by J. S. Lynn
SING,
KISS,
PUNCH.
J.S.Lynn
Copyright 2015 by J.S. LYNN - All rights reserved.
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Chapter 1
“Bethany, are you sure you are okay to go on this tour? It is going to be almost four months long.”
“Well, I am divorced now, so it doesn’t really matter how long I am gone anymore.”
Shae gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry. I knew you and Brent were having problems, I just didn’t know that it was that bad. I was shocked when you told me.”
“It was, but now it’s better. The divorce is done and over with, thankfully.”
Bethany wasn’t sure of her words, but she was sure that she didn’t want to think about it, let alone talk about it with anyone. Bethany just wanted that part of her life to be over. She wanted to be able to go through a day without thinking of Brent. It hadn’t happened yet and she was waiting for the day when it would happen. Soon, she thought to herself.
“So, you’re cool with it?”
Bethany shrugged, “Yeah, because I really need the money. You know he got me for alimony? Can you believe that?”
“Well that is what happens when you marry band members. What was Brent, a drummer?”
Bethany nodded and tried to give her the look that she would see as ‘let it be’. Shae never did though and they ended up talking about Brent and her divorce that she had been trying to forget about for the next hour. The two women were the sound crew for the heavy metal band, “Junked.”
It was really just a glamorous sounding title for the grunt workers that drove the equipment and set it up at the beginning of the day and tore it back down to go to the next location. The band members usually flew, but for this next tour they were driving. The band was trying to get back to its roots and that meant the old tour bus. It was all the same for Bethany. It was still the same amount of equipment and the same amount of driving for her.
“What about Justin? I saw him looking at you the other night. You can’t tell me that you haven’t thought of it before. I mean, if I wasn’t married, I would be thinking about it. He is hot.”
“Yeah, but he is always going from one girl to the other. After Brent, the last thing I need is another man whore.”
“I don’t know, after five years of marriage, I would much rather a night of hot passion any day.”
Bethany gave her a look. She knew she was just talking. They had worked together for three years together and though her friend liked to complain about her husband, when she saw the two together, it was clear that it was love at first sight. They were so affectionate and it was one of the things that had made her question her own relationship. While they were happy after years of marriage, her and Brent had gone from the honeymoon stage directly into the stage of bickering and fighting like an old married couple.
It was the difference in the marriages that made her think that she had gotten the short end of the stick. While Bethany was raised to deal with her marriage, she realized that if Brent wasn’t the one, there was another man out there for her that she hadn’t met. Bethany knew that when she met the one, she would know it.
“What are you thinking about when you zone like that?”
Bethany was a little embarrassed and shrugged. “I don’t know. Just stuff. You brought up Brent and then I start thinking about him. I just wonder when I am going to find the one.”
Shae smiled. “We need to find you a Jerry, don’t we?”
Bethany smiled back a little wistfully. She didn’t believe that she would, but then again, she hadn’t been looking all that much since the divorce six months before. Bethany couldn’t even think about dating in general. It was fun to dream about, but the reality of men were more than she could handle. “I lost you again, didn’t I?”
“Huh? No, I am listening! I just can’t believe we are already going on tour again. I mean, we have been home for a week. Not that I mind, but I am starting to wonder if I need to just go ahead and buy stakes in hotels. I never get to be home for long.
“I hear you. As little as we are home, it would be cheaper just to get a hotel while we’re in town. Somehow I would find a way to charge it to the company that way, but I would miss our home.”
Bethany nodded again, but she wasn’t really sure about the charging part. Shae had been a little fast and loose with the company card before and it had been taken from her. Bethany was now the holder of the charge card for the two and even though Shae was the senior, Bethany had the money. Shae was always trying to get her to charge for something. Bethany suspected that if she did, the Shae would have free reign to do the same. If she didn’t need her job so bad, Bethany just may have done it too. But it was wrong and Beth liked to stay on the orderly side of life.
“No charging. How about we go cash our checks and get a few drinks before we have to leave tonight? You know, one more time at Bruno’s before we go back.”
“Sounds good, but don’t you want to spend it with Jerry?”
Shae made a disparaging remark and shook her head. “Hell no. I will see enough of him on the tour. I used to envy when you would take off and not have to see your husband for a few months.”
“Yeah and that’s when he cheated on me, remember?”
“Okay, so maybe not a few months, but a week or two, hell even a day or two would be nice a couple months from now. I have had ma
ny people tell me that they could never work with their spouse.”
“Yeah, but you and Jerry are perfect for each other. You know that.”
“We are, but sometimes I wouldn’t mind a little Justin.” She grinned.
Bethany shook her head and just finished packing up the equipment in silence. It wasn’t the first time she had heard comments about Justin. He was the lead singer of Junked and though he was a man whore, he had good reason to be; he was gorgeous. The problem that Bethany saw was that he knew it. He was far too cocky for his own good and though he had hit on her a few times, he wasn’t very original. Beth figured that he couldn’t get a hold of a groupie and was horny enough, so tried her as an afterthought.
Beth knew that he would never look at her in any other circumstance, not when he had beautiful blondes lining up to be with him everywhere they went. Beth was more of the plain-Jane, though it wasn’t because she was not pretty, but because she didn’t even try. Beth didn’t spend hours on her hair and makeup, she would much rather have her nose in a good book or mixing some music on her laptop. Bethany would be the first to admit that she was the nerd of the crew and she was okay with that. She just wished just once, he would look at her the way he looked at the other girls.
“Uh huh, you’re thinking about Justin, aren’t you?”
Bethany didn’t want to admit it, so she changed the subject, asking her what time she wanted to go to Bruno’s. “Now would be good.”
The girl’s shut the door to the truck that was their ride to each sold out show. Yep, there was not too much glamour in her job, but she did get to travel and listen to good music every night.
Chapter 2
The two girls made it to the dive bar that they frequented every time they were home in San Diego. Shae had not lived there at first, but after being on tour for a while together, Shae talked her into moving her and her husband to the city. It was the base for the band and it just made sense for them to be there as well. Plus, the weather was great so most of the days that they were home, they could spend their time at the beach. If they weren’t at the beach, you could find the two friends at Bruno’s.
The name was after the owner, who looked every bit as scary as his name would suggest. He was bald and mean looking, but he had the heart of gold inside of him. When Bethany saw him, he came towards her and gave her a big hug. She had been in there last week, but by the way he greeted her, it would have been assumed that she had been gone a lifetime.
“What are you ladies doing here? I thought I heard the band was going back on tour.”
“It’s our last night here Bruno, that is why we are here to say goodbye. I don’t know what we are going to do without your drinks.”
“I will be here when you get back. For you Beth, I would wait a lifetime.”
“I told you I would, if only your wife would agree.”
“I’m working on her. I feel like she is going to change her mind soon, just wait and see. I have a good feeling about it.”
Beth only nodded and extracted herself from his bearish hug. “When that day comes, you let me know Bruno.”
He sat down a couple of drinks in front of them. “Thanks’ Bruno.”
“They are not from me ladies, though you know your money is no good here. After you made that jingle for my bar, I have never had a bad night. I owe you Bethany.”
“No problem Bruno, but who are they from?”
“That gentleman over there. You know him I am sure.”
Bethany looked behind her and her breath quickened a bit when she saw who it was. Justin was not only gorgeous, but he would pop up at the strangest of times and of course, the night that she really just wanted to get hammered, she had to watch her P’s and Q’s around him. She tipped the glass to him in thanks and took the drink and slammed it down. Bruno brought another and she wasn’t sure who had paid for it; Bethany didn’t really care. All the talk of Brent had her thinking of the past and that was the last thing that she wanted to do.
“Geez Beth, I didn’t know that you were going into beast mode. One of those night, eh?”
She nodded and threw back another one. She was four in deep and slowing down. Her petite body was already feeling the effects of the liquor.
***
Bethany wasn’t sure how it happened, but the next thing she knew, she was at Justin’s table and she had had several more drinks. The room was spinning and she leaned on his hard shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind and Bethany was not in the mood to ask. Shae finally pulled her to the dance floor to help her work off some of her buzz. It worked and soon she was sweating from the hot lights and she was only slightly out of it. After a trip to the bathroom, Shae got a call for what sounded like an emergency.
“Go girl. Go see what is up. I will find a way home or get a ride. Just go take care of business.”
Shae gave her a kiss and ran off. It was something to do with Jerry. He was a fast driver and there had been several close calls with him and his favorite sports car. Beth and Shae knew the lifestyle and the danger associated with it. While Beth had gotten out of it, Shae was married to the lead guitarist of the band, so her days of worry were long from over. They had probably done something stupid and Beth hoped that it was jail they had found themselves in, instead of the hospital.
“Hey where is your friend running off to?”
“I don’t know. Something happened with Jerry and she is going to see what. You haven’t heard anything, have you?”
He nodded. “No. They were going out for drinks I think, so there is no telling what they got into. I hope it is nothing too serious.”
“You know Jerry. It is usually you right along with him, isn’t it?”
Justin had the decency to blush a little. “Yeah, but I was looking for some local flavor. The way you and Shae talk about this place, I guess I was just expecting more.”
“Well, sometimes there is more than what meets the eye. You shouldn’t judge something so quick. Bruno’s is great!”
“I am definitely liking the people here.” It was her turn to blush and she looked down, unable to meet his dark brown eyes. “Do you need a ride home?”
“I think I’m good Justin, I know you have had more than me to drink.”
He waved her off. “I’m not driving. I have a car service out back waiting. I will take you home if you want, come on.”
Bethany nodded. It was already late and waiting for a cab in that part of town did not necessarily appeal to her. While she loved her city, there was no need to push it. “Thanks Justin, I appreciate it.”
Chapter 3
“You sure you don’t want to go back to my place?”
Bethany nodded her head. She knew what would happen at his house and she was sober enough to know how bad of an idea it really was. She had to work with him and Justin was known to go through workers quickly. Any female that wasn’t tied down was fair game to the man. Bethany did not want to be another statistic that had to quit because she was so heartbroken when he moved on to the next girl. Bethany had seen it too many times to want any part of it.
“Come on Beth. It’s early still.”
“Why don’t you come in and I will make you some coffee before you go home?” She compromised.
“Why do I have a feeling, that it is actually coffee that you are offering up?”
She laughed and pushed his hand off of her thigh. “Because it is. Take it or leave it.”
“You are one hard woman Beth. What made you that way?”
“Guys like you.”
She said it so matter of fact that it seemed almost rehearsed. “Are guys like me really that bad? I always make sure that every woman I am with is satisfied one hundred percent of the time.”
“I have no doubt, but I wonder if they feel the same way in the morning when they find themselves alone in an empty bed?”
She had a point and he knew it, but he didn’t want to think that she was right. It irked Justin that she was the one girl that he couldn’t have. Sa
ying that he couldn’t only made him want her that much more. Bethany was the illusive catch.
They had arrived at her house that she shared with Shae and Jerry. None of the lights were on, so she figured that Shae was still out with Jerry. Her thoughts turned to her for a moment, but then she felt him get out behind her and she was reminded of her present situation. He followed her up the stairs too close and though he didn’t touch her, she could feel his heat emanating off of him.
“So, you still live here with Shae and Jerry?”
“For the time being. I am not really home enough to worry about where I stay anyways. Hotels are cheaper, but I like having a place to come home to, even if it is only a few rooms upstairs. Do you stay by yourself?”
“Right now I do. I have decided that I need to stay single for a while.”
“Ah, so that is why you were inviting me over for a drink, huh? I bet that was not what you were really offering.”
He chuckled and looked around when they pushed the door open. He had been to Jerry’s house many times before, but he had never been in the upstairs that Bethany occupied. There were a couple of bedrooms, one that she had turned into a small kitchen. As soon as they started to ascend the stairs, it was like night and day in decoration.
Where the downstairs was full of musical instruments and equipment, the upstairs was cleared of most knick-knacks. It was white with open spaces and only one or two pictures on the walls. It looked like she had knocked out more than one wall and he stopped at one of his first concert posters. It featured only him and it was a pose with his shirt off.
“I didn’t know you were a fan, Beth.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. It was the first time I had my name on a poster. I know it is silly, but I kept it. You are easy on the eyes too, I suppose.”
“Well that is the closest to a compliment that I have ever gotten from you; I guess I’ll take it.”
