“Alaina,” I rush out. “Alaina Barclay.”
“Miss Barclay.” He smiles warmly, and I’m struck for a moment by how young he is. Usually rock star handlers are a little more long in the tooth, but he doesn’t look a day older than me. “My name is Sidney, you can ask for me if you have any questions or get lost on the way. Here’s my card with my cell number on it and the address for the party is on the back.” He slips it to me, then adds, “You should know he’s not inviting you simply for drinks and photographs. He’s... interested in you.”
So he wants to fuck. Why not just say that? This is a rockstar who keeps a pocket pussy in his nightstand in case he can’t get his dick wet enough other ways, of course he wants to fuck.
Why am I kind of annoyed by it?
He doesn’t know who I am, I remind myself. To him, I’m just a pretty face in a pretty crowd, not damaged goods that he once helped. It’s not his fault.
“We’ll be there,” Brooke assures him, grabbing my arm to tug me away before I can let any of that come out of my mouth. Once we’re clear, she stops to gentlypunch my shoulder. “I fucking told you he was into you!”
“Yeah,” I agree. “You did.”
I just wish I understood why it feels so off.
––––––––
Turns out the house party belongs to one of the producers from Hollow Apparition’s record label, and it’s massive. My house is pretty big, but this one makes it look like a doll house. The music is so loud when we walk up that I know we’re in the right place, but we have to walk through four separate rooms and down an egregiously long hallway before we find a single human being. For an afterparty, it’s pretty sparse — there are maybe ten people in this room and I can hear conversation trickling in from another, but I expected more. I think Brooke did, too. She looks disappointed until Jonah spots her and waves her over.
“Do you mind?” she asks, then immediately backtracks. “Never mind, of course you don’t. You were going to leave me for Bash anyway.”
She wanders over and crawls right into his lap, and I’m so busy staring at themfor a moment that I don’t notice the giant lumbering shadow hanging over my shoulder until it touches me.
Jumping, I whirl around to find Bash standing there with a lazy grin. “Hey, stranger. You look like you’re looking for someone.”
Oh, fuck.
He’s entirely in his element and I’m so far out of mine, I should be holding a caution sign. “I was looking for the man who invited me. Sidney says that’s you, is it true?”
“Mmhm.” He looks me up and down and nods toward a couch on the other side of the room from everyone else, and when his finger hooks with mine to guide me there, I’m suddenly a ten year old little girl again just looking for some warmth.
Some things haven’t changed.
With a lump in my throat, I curl up next to him and desperately try to come up with something to say that isn’t lame. “Sidney seems nice.”
Yeah, that works. Jesus Christ, Alaina.
He huffs. “Don’t tell him that, he’ll never let us hear the end of it. So, Alaina, how long have you been a fan of screamo?”
Well, at least he asked Sidney my name. “Honestly a long time,” I admit. “Ever since I was a little girl and a boy I once knew lent me an earbud.”
Come on, Bash. Remember me.
He stares at me so long I convince myself he’s about to ask, but instead he drops his gaze. “I have this theory that music finds us when we need it most. Do you want a drink?”
“Several,” I say quickly. “I’m not picky.”
“I’ll be right back.”
He touches my leg before he stands up and walks away, and before I can even exhale a breath, Levi plops down next to me with hazed eyes. He’s fucked up.
“What’s up? I’m Levi, what’s your name?”
He holds his hand out to shake mine, so I take it gingerly as I turn to face him better. I also back up a little in the process. “I know who you are,” I laugh. “I’m Alaina, I’m here with Bash.”
“Are you, now?” He glances over to where Bash disappeared to and then back at me. “That’s cute. Between you and me, he’s been a fucking prude this tour. I was hoping you were here for him. On another note, do you think your blonde friendwants to take a quick trip to Paris tonight or should I leave them be?”
God, some girls have all the luck. “I think she’d take Yasmin too. Yeah, you have to. You have to offer that.”
