Chapter One
Boplumpedthepillows,stacking one on top of the other against the headboard. He leaned back and opened his phone. He had every intention of launching the news app, but… who was he kidding, there was no way he was going to browse the latest in current affairs. He navigated straight to the World of Rock site. World of Rock was one of the leading rock and pop magazines and his guilty obsession—not the magazine itself but following HyperOctane’s every move. He had no idea why he put himself through it.Just a sucker for punishment, I guess.He sighed and started reading.
HyperOctane poised to set the world on fire.
Bo stared at the headline, heart rate speeding up. The article was a wrap-up of the band’s Sydney concert from the night before and it gave the performance a rave review. “Based on the final gig of their nationwide Australian tour, those lucky enough to be attending Rocktoberfest are in for something special when Aussie super-group, HyperOctane debuts in the US.”
Wow.
He gave into his first instinct and punched out a text to his best friend, Parker. He wanted to know about Parker’s trip, and talk about the band, no matter how much it pained him sometimes. He made sure to keep it upbeat.
Bo:OMG talk about living the life!
Bo smiled when Parker replied straight away.
Parker:The show was bloody brilliant. Shame you couldn’t come on this trip.
He laughed at the emoji face with the stuck-out tongue that finished Parker’s text, only slightly jealous he hadn’t seen the concert. He’d told Parker that he couldn’t get the time off from the hospital to take a holiday, but in reality, he had a ton of leave owing. He just couldn’t face the prospect of spending so much time with Ravi.Or with Harvey.Fuck he’d made a mess of his life.
Bo:Rub it in, why don’t you? You get to have all the fun!
Parker:You saw them a few months ago in Perth.
Bo:And? LOL
He patted himself on the back for being so blasé in his responses. Truth be told, the concert a few months earlier had been torture, but there was no way he could explain that to Parker. He’d loved seeing the band perform and was a massive fan of their music, but seeing Harvey had set the wheels in motion for everything that had happened since.
Parker: It’s not all fun and games you know.
Bo:It looks like lots of FUN is being had to me. Or is it games?Eggplant emoji. Water droplet emoji. Winky face emoji.
Parker:What are you on about?
Bo:You didn’t see the link at the bottom of the article?
The link was a tabloid article about the after-party. It was all gossip and innuendo, featuring two photos of Parker and Rafe. Rafe was HyperOctane’s lead singer. In the first photo they were standing close together on a restaurant balcony, and Rafe’s possessive grip on Parker’s arm hinted at more than a casual friendship. Bo knew his friend well enough to know the intense look on Parker’s face was pure adoration. The second photo showed the two of them leaving the restaurant together, Rafe dragging Parker along by the hand. It didn’t take a genius to guess what happened after that.
Parker:Nothing happened.
Bo:Damn! You two would have made beautiful music together. What happened, man?
Parker:I wanted to. Like REALLY wanted to.
This conversation needed more than a text exchange. He opened his Contacts and hit Parker’s number.
“Bad time?” Bo asked when the call was answered.
“Nah. Just watching the guys sort out some final bits and pieces for their US show. We’re heading out later this arvo for something to eat. Somewhere on the harbour, I think.”
“Ravi’s having a good time?” Bo couldn’t stop himself from asking. He wasn’t sure what answer he wanted to hear—that Rav was miserable, or that he was enjoying himself, because Ravdiddeserve to have some fun, given how unhappy he’d been when Bo last saw him.
“I think so. We haven’t done much apart from the concert and party last night. Harvey was talking about some sort of adventure thing later in the week.”
“You’d hate that.” Bo chuckled. “Harvey is one crazy guy. He sure likes to make the most out of life.”And that’s one of the things I love about him.
“Why does everyone say that? You don’t have to put your life on the line to have a good time. Anyway, Ravi said he’d go with him. Those two are as crazy as each other. Two peas in a pod.”
Bo sucked in a breath. Just the thought of Harvey and Rav together did strange things to him. He quickly changed the subject. “So, what’s up with you and God’s gift to mankind? And don’t tell me you didn’t leave with the guy cause those photos tell a different story.”
