Strung Tight (The Road To Rocktoberfest #1) - Ann Lister Page 0,81

like this. We just needed to act responsible. Dagger would be pleased with us adulting like this and without any serious supervision. The guards were nearby but even they were partially off the clock at this point because we were locked in a private fenced-in area of the venue and away from the fans.

We hadn’t seen Dagger or Ryan in several hours. He mentioned something about having dinner with some of the promoters who arranged the Rocktoberfest concert every year and that he’d be somewhere off the venue’s property. I had no idea what that meant, but he’d said we could text him if we had a question or needed something.

A while later, Mike came up beside me with another plastic cup full of beer and handed it to me. “Having fun?” he asked me.

“This is such a fucking rush,” I said with a mile-wide grin plastered on my face.

“I still can’t believe that we’re here as a performing band,” Mike said, then he tapped his cup against the rim of mine to salute our accomplishment. “I know I gave you shit when you first met Dagger. I didn’t believe it happened at first, and then I definitely didn’t think Dagger’s intentions were solid, but I was so wrong about all of it. He’s been a fairy godmother to us for so many reasons, and we owe all of this to you for sticking out your neck and believing in us enough to push through your anxiety to make it happen.”

“Whoa, did you just admit you were wrong about something, and I was right?” I teased.

“Takes a real man to admit when he’s wrong, but don’t be expecting me to be throwing that around all the time now,” Mike said.

“No worries,” I said and rolled my eyes while I laughed. “I pretty much figured it was a one-time thing.” We shared a laugh and then I asked, “Are you hoping to get with Deuce?”

“You saw me talking to him?” Mike asked.

“I saw you hitting on him, yes,” I answered, and he chuckled.

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Mike said with a slight grin lifting one side of his lips, “and you can’t deny he’s hot as fuck.”

I nodded. “He’s good-looking,” I admitted. “I can see why you’d want to hook up with him.”

“His band is performing on Sunday,” Mike said.

“I hope we’ll get to see them on stage,” I added, and a lull fell in our conversation as we looked at the commotion going on around us.

“What about your guy?” Mike asked. “Did you finally hear from him?”

“Nothing,” I admitted, and that one word hurt more than I imagined. It literally made my heart ache. “I’m beginning to think that maybe what we had was all in my head.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it, Fletch.”

“I honestly don’t know anything when it comes to Dallas,” I said. “Maybe his father was right when he told me not to bother with him.”

“Why the fuck would his own father say something like that?” Mike asked.

“They don’t get along very well, but I’m also beginning to think Dallas has only told me part of his story about why he went to jail,” I said.

“He did time?”

“He shrugged it off as no big deal and made it sound like more of a wrong place-wrong time kind of thing,” I said. “After his disappearing act today, I think we need to have a longer conversation about what happened if we’re going to keep hanging out.”

“I’m certain once you two finally get a chance to talk, he’ll be able to explain everything,” Mike said. “In the meantime, I know I’m stating the obvious, but we have a significant show to perform, and you can’t allow him to get inside your head like this and kill your focus.”

“I know and I won’t,” I said. “We worked our asses off to get where we are, so from here on out, playing our set is my number-one priority.”

Mike draped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me up against his side. “That’s my boy.”

“I’m no one’s boy.”

“Figure of speech,” Mike said and laughed. “No need to get your knickers in a bunch, which is another figure of speech.”

“You’re a douche,” I laughed and pulled out of his grasp.

“Perhaps, but you love me anyway.”

Potter and Dixon walked up to us at the fire, and we exchanged fist bumps. “Are you two about ready to call it a night?” Potter asked us.

Mike glanced at his watch and announced, “It’s a little after one.