“Whatever.” Jo shrugged. “Maybe he thought you’d growl, and scare the fancy people away? But I know you can be a good boy. When you want to.”
Yup. She was totally fucking loving this.
“With a little coaching,” she said, “you’ll behave.”
“You just love that you get to boss me around tonight.”
“It’s a dream come true,” she admitted.
And then she laid the coaching on me. Apparently, she was expecting me to “flex a little,” “try to smile,” and “don’t be a dick to anyone,” while the ladies bid on me.
“Just don’t embarrass me, okay?” she concluded.
“What, like lift my leg and pee on the floor?”
She groaned.
By the time we rolled into the Ruby, Ifeltlike a damn show dog.
Why the fuck did I agree to this?
Lucas had met us after dinner, and the three of us arrived at the Ruby just before nine. The auction was supposed to get started in a few minutes. We entered the nightclub by the back, and I got dressed backstage with the other guys.
There were seven “bachelors” in the auction, all guys from the local music industry, including Trey. The only other rock stars, besides me, were Coop and Noah. Andy Cooper had been bassist with the now defunct Penny Pushers, and Ashley Player’s former bandmate. And Noah Vaughan, a drummer I knew from way back, now played in Johnny O’Reilly’s band, Breakneck.
I didn’t even know Noah was in town. He’d lived in Toronto for the last few years. So I gave him a hug—and a hard time that he hadn’t told me he was home, though he swore up and down he only flew in a few days ago.
We all goofed around and tried to bolster each other up, because this thing was kinda ridiculous. And even if no one would admit it was embarrassing, it kinda was.
We did shots together, just a few, since Trey requested that we hold off on getting trashed until after the auction. There were serious bidders out there with serious money, he said, and this event could raise a lot of money to help the sick kids’ foundation it was funding.
That was pretty sobering. Made me feel a lot less stupid about being put up on an auction block like a side of beef.
After we got through the auction, Trey assured us, we could party all we wanted.
I wasn’t in the mood for a party anyway, but I tried to look at all the bright sides here.
Not only was this thing for an incredibly worthwhile charity, but lots of local industry people would be here, which was cool. And at least it got Jordan off my back, temporarily. She’d been on me a lot lately about my “bad attitude,” and giving me this look like she was worried I was heading down Recluse Road, like Cary.
I wasn’t going hermit. I’d just been avoiding other humans, in general, while I wallowed. Because I’d learned my lesson. I wasn’t gonna vent to Jo or Trey or anyone else about Courteney anymore.
Because truth was, no one wanted to hear that shit.
If you want her, just be a man about it.
Yup. Larissa Jones had called it.
I’d officially become a pussy.
At least this event would keep me busy for one more night while Courteney avoided me. Keep my mind off her.
More or less.
After the auction bullshit was done, I’d see my new band members. At least, the ones who were in town; I knew Ash and Summer were here tonight. Which made it more embarrassing, but at least we could hang out afterward.
When the auction got started with some rap artist on Trey’s record label, we all patted him on the back and nudged him out to the stage, through the curtain, laughing. The event MC, who was doing doubly duty as the auctioneer, started selling him up, and the crowd applauded and whistled.
And as I watched from backstage, I actually got a little nervous as I waited for my turn.
