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He nods his head at me. “Tegan.”
“Jaxon,” I reply. Jax screws up his face at me using his full name and I meet his bright, blue eyes momentarily, before he looks away quickly.
Am I more pissed off with his dismissive attitude, or is his lack of interest what bothers me?
“Are any of these lovely ladies allowed in?” Jax asks the security guard closest.
The burly man holds up a tablet. “We have a guest list.”
“Right. But can I invite people?”
“Like who?” asks Bryn.
“You know, girls.”
I tense, stomach turning over. An evening watching Jax and other girls wasn’t my intention. I don’t care if Bryn is over-reacting; I’m intrigued by Jax and want to talk to him. Secretly, I love that Jax was tongue-tied over me and I thought I glimpsed something else under the persona he’s parading now. Perhaps not.
Bryn’s reaction is completely predictable. “Sure!” he says with a grin. “The more the merrier!”
“Cool!”
Not cool.
Jax turns and heads back along the gauntlet of press, to a trio of girls he spoke to on his way through. After a couple of minutes he returns, his new, starry-eyed friends in tow. They’re wearing rock star catching clothes — small dresses and big heels and a crap load of make-up. Two brunettes, one blonde with matching grins plastered on their faces. Not looking at Jax as he passes, I grit my teeth and watch the three girls hang onto each other’s arms excitedly chattering in Portuguese.
As they head through the doors, Bryn steps between the view and me. “This is why I warned you about Jax.”
“Yeah, I told you, I know exactly what he’d be like and I had no intention of doing anything with him!” Why is my stupid heart beating fast? I convince myself I’m pissed off because Jax has dismissed me this quickly. Seriously, do I want to be one of those girls?
I don’t think so, not if this is who he is.
We step inside to a huge room lit by dark pink chandeliers casting a violet glow over the large open space. Chairs and tables are positioned around the room, people littered across the floor and crowding the bar. Music thuds through the venue, and I recognise the name of a famous DJ on a nearby poster.Wow. My irritation is washed away by excitement; this place is awesome, much better than the dives I usually frequent. Forget about pretty-boy rock stars, I’m determined to make the most of a rare opportunity.
Bryn, however, looks less impressed.
I follow Bryn to where Liam sits with his arm slung across the back of the blue leather bench. I’m struck by how out of place the two band members look in a place like this. Liam’s long red ponytail and boring jeans and t-shirt mix match Bryn’s unruly curls and the same clothes he wore when I arrived at the hotel earlier. I don’t think this night out was on their agenda.
They nod at each other as we sit and a guy immediately approaches to ask what we want to drink. I’m surprised by the lack of lecture from Bryn over my choice of vodka and Red Bull. Not that I’ll have many, water’s my preference if I’m dancing all night. Nobody else approaches our table. The Ruby Riot boys and their attached girls sit opposite, and I refuse to look over at them.
* * *
JAX
The amount of beer I downed at the hotel swims around my system. The intoxication ramps up my confidence, add this to the surprise welcoming committee outside the venue and I have a solution to the Tegan issue. Girls.
I learned years ago not to waste my time chasing girls I have no chance with. It took a couple of years of unrequited lust over a girl at school, but I finally gave up and wrote bad love songs about her instead. Caroline’s stuck in a boring job, living in my home village in Oxfordshire. I bet she’s sorry she turned me down now.
If Tegan’s unavailable, there’re plenty who are.
Will and Nate straighten with interest when I approach with the girls; Nate arches an eyebrow at me.
“This is Sofia, Paula, and…Lucia,” I say. “I hope I got that right?”
“Yes,” says Sofia. “Hey, guys.”
Round One.Success. I remembered their names.
“Sit down!” says Nate and shifts along, patting the leather seat next to him.
