“Yeah, well, you can take that term of endearment and shove it up your ass. I find it offensive.”
Oh, God, there it was again. He loved when she got angry like that. He couldn’t understand why, but he did. As he watched her take another gulp of her whiskey, almost emptying the glass, he realized he wasn’t making her a friend that way. He sighed. “Sorry.” She set her glass down and looked in his eyes. “Sorry I say offensive shit like that sometimes.”
She stared at him for a few seconds, and he almost started to sweat, but he didn’t break eye contact. That would be like staring down the alpha in the pack—he’d lose if he backed down. She nodded. “I believe you. You sound sincere…and so I forgive you.” He nodded and smiled and picked up his bottle. “But you say that shit again, I will take you down.”
He made sure not to spit out his beer as he let it glide down his throat. It was awfully tempting to see if he could make her become aggressive with him. It might be worth a broken bone or two. Instead, he decided not to push his luck and even decided to go the other way—sincere, even letting his guard down. “And sorry too about my mistake. My gaydar’s usually pretty good, but I totally missed that you’re a lesbian.”
She downed the rest of her drink, slamming the glass on the table between them, and said, “I’m not a lesbian.”
Nick felt confused then and a bit out of his element. “But I thought you said—”
Before he could even reason it out for himself, she interrupted him. “I have a girlfriend. Yeah, I do, but I’m not a lesbian. I’m bisexual.”
Holy shit. Why the hell could Nick not stop the blood from swirling through his veins at that revelation? He had to concentrate. “Okay, I guess I need to apologize then for not realizing you were in a relationship and kissing you.”
She grinned. “I kissed you back. And how were you to know?” He shrugged, taking another drink. At least they seemed to be moving toward friend territory, instead of constant friction. That was better than nothing. “It’s not that I don’t like men. I do. I love men…but it would be cheating, and I’m no cheater.”
“I can respect that.” But he was going to down that whole lager, and maybe have a second, because he still didn’t have a shot with her.
She had plenty of surprises up her sleeve, though. “It wouldn’t be cheating, though, if my girlfriend joined us.” Had he heard her right? And what the hell kind of purr was that in her voice? He couldn’t help it any longer and he let the blood rush through his body and straight into his cock with abandon. He wasn’t going to fight it anymore.
But his mind and mouth still weren’t believing. She’d been too cool for too long for him to think she just changed her tune. Surely, she was fucking with him. “What?”
Her eyes locked with his and told him that, no, she was dead serious, and she’d just managed to keep it all hidden for all that time. “You’re a good looking guy, Nick. I’ve heard stories about you. I’d like to check you out myself.”
He was still having a difficult time processing her seemingly quick conversion, so it took him time to grab onto the second part of what she’d said. “Heard stories? What the hell does that mean?”
She laughed then and waved the waitress back over. “I’ll take a Coors Light this time.” Once the waitress stepped away from their table once more, she said, “Oh, come on, Nick. You’re not five years old. Women talk. Yes, online. Try Googling it. There’s all kinds of shit out there about which rock stars cheat on their women on the road, what they’re like in bed, what kind of crazy shit they’re into…” She paused then and tilted her head, letting Nick know she was putting emphasis on the next words out of her mouth. “How big their dick is.”
Nick couldn’t help but chuckle then, and he shook his head while grabbing for his beer. His brain was reeling now. First off, he knew he shouldn’t even go looking that shit up, because anything online was exaggerated or fueled by emotion. He didn’t need to read that shit, good or bad. It would either piss him off or blow up his ego, and neither had a good outcome. Secondly, though…this woman—this majorly hot chick here whom he’d believed didn’t want a thing to do with him—was propositioning him, and he wasn’t sure what to say. For the first time in he didn’t know how long, Nick was speechless.
Brina didn’t mind. “Sound like a plan?”
“Does what sound like a plan?”
She sat up, leaning over the table once more, and whispered, “You, me, Monica.”
The waitress came by with Brina’s beer but Nick wasn’t waiting. “Monica?”
Brina winked at the young waitress, causing the girl to blush before leaving their table. Then she said, “My girlfriend.” A smile slowly spread over Nick’s face when she said, “I know a threesome wouldn’t be a stretch for you, Nick, and I bet you’ve done it at least once before. But not with me. I think we could make some sweet music together.”
He thought they could too…and another woman in the mix? He was more than all right with that. That date couldn’t come fast enough.
Chapter Seven
NICK MIGHT HAVE thought a threesome with Brina sounded good at first, but the more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea. He wanted Brina, not Brina and another woman…especially another woman who was going to be jealous and possessive. Even if her girlfriend was also bi, he could see the sticky complications from miles away. It was a bad idea drenched in bad vibes…but he couldn’t help but want it anyway.
He wanted her and he’d do whatever it took to get her.
Ordinarily, he’d laugh and joke about it with someone like Zane or Ethan, but both those guys were working on their own side project, and they were somewhere in England recording their album. They’d gone there for inspiration, Zane had said, and Nick wasn’t going to question it. Ethan had been a completely different person since getting clean, and Nick knew inspiration was a funny thing. If he had to travel the world to make good music, Nick wasn’t going to question it.
No way would he talk to Brad about it. Yeah, the guy might have some solid insight, considering he’d had his own love triangle bullshit going with Valerie back in the day, but he was always the logical, levelheaded one, the straight-laced guy, and Nick already knew what he’d say.
She was trouble.
Yeah, the entire idea was trouble, but that was the funny thing about temptation. He wasn’t usually tempted to do things that were smart or good or beneficial. He wasn’t tempted to spend a day cleaning trash off the side of the highway or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Sure, he’d done both of those things, but he’d never felt a burning desire to do them, a soul-deep impulse urging him to try.
God, he couldn’t get her out of his head. He needed to talk logically with someone about it.
That left Gracie.
No way. No way in hell.
Yet, there they were. They were watching a DVD of the latest B horror movie. It had been something they’d started doing after they started hanging out with each other—renting crappy movies with no expectations and just having fun. Tonight, Nick wasn’t actually taking in the movie; his mind was pondering Sabrina and, for a brief moment, he considered talking to Gracie about it. Soon, though, he saw how stupid that would be and decided against it. But he couldn’t concentrate on the movie. His thoughts were consuming him.
Not to mention the fantasies that had started rolling around in his head.
What was Brina like in bed? What did she look like under those skin-tight clothes she wore? And what about her girlfriend? Was she just as hot?
Was the girlfriend bi or not?
That was part of what was gnawing at Nick. If her girlfriend was also bi, there would be less chance of jealousy and hurt feelings. He could enjoy them both, pleasure them both, and everyone could have a good time. Brina hadn’t said the other night, and Nick hadn’t thought to ask, so he was left in the dark for the meantime.
All that did was make him wonder…and consider the possibilities.
Gracie said, “Holy
crap. Do you think he’s the bad guy?”
“What? Who?”
Gracie paused the movie. “Nick! You’re not even watching, are you?” He couldn’t deny it and just shrugged. “Fine. Let’s go make some popcorn and then, before we start the movie again, I’ll catch you up on what you missed.”
He followed her to the kitchen, trying to get his head in the game. He’d already decided not to discuss the matter with her, so he needed to get his mind off it.
When they got to the kitchen, Gracie moved around it like she owned it. Honestly, she’d probably washed more dishes in his kitchen than he ever had. She found the box of microwave popcorn and continued talking about the movie while she went through the motions of taking out a package, removing the wrap, unfolding the bag, and putting it in the microwave. It wasn’t until she turned and looked at him, asking a question seeking confirmation, that he realized he still wasn’t paying attention, was still consumed by thoughts of Sabrina.
Gracie half frowned and said, “All right, Nick. What’s up with you?”
He shrugged, hoping to blow it off. “Nothing.”
“BS. You’ve been tuning me out all night long. What’s on your mind?”
As much as he loved Gracie and trusted her, he valued their friendship too much to divulge what he’d been thinking. Somehow he knew it wouldn’t set well with her. Why, he wasn’t sure, but it was something he knew in his bones.
“Eh. You know. We’re getting ready to film another video later this week, and I don’t know if I’m ready.”
She nodded, but he could tell she didn’t believe him. He appreciated that she wasn’t going to continue pushing but it was going to nag at her. “You know you’ll do fine.” She walked across the kitchen and pulled out a big bowl to put the popcorn in. When she turned around, though, she hit him with a ton of bricks. “I wanted to ask you if you know what you’re getting into.”
“Meaning?”
“I saw you and the bassist the other day…kissing.”
He had no idea why, but he got the idea that Gracie didn’t approve. At all. The look on her face was pretty neutral, as was her tone of voice, but it was a feeling. Yeah, he and Gracie hadn’t even been friends for a whole year, but he felt like he knew her well, better even than he knew himself. She had done nothing to indicate her displeasure, but he felt it just the same. He needed to tread lightly. “Nothin’ to worry about.”
She shook her head and peeked in through the window on the microwave door. She didn’t look at him but she answered. “Looked pretty serious to me.”
He knew he’d just need to be straight up with her and tell her as much of the truth as she’d need to know to alleviate her fears. “She has a girlfriend, Gracie. No chance of anything serious happening there.” No way in hell was he going to divulge to her the potential for a threesome. God, that was a dream scenario for him, but the good news was it would be a one-time thing. Sabrina acted like she was pretty serious about the woman in her life, and continuing a relationship with Nick, both of them together or not, might prove to be a pain in the ass. The way Brina talked, her girlfriend would have to be talked into it, which meant there was no way it was her dream situation. She probably loved Sabrina and would be doing it for her.
Lucky Nick.
But Gracie didn’t need to know that. If she happened to find out after that he slept with Brina and her girlfriend, he’d just shrug and he knew she’d get over it. Telling her before, though, especially when she was acting like a harbinger…well, now was definitely not the time.
Gracie pulled the popcorn out of the microwave and shook the bag several times. “Well, good. Don’t take this wrong, Nick, but I have a really bad feeling about her.”
Oh, shit. Was it because they’d slept together? Was Gracie feeling jealous? Man…that was not good, and he’d have to nip that in the bud if she started acting all freaky. For now, she was playing the worried friend, and that was okay, but more than this and he’d be irritated. “Duly noted.” He wasn’t going to say anything more.
Fortunately, neither did she. “Let’s go finish this movie. I need to get back because I’m watching the kids early.”
“So no drinking.”
“Yeah.” She walked past him, carrying the bowl of popcorn and grinning from ear to ear. That was the Gracie he loved to see.
* * *
Motherfucker. If there was one thing Nick despised, it was shooting videos. How many fucking takes did they need anyway? He found it doubly aggravating that they cared more about Val anyway, so why he needed to pretend to play the same goddamn song twenty or thirty times was beyond him. Made no damn sense.
And, he loved Val and all and thought she deserved some of the spotlight, but the dumb asses directing the video were missing sweet, hot Brina. She could attract a crowd of her own, too. One thing he did know, in spite of his irritation, was that any videos he’d ever appeared in always turned out better than he expected. This one would no doubt be the same. The first one was amazing and he’d been surprised that, in just one month, that little video had garnered over five hundred thousand views. Part of that might have been because of him and Brad, but he suspected the rest of it was because the world was discovering Val. She really was a hell of a singer and songwriter. He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed working with her and hearing her sing. Only now, since her surgery, her voice seemed to have even more depth. Maybe, though, it was the vocal training she’d undergone since the surgery. She didn’t want to ruin her voice again, so she took steps to make sure she took good care of it. Today, even though her voice didn’t have that raw, hungry quality to it, it somehow felt more infused with emotion. It was amazing.
That said, he was already fucking sick and tired of hearing this damn song. It wouldn’t be so bad live, but hearing the mixed version played over and over and over again was getting old. He mentioned something to that effect when Brina sat on a stool next to where he leaned against the wall, bored to tears. If they hadn’t said they might need him again, he would have left.
The guy was a new director. Nick would try to find it in his heart to forgive the guy.
In the meantime, Brina was texting but she said, “Yeah…enough already.”
“I don’t know how good an idea this is anyway.”
Brina’s brow wrinkled. “Why? Videos are always a decent enough marketing tool. And Val definitely knows how to work the camera.” She smiled and her mood was warm, definitely unlike her usual self. “I feel like a real rock star nowadays.”
Nick laughed. “One video and you feel like a real rock star?” He made sure she stopped watching Val and looked at him when he said, “And I thought your music spoke for itself.”
“Fuck off.” She flipped him off, but her mood was still light. He appreciated that. Then she said, “Seriously. Have you checked out the Val Hella Facebook page?”
“Not recently. Facebook sucks.”
“Nick, you’re crazy. We have over one hundred thousand fans already. Already! And we haven’t even released the single yet—just the fucking video. That’s insane.” Nick shrugged. He wasn’t going to say it, but Fully Automatic had millions of fans, and he was pretty certain that was where the initial fan base surge for Val Hella was coming from. But when they’d first hit the million mark on Facebook—hell, when they’d experienced a video getting that many views the first time—it was an incredible feeling. It was what Brina was experiencing right now, and he needed to let her enjoy it. “And this past week, my page, Sinna, already has over fifty thousand likes. I had under two thousand before that. That’s completely crazy!”
Her uncharacteristic enthusiasm was contagious. “It is.” She had turned the phone so he could see her page. Holy shit. The outfit she was wearing in her profile picture left little to the imagination. “Which brings me to my point. Look at what you’re wearing.”
She arched an eyebrow. Damn it. She had no idea how weak that little action made him feel, every single time she did it. It made him want to ge
t down on his knees and beg for attention. “I thought you of all people would like it.”
“Hell, yes, I like it. I’m a hot-blooded American male. What straight guy in the country wouldn’t like knowing exactly what you look like under those tiny ribbons you’re wearing that pass for clothing?” She smirked, but he could tell she appreciated his admiration. “But do you know what’s been going on with Val lately?”
Brina’s eyebrows lifted once more. “Uh…she’s growing a fan base. Duh.”
Nick couldn’t help the serious tone that entered his voice. “Yeah, but she has her first bona fide stalker, too.”
She looked up from the phone. “You serious?”
It was Nick’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “Yeah. She’s had a few online dudes creeping on her over the past couple of weeks, and that was starting to bother her, but yesterday she was doing some Christmas shopping, and when she got back to her car, she had some weird note on her windshield.”
“Note?”
“Yeah, on her windshield. I can’t remember exactly what Brad said was on it, but they called the cops and it’s now in evidence, whatever the fuck that means. It really rattled Val, so I don’t get why she’s doing another provocative video.”
Brina shrugged. “Nick, there are some sick fucks out there. They would still be sick fucks, whether or not Val was showing some skin and being sexy. They’ve just stepped up their game, but trust me. It has nothing to do with her starring in a hot video.”
“Nothing?”
“Okay, maybe not nothing, but a creeper who’s in love with her enough to stalk her would do it whether she was dressed like this or like an Elizabethan peasant.” Brina smirked once more and looked back down at her phone. “Besides, Val’s fucking hot. She needs to show that shit off.”
Oh, yeah. Brina appreciated women too. How the hell could he keep forgetting that? And, yeah, Val was pretty, but he’d never thought of her as hot or sexy—probably because he’d drawn a line a long time ago. It had first started upon introduction. Ethan had said Val was just a friend, but Nick was no idiot. Val was all doe-eyed for the guy, and it was just a matter of time before he responded. But, even before that, she and Brad had been engaged in a little kiss and grab that he’d stumbled upon, and there was no fucking way he’d get involved in that. He thought of Val as a good friend—a sister, even—but he was not going to look upon her as an object of sexual adoration. He had enough strikes against him in this life. He wasn’t going to add Val to the list.
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