Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
I craned my neck to peek into the open wall of windows to the great room beyond when I thought I spotted Sean. The reflection on the glass made it difficult to be sure. Not important. Dec and T’s house wasn’t huge. No doubt we’d bump into each other at some point. Not that I cared either way. I didn’t. I frowned in confusion, shaking myself from my reverie when I heard my name.
“Dude, you’ve got to hear the lick Johnny made up yesterday. It went something like this.…” Justin cranked the neck of an imaginary guitar toward the sky, squeezing his eyes shut as he caterwauled, “Nah, nah, nah, nah…”
We hooted at Justin’s hijinks. He should have looked ridiculous, but Justin was one of those uber-confident types who didn’t embarrass easily…or ever. He was slightly taller than me with a sexy, sinewy build, a ton of tats, and twinkling, mischievous eyes. He reminded me of the kid on the playground who always had the craziest ideas and somehow managed to talk everyone into joining his shenanigans. Yeah, he was the one who’d talked me into joining Zero.
The LA indie music scene was an insular community. I’d heard about Tegan and him and the implosion of their previous band, Gypsy Coma, and in spite of his volatile reputation, I liked Justin. We’d worked together as baristas at a West Hollywood coffee shop, bonding over latte penis art on our shifts before we took the mini stage set up near the window of Aromatique to play covers for yoga moms. When he and Tegan asked me to join them on guitar, I’d known I was taking a chance. They’d needed me more than I needed them. I’d had a feeling they were a good bet. And that bet had paid off big time.
Zero was poised for greatness. No joke. We’d released two critically acclaimed albums, had a few hit songs on the charts and two successful tours under our belts. With the help of our fabulous manager, we’d formed our own record label and signed on our rival band, Jealousy. It turned out to be an inspired idea. Both bands were killing it.
We had money in the bank and songs on the charts now, and Scratch Records had built the momentum needed to sign on more talent. Best of all, our bands weren’t rivals anymore. If anything, everyone at Scratch Records felt like family. Tegan married Jealousy’s lead singer, Declan McNamara, in Vegas last summer, and their guitarist, Bobby J, was one of my best friends.
You’d think after months of touring and hanging out at the studio, we’d be sick of each other. That wasn’t the case at all. I had a feeling that music and the unlikely bonds we’d formed hanging out every day were what kept us all sane. I loved these people. They were my family.
And like I assumed most families operated, we teased and taunted relentlessly. Just for fun.
“Ouch. That riff sounds like a serious medical condition,” Bobby J deadpanned, rubbing his thick beard. He was a big bear of a man with twinkling eyes and a wicked sense of fun. “Might want to get that looked at, Johnny boy.”
“Thankfully, it didn’t sound anything like that,” I assured him. “Justin was demonstrating why we silence the mic on his guitar onstage.”
Justin flipped me off. “Hey, I’ve improved. Admit it. Gray thinks so too. Right, babe?”
“Something like that.” Gray smiled at his boyfriend indulgently, pulling him to his side when he tried to wiggle out of his grasp.
I chuckled at Justin’s playful glower. He and Gray were a cool couple. They’d been together for a few years now, and in spite of their eighteen-year age difference, they seemed to get each other. Gray was a well-connected Grammy-award-winning songwriter, but he reminded me of a football player with his bulging biceps and broad shoulders and…
No perving on friends. Or their exes, I reminded myself, stealing a glance toward the house. No sign of Sean. Phew.
I raised my empty cup as I stepped aside. “Anyone need a refill? Or a beer?”
“We’re good.” Bobby J slipped his arm over his boyfriend Cody’s shoulders. “I just hooked us up. Ask Tegan when the burgers are gonna be ready. I’m freakin’ hungry.”
Cody chuckled softly. “You’re always hungry.”
I smiled at the adoring look they shared, noticing that Justin and Gray were doing the same thing.
Ugh. I was surrounded by couples.
I shook the ice from my glass and glanced at Tegan chatting with his parents and Dec’s mom under a wide umbrella beside the barbecue. The sweet smell of grilled food reminded me I should probably eat before I grabbed another drink.
“I’ll come with you. Try the spiked kombucha instead. It’s marvelous,” Charlie exclaimed, pulling my elbow. “Peachy with a hint of lime.”
“That sounds gross.”
“It’s fabulous. Want a sip of mine?”