“Sure, but you were wrong about that. All it did was upset you, and you’re wrong about this.”
“Don’t push me right now. I’ll consider doing a solo, just not tonight.”
“The rep from RCA is here.” It had to be tonight. Last-ditch effort by me. Maybe if I put Lace at center stage, I could change the rep’s mind about her.
“I haven’t even practiced that number yet.”
“How about if we do it together? Like we did the first time we sang in the garage.”
“That’s a good memory.” She smiled softly, and I pressed my advantage.
“You were so beautiful.” I lowered my voice and my head, warming her soft skin with my breath before I touched my lips to it.
“Were?” she whispered, forgetting to argue as she twisted her neck so more of it was exposed.
I traced her taut tendon with the tip of my tongue.
“Oh, War.” Shuddering, she moaned, and I felt it in my dick. “That feels so good.”
“You taste so good.” Like everything I ever wanted, only dipped in vanilla.
She slathered herself in lotion with that scent, smudged it on the sound equipment. One whiff while moving an amp tonight had made me hard. Her tits to my chest, her taste on my tongue, I was fully extended now.
A knock on the door made her jump.
Opening it, Bryan stuck his head inside. He frowned, seeming to disapprove of how close we were standing to each other. “Rep from RCA’s asking for you, man.”
“Fuck.” I pecked Lace’s lips, then narrowed my gaze at her. “Later. You are singing at center mic.”
“Okay.” She sighed, surrendering, and I had the thought that it was easier negotiating with A&R agents than it was talking her into doing what I wanted.
Even when what I wanted was for her own fucking good.
Lace
I let my fingers drift over the keys of the piano at my uncle’s place. The tinkling notes were light at first, then as I pounded, somber and more intense, the way I felt lately.
Since my mom’s death, since War had put me on the spot in front of the RCA rep.
The guy didn’t even like me, and his opinion hadn’t improved after I’d sung a ballad with War. He thought the guys should rage rock, and nothing else. I disagreed. I thought music should be more about putting into melodies and lyrics those things you didn’t know how to express or were too afraid to say.
But then again, what the hell did I know?
I was questioning everything.
My mother’s death was a big part of it. I hadn’t loved her, or so I told myself. But it hurt that she was gone. War didn’t understand. He hated his mother. But Bryan understood my conflicted emotions, and him being beside me at her grave and listening to me meant a lot. He got that all my life, I’d wanted to prove to her that I was worth something. That it was my fuel for my dream.
With that motivation yanked away, I felt untethered and unsure, and War had forced me onstage in that frame of mind. Weeks later, the rift it had created between us persisted, making me feel like I had to guard myself even more around him.
“Hey, that’s a pretty piece.” Bryan stepped inside the living room, my brother right behind him. “What is it?”
“Just me playing around.” I dropped my chin, and he slipped onto the piano bench beside me.
“Doesn’t sound like playing around. Sounds serious.”
“I’m heading upstairs to change,” Dizzy said. He always disappeared whenever I said something serious, especially lately. He was doing some processing of his own where our mother was concerned. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sure, man,” Bryan said, but he was looking straight at me and didn’t catch the warning glance my brother shot me.
Dizzy knew I had feelings for Bryan. He just didn’t know how deep. I kept that secret close, knowing he feared that if I unleashed my feelings, it might cause irreparable trouble in the group. I worried about that too.
“Did you and Diz have a good workout?” I asked, scooting a safer distance away from Bryan on the bench.
“Yeah. We wanna look good for those test shots the labels want to take of us without our shirts.”
The guys were leaving in a couple of days. LA first for RCA, then Zenith in San Fran.
I couldn’t go with them. I had tests to take, midterms that I still hadn’t studied for.