It doesn’t appear that Afton heard him, because he continues with exactly as much gusto in his voice as he started with. “There’s a party after the shows tonight. At Crave. A lot of the big-timers will be there. We got invited and I’d love for you to come as my date.”
Crave, Lick, what is it with Austin and their one-word verb-titled food places? There’s something to be said for getting straight to the point, I suppose.
I sigh and try to let him down easy. “Um, I don’t think I—”
“She’d love to,” my brother chimes in unexpectedly. Turning to me he grins like he’s giving me some great gift. “Dix, this will be such a great opportunity for you to meet other people in the business. Have a great time.” With a wink he turns and walks off with Mandy, leaving me to glare at his retreating figure. I told him to back off a little before we came to Austin and he thinks this is what I meant.
A quick glance at Gavin reveals that he isn’t quite as thrilled with this new development but isn’t going to do anything to prevent it from happening. His stare stays straight ahead as he calls something I can’t make out to my brother and makes his way toward the van. He didn’t say goodbye to me. Didn’t ask me if I needed a ride back to the hotel.
“Yeah, um, I guess I’ll see you after your show,” I say to Afton while simultaneously formulating a plan in my head.
“Cool.” Afton smiles and I almost feel guilty. But it’s not like it’s a date, it’s just an after party and I’m not using him for his connections. I couldn’t care less about that, which my brother would be sorely disappointed to know. “I’ll pick you up at your hotel around eleven. I’ll text you when we’re done and I head that way.”
“Sounds good. Have a great show.” With a hurried smile, I wait until he’s heading up onto the stage before I turn and practically sprint in the direction of where the van is parked. Luckily it’s not far.
Gavin slams the back doors and heads around to the driver’s side. I’m in the passenger seat by the time he’s in and has pulled his door closed.
His eyes widen when he sees me already seated next to him. “Jesus, Dixie. Give a guy a heart attack.”
I can’t help but grin. “My bad.”
“You didn’t want to stay? Watch your boy play before your big date?”
I lift an eyebrow that he doesn’t turn to see while he cranks the engine. “I didn’t realize I had a boy. Or a big date.”
“Tate seems pretty persistent. And honestly, maybe he’s the one you should be—”
“Be what, Gavin? Interested in? Attracted to?” Okay, now I actually am annoyed. This conversation just took a left turn right into Piss Me Off Town. “Because I can honestly say, I like Afton. I do. He’s a nice guy and someone I could learn a lot from and would like to be friends with. But my friendship with him has very little, no, wait, nothing to do with our . . . arrangement.”
With a shake of his head, Gavin drives into the back parking lot of the hotel. “I was going to say, maybe he’s the one you should spend this evening with and let me make the trip to Potter County on my own.”
Oh God. My entire body heats from the inside out. “I see. Well, about that. I have a plan.”
“You and your plans,” Gavin mutters under his breath. I ignore him and continue.
“So Crave is a sushi place, I think. I’m going to leave early, say I’m not feeling well. Then I’ll text Dallas and tell him I can’t make rehearsal tomorrow because I have food poisoning and I want to rest up for the show.”
Gavin parks the van and shuts the engine off. “I don’t quite get how fake food poisoning helps me—us.”
I try not to grin like a crazed psychopath at hearing him include me. “It buys us time, Gav. So we don’t have to be back until sound check tomorrow. You can text him that you’re holding my hair back all day. Making sure I’m drinking plenty of fluids or whatever. It will free him up to be with his lady friend and we won’t have to break the speed limit and risk getting a ticket in every town between here and Amarillo.”