“Everyone take five. You’ve been at it for hours,” Les, our sound technician, says. “I need to take a piss anyway.”
We all laugh and agree to a break. It has been a long afternoon and evening of rehearsing. As we file out of the sound booth, all the guys turn right toward the bathroom, and I turn left, toward Andi. When I reach the room she practices in, I find it’s empty and dark.
Moving back down the hall in the direction I just came from, I stop at the room the girls of Fireflies are in. Peering through the glass in the sound room door, I see Andi sitting beside the sound tech. I know the look in his eye when he looks at Andi—it’s the same one I have. There’s no hiding it.
The girl just pulls people into her world and they can’t help but fall in love with her, in one way or another. I’ve met Luke, and I have no doubt that he’s a good guy. I know he’s crazy about her, but so am I. Leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I squeeze my eyes shut and try to control the impulse to rush to her side. My hand is squeezing the door handle as I battle the voices in my head that try to convince me how much better off she’d be with me.
Almost as if it’s separate from my body, my arm pulls the door open and I make a straight line to Andi. The sound tech put his hand on her and my protective instincts kicked in. Fine, my possessive instincts kicked in, too.
“Here you are. We lost you,” I joke with Andi.
My eyes land on the hand that’s still on her shoulder, and I shoot the tech a dirty look. He takes the hint and smoothly removes his hand from her before I remove it for him.
“Oh, sorry! Have you been waiting for me? I poked my head in, but you were still on your second set, so I came in here to listen to the Fireflies,” she explains.
“It’s no big deal, Andi. We needed a break anyway.”
“Are you ready for me?” she asks innocently.
“Absolutely,” I reply, leaving my meaning open for interpretation. The sound guy smirks at me. He knows. Fucker.
Taking her hand, I help her to stand while trying to keep my face from showing my inner thoughts. Apparently, I pulled on her a little too hard since our bodies brush against the other as she rises, her front to my front. Her sweet perfume envelops my senses, and I take an involuntary deep breath in to savor her scent. As she steps in front of me, I place my hand on the small of her back and walk her through the door. The small, intimate actions seem so natural between us.
“Hey Travis, you still seeing that brunette bombshell with the huge ta-tas and nice ass?” the sound technician asks, just as Andi and I step into the doorway. “If you’re finished with her, you can leave her number with me.”
Andi’s eyes cut to mine and back to the sound man again. She’s clearly uncomfortable with this conversation, and he’s clearly trying to start some shit with me. Not very smart on his part considering one word from me to Katelyn would find him on the unemployment line. The only rationale for his behavior I can come up with is that he’s under the same spell I am—Andi’s.
“That wasn’t me, man. You must have me confused with someone else. Maybe double-check the artist’s name next time.” My stare dares him to say another word, and he takes the not-so-subtle hint.
“Travis Malone. Do you have a girlfriend I haven’t met yet?” Andi asks sweetly.
“No,” I say with a laugh. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Ah,” she says with a nod of her head. “One ofthose, then.”
“One of what?” I stop and look at her, one side of my mouth quirked up in a semi-smile. Is that jealousy I detect on her part? Or is that wishful thinking on my part?
“Oh, you know. Friends with benefits, all that,” she says with a dismissive wave of her hand.
As she turns to continue walking down the hall, I grab her arm around her elbow to stop her. I’m not ready for this conversation to end just yet. “Hold up. Guilty until proven innocent, is it?” I ask.
“No,” she denies. “Well, maybe.” She gives me her full-on smile before she continues. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so judgmental. I’m sure you have a long line of women just waiting to be with you—friend, girlfriend, or just general benefits. What you do with them isn’t my business.”
“But you don’t approve of one of those three, I take it.”
“I can only speak for myself. Maybe I’m just selfish, but I refuse to share. If I’m not worthy of being the only one, then he’s not worthy of sharing my bed,” she explains.
“Would you still think badly of me if you knew the girl was willing to share me?” I cross my arms over my chest and wait for her answer.
“I don’t think badly of you for it regardless, Travis. I’m simply saying if we were seeing each other, it wouldn’t happen that way. I don’t share at all. If I found out tomorrow that Luke’s cheating on me, it would be over between us. It’s all the same to me—either I’m enough or I’m not.”
“Thanks for clarifying that,” I reply with a smile.
“So, who’s the hot girl then?”
“There wasn’t one. Honestly. He has me confused with someone else.”
She gives me a dubious look. “I find that hard to believe. It’s a little hard to mistakeyoufor someone else, Travis.”
