The guys lead us out the exit, where a sleek black cargo van idles with its doors open. Two other guys are loading equipment into it. They must be Liam and Tanner. I learned all their names from my Instagram sleuthing.
Travis Beckett, lead singer, white-blond hair and covered in tattoos as far as my eyes can see, with vibes that scream playboy rockstar. Liam Campbell, the boyish drummer with golden, sun-kissed skin and amazing curls.
Tanner Jones, the Clark-Kent-looking bassist. Tall, broad shoulders, and a clean-cut beard. He has thick square glasses and stares down at the clipboard in his hand. He’s dressed a little less rugged than the rest in a black button-down shirt and zero rips in his jeans, with neatly styled hair.
Then there’s Penn Hayze, twenty-four, tall, inky black hair, and beautiful blue eyes that remind me of the ocean. Lean and toned muscles, a sharp jaw, and a shiny silver hoop in his bottom lip that constantly captures my attention.
“Hey, there,” Liam says, holding his hand out to me as I stand awkwardly to the side.
I shake his hand, and he smiles, a deep dimple popping out on one of his cheeks. He’s adorable.
“Hi,” I say.
He moves on to Ellie, greeting her the same.
“Guys, this is Ellie.” Travis pulls her to his side before pointing at me. “That’s Olivia. Ladies, that’s Liam, Tanner, and you remember Penn.”
“Hi, everyone!” Ellie beams.
Tanner’s eyes barely lift from his clipboard before he disappears inside, while the others continue loading up the van.
“You girls are with us.” Travis slides the side door open and helps Ellie step up. I follow behind her, taking his outstretched hand to get in. “We’ll be ready to head out in a minute,” he says before shutting us inside.
Ellie squeezes my leg, smiling big. “That was so hot back there,” she whispers.
I frown, unsure of what she’s referring to.
“They were ready to kick ass,” she says.
“Yeah…”
Hot? Or scary as hell?
“Ugh, and the way Penn made him apologize to you.” She fans her face. “Swoon.”
I don’t get a chance to respond because the doors slam shut, making me jump. Travis and Penn climb in the front, and we take off.
The drive to Travis’s is awkward. Ellie and Travis are chatting away, while I stare out the window. I try to steal a glance at Penn in the rearview mirror a few times, but he never looks back at me. It makes my nerves tick. At one point during the show, he couldn’t stop eyeing me. Now it’s like I don’t exist. He hasn’t said a single word to me all night.
Is he mad about the hallway incident? Jesus, I’ve only met him twice, and there have already beentwohallway things.
Maybe he’s waiting for me to thank him? Well, I didn’t ask him to play knight in shining armor. Besides, we were fine. Ellie had a knife.
Travis’s home is a single-story brick house with an attached garage. Even though it’s dark, the street is well lit, showing off the neat lawn and trimmed shrubs. It’s not what I expected at all.
“Others will be here in ten,” Travis says to Penn before they climb out of the van ahead of us.
Others?
I look at Ellie with panicked eyes, but she smiles dazedly, following Travis. I need to calm down. I’ve been to plenty of college parties with Ellie and Chad over the years. I’m sure this is similar.
Inside the house is surprisingly clean, with minimal furniture. There’s a huge L-shaped tan sectional in the living room facing a large TV mounted on the wall. A small wooden coffee table sits in the center of the room, and a sofa chair in the corner. The walls are dark gray, with framed band posters scattered around. None that I’ve heard of before, but they go with the vibe of the house.
Travis gives us the tour, showing us a bathroom and a step-down dining room that he converted to a den. A pool table is the centerpiece of the room, surrounded by a large sound system. “You girls are welcome to crash here tonight. I have a guest room and a fully furnished basement.”
My head jerks toward Ellie. She never said anything about staying overnight.
“Thank you,” Ellie says, grabbing my hand and squeezing, silently telling me to relax.
