head. “You mean to tell me you don’t think she nailed it?”
Garrett elbows him and laughs. “Crew doesn’t want to lose his job.”
“Fuck off,” I say.
Liam motions to the woman. “I’m serious, guys. Half our songs have parts that would sound better sung by a woman.”
He doesn’t look at me when he says it. He knows better. I can’t believe he’s bringing this shit up again, but he does every so often to test the waters.
“The songs are good as they are,” I say, walking away.
“Crew, just think about it,” he says. “We need a female singer. You know it, and I know it.”
I turn around. “I’m not having this conversation again.”
I go backstage and stomp down the hallway, only to bump into the woman who was just onstage.
“Oof!” she says when we collide. “Sorry.” It looks as if she recognizes me. She holds out a hand. “Chris, uh, Crew … sorry, I’m not sure what to call you. I’m Bria.”
We shake, but my bandmates appear before I can respond.
“That was some amazing shit you just sang,” Liam says.
Bria turns bright red. “Oh, gosh. You heard that?”
“We did,” he says. “And we’re damn flattered you know our music.”
“I didn’t,” she says. “Not until the other day when I heard you. I looked you up that night.” She looks at us one at a time. “Liam Campbell, lead guitarist. Garrett Young, drums. Brad Templeton, bassist who recently joined the band. And Chris Rewey, lead singer, sometime keyboardist, sometime backup guitarist. You’re really good. I’m Bria Cash.”
“He goes by Crew,” Garrett says, stepping in front of me. “I don’t need a bullshit nickname. You can call me Garrett.”
Garrett never met a girl he wasn’t interested in. I feel something unexpected in my gut, watching him chat her up. Nothing big, just a twinge. I don’t like the way he’s looking at her. Like maybe he’s going to make her his next conquest. And for a reason I can’t explain—that doesn’t sit well with me.
Liam and Brad talk to her too. They’re drooling over her—or her voice anyway. I give them a look. They ignore me.
“You want to join us for a bite to eat before the show?” Liam asks.
I kick him. She notices.
“No thanks. I’ve got plans with my boyfriend.”
“We’ll catch you later then,” I say and pull the guys to the door.
“You didn’t have to be so goddamn rude,” Garrett says. “We asked her to go to lunch, not have an orgy.”
“Let’s go. We need to be back in an hour before it starts getting crazy around here.”
We leave our gear and go out the back door of the arena to Liam’s van, or more precisely, Liam’s uncle’s van. He owns a car dealership in Stamford. He’s also the mayor and the reason we got this gig. He has a lot of political connections. He’ll be running for governor in the next election.
No way could we have landed this contract without him. Four shows—that’s almost unheard of. We owe him big time, much to Liam’s dismay.
Liam pats his jeans pockets. “Damn. Forgot the keys. Be back in a sec.”
When he returns, Bria Cash is with him. I raise my brows.
“She got stood up,” he says. “She’s coming with us.”
Bria’s eyes meet the ground. “I didn’t get stood up. He’s just busy, that’s all. He has to prepare for tonight.”
“You guys won’t believe who her boyfriend is,” Liam says. “Adam fucking Stuart.”
My eyes snap to hers. “You’re dating Adam Stuart?”
She nods.
“As in he’s your boyfriend, and you’re his girlfriend?”
Garrett elbows me. “What’s your problem, man?”
“Sorry. It’s just … nothing.”
She eyes me suspiciously. She probably wonders if I think he’s too good for her or something, but in the five seconds I’ve known her, I can tell it’s quite the opposite. I contemplate telling her what I heard those groupies saying the other night. Then again, she’d have no reason to believe anything I say.
We pile into the van and drive down the street.
“This place okay?” Liam asks when he sees a diner.
“As long as it’s less than ten bucks a plate, I’m in,” Brad says. “My bank account is running on fumes.”
“How about you, Bria?” Liam says. “You good with this?”
“It looks fine.” She glances at Brad. “Not that I’m complaining about the diner, but didn’t you guys just get your big break? Don’t you have money coming out of your ears?”
Garrett laughs as we get out of the van. “Don’t you know how this works?”