“Just not too late at night,” Matt added as he slid his arms around Kyra. “I want a few quiet nights with her before she's whisked away.”
She socked him lightly on the arm before kissing him. “You'll have plenty of time with me,” Kyra promised.
“You could always stay with me a few nights so they can have quiet ones,” Chris leaned over and whispered in Taryn's ear, making her shiver. They didn't have much time to talk earlier, and she wondered if they'd get a chance to later.
She giggled. “Don't push your luck. You still owe me practice.” The last time they were together, Taryn had been bold with her move of distracting him with kissing. She'd wondered if he would try to make a bigger move, considering he stopped their first kiss abruptly, and he had At first, she thought she could do it- take things further. Be casual. Normal. Then terror seized her, and that dreaded feeling came back. It didn't matter. They only knew each other a few weeks, and while she couldn't deny a connection on many levels, it was too soon to be worrying herself over what was most likely nothing.
Chris pressed his thumb over her jaw and slid her a grin. “And I'll deliver. It was just a thought.”
A thought she couldn't stop thinking about. Taryn couldn't easily explain it, but being around Chris made her more comfortable each and every time- at least, when they weren't kissing. Aside from that, she was fine.
He accepted her for who she was, which was interesting, because at times, she didn't accept herself.
“So who's ready to watch Kyra go through some grueling, extensive dance lessons?” Blaine clapped her hands together, shooting them all a wicked smile. “I plan to put her butt to work. You too, Matt. You're her leading man, so you'll have to help.”
“Just make sure my son doesn't have a video camera out,” Matt warned, glancing at Andrew.
Andrew snickered. “I'll wait until the first few dances are over.”
“I won't, but that's because I want to keep evidence on Kyra in case she's mean to me on tour,” Taryn quipped, resulting in a slightly bemused glance from her friend. “Hey, I remember the tour pranks. I'm making sure I have a plan.”
Kyra threw her head back and laughed. “Touche. Taryn and I were real bad pranksters on tour back in the day. Oh man, we were brutal- to each other and everyone else. Never a dull moment. Never.”
“Those were the days,” Taryn mused. The nostalgic feeling settled in again. She'd let herself forget the good times they'd had until recently.
“Great. Just what Randy needs to hear.” Blaine rolled her eyes as she stifled a laugh. “Good luck, guys.”
“That's it. We're taking Blaine on tour with us. Randy can keep pranking her.” Avery folded her arms, a smirk spreading across her face.
“Oh come on! Sharing is caring. You guys can have fun with him for a while!” Blaine gestured as she focused on her stereo for a minute.
“What? You want to share me now? Don't I get a say in this?” Randy feigned hurt.
“Oh please.” Blaine shoved at him playfully. “Don't tell me you aren't excited about pranking everyone. I'm sure you'll come home and get me with your new ideas.”
“Hell, I'm half tempted to go on tour just to get in the pranking fun and games,” Chris leaned over and whispered in Taryn's ear. “Nah, forget half tempted. I'm coming on tour. I can be your back up when you need it.” It would get him out of his funk, and at least he'd be around his sister while figuring out his next stop.
She laughed. “It's going to make for interesting times, no doubt.” For the first time, she felt like she fit right at home with these people.
Good things. All good things.
*****
Chris watched in amusement at the way Randy and Matt attempted to ruin Blaine's dance moves. They had to throw their fun in there. “Kyra doesn't know whether to laugh or stay serious.” he said to Taryn, studying her reaction.
“She'll laugh. It's only a matter of time. Matt is making it hard not to. She's trying to stay serious, because Blaine is working hard.”
“Yeah? Well take a look at that.” Chris pointed. Blaine, apparently wanting to take matters into her own hands, ran up behind Randy and as he threw his hands up in the air, making a howling noise at the same time, she kicked him hard in the ass. Caught off guard, Randy crashed into Matt, and a pretzel twist of hands and legs tumbled to the ground.
“How's that for pranking? You boys suck!” Blaine crossed her arms over her chest. “Lesson learned. Never invite little boys to a dance party.”
Randy sat up and shot her a wry grin. “Little boy? You didn't say that last night.”
Blaine, who'd originally held her hand out to help him, shoved him backward again. At least Matt moved out of the way. The whole room erupted in laughter. “Wait until you hear what I say tonight. It won't resemble anything I said last night,” she warned. “Kyra, I thought I liked the effect you have on Matt, but man … when he gets together with Randy and they mess up my moves, I have to blame you.”
“Hey, I like this side of Dad! Don't say that, Blaine. He might stop,” Andrew protested.
“And if he stops, Kyra might get grouchy. I happen to live with her. Don't make my roommate grouchy, please,” Taryn added with a wry grin.
Matt and Kyra stood side by side. “Maybe we should sneak off now and let them continue talking about us like we aren't here.”
“Class dismissed. I admit defeat. Everyone go away and do your things.” Blaine turned off the music. “Not gonna lie, you were pretty entertaining.”
“Can I do my thing?” Randy trailed behind her.
“Are you calling me a thing?” She whirled around.
“Oooh. That is bad wording. Let me try again.” Randy tapped his chin. “Can I put my thing into your thing in a repetitive motion?”
“Randy!” Matt chided, shooting him a frown. Without another word, he pointed at Andrew.
“He's not listening. Andrew's lost in conversation with Jameson. But I apologize.” Randy lowered his tone.
“Busted.” Blaine snickered. “Next time, think before you act.”
“One more thing before we break up this rather interesting gathering. Let's pick a date, and I'll have my photographer come down for a shoot. You'll all get to approve the promo shots we use.” Kyra turned the conversation serious. “We don't have to decide tonight, but keep it in mind. Taryn, ready to go?”
“Actually, I was hoping, if you wanted to that is, you'd go with me to Catered Whims.” Chris spoke up, not wanting to miss a chance to spend more time with her tonight. “You can check everything out for tomorrow night, then I'll treat you to dinner.”
Considering their conversation the other day, Chris stole a glance at his sister. Just as he thought. Melody watched them with interest. He turned back to Taryn.
“Sounds good.” She wore a genuine smile. So maybe his not so subtle move the other day didn't scare her away.
As the dance studio emptied out, Chris led Taryn to his car. He didn't start the conversation until they were en route to Catered Whims. “How's the new job going?” He should have cleared the air first, but apparently his mouth had other ideas.
“I'm liking it! I think it helps that I know someone there. Kyra's mom is great.” Taryn's voice held enthusiasm. “Did you ever decide what to do about the plane tickets?”
“Yeah.” He sighed, tapping the steering wheel. “Melody and I are going to go next weekend. Just for a few days. If our mother is sending tickets, she obviously wants something. As angry as I am over the abandonment, I'm curious. I wanted to go as soon as possible, but I wanted to make sure I was here this weekend. I'm not missing your first performance with the band.”
“Maybe I won't hit anyone in the head with my drumsticks,” she quipped. “Kyra and Matt are coming, too.”
“Hey, you didn't hit anyone at the benefit concert.”
“True.” She nodded. “Maybe the odds are in my favor after all.” Taryn got quiet for a little while. “Is there something you can't do
any more that you miss?”
“That came out of the blue,” Chris commented. “Can't do? Well, I can't call up my dad and talk to him, and I miss him.”
“What about aside from that? I know the feeling. I regret a lot of things when it comes to my dad, and now he's gone.”
He thought about it. There weren't many things he couldn't do, there were only things he stayed away from because of certain feelings. “I'm not as flexible as I used to be.”
Taryn laughed, which was the effect he wanted. “I'm totally being serious, but thank you. I needed that laugh. I try not to get upset over things that I can't do any more, but tonight, as I watched everyone having fun dancing, I longed to be able to do it again.”
Her admission pierced his heart. What an eye opener. “I'm sorry, Taryn.”
She shook it off. “It's stupid.”
“No, it's not. I can tell you've adapted well. I mean, come on. Look at you and your drums. There's nothing stupid about wanting some things you can't do.”
“In a few days, I'll have forgotten the feeling, but tonight? Tonight I can't hide from the nostalgia of who I used to be. I'm thankful to be alive, but some days, I wish I was whole again.” No doubt it wore her down some nights.
He pulled into the parking lot of Catered Whims. “But you are whole. You're a whole bunch of awesome. You're a whole lot of intriguing and gorgeous, and you're a whole lot of inspiration to people.” Including me. You make me want to become whole again.
Taryn rested a hand on the car door, poised to open it. “I thought I'd dealt with all of these feelings already. I think maybe I bottled them up instead, and now that I'm around people more, the feelings are resurfacing. I guess there's an upside. I can't trip and fall at someone's feet. Then again, I could wheel myself into water or over a curb.”
Chris laughed, not at the idea of Taryn doing either, but at the way she said it. “You could still hit people in the head with drumsticks. Or something else, for that matter. Oh, and just so you know, I love that you include me in your social life.”
“Even though you have thoughts about us that I'm unsure of?” Her voice came out small.
Damn it, so the other day did get to her. “I'm sorry about that, Taryn. I let my lower brain do the talking. I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”
“I know. My former self would have gone for it. I don't know if I can be that person any more.” Taryn sounded like she wanted to say more.
Chris waited, but nothing else was said. “Next time, slap me. I'm serious, Taryn. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable, or to ruin this friendship we're building. Forget about my dick twitch moment.”
She snorted and covered her mouth.
“Crude mouth, I know.”
“I've heard a lot worse. I used to be on tour with a lot of males. You probably couldn't say anything I haven't heard a version of at least once.”
“There's something else I like about you. You don't get offended by the weird shit I say.”
“The night is still young. I might get offended if you don't take me in there and show me a good time.” Her lips quirked up in a smile.
“You got yourself a deal, drummer girl.”
*****
“This is Taryn, Baby Stetson's newest drummer.” Chris introduced her as he rested a hand on her shoulder inside Catered Whims.
“Welcome to Catered Whims. I saw you play at Kyra Sanders' benefit concert last month. Baby Stetson is our pride and joy, so welcome to the family.” The man- Dylan- shook her hand. “If you need anything, let us know.”
“The biggest thing I need to know is accessibility,” Taryn said honestly, but in a friendly tone.
“The one thing I think might be an issue is the transition to the stage, but we can get a makeshift ramp made and have something more permanent installed later. Follow me.”
Taryn was impressed. For a small town bar, Catered Whims had a lot of room, and everything seemed really accessible, They showed her the stage and no, at this point, she wouldn't be able to wheel smoothly onto it. Dylan promised they'd work on it right away and come up with a better solution. It wasn't even a huge stage, but she'd played at different, smaller venues for years, and it worked out. She loved the atmosphere here. They had a big floor for dancing and concert watching and another sectioned off room to the right with what looked like pool tables and stuff, but Taryn couldn't tell what else was in there.
“We've watched most of the Baby Stetson band members grow up, and they've been performing on our stage for years. We'll always take care of our own. Looking forward to having you up on our stage tomorrow night, Taryn. Free drinks and appetizers of any kind are on the house for the two of you tonight,” Dylan offered.
“Thank you. I really appreciate all the effort,” Taryn said. It surprised her how right at home she felt around here, and how quickly the feeling arose.
After Dylan walked away, Chris bent to speak close to her ear. “What do you think?”
“I like this place more than I thought I would. It really helps take some of the worry away,” she admitted.
“Good. I'm glad it helped. Do you want to grab an appetizer here or go somewhere else?”
She leveled him with a quirky smile. “If we go here, at least it's free.”
“Ha ha. You're worth paying for.”
Was it just her, or did that comment seem to get to him? “Here's fine. Thank you.”
They found a table, and Taryn scooted her chair in as close to it as she could. “Hey, it's karaoke night,” she pointed out, reading the sign. A deejay was preparing in the far left corner. “Do you sing?”
Chris laid his hands out on the table and leaned forward. “Hell no. Do you?”
“Ridiculously off key. I tried that once with Kyra's songs.” She wrinkled her nose. “Singing isn't my forte.”
“It's not mine, either.” Chris drummed his fingers on the table. “Wanna go up anyway?” A gleam lit up his eyes.
“What? I can't even get up on the stage!” Taryn protested, stunned at his idea.
“So? We'll stay right in front of it. We'll duet one of Kyra's songs. Why not? Let's have a little fun.”
Taryn studied him. The first few times she'd seen Chris, he'd been a quiet guy. Lately, his attitude changed, and she really liked it. “Yeah. Why not?”
“And we're doing this sober! No regrets, right?”
“Sure, no regrets. Too bad Kyra won't see me butchering her song.” She let out an evil cackle.
Chris shook his head, said he'd be right back, and darted off.
Karaoke. Ha!
Chris returned with a karaoke book and a woman practically hanging on his arm. She didn't seem to like the idea that Chris wasn't paying much attention to her. The woman's gaze landed on Taryn, and her eyes widened as she realized Chris headed her way.
“Okay, I've got the book.” Chris wrangled himself away from the woman's arm. “Alice, have you met Taryn? She's playing drums for Baby Stetson. We managed to steal her away from Kyra Sanders.” His eyes met hers, and Taryn knew right off the bat this made him uncomfortable.
Ah. This must be one of his casual sex partners. Fan-friggin-tastic. Taryn gave Alice a long glance. She could see why Chris was attracted to her. Alice had long, dark hair, big breasts, and plenty to offer. So what the hell did he continue to see her for if he could get things from women like Alice?
“Really? You play drums?” Alice didn't hide her shock.
“She's one of the best drummers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.” Moving around Alice as she continued to gawk, Chris settled in the chair again, then slid the book over to Taryn. “Pick your poison.”
“Don't let Kyra hear you say that,” she giggled as she searched the book for Kyra's song listings. Then she realized Alice still lingered. “It's nice to meet you, Alice.” She stifled a laugh at the woman's look. She must not get rejected often. The feeling lasted for less than a minute before Taryn's insecurities crept in.
Not that
she'd ever had a lot of success rates with men, but now she had a lot more stacked against her.
“Yeah, nice to meet you, too.” Alice faked it. She made it obvious. “You played drums for Kyra Sanders? Like seriously?”
“For three years.”
“Nice.” Alice brushed it off, then faced Chris. “Call me sometime. Soon. We need another good time.” She practically purred before sauntering off, swaying her ass as she moved.
“Taryn-” Chris started.
“Let me guess. She's one of your casuals,” she said at the same time, flipping the pages of the book back and forth in her hands.
“Was,” he corrected.
“Was?”
“Yes. Was. I don't want to be that person any longer.” He reached across and covered one of her hands. Taryn froze. The way she reacted to his touch scared her.
“What kind of person do you want to be?” Her voice cracked. Damn, she needed water.
“The person who gets and keeps your attention,” Chris said softly.
“But-” She darted a glance towards the way Alice went.
“Don't, Taryn. Don't look back at her and compare. I know you are. I didn't even remember her name until Melody said something about her being the girl who works at the inn. I know, it sounds bad as I say it.”
Yeah, yeah she was. Damn him for figuring it out.
“Sex gave me pleasure, but it's been meaningless. My time with you means a lot. Who's gonna kick my butt at arcade games? Who else can I talk music with? Who's gonna get up there with me, knowing we're purposely going to ruin a good Kyra Sanders song? Not them. You, Taryn. I know we're not dating, but I do know I'm changing my ways. Alice left me a verbal invitation, and I'm not going to take it. Not now, and not in the future. Now I think we have a song choice to make. For once, I'm looking forward to making a fool of myself. Don't be surprised if people start howling at me.” Chris squeezed her hand, then moved it.
“Howl right back!” She laughed, finally picking a song. “Do you know this one?”
He stared at what she pointed at. One of Kyra's upbeat tunes that Taryn loved the drum solo to during live shows. Every Time You Run. “Yeah, I know it. Melody has been a fan of Kyra for years, so I heard her songs on repeat a lot.” Chris took a pen, uncapped it, and wrote the song down. “Be right back.”
Offbeat (Love and Music In Texas Book 5) Page 12
