Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
When the lights flash on, the band members own their spots on the stage, Johnny Outlaw front and center, Dex on the drums, Derrick on the left, and Kaz in front of us. Twenty-thousand fans scream at the same time, and Dex kicks in on the drums.
Spending the next hour rocking out to the music, I’d finished my drink by the second song. Not wanting to miss any of the show, I stayed to watch.
We’re only an hour in when Tatum turns to me and tilts her head to look at my hand. “Empty?”
“Yeah.”
“Want to come with me? I’ll buy your next.”
Fuck yeah, I do. Screw the band. Tatum is much more interesting. I follow her to the nearest door, and a bouncer swings it open for us.
The VIP section has its perks, and proximity to a private bar and facilities are two of them. She orders as I step around some guy trying to weasel in next to her and come between them. Tatum doesn’t even notice how guys look at her, how they go out of their way to be near her, to hit on her, to touch her. Fuckers. All of them.
Blocking that guy, I lean on the counter and hold out a bill to the bartender.
“I’m supposed to be buying your drink.” She tries to snatch the money but misses when I raise my hand. “Put it away, Decker. Your money’s no good here.”
The bartender sets the drinks in front of us and laughs. “The drinks are free,” he says, “but I don’t mind that as a tip.”
Tatum catches me off guard when she snags the bill from my hand. She tucks it in the bartender’s tip jar, and then tells him, “Thank you.”
Leaving him with a huge smile and shock widening his eyes, he trips over his words. “Wow. Thanks.”
I don’t mind paying the guy the money, but she’s sneaky. She tugs me by the sleeve away from the bar. We’re quickly replaced when we walk away. “I thought my money wasn’t any good?”
Laughing, she winks. “It wasn’t good for the drinks, but you just made his day with that tip. So maybe your money’s not so bad after all.”
I chuckle. “Guess not.”
Although the band is well into the set when we enter through the doors, Tatum doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to get back. Standing off to the side out of the walkway, she sways to the music while sipping her drink. I stay behind her so I don’t block anyone trying to get by. Watching the band from this angle isn’t the best, but I’m okay with it. I’m near her and like the view of her dancing, even if it is from behind.
See? Glutton.
When she peeks back, she appears to be relaxed around me. Usually, her shoulders are tense and her mouth is tight-lipped. Not tonight. Maybe we really are moving forward with a fresh start. “I heard you got your real estate license for the state.”
It’s not a question, but I hear the lilt. I like that I’m on her mind. “I did.”
“And you’re staying with Nick and Natalie for the next two months.”
Again, not a question, but I’ll take the lead-in. “You sure are hearing a lot about me.” I give her a wink. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, actually. I have to fly back to LA every week. We’ll see how the commute goes.”
“I got the impression you were moving here.” Her tongue dips out and swings the straw closer, and she peers up at me while drinking.
She’s so hard to read. Her interest in where I live belies the cool casualness. “Don’t worry. I won’t be here forever. I didn’t even plan to stay at Nick’s place, but he offered when he heard I was planning to live in a hotel while here. Natalie insisted, and you know how hard it is to turn her down.”
“I do. When she sets her mind to something, she usually gets what she wants.” She glances back at the band and then at me again. “You don’t have to worry about me ruining your visit. I’ll respect your time with your friend.”
“It’s okay. You don’t ruin anything.”
Turning all the way around to face me, she lowers her gaze to her drink, and she fidgets with the straw. “Things are changing.” Something behind grabs both of our attention. A guy is arguing with the bouncer, so I shift us away and closer to the audience. Her guard is down, her shoulders at ease, and with an arena behind her, she looks smaller to me, more vulnerable even. I angle to keep her safe from any scuffle that might break out, careful not to make her uncomfortable.
“I’m sure it will be good for you and Nick to hang out again,” she says.