Starting from Scratch (Starting from 2)

And two hours later, the feeling hadn’t gone away. I wanted to rationalize my desire for him or even downplay it as a product of ignoring my bi side, but that would be a flat-out lie. If I’d wanted anyone the way I wanted him, I would have gone for it…male or female. But there was no one like Charlie. He was one of a kind in every way possible. I wasn’t sure what to make of this thing between us, but it felt too good to question. It would just be nice if I could get my dick under control.

I lowered my bass over my crotch when he greeted the band with his customary panache.

“Bonjour, bitches! Are we ready for show time?” he asked, smacking me with his bag. He briefly set his hand on my shoulder as if to apologize, then rambled into a long-winded speech that covered the standing-room-only crowd, how much they were drinking, and the two big-name celebrities he spotted near the bar.

“You shouldn’t tell us stuff like that. You’ll make us nervous,” Tegan groused.

Justin chuckled. “Unless Jagger’s out there, I think you can handle it.”

“The Dust Bowl has never had a major rock star sighting,” Johnny huffed.

He was probably right. We’d played this venue a couple of times over the past few months. The five hundred capacity club was one of the larger ones on our circuit. They had a huge bar, but best of all, they served food. The chicken nuggets were amazing, and the waitstaff always hooked us up with extra french fries. Charlie stole one from Justin when he bent to tune his guitar and gestured with it as he spoke.

“You’ll be the first, then.” He spread his hand wide and made a sweeping gesture. “Zero…the future biggest band in the world. That has a nice ring, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, Char. Whatever you say.” Justin set his guitar on a nearby stand and leaned against Gray.

“Your boyfriend is being mean to me, Gray,” Charlie singsonged.

Gray pulled Justin between his thighs and massaged his biceps. “I think he’s hoping Mick shows up after all.”

“He might after your record comes out. We can talk about it later, but I’m thinking a January release sounds perfect. What do you think?”

Everyone looked up at once.

“Did we sign something I don’t know about?” Justin asked, cocking his head curiously.

“Of course not. But I have ideas to discuss. Details to come.” Charlie did a double take and flashed a bright smile at our lead guitarist. “Johnny, I love that color lipstick. I wish you’d all wear a little lipstick or even just eyeliner. It really pops well when you’re onstage. Ky, you should try that shade of red. It’s subtle enough to bring out the color of your eyes.”

I glanced up at him and I think my heart actually stopped for a second. He looked like a fucking cherub. Soft curls, full lips, and a mischievous glint in his eyes that hinted at serious trouble.

I balanced my bass on my knee before grabbing a bag of M&M’s from a pocket inside my case.

“Hey Char, I got you something.” I tossed the candy to him and gave him a thumbs-up when he caught it.

He held my gaze for a long moment, then smiled. “M&M’s? My favorite. Thank you.”

The butterflies in my chest fluttered like crazy. I watched his mouth move as he chattered about classic candy bars. I didn’t pay attention, I just…stared at him like an idiot and thought of all the things I’d saved up to tell him in the hour since we parted on the sidewalk in front of his place. Don’t ask me what. My mind went blank.

“Dude, you got any more?” Tegan wiggled his fingers at me.

“No, sorry. That was it. I saved ’em for Char.” I ignored Tegan’s bemused expression and focused on Charlie as he ripped open the package.

He poured a few candies onto his palm and frowned. “These aren’t M&M’s. They’re Reese’s Pieces. Gee, I wonder how they jumped into a bag of plain M&M’s.”

I pushed my bass behind my back and jumped up to investigate. “You gotta be kidding me. How’d that happen? Gimme one. I better make sure they’re not poison.”

Charlie rolled his eyes, then pointed at the seam in the packaging. “If the glue got on them, they could be. I hope you didn’t use Gorilla Glue. These are my real favorites.”

“You say that about everything. Name a candy you don’t like,” I said.

“Almond Joy. They’re awful. They were the last candy bar standing at Halloween every year. Couldn’t give ’em away. No one in our house wanted them.”

Gray piped in with a quick remark about stealing the Butterfingers that started a serious debate about the best and worst Halloween treats. I tuned everyone out and smiled at Char.