, you?”
Maggie grins, “If I wash mine every day, total ‘fro.”
“Can’t even deal with the frizz!” Shelby rolls her eyes, looking adorable.
In a declaration or ownership Carrie takes Maggie’s hand. Shelby glances down and subtly reacts, taking a half step back to let it be known she’s not trying to hit on anybody, she’s just being friendly. Trouble is that Shelby has a hot little yoga body and personality to spare. And like me, she’s wearing a mini dress barely covering her.
I can tell Maggie is happy her girlfriend got jealous as she asks me, “Have you seen Gabriel yet?” To Ben she gives him a respectful but disinterested wave. “Hey Ben.”
“Hey Mags.”
Shrugging one shoulder I tell her, “No, not yet. But he was great out there tonight!”
“Wasn’t he? I caught him looking at you a lot, Paige.”
“Yeah?” I smile.
“Come on. He has his own dressing room. We’ll have some drinks in there.” She leads the way with Carrie at her side.
Hannah calls out, “Where are you headed, Ben?”
He raises his voice over the conversations. “His dressing room. You coming? Where’s Ethan?”
“He rushed home right before the encore. Can’t be away from Charlie too long since she’s due any day. We’ll join you guys in a minute,” she smiles before turning back to Tobias and lowering her volume to a more intimate one.
Shelby and I exchange a look because both of us are thinking the same thing – that the Cockers are one good-looking family. And I am so envious of how Tobias was gazing at Hannah. They were so connected. I want that.
As we go to leave a group of people pour into the room. Shelby scoots by them but I get pushed backward. Ben touches the small of my back to catch me and keeps his hand there until we’re free to go. I glance up. He’s locked on me with a confident glint in his eyes. He’s definitely interested in me. Gabriel tricking him didn’t stop that.
Shelby slows for me to catch up, and she casts a knowing look to Ben, under her breath, “You’re so lucky.”
Maggie is talking outside Gabriel’s dressing room to some guy in a suit. “Glad you’re happy. Oh, Devin, this is Paige, she won the contest.”
He shakes my hand. “Oh yes, saw the photos of you two at Rays on the River. Did you have a nice time?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He nods and excuses himself.
Maggie waits until he’s out of earshot to tell our group, “Devin is the representative of the record label. He’s just here to get laid. That’s what everyone wants. Money and tail. It’s all they care about.” She winks and opens the door.
Out runs Olivia, pulling her shirt over braless, naked tits. “Excuse me!”
Maggie tries to shut the door but inside Gabriel is zipping up his pants. He turns and his gorgeous eyes narrow as he realizes what’s going on. He locks on me and his lips slacken.
I take a step back and run into Ben.
Shelby grabs my arm, whispering, “Oh fuck.”
Maggie slams the door. “I’m so sorry, Paige, I should’ve…”
I start running.
Shelby’s heels are right behind mine.
Gabriel shouts my name.
He doesn’t chase me.
But Ben does.
GABRIEL
Maggie pushes at me, “Go after her,” as passing crew members, roadies and groupies amble by, curiously watching the drama unfold.
I start to do as she says, but then pause, running a hand through my hair as I watch Ben running after her.
Growling I head back into my dressing room.
“What are you doing?” Mags demands as Carrie shuts the door behind us. “Are you sabotaging this on purpose, Gabriel? God, the look on that poor girl’s face. You’re going to let Ben make her feel better? I saw how he was looking at her. It’s not friendship he’s after.”
Grabbing a beer off the coffee table I smash it against a wall and shout, “He’s better for her than I am!”
The girls are quieted until Maggie says, “Gabriel, if you care this much about her…”
“You don’t understand!” I shout, rubbing a heavy hand down my face. “We’re leaving for Canada tomorrow. Three cities there! Then London, Ireland, Paris! You think I can carry on a long-distance relationship when I’ve never even had a steady girlfriend in my whole fucking life?” Pointing in the direction they went I bark, “He’s stable. Ben’s here. He’s got a nice quiet farm that’s perfect for someone like her. Someone who’s grounded. Kind. Smart. Beautiful.” Grabbing my head I groan through my fingers, “Jeezus, he does fucking yoga like she does! They’re perfect for each other!” I collapse on the couch I meet Maggie’s eyes. “And I’m just…me.”
Carrie shuffles her feet and glances to her girlfriend as she crosses her arms. “So what are you going to do tonight?”
“Go home and sleep.”
Snorting she shakes her head. “That’s not what I thought you’d say.”
“What, you expect me to invite a bunch of dancers to my loft?”
“After what you just did, yep!”
I glare at her. “Go home, Mags.”
She marches to door and holds it open for Carrie, slamming it behind them.
My torso is in knots, eyes dead. Can’t even see the room. Don’t remember the show except for Paige’s face staring up at me like it was just us out there. She doesn’t know me like my brother and sister do – I’m not the type of guy you can hang a fragile heart on. I’ve never called anyone my girl.
The door opens and I glance over to see Olivia is back. “Word backstage is I caused some mad-drama.”
I clasp my hands behind my head. “This place is worse than my family’s grapevine.”
Clicking the door shut she enters with an apologetic look. “Hey, I’m sorry, I just did our normal routine after a show. I didn’t know you had a girl out there tonight.”
“It just hap
pened. You couldn’t have known.”
“Is it serious?” she asks, stunned. “When I took off my shirt and unzipped your pants, you whacked my hands away.” Under her breath she says, “And me half-naked like a dumbass. I mean, at first I thought it was because you thought I danced badly out there or something.”
Dropping my hands I throw a boot on the table and mutter, “Nah, you always dance great.”
“You like this girl?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Olivia stares at the floor a second, then motions between us as she raises her eyes. “So nothing’s going to come of this, is it?”
“I thought you knew that.”
Biting her lip she shakes her head. “Now I do.” She goes to leave.
I jump off the couch, walking fast. “Olivia, hang on.”
“It’s okay, Gabriel. Forget it.”
Planting myself between her and the door I bend my knees to engage her attention, forcing her to look at me. “Don’t do that. I know you’re tough, but don’t act like that.” She stares at me. “Don’t quit on me. The show needs you. You and the girls are family now, right? We’ve got a long run ahead of us. I need you. Don’t look away. I mean it. I need you here.”
She swallows and nods. “I don’t want to leave everybody.”
“Then don’t.” I pull her to me and kiss the top of her head. She pats my back as the door opens and runs into me.
Hannah says, “Oh, sorry!”
Olivia hurries out. Tobias and Hannah watch her and as soon as we’re alone, Tobias says, “Let me guess. Unrequited love.”
“Just something that had to end.”
Hannah laughs as she heads to grab beers for them out of my fridge. “The day you fall in love will be the day Dad hates politics.”
I mutter an irritated, “So never, Hann? That’s harsh shit right there.”
“When you have women throwing their panties at you, who literally will fuck you anywhere you demand it, how can you settle down with one? I mean, maybe when you’re in your fifties and all of this doesn’t matter to you anymore.”
I stare at her, numb. “I’ll never retire from music.”
“And you’ll probably never retire from being a player.”
“Tobias gave up women to be with you. He has almost as many fans as I do.”
She laughs, “Half as many.”
Her husband takes a beer from her and pops the top, handing it back before taking one for himself. “He’s right. I could easily fuck anyone I want.”
“Tobias!” she cries out, eyes wide.
He shrugs, “But I choose not to, because I’ve got someone who’s worth being faithful to.” Locking eyes with me he says with a frank tone, “Never gonna be anybody I could love more than your sister. It’s just not possible, so why fuck this up?”
She melts and slides her arms around him, kissing him like I’m not here. “I adore you.”
“I know,” he smirks, slapping her ass.
They’re always like this.
I normally don’t care.
This time it’s painful.
Shutting my eyes I lean against a wall and curse Ben.
“Where is everybody, Gabriel?”
“What?”
“I asked where the family is. Where’d you go?”
“A lot on my mind,” I mutter. “Uh…Elijah’s dining with God. I told Mom not to come. It weirds her out seeing panties thrown at my head. Dad took her out to dinner to make her feel better for missing it. Max and Caden were here. They said hey then split because they had dates with them and didn’t want the girls ogling me. Eric’s with the Falcons for Spring Training I guess. Lexy…”
When I don’t finish the sentence Hannah says, “Lexy what? And where’s Emma, Zoe, Nicholas, Wyatt, Hunter, Nate? Sofia isn’t here and she’s just one town over.”
“What’s your fucking point?”
“They should all be here. You’re in Atlanta for one night.”
“I offered them tickets. Everyone’s got their own lives.”
“I’m sorry, but the cousins who are in high school would normally die to be at something like this. But…”
“But what?!”
“You’re an island unto yourself, that’s what!”
Walking to the door I correct her, “You know what, Hann, it was just me and Elijah before he went to Yale.” I grab the knob with my beer bottle barely hanging on as I search for my keys. “When you’re a twin, you arrive in life with a best friend already attached. You, Ben, Ethan, Sofia Sol, Emma, and even Eric most days, all you guys stuck together growing up. Elijah and I weren’t in that group. Same with Max, Caden, Nicholas and their siblings under them. They stuck together. So it was me and my brother and that’s it. Get off my fuckin’ case because if anybody is aware that there’s someone’s missing from this room, and that there’s a hole in my life, it’s me. Because my twin should be here right now. And I don’t need you kicking my dick in the dirt over how the cousins feel about me. You’re making me feel like a piece of shit. Good night.”
Long strides take me out of my dressing room. Along the way friends try talking to me. Shaking my head I mutter, “Tomorrow, guys. Hit me up then.”
Hannah shouts, “Gabriel!”
“No!” I throw my arm up without looking back or slowing these angry footsteps down.
PAIGE
Shelby’s scrolling through her phone. “I’m looking up that Olivia chick.”
“What’s the point, Shelbs. Just leave it alone.”
Ben motions to the parking lot where fans still congregate hoping for a glimpse of their hero. “Let’s grab a drink somewhere. You guys don’t want to go home feeling angry like this. The bar at JCT kitchen has a patio where we can cool down.”
Swallowing hard I glance to Shelby who is obsessed with what she’s reading. “There are tons of photos of them.” She goes to show me but I push the phone away.
“No way. I can’t look.”
The three of us walk under lamps with moths floating in their light, reminding me of the parking lot by the mill. And just to kick me when I’m down, cicadas break into song, harmonizing with each other.
Ben guides us to a Jeep. “This is me.” Off my confusion he explains, “The truck is my second vehicle. I was bringing crates in from the farm when I…hit your car.” A sexy lopsided smile appears. “Rammed into you? Is that better?”
“It’s closer to the truth,” I smile.
He holds his hand out to help Shelby get in first. Then me. “You okay?”
Not one bit, but I’m not a whiner.
“I’m fine. Just tired.”
He gazes at me like he doesn’t believe my lie. I take his hand and let him help me up.
As he walks around to get in, Shelby whispers from the backseat, “Ben is super dreamy, Paige.”
Her eyes go dead as I look at her like she really needs to shut up now. As he climbs in she asks, “You have a farm?”
Thick fingers turn the key in the ignition. “Organic vegetables and fruits. My dad always wanted to grow them, but he ended up doing dairy and cage free eggs instead. We only have so much time, you know?” He glances to me as he pulls out of the lot, then fixes a steady gaze on the road as he mutters, “Life doesn’t always follow your plan.”
Shelby keeps him engaged in an easygoing conversation as we drive to the restaurant. I’m glad he chose it even though I’m not a fan of the main dining room. It’s high-end and stuffy there. But the upstairs bar and patio are the opposite. The younger crowd gravitates to them for the playlist, cheaper menu, and fire-pits. On a warm night like this they’ll be blazing just for cool-factor alone. Everyone loves fire.
I stare out at the Atlanta skyline but all I see are bare breasts bouncing out of his dressing room, and the way he slowly zipped his pants like he wasn’t in a hurry.
There was shock when he saw me.
Did he forget I was there?
A tear slides down my cheek and I brush it away, unse
en.
We pull into the parking lot and I overhear Shelby asking, “Did you call your insurance company already?”
Ben’s arm is draped over the steering wheel as he scans the lot for an empty space. “Called as soon as I left your work.”
That’s one more thing to make me feel like a failure. “I forgot to call!”
“You still have time,” he reassures me. “And I told them it was my fault.” He expertly parks the car so smoothly Shelby and I might as well be standing on solid ground. “Wait there.”
As he walks around the Jeep Shelby whispers, “Paige, he’s better than dreamy.”
“I know he is, but…”
The door opens and Ben offers me his hand. “You didn’t have to bring us here to make me feel better.”
As my heels stabilize on the asphalt he smiles into my eyes. “Yes I did.”
He offers his hand to Shelby and helps her down next, shutting the door and walking between us. She keeps him busy with more easy conversation, a skill she’s always had.
I’m glad Carter isn’t here. Her boyfriend is hipster-cute. His thighs are the size of Ben’s biceps. He’d be threatened seeing how Shelby gazes at Gabriel’s cousin, and I honestly don’t think she can help it. She keeps urging me to date Ben but it’s obvious she’s very into him.
Digging my phone out I check for messages from Gabriel or Maggie, but nobody has reached out. Guess it’s over just like that. One surreal roller coaster of a night then poof…I’m forgotten.
Shelby glances to me and raises an eyebrow, silently asking. I shake my head and hide the phone before I become obsessed. “I haven’t been here in a while.”
Ben agrees, “Last time I was here my cousin Ethan and I sat on the patio we watched a hurricane.”
“You did?” I ask, eyes widening. “That must have been amazing!”
Laughing under his breath, “Yeah, he and I enjoy that stuff. But what came afterward was a bigger storm than that.”
Shelby asks, “Sounds exciting! Tell us!”
Biting his lip he thinks about whether or not to go there. He’s walking between Shelby and I, the parking lot quiet because everyone’s already here at this hour. Atlanta is not a late city. Only a pair of headlights shines in the distance and they’re leaving.
Cocky Rockstar: Gabriel Cocker (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 10) Page 8
