The bass was so loud that Trent could feel it vibrating through his chest before they even entered the building.
How Cujo had gotten them tickets to the hottest up-and-coming metal band at the eleventh hour was anybody’s guess, but Trent wasn’t complaining.Cujo had a little book of people who knew people that he constantly leveraged.
The venue, an old, run-down warehouse in one of Miami’s rougher neighborhoods, was well known for hosting heavy metal and rock concerts.True music lovers flocked there to see their favorite bands, and it was rare for it to not sell out.
They went straight to the front instead of getting in line.It paid to have grown up in Miami.Trent had gone to school with one of the guys working the door and had taken care of his ink.
With a quick handshake they were in.Upstairs was a balcony overlooking the stage, where they could stay out of the surging bodies and rogue crowd surfers.At one time, he’d have been the first guy off the stage but at thirty-two, he was getting too old for that shit.
Hitting up the bar, they grabbed beers and headed over to the edge to watch the band.Five English guys in their early twenties were making the metal rounds with phenomenal reviews.To be that young and have the world at your feet had to be pretty awesome.
The sound was freakin’ insane.The singer’s voice was a total contradiction—borderline angelic on the harmony with every note crystal clear and brutally raw as he screamed through the chorus.
It was too loud to really hold much of a conversation.Given how packed it was, he was kind of relieved that Harper hadn’t come with them, for her sake.Not that he didn’t want her by his side, he’d not seen her for two days and it was making him twitchy, but protecting her in this kind of craziness would have been out of even his control.
His phone vibrated in his back pocket.
Hey.I’m home.Make it okay?
One beer in, crazy show.How was your day?
Shitty but I’ll live.Bath then bed.
Naked???
First—definitely, second—maybe
Now there’s a thought!Night, baby.
“Everything okay?”Cujo shouted in his ear.
Trent leaned toward him.“Yeah, Harper’s just getting home from work.”
“I have one word for you, my friend.Whipped.”Cujo laughed, taking a swig of his beer.
“Starting to think it ain’t so bad, brother.”Trent shook his head, more at himself than anything.
“Really?You’ve known her what?A month?”Cujo’s brows were furrowed, like he was unable to compute what he was hearing.“And I bet she hasn’t even put out yet, seeing how you’ve been a cranky bastard.”
“So?What’s a month?And come on, dude.This is Harper we’re talking about.You saw her back.You think she’s just going to roll over and get to it after that?Didn’t realize I had to report which bases I cleared to you, Cuj.”They hadn’t fought physically since they were fourteen, but Trent had a feeling tonight might change that if Cujo kept up with this line of questioning.
“We always talk about this shit.”Cujo had the gall to look offended.
“We don’t do this talking thing.”
“Yeah we do.You just don’t want to do it about Harper.”Cujo reached for his beer, downing the last of it.“Normally you give me some crass-ass response and you would definitely have asked me if I got lucky with those twins from last night by now.”
Trent’s easy retort stuck in his throat as he considered Cujo’s comment.That wasn’t it, was it?The idea of sharing what was happening between them, what had happened in the car, just felt wrong.It seemed almost sacrilegious to compare notes with Cujo over something so perfect.
“I just don’t get why you’d want to be with just one person.You’re a fucking legend.And with the show, you’re going to get access to all kinds of high-end ass.Don’t shut down your options, man.”
“Keep your opinions to yourself, dude.At the risk of sounding like a girl, I really like her.And it’s killing me that not only do you not get that but you are actually encouraging me to play around.”Trent slammed his beer on the ledge of the balcony.
Cujo put his arm out to stop Trent from leaving.“Explain it to me then.”He sounded sincere.Contrite even.“What’s the big deal?You’ve done a complete fucking one-eighty over this girl.It isn’t like you.”
“I can’t explain it.If I’m ever going to settle down, I want what my mom and dad have.I thought I had that once, but after Yasmin I swore I’d never let a girl get to me like that again.But now… I don’t know.Harper’s different.”
Trent took a sip of his beer.Thinking about his ex used to cause a burning in his gut.They’d been together nearly two years.And while things hadn’t been perfect and money had been tight, he’d though they’d been happy.Until the afternoon he’d gotten off early and rushed back to their building to tell her about the hundred-dollar tip he’d gotten.
