High Strung (Power Station Book 1)

by Gephart, T

  Megs knew the full story but Kyla and Brianne had no idea. As far as they knew, I’d met some guy at a job interview—not a lie—and we were kind of seeing each other. They also knew his name was Dan, and they had assumed he was a businessman of some sort—also technically not a lie. Being that I hadn’t dated anyone recently or shown any interest in dating, they were more than a little excited to meet this mystery man. The idea made me nauseous. How would I even introduce Dan? While I was happy with our arrangement—that was the best word I could think of to describe it—I didn’t want to complicate this situation with labels or lack-there-of.

  “Not fair trying to keep him all to yourself.” Brianne pouted. “Boyfriends need to be vetted. It’s girl code.”

  “Guys, I already told you. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just trying to keep it casual right now, which I’m fine with. He travels a lot. For business,” I qualified, hoping my lame explanation would stop the questions about Dan. Questions I didn’t want to answer.

  Megs rolled her eyes at my poor attempt. Secretly, I think she was enjoying it. “Well, it’s obvious Ash isn’t going to play nice. I say we hit a club and dance until we can’t stand up.”

  “Yay.” “Yes,” Brianne and Kyla both chimed in enthusiastically. My opportunity to escape slipped further away. I was going to have to remember to kill Megs and her bright ideas when I got her alone.

  “I don’t know. I’m tired and I start my new job on Monday. I should probably get an early night so I can spend the rest of tomorrow preparing.” I threw out my last ditch effort to derail Megs’s plans. Plans that had not been discussed nor agreed upon. She knew I hated surprises.

  “Yes of course. The fancy-schmancy new job.” Brianne’s brow lifted suggestively. “Does Dan work there too?”

  “No.” I shook my head, knowing it was going to take a lot to get them to let this go. Another reason why tonight had been a bad idea. “I’ve been offered a twelve-month contract with JenCorp as an analyst. Of course, Mr. Jennings explained they have room on their staff if they are happy with my performance but he’s pretty conservative which I completely understand.”

  The twelve-month timeframe had initially disappointed me, but I understood why a company would take that route. It made smart business sense, and the package I was offered was more than generous. No, seriously. I hadn’t even dreamed of the kind of cash they were throwing at me. Not to mention a company credit card for expenses and use of the company car service. It was like a fantastic fairy tale come to life, but better because it was real.

  I knew that within the year I would be able to prove my worth and secure a more permanent position and during our follow-up meeting yesterday, Mr. Jennings had made it clear he was pleased with what I was bringing to the table. While our interaction had been very formal—he’d sat behind his desk the entire time and didn’t crack a smile once—he didn’t seem cold, just cautious. I could deal with cautious. Hell my middle name was cautious. Well, at least it used to be. Ashlyn Cautious Marie Murphy had been a bit wordy, so I guess my middle name was now back to being plain old Marie. Not sure if the relinquishing of the title was a good thing. Time would tell.

  “You have all of tomorrow to get responsible,” Megs unhelpfully added. “It’s your birthday and your last weekend of freedom before you become a slave to the corporate machine. You owe this to yourself. Besides, Dan would want you to have a good time.”

  “Okay.” I let out a long dramatic sigh. I wasn’t going to get out of this easily so I might as well use it to my advantage. “I’ll agree to get incredibly drunk and go to whatever club you all want to go to on one condition. We don’t talk about Dan. No one can mention him or ask anymore questions about him?”

  The waitress who Kyla had waved over a while ago finally made her way to the table and brought the check. Not that we’d asked, and given we still hadn’t finished our cocktails, it was kind of rude.

  “Here.” She placed the leather folder containing our bill on the table before disappearing.

  “What a bitch. She is totally getting minimum tip.” Kyla seethed as she opened up the folder and surveyed the damage. It was a fancy place but we’d been sucking down cocktails for a couple of hours. It was bound to be brutal.

  “She is probably having a bad night. It’s busy. Don’t be too hard on her.” I couldn’t help but feel an affinity with that poor girl. I’d been there too many times myself.

  “But what’s the point in getting you drunk if we can’t get you to divulge juicy information?” Brianne completely avoided the situation with the waitress, preferring to obsess further about Dan and me, and the possibility of finding out more. Not likely.

  “Those are my terms, ladies. Take it or leave it.” I was serious, too. If I couldn’t be doing what I wanted on my birthday I would at least have some level of control over it. “So am I getting in a cab and heading home or we going to drink overpriced shots and fend off unwanted advances?”

  Brianne drained what was left in her glass. “Fine. He’s probably boring and wears a sweater vest.”

  Megs spluttered loudly as she bit back her smile from across the table. I knew what she was thinking. Dan and boring didn’t even belong in the same hemisphere let alone in the same sentence. I coughed, taking the opportunity to finish my drink. Just thinking of Dan in a sweater vest was hilarious. I should totally buy him one for Christmas. Assuming we are still seeing each other.

  Megs pulled out some cash and waved the waitress over. It was a lot of cash. Enough to cover the entire check, and a sizeable tip. Two problems with this: one, there was no way I was allowing her to foot the bill for my birthday dinner and two, Megs rarely carried cash.

  “What are you doing?” I asked pointing to the leather folder.

  “Ash, it’s your birthday. I’ve got it covered.” She waved me off like it she hadn’t just put a stack full of fifties into the folder.

  Kyla gave Megs a pointed look. “We’ll sort it out later.” I knew that at the very least both the girls would be covering their share. Money wasn’t an issue for Megs. We all knew it, but no one was about to take advantage of her generosity.

  “Yeah, yeah. We’ll work it out.” Megs pushed out her chair doing little to convince me she was going to be accepting any money from anyone. “Let’s get out of here. I’m nowhere near drunk enough and I have our names on a door.”

  “Oooo name on the door. I like it. Megs is in charge of my birthday party next July. Just sayin’.” Brianne smiled as we left our table and made our way to the door.

  I had no idea where we were heading and to be honest I didn’t really care. It might have been my birthday but Megs was running the show, and for whatever reason, this seemed important to her. Maybe it was to show me I would be okay post-Dan, maybe it was to show me I could still have a good time with my friends, or maybe she was just being a good friend and making sure I had a happy birthday. Any of those reasons would do. What we needed now was to start drinking. Let go and enjoy the night. Without Dan.

  ****

  “You took us to a bar?” Kyla looked horrified as the cab pulled up to a plain looking brown and red building on Lower East Side. “I thought you had an in at a club?”

  “Oh stop being so snobby. This place is great. I’ve heard good things.” Megs smiled as she pulled out even more cash and paid the driver. What was with all the cash?

  “I don’t know, Megs.” I looked at the large arched windows. This was not the kind of place I imagined spending my evening avoiding thoughts of Dan. It didn’t look like the kind of place I’d spend my time, period. At all. Ever.

  “You getting out?” The driver opened the window divider, his engine still running.

  “Yes, of course.” Megs popped open the door and all but pushed me onto the sidewalk. “Give it an hour. You hate it and we’ll go somewhere else. Okay?”

  “Sure. Okay. Whatever.” I didn’t even try and hide the fact I wasn’t onboard with her choice in venue. What the hell was this place and
would I need a Hep C shot after leaving?

  Brianne and Kyla followed us toward the bar/pub/dive/whatever. As we got closer to the front of doorway, I saw a bright red sign with the word Tommy’s on the front. The name of this fine establishment I assumed. There was a long line, not that Megs seemed too deterred. She smiled as we walked to the front of the line. She’d already told us that she’d organized our names at the door so I guessed she wasn’t worried about the people who were eyeing us off as we walked past them.

  Megs gave the door guy our names and he immediately let us through, shooting us an overly familiar smile. I’m sure in his head he was mocking us. While most people were dressed in denim and leather, the four of us were wearing short skirts and heels. Sure there were other women whose barely there outfits rivaled our skirt lengths, but they were on a different spectrum. A trashier one. Only calling it like I see it.

  “Sixty minutes and counting,” I tried to scream over the music, hoping Megs heard. A wall of bass hit us square in the face as we walked into the venue. It was loud and gritty. Some DJ was playing some music I’d never heard, and god willing wouldn’t have to hear again after tonight. Realistically I wasn’t going to need fifty-nine of those minutes, I had already decided. We were out of here the minute the counter expired and the clock was ticking.

  “Let’s get closer to the stage.” Megs moved us deeper into the throng, her hand wrapped around mine giving me no way out. Fifty-seven minutes. Brianne and Kyla were looking just as horrified as I was. Good, so it’s not just me.

  “I hope you know this is the worst place ever,” I all but yelled into Megs’s ear. “Is this punishment for not talking to Troy about you?” I was joking of course. At least I think I was. She couldn’t honestly be mad at me for that. It’s not like Troy and I were friends. I barely counted Dan as a friend, and I was sleeping with him.

  “This isn’t a punishment. So self-absorbed.” Megs laughed back. “One might question the company you are keeping.” Her smirk widened.

  Oh smart. She hadn’t exactly mentioned Dan so therefore technically not broken any rules but the implication was there. Not that the other girls picked up on it. They were too busy looking around with wide-eyed expressions. We looked like tourists and we weren’t fooling anyone.

  “Hello Manhattan.” The music had stopped and a voice pierced through the blackness on the stage. That voice. I knew that voice. I swallowed, trying to place it. Think, Ash. The stage remained dark, forcing me to play more mental guessing games.

  “I was wondering if it would be okay if we hijacked the stage for a while,” the voice continued, the toned dipping slightly, teasing the audience seductively.

  The crowd around us seemed to have clued in and had started screaming and yelling excitedly. I was assuming it was their way of saying yes, they didn’t mind. Either way, I was glad the mysterious voice meant DJ whoever had quit spinning whatever crap he’d been spinning at ear-bleeding decibels. I guess there was a silver lining. Crap. How much longer did we have left?

  “I’m going to take that as a yes.” The voice chuckled sending the crowd into an even bigger frenzy.

  A spotlight fired across the stage, lighting up the area to reveal five men standing ready to play. My heart stopped. I think I forgot how to breathe as well as the room around me started to spin. My eyelids peeled back so far away from my eyes I’m surprised my eyeballs didn’t fall right out of my head. Holy shit. Is it really? Yes, it is. It is Power Station, standing four feet in front of me.

  Dan stared right at me, shrugging before attempting to give me an innocent-looking smile. Not even close, buddy. I knew this was more than just some freaky coincidence.

  James—the now identified owner of the voice—smiled, dazzling the crowd as their screams got louder. Their suspicions were clearly confirmed as to who had been taunting them from the dark. He had a nice smile. James, I meant. I could see why girls loved him.

  “Our bass player has a few words. Have you guys met Dan Evans?”

  The screams got louder as Dan stepped into the center of the stage. His smile grew bigger the more the crowd hollered, his ego no doubt expanding as well. He was clearly enjoying himself. He looked down at me, as James handed him the microphone and he brought it to his mouth. “Hello Manhattan.”

  The crowd erupted.

  “Wow, it’s Power Station. Dan is fucking hot.” Kyla grabbed my arm and shook me. You know, in case I wasn’t sure of who was standing in front of me. She had no idea.

  “So you see, ladies and gentlemen, I have a problem. I have talked it over with my brothers and they agree with me that this shit cannot stand. So we’re going to need your help here tonight.” I take back what I said about James’s voice being seductive. It was nothing compared to what was coming through the speakers now. Raw, hot, and demanding attention. I couldn’t stop watching him if I’d tried and there was no way I was going to try and stop. Not even for a minute.

  “I met this girl.” Dan grinned as he looked directly at me. I had no idea what he was about to say. None. Not a clue. I needed to remember to breathe.

  “And while she was fucking drop-dead beautiful and smart and has an attitude like no other, I couldn’t date her.”

  My heart stopped. Again. No this time I was serious. I think I was actually dying. Was Dan seriously and very publicly telling me I was not his girlfriend? Did he have a soul? The disruption to my cardiac rhythm was short-lived. I unfortunately wasn’t going to die. Not from a heart attack at least. If ever there were a case of someone dying of embarrassment, I would probably be it. I was mortified.

  “You see, for all her fucking perfection, she has never been to a concert. How does that even happen? I mean, I can’t be with someone who hasn’t been to a concert. Troy, can you believe that shit?”

  Dan smirked as he continued, looking back toward the drum kit. Troy seemed amused as he glanced back, shaking his head. I couldn’t understand whether this was some bad, bad joke or a bad dream. Neither seemed plausible and both seemed horrible.

  “So because it’s her birthday and because I’m not willing to walk away from her, we are going to rectify that situation tonight.”

  What? What did he say? My head whipped around to Megs who was grinning, obviously in on whatever the fuck was going on. All of which was still unclear right now other than the fact that Dan Evans was standing on a stage talking about me.

  “I need you to be loud, and I need you to rock this joint off its foundations so my girl can see what she’s missed.”

  Did he just call me his girl? The crowd roared, giving Dan exactly what he wanted. Loud. Fevered. Crazy. I, on the other hand, stood stupefied. Wondering if I’d actually heard him correctly. Now would be a good time for that intelligence he spoke of to kick in.

  “Ashlyn Murphy.” Oh fuck he said my name. Kyla and Brianne whipped their heads toward me, reflecting the shocked, bewildered look I was wearing. At least now I wasn’t the only one who had no idea. That was a positive surely, no longer alone in oblivion.

  “Ash,” he repeated in case anyone had missed it the first time. “You have no idea how much it turns me on to be your first, and trust me, babe, I’m going to pop your cherry like it’s never been popped. Happy birthday.” His voice rumbled low through the microphone as he eyed me with intent. Intent to blow my mind and ravage my body. Although probably in the reverse order. And while I was still clueless as to what was happening, I was almost one hundred percent sure if he touched me right now I’d orgasm on the spot.

  The noise around me was insane, the crowd engulfing us as Dan handed the microphone back to James and they launched into the first song.

  The people around us started jumping in unison with the beat. Bodies pushed and pressed up against us as they carried us closer to the stage. I looked around at Megs, Brianne, and Kyla and their expressions matched those around them. They had experienced this before. They knew what awaited them. The anticipation of greatness was written all over their faces. I was the one
who didn’t know what this would be like. To have them with me as I experienced this made it that little bit sweeter. That and having one hell of a live band be your first.

  It was amazing. The sounds of the instruments and the vocals meshed seamlessly. It was uncanny. Flawless. It was exciting. It was thrilling and it was more emotional than I could have ever anticipated. I didn’t know what I felt just that I was feeling. Excited, elated, exhausted and they were just the E emotions. I totally got it now. What the appeal was. Why people lost their minds. Why people would line up for hours in those hopes of being this close to the band. It all made sense, and I took back whatever I may have thought or said about Power Station. They were amazing. Each of them worked their asses off. They moved through the set, each song pulling just a little bit more from the crowd. The crowd seemed to know every word, they sung it back to the band with so much passion, their arms outstretched hoping one of the band members would reach out and touch them. Girls dissolved into a puddled mess if Alex, James, Jason or Dan made contact. Troy was even able to evoke the same crazed reaction with just a look and smile, being hidden behind a drum kit not hindering his contribution to the mayhem. The temperature of the room and the excitement rose to a maddening level. I was awed.

  The music stopped and the lights dimmed, plunging us back into darkness. The band left the stage but the noise continued to ring in my ears, disorientating me for a few minutes. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was. If asked, I would have been lucky to remember my own name.

  “Ash.” Dan wrapped his arms around me materializing from the rowdy crowd. Wow. It was like magic but cooler, and with no cheesy bikini-clad assistant. His body, saturated from sweat, coated my skin as he embraced me. I loved it. He was so raw. I want to rip his clothes off and fuck him. The fact we had an audience didn’t even bother me. I just wanted him and I didn’t want to wait.

  “Dan,” I moaned as I attacked his mouth with my own. I kissed him. Hard. I settled for my tongue doing the fucking for now. At least I could have that immediately.