See you tonight.
River
He’d drawn a little heart next to his name. Jem might swoon.
After he opened his present.
The deep red silk bow came undone easily in Jem’s hands, and he lifted the top off the box and peeled back the tissue paper.
He didn’t know what he expected. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected any of River’s gifts—not the flowers or the album and certainly not the car. Today’s offering appeared to be a simple V-neck T-shirt. A nice one, sure, but a bit tame for River.
Until Jem picked it up and realized it was cashmere, and that the burgundy material was almost translucent, and that it would fit him slightly looser than a second skin.
There was another note beneath it, stuck to the plastic on the front of a VIP badge.Wear the jeans. You know the ones.
The ones River bought him, presumably, and which almost strangled Jem’s dick to death every time he wore them.
He had to admit the fit would make a statement. The same statement he’d made at that dumb film release party—Property of River Wild.
Unfortunately, that was still hot. Even less fortunately, he didn’t have time to jerk off about it, because he had to shower and change and then a car would be picking him up in half an hour so he could eat dinner with the band.
Twenty-five minutes later, he stood in front of the mirror, evaluating the look. The shirt fit perfectly. The jeans were probably not prepared for the abuse Jem was about to subject them to, but it couldn’t be helped. The watch turned the whole thing into a statement.
Something was still missing, though. The green jacket would look good, but it wasn’t what Jem wanted. He debated fora moment and then pushed open the door of River’s closet for inspiration.
River had at least three black leather jackets, two of which fit Jem well enough—too small in the shoulders but in a way that made him look jacked—but they weren’t what he was looking for. The motorcycle boots were tragically too small. Jem wasn’t pretentious enough to wear a tie with a T-shirt, and even if he was, he wasn’t cool enough to pull it off. He didn’t know why River had a cowboy hat.
Okay, he did know. River had a cowboy hat because he was a magpie and cowboy hats, in their own way, were kinda shiny.
Either way, it was a no on the headgear.
After a moment of pushing clothes around, his hand touched something spiked and cool, and he thought,yeah, that.
He’d just finished doing up the buckle on River’s studded belt when his phone pinged with a text from the driver. Time to get the show on the road.
Jem hated being in the back seat when he was riding by himself, so he hopped in the passenger side. “Hey, Norm.”
“Hey, Jem.” He looked him over. “Trying to give himself a heart attack?”
Jem slid on his sunglasses and grinned out the window. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He literally picked out everything I’m wearing.”
Just maybe not for Jem.
Norm gave a low chuckle and exited the gate. “Just do me a favor and see if one of the boys can get his reaction on video.”
He dropped Jem off at the performers’ entrance, where Jem only had to flash his badge to be waved inside. A tiny brunet girl dressed all in black met his eye once he was inside and said, “You must be Jem. The guys are this way.”
“Thanks. I definitely would’ve gotten lost.”
“You wouldn’t be the first.” She might have short little legs, but they moved awfully quickly. “I’m Nat. River sent me. I guess I’m your chaperone, or whatever.”
Jem snorted. “Of the two of us, I don’t think I’m the one who needs a chaperone.” Hell, he was supposed to have beenRiver’schaperone.
Possibly he should have been fired after the film party incident. Oh well.
Nat smiled up at him. “Don’t worry. He’s got a whole crew keeping him on the straight and narrow. They can spare one body for you. Oh—here’s the green room. Dinner should be arriving in twenty minutes or so. Do you need anything else?”
Did he? “I have no idea.”
