Tonight’s a double whammy of awesomeness because this a rare Saturday night show for Ataxia at The Blackout. They usually headline the club on Sunday nights, but tonight they’re opening for a bigger band that has drawn an insanely huge crowd.
Backstage is exactly how I imagined it’d be. Band members throw back beers, talk too loud, and curse even louder. Groupies are staggered throughout the room in their micro-minis and five-inch heels. All of it screams rock-n-roll and promises a night to remember.
“Seriously, Eve, this is so fuckin’ cool.” Ryder’s eyes dance around the room, taking it all in as if he’s recording it to be stored in the I’ll-Never-Forget-This-Night file.
“Hey, don’t thank me.” I nod to Rex, who’s sitting on the couch across the room, tuning his guitar. “He put you on as a roadie to get you back here.”
Ryder’s hold tightens for a quick couple seconds. My chest swells with warmth, and I look at Cameron, who has his eyes trained on his son in a sweet, but still glary, stare.
Cameron motions across the room with a chin lift. “Might want to go ask the guys about settin’ up, Ry.”
“Yeah, totally.” He grins down at me and then his dad before he lets me go and heads over to Rex.
Another arm drops to my shoulders, this one bigger and familiar. It’s been only a week since we outed our relationship status, and things have been pretty good. Being jobless has freed up a lot of my time. Days I spend figuring out what I want to do with my life, and my nights are spent with Cameron.
I had to take a substantial loan from Raven, which I fought like crazy to avoid, but when I laid out all my options, I couldn’t turn down what she was offering. She inherited a ton of money from her dill-hole dad and has sworn to give every bit of it away to help others get on their feet. I swear I’m going to pay her back. She swears she won’t accept a dime.
“He’s in heaven.” Cameron watches as Rex gives Ryder the rundown for setting up and breaking down their equipment.
“I’m glad.” I tilt my head back to see his face. “You only turn eighteen once.”
Cameron’s jaw gets hard, but this time I expect it. There’ve been a few times that Ryder’s birthday has come up, and every time seems to get a negative reaction out of both men. I want to ask, but I also want him to volunteer the information when he’s comfortable sharing. Ryder’s actual birthday isn’t for another few days, and this little impromptu gift couldn’t have come at a better time.
“We should go find somewhere to sit. The place is filling up fast.” I don’t want to interrupt so we slide from the room without saying bye and head out into the crowded club.
Cameron tucks me to his side. The bar is already packed. We squeeze through the multitude of people to get to the tables that run along the standing-room-only section near center stage. Once we emerge from the crowd, we spot Blake, Layla, Mason, and another guy who looks familiar at two high-top tables that they’ve pushed together.
“Room for two more?” I hug Layla and playfully shove Blake, who’s built like a damn tank, so isn’t affected at all.
Layla gives me a sad smile. “I wish Ataxia would play somewhere else. I hate it here.” She speaks softly enough for only me to hear.
“I know it’s hard.” I give her another hug, wishing like hell it would be enough to wipe that sad look off her face.
She’s been so worried about her friend Mac, who was a bartender here and suddenly disappeared. She left a note saying it was time for her to move on, but Layla thinks there’s something more going on. I don’t blame her. I could never skip town without at least saying goodbye to Raven. Although Layla and Mac weren’t as close as Raven and I, my gut sours at the thought of going through what Layla’s going through. Being left behind without so much as a goodbye is the worst kind of rejection.
Feeling eyes on me, I look up to a scowling Mason. “Mase.”
He nods toward me in recognition. Polite, but I know he’s figured things out. He may look like nothing more than a perfect body with a tan and a smile, but the guy’s no idiot.
Cameron squeezes my hand and gets my eyes. He leans down and drops a kiss on my jaw. “Don’t worry, babe. He’ll get over it.”
I nod and he pulls back.
“Wade, I didn’t know you ever left the gym.” Cameron addresses the other guy at the table before he flags down a waitress.
“Thought I’d get out and see what all the fuss is about.” He takes a swig of his beer and jerks his head toward Blake. “And this fucker wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Bull crap, man. Ever since you moved to Vegas, you’ve been dying to weasel into my old stomping ground and pick up where I left off.”
“Well, that shouldn’t be hard to do.” Layla’s voice and expression is all fake sugar and acid. “Figure he plays Eeny Meeny Miney Mo and he’s got a ninety-nine percent chance of nabbing a chick who you’ve seen naked.”