AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He smiled. “It is.”
“So what’s touring like?” I asked, opting to steer the conversation in another direction. Maybe, if I was careful, I could get enough insight into touring to write the first article of the new online rock magazine I’d created without doing an official interview.
“Exhausting,” he said, taking a sip of his beer. “Hours and hours of doing nothing, only to spend an hour on stage.”
“But isn’t it great seeing so many people at the shows, no matter what time of year or what the weather’s like? That has to be a rush.”
“It is.” He nodded absently. “I’m incredibly lucky and grateful for what I have. But it’s been eight years and I’m tired. We tour back-to-back, go into the studio to record, and then go right back on the road. Sometimes it’s a hassle.”
“How come?” I asked curiously. “Seems to me you’re living the dream.”
He seemed thoughtful for a minute. “It’s complicated. The band is going through… I don’t know what to call it. Growing pains? We’re at a point of success where we essentially have it all, you know? But now we all have different ideas of what that means.”
“Please don’t tell me someone wants to do a country album or something!”
He chuckled, and I realized I was enjoying the raspy timber of his voice. “Not hardly, no. We’re on the same page with music. Just other shit, like how long to extend the tour, when we’re going to record the next album, how to travel from city to city. Some guys like the bus, the rest of us prefer to fly… I know. First world problems.”
“Maybe. But I’m sure any business venture worth millions of dollars would have to be at least a little complicated.”
He looked up, his eyes meeting mine, and as I stared at him, I realized he had two different colored eyes. One was a bright, aqua blue, and the other a deep, dark brown. It was as intriguing as it was gorgeous, and I wondered how I’d missed this when I’d been researching the members of Onyx Knight.
“Heterochromia,” he said, not looking away.
“Excuse me?” I blinked in confusion.
“The condition of having two different colored eyes is called heterochromia. I figured that was the next question.”
“Oh. No. I was just thinking how beautiful they are.”
“Thank you.” We stared at each other a beat longer than necessary.
God, he was hot.
I’d been so focused on getting the interview last night, I hadn’t given his looks a second thought. I knew his full name was William Zerkesian—I’d done my homework on everyone in the band before attending the show—but he went by Big Z professionally. I’d wait to see if he told me his name, though. I couldn’t imagine his friends and family calling him that.
“Is it genetic?” I asked, curiosity overriding manners.
“They don’t know. There are studies that show it is, but it’s so sporadic, especially complete heterochromia—which is what I have—so I guess the answer is maybe.”
“Does it impact your vision?”
“No. Luckily, it’s usually pretty benign when it’s not caused by an injury or brought on by another disease. At least that’s what the specialists have always told me, and my vision is twenty-twenty.”
He’d obviously answered these questions many times before and I was suddenly embarrassed. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. I was just curious.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
We shared another long, lingering look that made my insides flutter with excitement.
Stop it, I silently chided myself. He’s just making conversation with the bartender. He’s not really interested in you as a woman.
“Are you ready to order?” I asked him, suddenly uncomfortable with the way he looked at me, as if he could see right into my soul. As if he knew me.
“Sure.” He closed his menu. “I want the sirloin, baked potato with everything, and the squash.”
“How do you want your steak?”
“Is there any way but rare?” he asked, arching a brow.
