evening flew by, and during my second break, I didn’t have time to check my phone because so many people in the bar wanted to come up to me and talk. Since part of the gig was to keep them entertained, I couldn’t turn them away, and by the time the time we were finished, the owner approached us.
“We’d love to keep The Messengers on rotation. That okay with you boys?” he asked.
Maverick looked at us and we all gave our nods of approval. Even though he was the one who spoke for us, he still asked our opinions before doing so, which we all appreciated. It showed he respected us as members of the band and that our views mattered. But we rarely turned down a gig. The money helped pay our bills and spread our name. If we ever did so, it was because we were all in agreement that the vibe didn’t suit our brand, and it was something we discussed with Shapiro to let them tell the bar no.
“You’d have to talk with our manager, but if they don’t have any issue with it, neither do we.”
We shook hands with the owner, then finished packing up our stuff before heading out. I could feel Maverick’s questioning eyes on me as we walked, and I took a deep breath and turned to face him. I needed to give him something, then I could hopefully put all his doubts about me to rest.
“It’s Foster.” I might’ve been speaking to Maverick, but I spoke loud enough for the rest of the guys to hear.
“What is?” Maverick asked.
“The bartender at Clancy’s?” He nodded. “We’re…seeing each other.”
Under the streetlamp I could see his eyebrows shoot up and nearly get lost in his graying hair. “Ah, I see.”
I could feel Baylor and Weston’s eyes boring into my back. “It’s new. Very new.”
“Well, I hope it works out for you guys,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder with his hand. “From the little time I’ve spent with him, he seems like a good man.”
“He is,” I agreed.
“Is that where your mind was tonight during the first set?”
“And second,” I admitted.
“I see. Well, whatever happened between the two, keep it up. Because once you got your head back in the game, that was the best I’ve ever heard you play.”
I couldn’t hold back the wicked grin that stretched my lips. “I intend to.”
And I did…as long as Foster would let me.
Saturday was becoming my favorite night of the week. Not because it was the weekend and I wasn’t at the garage, but it was our designated slot to play at Clancy’s. And while I was anxious to see Foster work the bar, I was also curious to see how difficult it’d be to stay focused. He’d already proved to be my greatest distraction just by thinking about him, so how would it be when we were in the same room?
After my flirty text, I had checked my phone to see he’d responded with wanting the same. And as the days progressed, the exchanges between us became more heated until I was practically coming in my pants over a text message. Saturday couldn’t come soon enough, and hopefully we could steal away to the break room in between sets. Otherwise, my patience would be tried and my control tested to see how long I could go without putting my hands—and lips—on him.
As soon as I stepped through the door of Clancy’s, I could feel Foster before I even laid eyes on him. I was instantly aware of his nearness. He was behind the bar, talking animatedly to Mina as they stacked glasses and did whatever inventory they needed before opening. But as if sensing I was in the room, he turned his head and our eyes collided.
His lips turned up in the corners as he walked toward the end of the bar closest to me, and I felt my own feet moving as I gravitated to him.
“Hey, I hope you guys have a good show tonight.”
“Thanks. Do you think you can time your break around the same time as one of mine?” I asked.
Foster looked over his shoulder where Mina was hovering nearby. She was busy checking the bottles, but from the way her lips quirked, I knew she heard my question.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Foster answered me.
“Great. I better go get ready. I’ll talk to you when I can.”
Then, not giving a damn who was watching, I snaked a hand around