When I show Noah the hidden bathroom Isaac has in his office at his dance club in Ravenshoe, he jerks up his chin. “If Isaac is cool with me using his shower, I have some spare clothes in my truck. . .”
His words trail off when Isaac enters his office. “No worries, Noah, you guys really helped me today, so you’re more than welcome to use my shower. I also let Tina know your drinks are on the house."
While Isaac answers his ringing cell phone, Noah leaves to collect his clothes from his truck parked outside. He’s been helping my brother and me unload and connect the kegs for tonight since Isaac fired his store-man for stealing. I was hesitant to ask for his help, but with Isaac having connections that could help our band reach the success it’s aiming for, I’m willing to do anything to get on his good side.
Our band’s dreams somewhat stalled two years ago when Noah’s brother Chris overdosed. It took a few months for Noah to turn up to rehearsals, and once he did, he wasn’t really present. The only good that came from the experience was the song he wrote.
I’ve never heard a song darker and more sorrowful as “Hollow.” The first time Noah performed it, he ripped my heart straight out of my fucking chest. When he never once faltered during his heartbreaking performance, that’s when I knew I’d do anything to remain a member of Rise Up. I’ve never fucked with a band member’s girl since that day.
That doesn’t mean I don’t offer them my services, but none have accepted my offer.
My brother, Isaac, is five years older than me. He’s the owner of an eighteen-plus dance club called the Dungeon. I’m going to be honest, I have no clue where he got the money to open such an impressive-looking club. This place screams wealth with its high vaulted ceilings, shackled dance cages, and mahogany trim. I’m reasonably confident the money he pours into his empire isn’t from legal activities, but I can’t one hundred percent testify to that.
Isaac has always been a business-oriented kid. He’d buy large cases of donuts at the supermarket and sell them for fifty cents apiece to the kids at school. That was a markup of three hundred percent, pocketing him a nice amount of change each week that he'd reinvest into other quick money-making schemes. What he does in his private life doesn’t bother me, as long as it doesn’t affect my personal life.
When our parents got divorced, Isaac, who was sixteen at the time, moved with our dad to Ravenshoe while I lived with my mom in Miami. I was only a child at the time and didn’t realize that a majority of the problems in my parents’ marriage stemmed from my mom needing to be the center of attention.
It took me a few years to work up the courage to ask my mom if I could live with my dad. Once the dust settled, it became apparent it was the best decision I could have ever made. It was not long after moving here that Noah stumbled upon me in the music room at our high school.
I’ve been trying my hardest the past three years to fix the rift I created in the band, but no matter what I do or say, Slater still hates my guts. I can’t say I blame him. I’d never forgive someone if they slept with my girlfriend, but I turn up to practice early, I’m always the last one to leave, and I do shit tasks for my brother in the hope he’ll mention our band to his music exec friend. It might not seem like much, but it's all I have to offer.
Isaac’s deep timbre interrupts me from my thoughts. “What’re your plans for tonight, Nick?”
I shift on my feet to face him. “Noah won’t drink much if he’s driving, so I’ll probably just have a few beers with him before finding myself a lady.”
His dark gray eyes lift from his wooden desk to me. His brow is bowed, his jaw ticking.
I chuckle. “I’ll be sure to take myescapadeselsewhere this time around.”
The last time I spent the night here, I got jumped by Isaac’s bouncers in the alleyway because I refused to stop committing a “lewd act” with a lady who enjoyed the thrill of fucking in public. The bouncers didn’t realize I was the owner's little brother, and although they were his staff, Isaac didn’t take kindly to their rough-handling.
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen either of them since that day.
Isaac rifles through paperwork in front of him. “The offer for an apartment still stands.”
Many times the past three months, he’s offered to rent me an apartment so I’ll be closer to Mavericks. The band secured a regular Friday night gig there a couple of months ago, and Isaac said he didn’t want me commuting back to Petersburg each night. I’m hesitant to accept his offer. I don’t know why. I think part of it stems from spending my teen years watching my mom live off everyone else’s money. I don’t want to follow her mooching footsteps.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine living at Dad’s,” I reply just as Noah moseys back into the office.
When my dad retired, he sold his house in Ravenshoe and moved to Petersburg. It means his house is smaller in size, but he has more land to occupy his time. Petersburg is only twenty minutes from Ravenshoe, and the town is so small, it isn’t plagued by rush hour traffic, so Isaac’s worry isn’t necessary.
As Noah heads to the washroom, I nudge my head to the bustling club. “I’ll meet you at the bar.”
When Noah nods, I head out. Isaac watches me but keeps quiet. He’s not the talkative type.
The night is still young, but the floor space inside the Dungeon is filled with partygoers eager to spend their Saturday night bumping and grinding against other sweaty people. My ideal night—I’m just usually in my truck or companion’s bedroom, not at a dance club.
“Hey, Tina.” I strut up to the main bartender. Tina is one of the most petite girls I’ve ever seen. Her brown hair is cut in a pixie design, making her look like a fairy. She has stunning hazel eyes that make my dick twitch when I stare at them too long and a fit body. She's attractive, but not in the way you’d expect. The unique mix of her features and attitude doubles her attractiveness.
“How is The Player tonight?” she questions with a grin.
I give her a flirty wink. “Still waiting for that invite.”
Her dainty laugh booms around the bar. I’ve been hounding her the past six months for a chance to see if her allure matches her intensity in the bedroom. I don’t even care that she's a few years older than me because I’m pretty sure she’ll be crazy between the sheets. Maybe she could teach me some pointers I haven’t already taught myself?
“It must have gotten lost in the mail.” Tina’s voice drips with sarcasm.
Winking, she hands me a bottle of beer. My lips lift against the rim before I take a mouth-filling gulp of the malted liquid inside. After swallowing half the bottle, I ask, “Can I grab another?”
