Too Many Rock Stars: Violet's Story (Access All Areas 1)

I could've got them delivered to the bar, I guess, but then I wouldn’t get to see her face when I gave them to her.

I hoped she wouldn't be angry. It was hard to tell with Violet. In movies, women are always really happy to get flowers but I wasn't sure if Violet was like those movie women. She was a tough nut, that was for sure.

Still, I had to up my game. I'd thought about it and come to the conclusion th

at Violet spent too much time around ratbag musos. The kind of guys who'd shag anything that moved. It was no wonder she didn't want to date them. Those kinds of guys would never appreciate her.

The words that Alex had hissed at me, rang in my ears.

“I’m going to sweep her off her feet,” he’d said. “You don’t stand a chance.”

She’d been so cold to me since I kissed her that I didn’t need more doubts creeping into my mind. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe I had no chance. But I wouldn’t give up that easily.

I’d poured my heart out to my sister over the phone. After all, I needed some womanly advice about sweeping Violet off her feet. Most women I met didn’t need sweeping. Cassie told me the way to go was to separate myself from the pack. If Violet didn’t date rockers, I had to prove I was something more than that.

“Flowers take it to another level,” Cassie had said. “Trust me on this. You need to show that you are doing this for reals, not just to win a bet or best some other guy. If you want her to know you cherish her, you need to put your thoughts into action.”

Cassie could be a bit naff but she was right about cherishing Violet. If Violet knew my intentions were serious, I could sweep her off her feet. That seemed like a smart plan.

And it really wasn't just about that competition or wanting to win her from Alex. I'd just been cruising along, thinking I'd had all the time in the world to build our relationship but the clock started ticking.

When I walked into the bar, Carlie gave me a funny look. I cringed a little but I had to be brave. I wouldn't win Violet by being a wimp, that's for sure. Alex had declared war.

In my entire life, I'd never backed down from anything. In the third grade, when Tommy Blacksworth challenged me to a fight and knocked two of my teeth out, I just got up and kept punching. When my dad said I was a worthless piece of shit who wouldn't amount to anything, not even a high school certificate, I buckled down and studied and, the day I graduated, I walked out of there forever.

When I wanted to learn guitar, I’d practiced until I thought the strings would sever my fingertips. Every day, every night. I kept going until I got good enough to play in a band. Even when I had to work 12-hour shifts and came home wanting nothing more than to crash into bed, I’d pick up that guitar and practice.

Everything I had in life, I'd gotten by pigheaded stubbornness. I wasn't sure if Violet could be won over so easily.

"Are they for Violet?" Carlie asked. "She's in her office."

"Is it okay to go back there?"

Carlie didn't answer. I was a bit worried. Last time I'd gone into Violet’s office, she'd thrown a boot at me. That was when Alex had appeared.

I went behind the bar and into the storeroom. I figured it'd be better to knock on the office door than just barge in. I didn't want to walk in if she was sleeping.

"Come in," Violet called in a weary voice. She worked far too hard. She put her heart and soul into her job, that's for sure. When I saw her like that, I just wanted to wrap her in my arms.

I walked in, ready to give her the roses and leave her to it.

"What's up?" she asked.

That's when I noticed the bunch of flowers. A huge bunch of flowers. Massive. And not just roses but all kinds, done in some fancy arrangement. She'd put them in the corner behind the sofa but they stood out, and the smell filled the dingy office worse than that flower shop had been even. No prizes for guessing where those fancy flowers came from. I looked down at the bunch in my arms, already wilting from the heat. I had no idea how to deal with flowers.

"Not much," I gulped. "Just wanting to check the roster."

She sighed. "Hell, Razer. Remember, I told you about the Internet? Learn to use it."

I nodded. This was not going nearly as well as I'd imagined it. She barely looked up at me. If she'd have looked at me, it would've been a whole lot easier.

I glanced at the flowers in the corner again, then at the bunch in my hand.

"Are those for me?" she snapped.

I shook my head. "They're for my mum. It's her birthday," I said.

"If that's all, you can leave."