I hurried up the dark alley, looking over my shoulder with every sharp click of my low-heeled boots on the concrete. It had been awhile since I’d been a flagrant trespasser.
Technically, I wasn’t trespassing now either. This wasn’t the first time I’d visited a venue after hours. It didn’t really count as trespassing if you had a pass to get you in, did it? Doubtful. But I’d definitely sneaked out to Purgatory.
Not the actual realm between heaven and hell. I wasn’t sure where to find that particular portal and wasn’t in any hurry to know if that would be my ultimate fate.
Certainly not for my current transgression.
It wasn’t as if I’d hidden behind trees and Dumpsters as I ran down the sidewalk or anything. No, I’d taken a perfectly respectable Uber crosstown to the club where my band would be performing tonight.
The driver had let me off down the street and I’d taken my time passing by a few interesting storefronts. At this time of night, it probably wasn’t wise. I’d gotten too used to being shadowed by Noah Jordan, my bodyguard.
But I hadn’t even needed to duck my bodyguard detail, since those restrictions eased slightly when we weren’t traveling from show to show. Though I would have ducked, if said bodyguard had been, well, guarding my body.
A metaphor for sure, since Noah had no use for it other than making sure I stayed in one piece.
We were just coming back from a couple of weeks off. Starting tomorrow night, my life would get locked down even more. We’d been asked to curtail our extracurricular activities during this “troubling” time for Ripper Records—our manager Lila Crandall’s phrase, not mine.
That wasn’t much of an issue for me, since I was single and had been since….
Okay, yeah, not going back that far. My ex Pat was part of the distant past, and I didn’t have time for trips down memory lane. I was coping okay with singledom.
Over the past few years, I’d even managed to go on some dates. I’d let friends set me up a couple times. Right before I’d gotten the Brooklyn Dawn gig, I’d even tried Tinder.
But I hadn’t slept with anyone since Pat. Maybe I was destined to be alone forever. God knows my fruitless crush on Noah hadn’t gone anywhere. I’d channeled halfhearted energy into getting him to notice me. He had not. So, I’d moved on.
Clearly, I didn’t know how to do relationships right. I definitely didn’t trust my choices. And somehow, even though it had been a couple of years since my ex, I still felt…stuck.
At least my adult toy collection was currently at its peak, both in quantity and quality. If I kept it up, I’d probably achieve that All-Star membership with my online shop of choice like my high school friend Elle, though to me she would always be Ricki.
Hey, a girl had to have goals.
I bumped into a trash receptacle and had to slap a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. Guess I was more spooked than I’d realized. Then again, it was freaking late.
Quickly, I used my laminated access pass at the side entrance. The door was almost indistinguishable from the wall surrounding it. When the security light glowed green, I slipped inside and leaned back against the door, my heart beating way too hard.
I shuddered and wiped my sweaty palm on my night creeper-style black pants. For heaven’s sake, I hadn’t done anything illegal. I had a pass, and I was one of the performers tonight. I’d done this before at venues we’d played at, although it had been a while. But I was starting to remodel my place, and I’d temporarily put most of my instruments in storage. My stage piano was here, unused. So, why not?
This whole adventure was just proof that I was not cut out to be a bad girl. How had I managed to join one of the most successful rock bands in the entire world?
A question for the ages.
If I’d been smart, I would’ve been home in bed, pretending to sleep. Toy time optional.
Maybe I should try melatonin again, weird dreams and all. That had to be better than burning off excess energy by playing alone in shadowy clubs.
The security lights near the ceiling provided the only illumination. A hush had fallen over the place that didn’t entirely seem natural, as if all the loud music and sounds of talking and laughter had been cut off like a cord pulled from an amp.