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“That’s not fair,” I told him. “I can’t respond, and I want to.”
I placed my hand on top of his.
“It’s enough to know that you want to.” He moved his hand away. “It’s all settled, then. Once breakfast is over and this rain gives us a break, we’ll all head on over to Dirty Coyote. We can drive. Aunt Tammy lent us her Land Rover, and that car can get through anything. It’s like some sort of monster vehicle. The tires alone are almost as tall as she is.”
“Okay, but I can’t promise anything.”
“That’s fine. Let’s just see how it goes,” he said.
“How what goes?” Dustin asked. “I didn’t catch your entire conversation, but I know it has something to do with you joining us at practice today, Emily.”
“She confessed that she knows some of our songs. That right there is better than the last backup singer we hired. David knew one song but had the right kind of voice for us. That was enough for us to take him on. Turned out to be the best decision we ever made. The guy is incredible.”
“So is his wife,” Gabe offered. “She sings with us as well. It’s been great for them. They were never apart.”
“Might be a double-edged sword,” I said, trying to think this thing through. I’d be with these guys 24/7. Did I really want that? Would we end up hating each other? And what about my body? Could I handle that much sex? Could any woman handle that many dicks at one time? How did these group things work?
As I grabbed my mug of hot tea, I shuddered with a crash of thunder.
What the hell was I getting into?
The thought caused me to sip my tea for warmth, then guzzle my mimosa for strength. When I downed that, I poured another.
The fantasy of three men in my bed was one thing, but the reality was something else entirely.
I’d watched them sing last night, Brandi especially. That was her name, the backup singer. No way could I ever take her place. These guys were dreaming if they thought I could sound like her. Besides, they probably weren’t serious when they asked me. Not when I’d be replacing someone so good. The whole thing was giving me a brain freeze. Sex and country music. Did those two even go together?
“So, Emily, I hear you might be hooking up with Cody and the guys. Is this true?”
I about spat out my drink.
“Excuse me?” I asked, hoping she couldn’t actually read minds.
“You might be singing backup with Wilder and Days. Is that true? Brandi has to leave because of her pregnancy. I hear you might be taking her place.”
“How… I mean… nothing’s been decided… who told you?”
“I did,” Bernard said. “Might be a great idea.”
“I don’t know… it’s still up in the air,” I said, trying to sound as if I had some brain waves still snapping in my head. She’d caught me completely off-guard, which was her habit.
“She’s agreed to practice with us today,” Dustin said.
“Oh honey, that sounds so nice,” Martha said. Cody’s mom liked to support talent, and she had plenty of it around her. “You always had such a lovely voice. I remember watching American Idol with you and Cody when you were just kids. You’d both tell me how you wanted to be on that show.”
“I remember one Christmas when I bought Cody here a kids’ karaoke machine, and you two sang all day on that thing. We couldn’t pull you away,” Cody’s dad said.
I’d totally suppressed the memory, but as soon as Sam mentioned it, it came rushing back. “I think we sang songs for that entire week between Christmas and New Year’s. I couldn’t let it go.”
“Until I forced you to,” Natalie said. “I’m sorry about that. I was such a bully when I was a kid. How you stayed friends with me is a mystery.”
Her nice-girl persona was getting to me.
“We shared more good times than bad, Nat. Don’t beat yourself up,” I told her, and it was true. Despite all the bad, shit things that happened, I always knew I could depend on her when I needed a friend. And in those moments, she never betrayed my trust. We were besties for a reason, and those down days with boys and teachers that didn’t like us, or friends that would bully us, glued us together forever. Just thinking about all those good times made me emotional… that or the mimosas. I couldn’t be sure.
She reached out across the table for my hand. “You were always a good friend, Em. I realize that now, and I hope this works out for you and the band. I truly do.”
Her eyes watered, and I couldn’t help but reach out for her. And I couldn’t help my own tears. We touched fingers, and I felt as if we’d made a true connection, and that perhaps we’d be okay now… be good friends once again.
