She smiled at me.
We’d broken our embrace but Dee kept her hand in my back pocket. I wondered how early we could leave. Every moment we spent in socialising was pure torture to me.
“Don’t even think about leaving early,” she said.
“I’ll stay to give Sally a farewell speech but that’s it.”
“Have you thought about giving me Sally’s job?” Drew asked.
Since I’d been kicked off the Summer Rock Festival tour, I’d be sticking around the club and would take over Sally’s job with the bands for a while. That’d work in the short term but it was no long term solution. I needed someone competent to take over the job.
“I’m not sure you’ll be appropriate,” I told him.
“Don’t underestimate me, Alex. I’m far more competent than I get credit for.”
Maybe it was the squeeze of Dee’s hand on my butt, maybe I was getting soft in the head. Whatever, it made me weak.
“I’ll tell you what, Drew. You work with me over the next few weeks and if you do an okay job, it’s yours. But I’m not going easy on you. You have to have your shit together.”
Drew did a little dance and then grabbed Carlie around the waist.
“Hear that, Carlie? I’m going to be promoted to band booker.”
“Hey, what will I do for a bus boy? I need Drew.”
“You should’ve appreciated me while you had the chance. Bussing is too small to hold the Drewster now.”
Drew kept dancing around the bar. Maybe I needed to impose a “no dancing on the job” rule. He could have his moment of celebration, though. I wasn’t sure how he’d go as band booker but people can surprise you.
The grin Dee shot me was so wicked, I wanted to drag her into the store room and rip off those annoying clothes keeping her body from mine. Only, then everyone would talk about us like they did Carlie and Holden. Nothing was ever a secret at Trouble.
When Sally arrived, I made my speech, thanking her for all her hard work. She blushed and stuttered out some words. I glanced at Dee who shook her head. Hell, she was drawing this out.
Once the attention was off us, I asked Sally what her long-term plans were for her apartment.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Dee’s subletting it off you but she’ll be moving in with me as soon as I can convince her.”
“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t be so convinced that’s going to happen anytime soon. She’s fiercely independent. She’s not going to give up on that.” She grabbed me tight on the arms and shot me a look that burned through me. “You hurt her and I will kill you.”
“Yeah, you and Carlie both. You’re fierce women.”
Carlie and Drew had gifts to give her, so I went back to Dee.
She squeezed my hand. “You aren’t too upset about missing out on Summer Rock, are you?”
To be honest, it killed me. Some other band was taking the place that should’ve been mine. Again. It felt like there was some wall keeping me from my dreams. I was talented, I had charisma and I was loved by the crowds but it felt like I couldn’t get beyond that wall.
“I’ll live,” I said. “And I’d rather be here with you.”
Dee nodded. “Yeah, not on tour with those groupies that’d be all over you.”
“I’d rather be with my first groupie.”
She punched me. “Hey, I was never a groupie.”
“Hell yeah, you were. You were like a little duckling trailing after us. You couldn’t even talk to me.”
“Luckily, I got over that.”
“Yeah well wait until later tonight and see if you can talk then.”
She blushed. She’d be mine finally. Forever, if I had anything to do with it.
Finally, she grabbed me.
“Let’s go,” she said. “You’ve waited long enough.”
Dee
When Alex and I left Trouble, I knew my life would change forever. I’d been so fixated on revenge but revenge leaves you cold and alone. That’s not what I’d wanted at all. I slipped my hand into Alex’s pocket, twisting my fingers in his.
“What do you think Jake would’ve thought about this? About us?” I asked him.
“He’d have killed me,” Alex said. “He’d have punched any guy who looked at you.”