“Whatever,” I grumbled into my Crown.
After downing one glass, I asked for another. I took my fresh drink over to an empty table. Thankfully, the alcohol helped cool my libido and any more salacious thoughts about Allison. After a few more cover songs, Allison performed some of the original songs of Pink Magnolia, which from a musician’s standpoint weren’t that strong. I was thankful that this wasn’t Allison’s dream, and she had other talents to see her through. It was just before eleven when they wrapped up the set.
“Thank you all so, so much for your support. Have a great night!” Allison cried into the microphone. Craning my neck, I watched as she headed offstage. While she received kisses on the cheeks and hugs from some of the patrons, Allison kept her gaze on mine as she bobbed through the crowd toward me.
Breathless, she finally plopped down in the chair across from me. “So what did you think?” she asked, her dark eyes still dancing from the adrenaline high pumping in her veins.
I smiled. “You were amazing.”
Her brows shot up. “Really?”
“Come on, stop fishing for compliments.” When her brows creased slightly, I reached over to take her hand. “You’re good, Allison. I wouldn’t tell you that if it wasn’t true.”
A pink flush tinged her cheeks. “Thank you. Maybe I should invite Jake to the show.”
“Oh, I’m sure he would get a real kick out of your pole dancing on the microphone stand.” I couldn’t help laughing when she squealed and then covered her face with her hands.
“I would die…just die for Jake to see me like that,” came her muffled reply.
“You looked good up there.”
Peeking at me through her fingers, she asked, “Really?”
“Very kick-ass and very sexy,” I admitted.
When she removed her hands, she stared at me. “You really thought I was sexy?” she asked incredulously.
For reasons I didn’t understand, Allison genuinely cared about my opinion. “Of course I did. I would’ve been blind not to appreciate your microphone groping skills.” While I was being honest, she didn’t need to know everything, such as how she’d managed to get me hard. “You know, I wasn’t the only one either. Two chicks beside me had a lot to say about you.”
“They did?”
I nodded and leaned in closer to her. Lowering my voice as best I could over the booming house music, I said, “One was speculating on how good you would taste.” Allison once again squealed and covered her face. Her innocent response caused me to laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with having admirers.”
Pulling her hands away, she fanned her face. “I guess not, but I think it’s time to change the subject.”
“If you insist.”
Tilting her head, she asked, “So do you think Pink Magnolia could be opening for Jacob’s Ladder and Runaway Train soon?”
I laughed. “Not exactly.”
She giggled. “I didn’t think so. But in a way, I’m glad. It’s fun just doing it during the week, letting off some steam through the music. As far as ever really performing—” She wrinkled her nose. “That’s just not for me.”
“You are meant for bigger and better things in the world of fashion.”
“I sure hope so.”
An attractive girl with cropped black hair sat a fruity looking drink with an umbrella down in front of Allison. “Drink up, Sonny. You sure as hell earned it tonight. That Etheridge cover was out of this fucking world.”
“Thanks, Cassie.” Allison grinned as she picked up the drink. “I am feeling a little parched after all that singing.”
Glancing between the two of them, I teasingly said, “Wait a minute, she’s not twenty-one yet.”
Cassie’s dark eyes narrowed as she leaned in closer to me. “Yeah, well, you know what, pretty boy? I don’t give a fuck how old she is.”
I felt like I had to stand my ground with this chick who looked like she wanted to kick my ass at daring to question her. “The owner might. I’d hate to see you lose your liquor license.”
Both Cassie and Allison burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” I demanded.
“I am the owner,” Cassie replied.
Nodding, Allison said, “Rhys, this is my roommate I was telling you about, Cassie Broughton.”
My brows shot up in surprise. After all, Cassie didn’t look like she was much older than Allison, and here she owned a club. I threw out my hand. “Rhys McGowan. Nice meeting you.”
Pumping my hand, Cassie gave me a genuine smile. “Nice to see you again.”
“Again?” I questioned.
She nodded. “You probably don’t remember me, but our parents are friends. I think we were forced to attend some dinner parties together when we were teenagers. Knowing my mother, she probably tried desperately to get you to date me.” With a dramatic flair of her hand, she said, “It’s so unsettling to have your only daughter be a lesbian. One simply cannot spend every waking moment planning the society wedding of the year. Why you’d have to go up north with all those—” She lowered her voice. “undesirable liberal Yankees just to have a legal wedding.” Placing the back of her hand on her forehead, she gasped. “Heaven forbid.”
Suddenly, it hit me. I had met her before at party or two, and she’d been funny as hell. The much needed comic relief in the situation we found ourselves in. “Cassandra, right?”
Rolling her eyes, she huffed out a contentious breath. “Only society assholes call me that.”
I laughed. “Trust me, I have no love for our parents’ world.”
Cassie grinned. “I knew I was going to like you. Allison talks about you all the time.” She winked at me. “Nothing but good.”
With a strangled cry, Allison hurriedly corrected her. “The band. I talk about Jake and you guys.” She once again grabbed her fruity concoction and took two long pulls of it through the small straw.
An awkward silence fell over the table. Clearing her throat, Cassie leaned in on her elbows on the table. “So what do you think of my club?”
“It’s great,” I replied, enthusiastically. “How is it you came to own it?”
“My inheritance from my grandmother. It’s her house where Allison and I live.” A wistful smile graced Cassie’s face. “She was kind of a society rebel herself. You know the type—she drank and smoked when it wasn’t ladylike and cursed like a sailor. I like to think she would have approved of me buying an establishment that served hard drinks to people looking to engage in indecent acts.”
I chuckled at her summation of Saffie’s Tea Room. “Compared to a lot of clubs I’ve been in, this place seems pretty tame.”
“Trust me, it gets crazy on the weekends.”
My gaze flickered over to Allison. “Do you perform during these ‘crazy weekends’?”
A flush entered her cheeks. “We’ve done a set on Friday nights before, but mainly, it’s a DJ.”
Cassie snickered. “I like to keep Allison out of here on the weekends. It never fails that some drunk chick wants to convert her to bat for the other team.”
“So I’ve seen,” I replied, winking at Allison. Once again, Allison sputtered with mortification at mine and Cassie’s comments, and again I found it utterly endearing. She might’ve been twenty now, but in so many ways, she was still the innocent, naïve teenage girl I’d met so many years ago. Most of the girls and women I came in contact with were so worldly and stuck on themselves. Being with Allison was definitely a nice change.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to change the subject away from my alleged allure,” Allison said.
“Go right ahead, Sonny,” Cassie replied.