Chapter 31

Gage

“That was our best show yet!” Xander crowed as we made our way into the dressing room.

“For once, I agree with Xan,” Harley said as she walked in behind Austin.

Austin said nothing as he mopped his brow with the shirt he’d taken off halfway through our set. He collapsed onto the sofa with a sigh. He always crashed hard from the adrenaline rush as soon as we left the stage, but he got a second burst of energy soon after that.

As for me, I immediately grabbed my phone to see if Bentley had replied to my text. There hadn’t been time to see if she’d picked up the tickets I’d left for her. I hadn’t seen her in the crowd, no surprise with the lighting and the two pits near the front. Still, I’d looked in the direction of the seats reserved for her.

“She didn’t come?” Austin asked as he regarded me from the sofa.

I shrugged, looking down at my silent phone, trying not to be too disappointed. She would have texted me to let me know she was coming. Her lack of response spoke volumes. I pushed my disappointment to the back of my mind. There was no reason to assume she’d intentionally stood me up. “She must not have made it back from Boston in time.” I told him, hoping I was right.

“Maybe you should try a different approach with this girl,” Harley suggested after swigging down a bottle of water. “What you’re doing isn’t working.”

“We’ve been getting along great,” I argued.

“We get along great, but that doesn’t mean I want to date you,” Xander pointed out.

The rest of my asshole friends nodded their agreement. Fuckers.

“I can’t believe how hung up you are on Ginger Ann,” Austin remarked. “I’ve never seen you act this way.”

“What way?” I asked before deciding it was foolish to pretend he wasn’t right. We’d already talked about my plans for Bentley. They all knew how much I wanted her with me. “I can’t get her out of my mind. It’s been that way since I met her on the plane.”

“It’s a miracle she didn’t kick you in the balls after what you said,” Harley added.

Xander chuckled. “I’m not sure that would have deterred Gage from going after Ginger Ann. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Would you stop calling her that?” I asked once more.

“Probably not,” Austin replied with a yawn. There was a knock at the door, and Austin immediately perked up. “Time to pick out the lucky groupies to join us at the after-party.”

“Hell yeah!” Xander exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

“You’re all idiots,” Harley accused, pretending she didn’t enjoy the attention of the groupies. While she wasn’t into women, Harley loved that she was as popular with the ladies as we were.

“Don’t worry, Harley,” Austin began with a grin. “We’ll pick some nice groupies for you, too.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Harley warned as Xander and Austin headed into the hall to visit with those with backstage passes. She wasn’t upset about the women they might bring back for her so much as the men. Xander and Austin loved finding men who were hoping to call Harley their mistress. She wasn’t interested in fulfilling the dominatrix role and didn’t seem nearly as amused as we all were by the men offering to lick her boots.

I put my phone in my pocket and went to grab a drink. After the set, I was hot and thirsty. That truly had been our best show. It was the perfect end to our tour. When my phone buzzed, I immediately grabbed it, not caring how it made me look. My obsession was no secret. I smiled when I saw Bentley’s name pop up on the screen.

Bentley: Sorry I didn’t make it to your show. My flight was delayed. I just got back from Boston.

I couldn’t hold back my grin. She’d meant to come.

Gage: How was Boston?

Bentley: I didn’t see much. James had back-to-back appointments the entire time we were there. How was your show?

Gage: Great. Come see me now. We’ll be here for at least an hour. I can bring you to the after-party.

Bentley: I’m not up to partying with the band.

I was about to respond when I felt a smack on my shoulder. Looking over, I found Harley right beside me, and I was certain she’d been reading my texts. “What?”

“Don’t push her to come here,” she told me.

“Why?” I asked.

Harley rolled her eyes, regarding me like I was an idiot. I’d known Harley long enough to realize I was acting like an idiot if she was looking at me that way. “She doesn’t want to date you because you’re a musician,” she stated.

“You think hanging out here with us will bother her,” I deduced. “Maybe I can get her to meet me at the after-party.”

“So she can watch groupies try to climb all over you?” Harley asked with a sweet smile. “No one wants to fight to get near the person they’re interested in. You already know how these parties are. After an hour or so, the women get the hint that you aren’t interested in playing with them. Until then, they’re pretty damn aggressive.”

“You’re right,” I agreed with a sigh.

“Try spending some time with her in a situation where she’ll think of you as more than a rock star,” Harley suggested. “Do lunch or something like that.”

I nodded. “Good idea. Thanks.”

Gage: How about lunch tomorrow?

Bentley: I need to go into the office. I’m working a lot of weekend hours now.

Gage: Dinner?

Bentley: I can’t. I have dinner plans with my sister. It looks like I won’t be able to see you before you head back to LA.

I was ready to growl in frustration. She was trying to blow me off.

“Don’t text her back,” Harley told me.

“Are you honestly suggesting I let her blow me off like this?” I asked in disbelief.

Harley shook her head and grinned. “You know me better than that. I’m merely suggesting you handle your business in person. That way she’ll have a harder time blowing you off.”

“That’s a good idea,” I mused. “I know where to start.”

Xander and Austin’s arrival interrupted our discussion. They were flanked by six women and a guy who couldn’t have been much older than eighteen.

“We brought a friend for you, Harley,” Austin announced with a huge grin.

I had to hand it to Harley. She held it together. Later, she’d get her revenge on our friends, but for now, she smiled at her young admirer who was looking at her like she was a goddess. If I didn’t have bigger plans, I’d stick around to enjoy the show. I never got tired of watching Harley being pursued by a doting submissive.

“I’m gonna skip the after-party,” I announced.

“Why?” Austin asked.

“Are you going to spend the whole night wallowing in self pity because Ginger Ann didn’t show up?” Xander asked.

“Nope,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I’m going to head over to The Frisky Beaver.”