by Thia Finn
“About time you woke up, my little cherry pie.” I realized he was giving me an alibi.
“Yeah, I didn’t realize I was so worn out from driving up from Houston. I guess hanging out with unlimited energy like they all seem to have, wore me out, too.” I walked across the cool tiles without taking my eyes off of him to see the expression on the girls’ faces. Honestly, I didn't care to know what kind of judgment they passed on me. Well, maybe I cared what Journey thought but, oh well, too late now. Fortunately, none of them said a word. After an awkward minute of silence, they all returned to questioning Gunner about the band. I felt like I had dodged a bullet.
“So, what are we doing tonight, Gunner?” Ivy asked while leaning over the island and squeezing her perky C cleavage together. She was so coming on to Gunner right in front of me. Surely she got the memo that he was mine? Who did the sneaky little bitch think she was?
My eyes immediately moved to his to see if he enjoyed the show, but he looked at me making the most adorable smirk as though he knew it pissed me off.
“I don’t know. Lola and I haven’t talked about it yet.” He walked over to where I stood at the end of the island and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me tight into his side. He kissed my temple and didn’t move away from my skin as he spoke, and I heard a little gasp, obviously coming from Ivy. “What do you say, ma chéri? What do you think these girls can do to stay out of trouble?”
“I have a list of things for us to do for the entire weekend. We don’t want them getting bored, do we?” I leaned into his warm chest and glared at her as I wrapped myself around his body. If we were men, I’d say I just won the pissing contest.
Journey realized quickly she should have made it clear that Gunner and I were together at least for the time we were in Austin. She jumped in telling the girls about how we met in Paris.
“So they’ve been texting and calling ever since he played there.” Journey ended her story.
Ivy looked at both of us before she spoke. “When do we get to meet the other guys? I know you said we’re going to a concert and after party, but do we get to meet them before then?”
The other girls all spoke at once. They were obviously excited about the concert.
“The concert’s tomorrow night, but I thought we’d do something else fun tonight down on Sixth Street,” I offered.
“I’ve been down on Sixth and Red River many times. I’ve had a fake ID from the time I turned sixteen.” Ivy’s attitude was condescending, but the other girls didn’t respond to her. I was happy to see they didn’t bother giving this girl the power she thought she deserved. I couldn’t figure out why Journey was friends with her.
“There are some fun places down on Sixth where we can go. There’ll be a lot of live music on a Thursday night,” Gunner said when the silence got awkward. “I spoke to some of the younger grunts at the studio, and they gave me a few spots to try.”
Ivy perked up. “So, you’re going out with us tonight?”
“Gunner is too busy to go clubbing with us. I’m sure he needs to do something band related tonight with the concert tomorrow night.” I looked at him to confer.
“Uh, no, I don’t. I’m not letting you go out on Sixth with these girls alone. It’s not always the best place to be without a guy.” Gunner looked at me when he said it. “Hell, sometimes it’s not good even with a guy along, but I have to say, I’ve seen some pretty good girl fights before the police arrived.” He started laughing obviously at something he’d remembered.
“What the hell? We used to go there all the time without a guy tagging along,” I told them.
“It’s not like it used to be. A lot of the places you used to go aren’t even there anymore. Lots of investors have bought up some of the best places and changed them.”
Before Gunner finished what he was saying, the girls were all hanging off him thanking him for coming with us downtown. Having one of the band members going out in Austin with them must be a secret dream or something from the way they all talked at once.
“It’s still a great afternoon,” Journey said to the girls. “I’m going back to the pool. So big sister, do you think you could make us something to drink? Margaritas, sangria, daiquiris, anything cold and yummy to sip on for a while?”
I looked at Gunner. I seriously doubted he had anything girly to drink around his house. “Do I need to make a run to the liquor store?”
“No, I got everything here to make some frilly drinks they’ll like. Chandler and Peri always keep me stocked up on that shit. How about MaiTai Punch, ladies?”
He received some squealing noises from the girls and smiled at me as he took out the juices from the fridge. “I’ll just make a pitcher of them for y’all.”
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when those girls came downstairs talking a mile a minute. I knew they said they were getting dressed for clubbing, but I was still trying to figure out what kind of club they expected. Everything they wore was too short, too skimpy, or too tight to be called clothes for going out. They each wore some form of “fuck me” heels. How would they walk downtown? Damn, maybe I was getting old or something, but my daughter would never go out looking like this if I ever had one. Who would let them go out looking like this? I forgot they go to school in Paris, and I was sure their skimpy dresses were the mode for over there on a night out.
The doorbell rang, and I tried not to stare as I walked by them all to answer it. Just looking at them made me feel like a pervert because once I started all I could do was stare. I opened it and found Hayden standing there, looking bored already. “Dude, I thought y’all would be in the limo, but it picked me up first.”
I stood back to let him walk through the doorway. I couldn’t wait to see his reaction when he saw the girls. After being around them, I was afraid they would devour him like the last piece of chocolate at boot camp for women.
“Girls, this is Hayden. He’s going out with us tonight, too,” I announced his arrival. “He works with AD off and on and lives with Ryan and Peri, our tour manager.” I purposely didn’t mention Crew. I figured if he wanted them to know about his son, it was his business to tell them.
The collection of beauties all turned and saw him at the same time. I’m not the kind of dude who spends time judging guys on their looks, but I watched the way they looked him over from head to toe, and the approval glowed all over their faces. I wondered if he felt like a piece of meat. Was this how a new girl working at a sports bar felt when a group of horny old men sat in her area?
I was relieved when Lola offered her hand to him. “Hayden, it’s so nice to meet you. Gunner has told me about what an amazing singer you are.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Hayden responded to her, and I had to laugh.
“Ma’am? Oh wow, Lola, maybe you really are looking as old as you say you are,” Journey said with a laugh. Lola didn’t have a response for either of them, but the look on her face was priceless.
“Dude, what the fuck was that? She’s my age, and you don’t call me sir.” I worked hard to keep a straight face when I said it, but I couldn’t do it. I burst out laughing.
“That’s not funny, Gunner. I always say ma’am, and you know it.” We had all embarrassed him.
“It’s okay, Hayden. I was just messing with you, dude. This is Lola that I met in Paris and her sister, Journey. She’s the birthday girl all of this has been set up for.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Hayden, and thank you so much for agreeing to go with us tonight.” Journey stepped forward and offered her hand. “We are all excited to go out in Austin. I’ve been here but never really had a chance to party, especially like rock stars with Gunner.” She turned still holding his hand and gave me a huge smile.
“My pleasure, ma…” He stopped himself mid-word. “Journey.” He still held her hand. “Oh and Gunner, he’s no big deal. He’s a normal guy like everyone else even if he is only a drummer,” Hayden said with a smirk aimed at me.
“Is that ri
ght, you little prick? I’ll show you no big deal.” I grabbed him as though I was going to take him down, and the girls all started squealing. I laughed at his attempt to joke about my celebrity status like the band does all the time, but he knew I would never hurt him. Hayden had enough drama in his life with a baby boy of his own to raise. He needed some occasional fun. At twenty, he was raising his son alone, and that had to count for something big.
This little show of force ended quickly, and the other girls introduced themselves one by one to him. I saw the look in his eyes, though. He was either scared shitless or oblivious to girls since he didn’t have much of a response other than a brief, strangled hello for each of them. Maybe small talk around the women wasn’t Hayden’s strong suit. Guess we would see before the night was over.
“So, ladies, are we ready to have some fun?” I asked after the introductions.
Ivy piped up immediately. “Uh, no. We haven’t had a shot. We always have a shot before we go clubbing. Where’s the tequila, Gunner?”
I looked at Lola for help. I drank a lot at twenty-one, too. Probably more than these girls had ever consumed. We played every venue we could find back then, but I didn’t want to be responsible for a bunch of drunken chicks in a club.
Lola jumped in. “Journey, is this what y’all do all the time?”
“Hell yeah, it’s what we’ve been doing since we partied in high school, Lola. Of course, I would never admit that to Mom, but you’re not her, now are you? And besides, it’s legal now. I don’t need your permission.” The other girls chimed in with some ‘hell yeahs.’ I wondered at this point how well Journey and Lola knew each other. Obviously, Lola was more on the conservative side growing up where Journey often took a walk on the wild side.
“Oh, my God, it’s just one shot.” Ivy got in the middle of it again. She opened a purse resembling a piece of carry-on luggage and produced airplane-sized liquor bottles. She passed something clear out to the girls and Hayden before they clank them together and knock them back. From the girls’ faces, I could tell the liquor didn’t faze them, so I kept quiet about it. The look Hayden gave me was exactly what I was thinking; it was going to be a long night for some of us. He was still underage, and I knew for a fact he rarely went out partying with friends. Of course, all of his friends were associated with AD, so he drank as often as he wanted. Now that he had little Crew to take care of, though, the stakes were a lot higher on keeping custody. One DUI or MIP and something could go wrong for him, so that was always in the back of Hayden’s mind.
“The limo awaits, ladies,” I announced, and they all deposited their phones in little purses while heading out the door. Even Ivy dropped the carry-on after she pulled out something she dangled from her wrist.
I stayed behind to lock up, and when I turned, Lola stood there looking at me. I could see by her face she was not happy. “Hey, what’s the matter?” I pulled her to me and hugged her.
“What have I gotten myself into here? Ivy is going to cause trouble the entire time we’re here. I can already see it.”
“Yeah, she’s got the potential for leading others down a path to destruction, but let’s roll with it for now. Journey doesn’t strike me as a girl easily led by others. If she’s anything like her sister, she’ll be fine.” I wanted to reassure Lola, but we both entertained the same thoughts.
When we climbed in the limo, they had popped the top on the champagne. Oh, yeah, what was it I’d just said?
“To Journey’s fucking twenty-first year of fun and games,” Lauren said, and they all clinked glasses. I looked at Lola and smiled.
If I said, “Maybe we better not” one time that night, I repeated it a thousand damn times. The limo dropped us at the front door of the first club, which was great because even with sunglasses and a ball cap on, fans recognized Gunner before we walked in the door. Girls were everywhere screaming his name, asking for autographs, and wanting pictures. This continued until we got inside. Apparently, the word got out fast that he was out in Austin, so the fans wanted to see and touch him.
The t-shirt he wore fit tightly across his chest and arms. If all of those huge muscles didn’t capture the women’s attention, then the beautifully colored sleeve tattoos certainly did. He had added some new ones since I saw him last, and I intended to spend a lot of time getting to know them better when I had full access to them. I might have even dreamt of running my tongue over the ones I found on his chest when we were frantically going at each other earlier.
The bouncer at the door was expecting us because Gunner called ahead. Gunner prayed people would be cool around him, but if not, we have the VIP area as a retreat. Before we left the house, Gunner and I discussed staying sober for the night so someone would always have their eyes on the girls and Hayden. The girls didn’t need the two of us to get the party started. As soon as we were at the table and ordered drinks, the five of them hit the dance floor, pulling Hayden along for fun. They danced around him like they knew him forever, and if the look on his face was any indication, he enjoyed the attention.
“I’m glad to see Hayden having a good time with the girls,” Gunner whispered in my ear over the loud music. “He never goes out unless it’s with all of us. He needs some friends closer to his age.”
“Doesn’t look like he’s having a hard time enjoying himself with all of these girls.”
“I didn’t say he was stupid.” He laughed and then left a row of kisses below my ear. “I wish we would have stayed home tonight. I would have been perfectly happy to entertain you in so many other ways.” He lightly bit the same spot where his lips stopped and then gave it a wet kiss to soothe it.
The chemistry between the two of us was exactly as I remembered in Paris. While we were apart, we texted, Skyped, and talked some for about a year. I felt like I knew him even though we had only spent one night together after the concert.
We were alone at the table in the middle of a crowded club, but when he put his arm behind me and pulled me in closer to him, it felt like it was just the two of us. The scent he wore was just as I remembered it, and the intent look on his face as he stared at me, made my blood feel like fire pumping through my body. He moved his face closer to me, and the smolder behind his eyes had me mesmerized. He finally spoke breaking the spell he was weaving under my skin.
“What are you thinking about so hard? I can see the wheels turning behind your eyes.”
“Just how we’ve only been together one night, but I feel like I’ve known you a lot longer.”
“You have known me a while.” He moved in slowly pressing his lips softly across mine. I loved the way he kissed me. It seemed like it was different every time. Sometimes, like now, it was slow and soft and lingering and other times it was like he was hungry for them to the point he would devour me.
He moved his hands to my waist pulling me across his lap, and the kiss deepened becoming more urgent. I couldn’t get enough of him. I wrapped my hands around his neck and ran my fingers up the back of his head until I felt that soft, long hair on top, and gave it a slight tug. The longer strands that fell in all the directions were something I loved to get in my hands. It attracted me to him from the beginning and made him look every bit the part of the rock star he portrayed on stage.
Behind his drum kit when Assured Distraction was in concert, he always started with his hair loose, and it flew around while he played a solo or a long drum entrance the band had on a couple of the songs. His dark locks were long all over then. By the end of each show, he would secure it in a thin strip of leather. When they toured Europe, videographers filmed the concerts, and I watched them over and over. Seeing that hair flying added something strong to his sex appeal, and I wanted to catch his every move. Now the sides were shaved short, and the top was long. I didn’t know which way I liked it best.
When he spoke, it broke the dream state our kisses had me in, pulling me back to the scene we were surely causing. I didn’t care at that point, and I doubted he did either.
“Can we go home now and leave them here?” he said against my ear just before he lowered his lips to the spot directly beneath my ear, nibbling and kissing the skin of my neck down to the curve. I was completely on board with that idea, but we both knew we couldn’t.
“Damn, Gunner, as good as you make that sound and feel, you know we can’t. We have two weeks. I promise we can spend a lot of it alone while they do whatever they want. We’ll only be apart when you have to do band business.” I laid my head on his shoulder, facing inward so I could deposit little kisses to his neck as he did to me. I hoped mine drove him as crazy with need as his did to me. His scent, the mixture of masculine soap and the cologne he always wore brought the desire to an inner crazy I had to work to keep tamped down for now. The longer I lingered around the smooth skin of his throat, the more it made me want to have him right there in the club.
To our surprise, the girls didn’t cause any trouble that night. It made me worry about what they were saving for the concert. We went to three different places to drink and dance. I was even able to get Gunner on the dance floor in one that wasn’t overly crowded.
By the time we got home, I was exhausted. The limo pulled up to the door, and Gunner and I were the first out. I needed to ditch the hooker heels immediately, which I did as I walked through the door on the way to my room. Everyone came in behind me except Ivy. After I changed and came back down to get a bottle of water, Gunner stood by the door.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting.”
“On what?”
“Ivy.”
“What? Wait, where is she?”
“Out there.” He nodded toward the door.
“Out there, where?”
“In the limo.”
“Why are you so cryptic? What the hell is she doing in the limo still?” I grabbed the door intending to go out, but he held firm.
“I think you need to rethink what you’re doing.”
