With ear buds jammed in his ears, Jake was the least restless of the guys. I guess he needed the music to tune the others out. He sat across from me at the kitchen table coloring in some sketches that Brayden had made for the band’s next album cover.
As for me, I stayed the hell out their way and studied for my nursing exam. It was a little after two when we rolled into the parking lot of the Klipsch Music Center. I’d been reading and trying to tune out the guys’ antics. But then Jake appeared in front of me, bouncing on the balls of his feet and held out his hand. “Come on,” he instructed.
I cocked an eyebrow at him suspiciously. “Just where are we going?”
He grinned. “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”
“I’m not real big on surprises. The last one had me getting on the wrong bus and falling into the bed of the notorious Jake Slater.”
With a smirk, he replied, “That sounds like more of a dream come true than a surprise gone wrong.”
I laughed. “You would say that.”
“Come on. Trust me on this one.” His tone had become almost whiney.
Pursing my lips, I couldn’t help the tremor of excitement that went over me at his hopeful expression. “Okay. Wow me then,” I replied, putting my book down.
“Ha! I knew you’d cave. No one can resist my charms.”
“Such an egomaniac,” I muttered under my breath as I put my hand in his.
As we started down the aisle of the bus, Brayden grabbed Jake’s arm. “Where are you going? We got sound checks and rehearsal in an hour.”
“I need to do something for Abby.” He glanced over at me and smiled. “You know, make up for being such an unimaginable bastard and ass**le yesterday.”
Brayden’s brows lifted in surprise, but he didn’t argue. “Okay, man, whatever.”
After pounding down the bus steps, Frank was waiting for us along with a beefy African American guy who looked like he could bench press me and Jake at the same time.
“Abby, this is Lloyd,” Jake introduced, motioning to the guy.
Lloyd glared at Jake. “That’s LL, thank you very much.”
Jake laughed. “I love to tease him about his real name.”
“Yeah and one day, I’m gonna make you pay for it, you little tool,” LL threatened menacingly.
I hesitated for a moment before I held out my hand. “Um, nice to meet you.”
His dark expression lightened, and he gave me a smile. “Likewise.”
With LL trailing behind us, Frank led us into the arena. Once we got inside, Jake held up his hand. “We got it from here.”
“I’ll hang back, but I ain’t leavin’,” LL replied.
“No problem.”
As we wound around through the darkened back of the arena, I snickered. “Hello Cleveland,” I murmured under my breath.
“What?” Jake asked.
“I was just thinking that we seem kinda lost, and I was totally having a This Is Spinal Tap moment.”
Whirling around, Jake’s mouth dropped open. “You actually know that movie.”
“Of course I do. I used to watch it with the boys all the time.”
He shook his head slowly back and forth. “How is it that you’re actually real?”
“Huh?”
Jake smiled. “You’re like a guy’s wet dream.”
Wrinkling my nose, I replied, “Ew, thanks for the compliment.”
“Okay, that didn’t exactly come out like I wanted it to.”
“I’d hope not.”
He winced as he ran his hands through his hair. “I just meant that you’re a musician’s dream girl—a complete and total package. You understand what it’s like to deal with the industry and what a gift and a curse the muse can be. Plus you know all about music and singing. To top it all off you’re someone a guy could just hang out with and watch stupid comedies. Do you know what it’s like to have a beautiful girl in front of me that totally gets you?”
“Thanks,” I murmured. My cheeks instantly flamed at his words. When he stood there just staring at me, I finally admitted, “By the way, that was much better on the compliments.”
“You’re welcome.” He took my hand. “Now come on. I have a big surprise for you.”
“Once again, I really, really don’t like surprises,” I protested as he dragged me further back stage.
“You’ll like this one.”
Finally, we walked through the wings. Instead of stopping, Jake pulled me right on stage. I gazed out at the empty, but huge arena. Tilting my head, I spun around and took it all in. “Wow, this place is intense.”
“I love it when it’s like this,” Jake confided, motioning to the crew who were rushing around with equipment. “It’s like the calm before the storm.” He bounced on the balls of his feet, and his whole body hummed with excitement.
“The storm that is Hurricane Jake?” I teased.
He laughed. “That would maybe be Tropical Storm Jake and more like Hurricane Runaway Train.”
I smiled. “I love the fact you never leave the guys out of the equation. No Adam Levine and those other dudes in Maroon 5 kinda thing.”
Jake shook his head. “The label tried that bullshit for a while right after we hit. But it’s me and the boys or it’s nothing.”
Reaching over, I tapped his chest. “Such a good heart in there.”
His hand closed over mine, and he pressed it flush against his shirt. “You don’t know what it means to me that you’re able to see that through all the bullshit.”
“I see you a lot better than you’d ever imagine.”
“And?” he prompted.
I swallowed hard under the intensity of his stare. “I like what I see. A lot.”
He then brought my hand to his mouth and tenderly brushed his lips across my knuckle.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
My heartbeat thumped like a cannon blast in my ears, and I was sure Jake could hear it. Just when he leaned closer to me, a voice boomed from below the stage, “We’re ready when you are.”
His eyes momentarily closed. “The worst f**king timing,” he grumbled before turning to the guy. “Thanks Joe. We better get this show on the road.”
“Show?” I questioned in a squeak.
Jake turned back to me. “Yeah, last night after your phone conversation with that assmunch—”
“Garrett,” I corrected.