“Anyone die?”
Inappropriate as always. He had a morbid fascination with death.
“No. How was your day?”
She curled her legs up, bringing her knees to her chest, trying to find a more modest position. Not that his eyes focused on anything other than her face. Visually, she was as appetizing as chopped liver to him.
“Pretty cool. Got to meet the whole band, and watched their sound check. They played a few sets. Amazing to see it all come together. I think I want to start a production crew. Can you imagine?”
In fact, she could.
“Bash is an amazing drummer.”
Bash? Which one was he?She fell back on her mnemonic. He was the one who’d beaten up Ash. And he’d accompanied Ash to her house last night. She added to her memory jogger.Bash banged on drums.
“I thought the bigger guy was the drummer, the one with the curly hair?” She struggled to remember the name of the curly-haired guy. “Bent?”
“Yeah, but Bent plays bass. Bash is the drummer. Spike plays guitar, and Noodles is on keyboard. Don’t you pay attention to anything I tell you?”
Not when it came to his music obsession, and she had nothing to help keep their instruments straight.
“Not really.”
“Ugh, you’re horrible. Okay, here’s your Angel Fire one-oh-one. Blaze and Bash have known each other since high school, but they had a major falling-out a few years ago over Blaze’s drug use. It practically broke up the band. Bent and Noodles forced Blaze into rehab and kept Bash from leaving Angel Fire. Blaze went into rehab, and the entire band took a sobriety pledge when he got out—well, no drugs; they all drink. Except Blaze. He doesn’t touch anything. He’s been clean for a few years now. We spent a lot of time talking about addiction.”
That was a good sign. If Ash and Forest were trading addiction stories, maybe it would help Forest stay clean.
“My day was amazing. Blaze was pissed, by the way, when you didn’t show up.”
She shrugged. “I have to work, and his name is Ash.”
“Probably best you didn’t show up actually.”
“Why?”
“Those guys have groupies coming out of their ears. I’ve never seen so much loose female flesh. Made me want to gag. And, for whatever reason, the girls kept throwing themselves at me.” He barked a laugh. “I was peeling half-naked women off me all night long.”
“Oh my!”
“I guess my proximity to the band gave me some sort of celebrity status.”
“I doubt that.”
Forest was painfully handsome to men and women even though he didn’t realize it.
“Have you looked in a mirror lately? Women drool over you and then cry their eyes out when they realize you’re not interested in playing for their team.”
He surprised her when a flush colored his cheeks. “That’s not true.”
“Ah, my poor Beanpole.” She snickered at his discomfort. “To have been surrounded by all that wanton female flesh…”
He pressed his hands on his thighs and stood. “That’s why it’s good you’re not there. They were all over your husband, but don’t worry. Blaz—Ash pushed them away.” A hint of respect ghosted across his face. “Actually, he kept sending them to me!”
She laughed at that. “And you turned them all down. Poor things.”
He released the leather thong holding back his hair and shook out his pale blond strands. He stuck his tongue out and pulled a face. “Why would I want tits and pussy when I can have shaft, balls, and ass? Besides, I have someone waiting in the wings.” The corners of his mouth turned up, and his eyes brightened.
She suspected there was more to his fling than he was ready to admit. “Is he still floating around somewhere in the Pacific?”
