“What’s your name beautiful?” he asks her. A chair is brought out on stage from one of the backstage crew.
She fans herself and speaks into the microphone. “Aileen.”
“Aileen. Pretty name. Why don’t you take a seat right here,” he says, helping her sit down. He whispers something in her ear, and she blushes like crazy. On the count of three we start to sing ‘Lay You Down’, one of our newer songs. Ryder sings the song to the girl like he wrote it for her, when I know for a fact he didn’t, because it was me who wrote this one. She swoons as Ryder does a little grinding and thrusting movement with his hips. He’s basically f**king the air.
The crowd goes wild.
Good thing Lexi isn’t here.
The song comes to an end and I look into the audience, smiling at the ‘Marry Me Saxon’ sign someone is holding. Aileen gets escorted back to her spot, and we go into the next song ‘Timeless’.
I think of Tee and wonder what she’s doing right now. Maybe one day she could come on tour with me.
Wishful thinking.
I concentrate on drumming and the music, pushing away all other thoughts.
But in the back of my mind—she somehow always lingers.
Chapter Seven
Tenielle
I leave work in a not so great mood and drive straight to my usual watering hole, Knox’s Tavern. Hot guys, drama, and good music—what’s not to like about the place? I sit down at the bar and wait for Ryan to notice me. When he does, he comes right over, face smiling.
“Long time no see,” he says. “We’ve been going broke without your business.”
I smirk. “Oh come on, I don’t drink that much.”
“Sure you don’t. So what can I get you?”
“Three tequila shots and a beer please,” I tell him in all seriousness.
He bursts out laughing.
“What? I’ve had a bad day,” I grumble, narrowing my eyes on him.
“How about we start with just a beer?” he says, grabbing one out of the fridge.
“Why do I come here at all?” I ask dramatically, raising my voice.
“Because every time you get drunk off your ass we put you in a taxi and drop off your car,” Reid says as he appears from the back.
I roll my eyes at him. “That happened like… twice.”
“Seven times,” Reid and Ryan say at the same time.
“Not that you’re counting or anything right?” I reply, giggling at them. “Should we make it an even eight?” I lean closer to them over the counter. “I drove the beast here. She’s gorgeous.”
“The beast?” Reid asks, sharing a curious look with his brother.
“Ryder’s car,” I explain. “You know, my famous rock star cousin. Not that I’m name dropping or anything.”
Okay, so I totally am.
The twins go out to stare at my borrowed car so I help myself to a bottle of tequila and a shot glass. I manage two shots before they walk back in.
“That’s a f**king sexy car,” one of them says from behind me.
I turn to look at them and smile. Ryan spots the bottle and sighs, taking it from me and putting it back behind the bar.
“Rock, paper, scissors,” he calls out to Reid.
“For what?” I ask, confused.
“For whoever has to deal with you tonight,” Ryan replies.
They play their game, and Reid wins, smirking. He waves at us then walks right out of the bar.
“Is he coming back?” I ask after a few seconds, staring at the door where he exited.
“Nope. Lucky bastard,” he replies but looks amused while he says it.
“I’m not that bad. Where’s Tag? I know he loves me,” I say, lifting the beer to my lips and taking a sip.
“Tag loves you alright,” he says, laughing. “He just stares at your boobs all night.”
I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “So? I stare at his ass all night so we’re even.”
“Like I needed to know that,” Ryan replies in a dry tone.
“How’s Taiya?” I ask him, referring to his stunning wife. A woman of mixed heritage like me, the two of us get on like white on rice.
“She’s good. And no you can’t take her out with you again.”
I pout. “Hey it’s not my fault she can’t handle her liquor.”
“You made her enter a beer funnelling competition with you!” he says, giving me a wide-eyed look.
I sigh heavily. “You do something once and people bring it up for the rest of your life. You should be glad it wasn’t the wet t-shirt competition that we entered. I wanted to do that one too.”
He scrubs a hand down his face and gives me a ‘what the hell am I going to do with you’ look.
“How are you a lawyer?” he asks, shaking his head in exasperation.
“How did you ever get a woman as good as Taiya?” I counter. I know it doesn’t have anything to do with anything, but it was all I could think of.
“I’m good looking,” he points out.
“Yeah, well so am I,” I reply.
We both start laughing.
And that’s why I love this bar.
*****
I’m onto my third beer and fifth tequila shot when a guy I’d seen checking me out decides to make his move. He sits down next to me and tries to get my attention. Tag, who arrived for his shift over an hour ago, grins wolfishly as he sees the man leaning towards me.