"Give them back. They're imported chocolates. From Switzerland."
The old lady just laughed and hugged the box to her chest. I would not lower myself to fight with an old biddy like that.
I walked away with my head held high but my heart felt heavy.
Chapter 13 RAZER
I'D SEEN THE LOOKS Violet gave slime ball Alex. I wasn't blind. But that didn't kill the hope in me. The hope in me was strong. She might be distracted by his pretty face and his tight leather pants but those things were temporary. That guy had something wrong with him, anyone could tell that. Well, anyone who wasn't distracted by his sexual charms, that's for sure.
He had the sex appeal, even I couldn't deny that, but I was playing the long game. I'd set my sights on Violet when I first met her but she was a feisty one with a whole heap of issues, and that took time. I'm not a man who liked being patient but she was worth waiting for. And, if that sleaze screwed with her, I'd be the first in line to kick his head in.
Meanwhile, we had a ton of rehearsing to do. I meant to win this competition and prove my mettle. If I waited for Violet to wear down and agree to it, we wouldn’t have enough rehearsal time. We had to start now so we could spring into action as soon as she said yes. This would be one sweet victory. But there was no victory without the music.
I'd already started planning my date with Violet. I'd have one shot and it had to hit the target. No mucking around with the small stuff. I'd give her the best of everything even if I had to break the bank to do it. Sure, she hadn't actually agreed to the date part of the competition but that was only a matter of time. It wasn't like I assumed it meant sex or even fooling around. It meant that I'd have a few hours of uninterrupted Violet time. Time where she could enjoy herself instead of stressing about work.
Still, I needed to clear my mind of that while we warmed up.
Bill, our bass player was running late. Domestic problems again. It gave me a chance to talk to Dazza about drumming for Alex.
It might seem stupid to some, offering my drummer to him. After all, he was my rival, but good drummers are hard to find. If we had this competition, I’d win it fair and square, I didn't want anyone saying it was because Alex was new in town and had trouble putting a band together. I could be the bigger man.
The other side to it was that Dazza had no work outside the band. He was struggling, that's for sure. He didn't have it in him to hold down a regular job. All he could do was drum. If he played with Alex as well, the extra cash would help him out.
Dazza had seemed keen when I asked him, which was a relief because I'd thought he might get his back up over it. Drummers can be temperamental bitches sometimes even when you're trying to help them.
Even though he’d already agreed to it, I wanted to make double sure he was okay with everything.
"Hell yeah, it's fantastic. It's not like I've got anything else to do with my time. A few extra gigs a month and I might be able to afford something fancy to eat. Like that cup ramen with the three different flavor sachets instead of just one."
"Dream big, my man, dream big."
Dazza grinned and went back to setting up his drum kit. We were ready to start when Bill rocked in.
"So," he asked, "what's with this competition? You get a date with Violet but what's in it for me and Dazza? Do we get to date her too or do we just watch?"
I'd have killed him for that "just watch" comment and all it implied but I'd been mates with Bill long enough to know that he'd squeal like a little bitch before he'd actually watch anything going on between Violet and me. Even holding hands would make him squirm.
"You get the glory, mate. The wonderful, glowing rock glory."
"I can't eat glory," said Dazza.
"Well, there'll probably be a wad of cash from the door takings too. Double for you even."
Dazza rubbed his hands together. "I'm going to buy me a meat pie. A chunky beef meat pie. Oh, that will be a great day in the life of Dazza. Protein and carbs in one tasty package."
"Mate, I'll buy you a meat pie after rehearsal if it means that much to you."
Dazza's eyes lit up. "Really? You’re the best, Razer. Totally the best."
"It'll take more than a meat pie to buy me off," said Bill. "I mean, he gets meat pies, you get the girl and I get nothing."
"Groupies is what you'll get. Free-flowing pussy. You'll be screwing until your dick drops off."
"Yeah, I can get behind that," Bill replied.
"Behind it, on top of it, under it..." Dazza giggle like a schoolboy.
"But no one will be getting nothing unless we start rehearsing, so less talk, more music."