“Hey.”
I spin around, finding Ellie behind me. “Hey.”
“I can’t find Penn or Tanner. We need to get you guys back to the room. You go on in thirty minutes.”
“They’re probably having phone sex right now.” Her eyes snap to mine, unimpressed with my joke. But I mean, it’s very likely. “Wanna have a quickie? It’ll help me perform better.”
She doesn’t crack a smile. “No.”
“You’re no fun. Maybe I’ll find a groupie real fast.” I pretend to scan the bar. “How much time did you say we have?”
She flinches but recovers quickly, putting on her business face, and guilt slams into me. “Please be in the room in fifteen minutes.” Then she walks away.
I was joking, she knows that, right? I haven’t so much as looked at another girl for weeks. Fuck, longer than that if I’m completely honest. How has she not noticed? She’s invaded every free thought I’ve had for so long I don’t even know what to think about when she’s not in my head.
I snag another shot from the bar and make my way to our designated room. The place is starting to get crowded. Word must have spread that we were here. It wasn’t nearly this full when we first arrived.
Everyone’s already in the room by the time I slip through the door. Tanner and Penn are tuning their instruments while Liam plays with his drumsticks in the corner. I grab my guitar and start tuning next to Penn before warming up my vocals. My throat cracks a few times.That’s fucking weird. The guys side-eye me, but I chug a bottle of water and I’m good as new.
“Everyone ready?” Calvin pops in the door. “They’re about to call you on.”
The stage is small but feels more comforting than the slightly larger ones we’ve been playing on the last few months.Almost feels like home. The crowd is thick, and cheers are deafening as we walk out under the golden lights. I sway, latching onto the mic, the alcohol suddenly hitting me. The urge to piss crashes into me like a ton of bricks. Shit. I shouldn’t have downed that bottle of water. Or the shots.
Tanner’s eyes flash to mine in warning, and I flip him a middle finger.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” I ask, and the crowd erupts. “We’re Loose Threads and we’re going to pl–gonna play some music for y’all.” I clear my throat, trying to steady myself. Did I just say y’all? Shit.
What song did we say we were opening with?
My bladder screams in protest, needing to be emptied, but I shake it away as best I can. “This one was written for a golden-haired girl named Olivia.” I chuckle. She’s going to hate that. “This is ‘Barbie Girl.’” I nod my head, kicking the song into motion. I’m flying through it, faster than normal. Ignoring the heated stares my bandmates are likely giving me as they try to keep up. As soon as it’s over, I can’t hold in the need to piss any longer.
“Did you guys like that?”
More cheers. They’re loving me right now. They’ll understand I need to use the bathroom. It’s a perfectly normal bodily function. My bandmates, however, are going to be pissed. Oh well.
“If you’ll excuse me for one second,” I say, keeping my gaze pinned on the crowd. “I have to take a leak real quick.” I tug my guitar over my head and place it down in front of Liam’s drums. The crowd oohs and ahhs as I rush off the stage, nearly tripping down the steps.
I head for the bathrooms, cursing when I see the line spilling around the corner. Goddammit. I cross my legs, two seconds away from pissing myself.
Fuck it.
I turn around and head for the exit, stumbling down thehall, and getting a few curious gazes as I practically fall out the doors.
“Hey, Travis! Where are you going?” a girly voice asks, following me.
I ignore her, making my way to the nearest dumpster. My dick is already out. My hand finds the building to hold myself up, and I let it fly.
Giggles approach, and I groan. Jesus fucking Christ, can’t I piss in peace?
“Need a hand?”
I grunt, leaning to the side, trying to block her view, but there’s no way around it. I’m trying to hurry, but piss just keeps streaming from my dick.
A hand presses against the bicep of the arm that’s holding my dick. I attempt to shake her off, but some pee hits my shoes, so I hold still.
Feels like the alley is spinning.
I’m still mid-stream when a bright light blinds me. I abandon my cock and the wall and throw my hands out, trying to keep the light from burning my retinas. “Hey, what the fuck?!”
