I tap my hand on his head like a dog and he rises to his feet. “Thank you.” His eyes are so appreciative and grateful; he’d manipulate me to do anything in this moment.
“You’re welcome. So can you please get out so I can get ready?” I shoo him from the room and he laughs.
Right as he reaches the door, he flips around. “Like the Brazilian thing going on.” He points at me and my heart stops beating for a second.
“Get out, Rob, before I change my mind.” I seethe through my teeth. His head rears back in laughter and he shuts the door.
My head flips down and then back up.
He’s assuming, right? No way that he had seen under the towel.
Heat travels up my neck, seeping into my cheeks and I’m sure I’m as red as a stop sign right now.
I SPOT THE vacant booth and sigh. None of the girls could make it tonight, all with legit reasons, but standing on this stage, trying to memorize the songs Rob and I have been working on for five straight hours while they move the instruments in, frazzles my nerves. As it is, a friend of Rob’s is now substituting Dex’s position as the bass player.
“You holding up?” Rob asks, chuckling to himself while he carries a drum to the stage.
“Why didn’t you cancel? It’s like The Invisibles with their misfits.” I place the sheet of paper down and throw my head in my hands. I’ll be lucky if I correctly sing the lyrics to one of these songs tonight.
“We were going to.” He plops down on the edge of the stage with me. His eyes light up with delight. “Until I heard you sing.” He raises his eyebrows up and down a few times.
“You mean eavesdropped?” I clarify and he leans back on his hands, a smile in place.
“Potato . . . potatoes. Same outcome.” He shrugs his shoulders and peers out to the empty booth. “Sorry about the girls,” he comments, never turning toward me.
When Roni, the usual waitress, casts a glance to him, he motions her over.
“Usual, Rob?” she asks, not taking out her notepad or pen.
“Please, Roni. Make it two.” He tosses his head my way and she peers over to me and then leers back to him before her sight returns to me.
“Is that what you want?” she questions me, and I laugh at her straightforwardness, disregarding Rob.
My eyes veer to Rob and then back to her. “It’s fine.” I tilt my head in an affectionate manner and she nods sidling up to her next customer.
“She’s always busting my balls. I’ll be right back.” His hand squeezes my shoulder as he lifts himself up and I take a deep breath from the contact. I’ve got to grab a hold of my emotions. Especially since we have the love ballad Brady wrote for Sadie to sing tonight. When Rob brought it up, I fought that we shouldn’t sing it, saying no one else should, but Brady added that it’s the most popular song right now and it’s a must on the list. Sadie seemed indifferent, so here I am preparing to sing side by side in some duet with Rob. That should help us stay in the friend zone—not.
“I’m Roni by the way.” The cute blonde comes over. She’s probably in her thirties and I notice her diamond ring sparkling under the lights.
“Paige.” She places the drinks on the stage and then smiles over to me.
“I think he likes you.” She eyes Rob helping Trey set up the drums and then back to me.
I’m mute because how am I supposed to respond to that? I hope he does, but I’m not completely sure. Even if he is, I’m afraid it’s only my body he wants. “I’m not into the whole one-night thing,” I admit and her hand lands on my knee with her tray tucked under arm.
“Rob’s been coming in here for years and believe me, it’s more than that.” She winks and drifts over to the next table.
I stare down at the shot glasses filled with what I assume is Yeager alongside a bottle of Heineken. As though he heard the glasses hit the wood, he sits down next to me and picks up a shot glass. “This is for the nerves.” He clicks his glass with mine and I follow him in downing it. I cringe when the burn of the alcohol coats my throat. Before I have a chance to place my shot glass back down, he thrusts a beer in my face. “This is to keep the nerves numb.” He tips his beer back, eyeing me over the green bottle for me to do the same.
I’m not a beer person, but no way am I turning down Rob’s kind gesture. “I don’t know if I can do this.” I speak truthfully, although Rob’s been inundated with my insecure worries for the past five hours.
“Yes you can.” He doesn’t go overboard on the compliments at all.
“What if I forget a line?” I cross my legs and swivel to face him.
He leans back on one arm, turning his chest to me. The stretch of his muscles arouses me and I wonder what those arms would feel like around me. His blue eyes swim with mine and they give me a belief in myself that I can do this. “I’ll be your savior.” His sly grin comes back into place.
I place my hand over my heart, “Oh my, will you ride in on your white horse, too?” I impersonate my best Southern accent and he rolls his eyes.
“If you’d prefer, I’ll let you sink.” He moves to get up, but I quickly lean forward and yank him down.
“I’m kidding. It’s a defense mechanism.” I divulge before he leaves me. His presence soothes me and I need that until the final second.
He drops back down with a thud and then lifts his ass to rub it. “Shit, you’re stronger than you look.”
“Sorry.” I raise my shoulders, sinking my head in between them.
“Yeah, right.” He takes a long draw from his beer and then Trey and the new bass player, Calen, join us. We move over to the booth and Roni delivers another round of drinks.
Before she leaves after the second time, I gently grab her elbow. “Can I have a water?” I ask and she nods.
“Water?” Rob asks, peering over to me. Trey has his phone out texting like crazy and Calen is eyeing all the girls purposely strutting past our table to see The Invisibles play.
“Yeah, you do want them to understand me, right?” I speak slowly for dramatic effect and he inches closer.
“I was just trying to get you drunk so I could take advantage of you.” His arm moves around my shoulders, resting on the back of the booth. There was something different in his banter tonight until now. He wasn’t cocky or arrogant, just simply a friend. The change I see in him only intrigues me more.
I swallow deep and my eyes ping across the bar, but never to Rob. His finger lazily moves on my bare shoulder and I try to not reveal the blaze that’s running through my veins or the increased beat of my heart. I can sense his vision focused right at the side of my head, but I refuse to turn around because I’m fairly certain if I do, my lips will connect with his. My willpower has been draining all day, but this move might be my complete undoing. I’ll cave if I gaze into those crystal-blue eyes. The only thing that keeps me denying him is the nightmare so many women wake up to after a night with my dad—a bed to themselves.
Trey claps his hands and I’m thankful for the reprieve of Rob’s hand on my skin. “Time!” he yells and flies out of the booth, jumping on stage.
Calen does the same, winking at a few girls in the front row. We step out of the booth, my stomach full of butterflies from the excitement and the fear. I rub my sweaty palms along my black leather pants just as Roni hands me my water.
The chill of the bottle cools down the heat in my body that Rob provoked. Roni places her hand on my arm and I shock back, alarmed from the contact. “You’ll do great. You’re smokin’ hot. These guys will eat you up whether you can sing or not.” One side of her lip turns up and then she weaves through the crowd.
When I flip around, I close my eyes and my free hand covers my stomach trying to calm the flutter down. Mustering up the confidence to perform tonight, I open my eyes and Rob’s perched on the stage with his hand out, waiting to help me up. My heart warms with his act of kindness. I break our distance, grab hold of his hand and step up on the stage. “Thanks,” I murmur and he winks a blue eye at me.