“Not really.”
He turned her around to face him. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it.”
“I played when I was in Germany. There’s an awesome music scene there and I hooked up with a few bands. I was living my dream and having the time of my life, writing and singing.”
He folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “Yeah? That’s great.”
“It was. We got an audition to do this big show. Except they only wanted the band. Not me. They hated my voice, said I was holding back the band.”
“Ouch.”
“The band kicked me out and that was the end of my singing.”
“Jenna, rejection is part of the business, isn’t it?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I just wasn’t good enough.”
He pushed off the counter and came to her, laid his hands on her shoulders. “You are good enough. You have an incredible voice. Maybe you just weren’t the right voice for that particular band. It doesn’t mean your voice wasn’t good enough. It is good enough. I think you have an incredible voice.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “It’s okay. For singing in the privacy of my bedroom.”
“Bullshit. It’s amazing.”
Her lips curved. “You’re not exactly a talent scout. But I appreciate you thinking so.”
“So what happened after that?”
“Nothing.”
“You mean, you stopped singing?”
“No, of course not. As you can see from the mess in the office, I’m still writing songs and singing them.”
“But not publicly.”
“Uh, no. Not until tonight. For you. Which I guess can’t be considered public singing.”
His brows rose. She knew he wanted to say more, but maybe he read the pleading look in her eyes, because he smiled at her and said, “Then I’m honored. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He bent and brushed his lips against hers. “You’re a woman of many talents.”
Glad the tension had dissolved, she laughed. “Yes, I am a hell of a bartender.”
“Well, yeah, that, too, but those aren’t the talents I have on my mind right now.”
“Is that right? And what is on your mind right now?”
“Something more bedroom oriented.” He scooped her up in his arms and headed down the hall toward her bedroom.
She gazed up at the obvious amorous intent on his face and smiled.
“Speaking of someone with many talents…”
FOURTEEN
TY ASKED JENNA OUT A FEW DAYS LATER, SURPRISED when she agreed.
After the other night, she’d been upset, though she’d been a good sport about getting over it in a hurry. She wasn’t one of those women who got mad and stayed that way.
A good thing, too, because he had special plans for her tonight, and she might end up pissed off at him all over again. Hopefully, he’d maneuver this just right and she’d never know he set it all up.
He picked her up at eight. She wore jeans and a really sexy shirt, which she covered up with a leather jacket and finished off with high-heeled boots. She looked so hot he wanted to forget all about taking her out and get down to the business of peeling off her jeans and getting her na**d. But that wasn’t tonight’s objective.
Or at least it wasn’t tonight’s starting objective. He hoped to end up there later. He couldn’t help himself. It’s where his mind wandered whenever he was with her.
She climbed into his car and made herself comfortable by stretching her long legs out and crossing her feet at her ankles. She turned toward him, her long silver earrings dangling against her neck.
“You look beautiful tonight.” He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her lips, coming away with a taste of something flavorful. He licked his lips.
“Cherries,” she gave him in answer. “And thank you. You look pretty hot yourself.”
He was hardly dressed up. He’d worn jeans, a button-down shirt and his own leather jacket to ward off the icy cold chill in the air. “Thanks.”
He took off and got on the highway.
“So where are we going?”
“This club a few of the guys’ wives and girlfriends have been talking about. Supposed to be a popular hotspot. A lot of good music, from what I hear, and some awesome games.”
“It’s not a sports bar, is it?”
He laughed. “Not a television screen in the entire place.”
“Then I’m sure I’ll love it.”
The drive didn’t take long since the spot was midtown in the city, which wasn’t the place you’d expect to find some killer club, but the parking lot was full. They had to park halfway down the street. Ty helped Jenna out of the car, then took her hand as they walked toward the club.
“I know about this place,” Jenna said as they neared the front door. “A couple of my friends mentioned coming here. Said it was hard to even get in the door. I couldn’t believe it considering the location, but now I understand what they were talking about.”
There was a line outside. “Fire code restrictions, I guess,” he said, then looked down at Jenna.
“Maybe we should have gotten here earlier.”
“We’ll get in.”
She laughed and scanned the line. “Yeah, by midnight.”
He walked right up to the front door and grinned at the well-muscled guy guarding the door.
“Hey, Tyler.”
“How’s it going, Greg?”
“Good.”
Greg opened the door for them. “You two have fun tonight.”
“Thanks.” Ty tipped him, then escorted Jenna through the door over the complaints of those waiting outside in the cold.
As soon as they stepped inside, she turned to him. “So you’re that famous, or have you been here before?”
He quirked a grin. “This is my first time here. Greg does security at the Ice games. I saw him when we drove by, figured he might let us bypass the line.”
“Lucky break.”
“Wasn’t it?” He put his hand on the small of her back and led her inside the club.
It wasn’t a rocking dance club with high-tech loud music. There was a bar off to one side and a stage that centered the whole place, with lots of tables scattered around. Right now a band was on stage playing something cool and country.
“Oh, this is fun,” Jenna said, turning to him as they wound their way around the crowds to locate an available table. They found one near the far side of the club and sat down. “Not at all what I expected.”
“Yeah? What did you expect?”
“From the lines out there? Something louder, heavy on the lights and bass. I figured it was one of those hot new dance clubs.”
He laughed. “Yeah, you’re not going to find that here.”
The waitress came by and they ordered drinks.
“My friends told me it was a great club, but they didn’t tell me what kind. This band is good.”
“They are.”
They sat back and listened while they had drinks and watched everyone dance. Tyler waited for Jenna to notice the book, as well as the pencils and cards on the table. So far she was preoccupied with the band and checking out the club, as well as her no doubt natural inclination to eye the bar and the bartenders. Checking out the competition and all that.
But when the band finished their set, took their instruments, and left the stage to thunderous applause, Jenna frowned.
“That’s it?”
“Huh. I guess so.”
“That was short.”
Until a singer came onstage, a girl dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She had on neon orange tennis shoes and her hair was in pigtails. She was cute.
The announcer asked them all to give it up for Marie, so everyone clapped and hollered.
Music started playing, and Marie began to sing.
She was pretty good.
Then Jenna frowned again, noticing the book on the table.
“Oh. It’s karaoke or something.”
“Is it? The band did karaoke?”
“I don’t know.” She picked up the book and flipped through it. “No, it’s open mic night tonight. You can bring in your band or sing your own music or they have recorded songs you can sing to.”
“Huh. That’s pretty cool.”
She slanted a glance his way. “You didn’t know about this?”
“How the hell would I know about it? I’ve never been here before. Like I said, some of the women mentioned coming here and said it was awesome, so I thought we’d give it a try. You know, since it’s not a sports bar and all.”
She gave him a look like she didn’t believe him, but turned her attention back to Marie and let the subject drop.
So far, so good.
He was going to get Jenna on that stage tonight.
And he wouldn’t have to do or say anything to get her up there.
JENNA WATCHED A PARADE OF TALENT CLIMB ONSTAGE for a couple hours, admittedly transfixed and awed and appalled.
For some reason, people weren’t shy about showcasing what they had—good or bad. And some people who were really awful—or really drunk—thought they sounded great, which the crowd didn’t seem to care about. They were polite, sometimes teased or booed depending on who was up there, and often clapped loudly, which was to be expected considering several of the people who’d been up there were damned talented.
This still smelled like a setup, but Ty hadn’t encouraged her or asked her if she wanted to go up and sing. So maybe he was being honest and hadn’t known this was the kind of place where local talent could show what they were made of. All he did was sit back, drink, and make comments to her about who he thought was great and who he thought stunk.
She agreed one hundred percent with his assessments, too.
Still, she was nervous, certain at any moment he would suggest she put in a bid to sing tonight. Which she wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Hadn’t since that awful experience in Germany when she’d been told she wasn’t good enough.
She’d never go through that again.
Two hours in, he still hadn’t said a damn word.
Still, she was better than half of the people who’d drunkenly sauntered up there to slur the latest Katy Perry or Miranda Lambert or Adele song.
Dammit.
I could light a fire under these people’s asses and bring them to their feet.
“I’m sure you could, if that’s what you wanted to do.”
“What?”
“Light a fire under their asses and bring them to their feet.”
Oh, God, had she actually said that out loud?
She waited for Ty to say more, to push or encourage her or somehow bully her onto the stage.
He didn’t. Instead, he flagged the waitress down to order another drink.
This was her choice. If she wanted to get up there and sing, it would be her decision and no one else’s. Ty obviously wasn’t going to prompt or cajole her into doing it.
She chewed on her bottom lip while a band started to play and a bunch of the patrons got up on the dance floor.
“Wanna dance?” he asked.
“Sure.” Anything to avoid sitting and stewing.
The band was good, played light rock music, with a female lead singer who had a grungy, hippie look about her. She liked this singer’s voice, and when she slowed down the melody, Ty pulled Jenna close and put his arms around her. She soon forgot all about the music and tuned in to the way his body felt against hers. His thigh slid between her legs as they moved in rhythm around the crowded dance floor.
She laid her head against his chest and inhaled the crisp maleness of his scent, let her fingers travel over the hard ridges of his shoulders. She’d been so wrapped around her own insecurities she hadn’t allowed herself the pleasure of this amazing man’s company. It was only now she saw the jealous stares of other women nearby, realized how very lucky she was to be in Ty’s arms. There were about ten women staring her down who’d love to trade places with her.
What an idiot she was.
It wasn’t always about her.
“What do you think?” he asked.
She tilted her head back to look at him. “About what?”
“This band?”
“Oh. They’re really good.”
“Yeah, they are. I like the singer. I’d like to hear her without all the guitar noise, though. She’s good on this song.”
“Yeah, she is.” He was right about the singer’s voice. The band overpowered her. She had a crystal-clear voice, but too much bass and guitar muddied it. “She’d be better as a solo act.”
“I think you’re right. Some voices are better without a band behind them.”
The band got a good response, but not as great as that singer would have gotten had she showcased her awesome voice as a solo act.
And that’s when Jenna knew she just had to get up there and sing. Not that it would mean anything to anyone but herself, but she had to do it.
For herself. Just to see what kind of reaction she’d get. Just to prove to herself that maybe she wasn’t a total loser.
It had been a lot of years since Germany. For all these years she’d hidden her voice in her house, when all she really wanted to do was sing, to have people hear her. To be judged, just one more time. And if she got booed off the stage, then she’d know.
When the song was over, she and Ty went back to their table and Jenna ordered a shot.
Ty arched a brow. “Ready for some hard drinking?”
She steeled her nerves and directed her gaze at him. “I’m going to sing.”