Jeremy pops his head in. “Bruce has everything set up, and the sound check is complete. You’re good to go.”
I pour shots for the five of us, and we gather in a circle. “Ronni, can you give us a minute?”
She hesitates then spins on her stilettos and walks out the door.
“We need to put on our best performance. None of us are happy about how Ronni goes about things, but she’s right. People have to think we’re something more than we are. Let’s go show them. On three.”
“Let’s get reckless!” we shout, clink our glasses together, and down our shots.
I let the others leave while discreetly holding Bria back. “Earlier, when you saw Ronni in my lap? Garrett threw a drumstick. She fell on me while dodging it.”
“I didn’t ask,” she says.
“I know, but I just wanted you to know.” I cage her to the wall and rub a lock of her hair between my fingers. “You’re beautiful.”
She smiles, eyes sparkling and cheeks glowing.
I lean close and whisper, “You’re sexy, too.” She pushes against me, and my dick twitches. I step back. “I’m not about to go out there in front of five hundred people with a boner.”
She grabs my hand. “Come on, Chris Rewey, let’s go rock this place.”
For the next two hours, we rock the shit out of it. Bria and I put on a show like no other, and when I look at her, I see her.
Everyone in the club is on their feet, crowding the stage. The five of us are all smiles. Bria and I feed off each other, getting better as the show goes on. This is more exciting than opening for White Poison. The crowd there might have been fifty times bigger, but we weren’t headlining. It’s just us here. Reckless Alibi. We’re making a name for ourselves, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
When we leave the stage, people chant for us to come back. Rarely do we play encores in clubs or bars, but they’re begging for more.
Jeremy finds us. “Can you hear that? Want me to tell the sound guys you’re going back for another?”
“Ronni didn’t include an encore song on the play list,” Liam says.
Bria and I look at each other. “‘On That Stage’,” we say in sync.
“Hell yeah,” Garrett says.
We run back out. The crowd goes crazy.
I cross to the mic. They get quiet. “Here’s one I think you’ll like. It’s a personal favorite.”
Ronni’s at the end of the bar, talking to the manager. She doesn’t look happy. She hates it when we play this one. Although Bria and I write all new material together, this song is clearly about us, and no matter how many times I’ve told Ronni we’re together, she can’t seem to accept it.
Garrett counts us off. Bria and I gaze at each other when Liam and Brad start to play. The first verse is hers. She sings it to me like she always does. Mine is next. I walk around behind her, and she dances while I sing. She shoves me in the chest during the third verse. I love it when she touches me onstage, and she knows it.
The song ends to thunderous applause. Bria runs over and jumps in my arms. I put down our mics and kiss her.
“We nailed it,” I say.
We run offstage. Ronni is waiting, and she’s pissed. “Do not kiss her onstage.”
“Oh, relax,” I say. “We were a little excited. The crowd was great, don’t you think?”
Ronni steps closer, flames of anger simmering in her eyes. “Don’t do it again. Ever.”
“Don’t you get it?” Bria says. “She thinks you’ll be more desirable if the ladies think you’re single.”
I give Ronni the stink eye. “I’m not single.”
“I don’t see a ring on that finger,” Ronni says. She cuts between Bria and me. “Until you’re so famous that your image doesn’t matter, you’ll leave the decisions to me. Now come with me. There are people you need to meet.” She looks over my shoulder. “Jeremy, please make sure the rest of them mingle.”
“Just me?” I ask as she escorts me to the VIP section on the upper floor.
“The others will meet them too, but I think one at a time is best. That way, they’ll get to know each one of you.”
“Who is they?”
“Entrepreneurs, restaurant owners, radio execs—there’s even a film producer here. I made the rounds during your show. They’re all eager to meet you. I expect you to be on