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The way she’d looked at me at the end of the night, I could've pushed things further. It wouldn't have taken much but I'd have never known if she was just being nice out of gratitude and relief or if she wanted it. That wasn't how I wanted to play this. You take advantage of a woman when she's in emotional distress and you aren't much of a man, in my book.
"Are we rehearsing or are you lost in a daydream?" Bill asked.
He wasn't kidding. I had to get my eyes on the prize. The prize that was making sure our performance was as solid as it could be. Competition or not, we needed to be the best band around. I couldn't let Alex steal everything from me.
"How are things going with Alex?" I asked Dazza. I wouldn't pump him for information but, if he offered it, I’d listen.
"He's a slave driver. We rehearse
for hours. Then he makes me practice on my own for hours. But they have much better food at their rehearsal studio than we do."
That wouldn't be hard since we had no food at all.
I plugged in my guitar and checked that the guys were ready. We'd been working our guts out on the new song. It had to be perfect when I played it for Violet. It had to break down the walls she'd built around her heart and that was a big ask for a little song, but I believed I could do it.
That song seemed to only grow better with each play through.
By the end of rehearsal, my head was filled with dreams of playing that song and having Violet fall into my arms. In those dreams, my guitar conveniently disappeared the moment she decided to fall so that I didn't have to deal with it. She’d cling to me, breathless with wonder at the depth of my love for her. She’d threw away all her stupid rules and realized just how right we were for each other.
After rehearsal, without even thinking, I headed to the guitar shop. On the way, I bumped into Alex.
I grimaced. I didn't want to actually greet him because I couldn't stand the guy but I couldn't just ignore him either. A grimace was enough of an acknowledgment. To be honest, I almost didn't recognize him since he was done up in a fancy suit and tie. Not the rocker image he usually kept up around the club, that's for sure.
He gave me a half-smile in return. I wasn't going to stop but he kinda waylaid me.
"Just give up now," he said. "You don't want to humiliate yourself. There's nothing you can give Violet. You have no job, no future. Within a few years, you'll be a washed-up rocker with just dreams of past glory."
I snorted. "You give up, mate. I've not seen her all that interested in you either. I'll have a future. A future you can only dream about. And that future will be painted violet."
He rolled his eyes and started to walk off. I grabbed his arm before he could go.
"I have no idea where you came from and what's going on with you but I'd bet my last dollar there's some nasty stuff in your past. If you think I'll let that shit anywhere near Vi, you are a bigger fool than you look. I mean it. She's a sweet girl under that rock-hard surface and if you and your black heart hurt her, I'll take you down so fast, you'll think you ran into a bulldozer."
He tried to laugh it off but I'd seen that flicker of fear in his eyes before he readjusted his expression. I'd been spot on about that nasty stuff. And he definitely didn't want Violet knowing about it. I'd tried to tell her a few times that Alex had some crap in his past. He'd been riding high on his success with his old band, and you don't just ditch that and move to a new town to start over without a good reason.
As he walked off, I yelled after him, “And that Les Paul too. She’s my baby and, as far as I’m concerned, you are just babysitting her until I get her out of your hands.”
Chapter 18 VIOLET
WHEN RAZER CAME INTO my office a few days later, I could hardly yell at him. Not after what he’d done for the club. He even brought me a coffee so I couldn’t have been happier with him.
“Are you busy?” he asked.
I looked at the pile of band bios on my desk. “Always. And it’s getting worse with Chuck threatening to sell the club. Do you really think we can keep this place going? It’s going to take more than a few good nights.”
Razer sat on the edge of the sofa. He knew better than to sit on it fully. Then he beamed a grin that silenced all the doubts growing inside me, for a moment at least.
“We can do it, Violet. No one works harder than you and no one cares more about the bands who play here. And people want this place to survive.”
“Maybe they do but if Chuck decides to sell, that’s not going to help a bit.”
I must’ve cursed myself because my door got flung open and Chuck burst in.
My stomach dropped. I glanced at Razer, waiting for Chuck’s outburst on not having relations with the bands. Why had I put my skimp sleep shorts on? They didn’t help my cause one little bit.
“This isn’t what it seems,” I said with little hope of Chuck understanding. His mind always went to the worst possible scenario.
Razer got up and walked to the door.
