Rocking Standby

by Cassandra Lawson

  Gage: I made it to the hospital.

  Bentley: How is your mom doing?

  Gage: She’ll make it. They have her sedated.

  Bentley: I’m so sorry you’re going through this.

  Gage: Thank you again for everything you’ve done.

  Bentley: You’re welcome. It was awkward when Colin asked why I was with you. I avoided answering him, but he’ll probably push you for details.

  Gage: I told him we’re friends and to leave it at that. We are friends, right?

  Bentley: Yes, we are friends. Is there anything I can do for you?

  Gage: You’ve done more than you can imagine by offering.

  Bentley: Message me if you think of anything you need.

  Gage: Thanks.

  Bentley: You can also call me if you need to talk.

  I put my phone back in my pocket and looked over at my mom. She was sleeping soundly, thanks to the sedative. “She’s definitely not a whore, Mom.”

  I let out a sigh as I leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chair. “She could be the one. Too bad she won’t let that happen.”

  Chapter 23

  Gage

  Two months later

  As I idly strummed my guitar, my mind wandered to a place it traveled far too often. We’d been touring a little over a month, and things were going great. Granted, we were all tired of bus travel, but it beat what we’d had to deal with the last time we’d gone on tour. That time, we’d been the opening band. There’d been no comfortable tour bus. We’d had to pile into a van with all our stuff. This was an improvement, but we still didn’t have much privacy. I was glad we’d have our own hotel rooms at the next stop.

  The hotel room would be even better if I could get Bentley to come out to see me. I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but I could dream, right? We were still on good terms. When I’d texted her earlier, she’d promised to call me after work. I was grinning like an idiot at the thought of talking to her.

  My fingers continued to move along the strings of my guitar as I hummed. This song was meant for an acoustic guitar, and I was tempted to grab mine from the back. I’d been in the mood for acoustic lately.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Xander asked as he took a seat across from me.

  I stopped playing and regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Extreme?” he asked. “You’ve moved on to playing Extreme? We’ve already had to listen to you playing Ed Sheeran, Radiohead, and Eric Clapton. You, my friend have a problem.”

  “Just don’t start belting out any Celine Dion songs,” Austin called out from the kitchen area of the bus.

  Harley took a seat beside me and slipped an arm around my shoulders.

  “Uh, oh,” I said with a laugh. “If you think I need pity, I must look really bad.”

  “You don’t look bad at all,” Harley assured me. “You look like a man in love. I enjoyed hearing you singing, You’re beautiful, yesterday.”

  I wanted to argue it was too early to know if I was in love with Bentley, but I was definitely moving in that direction. We’d talked for hours about my mom in the first couple of weeks after her suicide attempt. I’d been apprehensive about those talks at first, worried with her degree in psychology, Bentley would try to analyze me, but she hadn’t. She’d listened and offered support.

  “What am I going to do?” I asked my closest friends.

  “Cut down on the estrogen supplements?” Xander suggested.

  “Fuck you,” I shot back with a laugh.

  “I’m not sure I understand your question,” Harley told me. “If you want to be with Bentley, make it happen.”

  “She’s right,” Xander agreed before Austin wandered in with a frozen waffle.

  “Don’t eat that in front of me,” Xander warned.

  As expected, Austin took a bite of the waffle and grinned.

  “Those things should be banned from the bus,” Xander insisted. “They are an insult to waffles.”

  “The rest of us like them,” Harley argued. “Suck it up, Xan. If I can put up with you idiots walking around in your underwear, you can put up with frozen waffles.”

  This was another problem with bus travel—in Harley’s opinion, at least. The rest of us were fine as long as we all kept our junk covered.

  “We should move up to San Francisco,” Austin suggested. This wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned the possibility of moving up north.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Harley agreed. “I’m ready for a change of scenery. Didn’t you say your aunt was considering moving there when your mom is released from the hospital?”

  I nodded.

  “My waffles are in Los Angeles,” Xander whined.

  “Dude,” Austin began with a laugh. “They have waffles everywhere.”

  “Not good waffles,” Xander insisted before blowing out a frustrated breath. “Your girl had better learn to make waffles.”

  “Gage’s girlfriend is not feeding you waffles,” Harley told him. “You are such an idiot.”

  “Bentley isn’t my girlfriend,” I reminded them.

  “Yet,” Austin added with a grin.

  “Come on, Gage,” Xander crooned. “Stop being a whiny little bitch and win her over.”

  My phone buzzed.

  “Is that her?” Austin asked.

  “Yes,” I replied on my way to the back of the bus. “Try not to make too much noise while I’m on the phone. I’ll never convince her to give me a chance if she hears you insisting she learn to make waffles.”

  Chapter 24

  Bentley

  “Hello,” Gage’s voice carried through the phone and moved along my body like a caress.

  “Hey,” I greeted him, trying to sound unaffected. “How are you doing tonight?”

  “Bored and tired of being on the bus,” he replied with a sigh.

  “I’ll bet,” I remarked. “I start to feel cooped up after a long week in the office.”

  “Do you have any other kinds of weeks?” he asked.

  “Not often,” I admitted. “I’ve been getting to travel more in the last year. That’s been nice.”

  “Maybe I’ll get lucky and you’ll travel somewhere I’m playing,” he mused. “I’d like to see you.”

  The words hung between us. Though I wanted to see him, I decided it would be best to keep that to myself. “How’s your mom doing?” I asked.

  “Better,” he replied. “I flew out to visit her a few days ago. She may be released near the end of my tour.”

  “I’m glad she’s doing better,” I told him.

  “Why do you change the subject every time I mention wanting to see you?” he asked.

  “I wasn’t changing the subject,” I argued.

  “Liar,” he accused, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to push you on this.”

  “What were you doing when I called?” I asked.

  “Arguing about frozen waffles,” he replied.

  “Why would you argue about frozen waffles?” I asked with a laugh.

  “The only way these frozen waffles would taste good is if I was eating them off some hot barista’s tits,” shouted a voice from the background.

  “Fuck me,” Gage muttered. “Sorry. I told them to keep it down.”

  It took me a moment to get my laughter under control as the argument on the bus continued to rage on. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to look at frozen waffles the same after hearing two guys discussing waffle fetishes. That couldn’t be a thing.

  “You’re both morons!” a woman I assumed was Harley shouted.

  “So,” I began around my laughter. “I may never be able to eat frozen waffles without laughing again.”

  “Promise you won’t hold any of this against me,” he said with a groan.

  “I will if you promise to never refer to any woman’s vagina as a toaster,” was my response.

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” he assured me.

  “Good,”
I told him. “On that note, I need to go.”

  “Are you trying to get off the phone because my idiot friends have scared you off?” he asked.

  “No,” I assured him with a laugh. “I have plans with Cami tonight. She just broke up with her boyfriend.”

  “All right,” he agreed. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye, Gage,” I said before ending the call and letting out a sigh of frustration. Like every other conversation with Gage, I was more confused than the last. He definitely had a way of throwing me off-balance.

  Chapter 25

  Bentley

  I was lying in bed, reading a rock star romance. There was no denying I was a glutton for punishment. As if my dreams weren’t already filled with images of a tattooed guitarist, I was reading about them. My fantasy life was working overtime to sway me on my opinion of musicians—one of them, anyway.

  Setting my book to the side, I let out a sigh. There would be no more sex with Gage. That would be easier to accomplish if he wasn’t still a part of my life. It’s not like we talked all the time or had plans to see each other again, but we talked or texted often. As if summoned by my thoughts, my phone buzzed with a text from Gage.

  Gage: Are you still awake?

  Bentley: Yes. I was reading in bed.

  Gage: What are you reading?

  I had no intention of giving an honest answer to that question. The man didn’t need his ego stroked. If he heard I’d taken up reading rock star romances, I’d never hear the end of it.

  Bentley: Just some boring romance novel.

  Gage: I hope you were thinking about me when you read the dirty parts.

  Bentley: Gage. . .

  Gage: I was kidding. I said I’d behave, and I have.

  Gage was careful not to cross the line when he flirted with me. I wasn’t sure if he was kidding or testing the waters. There were times when I swore he was getting turned on while we talked. I certainly got turned on. My intense arousal after talking to Gage definitely qualified as sexual torture, and my vibrator was a poor substitute for Gage.

  Bentley: How is the tour going?

  Gage: Great! The crowds have been amazing! I still can’t believe we’ve sold out some venues. Sales weren’t as great here in Miami, but the promoter said we shouldn’t worry about it.

  Bentley: I’m jealous. Not about the shows, but you being in Miami. It’s June and I’m freezing my ass off.

  Gage: Then why don’t you come see me play in Miami? The show isn’t for two days. I’m sure you could find a flight out here.

  Bentley: I can’t go to Miami.

  Gage: Why not?

  Bentley: Because I have a job.

  I was certain he was joking, so there was no harm in playing along. That’s what I thought until his next text came through.

  Gage: Say the word and I’ll buy you a ticket out here. Colin already told me they owe you some vacation time.

  Gage: I want you here with me.

  Gage: Shit! I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry. I am trying to behave.

  Bentley: It’s okay. I really need to get some sleep. I have to be at work early tomorrow.

  Gage: Are you saying that because I made you uncomfortable?

  Bentley: What do you think?

  Gage: No. You’d tell me off for making you uncomfortable, but you wouldn’t run. Sweet dreams.

  Bentley: Goodnight.

  I needed to end all contact with Gage. This was getting insane. I’d gone from being obsessed with his body to genuinely liking him. When he’d invited me to Miami, I’d been far too tempted.

  “I cannot fall for Gage Addison,” I reminded myself, even though I suspected it was already too late.

  Chapter 26

  Gage

  “I’m an idiot,” I muttered to myself after tucking my phone back into my pocket.

  “Glad you finally figured that out,” Austin said on his way past me.

  “I’ll bet you a million waffles Gage was texting Ginger Ann again,” Xander chimed in.

  “I still don’t like that nickname. Ginger Ann sounds like a stripper name,” Harley stated from right behind Xander. “Couldn’t you come up with a better nickname for Gage’s girlfriend?”

  The guys had started calling Bentley Ginger Ann about a week ago. I’d figured the phase would pass, but they were stuck on that nickname.

  “She’s not my girlfriend yet,” I pointed out.

  “Gage would have told us if she was a stripper,” Xander added. “That is who you were texting, right?”

  “Fuck you,” I told him. “Yes, I was texting with Bentley.”

  “Bentley doesn’t sound much better than Ginger Ann,” Austin mused.

  “It sounds much better,” Harley insisted. “Why do you call her Ginger Ann?”

  “I was wondering when you were going to ask,” Austin said with a grin.

  “I’m never sure I want to hear your reasoning,” Harley admitted.

  “We call her Ginger Ann because Gage says she’s like Ginger and Mary Ann all rolled into one package,” Xander explained. “If she could make waffles, I’d steal her from you, my friend.”

  Austin snorted at his boast. “Gage already said she’s smart. There’s no way she’d go for a dumbass like you.”

  “You’re just jealous because women never want the drummer,” Xander shot back. “It’s all about the lead singer. You losers only get the ones I turn down. To the ladies, I am Reckless Release.”

  We all laughed at his boast.

  “That’s what all the girls say,” Harley said around a laugh. “They say no man’s release is more reckless than yours.”

  “Ha ha,” Xander responded in a dry tone. “You are killing me with your sense of humor, Harley.”

  “I’m as serious as a paternity suit,” she insisted.

  “Never joke about paternity suits,” Austin warned.

  “He’s right, Harley,” Xander agreed. “You know we have a rule about that sort of thing.”

  “You’re all dumbasses,” Harley muttered.

  “Speaking of dumbass moves,” Austin began as he sat behind his kit and twirled one of his drumsticks around. “When are you going to make your intentions clear to Ginger Ann?”

  “You guys need to stop calling her that,” I warned. “As for my intentions, I want to tell her about my move to the Bay Area in person.”

  “What if you piss her off by springing this on her?” Harley asked.

  “She’ll get over it,” I assured Harley.

  “Not if she hears it from Colin first,” Xander pointed out. When I glared at him, he shrugged. “You know it’s true. Your brother sees her all the time. I’ll bet she asks about you.”

  “He’s got a good point,” Austin agreed. “Colin will end up telling her.”

  “He won’t,” I assured them.

  “How can you be so sure?” Harley asked.

  “Colin wants me to date Bentley,” I explained. “He was pushing me on the issue before I told him what I have planned. He won’t tell her.”

  “That’s kind of creepy since she’s his employee,” Harley pointed out.

  “Harley’s right,” Austin agreed.

  I chuckled and said. “I mentioned that to him.”

  “What did he say?” Xander asked.

  “He told me to mind my own damn business,” I replied. “Considering this relates to me, I think it’s my business, but Colin disagrees. Are we going to practice, or sit here bullshitting all night? In case you’ve forgotten, we have a show in two days.”

  “Let’s do this!” Xander shouted. “Saturday, we are going to rock Miami!”

  Chapter 27

  Bentley

  I waited patiently as my cousin, Delaney, stared longingly at the dessert counter in the little café. She was almost twenty weeks pregnant, having conceived shortly after she started dating her fiancé, Sebastian. It was possible it had happened their first time together. After learning about her pregnancy, I’d immediately gone on birth cont
rol. They’d both been shocked to discover that condoms hadn’t been an adequate barrier for Sebastian’s super-sperm. Since I wasn’t having sex, it seemed unnecessary. Then again, my night with Gage hadn’t been planned. Thankfully, Gage hadn’t gotten me pregnant. That would have been a mess.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Delaney asked with a sigh. “I should get two slices of cake. The baby wants one, and I don’t want to share mine. If I don’t get two slices, the baby won’t have any cake. What kind of mother would that make me?”

  I shook my head at her reasoning. “Didn’t you ask me on the way over to make sure you only order one slice of cake? As I recall, Sebastian even asked me to make sure you only eat one slice of cake.”

  “I’d never hold you to such a ridiculous agreement,” she assured me. “And you already know I can keep a secret. Sebastian will never hear about the baby getting a slice of cake.”

  We finally made our way to a table where Delaney ordered her cake—two slices. The waitress brought them immediately. As for me, I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate cake so much as I hadn’t eaten anything of substance all day. This was my day off, yet I’d still been in the office that morning. I could have chosen to not go in. James had even told me I didn’t need to go in. I knew the work would just be waiting for me Monday morning, so I’d worked a few hours. We’d recently taken on a large contract and needed more temps. As a result, we’d hired several recruiters. They were good at scoping out talent, but it still left us with a lot of paperwork our HR department couldn’t handle on their own. On the plus side, I was learning a new aspect of the business. If I ever decided to leave and start my own company, I’d have all the skills I needed at the rate I was going.

  “Have you heard anything from your hot rocker?” Delaney asked.

  “I should have never told you,” I grumbled.

  Delaney gave me an evil grin. “You have to tell me these things. I need the inspiration.”

  My cousin was an erotica writer who believed everyone’s sex life was research for her next book.